294 posts
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Post by dani on Feb 11, 2019 18:00:06 GMT
I think it's the first preview of this tonight. I'll be interested to hear reports, not least about how long it is!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 18:05:41 GMT
I'm going later this week. I couldn't for the life of me work out why I'd booked but then I realised Fisayo Akinade was in it so that much have been the reason why. Now I've had a look at the website and notice that the foxy Elliot Cowan is in it too so I'm glad I booked in the end. Justine Mitchell has always been good value as far as I'm concerned so it's looking like a good cast.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 11, 2019 21:04:05 GMT
Elliot Cowan 😍😍😍😍
Not heard that name in ages
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Post by altamont on Feb 11, 2019 21:12:11 GMT
He was brilliant as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar at the Crucible in Sheffield a couple of years ago
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Post by Rory on Feb 12, 2019 0:02:09 GMT
I think it's the first preview of this tonight. I'll be interested to hear reports, not least about how long it is! 3 and a half hours according to someone on Twitter who saw it tonight! Eek! |
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Post by david on Feb 12, 2019 0:04:46 GMT
I think it's the first preview of this tonight. I'll be interested to hear reports, not least about how long it is! 3 and a half hours according to someone on Twitter who saw it tonight! Eek! I’d fact check that. It’s probably fake news! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 8:56:20 GMT
I mean, the matinee performances start at 1:30pm and the evening performances start at 7pm, was anyone under the illusion at any point that this might turn out to be a standard 2h30m play?
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371 posts
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Post by popcultureboy on Feb 12, 2019 9:20:38 GMT
Three and a half hours on the first preview is actually a half hour shorter than I was anticipating for the first preview.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 9:21:39 GMT
Three and a half hours?? I'll bring my armbands.
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Post by zahidf on Feb 12, 2019 11:32:49 GMT
Box office told me it's 3 hours 25 mins at the moment.
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Post by lonlad on Feb 12, 2019 12:01:13 GMT
Not a surprise -- so was her play, MR BURNS.
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Post by kathryn on Feb 12, 2019 12:10:10 GMT
*checks*
Yes, I did book a matinee for this. Phew!
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Post by chameleon on Feb 12, 2019 18:08:07 GMT
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Post by lonlad on Feb 12, 2019 23:18:14 GMT
That YouTube review is totally worthless.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 12, 2019 23:23:38 GMT
That YouTube review is totally worthless. Why is it worthless? |
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Post by lonlad on Feb 12, 2019 23:43:03 GMT
Did you watch it? The guy goes on and on about how unengaged he is for 3-1/2 hours of a political play which is clearly a genre he doesn't like or, one imagines, even understand, and then he just repeats himself again and again and again -- would that he had taken a leaf out of his own review. (And let's hope he never sees a play by Kushner or Shaw.)
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Post by chameleon on Feb 13, 2019 1:36:14 GMT
No - he's saying (as I understand) that this political play in particular is unengaging because (according to him) there's no apparent story - it's just people engaging in arguments he's heard before. Compare with something like 'Angels in America' where much of the politics emerge from the action, rather than just being discussed...
