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Post by david on Apr 6, 2021 21:31:39 GMT
Nottingham Playhouse are doing a live stream Wed 14th July 7.30pm included in the revised dates of 2-17th July.
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 19, 2021 7:58:11 GMT
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Post by david on Jun 3, 2021 16:33:19 GMT
Casting just announced -
Performing alongside the previously announced Jenna Russell will be: Louis Gaunt (Gypsy, Standing at the Sky's Edge), Samuel James (James Graham's Sketching), Olivier nominated Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Little Miss Sunshine), Joseph Prowen (A Christmas Carol), Garry Robson (Our Country's Good, Nottingham Playhouse), Sally Ann Triplet (The Last Ship on Broadway, Anything Goes), Matthew Woodyatt (Fiddler on the Roof) and Zheng Xi Yong (Assassins, Nottingham Playhouse).
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jun 12, 2021 17:56:59 GMT
Anyone know vaguely how long this is? I know they’ve not announced running time, but are we talking a straight 80-90 mins or closer to a 2 1/2 hour with an interval kind of deal?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2021 11:04:20 GMT
Received an email this morning to say that in light of the government's decision to delay the end of restrictions, the show will be going ahead socially distanced and I'll be given a new seat. Very nice news to hear I'll still get to see the show considering I've had a ticket since last year, so the communication is very much appreciated.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2021 20:08:26 GMT
I got my new seat allocation from the box office earlier today. My front row seat is now a row from the back. The social distancing algorithm punishing solo theatregoers yet again, but I'm just happy to be seeing the show as I've had the ticket since beginning of last year.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 7, 2021 11:00:42 GMT
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Post by distantcousin on Jul 7, 2021 13:00:14 GMT
Damn, I shall miss the live stream!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 9, 2021 5:39:23 GMT
It’s looking very much like a musical in those WoS pics!
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 9, 2021 7:39:54 GMT
It’s looking very much like a musical in those WoS pics! Which almost certainly means it's a play. You don't have a great track record, BB. 😂 |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 9, 2021 9:09:46 GMT
It’s looking very much like a musical in those WoS pics! Which almost certainly means it's a play. You don't have a great track record, BB. 😂 Yet better than yours! 😌  |
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Post by sam22 on Jul 10, 2021 21:50:15 GMT
Anyone know vaguely how long this is? I know they’ve not announced running time, but are we talking a straight 80-90 mins or closer to a 2 1/2 hour with an interval kind of deal? First half is 55 mins 20 minute interval Second half 65 mins |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Jul 14, 2021 19:01:59 GMT
I made it 20 minutes in and gave up. The play itself was not very good, excessively vulgar which I assume is supposed to play as funny but I didn't crack a smile even once. This was not helped by the fact it was hosted on Zoom because the video and audio quality were pretty abysmal (which is pretty bad considering I had to download the Zoom client while other venues have managed to host perfectly serviceable livestreams via web browser), and there was a notification bar that popped up whenever someone put a message in the chat or Q&A function and which I could find no way of forcing permanently closed (and had no response to my question on doing so). Very disappointed.
It seems they were recording the livestream though so it might be made available after the fact to anyone interested (I don't know if that was already announced anywhere).
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 15, 2021 5:58:49 GMT
I agree Juicy.
Terrible quality over Zoom - do we really need the hands up?
I watched it to the end as I liked Dame Jenna's performance. The play is really terrible with no depth at all, I'm surprised it gets produced.
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Post by david on Jul 15, 2021 7:35:02 GMT
I agree Juicy. Terrible quality over Zoom - do we really need the hands up? I watched it to the end as I liked Dame Jenna's performance. The play is really terrible with no depth at all, I'm surprised it gets produced. I’m off to Leeds next Sat to see this. Though I’ll admit the JR casting was the main reason for me booking. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 15, 2021 7:56:28 GMT
I agree Juicy. Terrible quality over Zoom - do we really need the hands up? I watched it to the end as I liked Dame Jenna's performance. The play is really terrible with no depth at all, I'm surprised it gets produced. I’m off to Leeds next Sat to see this. Though I’ll admit the JR casting was the main reason for me booking. I think it will be a lot better live as the brilliant music and female trio will really shine |
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Post by david on Jul 24, 2021 16:33:06 GMT
Having made the trip across the Pennines to Leeds today to watch the matinee, I just glad I didn’t make the trek down to Nottingham to watch this. An absolutely awful book from Pam Gems that quite honestly has no positives to it. When you have to rely on the large amount of swearing and vulgarity that was in her writing, I find that to be very lazy writing and pointless. I just didn’t find that book of any interest to watch on stage and had very little appeal to me. There was very little emotional depth that made me care either about Piaf and her decline over the years.
The only saving grace for me this afternoon was the score that was delivered by Jenna and the cast with Gareth Valentine as the MD made this watchable. Being a big fan of Jenna Russell, Laura Pitt-Pulford and Sally Ann Triplett, these ladies didn’t disappoint and was a joy to listen to.
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Post by inthenose on Jul 24, 2021 17:00:00 GMT
I am very sad by these reviews, as I like Jenna. She once told me she sang the Red Dwarf theme tune uncredited for Howard Goodall - little bit of trivia there!
I didn't bother with this production as I agree, the play itself wasn't particularly noteworthy, though I didn't find it offensive. It takes a lot to offend me in a theatre. I'm usually more offended by other patrons (B.O!) than what is happening on stage. Piaf's prostitute friend was played by a larger actress, with most of the jokes coming at her expense, from what I recall.
