Mosquitoes-National theatre

[michalnowicki]

Does anyone know if the play text is available in NT Bookshop? I ordered it on Amazon and it was supposed to be published today, but it's still not available.

[barelyathletic]

Jul 20, 2017 15:00:41 GMT michalnowicki said:

Does anyone know if the play text is available in NT Bookshop? I ordered it on Amazon and it was supposed to be published today, but it's still not available.

It will be available on press night apparently. Can be pre-ordered online through their website.

[michalnowicki]

Jul 20, 2017 15:52:48 GMT barelyathletic said:

It will be available on press night apparently. Can be pre-ordered online through their website.

Good to know, thank you! I will just keep my pre-order with Amazon

[crowblack]

I'm not reading anyone's posts until I've seen this on Saturday, but there are some nice images up on Time Out's website which I couldn't resist a peek at!

[Phantom of London]

Seems like quite a few of us were at last night's show, we could have had a nice glass of Prosecco together.

However this play about particle physics as a metaphor, didn't get any atoms smashing together in my brain, it reminded me of The Hard Problem which was mentioned a page back, this is as equally as pretentious, by which I mean it tried and failed to complicate an easy story, if indeed I got the story as there is so many sub plots going on, but from reading other posters spoilers, they're on the same page as me, however this play wasn't.

2 Stars.

[theatre-turtle]

Here tonight

[theatre-turtle]

First half - 3.5*, second half (a generous) 3*. Overall 3* - will post more detailed thoughts tomorrow

It ran 3 hours tonight. Too messy, entangled in its own metaphors, needs editing. Science bits were NOT used effectively despite it being a vital theme - used more as a tedious accessory than to drive the plot.

[publius]

Visually stunning at times, Colman is excellent, the central idea is interesting but not amazing and the acting is wonderful...

But...

The story involving the son is pointless and adds an unnecessary 30 minutes to the play.

This will get many 3 and 4 stars but few either side of those. I'd say that I'd give it 3.5.

Those struggling to get tickets will easily get them though as word will spread that it's a good but not great play and many will return them.

[floorshow]

Cast were great last night, no surprise though - the two Olivias could just sit up there with the phone book and win a crowd over.

It does feel long though, some of the CERN stuff in the first act is pretty and noisy but also a bit pointless, the first scene with the kids too but I'm not sure you could lose whole scenes without breaking the structure though. It was occasionally a bit mean spirited with the dialogue in a writer kind of way rather than character-driven if that makes sense but that might just be me :/
Side pit seats were good.

I genuinely thought Colman was going to go through that glass table, I'm guessing that isn't scripted!

[showgirl]

Few tix available for tomorrow evening (Sat 22) and Mon 24 at present.

[Deleted]

What an utter pile of sh*t

The play loses its focus after 20 mins

Such a waste of talent

My mother and sister left

At the interval

Sickened that a female playwright

Has presented such a stupid and idiotic selection of women onstage

The whole premise is ridiculous

Many people have trauma in life

Many people lose a child

They don't acts like twats like we are shown in this play
And the premise of not having had the MMR

Is fatally flawed
You can get measles or rubella with or without having had the vaccination and poor uptake means herd immunity is compromised in many areas

One is supposed to be a scientist

Nothing Olivia Williams does convinced me she has any intelligence or is even capable of getting dressed in the morning let alone attending a complex job

Probably due to the writing

You can't make a three course meal from a pile of sh*t

The son...

Is he autistic?
The actor plays the same stupid character
He did in

Wish List

It is such a mess

A better director might have controlled the action onstage

But Norris is so incapable

His aimless direction

Leaves a terrible play hopelessly stranded

At best it's like a 1980 sitcom

I can't believe respected actors

Are so desperate for work

They have to take on rubbish like this

[lynette]

Your roll definitely over then, Parsley?

[Deleted]

Jul 21, 2017 21:00:37 GMT lynette said:

Your roll definitely over then, Parsley?

3 hours of utter unfocused sh*t

Doesn't make a great case for women playwrights

If this is what they offer

[Deleted]

I hope

Rufus Norris

Ends his tenure

Soon

Fine they gave the job to a charity case

But the venue is becoming a laughing stock

Let's admit the error asap

[Deleted]

It's telling

That the play gains most laughs

From certain audience members

In reponse to 3 women

All as stupid and emotionally stunted as each other

Behaving like 3 year olds

This playwright also takes on more than she can manage

She tries to cover big themes

In fact she knows jack sh*t about Medicine
Or science

And the

Scenes with paul Hilton

Are amongst the most excruciating
And patronising
I have ever
Seen onstage

Not helped by his affected acting

Giving a crappy actor like that

The crappiest non role
Is just

CRUEL

[lynette]

Hot milk and an early night Parsley please. Better luck next time. What's next theatre-wise?

[QueerTheatre]

Saw it tonight. Meh.

Felt like a bad episode of eastenders with added science?

