5,694 posts
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Post by lynette on Apr 15, 2018 10:18:23 GMT
I was confused by the pants off ref for a mo there. Then I saw ‘bored’ ref. Whew. The life of a theatreboard moderator....
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423 posts
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Post by dlevi on Apr 17, 2018 7:26:46 GMT
I went to this last night ( packed house by the way) and more than anything else I just grew tired of the play. Rarely have I seen a production that is so uninspired on every level. The dystopian design scheme, the performances all are proudly declamatory and yet I didn't believe a word that was being spoken. It's all grounded in ...nothing. It's a money maker for the National ( and after Pinnochio they need it) but it's nothing to be proud of. Serving up dull Shakespeare is the job of the RSC isn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2018 11:05:19 GMT
If anyone is dying for a ticket (what? you might be?) I just returned 2 for Sat 5th May...(Matinee)
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Apr 18, 2018 13:03:45 GMT
I don't think this was as bad as expected, but it was dull. Rory Kinnear's performance with his odd clipped accent breaking up most of the lines was tiresome. He's had a bit of a bad run with Young Marx too, but balanced against his good performances in the past, I would hope he has a better director another time. Anne Marie Duff was fine. The accents all over the place. The set was dire and so many odd costume and set decisions - hopefully the bin bags were recycled, and they saved even more off the budget. Overall, poor and unmemorable.
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Post by Jan on Apr 20, 2018 6:03:32 GMT
I don't think this was as bad as expected, but it was dull. ..... Overall, poor and unmemorable. Yes I would agree. One advantage of seeing it later in its run is at least they've got the running time down to 2:30 (still 3:00 is mentioned in the programme). What killed it for me was the concept. Setting it in a Mad Max post-apocalyptic future in which society and law have broken down goes directly against the text. If Duncan is not really the King of Scotland but just some local warlord with a red suit and half-a-dozen followers it doesn't explain Macbeth's deep allegiance to him or why they should be so bothered about killing him - as presumably millions have already died what's the problem with one more ? Also the Scottish "nobles" weren't any such thing - the Banquo's ghost banquet was comical, it looked more like a Momentum branch meeting in Islington, assorted oddballs - hard to see why Macbeth would want (or need) to impress that lot. Some good things. I liked how the Porter was integrated into the rest of the play. Also I've always wanted to see Duncan say ironically when he arrives at the Macbeths' "This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses" and here he certainly had cause to. Note to directors: Having severed heads brought on in clear plastic bags is now a chiche and should be avoided. Oh, and in the unlikely event of anyone having seen this twice can you comment on whether Kinnear’s performance has changed ? Earlier in this thread there are comments about his odd accent but last night he played it with his standard middle-class RP voice (ie his own voice) |
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1,218 posts
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Post by nash16 on Apr 20, 2018 11:49:40 GMT
I don't think this was as bad as expected, but it was dull. ..... Overall, poor and unmemorable. Yes I would agree. One advantage of seeing it later in its run is at least they've got the running time down to 2:30 (still 3:00 is mentioned in the programme). What killed it for me was the concept. Setting it in a Mad Max post-apocalyptic future in which society and law have broken down goes directly against the text. If Duncan is not really the King of Scotland but just some local warlord with a red suit and half-a-dozen followers it doesn't explain Macbeth's deep allegiance to him or why they should be so bothered about killing him - as presumably millions have already died what's the problem with one more ? Also the Scottish "nobles" weren't any such thing - the Banquo's ghost banquet was comical, it looked more like a Momentum branch meeting in Islington, assorted oddballs - hard to see why Macbeth would want (or need) to impress that lot. Some good things. I liked how the Porter was integrated into the rest of the play. Also I've always wanted to see Duncan say ironically when he arrives at the Macbeths' "This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses" and here he certainly had cause to. Note to directors: Having severed heads brought on in clear plastic bags is now a chiche and should be avoided. Oh, and in the unlikely event of anyone having seen this twice can you comment on whether Kinnear’s performance has changed ? Earlier in this thread there are comments about his odd accent but last night he played it with his standard middle-class RP voice (ie his own voice) R.e. accent: Last week he was definitely still doing the weird mix of his Afrikaans accent from Othello & his staple "other" Estuary-type. It was so bizarre... |
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Post by Jan on Apr 20, 2018 11:57:56 GMT
Yes I would agree. One advantage of seeing it later in its run is at least they've got the running time down to 2:30 (still 3:00 is mentioned in the programme). What killed it for me was the concept. Setting it in a Mad Max post-apocalyptic future in which society and law have broken down goes directly against the text. If Duncan is not really the King of Scotland but just some local warlord with a red suit and half-a-dozen followers it doesn't explain Macbeth's deep allegiance to him or why they should be so bothered about killing him - as presumably millions have already died what's the problem with one more ? Also the Scottish "nobles" weren't any such thing - the Banquo's ghost banquet was comical, it looked more like a Momentum branch meeting in Islington, assorted oddballs - hard to see why Macbeth would want (or need) to impress that lot. Some good things. I liked how the Porter was integrated into the rest of the play. Also I've always wanted to see Duncan say ironically when he arrives at the Macbeths' "This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses" and