Waste NT

[littlesally]

Couldn't see a thread about this. Amazed as it is a stunning production of a lost masterpiece (imho) with flawless performances, especially from Charles Edwards, Sylvestra Le Touzel and Okivia Williams. Can't believe I almost missed this completely. Thank heavens for Friday Rush. Pity to see the house only 80% full.

[lynette]

There was a thread about this. We might have left it behind. I think you might be in the minority on this one.

[littlesally]

Feb 18, 2016 0:43:23 GMT lynette said:

There was a thread about this. We might have left it behind. I think you might be in the minority on this one.

It won't be the first time Lynette! I often find that when I see something with low or no expectations, I am pleasantly surprised. Hadn't even read the reviews (which seem positive).

It reminded me of Shaw, Priestley and Wilde in equal measure.

**And of course it should have read Olivia not Okivia!

[RedRose]

I aggree on this with you, littlesally. Liked it so much that I went a second time.

[mallardo]

I loved Charles Edwards and Olivia Williams (in an impossible and thankless role) but thought the play only worked when it was talking politics. Otherwise it tipped over into melodrama and, despite the actors' best efforts, I didn't buy into it.

[foxa]

I thought the third act saved this - the idea of political expediency explored by the different politicians ' reaction to a scandal -this seemed very relevant. Otherwise I wasn't too keen - it was quite a cold production, which was emphasised by the odd disjointed set. Some sound performances.

[jasmineneroli]

I saw this on Wednesday, really enjoyed it.

[Deleted]

It would be going too far to say I 'enjoyed' this tonight - there were several scenes where I was a bit lost and therefore totally bored, not helped by Mr and Mrs Tall sitting in front of me so I couldn't see very much of the action on the left of the stage...But by the end I'd found it rewarding viewing, due almost entirely to the acting.

Unlike others on here, the set didn't bother me, and I wasn't disappointed at all by Olivia Williams. Sure, her character isn't terribly likeable, but then, were any of them - apart from maybe Frances and the doctor? Amy was raised by a bully with very set ideas about what a woman should be. She sought escape in marriage and then, when that didn't work, with other men. She had ambition but no opportunity to mould it, so she saw her value purely in terms of men's response to her. She was desperate for love, but never found it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler - click to view}
Whatever her reasons for the abortion (and I'd guess they went far deeper than the reason she gave), she did at least take decisive - if desperate - action when confronted with a problem.

All in all, I felt far more sympathetic towards Amy than any of the whingers in Husbands and Sons!

Charles Edwards did well to make me care for Trebell, too, given how badly and carelessly he behaved. Watching him in this, he reminded me a bit of Michael J Fox - he had that same man-boy look which I think makes you forgive an awful lot. Or maybe that's just me! Also, does he always drink copious amounts of water in this or has he got a cold? That may have helped with the air of vulnerability too...

[Marwood]

Sorry, I thought this was just dull - not helped by the seat I was in giving me back ache and the woman next to me keeping on elbowing me, but I didn't care what happened to any of the characters in this so left at the interval. Life is too short to be sat watching stuff that doesn't engage on any level (and as I said on the other forum, I didn't buy Olivia Williams as a femme fatale, she was more of a Miss Jones from Rising Damp I'm afraid).

[Deleted]

Yes, the two next to me scarpered at the interval. I was hoping the Talls would also disappear and give me a ghost of a chance of seeing the entire stage post-interval, but alas they were really enjoying it, so back they came...

[peggs]

Feb 19, 2016 1:29:23 GMT @jeanhunt said:

Yes, the two next to me scarpered at the interval. I was hoping the Talls would also disappear and give me a ghost of a chance of seeing the entire stage post-interval, but alas they were really enjoying it, so back they came...

Could you not shuffle sideways then? Or were the talls so tall and on the wrong side that they still blocked you? Think if i hadn't been able to see properly for this I'd have been tempted to not come back.

[Deleted]

Alas, yes. In front and slightly to my left. As they sat down, the guy turned to look behind him and said "Oh good, there's nobody behind us". Which there wasn't, directly, but little me was stuck on the end and whenever anything took place on the far left, I couldn't see much of it!

Tried hyperextending my neck like a particularly curious meerkat to see over the top of the bloke's head, but it got quite painful after a while. Dodging left and right was an option and occasionally I got a sliver of viewing space, but the guy tended to be moving his head at the same time and frequently blocked me again, so in the end I just gave up and seethed quietly.

I'd have moved at the interval, but couldn't tell easily exactly where people were/weren't sitting as I was third row stalls. And I figured if I checked with the box office they might charge me extra for a better seat! First time I've been disappointed with the £15 stalls seats so I probably can't complain really!

[peggs]

The curse of the tall people (please note I don't actually expect you to sit anywhere other than where you fancy, it's just i do seem to sit behind you quite often, I blame my obviously short genes)

[Deleted]

Ha, absolutely - they were a lovely couple and I don't expect them to forfeit cheap seats at the front purely because they're blessed with long legs. It was just ironic I booked row C thinking 'what are the chances of someone tall in front? Based on past experience, pretty remote' and then lo and behold...

Think I'll hold off buying a lottery ticket, put it that way ;-)