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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2016 10:12:18 GMT
I dont think there is "hatred" for anything, its just a piece of disposable media after all. Jerusalem just isnt very good as a piece of entertainment, Rylance covered an amazing amount of sins - if they opened it tomorrow with the likes of Andrew Scott it would die on its arse. For me, as an Englishman, Jerusalem had extraordinary resonance. It may be sigmificant to your view of this play that you have a Scottish forumname. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2016 12:49:16 GMT
I dont think there is "hatred" for anything, its just a piece of disposable media after all. Jerusalem just isnt very good as a piece of entertainment, Rylance covered an amazing amount of sins - if they opened it tomorrow with the likes of Andrew Scott it would die on its arse. For me, as an Englishman, Jerusalem had extraordinary resonance. It may be sigmificant to your view of this play that you have a Scottish forumname. Yes, it's a very English play with a mythic resonance that would be lost elsewhere (some of the Broadway audience were particularly confused - no, not that Jerusalem). More than anything people's likes and dislikes (which is what these are, to call something 'overrated' being a form of self aggrandisement), reveal more about that person rather than the play/show. I know that I don't appreciate plays that put 'issues' to the fore for example, which reflects my belief that people matter more than ideology (as I dislike ideologically led people intensely, that's most politicians for a start!) |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2016 14:31:56 GMT
I've seen waaaaay too many "issues plays" that focus so heavily on the issues that they forget about the play part. Tell me a story and make me care for your characters, otherwise you may as well just write a blog post stating "these issues are bad" and save us all a journey.
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Post by DuchessConstance on Mar 19, 2016 16:57:57 GMT
Fwiw I'm very English (know my ancestors going back to 1066, that kind of thing) and I found Jerusalem boring.
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Post by Mr Crummles on Mar 19, 2016 18:16:27 GMT
And I'm not English, not even British, and yet Jerusalem was one of the best plays I have ever seen. That final scene, whenever I think of it, still sends shivers down my spine.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2016 20:17:00 GMT
Fwiw I'm very English (know my ancestors going back to 1066, that kind of thing) and I found Jerusalem boring. You sound perhaps more Norman French than English. |
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Post by Marwood on Mar 19, 2016 21:44:28 GMT
Going by what seems to be everyone's comments on here except mine, have to say The Painkiller, I thought it was an awfully tired load of old cobblers rather than a comic masterpiece.
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 20, 2016 0:05:24 GMT
The criticism of Jerusalem is a bit unfair, yes and I am sure many on here will agree that Mark Rylance is a one of a kind actor, who also elevated Farenelli and the King and Boeing Boeing from a very average plays to something more appealing. Whoever takes over as Rooster, when and if Jerusalem gets revived will always be unfairly compared to Mark Rylance, I am sure there are other actors who could have originated the role of Rooster and gone on to get excellent reviews.
Jerusalem has a cracking plot twist at the end, which always makes for a corker.
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Post by duncan on Mar 20, 2016 7:24:54 GMT
I dont think there is "hatred" for anything, its just a piece of disposable media after all. Jerusalem just isnt very good as a piece of entertainment, Rylance covered an amazing amount of sins - if they opened it tomorrow with the likes of Andrew Scott it would die on its arse. For me, as an Englishman, Jerusalem had extraordinary resonance. It may be sigmificant to your view of this play that you have a Scottish forumname. Whats my name got to do with anything? Your name makes you sound like a #brexit kind of person who blames everything on Muslims and Immigrants. Casual racism, nice.  |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Mar 20, 2016 10:44:18 GMT
No one is really criticising Jerusalem though, just naming it as an example of a popular play they don't personally get.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2016 11:07:17 GMT
Surprised all the hat for One Man, Two Governors, wasn't blown away like the critics, but still very good and the hatred for Jerusalem which did blow me away and got me into see plays, thousands of pounds later I still blame that play. Yes it's by no means hate-I think I and many others for 'One Man' have said 'It's not my sense of humour', so for us felt 'overrated'. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2016 12:06:53 GMT
Whats my name got to do with anything? As I said, you have chosen a Scottish forum name for yourself ("Duncan") and if you are Scottish you are less likely to be receptive to the traditional English themes of Jerusalem which would explain your lack of interest in them. |
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Post by Marwood on Mar 20, 2016 12:30:26 GMT
Whats my name got to do with anything? As I said, you have chosen a Scottish forum name for yourself ("Duncan") and if you are Scottish you are less likely to be receptive to the traditional English themes of Jerusalem which would explain your lack of interest in them. He might be a fan of Duncan Norvelle (or may even be the 'great' man himself) - not every Duncan in the world is Scots. They must have had some interest in the play to have gone and seen it in the first place. |
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Post by TheatreDust on Mar 20, 2016 12:32:20 GMT
duncan @honouredguest - please let's keep the conversation on the topic of the plays rather than making judgements on posters themselves. Our rules include:
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2016 16:59:25 GMT
The Cut. Dimetos. Berenice. All Donmar. In fact, much of Josie Rourke's era. Ooh, I'd forgotten The Cut - or perhaps I was trying to expunge it from my memory, as it was such a lot of twaddle.
