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Post by MrBunbury on Jan 14, 2018 9:38:32 GMT
MrBunbury If you're interested in saying hello I'll be in BB10 for that show. Always happy to meet people I can discuss Mischief Theatre with! 4pm today was a Disney movie "Gone With The Current" set on a canal boat. Great performance from Charlie as wicked, boat-destroying Princess Esmerelda whose only weakness was that she couldn't swim! We got a Wizard of Oz style melting scene after she got pushed into a swimming pool. Highlights included the group morris dance, Harry playing everyone at the wedding & falling in love with himself, & plethora of talking animals including Dave as Barry the silly bear, Henry L as a scary emu & Charlie as Nibbles the frog. The homoerotic boats, played by Josh & Henry S & complete with too many rudder jokes, may have been slightly less Disney appropriate! Sorry Dawnstar, I saw your post only after the show. I was in B11 so probably behind you (where is BB10?). It was great to see the actors on stage again. I wanted to go back to see the final show but being in a group of Italians, a discussion followed and having dinner was deemed the only actual option... |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 14, 2018 10:50:36 GMT
MrBunbury BB is the front row then it starts with A, B, etc. That's the advantage of solo theatregoing. I wouldn't let any dinners get between me & a Mischief show!
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Post by MrBunbury on Jan 14, 2018 13:38:15 GMT
MrBunbury BB is the front row then it starts with A, B, etc. That's the advantage of solo theatregoing. I wouldn't let any dinners get between me & a Mischief show! Oh, so you were near the Shrek couple! |
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Post by stuart on Jan 14, 2018 18:31:39 GMT
What’s the “script” for sale for £5? In true Mischief fashion, I fully expect it to be blank but I’m still intrigued.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 14, 2018 18:35:36 GMT
Oh, so you were near the Shrek couple! Yes, next to them. It's not the first time that's happened though, it's at least the 3rd time I've witnessed. And when it doesn't happen Jonathan usually refers to it anyway. Goodness knows why so many people seem to want to insult each other! What’s the “script” for sale for £5? In true Mischief fashion, I fully expect it to be blank but I’m still intrigued. It is indeed blank. The Times review gave that away at the start of the run. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theatre-review-mischief-movie-night-at-the-arts-theatre-wc2-pc9jdmk8j |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2018 9:27:12 GMT
My first visit last night for Bambi Goes To Pluto ...
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 15, 2018 13:49:51 GMT
londonmzfitz You did decide that one visit wasn't enough then! I'm guessing it would have been less tear-jerking than the original Bambi film, or at least tears of laughter instead.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 15, 2018 16:07:05 GMT
londonmzfitz You did decide that one visit wasn't enough then! I'm guessing it would have been less tear-jerking than the original Bambi film, or at least tears of laughter instead. Captain Bambi flew to Pluto ... it was very funny, the progress through the story was so interesting to watch, Jonathan keeping it on track, and a little love story happy ending for Captain Bambi (the guy with the lovely blonde curls) and Dave Hearn, sharing a kiss at the end ... Took the kid and his girlfriend (both of whom you have met) - and they want to go again .... |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 15, 2018 17:25:37 GMT
Captain Bambi flew to Pluto ... it was very funny, the progress through the story was so interesting to watch, Jonathan keeping it on track, and a little love story happy ending for Captain Bambi (the guy with the lovely blonde curls) and Dave Hearn, sharing a kiss at the end ... Took the kid and his girlfriend (both of whom you have met) - and they want to go again .... Sci-fi seems to be a popular genre this run. The guy with the curls is Josh Elliott. I guess you won't have seen him before as he only does the improv shows with Mischief. You'll have to bring them with you to the last show, if there are still tickets left. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on Jan 17, 2018 10:22:27 GMT
Josh Elliott, cute as a button! No, I hadn't seen him before. I'm trying to see if I can fit in another trip before the last night ...
