Ink (Almeida and Duke of York's)

[popcultureboy]

It was their press night last night, same day as Lady Day which is a bit of an awkward fight for review space... Will be interested to read reviews today, am going next week.

[foxa]

Running times - when I saw it, it was about three hours with a twenty minute interval, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little shorter now.

[showgirl]

I've read 3 positive bloggers' reviews and the most recent (Revstan's, if anyone wants to check) said 2 h 30.

[crowblack]

Reviews looking very good for this (though I'm not reading the details yet because I'm seeing it late July)

[crowblack]

Btw Radio 4 Start the Week had an item on Ink this week (or was it last week?) - I haven't checked iPlayer yet but my Mum told me.

[foxa]

Jun 28, 2017 22:32:42 GMT crowblack said:

Btw Radio 4 Start the Week had an item on Ink this week (or was it last week?) - I haven't checked iPlayer yet but my Mum told me.

If it was the one I heard, it was Bertie Carvel being interviewed alongside someone not involved with the play.  Bertie seemed uncomfortable because he obviously didn't want to get political - and yet it is such a political topic.  

[crowblack]

Jun 29, 2017 8:01:38 GMT foxa said:

Bertie seemed uncomfortable because he obviously didn't want to get political

I'll give it a listen. I once went on Woman's Hour (live, terrified I'd swear because I'm very sweary) and before I went in I was instructed by a man with a clipboard not to say anything remotely political and that was back when the BBC wasn't as much under pressure/threat as it is now.

[pochard]

I saw this on Friday, it finished at 10.25pm.

Never thought I'd hear myself say this in any context, but there wasn't enough Murdoch! Really enjoyed Bertie Carvel's portrayal but the character did stay too much in the shadows. Richard Coyle was excellent, and I enjoyed the deliberate focus on the print run/unions as exoticism, but I found the second half harder going. The kidnapping story wasn't familiar and it didn't really draw me in as much as it could have done (it didn't feel dramatically prepared for). Loved the set.

[showgirl]

Whereas I remember the kidnapping (and the outcome) from childhood, but had (or even have!) little or no awareness of what was going on in the newspaper world, so both elements should make interesting viewing for me. My OH is bound to know all about everything already, so I hope I can keep up with the development in case he expects me to discuss the content in an informed fashion afterwards...

[Rory]

Glowing comments from Saturday Review on Radio 4.

[martin1965]

Going to this on 5 Aug. Seemed interesting subject matter. Never heard of the kidnapping until read the reviews!

[popcultureboy]

Jul 3, 2017 17:51:14 GMT pochard said:

I saw this on Friday, it finished at 10.25pm.

Never thought I'd hear myself say this in any context, but there wasn't enough Murdoch! Really enjoyed Bertie Carvel's portrayal but the character did stay too much in the shadows. Richard Coyle was excellent, and I enjoyed the deliberate focus on the print run/unions as exoticism, but I found the second half harder going. The kidnapping story wasn't familiar and it didn't really draw me in as much as it could have done (it didn't feel dramatically prepared for). Loved the set.

I went last night, it also finished at 10:25pm, but it started a little late and had an interval that went over 20 minutes, so the advertised running time of 2 hours 50 minutes at the venue is presumably correct. 

I also agree that it feels like to get the running time down, they took out Murdoch's scenes only. But that might have been more keenly felt because Carvel is fabulous in it. I didn't like the first 20 minutes at all, but once it settled down, I got fully engrossed and bloody loved it. Sophie Stanton and Jack Holden were standouts for me among the supporting cast. Realised I knew absolutely nothing about the how The Sun became the biggest selling paper, certainly not the kidnap story. Crazy. 

[stefy69]

James Graham is certainly flavour of the month at the moment ( not that I'm complaining ) !

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2017 10:15:00 GMT stefy69 said:

James Graham is certainly flavour of the month at the moment ( not that I'm complaining ) !

Yes, I've got a bit carried away on the strength of enjoying This House so much: Ink in July, followed by Labour of Love, then Quiz at Chichester later in the year.

By December I will either be an obsessive fan or totally James Grahamed out. Fingers crossed for the former😊

[Jon]

I'm impressed Graham has managed to write three new plays that will debut in the same year.

[lynette]

Me too. Seeing Ink this Sat and L/L later on

[MrBunbury]

I saw it yesterday. Bertie Carvel is amazing (for the first fifteen minutes I thought another actor was playing Murdoch because I could not reconcile him with what I was seeing on stage). Overall a very good play with a slightly unbalanced second half. I also learnt quite a lot...

