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Post by rumbledoll on Dec 8, 2016 14:07:22 GMT
Hmmm, doesn't sound good. I'm going later on. Wasn't it Eve Best who did a good Hedda, at the Almeida was it? The thing is, this play illustrares the structure of drama and influences it for yonks after. But difficult to get off the page. I've seen this one and thought both Hedda and Tesman was disastorously miscast... I read the play beforehand and it moved me. Almeida version - not in the slightest... |
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Post by peelee on Dec 8, 2016 17:58:30 GMT
I attended the first preview of 'Hedda Gabler' and while I was happy enough with the evening I cannot say that I was stirred by what I had seen or heard. It is a beautifully designed production as regards minimalist decor, the changing lighting and soundtrack, but what is being acted out by characters is also uninvolving, often rather quiet and contributes to a kind of bright, white antiseptic production. I didn't care about any character in this production, I wasn't waiting keenly to discover what they'd see, do or what would happen to them next.
Kate Duchene as Juliana, the aunt, appeared early; her presence was well-defined and she was easy to hear, which had me thinking that what was to follow generally was going to be similar. Seated in mid-stalls, I could just about hear some of the quiet characters but sometimes missed parts of the dialogue, so I hope that audience members further back and above in the circle were able to follow what was going on. Best of the others were Rafe Spall and Chukwudi Iwuji and whenever they appeared storyline developments became clearer. Though I agree with others above for whom what was done to a manuscript seemed no more than a bit of passing punctuation, while later a scene featuring dripping blood was about as interesting as watching some piece of Turner Prize performance-art.
We had restricted-view seats but that sounds far worse than the rather good view actually was on the night. It would have helped a little if on looking at stage-right the sofa was turned a little so that in a few scenes two or three characters weren't lined up sideways-on to the audience in such a way that it reduced the impact such characters might have had on the audience. Where a first half scene-change could be accompanied by the so aptly chosen Joni Mitchell song 'Blue', melancholic and exquisite, after the interval the play seemed to drift a bit before coming back to life. Though the performance ended at 10.05pm, at least five minutes earlier than the projected 2 hrs 40 mins including twenty minute interval, at least 5-10 more minutes could have been cut from that flagging second 'half'. Allow for it being the first preview, so once into its run it'll all get better, no doubt.
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Post by lynette on Dec 8, 2016 19:36:42 GMT
Is the Lyttleon? If it is then not surprised you can't hear a word. I have no problem with my hearing. I can hear a wine bottle being opened next door! But I often have to strain in the l. If not, ignore post.
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Post by peelee on Dec 8, 2016 19:52:59 GMT
Yes, it is being staged in the Lyttelton.
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Post by peggs on Dec 8, 2016 21:31:42 GMT
Just how much blood is in this production? Am I, the theatre fainter going to have problems?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2016 23:12:49 GMT
Just how much blood is in this production? Am I, the theatre fainter going to have problems? Well, um, it's not really blood. I suppose whether you'll faint or not depends on what your tolerance level for stage blood-like stuff is really. I don't know how to describe it without giving it away but it's all done in a very stylised way. It's not like she stabs herself and there's loads of blood dripping everywhere. When you see it, it's very clear where the red stuff comes from so even though it looks a bit like blood you know full well that it isn't. It's a bit like watching someone put on a costume or a wig. |
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Post by Boob on Dec 9, 2016 7:51:59 GMT
Ivo seems to enjoy showering his actors at the denouement (AVFTB and Lazarus)!
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Post by MoreLife on Dec 9, 2016 11:54:50 GMT
I have to agree with some of the comments above, I found it very difficult to care for any one of the characters on stage. Of course the writing doesn't give you likable characters to begin with, but I felt the direction and some of the acting choices didn't help much either - at times it got slightly self-indulgent.
As a technical aside, I was sitting close enough to the stage to see that all the actors in the cast are actually miked. The lav mics are extremely well hidden, but the wires are there, so at least the sound issues should be soon overcome. Bit sad that they need microphones at all, but hey... whatever makes their life easier.
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Post by rumbledoll on Dec 9, 2016 13:41:27 GMT
Just how much blood is in this production? Am I, the theatre fainter going to have problems? Well, um, it's not really blood. I suppose whether you'll faint or not depends on what your tolerance level for stage blood-like stuff is really. I don't know how to describe it without giving it away but it's all done in a very stylised way. It's not like she stabs herself and there's loads of blood dripping everywhere. When you see it, it's very clear where the red stuff comes from so even though it looks a bit like blood you know full well that it isn't. It's a bit like watching someone put on a costume or a wig.
Sounds a bit like Ivo's A View From The Bridge finale ) but by the sound of not not nearly as powerful..
