The Real Thing - Old Vic

[Being Alive]

I do wish that they'd got someone like Vanessa Kirby as Annie as this would have been virtually perfect then.

[Jon]

Odd request but there is a list of the songs used in the show? I remember two but not the rest.

[lt]

Really enjoyable evening watching this last night, with some very entertaining writing, don't think it is saying anything particularly profound but then I don't think all theatre needs to do that. Thought the staging was extremely effective and the way the set changes with the stage hands/actors were incorporated into the play worked really well.

Also great to be able to watch it with a responsive and appreciative audience, which definitely added to our enjoyment.

[tommy]

Liked the clever staging of this play and the very fluent, perfectly timed and nice choreographed scene changes. McArdle most remarkable, standing out in this. As someone mentioned a great role for a great actor, and he seems to deliver this with class.

[lt]

Could we have a poll for this please BurlyBeaR? Many thanks

[TallPaul]

Poll added.

[lt]

Sept 2, 2024 12:38:24 GMT TallPaul said:

Poll added.

Thank you!

[jr]

I saw this last night. Not sure if it is the play or the production but I was quite bored by it. The second act is slightly better but still not that good. I like Stoppard when he is original and weird, even if I don't understand half of it. Middle class marital problems are not that interesting, and the politics and ideas bounced around are very superficial.

The acting is fine at best, nothing extraordinary. As much as I like Susan Wokoma, she is the weakest here. James McArdle is fine, but there are a few moments (a shouty argument and a some crying) that were quite jarring. I haven't heard of or seen Bel Powley before, she was good and more natural than the others. They are still in previews so they might get more comfortable with their characters.

I liked the set and the transitions, maybe they should put more effort on substance and less on the visuals.

[jek]

I think the 3 star review in the Stage by Sam Marlow is pretty fair. Especially in drawing attention to how James McArdle does an excellent job of playing someone unlikeable but how that doesn't solve the problems of the play. The other reviews I've seen so far are a more generous four stars. For what it's worth it was a definite 3 stars from me.

[Jon]

Did have a chuckle at Dominic Maxwell's review which was positive but had a line which The Old Vic wouldn't use as a pull quote: 'It looks like, at first, the sort of super-witty middle-class adultery drama that's about as vogue as asbestos'

[lt]

Seems to have gone down reasonably well with the critics.

4 stars from The Guardian, Time Out, Evening Standard, The Times, FT, London Theatre and What's On Stage

3 stars from The Stage, Independent and Daily Telegraph

[amyja89]

This was great to look at, literally. Clean, stylish set. Cool, smooth transitions.

As for the play itself, I thought it was good but not great. My first experience of Stoppard so nothing to compare to. Everyone on stage was extremely assured in their roles, executing perfectly, I just don’t know how much of saying the same things with different words I can take on a Thursday afternoon.

I reckon this could be shaped into a really sharp 90 mins no interval type of thing. Nothing against this particular production, just more in a general story sense.

Theatre looked full on at least the first two levels, a good old fashioned, perfectly behaved oldies matinee crowd! I was there solo, and the lady next to me tapped me on the shoulder and told me I must be bringing down the crowd age average by 30 years. I’m 34. 😂

[drmaplewood]

Sorry to go a bit off topic but did anyone else get an email saying they were no longer eligible for the PWC tickets? I didn't realise that there was an eligibility criteria?

[catcat100]

Yeah, I received the email as well.

Quite confusing really as it was only mentioned briefly in it. Didn't really say anything about what eligibility rules I now didn't meet.

[Jon]

I wonder if either the PWC previews scheme is ending and they're given people the heads up or they've decided to have a criteria so it's not the same people grabbing the cheap tickets.

[jek]

I got that email too. Perfectly fair if they just want to use it for people coming to the theatre for the first time. But they need to say that in a more straightforward manner if that is the case.

[Jon]

Sept 6, 2024 13:33:34 GMT jek said:

I got that email too. Perfectly fair if they just want to use it for people coming to the theatre for the first time. But they need to say that in a more straightforward manner if that is the case.

I wonder if they've not decided on the criteria if they decide to continue it. I wouldn't be surprised if PwC are ending their sponsorship so the scheme may have been changed so that the Old Vic takes less of a hit.

[drmaplewood]

If they want newcomers to take advantage of it then surely people can just create new accounts with different e-mails?

[Jon]

Sept 6, 2024 13:53:38 GMT drmaplewood said:

If they want newcomers to take advantage of it then surely people can just create new accounts with different e-mails?

I would imagine some sort of proof would be needed similar to other schemes,

[lichtie]

I got it as well even though I've never actually made use of the PWC scheme.

[Being Alive]

Oooh can someone paste what the copy of the email says?

[topaz]

"We know that you have previously attended a performance at The Old Vic and we wanted to thank you for your support. The PwC £10 Previews scheme was created back in 2015 to inspire a new audience to visit our theatre and, since then, over 127,468 people have visited us for the first time.

We do hope you will come back, and, although you are no longer eligible for the scheme, we wanted to give you more information on how to visit. Did you know that:

• Tickets for all performances start at £13, with clear view seats available from £25

• If you live in Lambeth or Southwark, you can take advantage of our FREE OV Local Membership that gives you 20% off tickets, food and drink

• When booking, you can automatically join our FREE OV Loyalty Membership that gives you loyalty points in return for purchases, which can then be redeemed against future ticket and programme purchases

Thank you again for your support of The Old Vic. Here is more information about What’s On and we look forward to seeing you again soon."

[Being Alive]

Well that's....bobbins.

[Jon]

I wonder if the emails were sent in error and too early? I wouldn't be surprised if the PwC previews changes were coming in for A Christmas Carol which is the big money maker for them.

[nash16]

Maybe we’re being tracked too:

www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/sep/05/pwc-to-start-tracking-working-locations-of-all-its-uk-employees