225 posts
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Post by madsonmelo on Oct 31, 2016 18:26:33 GMT
I think the Noticeboard is the place to 'advertise' it, as long as you don't want more than you paid (*cough* a certain DM I had from a different poster asking for double face value *cough*). Hope you find someone soon. oh, thanks! no problem, I just don't wanna lose the ticket, if the person can pay the entire price, I can do a sale hahaha |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 18:56:26 GMT
Very excited! I'm at the Old Vic now. I've done my altitude training to prepare me for the night ahead. Should be out a week on Thursday according to the running time.
Only trouble is, I think they're still tidying up the set. Very shoddy. Elaine Paige wouldn't have put up with that nonsense!
Give it some welly Glenda in the play what Will wrote!
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1,482 posts
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Post by Steve on Nov 3, 2016 0:18:47 GMT
Saw this tonight, and was left cold by some of it, but loved most of it. There is a villain-shaped hole in the production, partly due to the Brechtian staging, which unbalances the play. For me, Brechtian distancing techniques, designed to reduce audience emotion in favour of promoting an activist political response, work best if the production is actually saying something specific and topical. For example, the Jonathan Church/Henry Goodman production of Brecht's own Arturo Ui brilliantly skewered the pathetic powermongering pettiness of our politics, and with the dawn of Trump, Goodman's clown of a fascist would be even more chilling and funny today. By contrast, this production offers no singular vision of Lear, no topical commentary, no reason for deliberately distancing the audience from our natural emotional response. Some spoilers follow. . . The bright white boards, the generic bright lights that defocused the action, the surtitles delineating the Act and the Scene, the modern costumes, the words on costumes, the chairs, the modern masks, the use of multiple accents, the use of spectacles as a prop, all this served to reduce the impact of the acting for no discernible reason. There were no placards directing our thoughts, no costumes that pointed to specific topical concerns, no ideas directed at our defocused and distanced minds to make the Brechtian approach worthwhile. I have never felt so little in some of the most horrific scenes in this play, and bar having a laugh at an eyeball tossed into the audience, I couldn't find much profit in the reduction of the impact of important moments. The villains suffered most (with the exception of Danny Webb's Cornwall), and of the villains, Simon Manyonda's Edmond, typically a key character, felt trivial. His characterisation was neither emotive nor sociopathically cold, but occupied a strange, tepid and silly middle ground, involving some unenthusiastic masturbation. The principal protagonists, Lear, Gloucester, Kent, Edgar, Cordelia and Albany were all wonderful. Terrific acting overcame Brechtian obstacles, and when Deborah Warner chose, she removed those obstacles, covering the white boards to create a spectacular storm amidst a scary and sudden darkness, which multiplied the effect of the great performances to a gripping degree. As a rule, I found the show dramatically effective in direct proportion to the degree the white boards were hidden away. Glenda Jackson's Lear was exceptional, reminding me of McKellen's Lear, though less noble and more anguished. Like McKellen, Jackson's face has an lightning rubbery responsiveness to whatever she is thinking. Like McKellen, her eyes are hugely expressive moment to moment. Also great were Sargon Yelda's Kent's beautiful diction, Harry Melling's Edgar's off-the-wall expressiveness, Karl Johnson's impassioned and vulnerable Gloucester and William Chubb's sensitive Albany. I really enjoyed this, but it would have been emotionally devastating if the sets and costumes and direction had been in sync with the performances. Perhaps I should be grateful it wasn't, but I have no idea what it was about Lear that Deborah Warner wanted me to learn, that merited her distancing me from her production. 3 and a half stars  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 9:28:21 GMT
Well. They didn't spend the money on the set I must say. Clever use of a few old black bin liners in a wonderful storm scene though.
I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of 'King Lear'. I always feel it's a bit rambly and could use a bit of tightening up and that's the same here although I didn't necessarily feel that it dragged on for 3 hours 45 mins. I'm not saying it zipped by either but all the same.
I liked the cast, thought they all pretty much did well with Celia Imrie reliably bringing out a touch of Miss Babs to the proceedings which was nice. Didn't think Edgar was particularly villainous - he could have been a bit more devious I thought - delightful bottom aside.
My favourite though was Harry Melling. I thought he was absolutely smashing. He has a wonderful voice actually and with just a phrasing of a single word or line can portray heartstopping sadness. His scenes with Karl Johnson were the highlight of the production for me. I think he was unfairly overlooked at awards season with 'Hand To God', let's hope he's rightly recognised for this.
And Glenda. I actually got a little shiver of excitement when she first appeared and she was glorious. Very theatrical at times and there's an odd thing where her voice sometimes goes really high and she sounds like she's auditioning for The Wicked Witch of the West in a production of 'The Wizard of Oz' but she has a wondrous voice and a magnetic stage presence. She looked so thrilled with the reaction at the end too. I hope we see some more of her acting again. What a lady!
