213 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Mar 1, 2024 22:30:05 GMT
Absolutely fantastic show, loved every second. I thought all the cast were brilliant and they all worked really well together. The atmosphere from the audience was amazing.
I loved the interactive bits in the foyer where we could "kiss" the cod and put our pin in the map.
Bring on tomorrow afternoon, and the rest of the tour! I already have Newcastle booked but am going to look at getting some more dates in when I get home.
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Post by mindy0monster on Mar 2, 2024 8:54:35 GMT
Loved having this show back on stage again. The atmosphere last night was everything I love about live theatre, and have felt has been missing (for me at least) since Covid. The staging without the revolve is excellent, and the new lighting is gorgeous.
I'm booked for a Twixmas visit in Salford, but now doing all I can to make my annual leave stretch to closing weekend!
Great to see Mark Dugdale's enthusiasm shining through as always, and lovely to have the opportunity to chat to some of the cast afterwards in the bar. Such a special show.
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Post by tommy123 on Mar 2, 2024 12:01:07 GMT
Ah that makes sense - it wasn't until I saw her this evening that I realised she hadn't worn the wig at the dress rehearsal. Mustn't have been time to sort it. She did brilliantly, imagine having to go on that soon! I could be wrong but it looked like Bree Smith was on for the evening performance? I didn’t see any signs up anywhere though! |
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213 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Mar 3, 2024 16:41:40 GMT
I'm booked for a Twixmas visit in Salford, but now doing all I can to make my annual leave stretch to closing weekend! Now there's an idea! I hadn't thought of going to the last show until I saw your post yesterday, but having been to the opening show, it would be great to get to the closing one as well. I was a bit unsure when I saw it didn't finish until the Sunday, as I work Mondays and January is our busiest time. But then I saw they only seem to have a matinee on the last day. So I should be able to get home afterwards. I'll have to look into it further. In the meantime, I've just booked for Leeds, as I know I can get there in a day. |
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Post by AddisonMizner on Mar 9, 2024 17:23:17 GMT
I have been to see the tour at Curve twice this week (once for the evening performance last Saturday, 2nd March, and once for today’s matinee performance ). When I saw this in London, I felt it was the best thing I had ever seen. I went in knowing absolutely nothing and it completely knocked me sideways. Now I know the show very well, but it loses absolutely none of its impact on a second or even third viewing in its tour incarnation. It is quite simply STUNNING! I still laughed, cried (a lot) and laughed again. Therefore, I felt it appropriate to repost my review from London, as it all still applies:
I am just out of today’s matinee, and all I have to say is WOW! Just WOW!!
A stunning, towering achievement of musical theatre, so beautifully crafted. Joyous, uplifting, moving. The script, the songs...just everything blew me away and has made me truly lost for words. It makes you cry (ugly tears!), then laugh the next moment (and there are some real belly laughs in this) and does so in a way that is never jarring. Plus, all of this is done with just some tables and chairs, and some clever lighting, proving you do not need fancy sets, just a great piece to really engage.
The company deliver the material with aplomb, and it really comes across that they feel blessed to be in the show. It feels like a cast of more than it is, as they morph so completely into the different characters that they play, that it is almost like a different actor for each role.
A show about humanity, about creating something positive in the darkest of times. The people in this story shared this moment in time together, and I think that is what the matinee audience felt today. I urge all of you to go. I will certainly be recommending to friends, and if I can, going for another visit.
To end where I started...WOW! I am an islander! Now I need to go and cry alone somewhere for a moment.
5 stars.
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1,470 posts
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Post by mkb on Mar 12, 2024 15:54:29 GMT
Just as good as in London, and a joy to sit through again.
Five stars.
One Act: 19:34-21:16
(Seen last Wednesday evening at Leicester Curve)
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3,301 posts
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Post by david on Mar 14, 2024 23:15:33 GMT
Having rated CFA as a 5 star show on my 2 trips to the Phoenix theatre to watch this great show, based on my viewing at the Liverpool Empire tonight, I would still rate this tour as a 5 star production and urge people to go and watch it if comes to a venue near you later on. Having held off booking to see if dynamic pricing would kick in, thankfully I managed to nab a front row stalls seat for £25 and it was worth every penny.
For me, the stories of the different characters around those terrifying days of 9/11 still hit hard after repeat viewings and the message of community / being and working together are still important ones even today and it is easy to see why this show was a beacon of light when the WE started to reopen and was for many their first show back at the end of COVID.
The set certainly filled the large Empire stage nicely and the lack of the WE revolve really wasn't missed here with the cast moving the simple but really effective set around to create the different settings. I would agree with a previous post which noted the effectiveness of the simplicity of the set design. No fancy tech or video just a few tables and chairs along with a few extra bits makes an effective set to tell stories. One thing I hadn't really appreciated in CFA until tonight's viewing was the wonderful lighting design from Howell Binkley.
I have no doubt that the quality of this entire tour cast is on a par with previous WE casts that give you a show that will make you both cry and laugh in equal measure. The cast are backed by a fantastic 9 piece band to bring that wonderful score to life for the 90 minutes. CFA really does put a smile on your face as you leave the theatre. It was also nice to see the continuation of offering the pin badges on our way out tonight.
