837 posts
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Post by duncan on Jun 10, 2019 18:33:24 GMT
Speaking of accents, I seriously don't get why English-speaking people expect Russian accents from the characters, who are supposed to be Russian TRADITION! |
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Jun 10, 2019 18:39:34 GMT
To me, it didn't seem like they'd been told what accent to do! The leading cast had around the same accent, couldn't tell what 'it' was, but most of the supporting cast must've been reign by Sir Trev from the sounds of it! That’s what bothered me about the show. There was no uniformity with the accents. If it had all been Russian, American, English, Walloon or whatever, that would have been fine, but it seemed to me like everyone was doing their own thing. I find it mystifying that this wasn’t addressed during rehearsals unless it was a deliberate style choice, in which case I’d love to know what the thinking behind that was. |
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 11, 2019 5:09:35 GMT
Speaking of accents, I seriously don't get why English-speaking people expect Russian accents from the characters, who are supposed to be Russian TRADITION! You just won the prize for the best post in this thread! |
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 11, 2019 5:15:44 GMT
I think, Stasia , particularly because of the movie, people do expect a "mittel European Jewish" or Russian accent from all characters in the show. The songs phrasing do also rather demand something other than an English accent too, I feel. The whole rhythm of the show only really works if you believe it is a village far from anywhere. Makes good sense. Just as well as “tradition”. But I recently started wondering whether or not creators of the shows bother at all. Remember that awful Stephen Ward’s Russian character? I couldn’t understand a word in his “Russian”. On the contrary, Fiddler (and Matilda and some other shows) have clearly put some thought and training in what comes to actually speaking Russian. But with accents — should people actually be sticking to accents if the character isn’t supposed to be actually speaking that language? |
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2,678 posts
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Post by viserys on Jun 11, 2019 6:22:00 GMT
As a German I've heard my share of atrocious fake-German accents on stage, too. Contrary to common belief, some of us are able to handle the 'th' somewhat and we don't all yell "Achtung! Raus!" all the time like Hollywood would have you believe  I cannot imagine that Dame Maggie used a terrible German accent for her solo show "A German Life" now, did she? We were fine believing her to be an old German lady even when she spoke normal English. Would be nice to have the Yiddish Fiddler come over from New York. While I didn't understand much, it did give the whole show a very authentic feel. |
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4,961 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 11, 2019 6:58:03 GMT
Accents are generally a no in my book. People can act using other means.
I like folk to use their natural accents, just like colour blind casting, disabilities and nongender specific chuck it all into the mix and you have something quite wonderful that isn't bogged down into the specifics
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 11, 2019 7:19:46 GMT
Accents are generally a no in my book. People can act using other means. I like folk to use their natural accents, just like colour blind casting, disabilities and nongender specific chuck it all into the mix and you have something quite wonderful that isn't bogged down into the specifics My point exactly! As we are ready to embrace people with a skin colour/look/gender playing the parts, why stick to the accents? Especially when they are 1) not vital to the story 2) fake, as the "real" story has been told in another language? |
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 11, 2019 7:27:21 GMT
As a German I've heard my share of atrocious fake-German accents on stage, too. Contrary to common belief, some of us are able to handle the 'th' somewhat and we don't all yell "Achtung! Raus!" all the time like Hollywood would have you believe I cannot imagine that Dame Maggie used a terrible German accent for her solo show "A German Life" now, did she? We were fine believing her to be an old German lady even when she spoke normal English. Would be nice to have the Yiddish Fiddler come over from New York. While I didn't understand much, it did give the whole show a very authentic feel. I prefer understandability to authenticity, I guess. I mean, the clearer English the character's speaking, the easier it is for me to understand him. And i am generally ok with accents being used in stories like "a noble man is talking to a commoner" or "Brit and American communicating". But as the talks of inclusivity/diversity/etc are getting louder, I am feeling less omfortable with "fake Russian accents", especially in the stories where characters are supposedly speaking their native Russian language (and even in the stories where they are Russians coming to the UK, because the accents may be not as heavy and atrocious", same as with German ones. Maggie Smith played a character speaking her native tongue. So she did just that in whatever accent she is comfortable doing so, not faking German accent. So why people expected Chernobyl characters to speak in English with Russian accents? Why they are waiting for Russian/Yuddish accents in Fiddler? If we talk about "tradition", maybe we should get back to only casting Hamlets as white males and Marias in West Side Story as white females as well? |
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642 posts
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Post by Stasia on Jun 11, 2019 11:23:57 GMT
I have seen "Fiddler" without accents, and it doesn't work very well. If you back-reference to Shakespeare, for example, whether it is spoken in the traditional manner or conversationally, it still relies on the actors knowing the pentameter because otherwise it wouldn't make sense to the listener. So, perhaps that's it - trust the text and do what serves it? I kinda like that idea! (trusting the text) And I trust you saying Fiddler in particular doesn't work without accents. But I heard the same complaints (about Russian/Ukraininan/Soviet characters from Chernobyl series who are speaking with different UK accents - loads of Brits were expecting them to talk in English, but with Russian accent (that doesn't make any sense if you think) That's why I started discussing the accents. P.S. can't wait to get back to Fiddler when I'm next in the UK. This production stole my heart |
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2,678 posts
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Post by viserys on Jun 11, 2019 12:30:25 GMT
Chernobyl was fantastic, I was far too gripped to worry about the accents in use. If I had any complaint it was Jessie Buckley's perm that was the stuff of 80s nightmares |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 11, 2019 12:37:23 GMT
I think people just expect accents for Fiddler so much that it would be bad for the show not to do any, even if the accents they do use are not authentic or even consistent. When you sing If I Were a Rich Man in your head I imagine it's in an accent because that's just how you've always heard it, so you go into the musical expecting the same, and if there were none it would likely be jarring and poorly recieved by the general public, moreso than a bad accent.
