The Strange Death Of John Doe(Hampstead Downstairs)

[jason71]

Has anybody booked to see the above show yet? Has any cast info been revealed yet?

[foxa]

I've booked to see this on the 26th.

This is the cast announcement: www.hampsteadtheatre.com/news/2018/april/the-strange-death-of-john-doe-full-cast-announced/

Quite a big cast for a downstairs show.

[jason71]

May 14, 2018 20:54:39 GMT foxa said:

I've booked to see this on the 26th.

This is the cast announcement: www.hampsteadtheatre.com/news/2018/april/the-strange-death-of-john-doe-full-cast-announced/

Quite a big cast for a downstairs show.

[jason71]

Has anybody been to this play yet?

[showgirl]

Someone did mention in another post that s/he had gone and not been that impressed but I can't recall who it was. Maybe that person will now comment here? I booked through FOMO and then read an encouraging blog review, but the critics have been less wholehearted and I'm not wild about references to Annie Baker, whose work I've not seen but avoided as it sounds tedious to watch.

[NeilVHughes]

Found it a bit clunky which impeded the flow and overlong, a reduction to 90 minutes and no interval would enhance the production no end, upstairs production values shoehorned downstairs, in the free programme it states the production was financed by a benefactor and it seems they wanted to spend every penny available.

The premise and performances are fine and always impressed by Callie Cooke who is on my must see list after Firebird a few years back.

[foxa]

Yes, I did go to a preview but didn't write a review/posting about it because I wasn't keen and didn't know how much of that was due to it being an early performance. I like to support emerging writers and I have heard good things about Fiona Doyle's other work, but this seemed all over the place. Full of stereotypes and unbelievable dialogue. It's particularly disappointing because I believe it was full of good intentions and, in the (free) programme provided, they make clear that this production received an extraordinary amount of support - an early commission, a full week's development workshop with director and choreographer, special sponsorship, a larger than usual cast....We spoke to a few others at the interval who weren't enjoying it either - but it may have improved.

BTW, I like Annie Baker. This didn't strike me as Baker-ish at all. She's full or wry humour and closely observed details. This was relentlessly serious and largely non-naturalistic.

[foxa]

NeilVHughes got in before me! I agree Callie Cooke was amazing in Firebird.

[showgirl]

Jun 7, 2018 17:31:36 GMT foxa said:

Yes, I did go to a preview but didn't write a review/posting about it because I wasn't keen and didn't know how much of that was due to it being an early performance. I like to support emerging writers and I have heard good things about Fiona Doyle's other work, but this seemed all over the place. Full of stereotypes and unbelievable dialogue. It's particularly disappointing because I believe it was full of good intentions and, in the (free) programme provided, they make clear that this production received an extraordinary amount of support - an early commission, a full week's development workshop with director and choreographer, special sponsorship, a larger than usual cast....We spoke to a few others at the interval who weren't enjoying it either - but it may have improved.

BTW, I like Annie Baker. This didn't strike me as Baker-ish at all. She's full or wry humour and closely observed details. This was relentlessly serious and largely non-naturalistic.

It was you, foxa!  Sorry, I couldn't remember and actually, the Annie Baker comparison I'd seen mentioned was possibly to Utility at the Orange Tree instead, so apologies for that, too.  I also like to support new writing; plus I've generally found plays/productions at Hampstead Downstairs far more consistently good and worthwhile than upstairs, so if this one is not up there with the rest, it's a shame it's the first to which critics are invited - i.e. rather than going anyway but unofficially, as bloggers have always done.

[showgirl]

I saw the matinee today and though it's a shame it was quite sparsely-attended (almost unknown in my experience of Hampstead Downstairs, which is usually packed), it was a relief in the current heatwave to have a little more space for once. Not up there with the best productions I've seen there but I thought the treatment was interesting, though it was too fragmented and made the play seem longer than it was. After a while all the chopping and changing began to pall but I did think that there was great potential for a play wholly set in a mortuary. Except someone has probably written one already!