245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 12, 2016 11:29:55 GMT
Mike Poulton's adaptation of the novel Dickens described as his best, received excellent reviews, and looks ravishing in the production shots. Catching it at Richmond on its tour but surprised there seems to be no thread for it. Did anybody see this at Northampton? Or is anyone planning to when it opens again tomorrow? Am thinking of taking my godson and his sister, 11 and 13. Just want to be sure it will keep them entertained.
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3,557 posts
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Post by showgirl on Sept 13, 2016 16:51:34 GMT
I saw the good reviews + considered catching it in Brighton this autumn, but that means giving up a whole day to see a single play only, which is a terrible use of my time when there is so much to see. So I may not manage it but would love to hear from those who have seen/are seeing it.
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180 posts
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Post by bee on Sept 13, 2016 18:46:13 GMT
I'm going to see this in Richmond in a couple of weeks. I like the book and have enjoyed the movie versions with Dirk Bogarde and Ronald Coleman. Interested to see how it works on stage and of they try and incorporate the iconic opening and closing lines of the book, since these aren't actually spoken by any of the characters (assuming I remember it correctly).
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Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 13, 2016 19:11:35 GMT
I am reviewing it next week in Oxford. Hopefully it will be better than the musical version I saw in Brum years ago - Paul Nicholas was too old for it!
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245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 14, 2016 10:23:37 GMT
I am reviewing it next week in Oxford. Hopefully it will be better than the musical version I saw in Brum years ago - Paul Nicholas was too old for it! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  |
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245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 15, 2016 10:30:08 GMT
A five-star rave from whatsonstage. " a five-star version of Dickens's classic tale of revolutionary France, courtesy of a sparkling Mike Poulton script adaptation, a sumptuous Rachel Portman score, some stunning Mike Britton designs and a cast of (seemingly) thousands...Gripping, moving and exhilirating." Can't wait to see it.
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816 posts
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Post by stefy69 on Sept 16, 2016 6:07:40 GMT
A five-star rave from whatsonstage. " a five-star version of Dickens's classic tale of revolutionary France, courtesy of a sparkling Mike Poulton script adaptation, a sumptuous Rachel Portman score, some stunning Mike Britton designs and a cast of (seemingly) thousands...Gripping, moving and exhilirating." Can't wait to see it. What a fantastic review, determined to see this somewhere on the tour. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 20, 2016 22:40:08 GMT
Very disappointing piece of work.
The set and costumes are beautiful. The lighting is stunning. The score (once you get beyond the opening 8 minutes of singing with the cast moving aimlessly behind the gauze) is suitably atmospheric.
But the script is really not sparkling. It is clunky, over-reliant on monologues and feels slower than the run time might suggest.
The acting is patchy (at best) with a bizarre combination of over- and under- acting. The main characters are aiming for Classic Drama and the supporting characters seem to be using the Carry On book of acting. It just isn't good enough.
The WOS review just doesn't make sense to me. It is a beautiful looking piece of work with a weak script and weak acting.
I cannot recommend it.
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Post by Jan on Sept 21, 2016 6:38:23 GMT
Very disappointing piece of work. The set and costumes are beautiful. The lighting is stunning. The score (once you get beyond the opening 8 minutes of singing with the cast moving aimlessly behind the gauze) is suitably atmospheric. But the script is really not sparkling. It is clunky, over-reliant on monologues and feels slower than the run time might suggest. The acting is patchy (at best) with a bizarre combination of over- and under- acting. The main characters are aiming for Classic Drama and the supporting characters seem to be using the Carry On book of acting. It just isn't good enough. The WOS review just doesn't make sense to me. It is a beautiful looking piece of work with a weak script and weak acting. I cannot recommend it. Mostly off topic, but filed under "interesting productions that never happened" when Trevor Nunn was running NT he was planning on directing an adaptation of "Our Mutual Friend" with John Caird. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 8:25:37 GMT
The main characters are aiming for Classic Drama and the supporting characters seem to be using the Carry On book of acting. That's me booked then! |
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245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 21, 2016 9:37:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 9:43:27 GMT
Oh s***. The Quentin Letts seal of approval is a cursed blessing if ever I saw one.
