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Post by londonmzfitz on May 21, 2017 10:18:48 GMT
Blimey, in the shock of the ending I completely forgot to ask - in the very first scene was the lamp on the table set alight by a candle every night? Can't imagine most Irish kitchens equipped with a fire extinguisher ....
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2017 10:25:10 GMT
Blimey, in the shock of the ending I completely forgot to ask - in the very first scene was the lamp on the table set alight by a candle every night? Can't imagine most Irish kitchens equipped with a fire extinguisher .... Every night apparently. I too thought the equipment was rather unlikely, but enjoyed the play so much I can let it go.........
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Post by gazzaw13 on May 22, 2017 7:54:35 GMT
Dustin Hoffman, Barry McGuigan, Robert Peston and Sinead Cusack there on Friday night. This was truly an epic (not just in length) with moments of real pathos, humour and tragic intensity. This is real theatre chock full of beautiful writing and excellent performances. Highly recommended.
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Post by londonmzfitz on May 22, 2017 9:04:08 GMT
Blimey, in the shock of the ending I completely forgot to ask - in the very first scene *sorry - should have used the spoiler tag, but jeez it was so unexpected* .... |
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Post by Marwood on May 27, 2017 16:15:42 GMT
Has anyone received their tickets for the Gielgud run yet?
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Post by showgirl on May 27, 2017 22:35:07 GMT
Has anyone received their tickets for the Gielgud run yet? Yes, mine arrived quite promptly within a day or two of booking via the DM site. |
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Post by Polly1 on Jun 20, 2017 21:39:23 GMT
Crikey, a feature on this on the BBC News at Ten. Interviews with Jez and Sam, clips from the opening scene. Theatre on mainstream news, whatever next!
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Post by crowblack on Jun 20, 2017 22:32:35 GMT
Theatre on mainstream news, whatever next! I've been chucking out old Radio Times from my Mum's - so many arts review and interview programmes on TV back in the 80s, and in the Orton diaries he writes about doing Call My Bluff! |
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Post by nash16 on Jun 20, 2017 23:06:35 GMT
Dare I say, but after all the hype was quite disappointed with this.
It's wonderful to have such a large cast of humans and animals and a kitchen sink onstage, but the play itself is too sprawling to draw us in, and does not justify it's too long running time.
The very first scene seems to give away where the play is ultimately going to end up (and does), which seems a crazy thing to signpost so early on. It removes all sense of drama from watching the slow-paced events that follow.
The main scenes in the house are sort of well written, in that you're never bored watching them, but what are they saying? A rambling monologue here from the granny, a funny bit with the other bitchy gran. The kids running in and running out again. The baby.
It feels as though it should all be building to something and the focus should be on Paddy Considine's character, but instead our focus was on Laura Donnelly, but that was mainly because she was giving the best acting performance of the night. Considine's accent, and a couple of others, really need work. What was the Poor Tom's A Cold character all about too?
As I said, it never bored us, but come the inevitable easily predicted end, what is the point of it all? We felt it was overlong for what it actually ended up doing.
It also felt like a complete Best Of Irish Plays: Butterworth seems to have stolen from Friel/McDonagh/McPherson/O'Casey et al. especially with the rambling memory filled monologues. And don't start us on the dancing scene... It's all clich-tastic.
We thought we were going to see something absolutely incredible based on those reviews (Does Sonia Friedman have that much power to get 5* from everyone for her production?). Instead we left feeling a bit meh about it all. Donnelly is on a different level, and maybe a different play. A shame.
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Post by crowblack on Jun 20, 2017 23:30:08 GMT
I completely agree - it was OK but I was surprised at the five-star-across-the-board reviews, 'play of the year / decade / most amazing thing I've ever seen' hyperbole, with two guests on Saturday Review pretty much the only dissenting voices. The performances were fine, the set gorgeous (though didn't leave anything to the imagination) - it's the play itself that disappointed. It feels like there's a very good two hour play in there, if only they'd rein it in and hack it back.
