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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2018 22:29:30 GMT
I agree with Daniel. Sharon D Clarke excellent as you would expect. Standout spirited performance from Abiona Omonau too as Emmie. The plot is very thin but the message is strong. Not a fan of this type of sung through musical and would have been interesting to see this written as a straight play by Kushner. At times it was a little too silly for me. First time at the Playhouse theatre and it felt lovely and intimate from the rear stalls. I was in row M and probably wouldn't sit much closer! Oooo damn, I tell you what, as a dramatic piece, a one act play straight through, this would be fabulous! Because the other issue I had with it was that alot of the music was filler rather than substance! But keep her big number at the end. That can stay! |
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Post by Stephen on Nov 29, 2018 23:29:47 GMT
I agree with Daniel. Sharon D Clarke excellent as you would expect. Standout spirited performance from Abiona Omonau too as Emmie. The plot is very thin but the message is strong. Not a fan of this type of sung through musical and would have been interesting to see this written as a straight play by Kushner. At times it was a little too silly for me. First time at the Playhouse theatre and it felt lovely and intimate from the rear stalls. I was in row M and probably wouldn't sit much closer! Oooo damn, I tell you what, as a dramatic piece, a one act play straight through, this would be fabulous! Because the other issue I had with it was that alot of the music was filler rather than substance! But keep her big number at the end. That can stay! Yes. I enjoy a form being broken at one point in a production as it usually adds something wonderful. In this, towards the end, I think that song really does. Music wise at times I was reminded of Ruthless and at time Parade! Crazy but not all in a bad way. |
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Post by anthem on Nov 30, 2018 0:12:41 GMT
I don’t think it’s fair or accurate to say that the plot is paper thin- for me, the plot is simple but it still raises a lot of themes.
-poverty/ wealth/ privilege
-racism & the civil rights struggle
-bereavement
-domestic violence
-religious belief
-the sometimes duplicitous nature of human beings- i.e. Mrs Gellman’s (arguable subconscious) motivations for allowing Caroline to keep the change.
-the clash between generosity and self interest
-the impact of education
-jealousy
Caroline’s journey is subtle because her circumstances are not easily changed and her options are extremely limited. I felt hers is a journey of acceptance, with the hope that things will be better for her children. Her constant toil in the basement is ultimately for them.
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Post by Stephen on Nov 30, 2018 0:31:36 GMT
ATG took £5 from me for the programme tonight. Ouch.
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Post by anthem on Nov 30, 2018 0:55:31 GMT
ATG took £5 from me for the programme tonight. Ouch. Is that not standard pricing? It was nice to see the book on sale also. |
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Post by Stephen on Nov 30, 2018 2:29:09 GMT
ATG took £5 from me for the programme tonight. Ouch. Is that not standard pricing? It was nice to see the book on sale also. Come to think of it you could be right as it's a while since i've been to an ATG theatre in London besides the £1 programmes at Pinter. I just think it's a lot. Delfont are £4 and for the same price at the Royal Court you can get a full playtext with the cast list. I understand why this isn't the case with commercial West End theatres but still...I hope the prices stop creeping up. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 7:24:51 GMT
I don’t think it’s fair or accurate to say that the plot is paper thin- for me, the plot is simple but it still raises a lot of themes. -poverty/ wealth/ privilege -racism & the civil rights struggle -bereavement -domestic violence -religious belief -the sometimes duplicitous nature of human beings- i.e. Mrs Gellman’s (arguable subconscious) motivations for allowing Caroline to keep the change. -the clash between generosity and self interest -the impact of education -jealousy Caroline’s journey is subtle because her circumstances are not easily changed and her options are extremely limited. I felt hers is a journey of acceptance, with the hope that things will be better for her children. Her constant toil in the basement is ultimately for them. I appreciate that completely, thats why i made a point of saying the plot was paper thin, which I stand by. Themes are different.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 13:51:23 GMT
Saw this on Friday and I am in the four star camp for performances, score and songs. I did think the moon was a bit off at times.
