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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2016 11:08:51 GMT
The Stage - 5*
Standard - 4*
Guardian - 4*
WoS - 4*
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Post by alexandra on Oct 27, 2016 11:50:09 GMT
5 stars from Libby Purves too. Just a handful of people here who didn't like it in preview, it seems.
I haven't seen it yet. But Msamati is one of our greatest actors, IMHO. |
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Post by theatremadness on Oct 27, 2016 12:06:03 GMT
Well I just loved this. It's long, and you start to feel it a little in Act 2, but it's absolutely gorgeous. The language is so beautiful, so dense and delicious, and it's delivered and performed here superbly by all, not least in the incredible contrasting central performances of Msamati and Gillen. Msamati can more than hold the Olivier in the palm of his hand, having as all laugh out loud or as quiet as mice. Gillen is a grotesque and irritating Mozart, and totally captivating. He errs completely on the right side of a caricature of a real person, giving him the exact right amount of humanity to make him believable. Other stand outs for me were Karla Crome as Contanze & Tom Edden as Joseph II.
The look is gorgeous, costume & lighting are sumptuous, the Southbank Sinfonia and the singers are just sensational.
Don't know if I'd stretch to a full 5*, but 4* without hesitation.
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Post by Polly1 on Oct 27, 2016 13:30:34 GMT
Telegraph 5*
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Post by barelyathletic on Oct 27, 2016 13:41:59 GMT
5 stars from Libby Purves too. Just a handful of people here who didn't like it in preview, it seems.
I haven't seen it yet. But Msamati is one of our greatest actors, IMHO. Agreed. He's been wonderful in everything I've seen him in, so was taken aback at the negative responses here. Obviously shaping it in previews I think (which is what they are for). Can't wait now. |
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Post by theatre-turtle on Oct 27, 2016 15:44:50 GMT
I notice the runtime on the site has been cut to 3 hours. I wonder what the 20 minutes they cut were
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Post by showgirl on Oct 27, 2016 17:11:46 GMT
I'm sure it was nowhere near as long in Chichester; wonder what has made such a difference this time?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2016 17:25:56 GMT
Brexit.
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Post by wickedgrin on Oct 27, 2016 19:47:27 GMT
I'm sure it was nowhere near as long in Chichester; wonder what has made such a difference this time? It wasn't as long in Chichester. I could not work out why this production was so lengthy other than some of the transitions between scenes were sluggish getting the orchestra on and off. The running time may shorten as the run progresses. As usual the critics have gone overboard with 4 and 5 stars for this. The production certainly had it's moments - the staging at the end of Act One for example and hearing the music played live for the first time in any production to my knowledge was great but some odd directing choices and generally a cluttered production I thought. |
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Post by popcultureboy on Oct 27, 2016 22:36:37 GMT
5 stars from Libby Purves too. Just a handful of people here who didn't like it in preview, it seems.
I haven't seen it yet. But Msamati is one of our greatest actors, IMHO. Agreed. He's been wonderful in everything I've seen him in, so was taken aback at the negative responses here. Obviously shaping it in previews I think (which is what they are for). Can't wait now. I went to the final preview and, as mentioned in my earlier post, that his outbursts of grief aside, I found his performance VERY one note, completely lacking in any kind of charisma or charm (devious or otherwise). Not surprised by the reviews. More and more lately I find my opinion is very out of step with the critics and I figured that would be the case here. |
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Post by Snciole on Oct 28, 2016 9:00:57 GMT
At the risk of sounding a bit tin foil hat I do think a combination of the NT (Rufus) being too big to fail, the busted up drum, the bold decision to have a black leading man (who isn't a household name) and the author of the piece dying recently means this was never going slated however bad it was. Despite my ranting it definitely had 4 star potential but the NT never gets taken to task over bad productions. Damned by Despair still got three stars!
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Post by wickedgrin on Oct 28, 2016 9:38:38 GMT
I didn't even dare mention the colour blind casting initially. It's fine if the characters are fictional but when the characters depict historical figures it becomes rather tiresome. Mozart's wife was not black (although I thought the actress was very good in the role). You can only imagine the fuss if Martin Luther King was played on stage by a white actor. It is great that black actors are getting more exposure in contemporary work and in musicals such as In the Heights, Memphis etc. but in this it is just unnecessary. The two Venticellis were also black - the males performance was appalling.
