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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 7:24:39 GMT
The time limit is odd - most of the other venues have a limit (eg 12 months for the RSC, 6 for the Barbican, current season for the ROH) so presumably a large proportion of credits will be unused and time out.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 8:50:08 GMT
Whilst i would never return tix. You book in advance you should go. I do think these reviews do out pressure on the NT board not to renew Norris' contract for another five years in 2020. I agree and do not get why the National allows people to return tickets, no other theatre does that. You see the production announced, you like the sound of it or the artistes in it, so you book, it’s a crapshoot, the reviews come out, well that is the risk you take. Well this just not really correct is it Tricycle Hampstead Bush RSC Almeida ROH ATG at Richmond Birmingham Rep Royal court Barbican CFT Have all allowed me at one time or another To have a credit note A couple have even refunded on the rare occasion |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 9:10:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 9:11:22 GMT
So the positives: they spoke the lines nicely, that is the lines not drastically cut; Rory and Ann Marie will make a nice pairing someday in another play, probably yet to be written; it cracked on at the beginning; the revolve didn’t break down. I had a good seat. I saved most of the jelly babies. A few negatives: what with the different accents? Was this the remnants of a Celtic fringe in a post apocalyptic wrecked state, now beset with gangs? Why do the dead people keep popping up thus weakening when they are supposed to, I mean Banquo. Duncan is never meant to be a ghost. Where was Donalbain? He is there for a reason and would make a nice point about the U.K. if he were there. I didn’t mind Fleance being a girl. I know we are supposed to be very aware of equality in casting but funnily, this is a play where Lady M is isolated as a woman and where she denies her womanliness. Why no guns? The English army appears, comically in its desert pale uniform at the end and narry a gun in sight. In fact we know, don’t we that when the end comes, they will hang on to the guns. The machete type knives were meant to look like ISIS beheading knives were they? The fight at the end was pathetic. I mean, come on, it was school play standard and a bit less. Did they not do enough practice on it? The fight at the end is supposed to be the BIG thing. The audience on the left probably couldn’t see most of it anyway as it was at the side of the ramp. The ramp, the poles, the frilly bits, the torn bin bags, the brown wrapping tape were distractions because the whole shebang didn’t make sense. Where were we? And why? Had Macbeth thought of the murder before or not? They said the words but somehow they didn’t have power. The Witches did not horrify me half as much , if at all, as the children as witches in the Slinger RSC. They believed in witches, we don’t. So you have to make them something we are scared of. Evil children are something we are scared of. And sticking em up poles doesn’t help. The shelf was full of school parties and it was lovely to see and hear them chitter chatter in the foyers afterwards but I do hope the schools ask the exam boards to take into account the changes to the text and the usual stage directions. They will get a lot of Lady M cutting her throat and dying in M's arms and the guy at the beginning reporting on the battle being Macduff and as said before, a female Fleance ( who could hitch up with Malcolm at the end and make the prophecy true.. cos you would have to do someat like that since the line is supposed to be Kings from Banquo, just a suggestion, Rufus) and a wonderful female Ross who made sense of her part quite well. Im looking forward to the RSC show later in the year. 😳 Please start a blog Lynette! And thanks for going on our behalf - jelly babies will be replaced at the earliest opportunity. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 9:19:01 GMT
I don't think I've ever seen a Macbeth that had a "sense of Scottishness" -- what would that be? How would it be manifest? I did see the Lincoln Center production in NY with Anne-Marie Duff as Mrs M opposite a ghastly, shouty Ethan Hawke, and this can't be worse than that one. Much much worse Perhaps will go down in history As one of the worst Macbeth’s Ever 🤗 |
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Post by wiggymess on Mar 9, 2018 9:40:50 GMT
Due to be reviewed on tomorrow' Saturday Review
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 9:53:40 GMT
Due to be reviewed on tomorrow' Saturday Review Yes lovely As you get 3/4 opinions All in one go |
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Post by lynette on Mar 9, 2018 10:02:00 GMT
Jan, it isn’t a ‘fringe’ effort. I know what you mean but this has much bigger pretensions. The Variety review does nail it except I thought the ramp was metal not wood. It is a bit clanging. If you have a GCSE candidate in your possession I would go with a health warning and it would allow for a good discussion.
