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Post by jadnoop on Jan 15, 2019 10:19:54 GMT
They also (not so politely) declined my offer to show them how to put their Apple Watches into Theatre Mode at the interval. Mind you, if it had been in Theatre Mode he wouldn't have heard the chirrup and checked his messages halfway through Act One. Ugh, this is annoying. How is it that some people reach adulthood and refuse to understand that theatres/galleries/cinemas aren't simply extensions of their living rooms?! |
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Post by sf on Jan 18, 2019 17:16:03 GMT
Saw it yesterday afternoon. A beautifully-written character study of people under duress, although I was twenty minutes ahead of the plot most of the way through (I hadn't read it before I saw it). Strong production, and superb performances from Clare Perkins and Martha Plimpton. It's the absolute opposite of uplifting, and right now, in this country, there are some terrifying parallels, in that we're on the edge of a political change which will, if it goes ahead, cause multinational manufacturers to move their operations elsewhere, possibly quite abruptly.
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Post by crowblack on Jan 18, 2019 17:48:52 GMT
cause multinational manufacturers to move their operations elsewhere For many - most - it's already happened. The various factories my relatives worked in have long since closed and been demolished. One uncle - a highly skilled engineer - was offered the chance of continued employment if he moved to Southhampton docks to work packaging the radios when they came in from the new plant overseas. His life fell to pieces, like the characters in this play. The current generation of engineers in my family work repairing and restoring vintage vehicles, almost all with brand names now dead or kept going on a much smaller scale by enthusiasts. |
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Post by sf on Jan 18, 2019 17:55:45 GMT
cause multinational manufacturers to move their operations elsewhere For many - most - it's already happened. The various factories my relatives worked in have long since closed and been demolished. One uncle - a highly skilled engineer - was offered the chance of continued employment if he moved to Southhampton docks to work packaging the radios when they came in from the new plant overseas. His life fell to pieces, like the characters in this play. The current generation of engineers in my family work repairing and restoring vintage vehicles, almost all with brand names now dead or kept going on a much smaller scale by enthusiasts.
True. My point is simply that thanks to an entirely self-inflicted choice, we are on the verge of killing off most of what's left.
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Post by Mark on Jan 18, 2019 18:20:32 GMT
A few tickets just appeared for tomorrow! Managed to get one after trying all week.
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Post by crowblack on Jan 18, 2019 18:30:16 GMT
we could become the Mexico of Europe I think some places feel like that already. I remember seeing a documentary where Mexican men stood on street corners in the small hours hoping a truck would pick them up for work that day. A 'blue collar' friend in Manchester tells me they now have that system here - if they want 6 men they'll call up 8 or 10, have them wait on street corners, and the ones first on the van route get the work. The others go home empty handed. And this isn't for some fly-by-night employer but a business you may have used. |
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Post by Polly1 on Jan 19, 2019 13:55:32 GMT
I saw this in the week. I can understand why it got tremendous reviews - superbly acted, great direction (the bar fight was terrifying), authentic dialogue (as it should have been of course, given the amount of research undertaken) and both relevant and timeless, I can imagine it being revived well into the future. I enjoyed the evening and was pleased to have seen it. And yet ... it was a touch predictable and for me it didn't have that spark of originality and extra something to make me love it as much as say Gloria or An Octoroon.
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Post by Rory on Jan 19, 2019 15:04:33 GMT
Any behind the scenes talk that you're aware of about a transfer for this, mrbarnaby or nash16? Dying to see it but the Donmar dates didn't work for me unfortunately. |
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Post by nash16 on Jan 19, 2019 21:40:04 GMT
Any behind the scenes talk that you're aware of about a transfer for this, mrbarnaby or nash16? Dying to see it but the Donmar dates didn't work for me unfortunately. Nothing I've heard. The reviewers loved it, but apparently the word of mouth from audiences was less ecstatic (mainly because of the second half). Also Martha has filming lined up straight after this. It would be lovely to see it go into town though, even with a recast. |
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Post by Mark on Jan 19, 2019 22:15:58 GMT
I loved this today. A really great play, with some fantastic dialogue. The characters all felt real. Interesting how it all came together, and a particularly sad ending in multiple ways. Great cast!
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Post by Rory on Jan 20, 2019 15:07:23 GMT
Any behind the scenes talk that you're aware of about a transfer for this, mrbarnaby or nash16? Dying to see it but the Donmar dates didn't work for me unfortunately. Nothing I've heard. The reviewers loved it, but apparently the word of mouth from audiences was less ecstatic (mainly because of the second half). Also Martha has filming lined up straight after this. It would be lovely to see it go into town though, even with a recast. I've just realised Clare Perkins will also be unavailable for an immediate transfer as she's already transferring into town with Emilia. Fingers crossed Sweat comes into town later in the year. |
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Post by youngoffender on Jan 20, 2019 18:59:52 GMT
I heard that Lynn Nottage's SWEAT had been generating great B.O. at the Donmar, so fortunately was able to get a standing ticket yesterday to immerse myself in it.
As others have said, one of the best nights at the theatre for some time - a really strong, nuanced script played with great conviction by the whole cast, and highly pertinent to what's happening in the US right now.