But in spite of this I absolutely adored Jamie Lloyd's Donmar Warehouse production at the Vaudeville Theatre. Why? Elena Roger, who deservedly won the Olivier. Coming out afterwards, I said "if she doesn't win the Olivier for this, I'll eat my hat". She was an absolute tour-de-force and carried what was a very average play with one of the best single performances I've seen on a West End stage.
There were some very cool staging ideas, which I loved. A pretty awesome "boxing match" (much better than in Spiderman: Turn off the Dark where Peter Parker was boxing a wacky inflatable wavy arm man). "La Foule" was incredibly creepy, using wheeled floodlights to create a distorted, heroin addicted nightmare as Piaf is losing her mind. Some truly brilliant bits in amongst the knob and obesity jokes.
The play itself reminded me a lot of "End of the Rainbow" starring Tracie Bennett. The subject matter, the musical biography format and the one star turn carrying a bang average piece.
For me, this is one of those times where I've seen this particular work at it's absolute best. Seeing anybody else would be pointless as it wouldn't compare.
That said, I'm still really sad this has gone down so badly.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 25, 2021 19:03:36 GMT
Having made the trip across the Pennines to Leeds today to watch the matinee, I just glad I didn’t make the trek down to Nottingham to watch this. An absolutely awful book from Pam Gems that quite honestly has no positives to it. When you have to rely on the large amount of swearing and vulgarity that was in her writing, I find that to be very lazy writing and pointless. I just didn’t find that book of any interest to watch on stage and had very little appeal to me. There was very little emotional depth that made me care either about Piaf and her decline over the years. The only saving grace for me this afternoon was the score that was delivered by Jenna and the cast with Gareth Valentine as the MD made this watchable. Being a big fan of Jenna Russell, Laura Pitt-Pulford and Sally Ann Triplett, these ladies didn’t disappoint and was a joy to listen to. What a shame that you travelled for such a disappointing production. You are fast becoming our prime roving reporter david ! We used to have a northern correspondent… no idea what happened to them 🙂 |
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Post by TallPaul on Jul 25, 2021 20:40:56 GMT
No, it's a mystery isn't it, BurlyBeaR? Still, it's nice that so many southern members are travelling to places like Scarborough, Buxton and Leeds for their theatre fix. Only today we learnt that restaurants in deepest Derbyshire stay open later than in Chichester! 🙂 |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2021 20:58:32 GMT
I saw it in Nottingham a fortnight ago and actually really enjoyed it. I played Piaf in drag with this play at university as part of an assessment, and thought the fact that she's written as sweary and vulgar seemed understandable considering she was born in a Parisian slum and grew up in extreme poverty and her environment was far from nurturing. That's why the songs she sang were considered almost autobiographical to her because she'd experienced some of them first hand ("Les momes de la cloches" especially). I thought the ensemble work was excellent and loved the actor-musician aesthetic and the choice of combining the songs in English and the original French. My only problem with the book was that everything seemed too broken up in terms of the timeline and it wasn't quite clear whereabouts we were.
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 28, 2021 14:56:34 GMT
I found myself in the right part of the country yesterday, so attended Piaf at the Leeds Playhouse, having missed this in Nottingham and not seen the stream.
My hopes weren't all that high having seen the earlier comments, but I really enjoyed this.
Officially it is a "play with music" but it really isn't far off the style of jukebox musicals that are so popular right now. The book could be stronger, but the presentation is clear. I do think this is the type of play which would work better in the theatre rather than through a stream.
The three female leads are all very strong. Jenna Russell's voice suits the Piaf songs perfectly. Plus, there's a talented ensemble. Great to see Zheng Xi Yong and shame he doesn't get to play any instruments. He also gets to show off his physique, as does Louis Gaunt, which is a nice bonus if you like that sort of thing.
As for the Playhouse itself? The first time I've ever visited and it's a pleasant venue, but they were telling all the audience members they could take their mask off when they were seated. So, there were only a handful of people in the audience wearing a mask (I was one of them). Considering the average age of audience members was in the 70s, that's an unnecessary risk.
This wasn't full and two people near me managed to get into the Stalls with tickets for Thursday instead of Tuesday. They were allowed to stay and there were even seats available on the same row (with seats closed off for social distancing). They were also moving other people forward.
There are table seats right by the stage, but the view angle for those isn't great. The first row of seats proper is closed off. I managed to book a seat the day before I travelled for the centre of that row, which has to be the best place in the building to sit, especially as the stage extends forwards slightly in the middle. So don't feel you have to book table seats as the Stalls seating is close.
I do now feel I should read a book on Piaf to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge, but when most biopic musicals/plays with music struggle to find dramatic moments, this is a life story with no shortage of them. Glad I made the effort to see this fine regional production.
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Post by n1david on Jul 28, 2021 21:34:36 GMT
Still, it's nice that so many southern members are travelling to places like Scarborough, Buxton and Leeds for their theatre fix. Only today we learnt that restaurants in deepest Derbyshire stay open later than in Chichester! 🙂 Only during the two and a bit weeks of the Buxton Festival, I subsequently learn. Unlike the restaurants in my hometown of Glasgow. I don't know if that makes me a "southern member" or not. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 2, 2021 7:17:34 GMT
Available to rent from Nottingham Playhouse until 31st December
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