If anyone goes to one of those director talks it would be useful to know what Rufus was thinking of.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 10:19:59 GMT
Really good article about how staging Macbeth is not the best one to choose, if you have a choice.
Reminded me of a real horror show with Mark Rylance and Jane Horrocks, which is most memorable for her having to pee onstage (I presume fake but you never know....)
www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/macbeth-a-play-for-today-rsc-national-theatre-blog_45959.html
EDIT: I just checked and it apparently was real! Did she have to drink a pint or two of water each night before the show to be able to, er, perform? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 10:36:17 GMT
Really good article about how staging Macbeth is not the best one to choose, if you have a choice.
Reminded me of a real horror show with Mark Rylancd and Jane Horrocks, which is most memorable for her having to pee onstage (I presume fake but you never know....)
www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/macbeth-a-play-for-today-rsc-national-theatre-blog_45959.html
EDIT: I just checked and it apparently was real! Did she have to drink a pint or two of water each night before the show to be able to, er, perform? Blimey - I struggle if someone is in the cubicle next me... |
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Post by jasper on Mar 9, 2018 10:45:20 GMT
Really good article about how staging Macbeth is not the best one to choose, if you have a choice.
Reminded me of a real horror show with Mark Rylancd and Jane Horrocks, which is most memorable for her having to pee onstage (I presume fake but you never know....)
www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/macbeth-a-play-for-today-rsc-national-theatre-blog_45959.html
EDIT: I just checked and it apparently was real! Did she have to drink a pint or two of water each night before the show to be able to, er, perform? Blimey - I struggle if someone is in the cubicle next me... Jane Lapotaire had to do the same in Piaf for the RSC. She used to tell people she had to drink a lot before the scene. However, in a TV interview she said she had a tube fitted for the effect. |
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Post by crowblack on Mar 9, 2018 10:53:26 GMT
"Take the social order away and he’s left with nothing to climb and no compunctions to stop him. If Macbeth is a savage in a savage world, he stops making sense. In a single fell swoop, Norris strips out the play’s stakes, obstacles and motivation." This is the thing! I was discussing this last night - it's like that moment in the James Whale Frankenstein where Igor drops the 'normal brain' and takes the jar labelled 'abnormal' instead, and you've missed the whole point of the novel right there. |
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Post by Jan on Mar 9, 2018 11:17:46 GMT
Jan, it isn’t a ‘fringe’ effort. I know what you mean but this has much bigger pretensions. The Variety review dies nail it except I thought the ramp was metal not wood. It is a bit clanging. If you have a GCSE candidate in your possession I would go with a health warning and it would allow for a good discussion. If anyone goes to one of those director talks it would be useful to know what Rufus was thinking of. Well I AM going with a GCSE-er, one can only imagine the contempt with which they’ll look at a 1990s rave being offered up by a middle-aged director as if it were somehow relevant to them. Anyway, I will report back. |
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Post by gibbo1956 on Mar 9, 2018 11:29:16 GMT
Does anyone else think that Kinnear and Duff would be good as the couple in 'Beginning' ?
Just a thought
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Post by bob2010 on Mar 9, 2018 15:01:16 GMT
Rush seats still available for this week, if anyone fancies it for £15
Lots of availability showing up now for the next few months
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 9, 2018 16:02:51 GMT
When was the last time Macbeth was staged in its “traditional” form, i.e set in the period that the story describes with appropriate staging and design (scary witches round a bubbling cauldron/ghostly ghosts etc) and did it get panned?
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Post by Jan on Mar 9, 2018 16:18:39 GMT
When was the last time Macbeth was staged in its “traditional” form, i.e set in the period that the story describes with appropriate staging and design (scary witches round a bubbling cauldron/ghostly ghosts etc) and did it get panned? 2015 (Michael Fassbender film). Widely praised. |
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Post by crowblack on Mar 9, 2018 16:39:09 GMT
It was a bit dull, though. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 17:46:37 GMT
Nineteen pages on a Shakespeare... Must be a TheatreBoard record.  |
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Post by Dr Tom on Mar 9, 2018 20:45:06 GMT
I was there for press night, late buy £15 ticket mid circle.
