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Post by lonlad on Nov 14, 2017 7:28:41 GMT
Glenister far and away the best one in it -- anyone know whether he was back on last night?
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Post by freckles on Nov 14, 2017 21:35:45 GMT
I hope he’s OK, he was very good. I thought they all were, the only weak link for me was Kris Marshall who just didn’t seem quite right.
I really wasn’t sure I was going to like this, only went along as my other half was keen to see it. But enjoyed the fact that the dialogue created all the “action”. The writing reminded me a bit of Aaron Sorkin, whose work I greatly enjoy.
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Post by floorshow on Nov 15, 2017 22:41:46 GMT
Saw it tonight. Glennister still indisposed, nice opportunity for an understudy to chew some scenery, thought Mark Carlisle did well - particularly the restaurant stuff with Don Warrington.
Kris Marshall is playing a pretty thankless role, there isn't much more he could do with it - he is literally the straight man.
Slater and Stanley Townsend are a decent double act, Shelley's tale in the second half is the definitely the highlight.
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Nov 16, 2017 7:44:36 GMT
Glenister far and away the best one in it -- anyone know whether he was back on last night? Mark Carlisle is supposed to be on for the rest of this week, if that helps. |
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Post by n1david on Nov 20, 2017 21:58:39 GMT
Glenister still out tonight. Don’t have much to say about the play as was rather distracted. The first time I’ve been physically threatened in a theatre during the play. Never liked Mamet, don’t plan on seeing anything of his again
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 22:02:29 GMT
Glenister still out tonight. Don’t have much to say about the play as was rather distracted. The first time I’ve been physically threatened in a theatre during the play. Never liked Mamet, don’t plan on seeing anything of his again It was quite a strange house tonight. A lot of talking throughout the play and a woman who got up (to go to the loo halfway through) then came back - presumably because she was told that she would not be readmitted. People had to stand up to let her back in. I wonder if the actors found it distracting. |
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Post by n1david on Nov 20, 2017 22:26:39 GMT
Thanks but not sure if you have given it was an audience member who threatened me. I’ve posted in the Bad Behaviour thread. It’s not directly connected to the play so probably doesn’t belong here.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 22:28:47 GMT
Thanks but not sure if you have given it was an audience member who threatened me. I’ve posted in the Bad Behaviour thread. It’s not directly connected to the play so probably doesn’t belong here. I heard something going on. I'll have a look at the bad behaviour thread |
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Post by Marwood on Nov 23, 2017 15:53:28 GMT
Got myself a £85 stall seat for next week, reduced to £25 - I've going to see this mainly because of the presence of Christian Slater in the cast: I wasn't overly impressed by the Pacino version I saw in Broadway but it will be to see what Slater brings to the role of Ricky Roma (played by Bobby Cannavale when I saw it). Who knows, if Slater gets to hear Don Warringtons Rising Damp anecdotes, we might get to see him doing Rupert Rigsby on the stage after Ricky Roma?
