3 posts
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Post by weeboy on Feb 11, 2016 21:24:54 GMT
Kings Head Theatre Islington. If you get a chance go see this, it is an excellent production.
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2,744 posts
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Post by n1david on Feb 11, 2016 22:13:26 GMT
I saw this last year. Not for the faint-hearted, but I thought it was a remarkable production and an incredible, energetic cast.
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7 posts
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Post by olly on Feb 14, 2016 23:12:35 GMT
Just got back from this. Superb all round and incredibly intense. Definitely worth a look if you can!
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2,056 posts
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Post by Marwood on May 21, 2018 12:55:24 GMT
I saw this last Tuesday and am only putting down a few words now as A) the cast asked us all to spread the word at the end of the show, B) it closes in a couple of weeks time and C) part of me has taken its time to process what went on.
After the audience congregated in the bar area, listening to 90s rave tunes, we were then led in to a low dark room, three rows of steps used as seats while the cast danced about to more rave tunes at a MUCH louder volume while waving glowsticks about. I had kind of hoped the immersive thing about this show would just be them dancing about a couple of feet in front of us, and maybe one or two people having to join in (one 'lucky' person got dragged round for a couple of minutes before being allowed to sit back down) - oh how wrong I was...
I've only seen the film a few times, and haven't read the book since it came out, so would hardly describe myself as an expert on either, but the fact this only runs for 70 minutes or so belies the fact that some serious editing has gone on story wise - several characters are either removed completely (no Diane) or reduced to a few mentions (most mention of Spud is gone), and there are no scenes in London, for example and the ending is different.
Now on to the play itself, like the book it is pretty much several scenes where each of the main actors gives a speech to the audience while walking about, usually in some state of disrepair. Renton gets the erm... 'meatier' of these scenes. First of these, curled up under a blanket in the dark, he wakes up to throw the blanket and sheet on top of him off to reveal his nekkidness to all and sundry, he then stands up and turns round to reveal he has, er, soiled himself before proceeding to wonder round giving numerous poor unfortunates an up close and personal view of his crown jewels, and a couple of not so lucky people at the back got a prime view of him bent over, wiping his erse (to quote it in Irvine Welsh vernacular). At this point he then threw the soiled sheet into the audience and it hit the woman sat next to me full on in the face - which is when I decided that maybe I should be a lot more careful about immersive shows, especially ones where I stupidly think it's a great idea to sit in the front row (I had gone straight from work wearing a suit I had only got out of the dry cleaners the same day, so I spent the next hour having visions of having to wear it home with what might look like giant skid marks on it, but thankfully nothing touched me).
I'll keep the rest of this brief, but we also get the Renton toilet scene, with various fluids and bits of wet toilet paper being flung up into the air and into the audience, Begbie wandering around waving a snooker cue about and getting lairy of various members of the front row (someone was compared to Rolf Harris, bet he was happy to boast about that to whoever he told he'd been to see it), then whipping his pregnant wife with a belt (don't remember him even having a wife mentioned in the film or book), more nudity, both male and female, along with plenty of flashing lights, and a LOT of swearing.
I'm usually pretty OK with watching films with Scots accents, but I have to admit these are pretty full on, there are moments when the words come so thick and fast it like some sort of Shakespeare and it just blurs into one.
It started off enjoyable enough but I have to admit but what with living in fear of being splashed by some unmentionable object, or having to partake in banter with the cast, it got a bit wearying by the time it ended (the plays ending was delayed just before the end when a man fainted, I don't know if it was the heat, the darkness in there, whatever he had been drinking or if he had just become bollock-bedazzled).
I'm glad I saw it, it has certainly left me with enough anecdotes to impress my friends and colleagues with over the next few months when they try to impress me with what they've seen, but I don't know if I'd be in a rush to see it again. Recommended if you want something full on, but not one to take you elder relatives to see, and not one to go wearing your best clothes to.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2018 13:30:41 GMT
Ummm, what did the woman who got Zsa Zsa-ed in the face with a soiled sheet do when said sheet hit her?
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2018 13:49:42 GMT
Well, 'bollock-bedazzled' is not a phrase I've encountered before.
I suspect this one may not be for me but I hope to hear much more about it!
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2,056 posts
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Post by Marwood on May 21, 2018 14:01:29 GMT
Ummm, what did the woman who got Zsa Zsa-ed in the face with a soiled sheet do when said sheet hit her? She laughed it off and handed the sheet back to ‘our hero’ - she didn’t seem marked but the substance in question looked brown and wet, so I didn’t want to get any first hand experience to find out what it was. There was only one other walkout (that I saw), a man sat opposite left after about 40 minutes : I don’t think he was Parsley, it was more like he had enough of worrying about getting sprayed with God knows what. |
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29 posts
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Post by vegas on May 22, 2018 18:09:33 GMT
Is this the same version that was at the Edinburgh Fringe last year? If so, I couldn't understand most of what was said due to the accents/dialect/slang. But I'm American, so that certainly was a contributing factor. Most of the audience there was drunk and/or stoned, and I'm sure they knew the story, so I don't think they really cared what the actors were saying. (A lot of the audience left early, probably to hit the WC, and since re-entry wasn't allowed, the crowd had definitely thinned by the end.) If nothing else, it was an experience. But I certainly would not pay more than a fringe price to attend.
