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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 18, 2017 9:07:00 GMT
I'm really curious - will this be a full production (full orchestra, sets, etc) or is this a smaller regional theatre? And how close is it to London? If I fly in from the US to see this is it worth the trip? It’s a small regional theatre similar to the Southwark Playhouse. The theatre and production company involved (Aria) are getting a lot of plaudits with their last three musicals transferring to London. However it will not be a full orchestra and the sets are likely to be simple. If you decide you you want to see it, London is a 2 hour train journey or you can fly into/out of Manchester International. I don’t think anyone can tell you if it will be worth the trip or not  |
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Post by musicalmarge on Dec 1, 2017 6:37:37 GMT
I hope it transfers to London!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 16, 2018 7:07:47 GMT
 Booking open. 5th to 31st July. £22 to £25. Previews £16. Sunday performances available. |
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Post by david on Mar 16, 2018 7:20:34 GMT
It’s great to see that they are doing the 3pm Sunday matinee show again. Will definitely be booking next week once pay day arrives..
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Post by richey on Mar 16, 2018 10:34:03 GMT
Booking open. 5th to 31st July. £22 to £25. Previews £16. Sunday performances available. Cheers for the heads up Burly. Fri night preview ticket booked! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2018 20:22:01 GMT
How does seating work at this theatre? Is it like the Union where it depends on your arrival time or is it just a free for all?
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3,303 posts
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Post by david on Mar 17, 2018 21:20:08 GMT
Dom, having been to hope mill, they generally let you enter in small groups. Generally I have found getting there early gets you into the theatre In one of the first groups. Seating isn’t numbered so it can be a free for all in where you get a seat. Hope this helps!
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Post by Scswp on Mar 18, 2018 15:49:40 GMT
Have seen ‘Aspects’ twice, both on U.K. Tours. The David Essex one and the one before. In the first one, the only performance I can really recall was that of Jacinta Whyte (sp?) as Giulietta. That was an amazing performance by her; her voice was so powerful, I think she actually fully belted ‘Wine and the Dice’ (it certain sounded like a full belt) - amazing!
Funnily enough, though, following this, I saw her (by chance) as Eponine in Les Mis and Ellen in the original production of Miss Saigon and didn’t really like her in either of those things. In ‘Aspects’ though, her performance was the stand-out by a mile.
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19,662 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 19, 2018 7:51:26 GMT
How does seating work at this theatre? Is it like the Union where it depends on your arrival time or is it just a free for all? When you arrive you have to check in at the bar where they have a list of everyone’s names. Your ticket, physical or printout, isn’t used at all. When they tick you off they give you a numbered token for each member of your party. People are then invited to sit in order of arrival. So yes, getting there earlier will get you a better choice of seat. They have a “Friends Of...” club, one of the benefits of which is reserved seating so you often find a lot of the front rows have reserved signs on them. To be honest it’s so small there isn’t a bad view. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2018 11:26:50 GMT
How does seating work at this theatre? Is it like the Union where it depends on your arrival time or is it just a free for all? When you arrive you have to check in at the bar where they have a list of everyone’s names. Your ticket, physical or printout, isn’t used at all. When they tick you off they give you a numbered token for each member of your party. People are then invited to sit in order of arrival. So yes, getting there earlier will get you a better choice of seat. They have a “Friends Of...” club, one of the benefits of which is reserved seating so you often find a lot of the front rows have reserved signs on them. To be honest it’s so small there isn’t a bad view. Thanks v much for reply! So a bit like The Union. What is the lay out there wrt aisles? Is there one at each side and a centre one, or just at the sides? I'm one of those people that always prefers to have an escape route! Also on another matter, what's the sound situation usually like there? Is there a band larger than just one piano and are the actors miked? Just out of interest! Am sort of expecting something similar to the Menier production of Aspects.... |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 19, 2018 12:37:24 GMT
It’s a flexible space with 3 different entrances. The format changes with each production and what for one show is backstage might become the audience entrance for another. Most times that I’ve been it’s been a thrust of one sort or another although for Yanks! and Little Women (iirc) it was tiered from the front of the stage. It’s a bit like the SWP in that if you wanted to leave and weren’t sat near whichever entrance was being used, you’d potentially have to cross the stage or go backstage in some way.