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Post by nash16 on Jun 21, 2017 0:00:24 GMT
I completely agree - it was OK but I was surprised at the five-star-across-the-board reviews, 'play of the year / decade / most amazing thing I've ever seen' hyperbole, with two guests on Saturday Review pretty much the only dissenting voices. The performances were fine, the set gorgeous (though didn't leave anything to the imagination) - it's the play itself that disappointed. It feels like there's a very good two hour play in there, if only they'd rein it in and hack it back. Oh thank goodness. We thought we'd literally be the only dissenting voices. You're right, the production and performances and set are all good, but it's the play itself. Whereas Jerusalem worked as a sprawling slice of that world, this one really doesn't. It feels like we're waiting hours and hours for an inevitability we know is coming from the first two lines. Yes, 2hrs would have worked better, and focused the action more. I need to find that Saturday Review show on iplayer. |
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 21, 2017 6:38:04 GMT
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 21, 2017 6:43:02 GMT
I don't get how anyone can be disappointed with this play!! It's big, sprawling.. rich .. fabulous acting across the board and a thrilling ending. Beautiful set and lighting.i went for the second time last night and I want to go again, there's so much in it that one sitting isn't enough IMO.
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Post by popcultureboy on Jun 21, 2017 7:08:52 GMT
Obviously you can't please all of the people all of the time, but I 10000000% disagree with Nash16. To me, nothing felt signposted or easily predictable in this. And just like Jerusalem, this really worked as a sprawling slice of that world. The final act is the most finely calibrated increasing of tension I've ever experienced in a theatre. Maybe it helps that I went in with zero expectations of my evening though.
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Post by rumbledoll on Jun 21, 2017 7:44:41 GMT
Any chance it's gonna be extended through October, just a little bit? Dying to see this but cannot possibly catch it in upcoming months..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2017 8:07:34 GMT
To me, nothing felt signposted or easily predictable in this. Really? I mean, it's all very nicely done but even I saw the end coming and I am rubbish at guessing twists and such like. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2017 8:14:04 GMT
For me, it really doesn't matter if I can see the end coming or not, as long as I enjoy the journey. I'm not going to declare, say, Romeo and Juliet a complete write-off just because the prologue tells me exactly how it's going to end. And frankly it's sort of worrying if people think an unpredictable ending is *the* thing that denotes quality, it's thinking like that that leads to M Night Shyamalan movies.
I don't know that The Ferryman is a five-star modern classic, I don't know how predictable I found the ending, but I do know that I enjoyed it the entire time I was watching it, and I look forward to seeing it again to see if that holds true.
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Post by wiggymess on Jun 21, 2017 8:23:17 GMT
For me, it really doesn't matter if I can see the end coming or not, as long as I enjoy the journey. I'm not going to declare, say, Romeo and Juliet a complete write-off just because the prologue tells me exactly how it's going to end. And frankly it's sort of worrying if people think an unpredictable ending is *the* thing that denotes quality, it's thinking like that that leads to M Night Shyamalan movies. I don't know that The Ferryman is a five-star modern classic, I don't know how predictable I found the ending, but I do know that I enjoyed it the entire time I was watching it, and I look forward to seeing it again to see if that holds true. This is pretty much spot on with how I feel. Isn't the inevitability and the cycle of the ending essentially one of the themes? Twist endings are a completely different thing. There is an over reliance on them & audiences tend to expect them far too often. |
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Post by crowblack on Jun 21, 2017 8:32:30 GMT
nothing felt signposted or easily predictable Really? Brooding young man, heavily symbolic dead white bird, highly implausible 'Lennie' type simpleton, Chekhov's gun etc...? I thought it was baggy - too indulgent, every character having their crowd-pleasing, pop-culture-referencing turn to the detriment of plot, tension, a sense of the real sickening menace of the historical period. Scenes I wanted to see were taken offstage, the dynamic with the sick wife underdeveloped, and instead we had lots of stuff like Aunt Maggie Far Away and more cute sweary children. I didn't get to see Jerusalem (this is the first Butterworth play I've managed to see on stage) - I booked last year with great anticipation given the writer and director's reputations, and was delighted when I saw the cast list. I suppose I was expecting more subtlety, more originality, a finer-tuned plot. This was like a West-End musical without the songs. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 21, 2017 19:30:18 GMT
