209 posts
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Post by Flim Flam on Oct 20, 2016 21:29:53 GMT
Hi Recused, you're not a fan of The Good Wife are you? They were always recusing themselves on that show.
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 20, 2016 21:37:17 GMT
Sorry, I've not even heard of that.
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 20, 2016 21:39:28 GMT
Snciole, how did you manage to leave the theatre at 10:30 (your stated running time) - had you just had enough?
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716 posts
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Post by theatre-turtle on Oct 20, 2016 22:52:31 GMT
I was here tonight. It ran very long - about 3 hours 20 mins.
I thought it was just OK, but there were times it felt a bit loose, and the cast fluffed their lines on more than one occasion.
I found it a bit too 'surreal' in the way they portrayed the characters, and the COMPLETELY RANDOM modernisations, like with the Krispy Kremes and the mobile phones in some scenes was totally bizarre and took me out of the action. The transitions between scenes were not smooth at all, but you could put that down to it still being in previews.
I wasn't too fond of the two leading performances, though I thought Mozart's wife was very strong. I didn't get any sense of passion or believability. A tepid reaction at the end with the odd stander. I get the impression the cast haven't fully understood or decided how they would play their roles. I found Salieri's character a bit inconsistent.
The highlight was the orchestra - lovely touch, and utilised very well.
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Post by Jan on Oct 21, 2016 5:48:05 GMT
Salieri's notion that "we're all mediocrities" throughout doesn't imply that we should identify with him. That's why I'm asking what text they are using. I would agree with you as far as the film goes. The playtext is (was) different. |
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5,798 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 21, 2016 6:36:26 GMT
Oh dear. Maybe I should return my tickets.
Btw- if they don't use the drum revolve, it doesn't means it's because it's broken. They, erm, might just not want to.
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Post by Jan on Oct 21, 2016 6:50:15 GMT
Oh dear. Maybe I should return my tickets. Btw- if they don't use the drum revolve, it doesn't means it's because it's broken. They, erm, might just not want to. They had the begging bowl out recently asking me for money to fix it so I suppose using it is problematic. |
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1,280 posts
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Post by theatrefan77 on Oct 21, 2016 6:53:55 GMT
I think you should return them or maybe exchange them for a later date in the hope that it will improve? The whole thing is a complete and utter mess at the moment. It doesn't look like a proper play, it's more like a badly rehearsed presentation of a play. A few people didn't comeback after the interval yesterday and around 22:30 there were several early leavers.
It looks like they are unable to use the revolve at the moment, therefore there's a lot of clumsy scene changes with both cast and crew dragging props from a place to another.
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 21, 2016 7:25:54 GMT
Salieri's notion that "we're all mediocrities" throughout doesn't imply that we should identify with him. That's why I'm asking what text they are using. I would agree with you as far as the film goes. The playtext is (was) different. It's the first time I've seen it, so I don't know which version it is. I've read that Shaffer has revised it a lot of times, so I'm supposing that his estate would want the last draft he delivered to be used. The film is like a cut down version of the play. Most of the same beats are there, with Salieri's explicitly attempted seduction of Constanze being the main difference. |
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 21, 2016 7:35:22 GMT
It looks like they are unable to use the revolve at the moment, therefore there's a lot of clumsy scene changes with both cast and crew dragging props from a place to another. The stage movement was a shambles indeed. People bumping into each other, the set constantly being dragged all over the place and what there was to look at was really not worth the bother! It was the first preview, so I'm sure that will improve. Can't say I think the same will happen for the performances. Salieri's awful monotonous barking delivery will take a lot of work to fix and Constanze is pretty much hamstrung by a voice that permanently sounds about as invested as if she's ordering a pizza. |
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Oct 21, 2016 9:15:29 GMT
Snciole, how did you manage to leave the theatre at 10:30 (your stated running time) - had you just had enough? Ha! In all honesty, it felt like it had taken forever just to get out of the building via the cloakroom (a clock outside said 22:56 and we definitely didn't take 6 minutes to escape) so I felt it had finished around 22:30. I also didn't have my watch. That would explain the leavers I saw (at that point I thought it was still only 10pm) In that case time flew if I managed to mentally knock off twenty minutes! |
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836 posts
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Post by duncan on Oct 21, 2016 9:20:11 GMT
I keep seeing on here people saying "maybe I should return" after one online review. Are we becoming the sheeple generation that is unwilling to think for itself?