Didn’t warn to this at all. Hard to tell the characters apart and who was speaking. And the loud noise was a racket.
Not much else to add to the other comments, simply over styllised.
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 10, 2018 13:52:43 GMT
I agree and do not get why the National allows people to return tickets, no other theatre does that. You see the production announced, you like the sound of it or the artistes in it, so you book, it’s a crapshoot, the reviews come out, well that is the risk you take. Other theatres will let you do this - Barbican, RSC, Bridge, Royal Opera House (will exchange for other shows currently on sale). Why on earth shouldn't people return tickets? I'm much more likely to book for stuff knowing this is an option. I agree and do not get why the National allows people to return tickets, no other theatre does that. You see the production announced, you like the sound of it or the artistes in it, so you book, it’s a crapshoot, the reviews come out, well that is the risk you take. Well this just not really correct is it Tricycle Hampstead Bush RSC Almeida ROH ATG at Richmond Birmingham Rep Royal court Barbican CFT Have all allowed me at one time or another To have a credit note A couple have even refunded on the rare occasion I didn’t realise other theatres allow you to do this, mainly Art funded theatres. Still don’t understand why the subsidised sector allows you to exchange your tickets. I suspect it started as a good gesture to allow people who genuinely cannot make the performance not to be out of pocket, not to be abused - to be chopped in because the reviews are bad. The theatres should stop this service. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 15:03:32 GMT
Other theatres will let you do this - Barbican, RSC, Bridge, Royal Opera House (will exchange for other shows currently on sale). Why on earth shouldn't people return tickets? I'm much more likely to book for stuff knowing this is an option. Well this just not really correct is it Tricycle Hampstead Bush RSC Almeida ROH ATG at Richmond Birmingham Rep Royal court Barbican CFT Have all allowed me at one time or another To have a credit note A couple have even refunded on the rare occasion I didn’t realise other theatres allow you to do this, mainly Art funded theatres. Still don’t understand why the subsidised sector allows you to exchange your tickets. I suspect it started as a good gesture to allow people who genuinely cannot make the performance not to be out of pocket, not to be abused - to be chopped in because the reviews are bad. The theatres should stop this service. Perhaps these venues Value the very large donations They receive from some companies and patrons Above a few tickets coming back For a sh*t show which is a disgrace to the venue Please think laterally and with your business hat on If a corporate sponsor or major donor hosts an evening out at the Macbeth they have playing Some of whom are overseas visitors It isn’t a very good advert for the venue or brand of the NT |
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Post by lynette on Mar 10, 2018 15:25:09 GMT
On the contrary, Parsley, corporate guests aren’t that concerned about the production, are they? There was a group there on Thursday enjoying a special place to stand and drink before the show. It's all about the luxe and the networking....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 15:43:50 GMT
Also re: ticket returns. Because sometimes life happens? particularity for those travelling longer distances. And sometimes also the production itself becomes an issue. I am far more likely to think well of, and continue to book with a theatre/organisation that allows me exchanges or some for of refund/credit if for whatever reason I cannot attend.
Likewise the small minority of people who 'abuse' the system for 'bad productions are hardly losing these theatres a fortune it's only a very niche group such as ours that does such a thing, not the vast majority. And also I think not wanting to waste an evening on something suspected dire is a legitimate response- especially if that money is then spent on another production at that theatre anyway.
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Post by crowblack on Mar 10, 2018 15:49:13 GMT
The theatres should stop this service. No - what they should do is make sure the shows live up to expectations. These are big theatres and the tickets are pricey - it's a big outlay for those of us who aren't well off. I think it's fair for a small, experimental studio theatre to operate on a returns 'only if the play has sold out' policy, but for the big theatres who charge big prices, if the product falls seriously short, they should give you a refund. |
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