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245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 21, 2016 11:51:49 GMT
Oh s***. The Quentin Letts seal of approval is a cursed blessing if ever I saw one. I'm surprised he failed to use the old "the peasants are revolting" line. Perhaps he doesn't consider it to be a joke. |
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 21, 2016 12:05:44 GMT
“It is a far, far better thing that I book, than I have ever booked; it is a far, far better play that I go to than I have ever known.” Or not.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 21, 2016 13:56:07 GMT
Perhaps it worked better in the intimacy of the Royal auditorium in Northampton (with a large group of extras) - but the Oxford performances deserve nothing more than 2.5 stars (and most of that is for the technical/design side of things)
Timms' performance as Carlton was so mannered, he spent most of his time in profile or with his back to the audience and was making sure we knew he was acting with his very careful diction and plosive p's. It was PPPostively PPPainful.
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180 posts
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Post by bee on Oct 4, 2016 18:59:06 GMT
I saw this at Richmond at the weekend. I actually thought it was OK. As Oxfordsimon said the acting is a bit up and down. In general the older actors seemed to do a better job of it - I especially liked Christopher Hunter who played a number of roles including the Marquis and the judges in the both French and English courtroom scenes, hamming it up entertainingly every time. The younger actors playing Darnay, Lucie and Carton were a bit bland I thought, and Carton looked a bit too shabby. I know he’s supposed to be a drunk but I’ve always imagined him to be a bit more debonair than the bloke here – or probably more accurately, that’s how I remember him from the movie versions I’ve seen. In this he somehow managed to be simultaneously reminiscent of Ross Poldark and Baldrick from the regency era Blackadder (in appearance only, I should hasten to add).
It looks sensational though, presumably more of the budget went on the set, costumes and lighting than on hiring the talent.
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245 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Oct 5, 2016 11:33:02 GMT
Well, saw it in Richmond and, after the critical raves, was a little underwhelmed. I enjoyed it but it never gripped or moved me. The drama of the revolution took second place to the love story, which was undermined by a bland performance from Jacob Ifan as Charles Darnay and an annoyingly squeaky one from Shanaya Rafaat as Lucie Manette (please cut the really irritating high pitched giggles). I liked Joseph Timms as Sydney Carlton. He throws everything at it and nearly falls over the edge, but generally the stage came to life when he was on. Christopher Hunter was supremely villainous as the Marquis St Evrémonde (I almost wanted to boo him) and left me wishing that the rest of the cast had followed the lead of these two actors and given it some real welly. It's a pretty long and talky first half with most of the action jammed into the shorter second act. Still it was great to see a large cast giving an epic feel to a play and it looked amazing. Rachel Portman's orchestral score added another level of drama. Not a disaster then but I'd only give it three and a half stars, four perhaps if I hadn't had such great expectations. (sorry ) |
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Post by duncan on Nov 12, 2016 6:49:23 GMT
saw this last night, 5/10 from me.
As mentioned upthread the acting is all over the shop, our two male leads are acting via the RSC whilst the Marquis and the Defarge's are appearing in association with Ray Cooney.
Frankly its just dull - a run time of 2hrs 40 saw things draaaaaaaaag, too many achingly long scenes of Carton giving it "woe is me" which dont move the plot along but instead reminded me that we all knew how it ended and this was just holding things up. Lucy is a simpering cypher and at no point do you actually feel as if she is a character that you would gladly die for and that leaves the production fatally flawed.
Still, a nice moment of unintentional humor as Carton says in the court scene "do we not look alike?", its clear that the pair of them look nothing like each other and this led to a ripple of laughter around the theatre.
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