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Post by wickedgrin on Apr 21, 2017 23:44:25 GMT
Attended the first preview performance on Friday 21st April.
A solid production of the Alan Bennett play which really isn't funny or moving enough, so the end result is a rather dull evening.
Set in a public school on the South Downs in 1968 there were nods of recognition of those in the audience who remember the time well! We meet the headmaster due to retire, his staff and pupils who are putting on an end of term play/pageant. So much of the play is a play within a play.
The highlight of the evening was a huge company of boys made up from a "community ensemble" who play the boys of the school who are on stage almost throughout! They number around 50 and sing a capella with professional actors who sing and play numerous instruments of choral, religious and secular music. The sound was quite stunning and they were exceptionally well drilled.
Good turns from Jenny Galloway, Lucy Briers and Danny Lee Wynter (who does an excellent impression of Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey) as members of the staff.
The play is directed by Daniel Evans making his debut at Chichester after Sheffield but he seemed to struggle with the thrust stage which was left empty much of the time with the actors all at the back to facilitate the sightlines from the sides.
Richard Wilson (at 80) struggles with the lines and dried completely in Act One and had to be prompted - this despite reading 80% of the play from a lectern. The audience in the interval didn't seem to mind this - being only too pleased to see this popular actor in the flesh! But I felt it slowed the pace.
The theatre was packed but only polite applause at the end. The show came down around 10.05 (7.30 start)- although this will shorten I think as the run progresses.
Not worth travelling down to Chichester for I wouldn't say unless you want to see Richard Wilson in what surely must be his last stage role.
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Post by showgirl on Apr 22, 2017 5:02:17 GMT
Interesting report, wickedgrin - and I'd been looking out for early comments as, slightly against my better judgement, I booked for this. I saw the play years ago (can't recall where or when) and don't think I was that impressed but as I always enjoy a day out in Chichester (well, blasted Southern permitting) and it would've been 6 months since my last trip, I decided to risk it. I must admit that FOMO also influenced me: suppose the previous production had simply been a poor version of a good play and this one turned out to be the definitive one and a hit? The casting of Richard Wilson made no difference to my decision but I'm sure will have done advance bookings no harm.
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 22, 2017 6:55:40 GMT
Funny enough the last major revival of this was in the late 80s at Chichester with Paul Eddington and a young Stephen Fry! John Gielgud famously played the lead in the Premiere in WE. Bit of a safe choice to open Evans' tenure as AD. The locals will love it.
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Post by showgirl on Apr 22, 2017 9:05:34 GMT
Gosh, it really doesn't come out very often, does it? Which must say something, as Alan Bennett is otherwise generally very good for business. martin1965's comment that "The locals will love it" is exactly what I thought; I just don't really fit that demographic so hope I like it at least.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2017 9:17:24 GMT
The highlight of the evening was a huge company of boys made up from a "community ensemble" who play the boys of the school who are on stage almost throughout! They number around 50 Boys and girls were invited to audition for these roles. One girl auditioned and she was successful. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2017 11:27:33 GMT
Seeing this Thursday. I may take a cattle prod for emergency stimuli
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Post by bramble on Apr 25, 2017 10:14:16 GMT
Oh dear Such a shame. Richard Wilson really cannot cope with his part.Even with a script the poor man gets lost, Around him is an excellent solid production Very well cast and sung and danced One bit of tap which outshines any other tap I've seen .Still a very funny and touching piece of early Alan Bennet. Still in "revue" mode at times.But very entertaining.
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Post by lynette on Apr 25, 2017 17:50:59 GMT
So not coming in to West End then?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2017 21:51:22 GMT
One bit of tap which outshines any other tap I've seen 42nd Street? |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 25, 2017 22:50:53 GMT
Listening to Richard Wilson on the Graham Norton radio show terrified me- he can't Remember his lines at all. Poor guy. Why he's putting himself through this I'll never know.
I'd be scared to be on a stage with him quite honestly.
Not his own fault of course, he had a stroke or something I believe?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2017 23:00:52 GMT
I heard him on that radio show. He explained that he gets bored when he's not working. And that he can rely on an on-stage script in this show. Presumably a stage manager or actor could guide him through the show, in the guise of the headmaster's personal assistant, if this were to help? It's good, from an equal opportunities point of view, that he is cast in this play after his stroke.
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Post by Jan on Apr 26, 2017 5:39:53 GMT
It is embarrassing for the audience when an actor doesn't know the lines. I saw one of Ralph Richardson's last stage performances and it was similar.
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Post by wickedgrin on Apr 26, 2017 9:49:47 GMT
Timothy West was another I saw struggle through one of his last stage performances "The Old Country" - another Alan Bennett I think? I really don't know why they put themselves, the other cast members and the audience through it.
The Chichester audience seemed very forgiving of Richard Wilson though, although I thought he really should not have done it, but then I suspect the production would not have been mounted without him.
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Post by lynette on Apr 26, 2017 12:22:09 GMT
These guys could do radio work and recorded tv stuff? So why do the live stage? It would be great to see them on the box in plays. Derek Jacobi an older actor who has no memory probs as far as we know has played a blinder with his tv role in Halifax and gained a new audience to boot. I'm assuming you can record tv scenes a bit at a time. And the classics beckon on radio. Poor advice?
