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Post by david on Jul 15, 2021 12:33:48 GMT
Just having lunch in the theatre restaurant. Myself and my friend are no spring chickens but I swear we are the youngest people here. I’m at the theatre myself. Just had a spot of lunch at the cafe. I think I could be the youngest here! |
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Post by alicechallice on Jul 15, 2021 12:57:32 GMT
Just having lunch in the theatre restaurant. Myself and my friend are no spring chickens but I swear we are the youngest people here. I’m at the theatre myself. Just had a spot of lunch at the cafe. I think I could be the youngest here! Date! Date! Date! |
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Post by Seriously on Jul 15, 2021 13:44:46 GMT
This was a disappointment. I have to agree with the previous poster in that Ms Beck's pregnancy is a distraction and hampers the somewhat over-enthusiastic performance. Having read several reviews, I'm surprised none of the reviewers mentioned that. When the production pictures were released I was surprised at quite how obviously pregnant she is. It's made me reconsider whether to buy a ticket for the streaming, as I think I will find it pretty distracting given the character is very clearly not supposed to be pregnant. Given the industry as a whole is trying to accommodate new mothers and 'mothers to be' in the audition, rehearsal process, and performance schedule... it would be a little harsh for reviewers to then point the finger and say "Oh look, she's pregnant". If we can have colour-blind casting, gender-neutral casting, and age blind casting, I'm sure reviewers can look beyond to the performance itself. I saw it on Press Night and loved it. |
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Post by david on Jul 15, 2021 17:05:39 GMT
What an absolutely fantastic day in Chichester. Having great weather gave me the opportunity to have a good exploration of the city this morning which is something I’ve had the chance to do on previous visits to the CFT. A really lovely city with some fantastic buildings to have a look at before having a nice relaxed lunch within the theatre parkland pre-show . With regards to the show itself, director Daniel Evans and his team really have created a gem of a production at the CFT. For a £10 front row ticket, I couldn’t have asked for more and really struck gold with my seat. An absolutely stellar cast assembled combined with a wonderful 15 piece orchestra led by Cat Beveridge made for an amazing afternoon’s theatrical viewing and a well deserved standing ovation at the end of the show. It’s the first time I’ve seen Julian Ovenden perform live and what a talent. Hearing him sing was just a joy and worth the ticket price alone. For me Gina’s pregnancy was a non-issue here. It didn’t have any impact on me or her interpretation of the role and for Rob Houchen who looked mighty fine in an officers uniform, he delivered the vocal goods as always. Jonna Ampil got plenty of laughs from this afternoons’s audience as Bloody Mary. Will it get a life outside of the CFT?, well I would hope so but in these times who knows. Sadly I didn’t get to meet alece10 , but hopefully he got as much joy out of the show as I did. |
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Post by alece10 on Jul 15, 2021 17:22:34 GMT
What an absolutely fantastic day in Chichester. Having great weather gave me the opportunity to have a good exploration of the city this morning which is something I’ve had the chance to do on previous visits to the CFT. A really lovely city with some fantastic buildings to have a look at before having a nice relaxed lunch within the theatre parkland pre-show . With regards to the show itself, director Daniel Evans and his team really have created a gem of a production at the CFT. For a £10 front row ticket, I couldn’t have asked for more and really struck gold with my seat. An absolutely stellar cast assembled combined with a wonderful 15 piece orchestra led by Cat Beveridge made for an amazing afternoon’s theatrical viewing and a well deserved standing ovation at the end of the show. It’s the first time I’ve seen Julian Ovenden perform live and what a talent. Hearing him sing was just a joy and worth the ticket price alone. For me Gina’s pregnancy was a non-issue here. It didn’t have any impact on me or her interpretation of the role and for Rob Houchen who looked mighty fine in an officers uniform, he delivered the vocal goods as always. Jonna Ampil got plenty of laughs from this afternoons’s audience as Bloody Mary. Will it get a life outside of the CFT?, well I would hope so but in these times who knows. Sadly I didn’t get to meet alece10 , but hopefully he got as much joy out of the show as I did. Waiting for my train so will write me review on the way back to London. |
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Post by CG on the loose on Jul 15, 2021 17:24:17 GMT
What an absolutely fantastic day in Chichester. Having great weather gave me the opportunity to have a good exploration of the city this morning which is something I’ve had the chance to do on previous visits to the CFT. A really lovely city with some fantastic buildings to have a look at before having a nice relaxed lunch within the theatre parkland pre-show . With regards to the show itself, director Daniel Evans and his team really have created a gem of a production at the CFT. For a £10 front row ticket, I couldn’t have asked for more and really struck gold with my seat. An absolutely stellar cast assembled combined with a wonderful 15 piece orchestra led by Cat Beveridge made for an amazing afternoon’s theatrical viewing and a well deserved standing ovation at the end of the show. It’s the first time I’ve seen Julian Ovenden perform live and what a talent. Hearing him sing was just a joy and worth the ticket price alone. For me Gina’s pregnancy was a non-issue here. It didn’t have any impact on me or her interpretation of the role and for Rob Houchen who looked mighty fine in an officers uniform, he delivered the vocal goods as always. Jonna Ampil got plenty of laughs from this afternoons’s audience as Bloody Mary. Will it get a life outside of the CFT?, well I would hope so but in these times who knows. Sadly I didn’t get to meet alece10 , but hopefully he got as much joy out of the show as I did. Lovely, joyful review. I've missed these so much. Thanks david 😊 |
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8,109 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jul 15, 2021 17:59:06 GMT
On my way back to London after a lovely day in Chichester. Lovely weather and it's always nice to stroll up the main street. Had a very nice lunch in the restaurant (first meal out since before Christmas).
