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Post by theoracle on Feb 10, 2020 0:49:21 GMT
Starting a new thread is always great fun. First preview is on Friday, starring Roger Allam and Colin Morgan. I'm very curious to see what they're going to do with the space and how Churchill's play will feel in 2020. Also, looks like its selling pretty well
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Post by sondheimhats on Feb 15, 2020 15:53:11 GMT
Bumping this - anyone see this last night? Considering it for my upcoming trip.
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Post by zahidf on Feb 15, 2020 16:34:22 GMT
20 pounds rush tickets for this on todaytix
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Post by intoanewlife on Feb 15, 2020 17:28:48 GMT
Might try and rush this in the coming weeks.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2020 15:58:39 GMT
This is very good. Staged well from all sides so the cheap seats in the side block are good value for this one. Set was more naturalistic than I remembered from the previous production I saw at the Menier. Some impressive changes between scenes too The set rotates 90 degrees between each scene so you see the room from a different angle. At the same time the set at the back of the stage changes to show a different side of the living room. One of those changes you can't work out how they did so quickly Running time about an hour. |
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Post by lynette on Feb 16, 2020 18:39:41 GMT
Hmmm, only an hour, so maybe dinner after?
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Post by Dave B on Feb 19, 2020 23:18:27 GMT
Opening night tonight (our only spot was Rhashan Stone). Enjoyed the play quite a bit. Agree with the above comment about cheap seats being good value, staged very nicely for, I suspect, a good view from every seat. Thought Roger Allam and Colin Morgan were very good. It's surprisingly funny and played, at times, for more black humour than was expected. Staged very similar to Far Away at the Donmar, the scene changes are done in darkness with music and basically they change as if by magic. One slight critique. It ends really strongly, the lights drop but then they come back on almost instantly for bows. It felt like this needed another 30 seconds or so. It didn't give the ending, and the last line any room to breathe. It felt like it pulled me right out of the story rather than the story had naturally ended. One particular moment tickled {Spoiler - click to view}Colin Morgan's native accent - this got a large laugh and it worked SO well. |
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Post by greenswan on Feb 23, 2020 22:59:46 GMT
Saw this yesterday evening. The pricing is a bit cheeky and my seat was terrible. Strongly recommend against C56 as at least a quarter of the time there is only Roger Allam‘s back to be seen. And they’re both pretty static throughout. If I was to go again I’d choose the central block.
I thought the play itself was good - the cloning seems to be more of a framework for questioning identity and parent-child-relationships rather than the ethics.
Colin Morgan was particularly strong - the different characters would have stood out even without the costume changes.
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Post by Forrest on Feb 29, 2020 12:06:02 GMT
I was A56, left side, sat right at the edge of the stage, and am happy to report I believe I had a perfect view 99% of the time!
(My friend was A57, and she, unfortunately, ended up seeing just the back of Roger Allam for most of the play. I was lucky because I could always see Morgan while they were in conversation, so I didn't mind having Allam with his back turned to me. But yes, I don't think there's a spot in that theatre that allows for seeing them both really well, 100% of the time.)
I was in love with that text before I saw it, but thought that what they did with it was incredible. For me, the cloning side of it - in terms of any sci-fi aspects to think about, the science of it, the ethical implications of it - seemed to be if not completely irrelevant, than overshadowed by the human dimension of the play.
The production spoke to me as a drama about guilt, about the mistakes we make and how we (and do we?) redeem ourselves, the complicated relationship between parents and children (how do you not f*** up, when it is so easy to?). And, of course, about the fascinating questions of how much love - and the absence thereof - turns us into who we become, and how love and hate condition each other.
Allam was wonderful, but Colin Morgan was simply stunning, particularly as the son given away: everything about him in those scenes seemed to radiate pain and rage in equal measure. (That scene when he just sits next to Allam, quietly, was the saddest - and the most conflictingly heartbreaking - thing I've seen in a long, long time in a theatre, to the point it made me cry, too.) It was a performance that will stick with me for a long time, for sure. And the transformations into the endearingly naive and the happy 'versions' were all the more powerful because of that, too. This was my first time seeing him on stage but definitely won't be the last.
Go see this. Even if you don't enjoy it as much, it will give you a lot to think about.
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Post by theoracle on Feb 29, 2020 12:21:57 GMT
It was my first time ever to the Bridge and wow, the foyer was busy. Moreover, I was really impressed by the friendliness of the staff from security to the FOH team. I felt really welcomed, I've not seen an usher really take the time to show patrons to their seats in a while so that was really refreshing.
Onto the show, I found the beginning a little confusing but once you understand the premise of the piece, it becomes increasingly more eerie and unsettling. Roger Allam is sensational as Salter, his subtleties are so refined that you really feel his character's presence on the stage and you're able to empathise with his regrets and sense of crisis. Colin Morgan similarly put on a fantastic show playing all the sons, each with their own distinct qualities.
By comparison to Far Away, I think I preferred this just because it hit me a lot harder for some reason. I second the blocking issue. As a taller person, I could only just see the top of Colin's head when he sits down on the sofa at one point. The way the stage's edge is shaped also irritated me as it meant I couldn't see feet (not that it matters, and no I don't have any weird voyeurisms) which spoilt an otherwise pure, upclose experience of the show.
