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Post by lynette on May 4, 2018 17:57:10 GMT
Good luck to the 'new' guy. When I saw this at the Donmar Eddie R was the thing, he was pretty amazing.
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Post by latefortheoverture on May 7, 2018 12:07:22 GMT
I'm really interested in catching this as I'm quite a fan of Alfred Enoch but, excuse me for sounding so dumb, I just don't know what this play is about!
I have read 15+ descriptions + old reviews and I just don't know what it is! I have never had this before and I am quite surprised myself! Please, could someone who has seen it or knows it well try to describe it with no spoilers. Thanks so much. (god I hate myself just now!)
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Post by Marwood on May 8, 2018 9:28:46 GMT
Opens tonight. If anyone has been holding back from booking this, DelMac have released plenty of £10 stalls seats throughout May. Just got Row B stalls so worth a look through. Cheers, have just got row B for the next bank holiday weekend. |
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Post by ruperto on May 8, 2018 12:23:10 GMT
Yes, thanks demonbarber for the top tip - I too have picked up one of the £10 seats, for a matinee at the end of May. I try to keep an eye on the Delfont Mackintosh website, as it seems to have form in occasionally dynamically downwards pricing front stalls seats for certain shows, even popular ones such as Labour of Love and the Ferryman...
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Post by loureviews on May 8, 2018 16:37:26 GMT
They do seem to have form. Wish I had waited on this one!
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2018 22:19:07 GMT
They do seem to have form. Wish I had waited on this one! Tell me about it. I spent £178 on two tickets in the presale. Must have been feeling rich that day. Now I already feel a bit ripped off. |
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Post by Snciole on May 9, 2018 10:07:24 GMT
The thing is on paper this seems like a hit. Alfred Molina is a very good and respected actor who doesn't do a lot of theatre in London. Alfred Enoch is an upcoming name with some solid work behind.
Apart from being about Rothko I still feel I have no idea what this play is about and who it is for from a marketing point of view. Molina isn't Nicole Kidman and I am amazed that £89 tickets were even on offer let alone knocked down before it even opened.
The issue is it is really hard to producers and audiences to judge a hit based on story or names. For audiences we have got used to buying in advance through FOMO but how many shows are true sell outs that are impossible to get tickets for?
The producers clearly thought this would be a big hit. They wouldn't have cast someone like Molina if they didn't think they could flog expensive tickets for him and the show.
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Post by callum on May 9, 2018 10:56:26 GMT
I think the issue is that Molina is a respected *character* actor — to use the same comparison, he is in a different universe to Kidman. Even Jeremy Irons. I would say he is more Lesley Manville level. Joe Bloggs on the street would probably best know him for Spider-Man 2.
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Post by Stephen on May 9, 2018 21:38:59 GMT
Just passed Alfred Enoch grinning away on the tube and tucking into, and well deserved I'm sure, a Wok to Work!
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Post by rockinrobin on May 9, 2018 23:10:51 GMT
Ah, isn't Alfred Enoch handsome... There was a short Q&A after tonight's performance and his smile was painfully charming.
Anyway.
I like art, I like two-handers and really enjoyed the show. It was nicely intense. It was also surprisingly funny - I didn't expect so many laughs. And of course, watching Alfred Molina on stage is pure pleasure - he is magnetic as pompous, grumpy, irritating Rothko. The "baby Alfred" (Enoch) seemed a bit upstaged by his charismatic co-star in the beginning (on the other hand, his character is also kind of starstruck in the first scenes) but I think this is a very strong performance too.
And I will surely be dreaming about this smile tonight. Sorry.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2018 6:13:05 GMT
Ah, isn't Alfred Enoch handsome... He is, but I always think his neck is very long. Or perhaps his head is small. He reminds me a bit of a giraffe. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 12, 2018 6:38:07 GMT
Saw the first preview ten days ago or so and really liked it. I thought the reveal about Ken's past was bananas, but it's still a beautiful play. Alfred Molina is sensational, even better than in the past, and the mere fact that he doesn't make you hate his character is a testament to his talent. Enoch also good, just not as transfixing as Eddie Redmayne was when baby me saw it at the Donmar.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2018 16:52:07 GMT
Well. I'd hate to be the person who has to wash Freddie E's white t-shirt every day. The Bold 2in1 they must go through.
I rather liked the play, I'd never seen it before. Very funny and rather touching at the end. The two Freddie's were smashing but Freddie E's dimples stole the show though. He's a peach. I may take him home.
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Post by theatrefan77 on May 12, 2018 17:32:17 GMT
Also enjoyed this when I saw it on Tuesday. The performances were really good and the play is well written although slightly pretentious in parts.
Planning another visit with one of the £10 tickets in Stalls row B. Thanks for the tip! This board is so wonderful
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Post by jadnoop on May 12, 2018 21:08:40 GMT
Just came out of tonight's performance, and I really liked this.
