Big Fish

[d'James]

Jul 31, 2017 13:09:29 GMT @ryan said:

I don't get any of the criticism of the seating at The Other Palace to be honest. I've always found it perfectly comfortable and with great views and no legroom problems (and I've got quite long, gangly legs). I really like the theatre, it's one of my favourites I think.

Ditto @ryan. The legroom is fine and I'm over six foot. I've been four times this year. Sadly the tickets for this unknown show are too expensive for me. I guess Kelsey Grammer will sell enough for them though. (I'm indifferent about him.) Maybe they'll do a TodayTix deal at the time.

[Someone in a tree]

Same here I'm 5ft9 ish (well I was once) and never had a problem with the seats

[Stasia]

Last week I proclaimed I won't be booking it for 35 quid – and I just did
Friday December 29, so it's a long wait...

[firefingers]

Jul 31, 2017 13:54:22 GMT @theatremonkey said:

Jul 31, 2017 13:09:29 GMT @ryan said:

no legroom problems (and I've got quite long, gangly legs).

I guess it depends if you are happy with the architect's view that sitting bolt upright is both correct and healthy. For the rest of us, who slump slightly during shows...

Protip: Aquire small friends, then you can steal their leg room.

[Deleted]

I have little legs and have often found the front row, especially on the bend, exceptionally cramped. I don't usually sit much further back, but the bend is always a little tighter than the rest of the row.

[Marwood]

Had an email from the Other Palace earlier today and was disappointed to just get a 'sold out' message when I tried booking - just had another look and there seems to be loads of tickets available (well on the dates I looked at anyway) and have got myself a second row seat for the end of November, I wasn't that big a fan of the film (seemed to drag and was a touch too sentimental from what I remember) but it's Frasier Crane for heavens sake- until we see Ted Danson or George Wendt in a West End show I'm happy enough with that.

[ali973]

Just booked as well for late November, a day after the first Hamilton preview. I'm really surprised Fraser is such a draw for musicals these days. Oh, well. I remember seeing him in Macbeth back when I was in college. I believe when it transferred to Broadway it only played ten performances. Yikes.

[Stasia]

Adding a bit of controversy to the nice talks, sorry, guys!

I saw a tweet where a certain reviewer asked if it's ok for people to see an actor who supports Trump. Meaning Kelsey Grammer. And adding she won't pay for the ticket but will go and see the show if she gets an invitation and include her political views in her review.

So my questions are - would you go and see an actor who stands for smth you dislike a lot? Would "Trump supporter" actor stop you from seeing a show (this particular actor and this particular show)? And do you think if it is right to say you won't pay but will go and see it for free to review shows basing on actor's political views, not on what he does on stage?

[infofreako]

To be honest I dont particularly care about an actors political views, just what they do on stage. It concerns me that people want to review a show just so they can bring a political agenda in to play

[viserys]

Aug 1, 2017 8:10:48 GMT Stasia said:

. And adding she won't pay for the ticket but will go and see the show if she gets an invitation and include her political views in her review.

Sorry, this just sounds like a cheap ploy to get a freebie. 

Either I see and review a show based on its own merits and the actor's performance or I detest an actor's political stance so much that I'm unable to seperate him from his views and then avoid the show. Which has never happened to me, since I tend to follow that kind of thing much. What few actors I stalk follow on Twitter seem to be decent folks.  But anyway, her political views and her private opinion of Kelsey Grammer have nothing whatsoever to do with the show Big Fish, which is what she has set out to review, right? 

[Stasia]

Aug 1, 2017 8:30:24 GMT viserys said:

Either I see and review a show based on its own merits and the actor's performance or I detest an actor's political stance so much that I'm unable to seperate him from his views and then avoid the show. Which has never happened to me, since I tend to follow that kind of thing much. What few actors I stalk follow on Twitter seem to be decent folks.  But anyway, her political views and her private opinion of Kelsey Grammer have nothing whatsoever to do with the show Big Fish, which is what she has set out to review, right? 

I also thought that's how it works! I don't have any actors I dislike THAT much to prevent me attending a show I'm interested in, and obviously their personal beliefs might stop me from following them on twitter, but not from seeing a show.

Although I just remembered a certain actor's tweets 2 years ago. He was constantly mentioning "evil Russia" instead of "Russian authorities/government", but it looked as if he doesn't know the difference between the country and the people who have the power. I saw him on stage a year after and enjoyed his performance a lot! Haven't been reading his tweets in the recent years so have no idea if he is still a bit ignorant in terms of who to blame for everything

[Deleted]

Aug 1, 2017 8:10:48 GMT Stasia said:

I saw a tweet where a certain reviewer asked if it's ok for people to see an actor who supports Trump. Meaning Kelsey Grammer. And adding she won't pay for the ticket but will go and see the show if she gets an invitation and include her political views in her review.

Would she refuse to eat a meal cooked by someone whose politics she disliked, or refuse to travel in a train driven by such a person? Would she still see the play if the stage manager's politics didn't meet her approval, or does it only matter if she can see the person?

To me it comes across as someone who's looking for an opportunity to do some political preaching and, failing in the search, has decided to create one.

