Botticelli in the Fire -- Hampstead

[Fleance]

Has no one a kind word (or any word) to say about Botticelli in the Fire? Although it certainly won't be to everyone's taste, I enjoyed it very much. To quote the eponymous character, beautifully played by Dickie Beau: "It's not just a play, it's an extravaganza." Blanche McIntyre has directed Canadian Jordan Tannahill's play with great style. The critics were divided, with most awarding three stars. Broadway World gave five.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler - click to view}
The image of Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci making peanut butter sandwiches after having sex is the perfect ending to this fascinating, provocative play.

[ftfadia]

Seeing it Monday, will avoid reading and replying until then

[Latecomer]

There tomorrow for the matinee! Looking forward to it!

[Latecomer]

Well, that was dramatic! If you are at all afraid of fire I wouldn’t sit too close....they have had quite some fun with their special effects!
I liked the play....I felt it was a little disjointed, almost like a series of sketches or paintings that all together lacked a tiny bit of fairy dust to make complete magic but A+ for imagination and effort! Plus not dull and had me skuttling to Wikipedia like my pants were on fire afterwards to see what was true and what imagined!

[NeilVHughes]

An interesting take on hedonism redemption and the detachment of the ruling classes. In all much better than I was expecting, went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

Knew very little of Botticelli beforehand and also did some googling afterwards, the story can be extrapolated from the historical and biographical details on Wikipedia with very little artistic license.

Good to hear Dickie Beau’s own voice as the only other time I’ve seen him, he was mesmerisingly miming in his homage to past Hamlets.

One thing that was surprising was the explicitness of the piece, definitely more nudity than I was expecting especially for this Theatre.

[Latecomer]

Nov 9, 2019 18:26:39 GMT NeilVHughes said:

An interesting take on hedonism redemption and the detachment of the ruling classes. In all much better than I was expecting, went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

Knew very little of Botticelli beforehand and also did some googling afterwards, the story can be extrapolated from the historical and biographical details on Wikipedia with very little artistic license.

Good to hear Dickie Beau’s own voice as the only other time I’ve seen him, he was mesmerisingly miming in his homage to past Hamlets.

One thing that was surprising was the explicitness of the piece, definitely more nudity than I was expecting especially for this Theatre.

Yes, more nudity than the matinee audience were expecting too, I think! Plus swearing. Didn’t bother me but a few there that just sat, rather shell shocked. Also not as much laughter at the funny (and sometimes shocking) lines to the audience...would have been different at a younger venue! 

[edi]

Nov 10, 2019 19:26:35 GMT Latecomer said:

Nov 9, 2019 18:26:39 GMT NeilVHughes said:

An interesting take on hedonism redemption and the detachment of the ruling classes. In all much better than I was expecting, went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

Knew very little of Botticelli beforehand and also did some googling afterwards, the story can be extrapolated from the historical and biographical details on Wikipedia with very little artistic license.

Good to hear Dickie Beau’s own voice as the only other time I’ve seen him, he was mesmerisingly miming in his homage to past Hamlets.

One thing that was surprising was the explicitness of the piece, definitely more nudity than I was expecting especially for this Theatre.

Yes, more nudity than the matinee audience were expecting too, I think! Plus swearing. Didn’t bother me but a few there that just sat, rather shell shocked. Also not as much laughter at the funny (and sometimes shocking) lines to the audience...would have been different at a younger venue! 

Both male and female nudity?

[Latecomer]

Yes!

[tmesis]

I really enjoyed this at the matinee today. At last a play at Hampstead that really shakes up.(but in a good way) the slightly Chichester-like atmosphere of the place.
Also I really loved the cleverly choreographed squash match and was very impressed at the production values. They are lucky in that respect; The Almeida and The Donmar don't really have the facilities to pull off the almost NT level of transformation we got today.

[orchidman]

Nov 9, 2019 18:26:39 GMT NeilVHughes said:

 the story can be extrapolated from the historical and biographical details on Wikipedia with very little artistic license.

What? The historical record is patchy but I think it's safe to say this play was at least 90% stuff that never happened.

Think this would have made a good play 90 minutes straight through, how it got puffed out to 2 hours 30 with an interval I don't know.

[ftfadia]

Nov 23, 2019 0:15:12 GMT orchidman said:

Nov 9, 2019 18:26:39 GMT NeilVHughes said:

 the story can be extrapolated from the historical and biographical details on Wikipedia with very little artistic license.

What? The historical record is patchy but I think it's safe to say this play was at least 90% stuff that never happened.

Think this would have made a good play 90 minutes straight through, how it got puffed out to 2 hours 30 with an interval I don't know.

Exactly. This is what had me bothered and distracted during most of the play, soooo much of it was made up when I'd actually hoped to learn something and see actual history brought to life. Probably not helped by the fact I'd just finished a biography on Da Vinci so I couldn't help screaming in my mind the whole time HE WASN'T EVEN IN FLORENCE DURING THIS!!!!

Can't really comment on the rest of the show, I probably missed a lot due to this. 

[Latecomer]

It’s an imagining...like Shakespeare in Love! I thought it was fun and then went home and googled lots of stuff....the play does make it clear that it isn’t actual fact but I quite like that. It rather like the Stoppard one? I agree it’s rather confusing unless you suspend all disbelief and just sit back and enjoy!