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Post by Polly1 on Nov 23, 2017 15:57:31 GMT
Got myself a £85 stall seat for next week, reduced to £25 - I've going to see this mainly because of the presence of Christian Slater in the cast: I wasn't overly impressed by the Pacino version I saw in Broadway but it will be to see what Slater brings to the role of Ricky Roma (played by Bobby Cannavale when I saw it). Who knows, if Slater gets to hear Don Warringtons Rising Damp anecdotes, we might get to see him doing Rupert Rigsby on the stage after Ricky Roma? No, come on, there's only one person who could re-create Rigsby - Ralph Fiennes of course (he already does it in most of his other roles!) |
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Post by Jan on Nov 23, 2017 17:41:05 GMT
Who knows, if Slater gets to hear Don Warringtons Rising Damp anecdotes, we might get to see him doing Rupert Rigsby on the stage after Ricky Roma? Of course there is another guest star from a famous Rising Damp episode currently treading the boards in London's glittering West End. Care to hazard a guess ? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 18:24:27 GMT
Got myself a £85 stall seat for next week, reduced to £25 - I've going to see this mainly because of the presence of Christian Slater in the cast: I wasn't overly impressed by the Pacino version I saw in Broadway but it will be to see what Slater brings to the role of Ricky Roma (played by Bobby Cannavale when I saw it). Who knows, if Slater gets to hear Don Warringtons Rising Damp anecdotes, we might get to see him doing Rupert Rigsby on the stage after Ricky Roma? No, come on, there's only one person who could re-create Rigsby - Ralph Fiennes of course (he already does it in most of his other roles!) The best was when he did Hamlet as Rigsby (was that at The Almeida?) |
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Post by Marwood on Nov 23, 2017 21:45:00 GMT
Who knows, if Slater gets to hear Don Warringtons Rising Damp anecdotes, we might get to see him doing Rupert Rigsby on the stage after Ricky Roma? Of course there is another guest star from a famous Rising Damp episode currently treading the boards in London's glittering West End. Care to hazard a guess ? 'Sir' Peter Bowles in The Exorcist? |
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Post by Jan on Nov 24, 2017 5:41:29 GMT
Of course there is another guest star from a famous Rising Damp episode currently treading the boards in London's glittering West End. Care to hazard a guess ? 'Sir' Peter Bowles in The Exorcist? Correct. Plays a theatre director - loosely based on Max Stafford Clarke as it turns out. |
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Post by dlevi on Nov 26, 2017 21:15:41 GMT
This production of Glengarry is from hunger. Ineptly directed and designed, the play isn't bullet proof but rapid fire delivery can cover a multitude of sins but this production didn't even have that. It's enough to make you doubt the play's quality.
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Post by Marwood on Nov 29, 2017 10:39:55 GMT
I saw this last night and rather enjoyed it (probably helped by the fact I got an £85 ticket for £25), I preferred it to the Pacino version I saw 5 years ago (well what I remember of it after all that time, anyway) possibly because the casting of Shelly Levene wasn't tied down by being played by an A lister that attracted the audiences attention away from the rest of the cast (Levene doesn't really work when hes played by someone whos old enough to know better but still has a dodgy tan and Keith Richards haircut)
Solidly acted by all of the cast, except Don Warringtons accent seeming to veer between the Caribbean and the U.S. on a number of occasions, and Christian Slater maybe overdoing it with the bug eyes.
I ran into Robert Glenister and Daniel Ryan on the Westbound platofrm at Embankment tube station straight after the show finished (I'm guessing Christian Slater wasn't hosting after show drinks in his dressing room, or if he was, they weren't invited): they looked a little bit worried to tell the truth, but I don't know if it was because of me saying I didn't want an autograph or a selfie, or me saying I enjoyed it more than the Pacino version...
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Post by adrianics on Nov 29, 2017 11:49:02 GMT
We also saw it last night.
The seats in the upper circle of the Playhouse are incredibly narrow, luckily the person next to my wife didn't show up so she moved over and I could tuck my legs to the side.
Like others I was very taken aback at how short the show is, particularly Act 1 which runs at a princely 35 minutes; the audience were pretty audibly shocked when the lights came up which was funny. The interval lasted nearly as long as Act 1, which is a first for me.
The production is extremely good; the cast, to a man, a phenomenal and it's hard to single anyone out. I'm a big fan of Christian Slater's performance in the tv series Mr Robot and he channeled his manic charisma very well into Roma, although he was clearly struggling with a sore throat and at one point had to rather hilariously clear his throat in the middle of a monologue. Kris Marshall probably gets the least to do but is nigh-unrecognisable as Williamson and deserves the plaudits that he's getting.
As a big fan of the film but newbie to the show, it surprised me how little Moss is in the show but Robert Glenister more than makes up for it with a terrific, powerful performance; his interplay in Act 1 with Don Warrington (also excellent) was the highlight of the show for me.
Ultimately I guess I'd settle for Stanley Townsend as the star of the show; his Levine is desperate, pathetic and utterly heartbreaking. Townsend did such a great job of capturing a once-great refusing to accept that his time is up and resorting to increasing humiliation and desperation. I can't find the name of the actor who played James Link but he was great as well.