If you were interested enough to buy tickets in the first place then one review shouldn't be putting you off, go with an open mind and see what happens, if its crap then its crap.
Any theatre trip will always be a lottery as to whether or not you like something, one persons Wicked will be another persons Gone With the Wind and vice versa. Certainly at least wait until there are sufficient reviews to be able to filter out the moaners and the orgasmers.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2016 9:24:52 GMT
Yeah, but with somewhere like the National that's very good about taking tickets back, it's worth booking everything - especially if you can get a nicely-priced ticket - then worrying later about whether you truly want to go or not. After all, our time on this planet is finite, and life's too short to waste on dull plays. I'm still going to see Amadeus so I can make my own mind up, but I'd never sneer at someone who decided to do the opposite (unless they later decided they were perfectly able to cast judgement on the production without having seen it, in which case I'd definitely join you in the sneer fest).
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Oct 21, 2016 9:26:53 GMT
It looks like they are unable to use the revolve at the moment, therefore there's a lot of clumsy scene changes with both cast and crew dragging props from a place to another. The stage movement was a shambles indeed. People bumping into each other, the set constantly being dragged all over the place and what there was to look at was really not worth the bother! It was the first preview, so I'm sure that will improve. Can't say I think the same will happen for the performances. Salieri's awful monotonous barking delivery will take a lot of work to fix and Constanze is pretty much hamstrung by a voice that permanently sounds about as invested as if she's ordering a pizza. The drum is broken and unlikely to be fixed before the production ends in January, if they can't create a more simple set (It looks lovely but clearly impractical for the Olivier) then why did they firstly even bother staging this and not delay it until the drum gets fixed (which may be next year, which may be the 1st of never) and secondly whilst I disagree with your analysis about who was weak and who was strong in this production I agree the performances all need work (there is some good ensemble work though, particularly from Tom Edden) but I am sceptical it is something that can be fixed by January, let alone press night on 26 October. Crucially if the slow set changes are here to stay then so is that long running time and even if they do get it down to the 3 hours they were expecting then they should have done a King Lear and moved it to 7pm. The National Theatre of old could have pulled this off but it seems circumstances surrounding the production rather than the production it self (not perfect but it isn't a Damned By Despair) mean that epic plays just won't be a thing anymore. It just feels a bit of sad sight, this is better than a lot of recent productions but not one of their finest. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2016 9:27:24 GMT
It will be fine - bad early preview word on here equates to 5* reviews in the press
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Oct 21, 2016 9:29:32 GMT
Yeah, but with somewhere like the National that's very good about taking tickets back, it's worth booking everything - especially if you can get a nicely-priced ticket - then worrying later about whether you truly want to go or not. After all, our time on this planet is finite, and life's too short to waste on dull plays. I'm still going to see Amadeus so I can make my own mind up, but I'd never sneer at someone who decided to do the opposite (unless they later decided they were perfectly able to cast judgement on the production without having seen it, in which case I'd definitely join you in the sneer fest). Also running times are rarely known in advance. The problem is a system that encourages to book early to get the best deals and then reveals "Oh by the way it finishes at midnight" and London entertainment venues seem completely indifferent to those that travel in to London via public transport. Life is too short for terrible plays but life is also too short for excellent plays that make you miss the last train home. |
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 21, 2016 11:30:02 GMT
Snciole, how did you manage to leave the theatre at 10:30 (your stated running time) - had you just had enough? Ha! In all honesty, it felt like it had taken forever just to get out of the building via the cloakroom (a clock outside said 22:56 and we definitely didn't take 6 minutes to escape) so I felt it had finished around 22:30. I also didn't have my watch. That would explain the leavers I saw (at that point I thought it was still only 10pm) In that case time flew if I managed to mentally knock off twenty minutes! Trooping out of a packed Olivier does take time, it is true! Referring to your later post, I think they should be able to fine-tune the scene changes and speed them up a bit. Things like having the Queen Of The Night wheeled about on a column on wheels will probably be axed before opening. Hopefully anyway! I am looking forward to hearing other people's takes on the performances, as I think they're very much going to polarise opinion. Finally, and by the by, I'm not trying to put anyone off with my views on this, despite Duncan's unhelpful post. I am neither a "moaner" or an "orgasmer" but was just giving my honest impression of what I saw on Wednesday night. People should of course make up their own mind, be it good or bad. I'm glad I saw this but it was not a decent production at all. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2016 11:39:54 GMT
The London Sinfionetta provide the music and are on stage a lot of the time. In fact, the Southbank Sinfonia provides the music, and the London Sinfonietta (an ensemble making new music) is preparing for its concert on Saturday at St John's Smith Square to conclude the day's Connect: The Audience as Artist conference at the Royal Festival Hall. www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk/connect-conference |
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 21, 2016 16:56:05 GMT
Some tickets (including Entry Pass) just popped out on the NT website - if you're interested
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37 posts
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Post by recused on Oct 21, 2016 17:25:15 GMT
Get in now if you want to hear dance interpretations of your favourite Mozart tracks!
