60 posts
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Post by skullion on Jul 23, 2017 15:36:21 GMT
Simon Trinder as Trinculo (with more than a hint of Reece Shearsmith as Mr Jelly in Psychoville) Glad it wasn't just me who thought that! |
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 23, 2017 19:57:20 GMT
This was rather lovely. Wasn't wowed by the digital ariel, human version more interesting although I did like all the changing backgrounds and use of visuals and at the start with those moving lights i'd have sworn the ship was moving, thank goodness it wasn't one of my lurching gravity days or i'd have been a goner. As noted by Ryan lovely set and cast, I really liked the Prospero/Miranda dynamic, a very mutually reassuring and physically comforting one, the mad moustaches on show from the king and his brother and the malevolence of Antonio, it seemed very much that he wouldn't be making the mistake of letting Prospero live a second time. I do like a bit of SRB Shakespeare since it always seems like the most natural speech in the world for him, I wasn't intending to but found myself propelled out of my seat at the end, it wasn't for me a production worth ovating for but the last speech clearly did something for me.
Oh and lovely comfy seat with loads of leg room! Made up for the wandering round london i did trying to get there, i suspect from above it watched it would have turned out i was going in circles as i kept coming up against building works but hey ho it means i can count going to the theatre as exercise.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 24, 2017 17:05:42 GMT
where were you this time theatremonkey Oh, and I even had my badge on... but I had shaved... I was end of stalls row D. Where were you, Peggs? I'm aiming to try for dayseats for this I think that's row A stalls - you'll love it. May even make a new friend. Say no more. I was row C stalls so odds on I passed you but didn't recognise you all clean shaven and there I was in my best plastic mac and evertyhing. |
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5,690 posts
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Post by lynette on Jul 24, 2017 17:52:29 GMT
The badges are too small.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 25, 2017 13:47:31 GMT
I was row C stalls so odds on I passed you but didn't recognise you all clean shaven and there I was in my best plastic mac and evertyhing. High or low numbers end, Peggs? I was 30s. Aw, would have noticed the shiny new mac for sure... mmmm 20 I think, came in from the left (there's just the one theatre at the barbican right? The stage just looked narrower than I remembered). Was out in style this weekend, plastic rainwear hanging off me with carabiners and my very small sandwiches squashed into my small bag so as to get past security. |
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 25, 2017 13:50:58 GMT
I like to make an impression and reassure anyone who thinks you have to dress up for the theatre that you can in fact come as a rain lady instead.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 11:14:37 GMT
The thing I really liked about this is that it confirms my view that no flashy special effect can compare with a great actor on a bare stage - I didn’t mind the whizzy stuff and it didn't get in the way but I don’t think it particularly added anything either.
I mostly really adored this – SRB is clear, affecting, intelligent and both Ariel and Caliban are tremendously good as well; really touching. I’m so glad they let the human Ariel rather than the CGI one take centre stage most of the time, so they didn’t lose the relationship between him and Prospero. Lovely singing also, as other people have noted. It was just a beautiful well-paced production with some well-managed comedy (not easy) and that last scene with SRB standing alone on the stage – just gorgeous.
Only two mild irritations – Antonio is supposed to be Prospero’s brother so why cast an actor young enough to be his son? Did he usurp his dukedom at the age of two? And the actress playing Miranda had an irritatingly wobbly voice during the first scene – seemed to take her a while to get it under control (unless she was doing it deliberately but I can’t imagine why she would).
Anyway, highly recommended.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 26, 2017 12:59:24 GMT
The age gap was big but the usurpation took place 12 years earlier so possible, it was the most hate filled, power hungry Antonio I've ever seen, a sharp contrast to Prospero and they did share a physicality so wasn't a problem for me.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 15:57:10 GMT
The age gap was big but the usurpation took place 12 years earlier so possible, it was the most hate filled, power hungry Antonio I've ever seen, a sharp contrast to Prospero and they did share a physicality so wasn't a problem for me. That's a really good point - because Miranda is clearly older than, say, 15 I always forget that they haven't been on the island for 20-odd years. So the brother could have been a really competitive, stroppy 18 year old fed up that his older brother with all the power spends all day in the library - makes good psychological sense! |
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Jul 29, 2017 16:49:21 GMT
Just on the way back from the matinee of this. The Ariel projections are good but a bit pointless when the actor is also on the stage.