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4,153 posts
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Post by kathryn on Nov 3, 2016 10:54:11 GMT
Hmm. I think whether you enjoy this production really depends on whether you like Glenda Jackson. I've never been a fan, and she left me absolutely cold.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2016 12:48:02 GMT
From the Old Vic twitter feed - Tickets for tomorrow's press night (starts at 6:30) available for £5 with promotion code SOCIAL - currently 40 or so seats in the upper circle.
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406 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Nov 3, 2016 13:00:42 GMT
From the Old Vic twitter feed - Tickets for tomorrow's press night (starts at 6:30) available for £5 with promotion code SOCIAL - currently 40 or so seats in the upper circle. Where should one write SOCIAL? |
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406 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Nov 3, 2016 13:02:06 GMT
From the Old Vic twitter feed - Tickets for tomorrow's press night (starts at 6:30) available for £5 with promotion code SOCIAL - currently 40 or so seats in the upper circle. Where should one write SOCIAL? Sorry, I actually opened my eyes and saw the answer  ) |
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 3, 2016 21:28:38 GMT
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Nov 3, 2016 23:12:04 GMT
My verdict: not without problems, this is carried by Glenda who is magnificent. Almost a twig thin twin of Ian McKellen she gives the essence of majesty and the fragility of old age. A definite standing ovation from me, close enough to get eye contact with the lady herself The rest of the cast. Rhys Ifans, Harry Melling, Karl Johnson good. Celia and Jane OK here and there, total toxic bitches. Audience laughter at inappropriate points though, especially in the Lear/Cordelia reunion scene. I'd say go if you can. 3 out of 5. 4.5 for Glenda. |
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270 posts
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Post by littlesally on Nov 4, 2016 1:13:38 GMT
Why would everyone scupper Glenda? Am I missing a huge leap? She is an unassailable force of nature. I Am nearly 60 so have a real fixed, perfect view of her based of her NEVER putting Foot wrong?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 9:38:27 GMT
Worst production I've ever seen of Lear…and I've seen a few.
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117 posts
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Post by ldm2016 on Nov 4, 2016 11:56:59 GMT
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Nov 4, 2016 12:50:11 GMT
Well tonight is press night (early start at 6.30), so it will be interesting to see those reviews roll in. I'm heading there tomorrow.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 15:44:16 GMT
Loved the production - bold, new, spacious, batsh!t crazy, all the things I want in a Shakespeare.
Glenda Jackson is a tour de force, and is not to be missed.
Harry Melling was rather annoying personally, I thought he overdid the role in parts.
I particularly loved Horrocks and Imrie.
And Edmund's magnificent ass.
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 4, 2016 15:45:06 GMT
Has Parsley seen the first half of this yet? I'm on tenterhooks for his/her verdict
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2016 8:34:49 GMT
Guardian 4*
Times 4*
Telegraph (reads as a) 4*
Daily Hate 3* (added bonus in this review is the shock that Lear is played by a girl! And she votes labour! The HORROR)
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Nov 5, 2016 10:34:28 GMT
Even that 3 star review grudgingly admits she's good. Really pleased with all three reviews so far, well deserved.
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219 posts
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Post by PalelyLaura on Nov 5, 2016 10:49:12 GMT
Hey, don't diss King Lear With Sheep! That was highly entertaining :-P
(Incidentally I took a friend to that who'd never actually seen King Lear before. She was proper weirded out)
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Nov 5, 2016 11:13:34 GMT
Hey, don't diss King Lear With Sheep! That was highly entertaining :-P I heard it wasn't baaaaaddddd. And that the baaaard would have liked it. I'll get me (sheepskin) coat. Was the acting a bit woollen? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2016 11:44:40 GMT
Lear: are you shearing that sheep?
Poor Tom: no, get your own
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836 posts
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Post by duncan on Nov 5, 2016 11:50:48 GMT
Flock off with these sheep puns!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2016 16:25:43 GMT
So is Glenda now a lock for Best Actress at the Oliviers (a nomination at least)? What about any other noms - Harry Melling (despite my own disapproval) for supporting? Any of the ladies?
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Nov 5, 2016 17:16:58 GMT
TM is determined to 'ram' these 'woolly' puns down our erm...yarn, sheeple, erm...sorry ran out of steam there.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2016 8:53:56 GMT
Glenda was great but the production as a whole was v disappointing. If I hadn't seen Lear before I would have had no idea what was going on and I still had no idea who most of the male characters were each time they turned up
Plus is it just me or does the Old Vic have the rudest and most officious snooty front of house staff of any London theatre? No you can't go and use the loos upstairs, you must keep your ticket at all times, we will demand to see it after the interval and we're going to stand in the aisle and glare at you during the curtain call.
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