Ultimately, a very thought-provoking evening that feels like its about an hour long. 4*
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Post by rockinrobin on Feb 29, 2020 17:18:26 GMT
I saw it this afternoon (also in A56 - I can confirm the view is very good).
It's a very intense hour.
Two-handers are a tricky thing to do - to make it work, you need a "magic ingredient". I think we've all seen horrible two-handers but this one is truly powerful and gripping. There is almost palpable chemistry between Roger Allam and Colin Morgan (or rather Colins Morgans) - they're mesmerising.
(That said, a gentleman in the front row fell asleep. Oh well.)
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Post by altamont on Feb 29, 2020 17:27:45 GMT
(also in A56 - I can confirm the view is very good). Robin - I'm considering A64 - the end of the front row on the left from your seat this afternoon - do you think that would be severely restricted? Thanks... |
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Post by rockinrobin on Feb 29, 2020 18:20:17 GMT
I'd go for it, altamont. You'll probably see Roger Allam's back a lot but both actors are very, very close to you.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 3, 2020 12:32:16 GMT
This was great. I thought it was perfectly cast and a wonderful intense hour of theatre. Colin Morgan is fantastic switching between characters and, especially towards the end, Roger Allam's sadness is haunting.
Well staged and lit too. I disliked the loud sound effects with the blackouts but that's a personal thing as they make me jump! The set changes are indeed slick and magical however the rumblings backstage were quite audible after a new piece had been added or an old one removed.
I haven't seen a lot of Caryl Churchill but besides 'Imp' this would be my favourite.
I would recommend the high numbered (left side) seats for this too. You're going to get a bit of back from the actor regardless and the high numbers are perfect for the two latter scenes in the play. I will say though that K70 (High seat on the aisle) provided an unrestricted view but was very uncomfortable.
4 stars
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Post by Dr Tom on Mar 3, 2020 21:47:03 GMT
I think I was a bit tired tonight, so I found this interesting and well-performed, but let down by a fairly pedestrian plot (at least, if you read sci-fi).
Liked the staging. Thought the ending was abrupt, but it's hard to know how much time had gone.
This wasn't sold out, which surprised me, with seats available on all levels.
I was on the front row, right on the corner of the stage. Great view, apart from when the action was seated. Leg room was fine for my seat but I felt really sorry for the woman next to me, who had no leg room based on the angle of the seat and the stage.
Can't complain for £15, but glad I didn't pay any more for such a short two-hander.
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Post by lynette on Mar 5, 2020 22:04:22 GMT
Very interesting, still lots to say to us. The heightened hesitant dialogue was also interesting especially after having seen Leopoldstadt last week. And those set changes, quite distracting for me as I was wondering all the time how they did it. Can't fault the acting, a masterclass as expected. A pricey hour for us in the stalls but there you are.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 6, 2020 1:21:16 GMT
Very interesting, still lots to say to us. The heightened hesitant dialogue was also interesting especially after having seen Leopoldstadt last week. And those set changes, quite distracting for me as I was wondering all the time how they did it. Can't fault the acting, a masterclass as expected. A pricey hour for us in the stalls but there you are. Unfortunately the magic was ruined from the side high seats as the markings on the set were visible during the blackouts... |
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Post by andrew on Mar 6, 2020 8:51:59 GMT
Very interesting, still lots to say to us. The heightened hesitant dialogue was also interesting especially after having seen Leopoldstadt last week. And those set changes, quite distracting for me as I was wondering all the time how they did it. Can't fault the acting, a masterclass as expected. A pricey hour for us in the stalls but there you are. Unfortunately the magic was ruined from the side high seats as the markings on the set were visible during the blackouts... Even from central stalls if you were paying attention you'd see the glow in the dark set markers revolving in front of you. I could see the back panel moving off as well before the lights had fully gone in one of the scene changes, so by transition 2 you could work it all out. |
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Post by lightinthedarkness on Mar 7, 2020 17:30:24 GMT
Really enjoyed this, very intense subject and great acting from both (Colin Morgan is fantastic!).
I was sat in C62, so very far left in the stalls and there were only a few moments where someone had their back to me - really great seat for the price!
The staging was really interesting, I did find myself wondering how they left the stage each time and I didn't notice anything happen while lights were up
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Post by tmesis on Mar 14, 2020 15:57:33 GMT
The stunning performances made this for me. Without that I would have been less happy - in fact the more of Churchill's work I see the less I'm impressed.
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Post by david on Mar 14, 2020 16:49:40 GMT
A really enjoyable hour spent watching this at today’s matinee. Despite its short run time (I really felt this could of been a bit longer to deal with the subject matter in a bit more detail.), 2 cracking performances from Roger and Colin. From my row BB 32 stalls seat, managed to glimpse the stage floor marker lights indicating the scenery changes. Loved the music.
As my second Churchill play, I was certainly far more engaged with this production than watching Top Girls at the Nash last year. For £25, I great afternoon of theatre.
Frustratingly, no programmes on sale due to the theatre running out of them. The box office has said that if you email them, they can forward on a digital copy.
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