353 posts
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Post by cirque on Mar 9, 2018 10:48:26 GMT
This is an utter and catastrophic mess.
I should write with logic and a sense of awareness for Directorial conceit etc.
My anger forbids it.There is no understanding of the importance of creating a society dominated by elite blood and religion....the world is a gym inhabited by 'grunts' and reducing the play-one of the strongest in the Jacobean canon to a nonsense.Dont quote Tarantino blood letting-he has a purpose.In this nonsense the actors slip,slide and snarl their way only standing when they are not slipping.
The work is a disgrace and an insult to audiences.
Sorry anger forbids anything more this morning.
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5,690 posts
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Post by lynette on Mar 9, 2018 13:14:45 GMT
Well, I don’t like to judge but this confirms my fears about this director. Why are the powers that be blind to the fact that this director has complete lack of understanding of the Jacobean classic canon.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 13:22:41 GMT
Really? You always seem to have enjoyed judging this director before.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 13:26:14 GMT
Mix of reviews, Billington 4 stars, WOS 2 stars.
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5,138 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Mar 9, 2018 13:30:00 GMT
I wonder if Parsley is going? After showing such reserve on Macbeth, it should be an 'interesting' review.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Mar 9, 2018 17:33:10 GMT
I wonder if Parsley is going? After showing such reserve on Macbeth, it should be an 'interesting' review. God i hope not! |
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84 posts
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Post by jasper on Mar 9, 2018 19:11:37 GMT
Mix of reviews, Billington 4 stars, WOS 2 stars. Is WOS Whatsonstage.com? If so there is no review of the Duchess of Malfi on there at present. Have you had a look at an advance review or are you a clairvoyant? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2018 19:16:29 GMT
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84 posts
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Post by jasper on Mar 9, 2018 20:02:18 GMT
Well spotted. This is not in their list of reviews on either their news page or under the reviews page. Do they not want anyone to read it? |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 9, 2018 20:15:08 GMT
Well spotted. This is not in their list of reviews on either their news page or under the reviews page. Do they not want anyone to read it? They long since stopped caring about regional coverage. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 18:53:17 GMT
4* in The Times.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Mar 10, 2018 19:46:26 GMT
Oh in that case i wont hand my ticket back and still go next sat!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2018 14:03:35 GMT
There is no understanding of the importance of creating a society dominated by elite blood and religion.... This reads like you *want* society to be dominated by elite blood and religion. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2018 14:05:24 GMT
The work is a disgrace and an insult to audiences. Sorry anger forbids anything more this morning. Bloody drama queens. The worst that will have happened to you is a night at the theatre you didn't enjoy because it irked the purists. "A disgrace and an insult" is ludicrously OTT. |
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Mar 11, 2018 14:11:10 GMT
Actually - I have no idea if the opening poster is right or not (and never will as I have no plans to go to Stratford in the near future.)
BUT I liked their post because I get caught up in people caring so much about theatre/plays - rave or pans tend to be entertaining to read and at least the viewer felt something.
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171 posts
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Post by moelhywel on Mar 13, 2018 11:44:43 GMT
I went to this last night, never having seen a production of it before and not having read up on it. I'm not sure if this was a mistake or not with this production as there is evidently a lot of text cut, as I have since found out. Usually I find I can follow a play if I just read the synopsis but here I found myself floundering. I have heard the term bloodbath but never actually seen one before, you certainly get it here in the second act. Yet despite this I found myself more gripped by the second act than the first. I thought Joan Iyiola was excellent as the Duchess and there was a really tender moment between her and Antonio which showed their love for each other. However overall I agree with the WOS review almost exactly and my husband said he wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Given other people's views on this I think it's going to be a 'Marmite' play. I would very much like to see a more traditional production.
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1,861 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Mar 17, 2018 18:27:54 GMT
Saw this this afternoon as an aperitif for Macbeth (Saw the National production last night
The relationship between the Duchess and Antonio worked well especially when we saw the family unit, a true loving family trying to keep out of the public eye.
Where it was let down was why her brother was so hell bent on her destruction which leads to the well publicised bloodbath, as in some previous productions a little ‘Ti’s a Pity’ interest could provide the heat to ignite the flame of revenge.
As an aside, went on an RSC Backstage Tour a few years ago and saw the tiny laundry room, a programme credit for the person who does the laundry would be well deserved.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 17, 2018 23:29:36 GMT
Not long back from seeing this. And what a disappointment. I am known for appreciating the work of Maria Aberg - but this is her weakest production to date for the RSC.
It starts with the inexplicable giant metallic chicken and it just doesn't get much clearer.
You get no sense of the relationships in the play or the reasoning behind the decision of the brothers to seek the ultimate demise of the rest of their family. The class distinctions so necessary for the text are blurred due to the modern setting and thus it is hard to fathom the world of the play.
The verse speaking is patchy to say the least. Too many speeches are started with a rush - meaning that key moments are lost to garbling.
I can see what they were aiming for by the frequent expressions of oppressive masculinity - but as the two brothers doing the oppressing were not matching that level of toxic masculinity, the point was somewhat diluted.
The bloodbath really didn't stop Act 5 from being a farce. It made it worse.
I liked the singing. But very little else.
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392 posts
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Post by lichtie on May 15, 2018 8:18:46 GMT
Fortunately saw this at the start of my Stratford weekend bash, as it was easily the worst. The whole blood thing is just so massively distracting without managing to add anything at all to the play. Didn't mind the trims made to the text, but the additions were also pointless. Quite a few of the case weren't exactly firing on all cylinders either. Another miss, to go along with the previous one at the White Devil. Maybe Aberg should just avoid Webster... (For the record I thought her Faustus was OK, and As You Like It marvellous).
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5,690 posts
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Post by lynette on May 15, 2018 16:11:41 GMT
Maybe Aberg should stay away from Stratford upon Avon.
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Post by Jan on May 15, 2018 19:36:41 GMT
Maybe Aberg should stay away from Stratford upon Avon. I saw an interview with her. She said everything in Shakespeare, everything, is a metaphor. I suppose based on that view she feels at liberty to do whatever she wants - King John as a kids’ party with big balloons and so on. |
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5,690 posts
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Post by lynette on May 16, 2018 14:36:55 GMT
Interesting. What is she talking about? All plays can be called metaphors, no? Pinter , everyone is a metaphor for modern existence, for example. Shakespeare: comedies , the absurdity of mankind, tragedies, the urgency of mortality. King John, a second rate company Xmas 'do'? She needs to get out more and consider dentistry.
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Post by Jan on May 16, 2018 14:56:52 GMT
Interesting. What is she talking about? All plays can be called metaphors, no? Pinter , everyone is a metaphor for modern existence, for example. Shakespeare: comedies , the absurdity of mankind, tragedies, the urgency of mortality. King John, a second rate company Xmas 'do'? She needs to get out more and consider dentistry. Well, she’s talking rubbish of course, but it sounds plausible. Here she is: www.theguardian.com/stage/video/2015/mar/31/maria-aberg-on-shakespeare-gender-imbalance-video |
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