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Post by showgirl on Apr 26, 2017 12:28:01 GMT
Theatre hours must be terribly demanding, too, especially on matinee days. And no repeating or editing, unlike on radio. I do hope I don't sit there squirming on behalf of Mr W.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2017 14:06:16 GMT
Managed to exchange my tickets for tonight's performance for Fiddling on the Roof!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2017 20:55:44 GMT
^Blimey, most theatres just charge £2, rather than demand favours on the tiles... Most theatres haven't encountered the Lovetts pie |
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Post by showgirl on May 3, 2017 20:03:02 GMT
Saw the matinee and found it pretty enjoyable overall; I certainly seemed to have a better time than did wickedgrin, though of course the production has had another couple of weeks to bed in since his visit. I didn't find it dull at all and since it is, as some reviewers have commented, a very "busy" version with lots going on, there is always something to catch your eye - or to miss, if you happen not to be looking at the right person or place. Richard Wilson might not be ideal casting but he coped and everyone else was fine or better: there were some very impressive performances, including some from the young contingent who seemed almost precociously talented.
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Post by n1david on May 4, 2017 14:56:33 GMT
Interestingly I was there at last night's performance, and didn't enjoy it much, although I think that was more to do with the play than the production. I found it difficult to know what it was supposed to be saying to a contemporary audience, and I didn't much see the point of reviving it. The clumsy montage at the end seemed to be an attempt to give modern parallels which may not be there. Indeed, in these Brexit times, I wondered if some audience members might take a rather different view from that which Bennett originally intended.
I did have problems, sadly, with Richard Wilson. His reading was too obvious at times when the character should be fluid, for example during prayer. There were several word stumbles when reading where the point of the line got lost. But I agree that the ensemble is great and the young actors work incredibly hard.
My first trip to Chichester and a bit of a disappointment.
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Post by showgirl on May 4, 2017 18:19:36 GMT
Re Richard Wilson: CFT must have an understudy for him; I'd love to know how the production worked with the understudy rather than the "name"! I'm sure the understudy must at least know the lines and I agree that the fact that RW didn't was both obvious and broke the flow. But tbh I was just glad he made it through the performance and though it could have been very different (and better) with someone else, there were still many positives. Plus, of course, everyone should now have heard about RW's issues and know what to expect; had it been a surprise I'd have been shocked and disappointed.
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Post by n1david on May 5, 2017 22:46:17 GMT
Plus, of course, everyone should now have heard about RW's issues and know what to expect; had it been a surprise I'd have been shocked and disappointed. I don't accept this; given the Chichester audience I'm not sure everyone is checking reviews and message boards so would know what to expect; also I did read on here about issues earlier in the run and hoped that things may have improved as he settled into the role. And saying that someone was under par and you should be aware of it and know what to expect - that's a very low threshold. |
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Post by showgirl on May 6, 2017 3:51:54 GMT
Plus, of course, everyone should now have heard about RW's issues and know what to expect; had it been a surprise I'd have been shocked and disappointed. I don't accept this; given the Chichester audience I'm not sure everyone is checking reviews and message boards so would know what to expect; also I did read on here about issues earlier in the run and hoped that things may have improved as he settled into the role. And saying that someone was under par and you should be aware of it and know what to expect - that's a very low threshold. I see your point, n1david, and normally I'd agree, but in this situation - which is pretty unusual - I'm not sure what else the theatre could do. It's not unknown even for experienced actors not to be on top of their lines at early performances (see Lettice & Lovage comments, for instance), but in this case we have an 80-year-old who is able to perform - albeit limited by needing to refer to the script - but not to remember everything. So he's not too ill to appear and some people will presumably have booked partly to see him. I don't have the answer but short of putting up notices in the foyer and probably embarrassing RW, what would you suggest? Perhaps the answer would be a clause in future contracts requiring actors to be script-free by a certain stage or to be replaced? On the other hand, CFT may well have known that RW might need to rely on the script. |
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Post by martin1965 on May 6, 2017 7:40:16 GMT
Re Richard Wilson: CFT must have an understudy for him; I'd love to know how the production worked with the understudy rather than the "name"! I'm sure the understudy must at least know the lines and I agree that the fact that RW didn't was both obvious and broke the flow. But tbh I was just glad he made it through the performance and though it could have been very different (and better) with someone else, there were still many positives. Plus, of course, everyone should now have heard about RW's issues and know what to expect; had it been a surprise I'd have been shocked and disappointed. I didnt know. If he really is that poorly it was bad form of Evans to continue and not recast! |
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Post by Jan on May 6, 2017 9:09:36 GMT
Re Richard Wilson: CFT must have an understudy for him; I'd love to know how the production worked with the understudy rather than the "name"! I'm sure the understudy must at least know the lines and I agree that the fact that RW didn't was both obvious and broke the flow. But tbh I was just glad he made it through the performance and though it could have been very different (and better) with someone else, there were still many positives. Plus, of course, everyone should now have heard about RW's issues and know what to expect; had it been a surprise I'd have been shocked and disappointed. I didnt know. If he really is that poorly it was bad form of Evans to continue and not recast! Has anyone ever seen RW give a good performance on stage in anything at all ? I've seen him in some good (and many bad) things on TV but the few times I've seen him on stage he's never been more than mediocre. I am surprised at Evans casting him in the first place - it can only be based on his idea of what might be box office in Chichester and I think if so that underestimates the audience there. |
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2017 9:35:51 GMT
I am surprised at Evans casting him in the first place - it can only be based on his idea of what might be box office in Chichester and I think if so that underestimates the audience there. Probably it's based on friendship, love and respect. Richard Wilson was an associate director at Sheffield Theatres under Daniel Evans, throughout his artistic directorship, and he directed several new and contemporary plays for him, most recently the critically and popularly triumphant world premiere of Richard Bean's The Nap in the Crucible Theatre last year. Surely this role of the Headmaster in Forty Years On is one which is open to being played in the way that Richard Wilson is doing, script-in-hand, as far as I understand? |
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