[Phantom of London]

This is the newspaper and is a part of an organisation that hacked dead children's mobile phones, putting families throught abject misery with siding with the South Yorkshire Police over Hillsborough and routinely caused unrepairable rifts in families when their journalists outed celebrities who just happen to be gay, but wanted to keep that private - oh it has also brought us a thorough absorbing play.

James Graham certainly knows how to push the dramatic button, he came to public prominence with the 5 Star This House, which I enjoyed, but thought this play and Privacy were better.

I am firmly in the Bertie Carvel fan club who was magnificent in Matilda and enjoyed him in the Hairy Ape and dare say I am the lone voiced that drew pleasure from his performance in the flop Damned By Despair, however how good he was in this and I did enjoy his Rubert Murdoch, he was upstaged by the magnificent Richard Coyle who breathed life into the role of Larry Lamb.

5 Stars

[Deleted]

Not five stars from me

But four

I loved the play from 1/3 of the way in

It takes time to start going properly

I loved Richard Coyle

Amazing

Bertie Carvel has the same accent as when he did Trunchbull

And I really don't rate him as an actor

But the darker second half is fantastic

Also for all to note

TWO plays I loved in one week

There must be a full moon

[mallardo]

I agree with you about Carvel, POL - a great actor. And let's not forget his haunting Leo Frank in the Donmar production of Parade.

[showgirl]

Jul 8, 2017 20:50:36 GMT @parsley said:

TWO plays I loved in one week

There must be a full moon

Great to hear you found not one but two productions to your taste, parsley, and as you surely know, there is indeed a full moon tomorrow, so if it could have any beneficial effect, that would be good news.  I had never heard this before - and I've worked with the public all my adult life - but where I volunteer, the staff swear that the clientele are more aggressive, angry, awkward and inclined to complain when there is a full moon approaching.  I could barely believe it at first but I certainly noticed it this week - though I'm not claiming it really is related to the moon phase; it could just be the heat.

[Deleted]

Jul 8, 2017 21:47:32 GMT showgirl said:

Jul 8, 2017 20:50:36 GMT @parsley said:

TWO plays I loved in one week

There must be a full moon

Great to hear you found not one but two productions to your taste, parsley, and as you surely know, there is indeed a full moon tomorrow, so if it could have any beneficial effect, that would be good news.  I had never heard this before - and I've worked with the public all my adult life - but where I volunteer, the staff swear that the clientele are more aggressive, angry, awkward and inclined to complain when there is a full moon approaching.  I could barely believe it at first but I certainly noticed it this week - though I'm not claiming it really is related to the moon phase; it could just be the heat.

😂😂😂

[Phantom of London]

Jul 8, 2017 21:47:32 GMT showgirl said:

Jul 8, 2017 20:50:36 GMT @parsley said:

TWO plays I loved in one week

There must be a full moon

Great to hear you found not one but two productions to your taste, parsley, and as you surely know, there is indeed a full moon tomorrow, so if it could have any beneficial effect, that would be good news.  I had never heard this before - and I've worked with the public all my adult life - but where I volunteer, the staff swear that the clientele are more aggressive, angry, awkward and inclined to complain when there is a full moon approaching.  I could barely believe it at first but I certainly noticed it this week - though I'm not claiming it really is related to the moon phase; it could just be the heat.

Interesting you say that a legendary talk show presenter over the years is Clive Bull on LBC, before he got his own show, he used to be the producer/call handler that put you through to air, he didn't have to look at the moon cycle, but knew when a full moon was out, because the quality of the call detoriated markedly. Also where do you think the word 'lunatic' comes from.

Glad you also enjoyed it Parsley, what was the other play?

[bordeaux]

Jun 24, 2017 9:31:59 GMT @parsley said:

It's a terrible shame

Although James Graham is such a kindly person

His plays have become so boring

As people have commented

Like a docu-drama rather than a play

His early plays were so full of love and feeling and explored relationships so well

But I can't help think he has aged a bit before his time

And has settled comfortably into his armchair prematurely

I also think he would benefit from challenging himself

And writing about things outside of his comfort zone

Watching his plays is like seeing Miss Marple

It's all the same

And there is little real emotion

Does this mean you've revised your opinion of James Graham?!

[Phantom of London]

Jul 8, 2017 20:52:02 GMT mallardo said:

I agree with you about Carvel, POL - a great actor. And let's not forget his haunting Leo Frank in the Donmar production of Parade.

Come on mate, I can't say I enjoyed that Donmar production, as I didn't go, my theatre was more mainstream then, now I would kill to be there. I love Parade and is theatre right up my street, as you are required to invest in it emotionally - but I only have seen 1 production and that was a stonking production at Southwark Playhouse.