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Post by QueerTheatre on Aug 23, 2017 10:34:31 GMT
I was there last night too, and found it laughably bad.
The skimming over of important issues in order for more privileged characters/the privileged audience to 'learn from them' was appalling, and the few good points made (mostly by the teacher character) were all played for laughs.
It felt like a whistle stop tour of social justice issues, without any research.
After being horribly offended by the crass politics of Teddy Ferrera i wanted to give Shin one last chance to prove himself - his heart appears to be in the right place, but ultimately his work sets his own politics back about 20 years.
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 23, 2017 18:37:42 GMT
Went this afternoon. Really didn't like it. The play is awful. Others have already said what I would say.
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Post by peggs on Aug 23, 2017 21:22:48 GMT
Damn, looks like a misspend here, now shall I further that by actually going and spending the train fare?
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Post by showgirl on Aug 24, 2017 3:26:51 GMT
Some of us actually thought it wasn't that bad, peggs, or at least an interesting failure. So you may be pleasantly surprised, or intrigued, especially if you go with reduced expectations. But in your position, if I was really concerned about the potential waste of time and money and hadn't paid too much for the ticket, I'd either write off the theatre part of the cost and see something else, or scrub the whole trip. |
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Post by peggs on Aug 24, 2017 12:26:25 GMT
Some of us actually thought it wasn't that bad, peggs , or at least an interesting failure. So you may be pleasantly surprised, or intrigued, especially if you go with reduced expectations. But in your position, if I was really concerned about the potential waste of time and money and hadn't paid too much for the ticket, I'd either write off the theatre part of the cost and see something else, or scrub the whole trip. I expect I will go, will always think otherwise 'maybe I would have liked it!'. I booked for Whishaw and wasn't wild about the play concept so can't complain so much, it seems ironic though that I always seem to get my best no pillar in view seats for plays that aren't so good and the really goods I'm getting a bit friendly with my neighbour and doing some neck craning. |
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Post by crowblack on Aug 24, 2017 12:42:09 GMT
Same here - I'm doing a trip to London just for the play and the reviews are disappointing, though it's the first time seeing Ben Wishaw on stage for me so still looking forward to it from that point of view.
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Post by showgirl on Aug 24, 2017 15:07:57 GMT
I'm in the opposite camp re my reason for booking: I held off for some time because I have an automatic aversion to anything featuring Messrs Cumberbatch, Whishaw, etc, so when I did book it was despite the latter being the lead, not because he was. Of course some productions where the cast includes names of this type would be hard to book for anyway, so just as well they are generally anathema to me.
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Post by crowblack on Aug 24, 2017 15:21:35 GMT
I have an automatic aversion to anything featuring Messrs Cumberbatch, Whishaw, etc, Why? I haven't seen Cumberbatch on stage and wish I had before he became Hollywood Cumberbatch (he was a TV actor I liked pre-Sherlock), though I think anything he'd be in now would have a very different atmos. I don't think Ben Wishaw is in that sort of superfan category, is he? |
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Post by showgirl on Aug 24, 2017 18:20:00 GMT
I think the atmosphere as it would be now is a big factor; also, both are so recognisable that it's harder to believe they are the character as they don't have that chameleon quality some do. I first saw Benedict Cumberbatch in After The Dance at the NT, which is still one of my "Best Ever" productions and likely to remain so, but I'd never heard of him then. I just want to be able to focus on, and believe in, the play, so people who aren't there wholly or mainly for that, or who favour one cast member over the ensemble, risk compromising that experience.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 24, 2017 18:55:28 GMT
I thought Mr Whishaw was fine as was the rest of the company and I'm a big fan of Mr Shinn's work, but this play while never boring, didn't really work for me. Some great individual scenes and a strong premise but there were few answers in a play with a whole lot of questions.
