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Post by moelhywel on Apr 23, 2018 22:23:26 GMT
Just back from seeing this, a production aimed at the younger generation. Modern dress, minimal set, mainly an enormous cube, open on two sides, which can be turned round. The interior acts as Friar Laurence's cell and the Apothecary's shop and the top as Juliet's bedroom and the tomb. No swords but youths who carry knives, as a lot of todays young do. There are about six school students who appear at the beginning (and then occasionally at other times) when they are all declaiming the opening lines and talking all at the same time so you couldn't hear what was being said. This really put me off and I thought that setting it in the current day was a big mistake but gradually I was won round and overall thought it worked really well. The main changes are giving the roles of Mercutio, Escalus, Gregory, Friar John (here Sister John) and the Apothecary to females. The only one of these that really bothered me was Mercutio but that was maybe because I wasn't keen on the actress. There is an interesting article in the programme as to why Erica Whyman chose to do this and another article on knife crime in Shakespeare's time and now.
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Post by lynette on Apr 24, 2018 20:33:16 GMT
Just had a little rant over on the Donmar thread about gender swaps. So I’ll just have my cuppa and shut up. Seeing this in September with a couple of American friends. Can’t wait.
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Post by Jan on Apr 25, 2018 6:04:59 GMT
Just had a little rant over on the Donmar thread about gender swaps. So I’ll just have my cuppa and shut up. Seeing this in September with a couple of American friends. Can’t wait. Will have to be good to beat that RSC one with the dancing and the sticks that I know you were a big admirer of. |
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5,691 posts
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Post by lynette on Apr 25, 2018 7:45:04 GMT
Just had a little rant over on the Donmar thread about gender swaps. So I’ll just have my cuppa and shut up. Seeing this in September with a couple of American friends. Can’t wait. Will have to be good to beat that RSC one with the dancing and the sticks that I know you were a big admirer of. 😘 |
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Post by lynette on Sept 7, 2018 22:26:18 GMT
Will have to be good to beat that RSC one with the dancing and the sticks that I know you were a big admirer of. 😘 No sticks but some dancing, young people style. I’ve never thought of R& J as a young person's play. It is the old who can put a stop to it and in fact old Capulet nearly succeeds in stopping Tybalt and Tybalt here is definitely of an age to know better. Some odd directorial decisions in this. Juliet's big speeches spoiled imo by ghost Tybalt looming on to the stage. Mercutio is a tough girl and this almost works. Her Queen Mab speech almost works. The basic story played out very well, nice meeting of the lovers, nice balcony scene, nice fights, nice deaths. Juliet has a Scottish accent, probably as she is Scottish and so her mother here has a Scottish accent, don’t know if she is really Scottish or not. But it was odd. Was it to be 'inclusive' or what? Mercutio was Street and everyone else spoke like the usual RSC with Romeo having short vowels on occasions. One of the minor male characters spoke with a West Indian accent. That I’m saying all this shows you what a distraction it was. Actually Tybalt spoke the lines most naturally. It looked a bit of a strain for some of them. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2018 10:33:59 GMT
I’ve never thought of R& J as a young person's play I STILL want to stage it in a retirement home with the lovers as seniors and the nurse etc young. Now you've said that lynette , I want it even more, as I think it would unlock a lot. You missed it! Tom Morris did exactly that at the Bristol Old Vic about eight years ago. Got some good reviews, got some sniffy ones but pretty much all thought Sian Phillips, as Juliet, was wonderful. www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/14/juliet-and-her-romeo-bristol-old-vic |
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Post by learfan on Sept 8, 2018 11:03:44 GMT
The RSC did the Tender Thing few years back with Richard McCabe and Kathryn Hunter which was them as middle aged u think.
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4,021 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 8, 2018 12:35:02 GMT
I wondered if someone had tried. Dammit, would have really liked that. Thanks for the link @cardinalpirelli. There are few things are more annoying that discovering something you'd really like to see was on a few years ago, are there? Maybe it'll get a revival some time, though probably not with the same cast as I imagine some of them are now too old to do even a mature R&J. |
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Post by lynette on Sept 8, 2018 22:25:59 GMT
The old age home idea sounds brilliant.
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Post by sherriebythesea on Sept 9, 2018 2:38:15 GMT
That must have been an incredible experience |
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 8, 2018 9:07:53 GMT
Saw the transfer last night at the Barbican.
One of the best seats in the house, Row F centre, picked up the day before when TodayTix quietly discounts them (to £15 in this case).
A seat is only as good as its neighbours though and this definitely picks up some of the worse. Quite a few people around checking phones and taking photos (to the extent that a manager had to come over and speak to the entire section at the end of the interval and threaten removal). Woman next to me with her right to sit on her coat with it going into my seat (my passive aggressive move was to reposition it during the interval, only for her to move it back when she returned).
Then the worst thing. Man in front, rather large, older gentleman. Ended up with three seats. Moved to the middle one, where he could not sit still. Then proceeded to stretch both arms over the seats next to him, including behind into my space. Touched the young woman in the seat two down (he still seemed oblivious). Managed to get my leg at one point. Took his shoes off and his toes must have been under an inch away from the person in front. Not sure how many seats he thought he paid for, but really ruined everyone's enjoyment.
Quite a few empty seats around.