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Post by Steve on Jan 18, 2018 0:03:26 GMT
We saw the 7.45 show on Saturday, and enjoyed it so much we're going back for the last performance of the run. I wish I could get there again, but sadly can't. We had a pirate movie, set on the Good Ship Jenny, called Jenny Goes Down, which was completely hilarious. My favourite characters were Pushing Jim and Shoo shaaa the Shoe Shine boy. Ha ha, yes, I was also at "Jenny Goes Down." I went this second time, since Dawnstar demonstrated that Mischief aren't actually just doing the same show every night. "Jenny Goes Down" was not in the same league as the previous show I saw, "T Vet," because the storytelling went "wrong". . . which was illuminating and sort of perfect in a way. Whereas T Vet was a perfect example of genre storytelling, "Jenny goes Down" involved copious preparations for a mutiny aboard a pirate ship that then was completely (and amusingly, in an Ed Wood inept storytelling way) forgotten about, as the story progressed to a search for treasure at the end of a rainbow instead. Once the Mischief Theatre storytelling went wrong, the Mischief Team hilariously seemed to lose their bearings entirely, as they briefly abandoned their usual family show schtick for something a little more pornographic, involving Henry Shields' pirate captain getting "splinters" in his member, which he mimed poking into through a "hole" in the good ship Jenny. Henry Lewis' Pushing Jim finally understood what was "dripping" through his "ceiling!" I love the way Henry Lewis' voice is so like an engine, booming and revving and constantly changing gears! I also love the shrieking Norman Wisdom-like enthusiasm, and faux shock, of Jonathan Sayers, as Oscar, when the story goes so heinously wrong like this. Josh Elliot was a scream, his wry matter of fact tone conveying a kind of bemusement at being trapped in a story of such unstoppable bizarreness! And as Shoeshaa, the pirate who gives everyone else shoeshines, but otherwise seems in a totally different story, Dave Hearns was his delightful loveable usual self. It was great to meet Dawnstar and learn a ton of things about the Mischief Troupe, and I thank her for chronicling this wonderful ensemble for us! 3 and a half stars for "Jenny Goes Down."  |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 18, 2018 17:52:31 GMT
It was great to meet Dawnstar and learn a ton of things about the Mischief Troupe, and I thank her for chronicling this wonderful ensemble for us! My pleasure. I'll happily talk about Mischief Theatre for hours - the problem is finding people prepared to listen! Currently on the train to London for tonight's MMN. Yes I may be seeing 4 out of 8 shows for the last 3 weeks of the run! |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 18, 2018 21:29:29 GMT
Tonight's show was a mafia movie set (partly) on a bouncy castle: "The Bouncer". I now want all improv shows to include a bouncy castle scene! The sight of Henry S & Dave bouncing up & down for several minutes was priceless! The plot was R&J-esque: boy (Henry L) & girl (Charlie) fall in love but their fathers (Henry S & Josh) are rival bouncy castle company owners, one of who (Henry S) will do anything to have a business monopoly. Who knew the children's party business was so competative?! Highlights included the 6-person piggyback bouncy castle, the Hamiltonesque rap song, Charlie & Henry L dancing to Josh's Barry White number, & Ellie as a rabbit calling for back-up but none appearing as everyone was already in the scene! Lowlight: Dave gratuitously murdering a rabbit by stamping on it. He later tried to murder Charlie too but that got less of a reaction. None of this sort of stuff happened with Max!!
