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Post by jampot on Jun 13, 2019 12:48:55 GMT
I must single out Rosalind Eleazar as this has to be her breakthrough performance. Highly recommended. Yes! Rosalind was excellent... |
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Post by tommy on Jun 13, 2019 18:01:11 GMT
I know the reviews for this are very mixed, but I saw this last night and thought it was excellent. It's rare for a play to hold my attention for 3 hours 10 minutes. This one did and I wasn't thinking about the finish time at all. The front row centre seat helped. The stage is very high, but you get an excellent view of faces and you can see the acting masterclass from Matthew Broderick, particularly in the classroom scenes played out at the front of the stage (the only downside being a projector right in front of you). And you can see upper bodies for the staging further back. I'm 5'8" and was fine with the view. There were a few people in the front row who moved further back during the interval, although the theatre was pretty full. I connected with this one as the themes mattered to me. The plot is fairly predictable, but this is a character driven piece, masterfully staged. Just the right of comedy. I must single out Rosalind Eleazar as this has to be her breakthrough performance. Highly recommended. I agree, couldn't believe it ran for over 3 hours, it certainly didn't feel like that to me. Given the mixed reviews, this proves how one can dislike and the other praise this production, I also loved it! Indeed Rosalind Eleazar, hadn't heard of her before, but she took the stage. |
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Post by hedda4897 on Jun 13, 2019 18:44:29 GMT
I really enjoyed this play and thought Rosalind the star of the show.
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 17, 2019 8:28:15 GMT
A friend is hoping to see the mid-week matinee of this but can't afford full whack for the tickets. Are the £25 rush tickets from TodayTix the best deal or are there others out there?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2019 14:09:43 GMT
A friend is hoping to see the mid-week matinee of this but can't afford full whack for the tickets. Are the £25 rush tickets from TodayTix the best deal or are there others out there? If they mean this week's Wednesday matinee there's some dynamic pricing on the DMT site and stalls row Q and R are £14.75, and row N, O and P are £27.25. View from row R is excellent, sat there the other week. |
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Post by foxa on Jun 17, 2019 14:12:22 GMT
THANKS! I will pass that on!
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5,142 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 17, 2019 15:33:01 GMT
THANKS! I will pass that on! If looking for a later date, your friend may also wish to look at fromtheboxoffice.com, which looks to be about a week ahead of DMT itself. |
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Post by missthelma on Jun 19, 2019 19:23:14 GMT
Well Waitrose really are missing a trick not sponsoring this as it's the most middle class thing ever. I half expected biscotti and soy latte at the interval rather than ice cream.
But I digress, there are three or four potentially fascinating stories going on here, that you wish you could hear more about, Jim Norton's character for example, the two students who get to speak, but instead in the weird puzzle rug that is this play we get to focus on the least interesting and the one that has been flogged to death repeatedly in all forms of story telling for probably the last 50 years. Yes, the middle aged middle class white straight man's mid life crisis. As an examination of that, this probably falls somewhere in the middle ground, not offering any startling new insights and not being an offensive or particularly bad example of the type. The play is overlong, clocking in at just over three hours this afternoon and doesn't need to be. The second act is definitely better as after the first act I felt a bit non plussed and unsure what the point was. I can't honestly say I now know the point but there was a touch more dynamism after the interval.
Unfortunately for Matthew Broderick, it's the kind of character he can play in his sleep, when he is given chance to demonstrate his acting chops, he does it, supremely well in fact but this play offers him very few opportunities and I fear it will cause people to rehash the criticisms of him that are so common. Elizabeth McGovern does what she can with what she is given but her story and the marriage is another of those stories which is hinted at but not explored and you want more
There's some good and funny lines, a great set and a cast who give their all to what they were given on the page. It won't change your life but it won't ruin it either.
The stalls were about 2/3 rds full and a bit emptier post interval, not sure about rest of theatre. I managed to upgrade my front row seat to a much better one very reasonably thanks to the lovely box office staff. Side issue, have the seats in the Wyndham's always been so narrow? Or am I expanding more than I thought?
Security seemed a touch over zealous quizzing people about drinks etc.