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Post by peggs on Dec 9, 2016 21:18:54 GMT
Well, um, it's not really blood. I suppose whether you'll faint or not depends on what your tolerance level for stage blood-like stuff is really. I don't know how to describe it without giving it away but it's all done in a very stylised way. It's not like she stabs herself and there's loads of blood dripping everywhere. When you see it, it's very clear where the red stuff comes from so even though it looks a bit like blood you know full well that it isn't. It's a bit like watching someone put on a costume or a wig.
Thanks Ryan, that is reassuring, stylised I think i can do. |
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Post by lynette on Dec 10, 2016 16:20:58 GMT
Well I suppose I will eat my words but, and with apologies to you Peggs, isn't the point of the ending supposed to be the absolute bloody, in both senses of the word, awfulness of her act in the face of such a repressed life? Blowing out your brains is a bit of a statement.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 19:27:19 GMT
I vividly remember the blood effect at the recent Old Vic production.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 19:58:08 GMT
I vividly remember the blood effect at the recent Old Vic production. Yes, even though I knew what was coming, that was a shock! |
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Post by kathryn on Dec 10, 2016 22:57:51 GMT
Saw this tonight. Loved it. Just...loved it. I don't think I have the words to explain why...
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 11, 2016 1:15:56 GMT
Happy to hear a positive review. I was so excited to book for this, and I'm still massively looking forward to it, but reactions on here haven't exactly been raves for the most part. Still, I'll make up my own mind of course, when I see it in Jan. Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall are both actors I like a lot so I'm looking forward to seeing them, plus Hedda Gabler is one of my favourite plays!  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 3:32:39 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 11, 2016 8:27:01 GMT
Ivo van Hove be either seems to make my heart pound and my breath stop, or leave me scratching my head and completely unmoved. This one very definitely was the former.
It's very different from the only other production of Hedda I've seen.
Ruth Wilson was as compelling as she was unsympathetic as Hedda. And she is very unsympathetic.
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Post by peggs on Dec 11, 2016 13:06:24 GMT
Well I suppose I will eat my words but, and with apologies to you Peggs, isn't the point of the ending supposed to be the absolute bloody, in both senses of the word, awfulness of her act in the face of such a repressed life? Blowing out your brains is a bit of a statement. Oh no of course and if a play going to be bloody the end suits me best and a non bloody end would lesson the impact for this play, it was more that I feared we'd got some extra bloodbath scenes else where in the play from what I'd read but I might have misunderstood that. |
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Post by kathryn on Dec 11, 2016 14:56:37 GMT
The red stuff only appears at the end.
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Post by peggs on Dec 11, 2016 17:29:56 GMT
The red stuff only appears at the end. thanks, concerns averted |
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Post by theatrelover123 on Dec 12, 2016 23:49:42 GMT
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Post by nash16 on Dec 13, 2016 0:09:21 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next. People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued. |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 13, 2016 1:33:20 GMT
A stunner - ranks with the v best of Ivo van Hove's prolific output and Rafe Spall in particular is scarily brilliant - but they're ALL good. What a year this has been for actresses, between McCrory, Piper, Glenda Jackson, the Donmar Shakespeare women, and now Wilson, who would have a third Olivier in her sights if the competition weren't so intense.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 8:17:07 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next. People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued. I'd guess you don't have the right friends, I follow a wide circle of theatre fans and very few of us are civilised enough to hold back when we hate something. Though if you're interested, one of my friends very purposefully avoids commenting on a show she has hated because she knows it would be so easy for her comments to get to the cast and crew. So maybe some people fear confrontation, or maybe - as in the case of my friend - they realise that there is a real person on the other end of the Twitter account and thus don't say anything they wouldn't say to someone's face. Aaaaand I suppose for some people the realisation that the cast and crew could very easily find their tweet leads to their seeking approval from the cast and crew by loudly tweeting their approval first. (Also if you follow theatres and haven't muted their retweets, then you're going to get nothing but a neverending stream of "I SAW THIS PLAY AND IT WAS TERRIFIC BEST THING ALL YEAR OMG", especially the day after press night. That'll tip the balance like nobody's business.) |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 9:40:12 GMT
A stunner - ranks with the v best of Ivo van Hove's prolific output and Rafe Spall in particular is scarily brilliant - but they're ALL good. What a year this has been for actresses, between McCrory, Piper, Glenda Jackson, the Donmar Shakespeare women, and now Wilson, who would have a third Olivier in her sights if the competition weren't so intense. I'm not sure it's a particularly award winning performance from Ruth Wilson other than the fact that it's because she's playing Hedda Gabler. It's a bit like if you play Hamlet, you're more likely to be recognised with an award nomination because it's expected. She has a great stage presence but I felt the performance started on one note and didn't change that much throughout the play myself. A bit like McCrory in 'The Deep Blue Sea'. Do agree that Rafe Spall was good though - his character shift was done very well. |
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