I saw a much better version at Edinburgh many years ago. It was on a traditional proscenium stage, without all the noise and special effects, and I found it much more effective. The soiled bed and toilet scenes were plenty shocking without having to chuck anything at the audience.
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Post by perfectspy on May 22, 2018 22:31:55 GMT
I’ve just seen this tonight and thought it was good. Not sure if I would see it again as once is enough. I’m glad I was sitting in the back row and had no one from the cast to break the 4th wall with. Though one of the actors asking for my hat to dance around with at the beginning, I was glad to get it back as it wasn’t cheap. One of the cast, probably Begbie took someone’s glasses off and threw it to the back row. These actors could well get carried away as once I was almost hit with several flying apples at a dreadful soho theatre production a few years ago.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 9:09:05 GMT
Marwood I think this is the best review I have ever read. It had me laughing out loud on the train. However I am afraid I have no desire to see the play.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 9:49:44 GMT
Dear actors,
I don't care how immersive and/or interactive your production is, I don't care what you've been told to do by the playwright and/or director, you never ever EVER remove glasses from an audience member's face, unless - and ONLY unless - they've given you their explicit consent.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 10:45:03 GMT
Dear actors, I don't care how immersive and/or interactive your production is, I don't care what you've been told to do by the playwright and/or director, you never ever EVER remove glasses from an audience member's face, unless - and ONLY unless - they've given you their explicit consent. I know right? Especially not to throw them around either. I'm surprised the actor didn't get a punch in the face or a kick in the balls for his trouble. |
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on May 23, 2018 12:08:44 GMT
Dear actors, I don't care how immersive and/or interactive your production is, I don't care what you've been told to do by the playwright and/or director, you never ever EVER remove glasses from an audience member's face, unless - and ONLY unless - they've given you their explicit consent. Exactly, firstly if you are blind then they are a security aid. You wouldn't take someone's hearing aid and secondly glasses are so effing expensive. I spent £211.50 for two pairs a couple of weeks ago, not even designer and they haven't made me look like Kerry Washington. |
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 12:26:58 GMT
Dear actors, I don't care how immersive and/or interactive your production is, I don't care what you've been told to do by the playwright and/or director, you never ever EVER remove glasses from an audience member's face, unless - and ONLY unless - they've given you their explicit consent. I know right? Especially not to throw them around either. I'm surprised the actor didn't get a punch in the face or a kick in the balls for his trouble. I’m guessing the audience member was a stage manager |
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 13:01:19 GMT
I know right? Especially not to throw them around either. I'm surprised the actor didn't get a punch in the face or a kick in the balls for his trouble. I’m guessing the audience member was a stage manager Oh OK that sounds fair, I take it back then. I hate it when people come back with perfectly reasonable explanations when I'm feeling a little indignant. It's very annoying. |
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on May 23, 2018 13:20:20 GMT
Both a relief and yet strangely furious at immersive stooges.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 13:38:37 GMT
Both a relief and yet strangely furious at immersive stooges. Oh I had one of those once. It took an industrial strength laxative and a nurse with a latex allergy to . . . oh hang on. Stooge you say? My bad. |
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 13:55:58 GMT
I'd hope it is a stooge, but if I wasn't 100% certain, I am dependent enough on my own glasses to be unwilling to take the risk. Hopefully not too many glasses wearers feel the same way and read the same post, or it could impact ticket sales!
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2018 16:40:53 GMT
I'd hope it is a stooge, but if I wasn't 100% certain, I am dependent enough on my own glasses to be unwilling to take the risk. Hopefully not too many glasses wearers feel the same way and read the same post, or it could impact ticket sales! Yes, and I hope that the you-know-what is Nutella, but I’m not willing to take the risk. |
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2,056 posts
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Post by Marwood on May 23, 2018 19:17:44 GMT
I’m thinking/hoping the erm, soiled article was a Now You See Me type of magic trick and it was just a dry and stained cloth but I have no intention of sitting front row again to find out. I also wear glasses and bought a new, expensive pair a couple of weeks ago: I saw Begbie take someone’s glasses off and fling them: I was ready to take his snooker cue off him and stick it where the sun don’t shine if he tried it with me...
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19,676 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 8, 2022 12:09:35 GMT
![]()  EDINBURGH FRINGE - Pleasance at EICC (Cromdale Tunnel) 4 - 28 Aug - CORBY - The Core at Corby Cube 6 - 10 Sep - MANCHESTER - Hope Mill Theatre 13 - 17 Sep - WINDERMERE - The Old Laundry Theatre 20 - 24 Sep - GLASGOW - Platform (via entrance on Midland Street) 29 Sep - 16 Oct - LONDON - Riverside Studios, Hammersmith 18 Oct - 6 Nov - SOUTHAMPTON - MAST Mayflower Studios 9 - 12 Nov - |
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