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Post by mallardo on May 27, 2016 9:56:13 GMT
It wasn't the Bilbao Song but I'm thinking it might have been an interpolation. I know I thought it was Surabaya Johnny so maybe it was - the lyrics and tone fit the character. I'd love it if someone could clear this up.
Excerpt from today's TheArtsDesk.com review: "Sharon Small’s broken doll of a Jenny Diver – dramatically so frayed, so beautifully brittle – is the main victim here, struggling through not only her own songs, but also the unaccountable addition of “Surabaya Johnny” from Happy End. Fortunately, “Pirate Jenny” reverts to its original home with Polly, dispatched with controlled venom by Craig, who also makes much of that catchy ballad to domestic abuse “The Barbara Song”." It's Groundhog Day. You heard this from Mallardo first lol. www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/threepenny-opera-national-theatre
Thank you, Steve!! What a relief, I'm not crazy after all.
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 28, 2016 22:16:01 GMT
Went tonight with a friend and we both enjoyed it very much, especially the cast: it's really top-notch.
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 29, 2016 9:28:45 GMT
Oh, but a Surabaya Johnny felt a bit unnecessary
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2016 22:15:11 GMT
I'm guessing they're already engraving Rory Kinnear's name onto the Best Actor in a Musical Olivier for this as we speak.
Or type.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2016 22:30:26 GMT
I'm guessing they're already engraving Rory Kinnear's name onto the Best Actor in a Musical Olivier for this as we speak. Or type. I really Don't think so Have you seen the reviews Hardly raves |
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Post by ctas on May 31, 2016 21:12:03 GMT
I saw the second preview and didn't think Kinnear was very well cast in the role, I've always enjoyed him as an actor but I couldn't quite buy him in this role. Amusing moment when a hand reached around to prop up some scenery mid-scene. I felt some of what the piece was trying to say was lost in spectacle. Rosalie Craig was wonderful, as usual. I enjoyed it enough but I'm not rushing back to see it again!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2016 8:40:47 GMT
I saw the second preview and didn't think Kinnear was very well cast in the role, I've always enjoyed him as an actor but I couldn't quite buy him in this role. Amusing moment when a hand reached around to prop up some scenery mid-scene. I felt some of what the piece was trying to say was lost in spectacle. Rosalie Craig was wonderful, as usual. I enjoyed it enough but I'm not rushing back to see it again! Funny isn't it, I thought Rosalie Craig was by far the weakest of the leads. She does have a lovely voice and sings the songs very well but she's just a bit bland. I found this in 'As You Like It' and 'City of Angels' too, when she's part of a strong ensemble she doesn't stand out at all for me. Nick Holder, Haydn Gwynne and Debbie Kurup stole this show for me. |
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Post by theatremiss on Jun 1, 2016 20:47:00 GMT
I saw the second preview and didn't think Kinnear was very well cast in the role, I've always enjoyed him as an actor but I couldn't quite buy him in this role. Amusing moment when a hand reached around to prop up some scenery mid-scene. I felt some of what the piece was trying to say was lost in spectacle. Rosalie Craig was wonderful, as usual. I enjoyed it enough but I'm not rushing back to see it again! Funny isn't it, I thought Rosalie Craig was by far the weakest of the leads. She does have a lovely voice and sings the songs very well but she's just a bit bland. I found this in 'As You Like It' and 'City of Angels' too, when she's part of a strong ensemble she doesn't stand out at all for me. Nick Holder, Haydn Gwynne and Debbie Kurup stole this show for me. Seeing this Fri. I've always felt Craig is bland, certainly in the other two shows you've mentioned there, but I've usually been lambasted elsewhere when I've mentioned her blandness |
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 1, 2016 21:50:27 GMT
Also seeing this Friday (up close from front row) so will see how they all rate!
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Post by westendwendy on Jun 6, 2016 21:28:25 GMT
Saw this tonight. Dreadful show. Lots left in the interval and a few even before!!!
Dated, dull, sexist, abstract, discordant (ok it's meant to be) but I couldn't stand it.
Wonder.land the sequel. What is it with the national and awful music theatre?
Using the guy in the wheelchair for the entire audience to laugh at was a disgrace!!! PC/diversity card is wasn't!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2016 22:54:04 GMT
This was a strange experience tonight. In places I was bored, in others hugely entertained. It didn't feel like Rory Kinnear was entirely convincing all the time, but when he was, my goodness he was brilliant... Perhaps the Kinnear thing is down to the fact we see Mack mainly through others' eyes, rarely his own. I understand the reasons for that, of course, but maybe that's why I felt a bit alienated from the character at times. I know a few people weren't impressed by Sharon Small but I thought she brought real heart to her role and her singing sounded fine to me (Rosalie Craig's voice blew pretty much everyone out of the water, of course). {Spoiler - click to view}
The sound effect of snapping bones had a brilliant effect on the audience - you could hear the wince ripple round the circle like a Mexican wave! |
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Post by max on Jun 7, 2016 23:20:55 GMT
I think the opening song 'Mack The Knife' is poorly staged - we don't really get Macheath's legend built through it - and then he features surprisingly little in Act 1. So that's a chance missed, to make him more than absence. Yes Act 2 pulls it back.
How The Soldier's Song ("beefsteak tartare") could be staged in such a static way is beyond me. Where are the ideas, musical staging, and satirical music hall relish?
