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Post by tonylast on Jul 9, 2019 14:16:37 GMT
If it's any consolation there were also idiots down the front, including crisp muncher, perpetual whisperer and annoying ringtone at crucial moment woman. I was to the right of the stage and in the front row of the circle/mezzanine last night and couldn't believe 'crisp muncher man' after the interval! He took a good few nudges and stares from his partner before he took her advice and put the packet down in the aisle! Couldn't hear the whisperer from where we were. There were a few phones that went off, more than I can ever remember which I'm sure can't be right...think it must mean I was 'zoned in' to what was going on - I went in absolutely blind having never read or studied the play before, and was a little nervous having heard of the three hour runtime. Thought all the cast were very good, and would agree on the 'Lynchian'/Twin Peaks* comment above - I really enjoyed it, but wouldn't necessarily want to see it again in this set-up. I'll settle for the one visit. * Sticking with a television theme, that completes my McNulty and Bunk spotting having seen Dominic West in Butley back in 2011. What to do next?! |
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Post by sf on Jul 11, 2019 20:13:39 GMT
Saw it yesterday afternoon.
I wanted to love it and never quite got there. The play is all about subtext, and the production seems to go to very great lengths to underline every last piece of subtext with a red felt-tip pen. The music, in particular, is lovely, but it's also too much. This play is more moving if the directors don't leave the audience a trail of crumbs telling them what they should be feeling in every big emotional moment. A couple of the central performances, too, could use a more restrained approach - Wendell Pierce starts Willy Loman's slowly-developing breakdown too far up the scale, and doesn't leave himself far enough to go in the play's later scenes, and the final confrontation between Willy and Biff is too overwrought on both sides. That scene can be an emotional earthquake, and here - for me - it just wasn't.
I liked the set, I liked most of the supporting actors, and everybody involved clearly loves the play. Sharon D. Clarke is superb, and not coincidentally never falls into the go-big-or-go-home trap that ensnares some of her colleagues. Those really BIG performances from Mr. Pierce and Mr. Kene may well work better in the Piccadilly than they did for me from row F in the Young Vic - but still, the production surrounding them is a bit too heavy-handed for my taste.
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Post by Jon on Jul 11, 2019 21:13:00 GMT
I’ll be curious to see how it adapts to a larger theatre like the Piccadilly.
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Post by londonpostie on Jul 11, 2019 21:21:49 GMT
I'm curious to see how it's adapted during it's current run.
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Post by ftfadia on Jul 11, 2019 22:22:43 GMT
I finally got to see this this week thanks to the £10 Thursday releases and so glad I got to go before the transfer. Thought it was wonderful! From reading here sounds like I was lucky for this to be my introduction to the play, and I have to say after some of the other Arthur Miller plays this year I was a bit trepidatious but in my opinion it absolutely lived up to all the hype & raves.
I enjoyed this one so much I want to see it again, both this production and others. I think it would be so interesting to see different interpretations of this moving story.
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Post by drmaplewood on Jul 12, 2019 10:16:39 GMT
Was there last night too, looked like Arinzé Kene was comforting Sharon D Clarke at curtain call, she seemed quite emotional (unsurprisingly!) - a really great production.
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Post by rockinrobin on Jul 12, 2019 13:41:30 GMT
Was there last night too, looked like Arinzé Kene was comforting Sharon D Clarke at curtain call, she seemed quite emotional (unsurprisingly!) - a really great production. He did the same when I was watching it two weeks ago! A very touching moment. |
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Post by londonpostie on Jul 14, 2019 8:16:52 GMT
Was there last night too, looked like Arinzé Kene was comforting Sharon D Clarke at curtain call, she seemed quite emotional (unsurprisingly!) - a really great production. It was the other way around for the last night. Arinze lost it before the end and stood sobbing while Sharon did her best to complete the sung conclusion. Loud sobbing from the audience had set in earlier. Particularly emotional evening.
It was, inevitably, more honed than earlier in the run.This was so rounded, so complete; the writing and the creatives doing complete justice to each other. Difficult to imagine seeing a better version.