A few minor nitpicks here and there, I agree with Marwood that Warrington's accent veered into the bizarre a few times and during one particularly passionate monologue he became almost completely unintelligible but I accept this is probably the point. The direction was good and the cast handled Mamet's rapid-fire dialogue very admirably, but I did feel at times that they needed to pick and choose when to slow the pace down; Roma's famous monologue was nowhere near as effective as it should be because Slater rushed through it, ditto Williamson's famous "f*** you" to Levine. The set was very good, particularly in Act 2.
A lot to recommend, I would say. A very good production of an excellent play with one of the best ensemble casts you'll see in a while.
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Post by elmolover79 on Nov 29, 2017 20:17:15 GMT
Looking forward in seeing this in feb!😀😀
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Post by profquatermass on Dec 10, 2017 13:29:22 GMT
I gather this isn't selling out. Are there any good offers going or should I rely on schmoozing the box office with my puppy eyes?
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Post by Stephen on Dec 11, 2017 9:14:48 GMT
I gather this isn't selling out. Are there any good offers going or should I rely on schmoozing the box office with my puppy eyes? I think the Today Tix app has some discount. Otherwise, if you are able to, grab a day seat at 10am from the box office! |
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Post by SageStageMgr on Dec 12, 2017 18:32:17 GMT
Seeing this one tonight, review to follow as always.
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Post by loureviews on Dec 16, 2017 16:52:37 GMT
Just on way back from this. Enjoyed what is a short but complex play (requiring two pauses in a 30 minute act one, then a 25 minute interval for a - noisy - set change).
Mamet's snappy but coarse script is well delivered by the cast of seven, with Townsend, Marshall and Glenister especially good. The play doesn't feel that dated except in its casual but realistic racism against Poles and Indians.
I haven't seen the film for a long time so can't compare but this was an enjoyable afternoon.
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Post by mallardo on Dec 30, 2017 17:03:23 GMT
I saw this last night and was across the board impressed. The cast is a genuine ensemble with Slater in the star part fitting in rather than dominating. Highlight of the evening was Stanley Townsend's Shelly, pitch perfect and deeply sympathetic - his performance in act two was a master class. But everyone was good and the play definitely holds up after all these years. What a shame Mamet has gone off the deep end and his recent work is such rubbish. For a while there he had it all.
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Post by Steve on Dec 31, 2017 16:08:31 GMT
I saw this last night and was across the board impressed. The cast is a genuine ensemble with Slater in the star part fitting in rather than dominating. Highlight of the evening was Stanley Townsend's Shelly, pitch perfect and deeply sympathetic - his performance in act two was a master class. But everyone was good and the play definitely holds up after all these years. What a shame Mamet has gone off the deep end and his recent work is such rubbish. For a while there he had it all. Completely agree about Stanley Townsend. Along with Christian Slater, who could play this type in his sleep, and still be brilliant, he was great! For me, it was wonderful to see a broken "alpha-male" type in the Shelley role, since, previously, both Jack Lemmon (in the film) and Jonathan Pryce (on stage) never felt to me like they could ever have really ruled the roost. Townshend does feel like he might once have been utterly commanding, which is why his nostalgic preening and weaselly desperation combine to create such a crushing sense of downfall in this production. |
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Post by mallardo on Dec 31, 2017 17:23:26 GMT
Completely agree about Stanley Townsend. For me, it was wonderful to see a broken "alpha-male" type in the Shelley role, since, previously, both Jack Lemmon (in the film) and Jonathan Pryce (on stage) never felt to me like they could ever have really ruled the roost. Townshend does feel like he might once have been utterly commanding, which is why his nostalgic preening and weaselly desperation combine to create such a crushing sense of downfall in this production.
Steve, that's a brilliant observation about Townsend and you're exactly right. When Ricky Roma tells Shelly how much he learned from him it's not a kindness - it's the truth. And Townsend shows us that truth. The scene where the two combine to sell the big lie to Lingk works like a dream because in that moment Shelly and Roma are equals, two pros working a con.
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