Follies

[mrbarnaby]

Wish people would stop moaning about it being without an interval. If you can't sit down for 2 hours without pissing yourself, don't go. And never see a similar length piece of theatre, or a film!

[Deleted]

Aug 22, 2017 6:40:13 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Wish people would stop moaning about it being without an interval. If you can't sit down for 2 hours without pissing yourself, don't go. And never see a similar length piece of theatre, or a film!

I'll remind you of this post if you ever develop a medical condition that renders you incapable of sitting through a 2 hour show without a comfort break. Your lack of compassion is astounding.

[Deleted]

Just had a brilliant idea.

"Relaxed bladder performances"

Off to patent it.

[Deleted]

I'm loving this attitude of "It's not an issue for me so it can't be an issue". If only the large percentage of people with urinary conditions had realised: they've been suffering all these years when all they had to do was plan ahead.

Solutions are always easy to people who don't understand the problem.

[Deleted]

Some plays are two hours with no interval and they don't seem to get as many issues or complaints as this one seems to be getting.

[mrbarnaby]

Aug 22, 2017 8:21:07 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

Some plays are two hours with no interval and they don't seem to get as many issues or complaints as this one seems to be getting.

Exactly. Why all the fuss about this show and not the countless other plays that are straight through with no interval? Is it because the emotion of the music /joy of the sequins are more likely to bring on the chances of wetting oneself?

Book an aisle seat.. in the back rows.. or work on tensing those muscles in advance.

This is the best thread in AGES!!!

[mrbarnaby]

I am now actually going to sit there feeling slightly tense that people around me are just going to start peeing everywhere.

[Deleted]

For a board that is theatre-obsessed, you'd assume most would understand that the best way to stage this show is without an interval and deal with it as it is for the good of the production.

[Tibidabo]

Aug 22, 2017 8:24:53 GMT mrbarnaby said:

I am now actually going to sit there feeling slightly tense that people around me are just going to start peeing everywhere.

Good.

[theatremadness]

Aug 22, 2017 8:32:41 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

For a board that is theatre-obsessed, you'd assume most would understand that the best way to stage this show is without an interval and deal with it as it is for the good of the production.

You do have a bee in your bonnet about this one, don't you!

[Tibidabo]

Aug 21, 2017 20:53:33 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

go to the bathroom a few minutes before the performance begins,

But honest Miss, I got a note from me mam Miss.....MISS.....!

[popcultureboy]

Aug 21, 2017 21:32:08 GMT jgblunners said:

I wonder - given that they've specified that the 2hr 10mins running time is specifically for Preview 1, do you think they'll try both with and without an interval through previews and then decide which works best by press night?

www.playbill.com/article/londons-new-follies-will-be-performed-without-an-intermission

This article on Playbill notes that they will be making a firm decision on the interval by the opening night. My guess would be is if they can get the running time down to something slightly less unwieldy, they'll stick with it. A Woman Killed With Kindness was 2 hours without an interval, first preview ran 2 hours 20. If they can finesse 20 minutes off of this, then 1 hour 50 minutes really is fine. The first half of most Hamlets runs around that long and nobody minds. Some people just hear there's no interval and for some reason it sends them into a tailspin.

I'm going to preview 2 tomorrow night, I'm assuming there will also be no interval, will be interested to see what they update the website info with tomorrow morning.

And Poster J, if I ever develop a medical condition whereby I can't go two hours with wetting myself, then I'll have bigger concerns in my life as to whether a show has an interval or not. 

[comporhys]

Some last minute tickets for tonight have just gone on-sale. Grabbed a £15 front row seat - never been to the National, so the view could be horrendous, but very much looking forward to it now!

I'll make sure to not drink for hours beforehand...

[jampot]

I see an oppertunity for some rather novel "Follies" branded items for sale at the mechandise area...

[bellboard27]

A handful of tickets on sale now for the Sondheim talk at 6pm.

[ctas]

A couple of £5 tickets for the Sondheim platform are online (not just entry pass) - run, don't walk.

Oops someone posted about it first haha!

[tonyloco]

'To pee or not to pee, that is the question!'

[callum]

Even a 100 minute movie becomes 2h10 with the length of trailers and ads nowadays. The artistic integrity of the piece is more important.

[Deleted]

I've never said that the artistic integrity of the piece isn't important, I'm just surprised that so many people don't think the length is going to cause quite a bit of audience disruption towards the end of the performance once people who aren't in the know realise how long it is, and astounded at the apparent complete disregard for others and lack of concern displayed by some people in here for those who may have all manner of medical conditions. They're as entitled to go to the theatre as anyone else! I think there are a lot of very selfish attitudes being displayed in this thread and I for one find it quite distasteful. That's all I'm going to say on the point as we're just going round in circles now.

[dazzerlump]

I wonder when we will see some more images of the sets and costumes?

[Deleted]

Aug 22, 2017 8:39:49 GMT theatremadness said:

Aug 22, 2017 8:32:41 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

For a board that is theatre-obsessed, you'd assume most would understand that the best way to stage this show is without an interval and deal with it as it is for the good of the production.

You do have a bee in your bonnet about this one, don't you!

I just don't see what the big fuss is about when people happily go to one act plays or to something like Hamlet which has something like a two hour first half but this is the show people are getting annoyed about.

[Deleted]

Because you are young and healthy and strong and have never pushed a child out of your lower body. People who can't hold their bladder for two hours aren't automatically disorganised or selfish, they're not just necessarily young and/or healthy and/or strong, and/or they've pushed children out of their lower body. We're all built differently, and we all have different limits, and that's all that the "well I don't see why they can't hold it" side are being asked to remember.

[Deleted]

I completely get that and understand that, and I'm really trying to not come across how it is seeming. I do think some who have said issues though should at least consider an aisle seat out of consideration of the others in the audience. Because its not fair to make people get up midway through a performance twice to let you in and out of your seat. It not only takes them out of the show, but also those in front and around.

All of ya'll saying you want an interval tho, if the show opens with an interval and it doesn't quite work for you, you cant complain about it, cause its what you all wanted.

[BurlyBeaR]

One of the people I'm going with in October can't walk past a lav without going. Sometimes, we go to the theatre and he goes before we sit down. Then we sit down, and he has to get up and go again like TWO MINUTES before the curtain goes up. At Billy Elliott he also had to go before the interval (to much tutting from me).

He doesn't drink before the show, no medical conditions, it's completely psychological.

[Someone in a tree]

Einstein on the beach is 5+ hours long and has no interval #justsaying