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Post by rumbledoll on Aug 25, 2017 7:28:24 GMT
I think the atmosphere as it would be now is a big factor; also, both are so recognisable that it's harder to believe they are the character as they don't have that chameleon quality some do. I first saw Benedict Cumberbatch in After The Dance at the NT, which is still one of my "Best Ever" productions and likely to remain so, but I'd never heard of him then. I just want to be able to focus on, and believe in, the play, so people who aren't there wholly or mainly for that, or who favour one cast member over the ensemble, risk compromising that experience. Still don't quite understand.. Do the people who came to see a specific actor create the atmosphere that gets in a may for you to percept the character, not the actor? Or is it seeing their face too much or knowing more than you'd want about them that distracts you and somehow makes their performance less convincing? Personally, In three plays I saw Whishaw on stage he never failed to portray the character I'd easily believe in. I guess it's a bit unfair on actors to say that you can't be both famous and good.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2017 8:31:27 GMT
Sometimes the people who come to see a specific actor genuinely do create an atmosphere that makes it difficult to enjoy the play. I've never had an issue with Whishaw or Cumberbatch fans, but Tom Hiddleston fans and Colin Morgan fans are on probation (the latter may come off in the wake of Gloria actually), and I would have to REALLY want to see a particular play to book anything starring James McAvoy again. The Ruling Class was a tough watch for me, and *not* because of anything that was happening on the stage.
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Post by rumbledoll on Aug 25, 2017 9:02:44 GMT
@baemax , interesting as it looks like I've seen the same production and haven't experience any discomfort by something coming from "fans" (differ from night to night maybe?) Even more, considering the day I saw The Rulling Class was Monday so half the seats were given cheaply and also to the folk who came to queue early. Fantastic crowd that was, so appreciative of the play. They might have cheered a little bit too enthusiatic when McAvoy was blessing us.. but who can blame them. It wasn't disrespctful ot inappropriate in any way.. With Colin Morgan though, during Tempest matinee I went to see someone's phone gone off (though I can't vouch it was a teenage Merlin fan), but Roger Allam gave his famous look of death in that direction and everything went quiet. Cannot remember any accidents during Mojo or Gloria.
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Post by crowblack on Aug 25, 2017 9:06:14 GMT
Tom Hiddleston fans and Colin Morgan fans are on probation (the latter may come off in the wake of Gloria actually), and I would have to REALLY want to see a particular play to book anything starring James McAvoy again The young person (20-ish) next to me at Hamlet basically behaved as though she was sitting in front of the TV at home, eating sweets and snacking the whole time, looking at her phone a lot, then leaving midway through the last scene to catch a train, but maybe theatres could do more to address this - if they are putting on a play with an actor whose name will attract new audiences - which in the long run is a good thing - have some 'Kermode code' style notices around the foyer, perhaps, about basic etiquette? Then again, it was an oldie who was loudly rooting stuff out of a plastic bag during Ink until I heard someone hiss 'shut that woman up', and the noisy, constant bracelet-bead-worrier/rattler/chewer next to me in The Tempest (SRB, so not really a fangirl type show)was possibly a drama student or friend of one, judging by the conversation. |
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Post by rumbledoll on Aug 25, 2017 9:12:21 GMT
Tom Hiddleston fans and Colin Morgan fans are on probation (the latter may come off in the wake of Gloria actually), and I would have to REALLY want to see a particular play to book anything starring James McAvoy again The young person (20-ish) next to me at Hamlet basically behaved as though she was sitting in front of the TV at home, eating sweets and snacking the whole time, looking at her phone a lot, then leaving midway through the last scene to catch a train, but maybe theatres could do more to address this - if they are putting on a play with an actor whose name will attract new audiences - which in the long run is a good thing - have some 'Kermode code' style notices around the foyer, perhaps, about basic etiquette?
Funny I've mentioned the incident during Tempest above, before the show (for the first time in The Globe!) came a person (in costume too, of course) who specifically explained to the audience that all mobile phones must be switched off and general appropriate behaviour expected. Didn't help though.