[peggs]

Well bit of mixed bag this, I don't think the science actually works or is necessary, think you could have quite an interesting play without, much as I rather like the use of visuals etc. who thought having all the random dragging on furniture on and off for no apparent reason was a good idea? Most odd. Loved both the Olivia's, think with lesser actors this play would struggle though, feels like it's trying to do too much, but since I decided quite early on that I was just going to focus on the family relationships I came out quite pleased with this. Role of boyfriend seemed to say some most unlikely things, would anyone react like that? And was a bit arm wavy. Liked the son, convincing teen angst though more interesting in context of relationship with his mother and aunt than not girlfriend. Some of the mother/daughter scenes were glorious partly I admit as Olivia Coleman got to do all the things she does best. Pity their not in a better version of this play, or possibly a completely different version of this but I'll take it. Was also most relieved to be well enough to go so that might have also added stars to my night.

Audience well, the wafts of wine were almost stupefying, the man on one side of me laughed so heartily that it drowned out quite a few lines whilst the man on the other side alternated between brushing his hands down my legs (think he just had poor space awareness rather than anything inappropriate), elbowed me, poked me with his glasses, sat head in hands (may have shared Parsley's views) or checked the time on his phone every 30 seconds. And for all the security bag announcements there were a lot of rucksacks in there though not sure if they all just got checked out of the cloakroom in the interval on the basis that no one was checking anything on the way back in.

[Deleted]

Jul 21, 2017 23:15:40 GMT peggs said:

Well bit of mixed bag this, I don't think the science actually works or is necessary, think you could have quite an interesting play without, much as I rather like the use of visuals etc. who thought having all the random dragging on furniture on and off for no apparent reason was a good idea? Most odd. Loved both the Olivia's, think with lesser actors this play would struggle though, feels like it's trying to do too much, but since I decided quite early on that I was just going to focus on the family relationships I came out quite pleased with this. Role of boyfriend seemed to say some most unlikely things, would anyone react like that? And was a bit arm wavy. Liked the son, convincing teen angst though more interesting in context of relationship with his mother and aunt than not girlfriend. Some of the mother/daughter scenes were glorious partly I admit as Olivia Coleman got to do all the things she does best. Pity their not in a better version of this play, or possibly a completely different version of this but I'll take it. Was also most relieved to be well enough to go so that might have also added stars to my night.

Audience well, the wafts of wine were almost stupefying, the man on one side of me laughed so heartily that it drowned out quite a few lines whilst the man on the other side alternated between brushing his hands down my legs (think he just had poor space awareness rather than anything inappropriate), elbowed me, poked me with his glasses, sat head in hands (may have shared Parsley's views) or checked the time on his phone every 30 seconds. And for all the security bag announcements there were a lot of rucksacks in there though not sure if they all just got checked out of the cloakroom in the interval on the basis that no one was checking anything on the way back in.

The seats are awful in the pit

They are like poor school chairs

For concerts

With gaps in the back

Someone behind me poked their foot into my bum

Until I grabbed it hard and shoved it back

sh*tty seating for what they charge in there

And there are no arm rests between seats

So I was constantly brushing up against the person next to me unintentionally and they put their hand on my leg by mistake
The space between seats is ridiculous

And NO legroom

Also smell of BO

WHY can't people

Bathe

Or use good deodorant

Or get Botox

[Deleted]

Jul 21, 2017 21:46:39 GMT lynette said:

Hot milk and an early night Parsley please. Better luck next time. What's next theatre-wise?

Adrian mole

42nd street

Yerma second time round with overseas guests

Road

Girl from north country

[showgirl]

Well that sounds a really interesting selection, Parsley (though 42nd Street was forgettable for me and Yerma way over-rated), so I hope you find something there more rewarding. HG will be delighted to have been proved right for once in that I have returned my ticket for this, as I simply couldn't face 2 plays of that length, and the resulting late night, in one afternoon.

[Deleted]

Parsley's upcoming comments -

Adrian Mole - stupid, ugly working class people from the Midlands. Feckless parents and not enough glamour.

Road - incredibly stupid, unspeakably ugly, not even intelligent enough to be working class people from the Notth. Disgusting behaviour, no wonder they were poor. No fashion sense and bad skin.

Girl From the North Country - well this was better but the trestment of mental illness was just ridiculous, it also isn't either clever to have a child without a father or fritter away your money like that. Why can't we have a play with deserving people for once!?

Just guessing.

[martin1965]

Reckon you got it spot on your emimence! Wonder if the herb ever pays for a ticket! Puzzles me why he nothers going when he clearly doesnt enjoy the experience. Time to find a new hobby?

[Latecomer]

Play nicely. Comments above are mean and attacking the person. Parsley gives us his opinions on plays and it's fine to disagree with these but we should always respect someone's right to hold an opinion and not attack personally.

[publius]

Jul 22, 2017 11:55:04 GMT Latecomer said:

Play nicely. Comments above are mean and attacking the person. Parsley gives us his opinions on plays and it's fine to disagree with these but we should always respect someone's right to hold an opinion and not attack personally.

He, on the other hand, is seemingly allowed to go beyond criticism and launch into derogatory tirades against various sections of society who he deems to be beneath him...