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Post by missthelma on Jun 20, 2019 19:00:48 GMT
have the seats in the Wyndham's always been so narrow Yes. Very beautiful antique shape and lovely colour... but narrow... So then, Monsieur Monkey are you perhaps suggesting, or even insinuating that in fact it is I, who have indeed become more rotund since my last visit there?
The very idea!!! I've never been so insulted etc etc  |
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241 posts
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Post by justafan on Jun 26, 2019 19:40:30 GMT
Saw the matinee - wasn’t sure I fully understood the story but thought Matthew Broderick commanded the stage - there seemed to be raucous laughter at lines that I smiled at but didn’t think as funny as others. Despite the clear announcement and signage a mobile still went off 15mins in which peed me off. I’d bought a ticket in upper circle for £13.25 which was upgraded to row F of stalls which was perfect ... I wouldn’t have wanted to sit any further forward as that stage is very high
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Post by foxa on Jul 3, 2019 21:22:36 GMT
Caught a matinee of this today. Quite glad to have seen it, but can totally understand the lukewarm reactions. I liked the amusing teaching scenes and Jim Norton and Sinead Matthews (in a smallish role) were good. But it was a not entirely unfamiliar take on male menopause with a rather improbable and rapid wrapping up. At the interval people were commenting on how slow they were finding it. The people next to me left - and didn't take their programme, so got that - yay!. I can usually tune out coughing but one woman coughed pretty constantly and very loudly throughout the play. I thought she might leave at the interval (I certainly would have), but she was hacking away through key scenes all the way to the end. On occasion, the actors seemed to momentarily pause to accommodate her and people began to look around a bit. So I felt sorry for her, but a bit annoyed too.
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4,155 posts
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Post by kathryn on Jul 13, 2019 18:44:55 GMT
Bought a £15 grand circle ticket from Today Tix for the matinee today which turned into row g of the stalls when I collected it. Nice view.
Third of the stalls were empty at the curtain call - not sure if it started that way and people left at the interval though.
The play is fine, I suppose? It’s occasionally amusing, the performances are fine, it doesn’t have anything very profound to say but slips by easily enough.
A portrait of an average middle-aged white guy falling on his feet with minimal effort despite doing his best to upend his comfortable life, is probably how I’d describe it.
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4,176 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Jul 14, 2019 17:06:15 GMT
Looking to book a ticket for this show this week
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Post by Snciole on Jul 15, 2019 9:39:28 GMT
Caught a matinee of this today. Quite glad to have seen it, but can totally understand the lukewarm reactions. I liked the amusing teaching scenes and Jim Norton and Sinead Matthews (in a smallish role) were good. But it was a not entirely unfamiliar take on male menopause with a rather improbable and rapid wrapping up. At the interval people were commenting on how slow they were finding it. The people next to me left - and didn't take their programme, so got that - yay!. I can usually tune out coughing but one woman coughed pretty constantly and very loudly throughout the play. I thought she might leave at the interval (I certainly would have), but she was hacking away through key scenes all the way to the end. On occasion, the actors seemed to momentarily pause to accommodate her and people began to look around a bit. So I felt sorry for her, but a bit annoyed too. I get people abandoning a show but those programmes are pricey (I got a free Night of the Iguana programme as people bolted at the end as it was 11:45) |
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Post by talkingheads on Aug 2, 2019 9:32:53 GMT
I'm seeing this tonight, I'm not normally a stage door kind of person but I would love to get a photo with Broderick, anyone know what he's like in terms of getting photos and things? Is he willing or is he one of those who rushes out? Which obviously is fine but I'd rather know so I don't waste time trying!
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 2, 2019 11:24:14 GMT
I'm seeing this tonight, I'm not normally a stage door kind of person but I would love to get a photo with Broderick, anyone know what he's like in terms of getting photos and things? Is he willing or is he one of those who rushes out? Which obviously is fine but I'd rather know so I don't waste time trying! I seem to remember there's a notice on the stage door you may wish to read before taking your seat. Don't think it refers to photos, but MB will sign autographs on 'merchandise' relating to the play. Happy to be corrected by anyone who has been up the alley more recently than me. 😉 |
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