816 posts
|
Post by stefy69 on Jul 11, 2017 12:30:16 GMT
Sadly the reviews I've read haven't been that kind, shame.
|
|
1,478 posts
|
Post by Steve on Jul 11, 2017 12:38:13 GMT
Anyone seen this? I have heard no buzz about it at all, and they're papering like mad. Yes, I very much enjoyed it. Passes the Bechdel test one billion times over, as Queen Anne emerges from pre-throne hibernation to struggle for agency against her uber-influential childhood friend, Sarah Churchill, in a play written, directed and designed by women. I only really knew that the acts of union were passed in Queen Anne's reign, so this was super-informative for me, as well as entertaining. I'm glad I saw Romola Garai as Sarah Churchill, because much as I adore the Stratford originator of the role, Natascha McElhone, it always takes me half an hour to stop hissing her when she's onstage, as that wry sly half-smile instinctively preps me that I'm in the presence of a terrible villain. And the last thing a somewhat one-dimensional, Anne-favourable play like this needs is for the principal antagonist to be simplistically caricatured by the audience, as the text itself tilts to Anne over Churchill. As it is, Garai's straightforward stumblingly blunt directness, seen in such roles as Cordelia in Lear, or Becky in The Village Bike, but epitomised by her blundering Emma, in the BBC miniseries, lends the fierce Sarah Churchill a credence that balances the plot beautifully. Garai's Churchill instantly had me conceiving that Emma Cunniffe's lumbering droning whining Queen Anne may indeed be a useless "lump," who needs to be harried and hectored along every step of the way. This makes Cunniffe's achingly moving search for agency tremendously stirring and touching, in reaction to such a conception. Plot machinations are beautifully worked out, and are so effective that I wished the play to keep going after it ended, which is always a good sign. Cunniffe is tremendous in her role as Anne, and deserves award consideration, for her ability to draw such a fine line between heroic and irritating, between vulnerable and impossible, that she somehow makes join the dots historical plot threads edge-of-the-seat intriguing. . . Support for the two leading ladies is strong from a typically witty and cunning James Garnon, as the power hungry speaker of the House, and an especially enigmatic Beth Park, simultaneously sly and straightforward as the ever-threatening Eve to Garai's Margo Channing of a Sarah Churchill. For the history, for the drama, for the intrigue, and for Garai's and Cunniffe's performances, I thoroughly enjoyed this. 4 stars.  |
|
904 posts
|
Post by lonlad on Jul 11, 2017 13:51:31 GMT
Saw it last night and thought it was pretty much an entirely wasted opportunity. The acting by and large is decidedly ropey, the structure poor (what happened to Queen Anne in the end? The play doesn't care and never tells you), and the entire thing feels like bad RSC playmaking at its worst, complete with ludicrous "knees-up" interludes which do little besides embarrass everyone involved. Five minutes of Rob Icke's MARY STUART (and Edmundson is clearly courting comparison with that play, amongst others) blows this out of the water. Garai has her moments, but the writing asks nothing of her. Cunniffe simpers away to grating effect - she likes a dripping tap that you can't turn off. For once, the dreaded Ann Treneman in The Times nails it (as do several of the others). Oh, and the set is actively ugly.
|
|
816 posts
|
Post by stefy69 on Jul 11, 2017 14:07:15 GMT
Saw it last night and thought it was pretty much an entirely wasted opportunity. The acting by and large is decidedly ropey, the structure poor (what happened to Queen Anne in the end? The play doesn't care and never tells you), and the entire thing feels like bad RSC playmaking at its worst, complete with ludicrous "knees-up" interludes which do little besides embarrass everyone involved. Five minutes of Rob Icke's MARY STUART (and Edmundson is clearly courting comparison with that play, amongst others) blows this out of the water. Garai has her moments, but the writing asks nothing of her. Cunniffe simpers away to grating effect - she likes a dripping tap that you can't turn off. For once, the dreaded Ann Treneman in The Times nails it (as do several of the others). Oh, and the set is actively ugly. So other than that it's O K |
|
5,690 posts
|
Post by lynette on Jul 11, 2017 14:53:13 GMT
Queen Anne dies. George I succeeds. That she had no children that survived her makes her a failure, the last of the Stuarts ( apart from the legitimate Stuart heirs who were Catholic and so not allowed to reign) . The rest is history....sorry.
|
|
1,119 posts
|
Post by martin1965 on Jul 11, 2017 20:57:04 GMT
Saw this at Stratford and was v underwhelmed. Frankly astonished it is in WE!
|
|
716 posts
|
Post by theatre-turtle on Jul 11, 2017 22:28:48 GMT
I thought this was unbelievably boring, beyond all expectations.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2017 23:28:19 GMT
The play was enjoyable in Stratford but a bit random to re-stage it in London 18 months later, but it is only a 12 week run to keep TRH ticking over. There have been better plays at Swan since then that haven't transferred and which I thought might have had wider appeal.
|
|
1,217 posts
|
Post by nash16 on Jul 12, 2017 0:29:05 GMT
The play was enjoyable in Stratford but a bit random to re-stage it in London 18 months later, but it is only a 12 week run to keep TRH ticking over. There have been better plays at Swan since then that haven't transferred and which I thought might have had wider appeal. It seems like the TRH is getting a lot of stuff in just to help it keep ticking over. What with Venus next...which will have little wide appeal. Do we know what's coming after that? It deserves better. Such a beautiful theatre. |
|
3,532 posts
|
Post by Rory on Jul 12, 2017 4:51:53 GMT
Do we know what's coming after that? It deserves better. Such a beautiful theatre. The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas |
|
1,120 posts
|
Post by samuelwhiskers on Jul 12, 2017 9:19:15 GMT
Thanks. I love that period of history so I guess I'll pick up a free ticket and take my chances on seating.
|
|
5,138 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Jul 12, 2017 12:46:46 GMT
The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas In what way can the Rat Pack be live? |
|
527 posts
|
Post by vabbian on Jul 13, 2017 21:32:39 GMT
I enjoyed this. 3.5/5
The dialogue was smart without feeling pretentious, as sometimes I find RSC productions to be. Romola Garai is captivating as Sarah. Sadly I noticed quite a few people leave at the interval.
