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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 3, 2024 19:11:51 GMT
I think it’s better to be outside, in a bar somewhere. That made me laugh out loud... Me too. He has his moments. Occasionally.  |
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Oct 3, 2024 23:47:07 GMT
Is it better to be close or far away for this? And are all viewing areas in the theater the same or there better viewing sections? Obviously the premium purple seats are out… Lol. If you are at or near the front you will need to look up regularly as most of the circus acts perform well above ground level. It's tiered more steeply than a typical theatre and I don't think there are any bad viewing sections. I've just had a look at current pricing and frankly I think 90% of it is outrageously expensive for a 75 minute show that's really not that much different to a touring circus. The front row has extra legroom but there was a "watch your feet" warning for people sitting there. I'm looking forward to other views telling me how wrong I am about this show ... |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 4, 2024 6:31:33 GMT
Poll added
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Post by fiyero on Oct 4, 2024 8:25:06 GMT
Is it better to be close or far away for this? And are all viewing areas in the theater the same or there better viewing sections? Obviously the premium purple seats are out… Lol. If you are at or near the front you will need to look up regularly as most of the circus acts perform well above ground level. It's tiered more steeply than a typical theatre and I don't think there are any bad viewing sections. I've just had a look at current pricing and frankly I think 90% of it is outrageously expensive for a 75 minute show that's really not that much different to a touring circus. The front row has extra legroom but there was a "watch your feet" warning for people sitting there. I'm looking forward to other views telling me how wrong I am about this show ...I was so looking forward to this but not so sure now! at least it won't be a mad dash for my train after like I feared! |
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Post by unseaworthy on Oct 4, 2024 8:32:54 GMT
If you are at or near the front you will need to look up regularly as most of the circus acts perform well above ground level. It's tiered more steeply than a typical theatre and I don't think there are any bad viewing sections. I've just had a look at current pricing and frankly I think 90% of it is outrageously expensive for a 75 minute show that's really not that much different to a touring circus. The front row has extra legroom but there was a "watch your feet" warning for people sitting there. I'm looking forward to other views telling me how wrong I am about this show ...I was so looking forward to this but not so sure now! at least it won't be a mad dash for my train after like I feared! I see the £195 tickets are not selling well - perhaps people don't want to pay £2.60 per minute for this |
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 4, 2024 8:43:43 GMT
I was tempted to try for rush tickets today, but as @frontroverpaul has given such a useful overview I'll hold out for the more realistically priced tickets to appear.
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Post by Steve on Oct 4, 2024 17:20:54 GMT
And taking a bar of chocolate off a kid when they don’t even sell it inside is very poor behaviour. Don't cry when we snatch your Freddo bars, children! Have yourself a premium canape instead on the Balloon Terrace.
"The Empress Diner serves circus inspired fare with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
Premium ticket holders enjoy an hour of passed canapes prior to the performance on the Balloon Terrace."
I thought this sort of thing only happened at the Dominion.  |
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Post by Steve on Oct 6, 2024 16:55:07 GMT
Saw the matinee of this today, and concur with everything @frontroverpaul said. However, I suspect I enjoyed it quite a bit more, almost certainly because I read his review and adjusted my expectations accordingly. It is indeed a circus show, rather than a theatre show. Personally, I like my circus shows themed, so as a rule I don't bother frequenting Cirque-du-Solei, but when there was a Michael Jackson themed Cirque, I went and enjoyed it lots. Similarly here, I prefer my human circus (the kind of acts where three people stand vertically on each other's shoulders, or where a trapeze artist suspended by her hair does aerial stunts or where a high wire is walked or where some trapeze artists are propelled into the air by jumping on a seesaw) accompanied by music I like, and there is a chorus of talented singers here singing well. I presume when Oscar Hammerstein's grandson, Simon, asks you for permission to put your Circus movie songs in a Circus, you say yes, cos you're a songwriter, and. . . it's Oscar Hammerstein's grandson asking lol! Anyway, it's a really good idea of how to improve a circus! There are two actors, and Jenny Bick has created a rudimentary, thin but oddly moving story for them. . . Some spoilers follow. . . This is basically the Zac Efron story arc from the movie, whereby he becomes the successor ringmaster to Barnum, except here, Zac is Aaliya Mai, she's got a trapeze artist boyfriend, Cory who thinks she shouldn't do it, but she does it anyway. Through the show, Simon Bailey's Barnum dresses her in a ringmaster costume bit by bit, and she becomes more and more confident and powerful in the role by degrees. Mai is the heart of the show, performing the pivotal "A Million Dreams" and "This is me," among other songs, and does a terrific job. Bailey's Barnum soars when he sings "From Now On" and, even more, when he leads the audience in accompanying him (whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa) on "The Greatest Show." Anyhow, as a themed circus show, it's a great show for all the family, and I saw kids, loaded with popcorn in see-through plastic bags or hotdogs, enjoying themselves immensely. As a theatre show, 2 stars, as the story is too thin. As a circus spectacle, 3 and a half stars. As a themed circus show, it blended together at 4 stars for me, as Mai made me emotional in a way unadorned spectacle never could.  PS: I obeyed the no food rule, and took water only for this show, but I also had a diet coke for my next show at Soho Place, and worried that I'd get caught in a massive queue to get it back. I needn't have worried as the Security Chap only checked for food, and ignored the plastic bottles; PPS: There aren't too many travel options, just outside the Venue, and West Brompton Station got immensely congested, with a big queue, so to save time, I walked a bit further to Earl's Court Station, which was much less busy. |
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Post by fiyero on Oct 11, 2024 9:28:16 GMT
Has anyone been recently and could comment on what time it finishes / you get out of the site? Need to make some logistical decisions!
