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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 2, 2017 10:00:24 GMT
People sounding a bit subdued over this. Could we have a christmas turkey on our hands? 🦃 🎄 Seen very good twitter comment. In any case, remember War Horse.... I’ve tried very hard to forget War Horse 😖. Did it get panned when it opened? Edit: I just googled “war horse opening reviews” and got “the grilled tomato was over cooked and dry”. Pretty much sums up my thoughts about the play! |
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Post by Ade on Dec 2, 2017 10:14:47 GMT
People sounding a bit subdued over this. Could we have a christmas turkey on our hands? 🦃 🎄 Definitely don’t think so. I reckon by press night it will come across sleeker. It has a lot going for it. Stylistically I really like it (the puppetry is brilliant!) and there was a still a point at the end that was quite moving. But it was very much a first preview so it’ll be interesting to see how it develops. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2017 10:34:04 GMT
Seen very good twitter comment. In any case, remember War Horse.... I’ve tried very hard to forget War Horse 😖. Did it get panned when it opened? Edit: I just googled “war horse opening reviews” and got “the grilled tomato was over cooked and dry”. Pretty much sums up my thoughts about the play! On our WOS equivalent I recall some pretty damning early preview comments about length, comprehensibility etc. Can anyone recall, was there a lengthy section in German originally, I’ve got it in my head that there was? |
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Post by crabtree on Dec 2, 2017 10:38:45 GMT
I wish you could all have seen the Opera North Pinocchio - absolutely beautiful, moving, dark, and with a great whale. Wonderful show.
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Post by musicalprincess on Dec 2, 2017 20:28:07 GMT
For those who have been, whats the running time of the show? I need to book the train back or book a hotel.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2017 20:33:40 GMT
Magic word?
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Post by Mark on Dec 2, 2017 20:42:32 GMT
Really? Dont let this turn into Broadwayworld now... |
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Post by dippy on Dec 2, 2017 21:05:25 GMT
For those who have been, whats the running time of the show? I need to book the train back or book a hotel. I think it finished about ten to ten last night (but I didn't examine my watch) so about 3 hours but it started late and I think we had a longer than usual interval. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a bit shorter. Edited to add - maybe it was a bit before that, I phoned my parents at ten past ten having collected my bag from the cloakroom, walked to Sainsburys near Waterloo and then not phoned till I was on the platform level of the station. |
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Post by musicalprincess on Dec 2, 2017 21:36:10 GMT
Thank you so much x
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Post by callum on Dec 2, 2017 22:03:27 GMT
Don't want to make any grand judgements about this as it was only the second preview tonight but it reminded me exactly why I never liked the film as a child.
Tonally, it did feel quite uneven. Moments that are Into the Woods-esque but also pantomime humour and bits that are very Cbeebies. I guess the structure of the story itself is somewhat slack. It didn't feel particularly coherent.
Tiffany uses the same box of tricks as Cursed Child. There's a bit with some ladders that is almost exactly the same as the hogwarts staircases, and the whale sequence is staged in a very similar way to the underwater triwizard challenge. However the puppetry is very good.
Second preview so there were a few technical hiccups - I think Pinocchio's nose was supposed to grow when he was in the cage and it didn't. Show also had to be temporarily stopped for a few seconds while a stagehand came on to sort out wiring. But obviously this will be smoothed out.
I think a bigger problem is that story and character wise, it feels very flat, sterile and yep, wooden. Family audiences over the festive period would be much better served making the walk to the Old Vic for A Christmas Carol.
Run time was 65 mins, then 20-25 min interval, and another 70 mins. Finished at 9:40. Which I suppose says it all when it's based on an 88 minute film.
Only 2 stars from me. Maybe 2.5 but would be a struggle to justify 3.