Booked on the basis that Ian McKellen was in it so surely he could pick a winner. Made it worse that I invited my husband, brother and sister-in-law so I felt responsible for the two hours of boredom for them as well as me. I always hate it when I have make the theatre choice and my companions don't like the play; sometimes I go on my own for that very reason.
So Mark Ravenhill is now on my no-go list (along with the poor man's Tennessee Williams, aka Sam Shepard).
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Post by peggs on Mar 20, 2016 17:13:44 GMT
The Cut. Dimetos. Berenice. All Donmar. In fact, much of Josie Rourke's era. Ooh, I'd forgotten The Cut - or perhaps I was trying to expunge it from my memory, as it was such a lot of twaddle.
Booked on the basis that Ian McKellen was in it so surely he could pick a winner. Made it worse that I invited my husband, brother and sister-in-law so I felt responsible for the two hours of boredom for them as well as me. I always hate it when I have make the theatre choice and my companions don't like the play; sometimes I go on my own for that very reason.
So Mark Ravenhill is now on my no-go list (along with the poor man's Tennessee Williams, aka Sam Shepard).
I too booked the Cut on the basis of Ian McKellen and was then somewhat baffled, it was in my early theatre going days though so I think I had more patience or less to compare it to at least and was excited to be at the Donmar but it hasn't sent me running back to see more Mark Ravenhill. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2016 17:38:47 GMT
Ooh, I'd forgotten The Cut - or perhaps I was trying to expunge it from my memory, as it was such a lot of twaddle.
Booked on the basis that Ian McKellen was in it so surely he could pick a winner. Made it worse that I invited my husband, brother and sister-in-law so I felt responsible for the two hours of boredom for them as well as me. I always hate it when I have make the theatre choice and my companions don't like the play; sometimes I go on my own for that very reason.
So Mark Ravenhill is now on my no-go list (along with the poor man's Tennessee Williams, aka Sam Shepard).
I too booked the Cut on the basis of Ian McKellen and was then somewhat baffled, it was in my early theatre going days though so I think I had more patience or less to compare it to at least and was excited to be at the Donmar but it hasn't sent me running back to see more Mark Ravenhill. I booked as I'd seen Mother Clapp's Molly House at the NT by Ravenhill, and found it entertaining and clever. When I found out McKellen was in it, I thought it was a bonus! I was so disappointed with this- just worlds apart, and I just found myself giving up with it... Have not been to see another Ravenhill since! |
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Post by chameleon on Mar 21, 2016 11:12:19 GMT
King Charles III
Plotting that makes no sense, very little action that matters, characters straight out of 'Spitting Image'. Fine if it's just a laugh, but some people seemed to think this had serious intent.
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Post by alexandra on Mar 21, 2016 11:58:35 GMT
duncan @honouredguest - please let's keep the conversation on the topic of the plays rather than making judgements on posters themselves. Our rules include: I assume that's more aimed at Duncan than HG as I'm not sure saying someone sounds Scottish is insulting. |
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 21, 2016 13:09:20 GMT
There are lots of plays or authors I don't like, so I avoid them now knowing I am going to have a grim evening. But art is, of course subjective and the plays I dislike others will enjoy.
I took the title of this thread to mean plays that are/were hugely commercial or artistic successes which seem overrated to individual posters.
So for example The Habit of Art with Richard Griffiths I found very disappointing due to the fact it reunited The History Boys team of author, director and star and expectations were too high. But I would not think it qualifies for this thread as it was not a huge artistic or commercial success.
War Horse of course does qualify and although I thought it was very cleverly staged and spectacular at times it wasn't especially a good play. So many times the production or the cast make up for weak material.
The Weir - already mentioned - successful but very dull IMO with no expected climax to the piece despite being "well acted".
But for the most part it is about personal taste or opinion. I suppose if a play is a commercial success it is not overrated by most folk.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2016 14:51:43 GMT
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Post by joem on Apr 24, 2016 18:05:37 GMT
Look Back In Anger. I can understand its importance but it is a really dire effort. Worst John Osborne I've seen by a country mile.
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Post by mallardo on Apr 24, 2016 18:52:16 GMT
Look Back In Anger. I can understand its importance but it is a really dire effort. Worst John Osborne I've seen by a country mile. I couldn't agree more. I used to blame bad productions for hating it, but no, it's the play. |
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Post by foxa on Apr 24, 2016 18:56:57 GMT
Look Back In Anger. I can understand its importance but it is a really dire effort. Worst John Osborne I've seen by a country mile. I couldn't agree more. I used to blame bad productions for hating it, but no, it's the play. Me too! I read somewhere that he wrote it in 16 days sitting in a deck chair and I'm like, yeah, I can imagine that. I find him so misogynistic. |
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Post by caa on Apr 26, 2016 5:55:09 GMT
So far any play by Alistair McDowall
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