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Post by Steve on Oct 11, 2024 10:42:16 GMT
Has anyone been recently and could comment on what time it finishes / you get out of the site? Need to make some logistical decisions! Sure.
I went Sunday afternoon. Even with an extended interval, and a 5 minute show stop to fix a problem with the high wire, we got out at 4.25pm, making for a 1 hour 55 minute running time including one long interval.
Getting out of the site was smooth and easy but West Brompton tube station was a queuing congested nightmare, so I walked another 5 minutes to Earls Court tube Station, which was uncongested.
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Post by rayc on Oct 11, 2024 20:48:45 GMT
So, saw the show today. Let's not over analyse this. Sondheim it's not, but if you like circus and the music of The Greatest Showman, then you'll be fine. Gossamer thin story, nevertheless it's Fun. The audience loved it, plenty of kids having a good time and Mums and Dads finding their inner child again! Accept it for what it is - a fun couple of hours. The circus performers are great, without being wildly innovative and the singers / dancers do a fine job. It's not going to win any awards but who cares. Immerse yourself in it and enjoy. But simply don't pay top dollar. Just about any seat is fine. Its loud, it's fun and folk went away happy.
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Post by fiyero on Oct 12, 2024 22:15:33 GMT
Really not sure how to rank this. This is more along the lines of selling an experience, a night out not just a show.
Logistics
Not allowed to print your own tickets (as much as I memorise where I am sitting I like having it printed in case technology fails. On the way in as soon as scanned they said to screenshot the ticket as signal was poor inside! The sections are colour coded, the entrances are numbered and if there is a correlation I never found it. Once through security you go into what looks like a traditional museum but are encouraged to keep going to see the acts. There is a cloakroom and small toilet area with the lowest down kids urinal I have ever seen, I can only assume a hangover from the BBC Earth Experience which was the former tenant and who's marquee has been painted over for the new rather than totally removed. Next is an expensive and impressive looking bar then you get to the acts. Various areas including a little stage where I saw a singer, tumblers and a bubble blower, trampoline area and what looked like fortune tellers. Also the artists caravans and living quarters etc.
There was another bar and food area. From the amount left behind at the end I'd wager the popcorn isn't worth it.
'guest flow' isn't always ideal and I found it overwhelming at times. I think the overall theme was you are mingling outside the circus and the performers are having a great time.
No programme yet but a free cast list.
The show!
There is a plot. I'm not sure I've seen a show where it is so inconsequential as this. Why do we care about Max? Or the Showman? Is he a Willy Wonka who needs to retire or is he being forced out? Does Max want to be a ringmaster or is there some ethereal draw towards it?
Singing along is inevitable and I am sure encouraged by the ringmaster at one point. Ugh. I want to hear talented people not loud out of tune drunks (I know, I know, I went to a jukebox musical on a Saturday night!!!)
The circus acts were great but there was no huge spectacle. No globe of death or something like that. Also took a long time setting up the tightrope scene, surely would have been better to move things around and do that at the interval.
I know the show is still fairly new so some things may get tightened but it did seem the audience had a great time. The drunks near me were having kittens at some of the stunts.
Not sure I'd rush back unless a friend wanted to go and bought my ticket too!
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Post by danb on Oct 25, 2024 18:37:26 GMT
Massive puff piece on the One Show just now guaranteed to confuse the average Greatest Showman loving housewife into shelling out for this halfy halfy hack job, performing ‘Come Alive’ really quite well. Simon Bailey totally wasted as the nominal Barnum type character and some cheaper than cheap not-even grad as what looks like a female version of the Zac Efron character looking on. A 700 seater big top provides the location which looked a bit pokey. Approach with caution I think I’d say based on this.
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Post by maggiem on Oct 28, 2024 9:36:14 GMT
Massive puff piece on the One Show just now guaranteed to confuse the average Greatest Showman loving housewife into shelling out for this halfy halfy hack job, performing ‘Come Alive’ really quite well. Simon Bailey totally wasted as the nominal Barnum type character and some cheaper than cheap not-even grad as what looks like a female version of the Zac Efron character looking on. A 700 seater big top provides the location which looked a bit pokey. Approach with caution I think I’d say based on this. I booked when the tickets went on sale, so I'm certainly not paying £100+ for a seat! If I really enjoy it, I will try and go back before it ends in March as I will be back in London then, but probably looking for bargain seats if there are any. All this being said, I'm taking the view of imagining I'm an extra on the set when they shot Come Alive for the film. I'm sure everyone will be singing along to the big numbers from the film anyway, so I think the atmosphere will be similar to what I see on the behind-the-scenes features on the blu-ray. I hope that all this makes sense. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 28, 2024 22:11:41 GMT
Is this still on?
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Post by Being Alive on Oct 28, 2024 22:14:13 GMT
Yes, and selling very well - go figure... |
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Post by mrnutz on Oct 29, 2024 12:28:42 GMT
From a quick look at the seat map, this seems to be selling very well - and the prices are steep!
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