There was a school party (all girls) in, but thankfully they were well behaved, until Romeo died (hope that isn't a spoiler), someone laughed loudly and that set them (and others) off too.
Onto the show. This was my first ever Romeo and Juliet (may have read the script it in the distant past) and I kept picking up where West Side Story had taken its inspiration from.
As others have said, the staging is minimal, with a large cube, open at two sides which rotates and occasional use of ladders to get actors to the top.
Children appeared at the start and end and spoke, but were pretty much inaudible. I presume they were from a local school. A few of the other cast members didn't project well so I'm glad I wasn't further back.
There was loud modern music at several points, which I presume was played live as a conductor came on stage during the bows. Also, sound pumped in surround, which didn't help with hearing the quieter actors. A terrible modern rave style scene as well.
This is all ethnicity blind casting with similar looking modern day dress (and lots of knifes, presumably as a social commentary on knife crime). The overall look does make it a bit hard to follow who is playing what and associated with whom.
Bally Gill as Romeo was memorable. Easy to look at, overacted the part, but had good stage presence. No real other standouts, although I did find the portrayal of Mercutio annoying.
Started at 7:15pm, ended at 10pm, one interval.
I did enjoy it, but would have enjoyed it more with better surrounding company.
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376 posts
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Post by sherriebythesea on Nov 8, 2018 16:55:04 GMT
Have inexpensive ticket for this tonight and trying to get up energy to go after exhausting day site seeing at museums
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2018 17:15:24 GMT
Go. The Barbican seats are comfortable enough for a mid-show nap if you need it.  |
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Post by sherriebythesea on Nov 8, 2018 18:46:28 GMT
Go. The Barbican seats are comfortable enough for a mid-show nap if you need it. I'm in Stalls A row. Might be a bit disconcerting for actors |
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 9, 2018 9:05:55 GMT
I'm in Stalls A row. Might be a bit disconcerting for actors I'm sure the rave music would have woken you up! |
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Post by sherriebythesea on Nov 9, 2018 9:19:49 GMT
Pretty sure I made the right choice. Slept for over 10 hours last night. Maybe I can catch this before I leave
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 11:53:31 GMT
Enjoyed this, worth a look if you can get a cheap seat. Modern setting with gangs and knives worked well. Juliet looked convincingly teenage (surprised to see when I checked later that the actor is actually mid-20s) and her mother also looked the correct age (ie about 28) so it sold the idea that she'd been married very young to an older (and it was implied in this staging) abusive partner and the same was happening to her daughter.
Enjoyed the Nurse's performance which was highly reminiscent of the late Hylda Baker (one for the teenagers there!)
As usual though with most of these RSC transfers hard to see what they think will attract a London audience to pay £60 for a very unstarry cast - you'd pay the same for the Ralph and Sophie show at the National.
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Post by Jan on Nov 25, 2018 12:02:26 GMT
Enjoyed this, worth a look if you can get a cheap seat. Modern setting with gangs and knives worked well. Juliet looked convincingly teenage (surprised to see when I checked later that the actor is actually mid-20s) and her mother also looked the correct age (ie about 28) so it sold the idea that she'd been married very young to an older (and it was implied in this staging) abusive partner and the same was happening to her daughter. Enjoyed the Nurse's performance which was highly reminiscent of the late Hylda Baker (one for the teenagers there!) As usual though with most of these RSC transfers hard to see what they think will attract a London audience to pay £60 for a very unstarry cast. No problems getting a cheap seat if anyone is interested - turn up for day tickets at 10:30 and they'll sell you a top-price stalls seat for £10. You can also get a £10 TodayTix Rush seat at 10:00 but they tend to be the back row of the stalls. That is the second appearance of Hylda Baker in a Shakespeare within 2 years - Mistress Quickly in the Northern Broadsides "Merry Wives" was also an impersonation. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2018 12:27:49 GMT
Just checked and in both cases it was Ishia Bennison. So perhaps she just happens to be very similar to Hylda.
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Post by Jan on Nov 25, 2018 12:43:26 GMT
Just checked and in both cases it was Ishia Bennison. So perhaps she just happens to be very similar to Hylda. I wondered about that. In Merry Wives I’m sure it was a deliberate impersonation - RSC: “join us and we want the same performance”. |
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Post by learfan on Nov 25, 2018 14:17:55 GMT
Hylda Baker? How old are you guys? Her career was finished 40 years ago.
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Post by Jan on Nov 25, 2018 16:08:40 GMT
Hylda Baker? How old are you guys? Her career was finished 40 years ago. No, she is immortal, witness the fact she is still being referenced in plays today. Anyway, you’re saying you don’t remember any popular culture from when you were 13 ? In reality you remember ALL popular culture from that age. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 25, 2018 16:15:30 GMT
This discussion immediately made me think of this:
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Post by learfan on Nov 25, 2018 16:53:00 GMT
Hylda Baker? How old are you guys? Her career was finished 40 years ago. No, she is immortal, witness the fact she is still being referenced in plays today. Anyway, you’re saying you don’t remember any popular culture from when you were 13 ? In reality you remember ALL popular culture from that age. According to Wikipedia her series in the 70s was on ITV. We didnt watch ITV. Immortal? Behave. |
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Post by learfan on Nov 25, 2018 17:01:36 GMT
This discussion immediately made me think of this: Oh yes i recall this farrago, i had to ask my parents who they were. |
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