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Post by lookingatthestars on Oct 7, 2024 8:07:44 GMT
Ouch......the Mrs Brown's Boys comment!
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Post by Rory on Oct 7, 2024 8:08:33 GMT
I am not entirely sure why the AKA agency, who are doing the marketing for this, have reposted on Twitter / X the fairly damning review by Sarah Crompton for WhatsOnStage.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 7, 2024 8:15:50 GMT
I may need an eye test as I clearly wasn’t reading the reviews closely enough!
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Post by jake on Oct 7, 2024 8:28:15 GMT
Ouch......the Mrs Brown's Boys comment! A friend of mine said exactly that in response to my comment that Rylance seemed to have prepared by attending the Dermot Kelly School of Oirish Stereotypes. I suppose these days more people have heard of Brendan O'Carroll than of Dermot Kelly. The point remains the same: Rylance's performance was more suitable for a sketch show - or at best a sitcom - than for an integral role in a tragi-comedy. Skimming the reviews, the comment that stood out for me was the one about the first Act making the reviewer wonder if they'd gone to the wrong theatre and blundered into Fawlty Towers. Another one that hit home was the accusation that MR was turning into a parody of himself. I genuinely did enjoy his earlier performances but this play isn't the Captain Jack Experience and I think it was a mistake to turn it in that direction. |
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Post by craigb on Oct 7, 2024 8:30:57 GMT
As others have stated, I think the main let down appears to be amongst the leads. Overall the production was great and the audience seemed to love it, especially the Irish audience members around us, We were front row and I think as another review stated, J Cameron seems to be the reason the production doesn't fly. I agree that she seemed to concentrate more on the accent than act, she didn't look entirely comfortable being on stage and the performance needed to be bigger. I think wrong play for her, would be better in something more naturalistic or American I think. She's great on screen but was the weak point. All the cast were good though - and the seats were a bargain for a Saturday
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Post by lichtie on Oct 7, 2024 8:35:53 GMT
Ouch......the Mrs Brown's Boys comment! I'd actually thought that when watching it but since I watch MBB as little as I possibly can thought better of the comparison. But from what I have seen seems entirely fair to me! |
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Post by jake on Oct 7, 2024 9:23:00 GMT
As others have stated, I think the main let down appears to be amongst the leads. Overall the production was great and the audience seemed to love it, especially the Irish audience members around us, We were front row and I think as another review stated, J Cameron seems to be the reason the production doesn't fly. I agree that she seemed to concentrate more on the accent than act, she didn't look entirely comfortable being on stage and the performance needed to be bigger. I think wrong play for her, would be better in something more naturalistic or American I think. She's great on screen but was the weak point. All the cast were good though - and the seats were a bargain for a Saturday I must say I was reluctant to pass comment on any of the others. As I said in my first comment, I couldn't actually think of any compensatory virtues in the production but I feel compelled to add now that I'd think it unfair to blame Smith-Cameron or anyone else because, with Rylance hamming it up for cheap laughs, it's hard to know what anyone else could have done to restore balance. My first thought when I heard about this project was that Rylance would be perfect for Joxer - a sly, self-serving user - rather than the pompous, self-deluding Jack. Even before the detailed casting was announced, though, I knew that Sir Mark wouldn't be anything but the male lead. And I'd always liked him so I booked on the expectation that he'd do his character justice. Having seen the production, though, I'm even more inclined to think Joxer would have suited him better if he wanted to be a character who seemed to be outside the main group. Just a thought. |
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Post by aspieandy on Oct 7, 2024 9:45:13 GMT
As others have stated, I think the main let down appears to be amongst the leads. Overall the production was great and the audience seemed to love it, especially the Irish audience members around us ..
I had Irish people around me, as well. They really liked it.
From what I can gather this morning, the internet says professional reviewers don''t have a clue (Giant) and professional reviewers know what they're talking about (Juno).
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Post by parsley1 on Oct 7, 2024 10:10:27 GMT
As others have stated, I think the main let down appears to be amongst the leads. Overall the production was great and the audience seemed to love it, especially the Irish audience members around us ..
I had Irish people around me, as well. They really liked it.
From what I can gather this morning, the internet says professional reviewers don''t have a clue (Giant) and professional reviewers know what they're talking about (Juno).
You will be well placed maybe then To spread the word in the relevant communities then The box office are going to need all the help they can get Sales are dire and the reviews are not going to shift the unsold tickets |
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Post by justsaying113 on Oct 7, 2024 10:13:42 GMT
Ouch......the Mrs Brown's Boys comment! It's true though! I thought he was awful - and such a shame. I blame Warchus. |
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Post by Sean on Oct 7, 2024 10:20:44 GMT
I saw this recently. I was not going to post as I did not enjoy it but just want to say that as an Irish person I found this a cringe fest that portrayed every Irish stereotype going. The cast has some well known and established Irish names in it so it was disappointing to see this was the route the production went down. I wouldn’t recommend.