I am in the one star camp for the upper circle seats in the Playhouse though. I am quite short and quite fat and it was excruciating. Luckily the end of our row was free so I moved from the middle of row G and got an aisle seat. Sitting in my assigned seat, I was unable to put my feet on the ground and the back of the seat in front was pinned into my shins. I basically had a panic attack because I knew there was no way I would be able to sit for an entire performance and I was worried that there would be no spare seats to move into. The most uncomfortable I have ever been in a theatre :-(
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 16:18:39 GMT
I mean if you look at it with a stone cold eye, even 7 hours of Angels in America doesn't have a GREAT deal of plot. That's not Kushner's style...it's observing slices of life, over smaller or longer periods/events and unravelling those themes. That's just what he does, densely and at length  (Nobody is right or wrong above, just me adding my Kushner 2 cents because clearly i should be writing about him elsewhere...) |
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Post by grannyjx6 on Dec 4, 2018 23:12:48 GMT
There were plenty of free seats in the upper circle when we went second preview and a few minutes before it started, the usher said we could all move down. We went on the front row and the leg room was rubbish, fortunately we could stretch our legs sideways so that helped a bit. It is really tight leg room (and widthways), both me and my husband are average size and weight so anyone bigger would have found it excruciating.
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Dec 11, 2018 23:06:06 GMT
FABULOUS. One of the best things I've seen all year.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2018 23:11:48 GMT
This show really divide's opinion doesn't it!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2018 16:25:36 GMT
FABULOUS. One of the best things I've seen all year. You do realise that we're still in 2018 and haven't crept into 2019 yet don't you? |
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Post by priorwalter on Dec 15, 2018 10:41:27 GMT
I loved this. The cast is superb and the show is fantastic. I loved the score and loved Sharon. Really a beautifully told story. I can see how people could be divided on it but I think it’s similar to The Band’s Visit, people expect some grand story but it really is a simple one about real people. It’s a fantastic show.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 13:45:45 GMT
24 hour offer on TodayTix of £15 or £25 stalls seats for shows up to 5th Jan
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Post by winonaforever on Dec 15, 2018 16:59:21 GMT
24 hour offer on TodayTix of £15 or £25 stalls seats for shows up to 5th Jan Thanks for the reminder, I saw an alert about this earlier then forgot! Just got a £15 stalls ticket for next Thursday. I'm really looking forward to this! |
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Post by anthem on Dec 18, 2018 15:16:06 GMT
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Post by robertb213 on Dec 20, 2018 17:26:19 GMT
Sad to say I really didn't enjoy this today. I had been looking forward to it but couldn't connect with it at all. I'm not a huge fan of sung-through musicals but normally I can get into them if the score hooks me in, and this didn't. The voices were great but I found it a tuneless chore to sit through I'm afraid. Even Sharon's big number in the second act didn't have a real melody. I guess I just can't click with Tesori's style as I didn't like Fun Home either! Oh well. Worth seeing for Sharon I suppose 😀
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Post by showtoones on Dec 20, 2018 17:50:36 GMT
Sad to say I really didn't enjoy this today. I had been looking forward to it but couldn't connect with it at all. I'm not a huge fan of sung-through musicals but normally I can get into them if the score hooks me in, and this didn't. The voices were great but I found it a tuneless chore to sit through I'm afraid. Even Sharon's big number in the second act didn't have a real melody. I guess I just can't click with Tesori's style as I didn't like Fun Home either! Oh well. Worth seeing for Sharon I suppose 😀 I found fun home pretentious but I do love Caroline. I think it's the type of show yu need to hear multiple times as it is "tuneless" as you say. But I would pay to hear Sharon read the phone book. |
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Post by robertb213 on Dec 20, 2018 17:53:41 GMT
I agree on Sharon, her voice is sublime and she was the show's saving grace for me. I just wish she'd had some proper belting musical numbers rather than having to sing to seemingly random notes!
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Post by winonaforever on Dec 20, 2018 20:08:26 GMT
I was at the matinee. I LOVED every second of it (didn't find it "tuneless" at all and I hadn't heard the music before) I was in floods of tears during Sharon's big number, and thoroughly enjoyed myself! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 7:35:28 GMT
I wonder just how well this is doing at the Playhouse. Anyone have any idea?
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 23, 2018 9:30:59 GMT
Top level was closed when I went on Wednesday evening (a day or two after opening night) with lots of upgrades being dished out, quite a few empty seats in the stalls
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was hoping to unfortunately. I too found the music rather tuneless and didn’t feel like much happened in the story. Enjoyable enough, but won’t be rushing back.
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Post by robertb213 on Dec 23, 2018 10:53:39 GMT
Upper was also closed for the matinee on Thursday and people were being upgraded. Stalls were only 2/3s full as well. I can't see this lasting until April.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Dec 24, 2018 9:26:33 GMT
Lots of empty seats on press night.
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