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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 8, 2023 22:09:44 GMT
She is more a symptom than the cause. Whoever cast her is more to blame. They knew they were taking someone with zero stage training and limited stage experience and asking her to deliver a complicated character far beyond her capabilities. The director and producers are more responsible |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 9, 2023 13:27:08 GMT
It’s quite something to go from casting Aaron Taylor J to Lily Allen.
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Post by adamkinsey on Jul 9, 2023 21:57:47 GMT
Dearie me. No. Just no.
Completely unnecessary to gender swap the role from that as originally written as it adds no new dimensions or insights. No problems with gender swaps if it works and adds a different slant (a la Bobby/Bobbie in Company). But if you do, cast an actress, don't cast Lily Allen.
Seriously, I know female performers in amateur companies that would wipe the floor with her in terms of an acceptable performance.
If this was Broadway, I think she'd have been pulled and replaced before opening night. Unless her family were producing.
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Post by wiggymess on Jul 10, 2023 9:16:45 GMT
The main problem I had with it, and what I still can't figure out, is {Spoiler - click to view}
Why does her brother actually kill those children? What triggers him to do it, and why does he lie to her about having killed the last one, when actually he reenacted the pig story?
Unless I completely missed the logic, it seems a huge plot hole. Perhaps that's explained better in the text / with other productions people have seen. |
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Post by edi on Jul 15, 2023 6:25:52 GMT
I never saw it first time around so I wouldn't have noticed that Katurian was "gender-switched", which I think is the point - the character is not about gender. This play is refreshingly nothing to do with gender.
Saying that I wish it was played by someone else. I didn't particularly dislike Lily Allen acting but it's clear that this is a brilliant play which called for a more skilled actor.
Still enjoyed it if that's the right word and I am looking forward to seeing it again in a different production (casting)
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Post by starlight92 on Jul 19, 2023 19:05:49 GMT
Saw this last night and I have to say I really disagree with the comments about Lily Allen's performance, I thought she was great and carried the show really well! She must have been quite emotionally exhausted afterwards. If I hadn't known it was her I would have thought it was someone else, she looks so different to the Lily Allen whose music I grew up with as a teenager in the mid noughties. The two police officers were great too, especially Steve Pemberton.
I hadn't seen or read the play before so, although I knew it would be dark, I went in fairly blind and...wow. It as quite hard to sit through at times, and I didn't laugh anywhere near as much as the audience. Some parts were genuinely funny, while others I had more of a grimace on my face at because of the subject matter (for example during a racist joke).
Ons slight thing that confused me (as I wasn't familiar with the play) was that near the start when Katurian told the story about her parents, it was a little boy rather than a little girl- they gender swapped the character but kept that unchanged for some reason?
Overall I'd probably give this about three and a half stars, not a bad play at all but like someone else said it did lack stakes and tension about the ending, which would have pushed my score up to four stars. I think when the interval came around I wasn't that excited or curious to find out what would happen next, which is a problem. I also don't think the subject is my personal cup of tea (is it anyone's?!) and that coupled with the gore means I doubt I'd have seen this at all if I wasn't curious about Lily Allen's acting!
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 20, 2023 3:06:31 GMT
If anyone is interested in seeing the 2003 NT production of this play, you can view it on video at the NT archives.
It's not a great quality recording, but I still enjoyed it.
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Post by starlight92 on Jul 20, 2023 10:54:51 GMT
If anyone is interested in seeing the 2003 NT production of this play, you can view it on video at the NT archives. It's not a great quality recording, but I still enjoyed it. Please could you post the link? I can't find it. |
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Post by andbingowashisname on Jul 20, 2023 12:33:08 GMT
If anyone is interested in seeing the 2003 NT production of this play, you can view it on video at the NT archives. It's not a great quality recording, but I still enjoyed it. Please could you post the link? I can't find it. You have to physically go to the NT archives at the NT studio on the Cut (right next door to the Old Vic); you request the physical video and then watch it in the building. You can find all the relevant information on the NT website. |
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Post by westendboy on Jul 30, 2023 13:25:11 GMT
After giving this production a watch and mulling over it for a while, I've more or less come to the same conclusion as everyone else has. Whilst the rest of the cast (especially Paul Kaye) do a good job, Lily Allen was the weak link. Whilst she wasn't 'awful'and admittedly, she does have her 'moments', but she was horribly miscast in this role.
It's a real shame, as 'The Pillowman' is one of the 'modern classic plays', as someone had previously called it on this thread and seeing it be revived in a 'middling' production with questionable casting choices is a bit of a let down. Maybe if Aaron Taylor-Johnson was able to do this, it might have helped, but we may never know, unless this gets a second life and either he, or someone with better acting chops than Allen, is cast as Katurian. But who knows.