SRB is great but Miranda and Ferdinand have been done better, and the two headed monster scene has been funnier.
I don't know about a young Colin Baker but Antonio resembles a young Dinsdale Landen, doesn't he?
Good singing in the masque scene.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 9:34:35 GMT
This was pretty good - SRB was great, fairly pedestrian production as you'd expect from Doran, the effects worked well. Favourite bit was the CGI dog faces. Unlike other RSC transfers they seem to have rethought the staging so it worked on the Barbican stage.
Anyone who booked early and got a £10 seat in row C before rows A and B went on sale got a bargain as these are now £57! Amazing view for the price. I think Row A (which is now £10, and there are still odd seats available there) would also be fine. Seems to have sold pretty well, looked fairly full and all levels were open.
As usual at the Barbican, comfortable seats with lots of legroom. Nice coffee available in the various bars and restaurants onsite. Not keen on the toilets.
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Post by Jan on Jul 30, 2017 13:48:20 GMT
This was pretty good - SRB was great, fairly pedestrian production as you'd expect from Doran, the effects worked well. Favourite bit was the CGI dog faces. Unlike other RSC transfers they seem to have rethought the staging so it worked on the Barbican stage. Anyone who booked early and got a £10 seat in row C before rows A and B went on sale got a bargain as these are now £57! Amazing view for the price. I think Row A (which is now £10, and there are still odd seats available there) would also be fine. Seems to have sold pretty well, looked fairly full and all levels were open. As usual at the Barbican, comfortable seats with lots of legroom. Nice coffee available in the various bars and restaurants onsite. Not keen on the toilets. Just by way of information you can day ticket this for £10 and almost the whole of Row A is available. |
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Post by Polly1 on Jul 30, 2017 13:58:29 GMT
This was pretty good - SRB was great, fairly pedestrian production as you'd expect from Doran, the effects worked well. Favourite bit was the CGI dog faces. Unlike other RSC transfers they seem to have rethought the staging so it worked on the Barbican stage. Anyone who booked early and got a £10 seat in row C before rows A and B went on sale got a bargain as these are now £57! Amazing view for the price. I think Row A (which is now £10, and there are still odd seats available there) would also be fine. Seems to have sold pretty well, looked fairly full and all levels were open. As usual at the Barbican, comfortable seats with lots of legroom. Nice coffee available in the various bars and restaurants onsite. Not keen on the toilets. I'm in row C next week. Saw it at Stratford, bought tickets for friends, at £10 too good to pass up. Is it possible to see the lighting effects on the stage from this row? I was worried it would be too low down. |
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Jul 30, 2017 14:06:35 GMT
Yes, you won't have a problem Polly. I was in Row D yesterday and it was fine. (Although wish I'd found a £10 ticket!).
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 14:52:03 GMT
Yes, fine from row C. We had a great view of Simon Russell Beale's CGI ring.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 30, 2017 20:13:53 GMT
Hated the clunky CGI, just before it's used a gauze is lowered into place. Such terrible stage craft and the fabulous Ariel is always to be seen which belittles the point of CGI?
That's aside it's really good and moving. Such a strong message of forgiveness comes across, perfect RSC Christmas show fodder
Beautiful music with Hockneyesque projections for the masque.
Adored Mark Quarterly. I need to see more of him on the stage.
I always have mixed feelings about SRB but here he was excellent. A national treasure, well a treasure for us theatre and radio 3 geeks!