Given how somber & serious the blurb made it seem, this was a surprisingly fun & funny play that (mostly) zipped along nicely. It's definitely not for everyone, and the audience seemed split between those giving a standing ovation at the end and those shuffling in their seats during the performance. Knowing a little about people like Jackson Pollock and (later) pop art is probably useful, but I found this an engaging play that touched on pretty universal themes; stuff like the value of art, selling out, and time.
If the play had been too reverential towards Rothko then it would have been insufferable, but I felt it held a good balance; presenting him by turns as smart & eloquent, but also insufferable, pretentious, and deeply flawed.
The staging & sets were simple but effective, as was the lighting. And it goes without saying that both Alfreds were great (especially Molina).
The one possible negative for me was that the selection of paintings felt at times too literal in terms of reflecting the narrative. In the context of Rothko's speeches about his paintings being nuanced and alive, it felt too obvious/cheesy for the final two paintings to reflect the characters' choices. In contrast, the earlier mmoments of painting, or preparing the canvases were exhilarating.
All in all though, an absolute treat at £10. Thanks demonbarber for mentioning the deal.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2018 22:59:18 GMT
Oh I absolutely loved this tonight! I'd go as far to say, I was in awe the whole show, and I don't quite know why so. Firstly, £10 front Stalls is a steal. If you're in the middle, you may miss a tiny bit of hammering, but otherwise perfect view. The play and performances, I can't explain why, but I just was completely engrossed from start to finish. I was afraid at first I would find it a bit too intellectual, but fears were slowly put asode. I was surprised how funny it was! And also, in the tender moments, both actors completely shone. If Alfred Molina wasn't eligable last time around, don't be surprised to see both of these guys nominated next year at the Oliviers. They were both absolutely fantastic! House seemed packed, including all boxes. Audiece loved it, many laughs and several people standing at the end, myself included. 5 stars. I'd go again in a heartbeat. Abosolutely loved it from start to finish.  |
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 17, 2018 6:04:44 GMT
I’m going to add my name to really liking this
But get a cheap ticket!
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2018 8:35:25 GMT
Molina was eligible last time (the Donmar is a SOLT member, also Eddie Redmayne won Best Supporting Actor for it in 2010) but didn't even garner a nomination. The creatives all seem to be the same this time round but This House was nominated for Best Revival rather than treated as a long-overdue transfer, so I presume the same would apply here. In which case I don't see why he shouldn't be eligible again, but only time will tell.
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2018 20:53:51 GMT
I loved this, and like Daniel I was a bit in awe of it too. Splendid performances, script, staging and music. I would go and see it again in a heartbeat.
For me it’s about the old acquiescing to the new. The old guard passing the baton. Dionysus and Apollo. I loved how the themes were reinforced through the art, the lighting, the music.
But man, the seats in the Wyndham are bloody uncomfortable.
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Post by showgirl on May 18, 2018 3:37:01 GMT
I'd love to see this and take OH with me as he's very into art, and for some reason I didn't see this at the Donmar. However, being a thrifty senior I am waiting in the hope that DM release more £10 row B seats for June and July - does anyone know, please, if there is a system for this, ie the date on which it's likely to happen?
I could have booked a £10 seat for myself this month as I found literally one left for a matinee, but it would've been mean not to include OH and besides, at 90 mins this would be ideal for an evening slot.
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 21, 2018 6:28:53 GMT
Oh my, this was good this afternoon. Performances both outstanding, mostly compelling dialogue, the discussion of colour in particular was simply stupendous writing, I thought. Only thing I would have cut totally was the whole sub-plot about Ken's parents being murdered. Sure, it set up a couple of neat lines later on, but it felt artificial in a play supposedly trying to cut through all the pretention. A bit unworthy of the intellectual level of the rest of the script, I think. It makes sense when you watch the play's sequel and realize that Ken is Batman. |
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2018 9:29:27 GMT
Oh, one other thing, for those who have seen it: did he drop a cigarette on the floor when he was thrown the packet, swear and then carry on? Nope. That was just for you. |
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Post by dani on May 21, 2018 10:03:04 GMT
I didn't think much of the play. It's well done, though. Alfred Molina is a master of his craft, and I found the relationship with Alfred Enoch's Ken believable. I loved the design and thought this was overall worth my time, even though the writing was overweeningly pretentious, full of allusions to philosophy and classical myth without really managing to say anything about the nature of creativity.
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Post by dani on May 21, 2018 20:06:42 GMT
the writing was overweeningly pretentious, full of allusions to philosophy and classical myth without really managing to say anything about the nature of creativity I took that to be his character, and a deliberate choice rather than the author showing off. Interesting. You may be right, but I think the play has ambitions to say something profound about art, and it doesn't achieve that. If it's only a portrait of Rothko rather than a meditation on something bigger, it's a bit niche for me. |
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2018 21:09:06 GMT
It would be interesting to see this in a double-billing with Art.
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