Feels like we are moving from the discussion of the play to the Bad Behaviour kind of thread..
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2017 9:48:28 GMT
Funny I've mentioned the incident during Tempest above, before the show (for the first time in The Globe!) came a person (in costume too, of course) who specifically explained to the audience that all mobile phones must be switched off and general appropriate behaviour expected. Didn't help though. Well that's quite simply not true. I mean, yes, they had a costumed cast member explain to the audience that they should behave themselves, but The Tempest in 2013 was certainly not the first time they ever did it at the Globe. I remember 2011's All's Well That Ends Well in particular had a charming little skit where one of the cast came out and did the message in French (it was basically along the lines of "le telefon? NON! Le camera? NON!" and got some of the best laughs of the evening), and they've definitely done similar before then as well. |
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Post by rumbledoll on Aug 25, 2017 10:02:38 GMT
Thank you pointing out, my mistake. I just didn't come across that in The Globe before and was wondering why it was done for that particular show. Doesn't make much sense either than for what we are discussing. You either do it all the time or not at all..
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Post by crowblack on Aug 25, 2017 10:15:47 GMT
If you want to see productions without the distraction of star names, come and see theatre in the 'regions' where, these days, alas, we rarely get them!
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Post by peggs on Aug 25, 2017 19:58:42 GMT
Roger Allam gave his famous look of death in that direction and everything went quiet. Cannot remember any accidents during Mojo or Gloria. He has a famous look of death?! Wonderful. I am trying to perfect that myself. |
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Post by rumbledoll on Aug 25, 2017 21:15:54 GMT
Roger Allam gave his famous look of death in that direction and everything went quiet. Cannot remember any accidents during Mojo or Gloria. He has a famous look of death?! Wonderful. I am trying to perfect that myself. Yes, he does! You wouldn't want to be naughty if he gives you one. Should ask for a lesson  |
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Post by peggs on Aug 25, 2017 21:40:58 GMT
He has a famous look of death?! Wonderful. I am trying to perfect that myself. Yes, he does! You wouldn't want to be naughty if he gives you one. Should ask for a lesson Ahh now I have a potentially achievable aim in life! I was once told that I had given someone a death stare but the person I was death staring at didn't even notice so clearly wasn't doing it right. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 22:47:28 GMT
I saw the matinee of this today and pretty much agree with the general consensus on here. Whishaw was marvellous as per, this was badly flawed though. I think the biggest thing is the amount of potential it had to be just brilliant but it just stumbled and crumbled. I really thought Amanda Hale was fantastic too though sadly ended up being enraptured with the stagecraft behind the arrival and departure of the bed than the play as a whole.
Another example for me really of what little of the plot is divulged on the website sounding particularly gripping and all round fascinating and the play failing to live up to the expectations.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 8:54:04 GMT
I enjoyed this more than I expected - was on the verge of bailing out at the interval but glad I stuck around as the second half was a vast improvement.
Too long though. Some of the extraneous sub-plots could have been cut down or removed entirely (the creative writing class, the drug dealer & addict, and the fulfillment centre canteen staff)
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Post by Steffi on Sept 3, 2017 8:58:01 GMT
I enjoyed this but mainly for Ben Whishaw being brilliant in a play that doesn't really go anywhere - if that makes any sense. There are some great ideas in there and it starts promising. But I feel like all those ideas are never developed into more and after a while things just seem to repeat themselves without adding anything.
That said it did keep me interested right until the end. That was mainly due to Ben Whishaw though.
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Post by peggs on Sept 9, 2017 19:45:41 GMT
I don't really have much to say about this, came out not entirely sure what it was trying to say and rather bemused by some of the route taken in trying to say it. Plus side Theatremonkey is right L22 is really not bad, oddles of leg room, quick exit and when half of the rest of your row gets moved forward in the second half I got to move around the seats to test out all the pillar angles.
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