For all the authenticity everywhere else, it was a shame for the set to let the side down. It is vanishingly unlikely that a blue-collar Pennsylvanian bar would have Estrella on tap now, let alone back in 2000. Oh, and when one of the characters presents another with the Cher 'Believe' album as if it's the latest thing - that actually came out in '98.
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Post by sf on Jan 21, 2019 18:13:58 GMT
For all the authenticity everywhere else, it was a shame for the set to let the side down. It is vanishingly unlikely that a blue-collar Pennsylvanian bar would have Estrella on tap now, let alone back in 2000. And also, re: the set, that purely decorative, not-structural floor-to-ceiling iron girder obscuring the view of the stage from quite a lot of seats on one side of the house comes straight from the we-don't-give-a-sh*t-about-the-audience school of set design, and a less arrogant designer could easily have found a solution that provided the same visual cue without messing up the sightlines. |
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Post by crowblack on Jan 21, 2019 19:25:45 GMT
not-structural floor-to-ceiling iron girder obscuring the view of the stage from quite a lot of seats on one side I like the set but I did hear people complaining about the obstructed view from there too. |
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Post by Jon on Jan 21, 2019 21:48:22 GMT
My guess is that this would look odd in a larger house. Ambassadors, perhaps, but it is partly that we are crowding around them which sells the play, I think. Another thing is that it struggled on Broadway a few years ago so it might be the case apart from theatre and cast availability, producers would be nervous transferring it, selling out a 500-800 seat theatre is harder than selling out the Donmar, |
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Post by n1david on Jan 22, 2019 1:23:06 GMT
not-structural floor-to-ceiling iron girder obscuring the view of the stage from quite a lot of seats on one side I like the set but I did hear people complaining about the obstructed view from there too. Yes, I forgot to mention that. We were in the two stalls seats on the aisle in row C and that bl**dy girder got in the way at several key plot points. It’s another credit to the play that I forgot to mention it in my comments... |
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Post by kathryn on Jan 23, 2019 11:54:03 GMT
I just grabbed one of a pair of returns on the front row of the side stalls for this Saturday evening, if anyone is looking for a ticket. There's standing tickets on the website for Thursday afternoon too.
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Post by firstwetakemanhattan on Jan 24, 2019 10:39:27 GMT
First post on the board, as good a place to start as any. Managed to grab a ticket for Saturday evening in the stalls, after literally weeks of checking and trying. Very much looking forward to it after reading such positive things on here. Theres a ten pound single ticket for tonight that is available currently as well.
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Post by caa on Jan 24, 2019 19:15:35 GMT
Really enjoyed this when I saw it last week.
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Post by callum on Jan 24, 2019 22:47:35 GMT
Martha Plimpton was a dragon on Tuesday night - amazing! Thought it was superb and definitely deserving of a transfer. I agree, though, that the final two minutes were too on the nose.
I was also shocked at curtain call to find out the counsellor in the bookend scenes and the Bruce character WEREN’T played by the same actor!
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Post by kathryn on Jan 27, 2019 9:42:49 GMT
I have to admit, during the interval last night I was wondering what all the fuss was about. But that second act - and especially the final scene - really does bring it all together.
It’s going to stay with me for a while.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jan 27, 2019 10:43:01 GMT
Was also there last night, perfectly paced and beautifully written, a naturalness which gave the impression of eavesdropping on a real group of friends as their world was being torn apart, the lack of control influence was laid bare as all their beliefs in how the world works is destroyed in an instant.
Made me think of all the great industry that has evaporated in the UK within a generation and what it really means is the destruction of community as historically these have been intrinsically linked as we defined our position in society by our shared ‘industry’
“there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families”
This is patently true now, an outcome engineered to spread fear and insecurity, as in the true reason that Council Houses were sold was not to produce a nation of homeowners but a nation of people beholden to their employers and financial institutions, the correlation between the number of days lost to strikes* against the rise in homeownership is startling, showing it for what it really is, a great piece of social engineering.
(*not advocating a return to the strike culture of the 70’s as most of it was taking the piss and this striking mentality is equally culpable for the social engineering carried out over the last 30 years as any Government)
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Post by firstwetakemanhattan on Jan 27, 2019 11:36:46 GMT
Make it three as to being there as well last night(stalls left). Fabulous play, fantastic acting and story and overall feel to the entire thing. I am not as good as others at putting things into words, but a truly brilliant piece of theatre, deserves all the rave reviews and praise it has got. Very moving ending which I wasn't expecting either. Feel lucky to have grabbed a ticket. Very hot in the Donmar though!.
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Post by kathryn on Jan 27, 2019 16:21:48 GMT
firstwetakemanhattan were you on the front row of the left stalls? I was in A38. I was wondering if you’d grabbed the return next to me...
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Post by foxa on Jan 27, 2019 16:31:32 GMT
I was up in the circle at yesterday's matinee (Row B, side, no sightline problems.)
Thought it was great and makes me want to see/read more of Nottage's work. The programme was informative - she works with a group of researchers and visited Reading, PA a number of times over two years in preparation for writing this. All the performances were strong - I especially liked Plimpton and Perkins. The fight scene was really well staged. The whole play was nuanced and multi-layered and so relevant (I had a bit of a surprise when I read it was first performed in 2015, I had assumed it was even more recent.)
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