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Post by Bickers on Apr 3, 2024 8:39:17 GMT
Opening night in Cardiff last night, and a surprise with Kirsty Malpass on as Bonnie etc.
The show is still as wonderful as it was in the West End, an easy 5* from me
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 6, 2024 14:47:16 GMT
Does anyone have a merch list for the tour?
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1,442 posts
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 20, 2024 18:19:53 GMT
Saw the UK tour today. Quite simply, wow! Probably the best new musical I've seen in a decade or more. Funny, moving, restores faith in humanity. Great music, fantastic cast.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 21, 2024 5:37:48 GMT
Has anyone watched the pro shot on apple tv?
After seeing the show I watched it and tbh I didn't think it was as strong on film, some of the humour didn't land and more surprising the cast wasn't as good as the UK tour, especially the gay couple. Mark Dugdale and Jamal Zulfiqar really are excellent and have good chemistry.
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Apr 21, 2024 13:04:30 GMT
Saw this in Plymouth last week; and the cast are all amazing.
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374 posts
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Post by theatrenerd on Apr 21, 2024 16:03:55 GMT
Has anyone watched the pro shot on apple tv? After seeing the show I watched it and tbh I didn't think it was as strong on film, some of the humour didn't land and more surprising the cast wasn't as good as the UK tour, especially the gay couple. Mark Dugdale and Jamal Zulfiqar really are excellent and have good chemistry. I watched it when it was first released on Apple and quite enjoyed it. I am still tempted to book tickets for the tour next month though. |
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Post by moorhunhe on Apr 27, 2024 12:16:05 GMT
Has anyone watched the pro shot on apple tv? After seeing the show I watched it and tbh I didn't think it was as strong on film, some of the humour didn't land and more surprising the cast wasn't as good as the UK tour, especially the gay couple. Mark Dugdale and Jamal Zulfiqar really are excellent and have good chemistry. We (me and the boyfriend) had seen it in London already a few times before this pro shot came out. I can only judge by what I got to see on TV obviously, but comparing it to the West End cast, I just felt it lacked a little enthousiasm in some places? We've also seen it twice on tour at Leicester, well, twice, we managed to get tickets for the dress rehearsel and then had tickets already bought months ago for opening evening. It was just as great as it was in London we thought. |
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Post by danb on Apr 27, 2024 13:04:57 GMT
I’d considered bobbing over to Oxford this afternoon to see this but its practically sold out, and whats left were all about £70 for not great views. Really pleased its doing so well. Guess I’ll just have to wait for Bristol in August.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 27, 2024 13:32:48 GMT
It sold ridiculously well in Southampton too. All 3 levels were open and it's over 2000 capacity.
I'm hoping the tour comes around again soon.
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1,470 posts
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Post by mkb on Apr 27, 2024 15:44:12 GMT
Sorry to be dumb, but what is a "pro shot"?
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 27, 2024 15:57:19 GMT
Sorry to be dumb, but what is a "pro shot"? A professionally filmed and released version of a show. Like all the national theatre lives |
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Post by meister on Apr 27, 2024 16:33:48 GMT
It sold ridiculously well in Southampton too. All 3 levels were open and it's over 2000 capacity. I'm hoping the tour comes around again soon. It’s in Chichester in November - booking not open yet |
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Post by amyja89 on Apr 27, 2024 21:18:24 GMT
An electric evening in Oxford tonight. Instant standing ovation from all three packed out levels. This show is a rare gem. A real modern masterpiece. Just as powerful as the first time I saw it years ago. I was there with a friend who had never seen it before and enjoyed watching her go through all of the emotions I did the first time around. The "was used as the bomb" in Me & The Sky is spine tingling every single time.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Apr 27, 2024 21:26:13 GMT
It sold ridiculously well in Southampton too. All 3 levels were open and it's over 2000 capacity. I'm hoping the tour comes around again soon. It’s in Chichester in November - booking not open yet Yeah, sadly I can't make those dates but I'm glad it's getting more dates |
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Post by ruthieh on Apr 27, 2024 21:27:27 GMT
Absolutely agree. Third time for me, seeing it in the west end twice before, but after a long break tonight’s trip to see it in Oxford, was as you say, electric! I also went with 4 friends who really had no clue what they were seeing, and all loved it. Also teen daughter who saw it on closing night with me, and husband who also hadn’t seen it. Everyone was moved, laughed, and felt warm and human at the end!
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Post by Being Alive on Apr 28, 2024 10:46:33 GMT
If it's doing as well as it is, I can see it just starting another loop in a years time tbh
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Post by Mark on Apr 28, 2024 10:57:25 GMT
This is one show I wouldn’t be upset to see swing back in as a West End gap filler sometime.
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Apr 28, 2024 12:50:20 GMT
This is one show I wouldn’t be upset to see swing back in as a West End gap filler sometime. Peacock Theatre early 2025 would do nicely. |
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