(To be fair, there are only two, but they're not pretty)
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4,975 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Oct 21, 2016 23:34:38 GMT
Sounds a perfect complement to Night Tube the.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Oct 22, 2016 5:38:27 GMT
Yeah, but with somewhere like the National that's very good about taking tickets back, it's worth booking everything - especially if you can get a nicely-priced ticket - then worrying later about whether you truly want to go or not. After all, our time on this planet is finite, and life's too short to waste on dull plays. I'm still going to see Amadeus so I can make my own mind up, but I'd never sneer at someone who decided to do the opposite (unless they later decided they were perfectly able to cast judgement on the production without having seen it, in which case I'd definitely join you inu the sneer fest).  |
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Post by duncan on Oct 22, 2016 7:33:59 GMT
Yeah, but with somewhere like the National that's very good about taking tickets back, it's worth booking everything - especially if you can get a nicely-priced ticket - then worrying later about whether you truly want to go or not. After all, our time on this planet is finite, and life's too short to waste on dull plays. I'm still going to see Amadeus so I can make my own mind up, but I'd never sneer at someone who decided to do the opposite (unless they later decided they were perfectly able to cast judgement on the production without having seen it, in which case I'd definitely join you in the sneer fest). Touchy. Its not sneering, its wondering why people would buy a ticket and then return it on the back of one online review of the first preview. If they are that easily influenced into deciding what to do with their time then theatre probably isnt the appropriate medium. Its really not hard to understand. But you probably cant see that from your position of moral superiority. ...and people who book everything at the National and then worry later about truly wanting to go, what a bunch of horrible bastards. |
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Post by Jan on Oct 22, 2016 7:53:26 GMT
That's why I'm asking what text they are using. I would agree with you as far as the film goes. The playtext is (was) different. It's the first time I've seen it, so I don't know which version it is. I've read that Shaffer has revised it a lot of times, so I'm supposing that his estate would want the last draft he delivered to be used. The film is like a cut down version of the play. Most of the same beats are there, with Salieri's explicitly attempted seduction of Constanze being the main difference. Yes the text was changed by Shaffer a lot, the later Broadway text was significantly different to the original NT text. The real difference between the film and the play is the role of the audience, in the film the audience is of course absent. In the original NT production Salieri, speaking directly to the audience, drew them in and made them complicit in the action, it was electric. |
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Post by recused on Oct 22, 2016 8:35:49 GMT
It's the first time I've seen it, so I don't know which version it is. I've read that Shaffer has revised it a lot of times, so I'm supposing that his estate would want the last draft he delivered to be used. The film is like a cut down version of the play. Most of the same beats are there, with Salieri's explicitly attempted seduction of Constanze being the main difference. Yes the text was changed by Shaffer a lot, the later Broadway text was significantly different to the original NT text. The real difference between the film and the play is the role of the audience, in the film the audience is of course absent. In the original NT production Salieri, speaking directly to the audience, drew them in and made them complicit in the action, it was electric. Oh, that's very interesting. This production very much involves the audience, so I wonder which version is being used. I'd love to read all 3 takes (NT, Broadway, film). |
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