1,485 posts
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Post by Steve on May 13, 2019 12:08:56 GMT
I liked this at the first preview. The atmosphere and acting, the thrill of technology and the new, make for a wonderful theatrical ride, but underneath the surface, the play itself is thin.
We were asked NOT to SPOIL this, and I am going to take that to refer to the story, rather than the simple technological set-up that you are aware of in the first few seconds, so don't read on if you want to know nothing. . .
The binaural technology is the same as that used by Simon McBurney for his show "The Encounter," at the Barbican: you wear headphones so you can hear sounds come in your ears as if you are the lead character, Phoebe Fox's Anna. In the context of a story set in Big Brother East Germany, this feels apposite, intimate and frightening.
The reason the sides of the theatre are locked off is that if you are not looking forwards, the 3d soundscape created by the technology won't map to what you're seeing. What you are seeing is Anna's apartment in East Berlin from the outside, through glass. This creates the creepy feel of being a stalker, peering in from the outside through glass, with the overly omnipotent intimacy of being able to hear whispers in Anna's ear, or the sound of her doing up a button.
This is where the production triumphs, in that the unique experience of the show, aided and abetted by utterly believable performances from the entire ensemble, make for the theatrical equivalent of a ride on a ghost train, a ghost train where you are the ghosts!
But like most new technology experiences, the story bends to the technology. Like 3D Disneyworld shows where they put on documentaries about outer space, or the tundra in the desert, the idea is to create sensation and experience, first and foremost. The story is collateral damage.
Simply put, anyone who has seen any spy surveillance story, or any Big Brother style thriller, will guess where this story goes. Like life and ghost trains, this show isn't about the destination but the ride. And the actors, in particular a natural and nervy Phoebe Fox, glacial and enigmatic Max Bennett, and everyman Paul Bazeley, ensure this ride is creepy and chilling.
4 stars.  |
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Post by londonpostie on May 13, 2019 13:12:46 GMT
Thanks. Was it 25 quid, and no side seating?
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1,485 posts
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Post by Steve on May 13, 2019 14:03:34 GMT
Thanks. Was it 25 quid, and no side seating? I gave £15 for the "restricted view" front row, which didn't seem any more restricted than any other seat really. There are rooms you can't see inside much by design, and that's obviously not a "restricted view" as such. That's just clever.
I think I recall that unrestricted preview seats were £35 or £25. Prices rise after previews, and given the scarcity of seats, I imagine that dynamic pricing upwards may kick in on some held back seats, but not all, as they always make sure there is something cheap for rush/day seats, I think.
Yes, there was no side seating. The second tier was open only for the front facing section.
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1,255 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on May 14, 2019 16:39:31 GMT
Only 1 hour 15 mins long. Wahooooooooo
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Post by n1david on May 16, 2019 9:17:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 9:38:15 GMT
Tickets currently available for all performances up to 25th May (except for 18th May). Looks like they have released some on the back row of the circle for these dates.
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Post by londonpostie on May 16, 2019 15:39:35 GMT
Almost gone now. Bit strong for me at these prices. Tricky for the NT if the side seating is utilised for the staging.
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Post by theatre241 on May 20, 2019 17:16:56 GMT
Loads of seats released now! Has anyone seen Anna yet wondering whether or not to book
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Post by Snciole on May 21, 2019 10:34:57 GMT
I really liked this, interesting use of technology and it was spine chilling without being scary. Phoebe Fox is mesmerising and I hope she gets the sort of accolades her husband Kyle Soller has been getting. 'Anna' sees her reunite with Michael Gould after A View from the Bridge and this is another interesting period piece about 1968 East Germany and the haunting that WWII had over the generation that was children/adolescents during the war but now finds themselves in a different draconian society. It is a lovely piece from Ella Hickson, working just well in the quieter smaller scenes as well as the larger party scenes.
