562 posts
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Post by jadnoop on Jun 13, 2019 7:09:02 GMT
Saw this on Opening Night. I didn't like it at all, it was a very uncomfortable watch. It reminded me of watching the film "Happiness", thoroughly squirmy. The allure of a top Hollywood actor soon fades when the play is rubbish. I was thinking at the interval what was worse "bitter wheat" or "when we have sufficiently tortured each other"? Both which wasted great talents. Malkovich wore an oversized-suit which was like something out of a French & Saunders sketch, and lots of the dialogue was tedious and verbose and would never be said in real-life, so the characters are just creations on paper really. Malkovich and Doon did there best, but the supporting cast was lightweight. 3/10 for me. Uh oh. I was pretty confident that I wouldn’t be interested in this, but I have to say that comparisons to Happiness and When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other have piqued my interest ever so slightly. Both were definitely uncomfortable and not ‘enjoyable’ as such, but I thought both were good. The former especially. All in all, I’m still not quite convinced, but if a few of the reviews turn out to be positive, then who knows... |
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Post by Marwood on Jun 13, 2019 19:45:05 GMT
Interval time and it’s been pretty poor so far, to be honest - it’s only the fact we’ve only got another 45 minutes or so until the end that is stopping me from leaving.
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2,054 posts
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Post by Marwood on Jun 13, 2019 20:56:33 GMT
Kind of glad I stuck to the end but I generally think that was an evening wasted - a couple of mild laughs,mostly from Malkovich launching some mid range insults at people but imo it just wasn’t funny (it reminded me of Burn After Reading which I didn’t like either)
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2,481 posts
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Post by zahidf on Jun 17, 2019 12:39:37 GMT
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Post by theatrenerd21 on Jun 18, 2019 10:36:19 GMT
Saw Bitter Wheat a few nights ago and it was superb! Such an interesting show. Honestly so many moments where I felt so uncomfortable but all those moments where thought provoking. John Malkovich gives an unbelievable performance and the supporting cast are brilliant in equal measure. This show is definitely going to cause a stir in the West End but will ultimately start a well needed conversation.
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5,142 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 18, 2019 11:30:22 GMT
Didn't realise there are Sunday night performances. Almost unheard of in London's glittering West End!
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1,485 posts
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Post by Steve on Jun 18, 2019 12:14:32 GMT
For the first half, there's little dramatic tension, and by the time the drama appears in the second half, we don't much care for the characters. One consequence of the deflated drama is that the laughs don't land either, as so much of comedy is about releasing pent-up dramatic tension. Seeing Malkovich slither like a snake from scene to scene is fun, the principal reason to see this. Some spoilers follow. . . The best Mamet plays have males who sweat buckets, as existential angst crumbles their masculine identities to crumbs. That is the source of the drama AND the comedy. By contrast, Mamet's surface treatment of Malkovich's character here, Barney Fein, fails to dig deep into any aspect of his identity, relying on sly in-jokes about him only being like he is because he's "fat," and cheap jokes about his weak bond with his mother. This surface treatment of Fein's character runs through Mamet's treatment of plot too, as he glosses over the repercussions of Fein's actions to instead have Fein deflect in monologues about what a wonderful "liberal" he is. Evidently, Mamet intends to suggest the complicity of the posturing liberal establishment in creating and maintaining monsters like Fein, but the result is a play with no focus, a generally unfunny, undramatic, satirical portrait of a man without values bolstered by a society that merely pretends to have values. This could have worked if there was dramatic energy behind the characters and scenarios presented, but there simply isn't. Instead, the real fun is in seeing Malkovich attempt to make dramatic mountains out of molehills and comic molehills out of mountains. It doesn't work as a show so much as an acting exercise. If this was a better play, I'd say that the urbane Malkovich was miscast, as we really need more a more primitive, more desperate, more raging interiority for the manchild Fein character. Malkovich is so much better at civilising the abnormal (as he so chillingly and brilliantly did at the Barbican in "The Infernal Comedy" a few year ago, when he gave us an Austrian serial killer who was shockingly 95 percent likeable) than he is at uncivilising the banal, as here. I can imagine a furious actor like Ed Harris really getting his teeth into this part if it was actually worth playing. But as it is, the piece is absent at it's core, so there's really no flint or flame that could light it's embers. Therefore, a chance to see Malkovich swan around playing with different smooth and slippery line readings becomes in itself the raison d'etre to go. 3 stars for Malkovich the actor making the equivalent of a theatrical phonebook watchable.  |