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Post by asfound on Jul 21, 2019 22:51:23 GMT
think it must mean I was 'zoned in' to what was going on Yeah, I've discussed this on the bad behaviour thread - there is no way I was always this sensitive. Crisp muncher though was clearly dragged along for the ride and wanted to be watching Stranger Things at home. |
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Post by Rory on Aug 30, 2019 5:45:18 GMT
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Post by latefortheoverture on Aug 30, 2019 11:27:12 GMT
No doubt they'll be good, but Arinzé Kene was one of the standouts in this production. A bloody wonderful production, but I don't want to re-see it as I fear it may ruin how amazing it was at the YV!
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Post by ftfadia on Sept 1, 2019 15:11:26 GMT
No doubt they'll be good, but Arinzé Kene was one of the standouts in this production. A bloody wonderful production, but I don't want to re-see it as I fear it may ruin how amazing it was at the YV! Totally agree! While on the other hand part of me wants to see it again to confirm how great the YV production was  |
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Post by theoracle on Oct 24, 2019 11:55:30 GMT
Thank you!! Thinking about seeing this on Saturday
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Post by theoracle on Oct 24, 2019 23:38:35 GMT
Could someone also say what’s the stage like for this? Would you be looking up a lot in row A or is it still comfortable? Was looking at tickets potentially for Wednesday instead as the availability is better too. Thanks guys
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Post by theatrefan77 on Oct 25, 2019 8:38:23 GMT
The stage is not too high. I was in row J last night and as far as I could see, nobody in the front row was struggling to see.
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Post by greenswan on Oct 26, 2019 8:19:00 GMT
Saw this for the first time last night. Excellent stalls seat for £15 which I booked ages ago. It’s rather good if very long - I was one of the first out of the theatre at 10.50pm.
Definitely interesting to hear the text played with a black family at the centre but lots to dig into outside of that as well. Still thinking about a couple of aspects. I wouldn’t say it’s the most subtle production but it still grabbed me despite an insanely tiring week and headache.
So if you haven’t seen this production yet, do go.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 7, 2019 6:32:34 GMT
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Post by drmaplewood on Nov 7, 2019 16:35:12 GMT
 ![]() Tomorrow and Saturday's performances will be back at the Young Vic |
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Post by Jon on Nov 7, 2019 17:31:42 GMT
I'm impressed that the YV were able to arrange this so quickly.
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Post by peggs on Nov 7, 2019 18:39:27 GMT
I'm impressed that the YV were able to arrange this so quickly. Likewise, will they fit though? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2019 18:54:40 GMT
I'm impressed that the YV were able to arrange this so quickly. Likewise, will they fit though? Not if everyone wants to go - Young Vic's seating capacity is about half that of the Piccadilly. But I guess as this is presumably a version with minimal staging and without the proper sets, a lot of people would prefer to swap for a later date in the West End. |
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Post by peggs on Nov 7, 2019 18:55:49 GMT
Good point.
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Post by n1david on Nov 7, 2019 19:09:16 GMT
Apparently, YV tickets are first-come first-served, with booking open to anyone from the cancelled performances. The 'scratch' performances at the YV will be free, and attending a YV show won't stop them receiving a refund or being able to change to another date as preferred. No set or costumes at the YV performances. www.thepiccadillytheatre.com/death-of-a-salesman |
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Post by showgirl on Nov 8, 2019 4:48:33 GMT
Given what happened on Wednesday evening, I now consider myself lucky to have been at that day's matinee performance, though even after I'd delayed seeing this as long as I could, it still felt like hard work and something I "ought" rather than wished to see.
The unexpected move and adjustment must be hard on a cast performing what is already a long and (according to an interview with Wendell Pierce) exhausting play, so I hope they can cope with the additional strain.
Frustrating as I found it to watch Sharon D Clarke's character (she had an infuriating lack of what we now call agency), it was a relief at long last to see her in a sympathetic role as she is an actor I'd normally aim to avoid because I'd hitherto only seen her in unpleasant roles and had had enough. Yes, I know the actor is not the part s/he is playing but over time it becomes hard to dissociate the former from the latter if there seems to be a trend,
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Post by Someone in a tree on Nov 8, 2019 7:57:21 GMT
Apparently, YV tickets are first-come first-served, with booking open to anyone from the cancelled performances. The 'scratch' performances at the YV will be free, and attending a YV show won't stop them receiving a refund or being able to change to another date as preferred. No set or costumes at the YV performances. www.thepiccadillytheatre.com/death-of-a-salesmanWhat a lovley bit of customer service. Nice to know some producers have a heart |
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