I hear it will be extending to January.. about to be announced. Any chance it's gonna be extended through October, just a little bit? Dying to see this but cannot possibly catch it in upcoming months.. |
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Post by popcultureboy on Jun 22, 2017 7:32:55 GMT
Really? Brooding young man, heavily symbolic dead white bird, highly implausible 'Lennie' type simpleton, Chekhov's gun etc...? I thought it was baggy - too indulgent, every character having their crowd-pleasing, pop-culture-referencing turn to the detriment of plot, tension, a sense of the real sickening menace of the historical period. Scenes I wanted to see were taken offstage, the dynamic with the sick wife underdeveloped, and instead we had lots of stuff like Aunt Maggie Far Away and more cute sweary children. I didn't get to see Jerusalem (this is the first Butterworth play I've managed to see on stage) - I booked last year with great anticipation given the writer and director's reputations, and was delighted when I saw the cast list. I suppose I was expecting more subtlety, more originality, a finer-tuned plot. This was like a West-End musical without the songs Sometimes a bird is just a bird. To repeat, I think it helps that I went in to it with zero expectation of what I was going to see. And one man's baggy is another man's character development. I could have watched scenes with Aunt Maggie for even longer. I loved the whole opening to act three as well. There were some other beautiful moments with Tom early in the play too. It's epic in scope and length and achievement. That some people take that to be "indulgent" and "crowd pleasing" and at a detriment to plot and tension, well, like I said earlier, I fundamentally can't agree. It's a bit like criticising Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf because George isn't very nice and Martha doesn't half bang on. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2017 7:51:14 GMT
I don't know, I don't see the things that crowblack as listed as heavy signposts, more as nods to the medium. More than any other Butterworth play I've seen, this one really suggests Butterworth has drawn influence and inspiration from existing theatre, and that feels really appropriate for a play like this with such a large cast, as it gives it an extra metatextual feeling of community. One man's signpost is another man's nod, if you will. You can take these things at face value, you can trace the clues as you go, you can analyse them as much as you want after the event, and these are all valid ways to watch the play. I think there's a lot beneath the surface to be drawn out of this play, which is my primary reason for booking for the West End transfer. Obviously there's an awful lot going on *on* the surface, but there's still - for me, at least - a strong feeling that there's a lot more to uncover if I only take the time out between visits to really think about it.  |
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Post by Rory on Jun 22, 2017 8:26:52 GMT
All human life is here with numerous issues at its core -
[THEMES SPOILER ALERT]
Can one ever really escape one's past?; the kindness of others towards those who are different or alone; the burden of religious faith under pressure; feeling like an outsider despite being surrounded by love; the innocence and joy of bustling family life being infiltrated and eroded by malign influences both outside and within; the difference in outlook between rural and urban; yearning desire thwarted by a sense of personal commitment and responsibility, and above all, love.
A rich and wonderful tapestry - beautifully written, directed, performed, lit and designed - and above all, mightily entertaining. No mean feat to achieve!
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Post by crowblack on Jun 22, 2017 8:46:16 GMT
Sometimes a bird is just a bird. When it's hung symbolically framed in the window, bathed in light and stared at by the doomed youth as the 'closing shot' of part one? As regards peeling off the layers, I like dissecting stuff afterwards: the problem with this play was that it wore its numerous influences and showed its workings so clearly that I became conscious of them after a few minutes during the play itself - it didn't seem to me to be its own 'beast', more like a pastiche or collage. I wanted to engage (I'd travelled hundreds of miles for this!) but the mechanics were too clearly on show. There have been several plays I've seen recently where I've felt almost sick with tension, been enthralled, utterly engaged with the characters, but here, whenever things looked promising, the writing and direction seemed to throw it away, like they'd assembled a 'mood board' for the piece and were determined to get everything on it in - if it had stripped back I think it would have been better. |
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Post by wiggymess on Jun 22, 2017 15:10:53 GMT
Half hour Front Row special on Radio 4 about the show tonight, can't wait. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08tvjkcSaw last month, but I know I'm going to end up booking to see the transfer, I've been holding off for ages... |
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