Annoying man in the audience who kept shouting stuff out during the show. I wish self-publicising people wouldn't take the request ro make suggestions at the start of a show as licence to then annoy everyone else for the rest of the show.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2018 21:16:40 GMT
Traveling to London again for the weekend. Yup, just decided. Seeing this tomorrow at 7.45pm so might see you there Dawnstar ? This time I will say hello, I promise haha. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 19, 2018 21:44:44 GMT
@eldermillan Yes, I should be there, assuming no flu or snow get in the way. Half my office seem to have been coughing & sneezing all week so I am praying that I don't catch anything for another 10 days. After 29th January I don't care what I go down with! (Before anyone corrects me, yes I know MMN finishes on 27th but there's Showstopper on 29th before I get an improv break.)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2018 19:22:08 GMT
I'm here! I'm the one outside smoking a cigarette, with a Hamilton bag.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 20, 2018 23:21:49 GMT
I'm here! I'm the one outside smoking a cigarette, with a Hamilton bag. Really sorry but I didn't manage to spot you. I arrived not long before it started, having been dashing round seeing Lumiere installations between shows, & afterwards I looked for Hamilton bags but didn't see any. Today's shows round-up: 4pm "Cake Fu" a kung fu movie set in the Great British Bake Off tent. Absolutely loved it! Definitely one of my favourites of the run. I now want Mischief Theatre to take over GBBO for real! Favourite character has to be Dave as cake fu baker Jin Jun Sun (sp?), combining Max-imum adorableness with great kung fu moves. (I may have even forgiven him for Thursday's rabbit!) Highlights included Jonathan confessing he'd never seen GBBO & getting roundly booed, Ellie as Mary Berry embracing cake fu, Henry L trying to do Bollywood dancing on a box & falling off, & Charlie having yet another famous aunt. 7.45pm "The Secret Life Of Brian" a spy movie set in Prague & Swindon. Whoever gave Mischief Theatre a portable smoke machine, I want a word: Henry S nearly asphyxiated most of the audience! Highlights included Dave as villain Captain Handshanks who had knives for fingers, the car chase, some great musical numbers, & the finale which ended up with up to a sextuple agent! 9.15pm "Can You Dig It?" (or possibly "Can They Dig It" or some other pronoun, my brain's going) a Western set in a coal mine. I think Dave may win favourite character again, as mine supervisor Jacobs who was desparate to keep his hi-vis jacket! Highlights included the breakdancing, especially Henry L & Henry S's attempts (the latter, as he staggered to his feet, groaned something to the effect of "Who knew breakdancing could hurt your balls so much"!), Harry as Jeanine, with her repeated insistances she was a beautiful woman (think Trevor as Florence!), & the "Bottom of a Mine" rock number. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2018 13:17:41 GMT
Awwww sorry, I had to run after the show as I had a train to catch.
The show was really funny yesterday, especially the musical numbers, but it was weaker than the one I saw earlier this month (Disney movie in a hospital). Glad I got to see Jonathan improvise as one of the actors.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 21, 2018 13:41:18 GMT
The show was really funny yesterday, especially the musical numbers, but it was weaker than the one I saw earlier this month (Disney movie in a hospital). Glad I got to see Jonathan improvise as one of the actors. I'd agree that it wasn't one of the best I've seen. My favourite of the 3 yesterday was the 4pm show. But then that's improv, they can't all be equally good. Yes, one of my favourite things of this whole run is having seen Jonathan as part of the main group several times. They swapped back again for the 9.15pm show so yesterday was the first time Oscar was Jonathan - Henry L - Jonathan as the previous Saturdays have all be either Jonathan - Jonathan - Henry L or Jonathan all 3. (Yes, almost certainly no-one other than me is interested in this minutiae!) |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2018 13:47:26 GMT
I'm interested! Keep on posting all these details pls!
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Post by stevej678 on Jan 21, 2018 20:51:36 GMT
Loved this. Tonight we got a heist in a doughnut factory in a movie called Too Many Holes. Featuring zip-wiring, a turtle called Gerald, and an interlude of a silent movie set in a swimming pool. I can also confirm that Jonathan was Oscar tonight! As good as the rest of the cast were, it was his pauses, rewinds and commentary that really made it.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 25, 2018 22:00:27 GMT
MMN tonight a vampire romance set at the ballet "Neckcracker". The genre was my suggestion, after wanting to suggest it last week & not having the nerve. I didn't actually manage to shout out this time either: I put my hand up & fortunately Jonathan asked me. Best character Henry S as evil but sexy vampire Tina who turned into mist for sex. Most adorable character Dave (again) as a very unlucky stage door man. Highlights included the company's attempts at ballet, Charlie & Dave as a vampire couple (which I was hoping for when I suggested vampires), Henry S's trapdoor antics, & Harry giving us a happy ending when it looked like it might be bodies all round. I do prefer films with happy endings!
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 27, 2018 11:50:12 GMT
So, who's going to be there for the last day? I probably don't need to bother saying that I'll be at all 3! londonmzfitz Are you just coming to the 9.15pm or will you be at the earlier ones? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2018 12:28:41 GMT
Enjoy Dawnstar and please do tell us about it! |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 27, 2018 19:08:14 GMT
I'm afraid I can't tell you much about the 4pm show because it was basically indescribable. A documentary about dragons & the Loch Ness Monster called "Loch Ness Dragon". I think I can safely say it was the weirdest MMN I've seen, & it was my 25th so that's practically expert opinion!
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