Ink (Almeida and Duke of York's)

[Rory]

Loved this yesterday. Richard Coyle aced it but they were all great. It did remind me of This House but James Graham has a rare gift for bringing recent history to full blooded life. It was pacy, inventive and had a great set. The scene recreating the Sun's headlines at the top of Act 2 was a tour de force!

I found the Muriel McKay section riveting. And ultimately Larry Lamb, according to this, only achieved what he measured as success (readership stats) by sacrificing his own morals and integrity to appease a mass audience. In that sense the Sun was an interesting precursor to the excesses of today's media and the internet.

[peln]

To quote the late great playwright John Osborne "It was dull and it was pretentious, but most of all it was pretentious. I'd rather have a pint". Tricksy and overblown with too-loud music, saw matinee yesterday, too many themes, unfocused 1970s critique also no idea who the characters were supposed to be. Waste of money.

[TallPaul]

I too saw the Thursday matinee, and enjoyed it. For what it's worth, I don't think it's a 5 star play, more of a low 4. Act 1 was the better of the two.

For my money, Richard Coyle gave the standout performance, perhaps because as Larry Lamb, he speaks like wot I do. I was less convinced about Bertie Carvel's portrayal of Rupert Murdoch. Doesn't he just recycle the voice he used for Miss Truchbull? And I'm pleased that Denise Welch is keeping busy after The Wind in the Willows!!!

If I have a criticism, it's that modern actors seem to have lost the ability to project. I was only sitting in row F, but I had to really concentrate on every word.

[lonlad]

Agree with TallPaul. Bertie Carvel certainly can project but for some odd reason chooses not to - a bit like Stephen Dillane all those years ago in THE REAL THING who flatout refused to speak up when the production transferred from the Donmar to the Noel Coward. (He later on was mic'ed in the same play on Broadway and won a Tony!)

[Stephen]

Finally saw Ink’s matinee today!

We sat on the benches at the back of the upper. Although not exactly comfortable and having some action at the rear of the stage cut off, it is lovely sitting at the back of an upper circle and not feeling completely detached from the play!

The play; it’s good. I think I’d have preferred to have read it before seeing it. It’s fast paced and well staged, I felt. I found the more serious latter act more enjoyable.

The only major disappointment for me, which took me completely by surprise, was Bertie Carvel. I’ve long been a fan of him since Parade, Matilda and then Doctor Foster. I’d read above the he could be leaning on his Trunchbull performance in this. I can report that he IS Trunchbull in this! Same voice, mannerisms of speech and movement. I found it incredibly distracting. I do wonder how those who didn’t see him as Trunch felt? Or if this is just me?

Either way, a nice matinee.

[popcultureboy]

Nov 4, 2017 15:28:21 GMT lonlad said:

Agree with TallPaul. Bertie Carvel certainly can project but for some odd reason chooses not to - a bit like Stephen Dillane all those years ago in THE REAL THING who flatout refused to speak up when the production transferred from the Donmar to the Noel Coward. (He later on was mic'ed in the same play on Broadway and won a Tony!)

Sidebar - I saw one of the first previews of Real Thing at the Coward and Dillane was heckled to "speak up" during the cricket bat speech. Although I don't know whether Dillane can actually project. I remember people complaining a LOT during his performance in The Tempest that he was inaudible (I didn't see it) and I struggled to hear him in the Almeida production of Master Builder. 

Carvel I've never struggled to hear. Not in Rope, Bacchae, nor in Ink. I've seen Ink in both venues and had no problem with him either time. 

[lonlad]

Dillane can project totally fine, he just chooses not to; says it seems inauthentic to him. So can Carvel, but he has opted to play Murdoch on an entirely different tonal and vocal register from Coyle's brilliantly clear Larry Lamb. It unbalances the production on the West End but wasn't as much of a problam at the Almeida.

[n1david]

Jonny Lee Miller to play Larry Lamb in the NY transfer of this...

[Deleted]

Bertie Carvel set for his second Tony? Unless The Boys in the Band get in the way? 😂

[Deleted]

Oct 12, 2018 15:41:14 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

Bertie Carvel set for his second Tony? Unless The Boys in the Band get in the way? 😂

It's not that good a performance...

[Fleance]

I liked Ink and thought Bertie Carvel did a decent job with his role as Murdoch. But I don't think he deserved the Olivier Award. I thought any of the other nominees in the Supporting Actor category deserved it more: John Hodgkinson, James McArdle, or Peter Polycarpou, My choice would have been McArdle.

[Stephen]

Oct 12, 2018 16:38:29 GMT @ryan said:

Oct 12, 2018 15:41:14 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

Bertie Carvel set for his second Tony? Unless The Boys in the Band get in the way? 😂

It's not that good a performance...

I went in knowing nothing about the subject matter or time period and thought Bertie was just recycling Trunchbull! I was then corrected by an actor friend "no, you're quite wrong, he is brilliant in the part as Murdoch really is like that." I'm still unsure.

Nothing against him though, I am a big fan of him in other things!

[crowblack]

Btw, I suspect there may be material for a future James Graham play about this Sacoolas case. The way sections of the UK media and lawyers have seized on it and are playing it does make it feel like there are other things at play here.

[samuelwhiskers]

Iirc Ink is currently being turned into a film, so they can always expand on the material in the original play.