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Post by orchidman on Jul 31, 2023 22:10:13 GMT
It's not the leading lady or the director, it's the play
Should be 90 minutes tops but even then there's nothing to actually care about
It's just so old-fashioned in its sensibility
Note to producers: do not resuscitate
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Post by Being Alive on Aug 1, 2023 14:33:44 GMT
It's not the leading lady or the director, it's the play Should be 90 minutes tops but even then there's nothing to actually care about It's just so old-fashioned in its sensibility Note to producers: do not resuscitate I entirely disagree with this, so it's super interesting that this is your take. They're great parts and a great text, for great actors and directors - we just didn't get that here for me. |
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Post by westendboy on Aug 1, 2023 17:10:56 GMT
It's not the leading lady or the director, it's the play Should be 90 minutes tops but even then there's nothing to actually care about It's just so old-fashioned in its sensibility Note to producers: do not resuscitate Have to agree with Being Alive about this. It's a genuinely engaging text that deserved a better production than the one at the Duke's |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 1, 2023 20:48:13 GMT
What is the biggest crime is that they have taken a play that was truly creepy and chilling at the NT years ago- and robbed it of all atmosphere and suspense.
I’m so sad that people are leaving thinking the play isn’t good.
Certainly Lily Allen’s weak performance doesn’t help things.
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Post by dip on Aug 1, 2023 23:17:11 GMT
Sorry to go against the grain, but thought Lily Allen was incredible tonight. There’s something really relatable about her energy onstage.
Thought the play lagged towards the end of the first act but it stuck the landing
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Post by mkb on Aug 2, 2023 1:41:05 GMT
Maybe Allen's performance has improved over the course of the run, and that explains the different opinions?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 2, 2023 11:40:26 GMT
Maybe Allen's performance has improved over the course of the run, and that explains the different opinions? Perhaps she’s at acting lessons during the day? |
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Post by alexanderdavies1994 on Aug 2, 2023 17:59:29 GMT
I saw this this afternoon, with a fairly lengthy show stop due to illness in the audience.
Thought it was absolute brilliant, with very difficult subject matter. A play that made you laugh but also feel uncomfortable.
We had the understudy for Ariel, who was very good, and Lily Allen and Steve Pemberton were both fantastic.
Got a standing ovation at the end and Lily Allen was clearly very emotional, particularly in the last scene.
Huge respect to the FOH staff who dealt with everything professionally and quickly.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 4, 2023 14:49:21 GMT
Paul Kaye seems to be missing a lot of shows
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Aug 5, 2023 20:10:55 GMT
I was a little apprehensive going into this because of the various reviews and comments I had seen, but I actually did really enjoy this. Lily Allen was not great, but the rest of the cast I thought were fantastic. The story itself is also very interesting and I came out of the show glad that I had gone. Well worth the day seat price of £25  |
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Post by capybara on Aug 8, 2023 22:55:22 GMT
Having previously been put off by extortionate ticket prices and mixed reviews, I finally took the plunge on The Pillowman due to my decades-long Lily Allen fandom (OG MySpace crew) and dynamic day pricing reducing a £150 seat to a mere £25.
I’d be hard pushed to explain what I enjoyed about this dark, dark comedy but enjoy it I did. Lily exceeded my expectations as Katurian with her acting range, and comic timing, having clearly developed since her impressive stage debut in 2.22.
It’s proper grim. Like, really. There’s no snippets of joy among the gloom but there doesn’t need to be. The comedy is in the cast, with Steve Pemberton, Paul Kaye and Matthew Tennyson all playing off Allen’s dry, yet exasperated, delivery.
I didn’t think I was going to like it but I did. And our Lil is forging a decent acting career for herself, even if it is oh so edgy to take a swing at her. That being said, I don’t know why this show exists. If there is a deeper, underlying message, it’s well hidden among the brutality and misery!
Four stars.
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Post by Mr Snow on Aug 14, 2023 14:36:57 GMT
If anyone is interested in seeing the 2003 NT production of this play, you can view it on video at the NT archives. It's not a great quality recording, but I still enjoyed it. I went there to see their version of Candide. Left me wondering why the quality was so poor, particularly the sound. People do a better job Videoing school plays. For obsessives only. So yes I was glad I saw their Candide (even if I constantly wondered why it was such a poor record.) |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Aug 15, 2023 10:19:15 GMT
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Post by starlight92 on Aug 15, 2023 12:34:25 GMT
Can anyone with access to The Times screenshot/copy and paste this here please? *If that's allowed of course! |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Aug 15, 2023 15:23:37 GMT
Can anyone with access to The Times screenshot/copy and paste this here please? *If that's allowed of course! I read this like she was being sarcastic and to shut up the haters |
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