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Post by tmesis on Oct 25, 2017 16:37:01 GMT
Has anyone seen this yet? I'm going in about a week and really looking forward to it. The novel is excellent, but I'm a bit of a Hamilton obsessive and have read most of his stuff. I can particularly recommend Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky and the Gorse trilogy.
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Post by showgirl on Oct 25, 2017 16:52:25 GMT
Not yet, going soon. Was offered a short-notice cheap deal yesterday so wonder if it hasn't sold well so far, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.
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Post by pledge on Oct 25, 2017 20:35:53 GMT
Saw this last night, and it's a solid adaptation, very well cast and solidly directed. Having said that, I'm not a great fan of putting novels on stage - aren't there enough real plays to go round? - so am probably not the ideal audience. Slightly melodramatic plot, but a good sense of period (for once) and a strong central performance, but I'm not sure it's going to set the Thames on fire. Fans of the book should have no problems (unless it's been radically changed, which I wouldn't know.) Just over two hours, one interval.
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Post by showgirl on Oct 31, 2017 4:46:51 GMT
Libby Purves (Theatrecat) has given this 5 stars but another blogger (Gareth James) is less sure about it and thinks maybe it wasn't worth adapting for the stage. It still sounds absolutely my sort of thing and I'm looking forward to seeing it towards the end of the run.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2017 9:15:19 GMT
Libby Purves thought Kevin Spacey's statement had a gentle dignity and you can tell she thinks it was uncool of Anthony Rapp to "out" him. If anyone's wondering whether Libby Purves has trustworthy judgement or not...
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Post by Steve on Oct 31, 2017 12:24:07 GMT
Exquisite portrayal of social isolation, succeeds also as an analysis of the roots of prejudice, but is capped by a melodramatic conclusion that fritters away some of it's sharpness. Some spoilers follow. . . I liked this very much. Seeing this immediately after "Romantics Anonymous," I thought this was infinitely better at dramatising social isolation. My heart ached so much for Fenella Woolgar's character that if, like "Romantics," this had been a musical, and she had burst into song, my stiff upper tear ducts would have sprung leaks. The setting is (mostly) a gossipy Agatha Christie style tea room, outside London, in 1943, where everybody talks about everybody else. Fenella Woolgar's compassionate, but reserved, Miss Roach is there because the Blitz has driven her out of her London home, and she's struggling to make connections. The bane of Miss Roach's life is verbose, racist, sexist old Mr. Thwaites, played with vim and vitriol by a superb Clive Francis (his vicious bigoted curmudgeons are always a highlight of shows: eg The Gathering Leaves, Les Blancs), who makes sure to prod every exposed nerve she has, whenever she makes an appearance. And he's got plenty to say when Miss Roach deigns to dine with an African American soldier, Daon Broni's Lieutenant Pike. What is especially clever about this play (and probably the book, which I haven't read), and also quite subtle, is the way negative feelings and expressions of both Miss Roach and Mr Thwaites (and others) are shown to be rooted in their common loneliness and feelings of inadequacy. Miss Roach's feelings of inadequacy are particularly triggered by the exuberant witterings of spritely German born social butterfly, Vicki, played by Lucy Cohu. . . Anyway, see the play to find out what happens. Woolgar and Francis are sensational! 4 and a half stars for the first moody 90 minutes, 3 stars for the melodramatic final half hour: 4 stars overall. Well worth it.  |
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Post by showgirl on Oct 31, 2017 15:47:48 GMT
Libby Purves thought Kevin Spacey's statement had a gentle dignity and you can tell she thinks it was uncool of Anthony Rapp to "out" him. If anyone's wondering whether Libby Purves has trustworthy judgement or not... I can't comment either way on the other item; I was simply reporting what reviews had said so far about the play. When it comes to her judgement on plays, I have found Libby Purves over-generous in the past. On the other hand, she is an older and a female reviewer, when on the whole men form the majority of professional critics and most bloggers tend to be younger. |
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Post by tmesis on Nov 4, 2017 23:07:50 GMT
'Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way'
Well Roger Waters has got it right about Miss Roach, played brilliantly by Fenella Woolgar in this excellent adaptation by Nicholas Wright of Hamilton's novel. I don't think I'm the most reliable critic of this since I love Hamilton's work so much. He's a bit like Barbara Pym but much seedier and with underlying menace. We're in a genteel boarding house in Henley around 1943, with a great cast of characters enjoying their spam fritters and pink gins. The whole cast is excellent but Clive Francis is particularly good as the pompous and bigoted Mr. Thwaites.
It's very slickly directed by Kent with smooth transitions from a spot on boarding house to dour pub and even a Claridges Hotel room.
It may not be for everyone but I loved it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2017 12:44:52 GMT
Well. I don't think Gwen Taylor gets fed enough. The way she was wolfing down a spam fritter was like she hadn't seen food for 3 weeks.
Some delightful scene changes. I do like a scene change where the curtain swishes across and the set has magically changed or people suddenly appear and disappear. Last night though, the curtain got a bit stuck when it reached the side of the stage which gave me a few giggles. I imagined the person operating the switch frantically switching it on and off. There was also a moment when I saw them pushing the bed on a bit too late which also lightened the mood.
Fenella Woolgar was delightful although the character of an old spinster drinking too many pink gins and brief moments of a soldiers hand down her knickers was a touch too close to home for my liking. Although if I end up in Claridges it won't all be in vain. I liked Lucy Cohu too, she was so vivacious and the scenes really came alive when she was in them.
And I do love the Hampstead Theatre. Not only are the bar staff delightful and the theatre is comfortable, I'm always the youngest one there which is a comfort at my time of life.
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 10, 2017 14:01:21 GMT
I was surprised to be upgraded when I saw it - I would have thought it was absolutely perfect for the Hampstead audience.And I agree with Ryan that the set changes were fantastic. Definitely worth seeing
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Post by tmesis on Nov 10, 2017 19:35:16 GMT
Well. I don't think Gwen Taylor gets fed enough. The way she was wolfing down a spam fritter was like she hadn't seen food for 3 weeks. Some delightful scene changes. I do like a scene change where the curtain swishes across and the set has magically changed or people suddenly appear and disappear. Last night though, the curtain got a bit stuck when it reached the side of the stage which gave me a few giggles. I imagined the person operating the switch frantically switching it on and off. There was also a moment when I saw them pushing the bed on a bit too late which also lightened the mood. Fenella Woolgar was delightful although the character of an old spinster drinking too many pink gins and brief moments of a soldiers hand down her knickers was a touch too close to home for my liking. Although if I end up in Claridges it won't all be in vain. I liked Lucy Cohu too, she was so vivacious and the scenes really came alive when she was in them. And I do love the Hampstead Theatre. Not only are the bar staff delightful and the theatre is comfortable, I'm always the youngest one there which is a comfort at my time of life. I agree about Hampstead Theatre - lovely bar staff, ticket office and FOH. It's definitely my favourite among the 'high-end' fringe; and so much more welcoming than the Almeida, Donmar or Dorfman. I've also enjoyed nearly all their recent productions; even the ones others haven't. |
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