The Years - Almeida / Harold Pinter

[kate8]

Thanks vickyg, I agree with everything you say, and it’s reminded me of a few moments I’d forgotten, like the others washing Romola Garai.

It was a very special experience seeing this group of actors. There was something about it being an all female cast that I think showed the audience how to see from a female point of view, not just the more personal experiences but the whole world being described. Perhaps that is what made it so difficult, or uninteresting, for some.

I really wish I could see this again. I hope it transfers, returns, or is at least filmed.

[jek]

My daughter has just returned from the free under 25s performance and tells me that there was no show stop tonight - although some people did leave during that scene.

[artea]

Re: poss transfer

During the woman's hour interview kindly listed by parsley, romola garai specified she was up for a transfer.

I thought the interview was weird. Everything we learnt was in spite of the interviewer. She hit the wrong tone too often, was too jokey and giggly and was unprepared. Her french pronunciation was appalling: she managed to rhyme années with Annie. But then, she didn't have clue with Garai either. Garai at least maintained her dignity.

[Jon]

Aug 22, 2024 22:38:12 GMT artea said:

Re: poss transfer

During the woman's hour interview kindly listed by parsley, romola garai specified she was up for a transfer.

I thought the interview was weird. Everything we learnt was in spite of the interviewer. She hit the wrong tone too often, was too jokey and giggly and was unprepared. Her french pronunciation was appalling: she managed to rhyme années with Annie. But then, she didn't have clue with Garai either. Garai at least maintained her dignity.

The earliest they could do a transfer with the cast intact is 2025 as Romola Garai is unavailable as she's doing Giant at the Royal Court straight after The Years finishes at the Almeida and then the other cast members might have other commitments as well. 

[aspieandy]

I doubt she would announce she wasn't.

[Phantom of London]

Okay

2025 is that far away now. After Xmas it is good to have a strong selling play as it is a hard time to shift tickets, so this could slot into a small commercial setting.

Time will now tell, but I would be surprised if this started at the Almeida and died at the Almeida.

[aspieandy]

For sure.

Geat word-of-mouth on this. Perfect for London media. Plenty of money left in it yet.

Nature of the cast suggests it could be hard to get them all together.

600+ seats at the Trafalgar - anything there after Merchant (end of January) ..

[nash16]

It is transferring thanks to SFP. To where, not sure, and who will be able to stay on with it, but Sonia Friedman will try and keep them all together one would hope.

[Jon]

Aug 23, 2024 12:39:10 GMT nash16 said:

It is transferring thanks to SFP. To where, not sure, and who will be able to stay on with it, but Sonia Friedman will try and keep them all together one would hope.

Both the Pinter and the DOY's are available from mid to late January but if they want to wait a bit longer then The Noel Coward Theatre from February would be ideal. 

[Rory]

I had a notion Sonia might transfer this one.

[nottobe]

I was able to get a ticket for the for free performance yesterday. For me this was a piece that whilst I can see why people would like it, I have to say it was not my personal cup of tea. The actors are all terrific and it is all staged very well and full of energy. It did sometimes remind me of the way fringe shows are presented which is not my favouirte sort of theatre.It probably is because as a man I could not relate overly to the emotional drive of the play nor the events throughout Annie's life as much as women are able to. It was a very good atmosphere and responsive audience, if a very particular North London/drama students sort of demographic.

It's great that people are loving it and I am glad I saw it however it won't be one that will stay with me.

[Phantom of London]

Aug 23, 2024 12:39:10 GMT nash16 said:

It is transferring thanks to SFP. To where, not sure, and who will be able to stay on with it, but Sonia Friedman will try and keep them all together one would hope.

Aug 23, 2024 12:45:19 GMT Jon said:

Aug 23, 2024 12:39:10 GMT nash16 said:

It is transferring thanks to SFP. To where, not sure, and who will be able to stay on with it, but Sonia Friedman will try and keep them all together one would hope.

Both the Pinter and the DOY's are available from mid to late January but if they want to wait a bit longer then The Noel Coward Theatre from February would be ideal. 

Now it is certain to transfer with Sonia Friedman at the Helm that it is heading West, ten her relationship with ATG would make sense for the York/Pinter, maybe the Ambassador if cast availability until February, cannot rule out the Trafalgar where it would be perfect, such a lovely theatre now.