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Post by sfsusan on Jun 18, 2019 21:25:11 GMT
I am afraid I really did not like it. From David Mamet I would expected a much more engaging play whereas it is rather dull and the characters are paper thin. The plausibility of the last scene is minimal in my opinion. It was nice to see John Malkovich on stage and the second act has some funny lines but overall it was a disappointment. I agree. I also agree with Steve's post, especially This is a good news/bad news play: good news... it's really funny at times; bad news... it's neither funny enough nor meaningful enough to be great; good news... it's short (2 hours total, including interval). I think of Mamet as a red-meat writer; as Steve says, he's best when exploring male identity. I think his mistake here is he's tried to write a sensitive play. I'd rather have seen Malkovich do a full-on, rage-filled defense of himself... instead the character crumbles and whines. There are some funny one-liners, and thank heavens the young woman {Spoiler - click to view}
doesn't end up on the casting couch but it doesn't really shed any light on the industry, the issue, the culture, the people. It's not Mamet's usual New York steak, but it's not as well-intentioned as a tofu-burger either; it's slightly bitter cotton candy (candy floss). |
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Post by lonlad on Jun 18, 2019 23:25:06 GMT
Where did you get the info about Sunday night performances? Their schedule at least online is:
Show Times
Monday – Saturday 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday 2.30pm
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1,217 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jun 18, 2019 23:50:08 GMT
Welcome to the board theatrenerd21. Great you feel there is a conversation to be had, and do have it here. TallPaul never knows what day of the week it is, you'll find that as you read his entries  The 3rd new member to join the board and only to post a positive review about Bitter Wheat.... Surely it's getting obvious now, mods? |
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Post by domlikeslondon on Jun 19, 2019 10:01:03 GMT
Actually saw this last week and thought it was so interesting! Incredible stuff watching Malkovich perform on stage, honestly felt like an honour. And then the whole cast were wonderful to watch, would definitely like to see what reaction this has after press night!
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 19, 2019 10:12:37 GMT
LOL.
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1,120 posts
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jun 19, 2019 11:35:28 GMT
LOL.
For what it's worth a friend of mine is working on this and says it's a complete ****show and is being constantly re-written during previews.
Full disclosure lest I be accused of having an agenda: I'm not going to see this. I don't want to see this. I've been biased against this since I first heard about it. I hate David Mamet.
Still press night tonight. We'll see what the critics make of it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2019 15:26:48 GMT
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Post by horton on Jun 19, 2019 17:20:47 GMT
I'd love to hear some more opinions from people who only want to comment on Bitter Wheat!
This play seems to be single-handedly introducing theatre to an exciting new audience!
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 19, 2019 18:37:44 GMT
:-)
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Post by partytentdown on Jun 19, 2019 21:34:53 GMT
Wasn't there an incident of this shady nature on the old board which ended up in the press? |
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Post by Polly1 on Jun 19, 2019 22:11:23 GMT
1* from The Stage "flabby, cynical and pointless".
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 19, 2019 22:21:00 GMT
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1,217 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jun 19, 2019 22:35:26 GMT
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 Love this, Xanderl. How do they think we believe them as punters?? |
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Post by lonlad on Jun 19, 2019 22:42:17 GMT
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 19, 2019 22:53:29 GMT
corrected.
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Jun 19, 2019 22:56:42 GMT
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1,217 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jun 19, 2019 23:02:01 GMT
The editors have amended the star rating on Billers review. Wonder if whatsonstage have the same policy? |
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 19, 2019 23:03:49 GMT
Nash16 - it was my error, confused it with The Stage. Apols for general confusion!
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