I left the theatre wanting to know more about that period in history, which is always a good sign.
|
|
943 posts
|
Post by vdcni on Jul 14, 2017 7:56:29 GMT
There's a great biography of Anne by Anne Somerset. There's also a fantastic joint biography of her and her sister called Ungrateful Daughters.
|
|
7 posts
|
Post by olly on Jul 17, 2017 12:14:22 GMT
Hi all, Bit of a strange request/long shot - if anyone is going to this soon...could you possibly pick me up a programme? I will of course pre-pay for it and include shipping. I saw it at the weekend but didn't have enough cash to get one. As I'm a complete nerd, it feels odd not to add it to my collection |
|
180 posts
|
Post by bee on Jul 17, 2017 14:58:26 GMT
Hi all, Bit of a strange request/long shot - if anyone is going to this soon...could you possibly pick me up a programme? I will of course pre-pay for it and include shipping. I saw it at the weekend but didn't have enough cash to get one. As I'm a complete nerd, it feels odd not to add it to my collection I'd be happy to pick one for you, but I'm not going till early September. If that's OK with you, drop my a PM with your address. |
|
923 posts
|
Post by Snciole on Jul 17, 2017 15:03:03 GMT
I went on a trade night but know from other sources it isn't selling great. It may not help that a few of the older patrons on the night I went were suspicious of the colour blind casting. It feels like too many other plays to be truly exciting but it is a pleasant historical romp about a Queen people know by name but not her nature. Review here viewfromthecheapseat.com/2017/07/12/queen-anne-theatre-royal-haymarket/ |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2017 15:35:52 GMT
Well. There's some lovely door work going on here. They're opening and closing constantly. It's like a Ray Cooney farce. Without the laughs.
It's a bit of a mish-mash really. Romola Garai plays Sarah Churchill all modern like, as though she's just stepped off the set of 'Emmerdale' (I swear she almost did a "guuuurlfriend" finger snap), Emma Cunniffe is unrecognisable as Anne, there's some nice colour-blind casting which is marred slightly by the OVER-ACTING DARLING of Chu Omambala, Hywel Morgan gives us a lovely Prince George of Denmark (via Bavaria) and for those who love James Garnon's Globe performance (select whichever one you like), you'll be delighted to hear he phones it in again rather nicely here too.
And I don't know if the Theatre Royal is short of cash but £2 for a small bar of Dairy Milk. Oh it's daylight robbery. They didn't receive my custom.
|
|
|
|
Post by andyb1986 on Jul 21, 2017 2:44:07 GMT
I'm heading to Europe in late September and was thinking of making a trip to London just to see this. As some have posted here in this thread it doesn't seem to be selling (and a quick glimpse at the tickets available for the performances this weekend seems to confirm that). What do you guys think... is an early closure highly likely, and should I abandon/rethink my plan?
|
|
904 posts
|
Post by lonlad on Jul 21, 2017 5:22:04 GMT
Whether or not it is still running, I'd avoid it ---- or have a read of Lloyd Evans's HILARIOUS (and entirely accurate) review of it in the current Spectator magazine, than which truer words were never written :-) -- it's dire.
|
|
|
|
Post by andyb1986 on Jul 21, 2017 16:51:59 GMT
Whether or not it is still running, I'd avoid it ---- or have a read of Lloyd Evans's HILARIOUS (and entirely accurate) review of it in the current Spectator magazine, than which truer words were never written :-) -- it's dire. Call me crazy or just perverse, but I'd like to see it in spite of the awful reviews.  I think it's the combination of Romola Garai (who I loved in Emma), a period costume drama, and the Haymarket, my favourite theatre in the West End or anywhere. |
|
|
|
Post by andyb1986 on Jul 21, 2017 16:53:35 GMT
Welcome to the board, andyb1986 . Have a great stay in London. Thank you for the warm welcome! London is my favourite city (I was fortunate enough to call it home for a year in 2013) so I love any excuse to visit. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 19:01:20 GMT
I'm really puzzled about the negative reviews, I have to say. I saw this in the Swan last year and it was one my highlights of the year. Has it changed dramatically? I remember it being funny and moving, and Emma Cunniffe being excellent.
|
|
816 posts
|
Post by stefy69 on Jul 26, 2017 9:33:29 GMT
This sadly must be selling very badly, just had an e-mail from TRH offering all seats with at least a 50% discount...
|
|
1,120 posts
|
Post by samuelwhiskers on Jul 26, 2017 12:03:51 GMT
Tons of free tickets on the usual suspects. Feels like every other performance since previews has had comps available. I can't remember the last time I saw a play papered so heavily.
|
|
I think it's the combination of Romola Garai (who I loved in Emma), a period costume drama, and the Haymarket, my favourite theatre in the West End or anywhere.