[infofreako]

Also, how is a reviewer wanting to use that medium as a place for their views any better as a person than an actor having political views opposite to theirs.
I feel sure that Kelsey won't be using the interval as a chance to preach to the audience about Trump

[Deleted]

I think I know who you're talking about and I think her words are being slightly twisted here. If a particular audience member is so opposed to a particular cast member's views, it's not unreasonable to not want to pay money to see them. I myself am giving A Long Day's Journey Into Night a wide berth for a similar reason. As a reviewer though, she's not ruling out seeing the show all together, she's just not going to pay for it and would much rather miss out all together if that's the option, in addition to which she's making it clear upfront that if she is invited to review then she won't be writing some sweet little puff-piece but will mention her political reluctance, and I honestly don't see why that's apparently such a big problem? Reviewers are allowed to mention the current climate in reviews, as shows don't exist in a vacuum and these things can and do affect how one views a piece, and if the PR people understand her views and decide not to offer her a ticket, it's not like she's then going to buy one for herself so that she still gets to write a complete hatchet job that she's even now drafting in her head. Heaven forbid someone have their own personal set of principles!

[Stasia]

Aug 1, 2017 9:48:30 GMT @baemax said:

I think I know who you're talking about and I think her words are being slightly twisted here. If a particular audience member is so opposed to a particular cast member's views, it's not unreasonable to not want to pay money to see them. I myself am giving A Long Day's Journey Into Night a wide berth for a similar reason. As a reviewer though, she's not ruling out seeing the show all together, she's just not going to pay for it and would much rather miss out all together if that's the option, in addition to which she's making it clear upfront that any such review won't be a sweet little puff-piece but will mention her political reluctance, and I homestly don't see why that's apparently such a big problem? Reviewers are allowed to mention the current climate in reviews, as shows don't exist in a vacuum and these things can and do affect how one views a piece, and if the PR people understand her views and decide not to offer her a ticket, it's not like she's then going to buy one for herself so that she can write a complete hatchet job that she's even now drafting in her head. Heaven forbid someone have their own personal set of principles!

I still have a feeling that if you are opposed to an actor SO MUCH you don't want to see him at all (and they you are not doing it either for free as a reviewer or buying a ticket as a regular theatregoer). 

Also when reading reviews I want to know on how the play is staged/the actors are acting and so on, not what reviewer thinks on their political views. For me it pretty much the same as saying "omg this actor is so hot I couldn't take my eyes off his bum" - also a thing I don't want to see in a review. I know that some journalists bloggers do separate articles on the matters that are not review-format. They can do tweets as well, which is fine by me. But I find it slightly hypocritical to proclaim "I dislike the actor for his personal views but I will review his show and see it for free without paying for it, and mention my views in my review" and slightly unprofessional to include actor's political views in the review. 

I don't know this exact reviewer very well so I was trying to discuss more generic situation as I obviously leaving her the right to think and do whatever she wants.
As well leaving myself the right to think something about that

[d'James]

For me, if the actor was spouting loads of hateful stuff then I would seriously reconsider going to see them. I would also consider protesting outside the venue. If someone has different political views to me, it doesn't bother me as long as it's not too extreme and I would still go and see them in a show (if I wanted to see the show in the first place).

[loureviews]

Booked for November. Loved the film this is based on.

[Deleted]

It's not refusing to see the production that's the issue, but making a big deal out of refusing. It's the difference between declining an invitation to a party because you don't like the host and standing outside the party telling everyone who arrives why you don't like the host. One is reasonable, the other is creating a scene to make a somewhat petulant point.

If you don't want to be involved in something, don't be involved. When you start distributing explanations to people who never asked for them it makes your motives look distinctly questionable.

[infofreako]

Now showing as sold out on the Other Palace website

[Deleted]

I have to disagree. Assuming I am right as to who it is, she made the statement on her own Twitter feed and had a couple of brief exchanges there, not in an article or a blogpost or even a discussion board post. It's much more akin to just standing in your own front garden talking to your neighbours about why you don't want to go to the big Christmas party that's just been announced. Maybe you think it's classless to say anything at all, or to not at least go indoors before starting, but last I checked people were allowed to use their Twitter feeds to talk about their own thoughts and concerns.

[mallardo]

I've seen Big Fish and would never see it again so I'm not the audience for this in any case - but - I have to admit that an actor's political views do affect my perception of him/her. I would never watch anything with Patricia Heaton or Gary Sinise or Bruce Willis in it, e.g.   Grammar bills himself as a Libertarian but is he a Trumpist? I hadn't heard that but I can believe it and if so I would add him to my No Watch List.

[stuartmcd]

I wouldn’t not go see someone perform just because they support Trump. Do I like and support Trump? No. But if someone performing in front of me does then I couldn’t give two hoots. It’s not like he’s going to use this to express his political views. I’ve booked for the 22nd November and very much looking forward to it

[mallardo]

Aug 1, 2017 16:30:19 GMT stuartmcd said:

I wouldn’t not go see someone perform just because they support Trump. Do I like and support Trump? No. But if someone performing in front of me does then I couldn’t give two hoots. It’s not like he’s going to use this to express his political views. I’ve booked for the 22nd November and very much looking forward to it

In normal times I would agree with you but the Trump thing is so virulent and evil that I cannot appreciate the work of anyone who subscribes to it. I'm probably affected by the fact that I'm in the US at the moment and immersed in the anger and revulsion that is the mood of the day here.

[infofreako]

Thing is there are many performers in America who won't have nailed their political colours to the mast. For those that have why should it be to the detriment of their professional life. I enjoy Kelsey's work. Until this morning I knew nothing of his political allegiance. Knowing it hasnt changed my admiration for his work

[Deleted]

Well, that's it, isn't it? We all make our own decisions as to what's right for us, and if I'm comfortable seeing Grammer in a show, I'm not going to judge someone who isn't.