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Post by Rory on Oct 7, 2024 10:55:31 GMT
It has been a bumpy old year for the Gielgud.
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Post by Jon on Oct 7, 2024 10:58:15 GMT
It has been a bumpy old year for the Gielgud. Luckily Oliver! is coming in December. |
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Post by lonlad on Oct 7, 2024 11:12:33 GMT
>>Weirdly I don’t think they read as pans at all.
What in heaven's name are you reading???
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Post by max on Oct 7, 2024 11:35:39 GMT
Although much of 'Mrs Brown's Boys' is awful (and got worse and unwatchable as the series went on), there were also moments of brilliance that reminded me of O'Casey in the whiplash shift from bleak to comic:
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Post by johnjohotspur on Oct 7, 2024 11:42:07 GMT
Overall they seemed a reasonably balanced set of reviews. Guardian, Standard, Time out and others are not panning at all and are constructive in their commentary. Some people enjoyed the production, others didn’t. Provoked strong reaction both ways :-)
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Post by cherokee on Oct 7, 2024 11:47:17 GMT
They certainly seem to be split on Rylance. For all the comparisons with Mrs Brown's Boys, you also have
"flashes of boozy brilliance" (Telegraph)
"dominant" and "imperious" (London Theatre)
"delightfully Chaplin-esque" and "charisma(tic)" (The Guardian)
"shamelessly twinkling, drawing us in with a knowing side-eye" (The Arts Desk)
"brilliantly, bizarrely funny - an auteur" (TimeOut)
"A riveting focal point... a wholly committed performance" (The Stage)
"jittery comedic delivery,reminiscent of a modern day Charlie Chaplin" (London Box Office Reviews)
Whereas in truth, it's a massively self-indulgent and selfish performance. He spends the entire time trying to pull focus and doesn't pay his colleagues the courtesy of even looking at them for the vast majority of the time. Everything is played out front whilst the rest of the cast attempt to act with some kind of naturalism. Just horrible.
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Post by aspieandy on Oct 7, 2024 12:12:53 GMT
So he's playing the role of a peacock - a dandy, perhaps - but it's selfish and just horrible. You don't think that's the point?
Reviews: ah! I didn't twig, but someone on Saturday also suggested an allusion to Chaplin.
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Post by johnjohotspur on Oct 7, 2024 12:16:16 GMT
That does sound horrible - I (genuinely) wonder if he modified his performance a bit over the run so far. The one I saw Saturday imo wasn’t as over the top as this. Yes more audience interaction than I expected but his relationship with Juno felt authentic as it progressed to the latter stages.
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Post by Jon on Oct 7, 2024 12:33:42 GMT
I find it strange that Sonia Friedman wasn't able to get a handle on Juno but I wonder if she's stretched a bit thin as she has Oedipus at the Wyndham's and The Hills of California on Broadway.
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Post by cherokee on Oct 7, 2024 12:51:40 GMT
So he's playing the role of a peacock - a dandy, perhaps - but it's selfish and just horrible. You don't think that's the point? Reviews: ah! I didn't twig, but someone on Saturday also suggested an allusion to Chaplin. I think there's a big difference between a selfish and horrible character and a selfish and horrible performance... |
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Post by barrowside on Oct 7, 2024 13:00:02 GMT
I find it strange that Sonia Friedman wasn't able to get a handle on Juno but I wonder if she's stretched a bit thin as she has Oedipus at the Wyndham's and The Hills of California on Broadway. It is strange given she has so much experience with Irish plays and transferring Irish productions. I think the big tragedy is that London may not now see another production of Juno and the Paycock for many years after the reception given to this one. Many great actresses are close to the age that they can play Juno (Anne Marie Duff, Eileen Walsh, Kerry Condon and Denise Gough all come to mind) but it's much more likely they will do it in Ireland rather than London now. |
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Post by Rory on Oct 7, 2024 13:17:35 GMT
It's been a while now since she's transferred anything from the Gate or anywhere else in Dublin.
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Post by lookingatthestars on Oct 7, 2024 13:47:29 GMT
Ireland had the big Druid O Casey production from Druid Theatre last year, which played at the Abbey, so I doubt any major Irish theatre or company will do something from O Casey in the near future. Pity they couldn't bring it to the UK. They got it to a few places in the states, but with so many Irish Americans that's probably a given.
In my recent experience, any good Irish plays I've seen in London, for the most part, where not in the westend. I think the tendancy is to play up the Oirishness begobs and begarra for a more commercial venue.
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Post by aspieandy on Oct 7, 2024 14:25:36 GMT
So he's playing the role of a peacock - a dandy, perhaps - but it's selfish and just horrible. You don't think that's the point? Reviews: ah! I didn't twig, but someone on Saturday also suggested an allusion to Chaplin. I think there's a big difference between a selfish and horrible character and a selfish and horrible performance... I'd imagine most of us do too. |
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