It is only an hour, which is great for getting home at a sensible time and the technology is so key to this piece that it has to work and if that means £15-35 a ticket then so be it. It wouldn't be the play it is without the audio. A nice experiment and it will be interesting to see where this technology heads next.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 15:11:46 GMT
Loads of seats released now! Has anyone seen Anna yet wondering whether or not to book Thanks for sharing that news! Managed to get tickets AND I remembered I had a credit note so I have used that. |
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Post by callum on May 21, 2019 21:49:40 GMT
This was definitely a play and a half (although length-wise it is literally just one half)! What a corker! Very ASMR but shan’t say any more. VERY VERY spoilery question ONLY for those that have seen it... was the whole thing a plan between Anna & Elena/Robert to get revenge on Max? How did Anna know that Max was going to implicate himself on tape? What made her throw her marriage under the bus like that? Need to see it again...! |
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Post by Mark on May 22, 2019 8:10:57 GMT
This was definitely a play and a half (although length-wise it is literally just one half)! What a corker! Very ASMR but shan’t say any more. VERY VERY spoilery question ONLY for those that have seen it... was the whole thing a plan between Anna & Elena/Robert to get revenge on Max? How did Anna know that Max was going to implicate himself on tape? What made her throw her marriage under the bus like that? Need to see it again...! I saw it last night and thought it was excellent. Really engaging and great use of the technology. To answer your question its a really difficult one! I genuinely believed she was going with him at one point. But it seems that yes it was set up. I guess with her having seen him about for several weeks, she knew what maybe his intentions were |
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Post by Snciole on May 22, 2019 20:29:50 GMT
This was definitely a play and a half (although length-wise it is literally just one half)! What a corker! Very ASMR but shan’t say any more. VERY VERY spoilery question ONLY for those that have seen it... was the whole thing a plan between Anna & Elena/Robert to get revenge on Max? How did Anna know that Max was going to implicate himself on tape? What made her throw her marriage under the bus like that? Need to see it again...! I really like that ASMR is going mainstream. I remember telling some people at a party about it and they thought it was f***ing weird... |
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Post by deadyankee on May 22, 2019 21:02:40 GMT
I just booked for this. Thought I had tickets for Friday in my basket but after checkout they turned out to be for Thursday - ie tomorrow. Never done anything this daft before - how are the National about exchanging tickets after a genuine mistake?
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2019 8:27:01 GMT
The Nash are very good about exchanging tickets as a general rule. There's a £2 fee (which they occasionally waive depending on their mood), and though you're a bit late to exchange for a credit note just because (they ask for 24/48 hours notice), you can certainly ask them to try reselling. The Dorfman being the smallest theatre and having lost a whole bunch of seats to the staging requirements, the odds are pretty good on a returned ticket being resold.
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32 posts
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Post by deadyankee on May 23, 2019 16:53:00 GMT
Thanks! They did agree to a straight swap for Friday night after a bit of discussion.
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Post by londonpostie on May 23, 2019 22:09:57 GMT
I've just given Billington an earful on Twitter, mostly for missing the main point (imo) and consequently being dismissive. Hurrumph. I shall say something nice on here tomorrow (in a spoiler!) |
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Post by dip on May 27, 2019 10:12:30 GMT
Thought this was incredible
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Post by deadyankee on May 27, 2019 16:20:41 GMT
Yes, we loved it too. Phoebe Fox is captivating and I’m not sure I took a breath in the final 30 minutes.
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Post by partytentdown on May 29, 2019 19:46:19 GMT
Enjoyed this very much, very clever indeed. We can be fairly sure it won't be attempted by any amdram groups any time soon.
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Post by londonpostie on May 29, 2019 20:48:57 GMT
I wanted to write something about this partly becasue Billington was such an arse in his review, and becasue, well, it works well and ... also it doesn't. Imo.
For example, I have issues with the overt dramatic premise. But anyway, I'm hoping to see it again on a day ticket so holding fire.
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Post by theatre241 on May 30, 2019 19:58:20 GMT
Queued for returns today. got here at 5 and was 3rd in line. We got offered two seats Row E for £45! That was a bit too expensive for me so I asked if there was anything else and she said there was a single seat for £40. My mum didn't really mind not seeing it so I took it. Row J 14 Pit. Great view. Easy returns queue but I hoped to spend less aha. Well worth it though. I incredibly naturalistic and film like. The sound design was incredible, never seen anything like it. I did get the story but a little confused. Can anyone just briefly explain lol
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Post by RedRose on May 31, 2019 12:40:35 GMT
Rush Tickets are in the backrow of the Stalls for this. Very happy I got one for next Thursday. It is my only chance to see it so not waiting for a £15 seat turn up online like this morning. Will be interesting how this compares with the production using headphones by Ostermeier I saw recently at Schaubühne which I watched from fron row and I liked very much.
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Post by londonpostie on May 31, 2019 14:30:09 GMT
well, before I try to see this again, would someone help me out with this then - in spoiler code as per the casts wishes: Why did the taped confession ruse need to be so immensely complicated when he had two false USA passports on him, and presumably would anyway if he'd been stopped at an airport or checkpoint. The 'crime' amounts to the same. There is more to this, of course - including allusions to NSA, Snowden, Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, et all - but you've got to have your basic ducks lined up. |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jun 1, 2019 8:57:52 GMT
I wanted to write something about this partly becasue Billington was such an arse in his review, and becasue, well, it works well and ... also it doesn't. Imo. For example, I have issues with the overt dramatic premise. But anyway, I'm hoping to see it again on a day ticket so holding fire. Anyone who uses Billington and arse in the same sentence gets a heart from me |
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