True West - Vaudeville Theatre

[Rory]

Solutions?

[lonlad]

One
solution
might be
to not write every post
as a preposterous
haiku

[david]

Having watched this at today’s matinee (thanks to being able to get a discounted ticket and some great Xmas performance scheduling), a good overall play and a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Performance wise, I couldn’t fault KH or JF as the leads, and as others have said and which I totally agree with JF owns Act 1, while KH owns Act 2. I would liked to have seen more of Madeleine Potter on stage though. In the brief time she was on I really didn’t feel the character offered much to the plot going forward. I would liked to have seen a deeper exploration of the dynamic between the two brothers and the mother as the brothers are such contrasting characters.

The highlight of the whole play for me was in Act 2 with KH playing drunk and the toaster scene. It was just some great comedy and KH really did have some great comic timing here. It was certainly welcomed as a bit of light relief against the more darker elements of the play.

I thought the staging was great, though the additional stage reveal at the end I felt really wasn’t needed and overhearing a couple of people around me at the end of the show tried to work out what it’s purpose was. It certainly looked weird as an addition to the main set at the end.

The audience I was sat with certainly enjoyed the play (with a few standing ovations). It’s definitely worth a punt with the various ticket deals currently available. Overall not a bad way to end the 2018 theatre going year.

[jojo]

Dec 10, 2018 16:32:11 GMT @theatremonkey said:

With the professional press, quite often it is a sub-editor who adds the stars after reading the review - so it isn't the reviewer at all.

If a reviewer uses stars, it should be based on her / his measuring the particular production they have seen against previous versions and similar material. Adding in audience reaction really isn't a factor unless they have actually rioted, of course.

I didn't know that about the stars thing. I sometimes think the star rating doesn't match the vibe of the piece, so perhaps that isn't always the case, or perhaps the sub-editor has their own feelings?!

I wouldn't have expected an experienced reviewer to be especially swayed by the audience as such, but I still feel that if you are writing a professional review that is supposed to help a general audience decide if they might like to see a show, then you have to consider your audience and not just your personal taste and bug-bears.  If not, then it suggests you think the rest of the audience are idiots, in which case, what about your readers?

I'd caveat and say that if you are writing for the Mormon Times and you know your audience is exclusively devout Mormons who don't like jokes about Mormans, then you are entitled to steer your audience away from Book of Mormon, and if you are writing for a lads' mag*, whose audience likes to see semi-naked women, then by all means, give extra stars for anything that includes pretty-girls without many clothes.  

*I'm not aware of any lads' mags with a theatre review section, but I'd guess they have their own rating system.

[firstwetakemanhattan]

Found this hard work. Quite dull and a really rather odd and weird last 15 minutes or so. The character of the mother seemed woefully out of place too, tacked on right at the end, and what was with her accent in contrast to the two leads? Just bizarre way to end the play. Tough going. Theatre looked to be about half empty as well. A rare instance where I wish I had seen something else instead

[perfectspy]

I saw this play on Jan 14th. I got my tickets through time out. It is struggling to sell out despite a strong cast with Harrington in that Thrones tv show. Maybe all the fans are out off with the prices.

I thought the production was ok, quite odd that the mother showed up at the end which killed the play for me. I too really liked the radio adaptation a few years back and wish I saw this play at the Tricycle instead.

[harrie]

I saw this last night in a full house. I thought Johnny and Kit’s performances were great and the chemistry between them was fantastic. I agree that maybe the desert reveal was unnecessary but overall I really enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend.