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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2016 6:36:49 GMT
According to Baz on twitter ...
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Post by foxa on Jul 29, 2016 21:39:44 GMT
I've never seen Yerma before and, given the radical updating of this, I probably still haven't seen it.
Yerma (I have now discovered) means 'barren' and this is a very raw, believable, almost forensic examination of a woman's quest for a baby. Instead of the superstition and rituals of the Lorca original, you have exactly the conversations you would expect in the 21st century - which is both the play's strength and weakness. It is so up-to-date it even has lines about Boris Johnson and Brexit. But I don't know if I want to see another play where one of the characters is blogging about something (I wonder how blogging as a plot device is going to age.) BUT there are many reasons to go see this play, not least the brilliant,almost-too-painful to watch performance from Billie Piper and the unusual, versatile set from Lizzie Claclan. The leading man, Brendan Cowell, grew up on me and was particularly fantastic towards the end. He's a bit like a cross between Russell Crowe and Stewart Lee, if you can imagine that.
Show report:
Running time: One hour fifty, no interval.
Dogs: No, but an unexpected unusual appearance of another sort at one point.
Ice Cream: Didn't see any, but had an okay meal on the terrace of the bar area.
Nudity: None, but quite a lot of graphic sexual talk. I wouldn't bring my mum.
Set: Traverse stage, perspex box, screens with captions - some amazing changes (interesting selection of music for these) within the box. Actors are mic'd. We were warned about strobe lighting, but I didn't see any.
Ready to go?: One technical effect went wrong, which did impact the ending, but it is in previews.
Recommended: Yes, I think so. My hesitation is that it is a pretty grueling evening, so you have to be up for that (and I was sat on the corner area of the row next to a leg spreader so felt really cramped - damn those benches.) Also if you or someone you might bring with you finds the topic of infertility a sensitive one, then I would give this a miss.
I'll be interested to hear what y'all make of it.
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Post by mallardo on Jul 29, 2016 21:46:27 GMT
I saw a production of Yerma at The Gate in Notting Hill a few years back which was played in period and was very effective - not sure I like the sound of this one, despite my, um, admiration for Billie Piper.
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Post by DuchessConstance on Jul 29, 2016 23:25:31 GMT
Astounding performance, on a par with Denise Gough in PP&T.
Excellent production all round.
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Post by partytentdown on Jul 30, 2016 19:54:17 GMT
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
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Post by Marwood on Jul 31, 2016 0:25:10 GMT
Going to see this next Saturday night - wasn't expecting it to be a bundle of laughs from the blurb on the YV website but thanks for the heads up all the same Foxa. I have a £10 seat on the end of the front row, just hoping I can see what is going on (and don't have a leg spreader/fidgety fecker sat next to me either).
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Post by DuchessConstance on Jul 31, 2016 1:06:06 GMT
That's the seat I was sitting in, and it was fine (apart from getting major neckache trying to see the screens that come down between scenes telling you how much time has passed).
There are some funny parts earlier on in the play.
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Post by jek on Jul 31, 2016 8:27:17 GMT
Saw - and loved - Simon Stone's 'The Wild Duck' at the Barbican last year. That too had a perspex box and delivered a real emotional punch. Quite tempted to see this as a result. Have never seen anything at the Young Vic but went on a backstage tour as part of the BBC Get Creative weekend earlier this year and so I know that the benches are uncomfortable. But this sounds gripping enough to override that.
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Post by foxa on Jul 31, 2016 8:34:52 GMT
Saw - and loved - Simon Stone's 'The Wild Duck' at the Barbican last year. That too had a perspex box and delivered a real emotional punch. Quite tempted to see this as a result. Have never seen anything at the Young Vic but went on a backstage tour as part of the BBC Get Creative weekend earlier this year and so I know that the benches are uncomfortable. But this sounds gripping enough to override that. I think you should go. I was unlucky in that i was on a corner seat where the angled bench met the straight one and that set up a territory war which the exceptionally tall fellow next to me inevitably won. But it was a £10 seat, Row E downstairs, and I could easily see everything. Billie Piper is an amazing actor. |
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 3, 2016 9:02:59 GMT
Saw this last night. I won't repeat Foxa's excellent summing up, except to say that this running time was down to 1 hour 40 mins (after curtain calls we were out by 9.15 and it did start a couple of minutes late).
Totally concur with DutchessConstance on Billie Piper's performance. £10 well spent!
On seating, I was downstairs on the side with straight seating (other side has the corners). All seats seem to have good views except possibly the very extreme ends of rows E and F (but even then 99% of it would be clear).
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 9:25:20 GMT
Well I was going to skip this, but you've all persuaded me to give it a go. Grabbed a £10 seat at the end of row E - not many of those left!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 9:38:29 GMT
Well I was going to skip this, but you've all persuaded me to give it a go. Grabbed a £10 seat at the end of row E - not many of those left! Ha! One of the only four seats which bellboard27 tells us may have restricted views! I suppose this was the closest you could find to sitting behind a pillar? |
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 3, 2016 9:47:01 GMT
Well I was going to skip this, but you've all persuaded me to give it a go. Grabbed a £10 seat at the end of row E - not many of those left! Ha! One of the only four seats which bellboard27 tells us may have restricted views! I suppose this was the closest you could find to sitting behind a pillar? It depends which side of the stage you are on - if it's the side with the corners, I've no idea. On the straight side, the issue is not pillars, just being just beyond the end of the glass box set, but as I said, it's not much of an issue. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 10:02:35 GMT
but as I said, it's not much of an issue. But obviously enough of an issue for you to have felt it useful to warn us. And board members do love a restricted view, so you've helped us to find one here. |
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Post by kathryn on Aug 3, 2016 14:03:21 GMT
I'm on the curved end. Hopefully it won't be too bad.
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Post by romeo94 on Aug 3, 2016 14:38:34 GMT
Where would the best £10 seats be do you think?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 21:00:44 GMT
Is this a good career move for Bille Piper?
Undoubtedly so
She is a very good actress and gives an excellent performance in this play
Is it comparable with Denise Gough?
Nowhere near it
The main issue is that Simon Stone does not do subtle and is such a literal playwright
I am familiar with the source poem and for me this updating felt forced into a modern setting
As a result much of the plot then seems out of context and works against the characters
Would a supposedly successful and intelligent man and woman wait 5 years before having a basic test like a sperm count?
Would they wait 2 years before seeking any tests?
If they were so wealthy why did £60K of IVF lead to their house being sold?
Did they not think ahead about this?
How were they going to afford the child if the IVF was successful
Why didn't they have their first cycles of treatment on the NHS?
I deal with the first stages of couples coming with fertility issues on a daily basis and this dos not reflect what I have seen over 10 years of working
I never once believed this was a feasible or secure relationship between the lead characters
There was no chemistry between them
Why then should I care they can't have a child?
If the basics are not in place first?
And therefore the plot holes and issues were simply too great for me to believe what was going on the stage
Neither was there any exploration of why she wanted a child
Nor did anyone really explore a compromise or other options in any meaningful detail
To be honest a child is not a right
She had a termination in the past and there was brief moment where she expressed regret over this and toyed with the idea she had her chance then but again like everything in this play it was glossed over
And the characters did nothing to convince me they were worthy of a child in the first place
Using shouting and loud voices does not automatically impress the audience and provoke emotion in the audience particularly if you increasingly start to think she isn't going to make a good or stable mother anyway!
Yerma is a profound poem
This updating reduces the subject matter to a hysterical commodity without any exploration of why the woman wants a child without anyone challenging her and is a total failure on that front
But it is worth seeing for Billie Piper who gives it her all
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 23:27:18 GMT
The main issue is that Simon Stephens does not do subtle and is such a literal playwright The play is written and directed by Simon Stone. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 23:38:26 GMT
The main issue is that Simon Stephens does not do subtle and is such a literal playwright The play is written and directed by Simon Stone. My error That is who I meant! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 23:39:09 GMT
And I did love the wild duck
One of the best things I have seen
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Post by showgirl on Aug 4, 2016 4:09:34 GMT
Wasn't at all tempted (especially deterred by the author of source material and the issue) but on the basis of the positive posts here have now booked a £10 seat.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 18:37:38 GMT
Wonderful reviews
This really will be the start of something amazing for Billie Piper
And good for her
Have seen her on stage over the last 10 years 3 or 4 times and been increasingly impressed
She will be fighting it out with Helen McCrory for the best actres award for sure
I am sure it will become the second hottest ticket after Harry Potter now
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 19:53:56 GMT
If this felt good reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if it went somewhere like Duke of Yorks or Wyndhams
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 19:57:18 GMT
If this felt good reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if it went somewhere like Duke of Yorks or Wyndhams Would not work in normal theatre Once you see the set |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 20:04:18 GMT
If this felt good reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if it went somewhere like Duke of Yorks or Wyndhams Would not work in normal theatre Once you see the set What is the set like then? |
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