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Post by thetheatebug on Feb 13, 2019 2:50:41 GMT
No - he's saying (as I understand) that this political play in particular is unengaging because (according to him) there's no apparent story - it's just people engaging in arguments he's heard before. Compare with something like 'Angels in America' where much of the politics emerge from the action, rather than just being discussed... Thank you! What I try to get at in the review is that the political genre isn’t bad but it’s when plays focus on a mass debate rather than include a powerful and driven narrative alongside messages of a political nature. Shipwreck was a group of people debating with no real narrative and no characters that had any journey. I really have enjoyed political plays in the past- Labour of Love by James Graham springs to mind instantly - a beautifully funny narrative about two people who fall in love because of the party they are working for. As an audience we also learn a lot about the Labour Party and the history of it whilst also identifying the struggles it has had! Shipwreck achieves nothing close to a play like that and I believe that is down to the complete lack of character development, narrative and well, drama. Thanks for sharing the review! |
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Post by peggs on Feb 13, 2019 10:15:00 GMT
I watched it and was engaged, review not the play. Also enjoyed eyeing up his play posters 😁
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 13, 2019 11:48:25 GMT
No - he's saying (as I understand) that this political play in particular is unengaging because (according to him) there's no apparent story - it's just people engaging in arguments he's heard before. Compare with something like 'Angels in America' where much of the politics emerge from the action, rather than just being discussed... Thank you! What I try to get at in the review is that the political genre isn’t bad but it’s when plays focus on a mass debate rather than include a powerful and driven narrative alongside messages of a political nature. Shipwreck was a group of people debating with no real narrative and no characters that had any journey. I really have enjoyed political plays in the past- Labour of Love by James Graham springs to mind instantly - a beautifully funny narrative about two people who fall in love because of the party they are working for. As an audience we also learn a lot about the Labour Party and the history of it whilst also identifying the struggles it has had! Shipwreck achieves nothing close to a play like that and I believe that is down to the complete lack of character development, narrative and well, drama. Thanks for sharing the review! I enjoyed and appreciated your review, alexhill. At least you had the passion and interest and willingness to share your opinions on something you have seen. Ignore the haters  |
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Post by catcat100 on Feb 13, 2019 23:47:31 GMT
Saw this tonight and have a few thoughts.
Its more of a series of scenes around 3 themes rather than a straight through play, the scenes do all come together at the end for a bit of thoughtful closure which you don't really expect to get as you plough your way through the 3+ hours.
Particularly in the first half, some scenes do go on, and on. These scenes are more political debate rather than political drama and do go over old arguments (they're based around the start of Trump's presidency and we all know what other crazy sh*t has happened since then). But they are interspersed with more interesting scenes, particularly the 2 Trump scenes, and the second half does flow much quicker. Unfortunately the political debate did put a few people off and there were a number of empty seats in the second half.
Now, on to the best and the worst bit of the play. Its staging. There's a big main circular stage in the middle, with chairs all around it, some for the audience, and a small stage against the back wall. This is all well and good and particularly effective in the second trump scene when all the bells and whistles are going, there's lights, spinning, fire, smoke, video on the far wall and very good sound.
Unfortunately if you're up in the circle, particularly the back 3 rows, you miss a lot of it, there's a big lighting rig which blocks half of the video, you lose the front of the stage due to it being so far forward and when the actors walk around the stage they go under the circle and you can't see them at all. Very frustrating.
Overall some good, some bad, relatively enjoyable, 5/10.
PS am very pleased with the variety of plays coming out of the Almeida at the moment. Over the last year don't think there's been 2 plays that have been similar and hope they keep that up.
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Post by foxa on Feb 14, 2019 14:06:16 GMT
I didn't watch it all because I'm not a big fan of video reviews (I can read faster than I can listen :-)), but I didn't think it was worthless. It does give away what I think is probably one important plot (such as there is) point early on, but it helpfully confirms current running times (about 3 and a half hours.) Makes interesting comparison with The Inheritance.
Someone who I like posted something pretty negative about an early preview of this on Twitter as well.
I've got tickets for this later in its run. Wonder if it will get shorter....
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Post by chameleon on Feb 14, 2019 17:53:51 GMT
tip for talky videos. turn on the subtitles, then set the speed to x2..
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Post by n1david on Feb 20, 2019 13:29:20 GMT
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 20, 2019 14:10:23 GMT
I saw the play last night. A middle of the road experience for me. The performances are very good and Fisayo Akinade seems to turn everything he does into gold. Some knowledge of Donald Trump and the American politics are essential, otherwise many references are missed (I hardly followed everything). Still, it is quite one-sided (privileged white liberals debating on how Trump could be elected), long and felt more like a debate than a real play. The dystopic Trumpian scenes are intriguing (and the second really reminded me of Mr Burns). Ultimately I feel "Sweat" told me more about who may have voted for Trump, but "Shipwreck" remains an interesting analysis of the post-truth world in which we seem to have plunged.
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