I will now take to my bunker to avoid the incoming missiles of politically correct posts.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2016 9:44:50 GMT
I mean, we don't *need* to imagine the fuss if a white actor were to play Martin Luther King, someone did actually try that not so very long ago. Of course, the difference is that almost any narrative concerning Martin Luther King will by its very nature be *about* race, whereas Amadeus is a slightly more universal tale that has literally nothing to do with the colour of anybody's skin. If we can colour-blind cast Shakespeare's Histories, we can colour-blind cast Amadeus, after all it's about as based in true historical fact as the Shakespeare.  Enjoy your bunker, but one might suggest that if one isn't so interested in having a discussion, then maybe there could be steps taken that aren't, I don't know, posting on a discussion board. |
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Post by alexandra on Oct 28, 2016 9:49:14 GMT
I don't think wickedgrin has quite understood the concept of colour-blind casting.
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Post by Snciole on Oct 28, 2016 10:06:21 GMT
I think the casting works in Amadeus, Saileri is an outsider-an Italian in an Austrian court and Msamati is, for the most part, an outsider on the stage. I am still of the belief (and maybe as a mixed race person I notice it more) that parts aren't written for black people in the way they have been for white so we need to come along and claim the good ones. Most modern writing is colour blind. I think Linda at the Royal Court is a great example of this and that is why the last minute casting change worked. It is no more offensive than English accented people in Macbeth.
I have absolutely no time for "What about if whites did it" argument. They have and if the actor is good enough I have no problem with it but I doubt they have the urge to play black roles when they have so many roles for Caucasian actors at their disposal.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2016 10:15:51 GMT
I suspect a lot of actors who are white and particularly who have been around for a while are so used to having the full canon of roles available to them that they can't quite handle that there is an increasing number of roles that are off-limits to them. Frankly they need to get over that. I'll never be in In The Heights, and I'm a little sad about that, but also I couldn't even begin to guess how many shows I am able to be in. If what you have is "a lot", then you really have no excuse not to focus on what you *do* have, rather than obsessing over what you *can't* have.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2016 13:00:04 GMT
Just returned a £15 dress circle seat for this on Tues night, if anyone wants to keep an eye out for it on the system. Booked too far ahead and, as a result, couldn't go!
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Post by argon on Oct 30, 2016 10:47:44 GMT
Just dire, erratum very dire historical evidence may have suggested Mozart was at times vulgar and adolescent but why was Gillien's portrayal so exaggerated with childishness (voice included). It was so over the top bordering on the farcical. Msamati's Salieri lacked pathos probably hindered by the bizarre staging
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Post by lynette on Oct 30, 2016 20:39:14 GMT
Just dire, erratum very dire historical evidence may have suggested Mozart was at times vulgar and adolescent but why was Gillien's portrayal so exaggerated with childishness (voice included). It was so over the top bordering on the farcical. Msamati's Salieri lacked pathos probably hindered by the bizarre staging He is acting the part as written. Fine, say Mozart was a calm, reserved guy if you like but that isn't the part Schaffer has written. Same Richard III, might have been a lovely chap, loved children, ideal husband but that isn't what Shakespeare wrote. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2016 0:03:25 GMT
Having now seen this production, I can now fully understand why people are criticising Mozart's performance for being as obnoxious as it is. It really does take that aspect of his personality as written above and beyond the call of duty. He performs the last scenes beautifully, but it doesn't feel like it comes naturally at the end of his character arc.
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Post by bee on Nov 2, 2016 12:54:37 GMT
I liked this. I thought Salieri and Mozart were excellent, less impressed by Constanze, her accent grated more than any of Mozart’s ranting and raving. The orchestra were great, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have them continually coming to and from the stage. Presumably the chair shifting and scenery changing has got a lot smoother than it was during the previews but it still seemed pretty clunky to me. The whole thing might have been a bit less frantic had the orchestra been permanently situated on the elevated section at the back of the stage leaving the actors to get on with it at the front – though having said that I liked the effect when they lowered the drum to replicate a proper orchestra pit.
In general though, a quintessential Olivier cast-of-thousands (well, dozens at least) production and a good night out.
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Post by ldm2016 on Nov 2, 2016 14:00:52 GMT
Most dates with limited £15 tickets now....
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Post by stefy69 on Nov 2, 2016 14:17:02 GMT
Anyone know when the next booking period will open please ?
Thanks in advance.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 2, 2016 14:18:23 GMT
Just booked an entry pass ticket for Saturday! I know a lot of people here didn't enjoy it very much, but I adore this play
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Post by ldm2016 on Nov 2, 2016 14:21:45 GMT
Anyone know when the next booking period will open please ? Thanks in advance. Plenty of £15 tickets available. |
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