[alessia]

I saw this last night - a packed theatre and lots of actors in the audience too including Tobias Menzies (again, is he following me around?) weirdly wearing a National Theatre lanyard, and Louisa Harland plus a few others I can't remember names but I have seen before in plays or tv.
The play I really liked, it held my attention throughout despite lack of interval. both my friend and I agreed that they did well not to interrupt the flow with an interval. It would have ruined the momentum for sure. we both really liked how it was staged-using the photographs as a way to navigate the decades. I don't usually enjoy heavy exposition plays but for some reason I didn't mind that in this one. Some scenes are very uncomfortable but I wouldn't say to the extent that one would want to leave...though a couple did leave their seats in front of me about 30 minutes into it and never returned. Having read some spoilers I knew what was going to take place but even the hardest scene wasn't that graphic I thought. for me it was like watching history from the pov of my mother, though with obvious French identity which would not apply to her. I wonder what the couple sitting next to me was feeling/thinking, being of a similar age as the protagonist. Some parts were funny, some purposefully cringey, some touching, some hard to watch.
I feel the good reviews are well deserved, I hope the rumours that it's moving are true.

[MrBunbury]

Aug 24, 2024 6:41:49 GMT alessia said:

I saw this last night - a packed theatre and lots of actors in the audience too including Tobias Menzies (again, is he following me around?) weirdly wearing a National Theatre lanyard, and Louisa Harland plus a few others I can't remember names but I have seen before in plays or tv.
The play I really liked, it held my attention throughout despite lack of interval. both my friend and I agreed that they did well not to interrupt the flow with an interval. It would have ruined the momentum for sure. we both really liked how it was staged-using the photographs as a way to navigate the decades. I don't usually enjoy heavy exposition plays but for some reason I didn't mind that in this one. Some scenes are very uncomfortable but I wouldn't say to the extent that one would want to leave...though a couple did leave their seats in front of me about 30 minutes into it and never returned. Having read some spoilers I knew what was going to take place but even the hardest scene wasn't that graphic I thought. for me it was like watching history from the pov of my mother, though with obvious French identity which would not apply to her. I wonder what the couple sitting next to me was feeling/thinking, being of a similar age as the protagonist. Some parts were funny, some purposefully cringey, some touching, some hard to watch.
I feel the good reviews are well deserved, I hope the rumours that it's moving are true.

Tobias Menzies might be wearing the NT lanyard because he is rehearsing "The other place" there (opening in one month).

[alessia]

Aug 24, 2024 7:10:14 GMT MrBunbury said:

Aug 24, 2024 6:41:49 GMT alessia said:

I saw this last night - a packed theatre and lots of actors in the audience too including Tobias Menzies (again, is he following me around?) weirdly wearing a National Theatre lanyard, and Louisa Harland plus a few others I can't remember names but I have seen before in plays or tv.
The play I really liked, it held my attention throughout despite lack of interval. both my friend and I agreed that they did well not to interrupt the flow with an interval. It would have ruined the momentum for sure. we both really liked how it was staged-using the photographs as a way to navigate the decades. I don't usually enjoy heavy exposition plays but for some reason I didn't mind that in this one. Some scenes are very uncomfortable but I wouldn't say to the extent that one would want to leave...though a couple did leave their seats in front of me about 30 minutes into it and never returned. Having read some spoilers I knew what was going to take place but even the hardest scene wasn't that graphic I thought. for me it was like watching history from the pov of my mother, though with obvious French identity which would not apply to her. I wonder what the couple sitting next to me was feeling/thinking, being of a similar age as the protagonist. Some parts were funny, some purposefully cringey, some touching, some hard to watch.
I feel the good reviews are well deserved, I hope the rumours that it's moving are true.

Tobias Menzies might be wearing the NT lanyard because he is rehearsing "The other place" there (opening in one month).

ah ! thank you for the info, it was kind of funny to see him walking around the bar like an office worker who's forgotten he's still wearing his lanyard while going home on the bus 🤣 

[foxa]

At yesterday's matinee, there was a stoppage. During the intense scene, I could hear some movement upstairs in the circle and a little in the stalls. Thought we had got through it, but when the scene had finished, an usher rushed over to someone and the stage manager stopped the show for about five minutes. Which is shame as they had to work to pick up momentum again. Liked the staging of the ending and it got a standing ovation.

I don't know what more the theatre could have done to warn patrons - 2 emails with trigger warnings were sent out and there were several signs in the foyer areas. As someone who used to be agnostic about trigger warnngs, then thought they were a good idea, I now wonder if they work at all as, in this case, they certainly didn't deter or strengthen people senstive to the subject matter. The scene is intense, but, say, compared to A Little Life or Blasted, not as shocking or grueling.

All the actors are good - think it's the best thing I've seen Romola Garai do and I always love Gina McKee.