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Post by dippy on Dec 2, 2017 22:13:03 GMT
Second preview so there were a few technical hiccups - I think Pinocchio's nose was supposed to grow when he was in the cage and it didn't. Show also had to be temporarily stopped for a few seconds while a stagehand came on to sort out wiring. But obviously this will be smoothed out. That worked in the first preview but there was a point in the second half where we had the sound of the nose growing but nothing was happening. Did his nose grow in the second half or is that something we are meant to imagine? |
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Post by callum on Dec 2, 2017 22:16:50 GMT
Second preview so there were a few technical hiccups - I think Pinocchio's nose was supposed to grow when he was in the cage and it didn't. Show also had to be temporarily stopped for a few seconds while a stagehand came on to sort out wiring. But obviously this will be smoothed out. That worked in the first preview but there was a point in the second half where we had the sound of the nose growing but nothing was happening. Did his nose grow in the second half or is that something we are meant to imagine? Yes, when Jiminy first visits Pinocchio in the cage right at the beginning of Act 2. The sound effects are there as if his nose is growing, and she's reacting as if it is too. The same effects where used in the whale sequence (successfully this time). So his nose only grew once in this preview, when I think it was supposed to happen twice. |
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Post by dippy on Dec 2, 2017 22:21:08 GMT
Yes, when Jiminy first visits Pinocchio in the cage right at the beginning of Act 2. The sound effects are there as if his nose is growing, and she's reacting as if it is too. The same effects where used in the whale sequence (successfully this time). So his nose only grew once in this preview, when I think it was supposed to happen twice. Oops, that shows how bad my memory is after just one day! You are right that the cage thing is in act 2. I just remembered he was in the cage at the start of the interval but stupidly didn't think that Jiminy visiting was in act 2, which of course it is. Yesterday the nose thing worked in the cage but not the whale, so the other way round to what happened tonight! |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 3, 2017 0:48:02 GMT
Monday's preview cancelled apparently, or so a friend told me who was notified by the National so has booked THE FERRYMAN instead.
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Post by callum on Dec 3, 2017 1:30:22 GMT
Wow, when was this decision made lonlad? Can't say from my perspective that there were enough problems tonight to cancel the next preview. |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 3, 2017 1:36:36 GMT
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Post by barbra99 on Dec 3, 2017 6:41:31 GMT
Monday’s preview was cancelled earlier this week. I think they realise they have some issues to work on and this will give the creative team the chance to do that.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 8:27:20 GMT
It's fairly obvious from all the above posts that the version first previewed is a work-in-progress. I wish it well! And hope to see it on an extensive large-scale UK tour in a few years' time when it's an established success!
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 3, 2017 9:28:30 GMT
It's fairly obvious from all the above posts that the version first previewed is a work-in-progress While I take that comment on board, surely script editing, workshops and rehearsal time should be used for "work in progress". Once a show goes into the theatre technical issues take over the rehearsal time and previews should be used to "bed the show in" and do some minor tweaks/cuts/edits depending on audience reaction etc. not rewrite the piece! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 9:35:34 GMT
I'm sure that very much work has been done. But the response of an audience cannot be predicted!
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Post by lonlad on Dec 3, 2017 10:49:18 GMT
On Broadway, previews are all about rewriting the piece --- since rehearsal times are so (comparatively) short. Sad but true.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 10:54:58 GMT
I'm going on Wednesday. I shall give Rufus my notes afterwards so he knows whether to make any changes or not. I won't lie to him just in case anything grows as a result. Don't want to embarrass myself at The Nash.
Again.
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Post by musicalmarge on Dec 3, 2017 11:26:12 GMT
On Broadway, previews are all about rewriting the piece --- since rehearsal times are so (comparatively) short. Sad but true. Has any show ever dramatically changed in previews? None that I can remember. The odd song removed, made shorter or text changed and that’s it. The success of re-worked or re-imagined shows are when they completely change the book, set, cast, song order etc as in the case of the Australian Love Never Dies or the recent Carrie at Southwark Playhouse. They didn’t work the first time but did given a complete overhaul and new creative team. I really want this to be a success! |
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Post by firefingers on Dec 3, 2017 11:32:58 GMT
On Broadway, previews are all about rewriting the piece --- since rehearsal times are so (comparatively) short. Sad but true. Has any show ever dramatically changed in previews? None that I can remember. The odd song removed, made shorter or text changed and that’s it. The success of re-worked or re-imagined shows are when they completely change the book, set, cast, song order etc as in the case of the Australian Love Never Dies or the recent Carrie at Southwark Playhouse. They didn’t work the first time but did given a complete overhaul and new creative team. I really want this to be a success! Plenty. Even in my short career I have had plot lines erased and up to 25 minutes cut between first preview and press. |
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 3, 2017 11:34:43 GMT
Probably a stupid question but does anyone know why the NT is involved in producing this in the first place? Do Disney need the endorsement of the NT on the poster? Why aren't they producing this themselves like Lion King, Aladdin etc? They are usually so protective of their brand. It took Cam Mack ages to get the rights to produce Mary Poppins on stage.
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