I’ve seen bands of various sizes onstage , completely offstage, semi visible, and accommodated behind the audience up on a platform so it’s impossible to say what they’ll do here. Yes the cast are mic’d. Didn’t see the MCF production so can’t comment, but in terms of venue the nearest thing I’ve seen like it is the SWP (HM is smaller capacity though).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2018 14:53:04 GMT
It’s a flexible space with 3 different entrances. The format changes with each production and what for one show is backstage might become the audience entrance for another. Most times that I’ve been it’s been a thrust of one sort or another although for Yanks! and Little Women (iirc) it was tiered from the front of the stage. It’s a bit like the SWP in that if you wanted to leave and weren’t sat near whichever entrance was being used, you’d potentially have to cross the stage or go backstage in some way. I’ve seen bands of various sizes onstage , completely offstage, semi visible, and accommodated behind the audience up on a platform so it’s impossible to say what they’ll do here. Yes the cast are mic’d. Didn’t see the MCF production so can’t comment, but in terms of venue the nearest thing I’ve seen like it is the SWP (HM is smaller capacity though). Great, thanks v much for the info. Well love Aspects, so really looking forward to this however they do it! |
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Post by loureviews on Mar 20, 2018 7:56:24 GMT
David Essex production for me, awful !!! He broke out of character a few times to do the whole 'knowing' wink I'm David Essex thing to the ladies in the audience.....but I hated the show regardless. Yeah when I saw it the theatre was full of 'older' women who whistled and cheered when he came on stage When I saw it at High Wycombe some of his 'fans' were loudly muttering that he 'wasn't in it'. To be fair this was from the circle and they may have simply needed to put their glasses on! |
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Post by richey on May 31, 2018 11:19:28 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2018 11:31:48 GMT
Jerome Pradon as George, the older man... I saw him as Marius, the young blood, in Les Mis in Paris many moons ago. Am I the only one who feels a little bit depressed when you see the once so young now cast as the old man...? A reminder that I am now so much older and the years are slipping away just a bit too quickly... 😢
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Post by david on May 31, 2018 11:57:29 GMT
After the fantastic Spring Awakening, I’m hoping this will be just as good. I’ve yet to see a show there and be disappointed. I wonder what route they will go down for the size of the orchestra?
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2018 12:34:23 GMT
After the fantastic Spring Awakening, I’m hoping this will be just as good. I’ve yet to see a show there and be disappointed. I wonder what route they will go down for the size of the orchestra? I'm also intrigued by this. I'm guessing a chamber variation of some sort. |
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Post by Oleanna on May 31, 2018 12:37:16 GMT
They’ll probably use the same orchestrations as the Menier (7 piece, as revised by David Cullen).
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 31, 2018 16:53:05 GMT
Well it’s is a very small and intimate story. I know Wendy’s End and the first UK tour (which was excellent) played it large but how in keeping to the piece was it ? - in my book same argument applies to Sunset |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 31, 2018 18:20:53 GMT
I’ve never seen it but I’ve never had the impression that it was a big, showy affair in the first place. Clearly I was wrong!
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Post by richey on May 31, 2018 21:26:41 GMT
I’ve never seen it but I’ve never had the impression that it was a big, showy affair in the first place. Clearly I was wrong! I never saw the original but recently found a copy of the OST on vinyl and the pictures inside look like a pretty lavish production. I guess though that, apart from a few crowd scenes, the story itself is pretty intimate |
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 1, 2018 10:35:08 GMT
So glad Kimberley Blake has landed a main role; she's such a lovely girl and I hope she keeps on with her success. She's currently in Chess and was in Half a Sixpence. Hopefully this show transfers to Southwark Playhouse or something as I'd love to see it down here.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2018 12:20:59 GMT
It was very lavish, all sort of "Provincal" magnolia sets with sophisticated dappled lighting and a travelator that ate Ann Crumb's ankle. It was partly the over-staging that did for it. The Gale Edwards tour was simpler and when it arrived at the Prince Of Wales Theatre again it looked so much better. I loved the original set by Maria Bjornson. So atmospheric. It's sad to think that there's very little evidence of it to be found on the internet now.
The floor tumbled over the front of the stage, and the proscenium was built over with cream coloured bricks to evoke the town of Pau. It framed the stage so that we felt we were looking 'into' the action. This is the best picture I could find that gives you a flavour...
It had to serve as an onstage/backstage area of a theatre, a square outside a cafe, a train carriage, a country house, an artist's studio, a circus, a vineyard and even more... It created each beautifully and seamlessly which gave the piece a film quality... Yes, I remember the dappled lighting which created not only the mood but the time of day in the different seasons. A stunning moment came when the bricks on the back wall suddenly split horizontally, in slow motion, creating the view of the Pyrenees in the distance. Like this:
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 1, 2018 12:30:55 GMT
It had to serve as an onstage/backstage area of a theatre, a square outside a cafe, a train carriage, a country house, an artist's studio, a circus, a vineyard and even more... Just like @ryan's back parlour, then? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 1, 2018 12:44:57 GMT
From next week we will be in the 6 week advance booking period for Virgin Trains, so anyone fancying a trip oop north to see Aspects could do it for £23 each way from London Euston.
With a show ticket for about £25 you’re looking at £75 total for a Saturday matinee.
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