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781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 11, 2019 17:46:26 GMT
When you sing If I Were a Rich Man in your head I imagine it's in an accent In fact it was jarring in this version when they turned the cheerful "diddle-dums" into cries of pain as he washed. . Oh my. What production was this? Would love to know! |
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781 posts
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Post by latefortheoverture on Jun 11, 2019 18:29:18 GMT
Must've missed it...
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364 posts
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Post by tysilio2 on Jun 13, 2019 10:47:54 GMT
Do any of the main ticket sites offer better deals than other for this show please. Or Theatremonkey.com? TodayTix or dayseating probably isn't an option for me. Most probably looking at a couple of midprice tickets for a Thursday matinee if that helps. Thanks peeps!
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313 posts
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Post by macksennett on Jun 18, 2019 20:49:22 GMT
What’s the view like from stalls row A? Is the stage high? And how much is staged in the stalls itself?!
Anyone been to Maria’s first shows today?
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3,535 posts
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Post by Rory on Jun 18, 2019 21:03:07 GMT
What’s the view like from stalls row A? Is the stage high? And how much is staged in the stalls itself?! Anyone been to Maria’s first shows today? I saw it from Stalls Row A and loved it. I was right beside the walkway into the stalls stage left. It's not an especially high stage at all and you're slap bang in the action. |
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736 posts
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Post by dippy on Jun 18, 2019 21:56:11 GMT
What’s the view like from stalls row A? Is the stage high? And how much is staged in the stalls itself?! Anyone been to Maria’s first shows today? I agree with Rory the view is great, it would be a bit cramped though if you're tall, I'm not so it was fine for me. The stage is maybe chin height and you rarely need to look right up. Most of the action on stage it a little bit further back so you don't have to look up but every now and then you'll have to look straight up in the rare moments you want to watch someone right in front of you. Depending on where in the row you sit you might feel like a dancer is about to land on you since they are so close. As to what's in the stalls itself, there's only maybe one line of dialogue in the whole show that is on the walkway. There are lots of comings and goings along the central walkway and then down the stage right side (high seat number side) but that's pretty much it. |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 18, 2019 22:09:04 GMT
Saw on Saturday and cries of pain is a bit of an overstatement, more like expressing his exhaustion after the day's work. When I read cries of pain before seeing it I was expecting full on screams haha. |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 19, 2019 12:22:54 GMT
^May have toned it down, then, as there were certainly (manly) squeals at times when I saw it. Maybe but from your description I was expected like loud cries of pain, like wails (which I have no idea how that would work). |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jun 19, 2019 22:01:21 GMT
Oh, right. I felt they were loud - or maybe I just felt them, I don't know. He could have very easily toned them down since you saw it. I also don't remember the film very well at all so perhaps that part of it was less jarring for me. |
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660 posts
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Post by Oleanna on Jun 19, 2019 22:14:05 GMT
When I saw it, I thought the arm pain was played so much (and in other scenes too), that it was setting it up for Tevye to die of a heart attack in the final scene!
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129 posts
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Post by critchyboy on Jun 20, 2019 11:33:11 GMT
I like the contrast of singing about the joys of being rich whilst being bothered by the aches and pains of that the day has brought!!
Going to have to go and attempt to see this again..!
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1,819 posts
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Post by stevej678 on Jun 27, 2019 15:36:54 GMT
Final extension announced. Closing 2nd November.
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4,961 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 27, 2019 16:31:17 GMT
When do we start the guessing game of what shows goes in next and who will be the understudy?
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Post by xanady on Jun 27, 2019 16:39:53 GMT
Something starring Kelsey Grammer...nobody said.
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I cannot imagine that Dame Maggie used a terrible German accent for her solo show "A German Life" now, did she? We were fine believing her to be an old German lady even when she spoke normal English. 