here he certainly had cause to. Note to directors: Having severed heads brought on in clear plastic bags is now a chiche and should be avoided. Oh, and in the unlikely event of anyone having seen this twice can you comment on whether Kinnear’s performance has changed ? Earlier in this thread there are comments about his odd accent but last night he played it with his standard middle-class RP voice (ie his own voice) R.e. accent: Last week he was definitely still doing the weird mix of his Afrikaans accent from Othello & his staple "other" Estuary-type. It was so bizarre... I was expecting his (unconvincing) Othello voice but it was his Hamlet voice instead - perfectly acceptable in this role given the random mix of accents from the supporting cast. The amplification was appallingly heavy-handed - no matter where anyone moved on stage or which way they were facing their voices boomed out from centre stage at a fixed volume. Terrible. |
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Post by Jan on Apr 20, 2018 13:42:32 GMT
Having severed heads brought on in clear plastic bags is now a chiche and should be avoided. I'm afraid I did snigger at that bit, as the thought that went through my mind was, "hope he paid the 5p for that." Well as there were 5000 quid’s worth of plastic bags hanging from the wall I assume he didn’t bother. Or maybe post-apocalypse the tax has disappeared (cans of beer still exist though apparently - odd). |
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Apr 20, 2018 14:22:19 GMT
R.e. accent: Last week he was definitely still doing the weird mix of his Afrikaans accent from Othello & his staple "other" Estuary-type. It was so bizarre... I was expecting his (unconvincing) Othello voice but it was his Hamlet voice instead - perfectly acceptable in this role given the random mix of accents from the supporting cast. Well, my friend thought it was South African - I didn't hear that, but now I see it as Afrikaans indeed. I detected a sort of Jewish Fagin accent mixed with Estuary English. It was as odd as the mix of Geordie, Scottish, English and Irish accents. Yay, I was quoted by a legendary poster. Glad I have stopped lurking! |
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Post by Jan on Apr 20, 2018 15:14:37 GMT
I should say I like Kinnear generally, he was good as Hamlet and even better as Angelo. But his turn as a squaddie in Othello was a bit unconvincing (in a very good production). I thought his Macbeth was fine but in the wrong production.
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Post by gibbo1956 on Apr 26, 2018 14:58:54 GMT
The 'severed head in a carrier bag' cliche is also appearing in Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the ROH. Any other sightings?
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Post by Jan on Apr 26, 2018 15:16:45 GMT
The 'severed head in a carrier bag' cliche is also appearing in Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the ROH. Any other sightings? It was in the RSC "Titus Andronicus" which I saw a few months ago at the Barbican - so at least three sightings this year so far. |
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84 posts
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Post by jasper on Apr 26, 2018 16:54:16 GMT
The 'severed head in a carrier bag' cliche is also appearing in Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the ROH. Any other sightings? It was in the RSC "Titus Andronicus" which I saw a few months ago at the Barbican - so at least three sightings this year so far. I spotted one in 1978 at the Young Vic in Richard The Third. Does that count as the first sighting? |
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Post by Jan on Apr 26, 2018 17:11:01 GMT
It was in the RSC "Titus Andronicus" which I saw a few months ago at the Barbican - so at least three sightings this year so far. I spotted one in 1978 at the Young Vic in Richard The Third. Does that count as the first sighting? I think it probably does on this board, very few of the inmates go back further than that. It is a few years before my time. Quiz question: What’s the (other) link between that production and the current NT Macbeth ? |
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84 posts
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Post by jasper on Apr 26, 2018 18:01:25 GMT
I spotted one in 1978 at the Young Vic in Richard The Third. Does that count as the first sighting? I think it probably does on this board, very few of the inmates go back further than that. It is a few years before my time. Quiz question: What’s the (other) link between that production and the current NT Macbeth ? I could lie and say I was a spotty teenager when I went, but when I was a spotty teenage I was seeing Wendy Hiller in Ghosts. Didn't see Shakespeare until my early twenties. Don't know the answer to your question. Is there a prize? Is it a ticket to the NT Macbeth, if so I don't want to win, so I will not hazard a guess. |
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Post by Jan on Apr 26, 2018 19:17:52 GMT
I think it probably does on this board, very few of the inmates go back further than that. It is a few years before my time. Quiz question: What’s the (other) link between that production and the current NT Macbeth ? I could lie and say I was a spotty teenager when I went, but when I was a spotty teenage I was seeing Wendy Hiller in Ghosts. Didn't see Shakespeare until my early twenties. Don't know the answer to your question. Is there a prize? Is it a ticket to the NT Macbeth, if so I don't want to win, so I will not hazard a guess. Answer is Stephen Boxer, in both. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 19:28:51 GMT
I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said; I can't even remember that much about it. I think fundamentally I just didn't get the point - why did Macbeth kill Duncan? He didn't have anything to gain from it so the whole thing was pointless from the start. The witches were comical and even the killing of Lady Macduff and her child didn't do anything, and that's usually a chilling moment in the most blah productions. There were some lovely moments - Macduff was excellent and I believed the relationship between AM Duff and R Kinnear (despite RK's weird staccato delivery). It was basically poorly thought out - a directionless production dumped in a concept that didn't work.
On a whim I went to the Rufus Norris talk this afternoon, having been to the SRB one immediately before it. It's the first time I've really heard him talk and I was struck by what a genuinely nice, modest guy he seems to be. I was also unfortunately struck by how uneloquent and pedestrian he came across - especially after hearing from SRB right before, who is always so lucid and warm and intimate when he talks about Shakespeare. I've previously been to a few Hytner Shakespeare platforms and he also was hugely fluent and insightful. Both of them barely needed a question before they were off, whereas the interviewer for RN had to work quite hard, it seemed to me, and he didn't give out a lot of enthusiasm.
It seemed like a really warm, supportive audience this afternoon though and the people asking questions were at pains to tell him how much they enjoyed the production (he tackled the bad reviews very directly in response to a slightly tentative question from the interviewer).
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5,150 posts
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Post by Being Alive on May 5, 2018 9:58:14 GMT
Against my better judgement, after the RSC one, I’m seeing this tonight.
I want to be able to compare the two - but I’ve never hated anything like I hate the RSC one. Not holding out too much hope for a good evening!
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on May 5, 2018 14:14:46 GMT
Good luck! (Make sure you give yourself a treat of some sort so it isn't all punishment - a glass of pinot grigio? some wine gums? a walk along the Thames?) Can you please report back if the bobble hat sparkly dress person is still in it? And the kid in the box?
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Post by Jan on May 5, 2018 14:41:46 GMT
Good luck! (Make sure you give yourself a treat of some sort so it isn't all punishment - a glass of pinot grigio? some wine gums? a walk along the Thames?) Can you please report back if the bobble hat sparkly dress person is still in it? And the kid in the box? The cardboard box person is still in it. Second sighting this year as he was in the RSC Titus Andronicus too. |
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294 posts
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Post by dani on May 5, 2018 18:00:06 GMT
I was struck by what a genuinely nice, modest guy he seems to be. I was also unfortunately struck by how uneloquent and pedestrian he came across That is in my opinion a perfect summary of the man, his personal qualities and his weaknesses as a cultural leader. |
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5,150 posts
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Post by Being Alive on May 5, 2018 20:09:13 GMT
For the second time ever in my theatre going life, I’ve just left at the interval.
Quite liked Anne Marie Duff. Other than that couldn’t give a toss about any of it. Weird - not in a good way, and messy
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5,150 posts
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Post by Being Alive on May 5, 2018 20:36:58 GMT
Good luck! (Make sure you give yourself a treat of some sort so it isn't all punishment - a glass of pinot grigio? some wine gums? a walk along the Thames?) Can you please report back if the bobble hat sparkly dress person is still in it? And the kid in the box? Kid is still in the box. Didn’t get far enough for the other one I don’t think. |
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2018 10:46:02 GMT
I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said; I can't even remember that much about it. I think fundamentally I just didn't get the point - why did Macbeth kill Duncan? He didn't have anything to gain from it so the whole thing was pointless from the start. The witches were comical and even the killing of Lady Macduff and her child didn't do anything, and that's usually a chilling moment in the most blah productions. There were some lovely moments - Macduff was excellent and I believed the relationship between AM Duff and R Kinnear (despite RK's weird staccato delivery). It was basically poorly thought out - a directionless production dumped in a concept that didn't work. On a whim I went to the Rufus Norris talk this afternoon, having been to the SRB one immediately before it. It's the first time I've really heard him talk and I was struck by what a genuinely nice, modest guy he seems to be. I was also unfortunately struck by how uneloquent and pedestrian he came across - especially after hearing from SRB right before, who is always so lucid and warm and intimate when he talks about Shakespeare. I've previously been to a few Hytner Shakespeare platforms and he also was hugely fluent and insightful. Both of them barely needed a question before they were off, whereas the interviewer for RN had to work quite hard, it seemed to me, and he didn't give out a lot of enthusiasm. It seemed like a really warm, supportive audience this afternoon though and the people asking questions were at pains to tell him how much they enjoyed the production (he tackled the bad reviews very directly in response to a slightly tentative question from the interviewer). What did he say about the bad reviews? |
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2018 19:34:14 GMT
@cleoskryker Unfortunately I have a terrible memory! The interviewer carefully asked him about 'mixed reviews' and he responded 'that's kind, they were terrible'. I think there was then a slight but of rambling about wanting to make the play relevant, and he also said it was his idea and he took responsibility, also that he was robust enough to take it and bad reviews are part of the job.
The NT usually records these things and puts them online so it might be up already - you can check how much I'm misremembering...!
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