[aspieandy]

I'm not female but I was reminded of a friend from way back who chose to have an abortion because it looked like her marriage was failing; youngish, middle-class, lone parent .. not ideal. She regrets it, I guess supresses it - though you could argue becasue of her choice - has now built a wonderful life with a different man and three children (she got the daughter in the end!). I would think this play could bring to the surface a lot of feelings from decades ago. From another life ago. So many circs and difficult decisions.

[drmaplewood]

No stop tonight but 5 people did walk out of the stalls, and someone near me clearly very distressed.

I loved this, a lot to think about and absolutely loved spending 2 hours in that world.

[coco]

I wouldn't say I love this, but I certainly don't hate it. It's just a bit average to me.

Nothing new here (though the abortion scene is a bit disturbing, mainly because I can't see any blood on the flesh, it would remind me of pain).

A lot of the time during the play, my mind was wandering somewhere else and I closed my eyes sometimes and found it didn't matter, to me at least.

[theoracle]

Do we reckon this will transfer? Slightly regretting not booking to see this and now am very intrigued

[n1david]

I got all excited when I walked down Almeida Street last night and there was an advance warning of prohibited parking due to "Filming". However it's for 5 Sep which will be after the set of The Years has been removed so I suspect they're filming something else in the closed restaurant opposite...

[vickyg]

Aug 25, 2024 9:31:22 GMT foxa said:

At yesterday's matinee, there was a stoppage. During the intense scene, I could hear some movement upstairs in the circle and a little in the stalls. Thought we had got through it, but when the scene had finished, an usher rushed over to someone and the stage manager stopped the show for about five minutes. Which is shame as they had to work to pick up momentum again. Liked the staging of the ending and it got a standing ovation.

I don't know what more the theatre could have done to warn patrons - 2 emails with trigger warnings were sent out and there were several signs in the foyer areas. As someone who used to be agnostic about trigger warnngs, then thought they were a good idea, I now wonder if they work at all as, in this case, they certainly didn't deter or strengthen people senstive to the subject matter. The scene is intense, but, say, compared to A Little Life or Blasted, not as shocking or grueling.

All the actors are good - think it's the best thing I've seen Romola Garai do and I always love Gina McKee.

I have the luxury of not having to pay any attention to trigger warnings, but was asked to read them before I was sold the returns ticket at the box office. To me the scene was a lot more powerful than I expected. Maybe it was partly the anticipation and knowing others' reactions, maybe it was that I've never actually seen a scene like that in the theatre, or even on TV I don't think. I have a couple of friends who tend to be more squeamish and were thinking about joining the returns but I have suggested they think carefully. The show stop at the performance I was at happened before anything really got going though so I really don't think anything could have prevented that.

I don't know what more the theatre could do because they do say that there will be lots of blood and abortion but as I say it was more than I imagined. 

Agree re Romola Garai and Gina McKee and if this does transfer I particularly hope they are able to go with it. If it were to move to a bigger theatre I assume a larger number of people would be affected which would be difficult to manage. 

[aspieandy]

Can imagine a nom for Eline Arbo who created the stage adaptation for Het Nationale Theater in The Hague, and then directed it in London. She's now AD at the Dutch National.

For those hoping to see more European theatre in London this obv. bodes well: stronger links, open comms, at least to the Netherlands.

It's French to its core though, so what is happening thataways ..

[foxa]

To feel emotional seeing a play isn't a bad thing per se (after all Catharsis was once thought to be the goal of drama) and to feel ill when seeig a play is sometimes unavoidable. I loved Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic which touched me in a very personal way and I was in floods of tears at the end. Fine. Once I had to leave a show because a combination of something I had eaten and the heat in the auditorium meant I thought I might be ill. Life happens. But in both cases, it was quiet and didn't impact the show. A couple of times, I have been in the theatre when someone became very ill, fainted or had a heart attack - again this obviously can't be helped and is far more distressing for those who have fallen ill, than the rest of the audience.

But to have a spate of people who feel so emotional seeing a play about which they have been warned that they need medical help and the show has to be stopped is quite unusual. Is it that it's a woman describing a particular experience tied to her womanhood which causes upset?

I am sure it is right that the theatre has their trigger warnings (in fact, when I saw them, I discussed with my companion if they still wanted to see The Years and they didn't, so I returned that ticket - it was resold within 3 minutes), but I also wonder if somehow this has built up a tension around that one scene that might not exist to that extent otherwise. Funnily enough, when I was watching the play, I thought the masturbation scenes might have caused my missing companion as much anxiety as the controversial scene.

[alessia]

Aug 28, 2024 10:46:15 GMT foxa said:

Funnily enough, when I was watching the play, I thought the masturbation scenes might have caused my missing companion as much anxiety as the controversial scene.

I agree...there are plenty of other scenes including this one- which might create as much discomfort.