Hitting the button for the revolve to do a twirl (many aimless twirls) isn't a staging idea. Not an idea better than some savage satirical choreography anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2016 23:25:48 GMT
Such a prestigious cast
I mean
SO talented
It's the director
Anything he touches turns to sh*t
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Post by Ade on Jun 8, 2016 5:46:58 GMT
Such a prestigious cast I mean SO talented It's the director Anything he touches turns to sh*t Seeing this on Friday. If I'm not a fan I really am going to have to put a ban on going to anything by Rufus Norris. I keep giving him another chance because he picks some interesting productions, but it's very fair to say I've not enjoyed anything I've seen of his so far at the National. |
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Post by David J on Jun 8, 2016 22:24:30 GMT
Well, I enjoyed this
It felt as Brechtian as one expects it to be. No illusion but a minimalist set of flats that are moved around, whilst the comings and goings on backstage are clear for all to see.
The music too was disconcertingly fantastic to listen to. I actually went to a talk beforehand about the collaboration between Brecht and Kurt Will held by Matthew Scott and Dr Tom Kuhn. It was fascinating to hear music from this and other works like The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and notice how the harmony, tone, and lyrics clash with each other, as if the music too is observing the action with a critical eye.
And man was Brecht a handful to work with
Rory Kinnear gave an impressive performance, though I do agree that the production could have build up the legend of Macheath more. Nick Holder and Haydn Gwynne were a delight to watch as the Peachums and its nice to see Peter de Jersey perform again.
I'm afraid I fall under the 'bland Rosalie Craig' camp. Beautiful vocals, but it's noticeable when everyone else was playing up the satire of their characters.
Loved some of the visuals, such as the maze of walls and staircases that is Macheath's residence. A place of deceit to get lost in. The end of the first act alone is worth seeing.
Personally I thought the pacing would stop and start at points. And the Threepenny Opera's messages can get overshadowed by the spectacle. It was a similar problem I had with the Fiona Shaw production of Mother Courage, which felt like a rock concert than a Brechtian play by the end. This isn't as bad as that, but I do wonder whether Brecht's style of drama doesn't work in a large scale production
Fun fact by the way: we know we like to complain about the extortionate prices people pay for brochures full of adverts, or there tat at the souvenir counter. Well Threepenny Opera was one of the first productions to sell souvenirs. Or shall I say the 150 German productions held in the 12 months following the premiere, since the opera was so popular that everyone wanted to join the bandwagon. Recordings were sold alongside stuff like Threepenny Opera postcards and wallpaper
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2016 22:28:01 GMT
I did fancy seeing this, but now I feel I probably won't enjoy it as I'm pretty much a total stranger to Brecht, other than briefly studying Fear and Misery of the Third Reich last year at uni. Not even sure that I've fully grasped the concept of "Epic Theatre".
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2016 6:46:09 GMT
Are there two or three acts? (If two, what's the first act finale?)
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Post by mallardo on Jun 9, 2016 7:15:55 GMT
Are there two or three acts? (If two, what's the first act finale?) There are two acts. If memory serves, the first act ends just after the Tango Ballad as Mack is dragged off to jail for the first time. The second act opens with the Ballad of the Easy Life played straight to the audience. The structure works. |
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Post by jek on Jun 9, 2016 7:58:36 GMT
We went to the matinee last Saturday and really enjoyed it. What made us laugh though was that our fifteen year old daughter proclaimed at the interval that 'my school should do a production of this'! Her dad pointed out that they might have to cut rather a lot of references! A couple of days later when we were listening to a recording in the car (an old Ute Lemper version on cassette) she decided that any problems with profanity could be got round by the school (a state school not a million miles from Canning Town) presenting it in German!
Loved the Otto Dix styling of Hadyn Gwynne's Mrs Peachum. Had been on an NT costume tour in the morning and seen at first hand how much work goes in to creating that hair - and the joy of Polly's boots. Man who made those had also made footwear for Rosalie Craig for the Light Princess.
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Post by westendwendy on Jun 9, 2016 15:29:27 GMT
Are there two or three acts? (If two, what's the first act finale?) I don't know as we left in the interval with various other audience members... Dreadful show. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2016 17:36:40 GMT
The theatre looked just as full after the interval as it did before, the night I went, but I presume then there must be nights where Kinnear's direct address to the audience after the interval (something along the lines of 'Jesus, you came back??!') is more pertinent...
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Post by argon on Jun 9, 2016 19:50:26 GMT
Sub Sub standard singing for me even R Craig suffered slightly in the Act1 and Rory's Mack the Knife was so anaemic. Probably, needed well supported voices across the board to tackle this beast
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Post by orchestrator on Jun 9, 2016 21:31:54 GMT
We went to the matinee last Saturday and really enjoyed it. What made us laugh though was that our fifteen year old daughter proclaimed at the interval that 'my school should do a production of this'! Her dad pointed out that they might have to cut rather a lot of references! A couple of days later when we were listening to a recording in the car (an old Ute Lemper version on cassette) she decided that any problems with profanity could be got round by the school (a state school not a million miles from Canning Town) presenting it in German! A few years ago I was tangentially involved in a production by a posh Catholic girls school. #justsayin' |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2016 21:39:33 GMT
This is perfect example
Of the
Inbred sh*t bag nature
I mentioned of the arts
In this country
Kinnear is an average actor at best
Hardly attractive
And boring as hell in interviews
Cannot sing
Yet we are forced to see him in plays
Try to sing
Watch his attempt at playwriting which was about as sophisticated as an episode of Emmerdale
And next year he will be directing an opera
Because he is so skilled and has such a background in that
Next thing he will be advertising shampoo for Loreal
Because he's worth it
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2016 21:45:27 GMT
parsley, you are wasted on here. Really.
I can't comment on your comments about The Threepenny Opera, a piece close to my heart, and a production I am really looking forward to, but I find your posts SO entertaining now that I actually look forward to them. (I won't follow you; that would be going too far...)
I sincerely hope you are writing in some shape or form, not just watching from the wings, as it were. Because you are worth it!
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