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jul 30, 2017 20:25:13 GMT
Anyone who booked early and got a £10 seat in row C before rows A and B went on sale got a bargain as these are now £57! Ahh that's always nice to know, I was wondering how I managed to get such a good deal, of course that answer was some great info sharing soul on here. I wonder how the dvd has captured this all, presumably it's the Stratford version (I note at least one cast change for the London run). |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2017 9:05:16 GMT
Grabbed a £10 rush ticket from Today Tix for the matinee yesterday. Fabulous view from the front view, did not disappoint.
Odd production - stellar performances from Simon Russell Beale & Mark Quartley, but just bizarre projections that really do not add anything to the play.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2017 9:40:35 GMT
Remember this was the annual RSC Christmas show for family audiences. Do you think that younger children might enjoy watching the projections?
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Post by crabtree on Aug 6, 2017 10:09:50 GMT
Well for a Christmas show it did have spectacle, but the motion capture projected imagery was the least interesting aspect of it - especially the imagery of ariel when he was standing at the side of the space. The projections onto the Masque dresses worked well but the live motion capture was jerky and clumsy and not necessary. The physical effects, as they should be in theatre, were great. The disappearing feast worked well when I saw it. I still feel theatre is about the live and tangible, and of course we should have cross over works, but it as the practical stuff in this show that was so glorious.
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 6, 2017 11:27:56 GMT
I went with my niece and nephew ( 15 and 13 ) and they were enthralled by the production, mainly because of the spectacle of the visuals - a great introduction to Shakespeare for them. However, I have to say that the physical tricks like the disappearing feast and table etc. prompted the most questions from them. They are so used to seeing CGI in film and computer games that the old stage tricks had the most fascination!
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Post by Jan on Aug 14, 2017 21:32:02 GMT
I thought the technology and projections worked very well, better than I expected. The problem was that when they switched them off we were left with a dull, plodding and horribly old fashioned production devoid of any hint of interpretation. I mean for example you've got to do something to make sense of Caliban other than putting him in a stupid costume and have him over-act. A director with greater visual flair than Doran could have integrated the projections into the entire play.
Some performances were dodgy (Miranda) but SRB very good, but I'd have preferred to see him in a small-scale pared-back production.
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Post by Jan on Aug 14, 2017 21:38:07 GMT
Miranda had an irritatingly wobbly voice during the first scene – seemed to take her a while to get it under control (unless she was doing it deliberately but I can’t imagine why she would). Anyway, highly recommended. Wobbly voice still being deployed. Very odd. Also playing way too old for the part. Unconvincing. |
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Post by crowblack on Aug 15, 2017 20:44:38 GMT
Just got back from the matinee this afternoon. It's a beautiful production - love the Mary Rose set - though I'd rather have Ariel physically centre stage than a projection as he was wonderful, the stand out performance for me. I wasn't that keen on SRB's Prospero, to my surprise. He came across like a tired old headmaster on the verge of retirement, and I didn't like the delivery and pace of the early scene with him and Miranda (Heathcote Williams' dangerous Prospero in Jarman's film is still my favourite). I liked the villains but with a bit of tweaking they could have wrung more humour and audience engagement from it, I think. A great Trinculo and Stephano - yes, I too thought LoG/Psychoville! Caliban was off so we got an understudy but he was OK.
I have to add that the young person sitting next to me was the most annoying person-to-be-sat-next-to yet in my recent theatregoing, fiddling with, rattling and chewing her numerous bracelets throughout (why not go the whole hog and bring in a fidget spinner?). The combined effort of angry looks from me and the two people in front finally stopped the bead rattling with half an hour to go, but she signed off by yawning loudly in the final speech.
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Post by schuttep on Aug 17, 2017 9:37:49 GMT
I have to add that the young person sitting next to me was the most annoying person-to-be-sat-next-to yet in my recent theatregoing, fiddling with, rattling and chewing her numerous bracelets throughout (why not go the whole hog and bring in a fidget spinner?). Preferably one that lights up as it spins.... |
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