As for the show, well it was glorious. They don't write songs like that anymore!
Loved the staging and lighting and they used the revolve to its full potential. Huge cast. Singing was wonderful. Julian Ovenden and Rob Houchen are 2 of my favourite performance and have such gorgeous voices. Gina Beck was excellent as was the actress playing Bloody Mary. Great ensemble and hundreds of them.
I had no issue at all with Gina Becks obvious imminent arrival as she was acting so what difference does it make that you can see she is pregnant.
The band/orchestra sounded wonderful too.
You can see they have put money into this show so I really hope there is a west end future for it.
Think I have a long journey home as some oiks are trespassing on the line further up. I love going to Chichester but it is a long day especially as I now have the song Dites-Moi stuck in my head.
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Post by Dr Tom on Jul 18, 2021 14:24:23 GMT
Just wanted to add my experiences from Friday. This is a wonderful production, very traditional, fantastic music and so good to see a full cast production again after so long.
It is staged in the round. The stage rotates at various times so you can see different parts of the staging. Some parts are obscured, depending where you sit.
I was sat on one of the front row £10 seats, booked quite late, an excellent sideways view. You do risk some interaction if you're in the front row, especially when the navy arrives and when Bloody Mary is hawking her wares. I can't really tell how this breaks from tradition, perhaps during the initial entrances? There are two marines in a subtle relationship. You get to watch a topless Iroy Abesamis seductively massage a long spout he's hawking for a few minutes, but that's no surprise if you ever saw him during the most recent tour of The King and I.
This one does give you tears in all of the right places.
My single biggest concern? As you go in, there's a sign listing all the trigger warnings, including gunshots. A sign like that puts me (and I'm sure others) on edge for the entire performance. I know it's a wartime show, they really went to town with the gunshots the last time I was at Chichester (Oklahoma), there are large guns carried around at various times, but at no time were any guns fired. There weren't even any load noises, just some relatively quiet background sound effects. The theatre should really be more considerate with its signage.
Running time, this finished at exactly 22:20. I had two trains available that would get me back to London, one at 22:40 (changing at Gatwick) and one at 22:49 (changing in Brighton - quite a detour). Checked my phone at the interval and the 22:49 has been cancelled. Thankfully, it took only a minute or so to get out of the theatre and I'd worked out the fastest route back to the station and made it with 3 or 4 minutes to spare. The 22:40 arrives on the nearest platform. But it does need a brisk walk and my train companions were not all the most pleasant (the conductor was having a hard time checking tickets). So, if you do rely on public transport and you can't afford Chichester hotel prices, I'd recommend you go for a matinee.
I do have an evening ticket booked to see Zack Guest when he is on as Lieutenant Cable, but I may end up trying to switch for the matinee just to avoid the hassle.
It would be good to know when Alex Young is on as well (Gina Beck was excellent and the happy occasion of her pregnancy barely noticeable in the way this was presented and how they had chosen some other larger dancers in the female ensemble, but I'd like to see Alex too).
Hopefully this will find a London home, but if you don't want to risk missing it, do get over to Chichester!
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5,817 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 18, 2021 19:43:10 GMT
It is not “in the round”. That would mean there are audience on all sides. 🤦🏻♂️
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Post by danb on Jul 18, 2021 22:03:36 GMT
Is it ‘Thrust’ then, with the audience on 3 sides? Is it just a bit sticky outy like the olivier? One simply needs to know!
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5,817 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jul 18, 2021 22:15:41 GMT
Is it ‘Thrust’ then, with the audience on 3 sides? Is it just a bit sticky outy like the olivier? One simply needs to know! It is indeed a thrust stage. Not in the round. |
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Post by Mark on Jul 18, 2021 22:25:29 GMT
Any chance of this transferring into town or am I gonna have to haul myself to Chichester?
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Jul 18, 2021 22:27:27 GMT
Any chance of this transferring into town or am I gonna have to haul myself to Chichester? Manifesting there is a further life; I think the themes of racism are obviously very relevant. I'm sticking with the recording for now! |
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Post by singingbird on Jul 19, 2021 9:48:22 GMT
I hope this transfers, as personal circumstances mean a trip to Chichester, lovely as it would be, is out of the question right now, and I'd rather see it in a theatre than streamed.
South Pacific is the weak link for me in the R&H cannon, but it's also the only one of the big shows I've not seen on stage, and I'd like to give it a proper chance.
I've always felt like the score had a lot of semi-filler (songs like There is Nothing Like a Dame, Bloody Mary and I'm Gonna Wash That Man... don't really do it for me, and seem to exist purely to have show-piece numbers to cover the fact there's not much plot there.) I also find the score lacks any truly spine-tingling moments. I know Some Enchanted Evening is a classic but to me it's nowhere near the likes of If I Loved You, Something Wonderful, Edelweiss and others.
But maybe if I saw a really great production on stage I'd be won over!
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Post by Oleanna on Jul 19, 2021 10:52:34 GMT
I hope this transfers, as personal circumstances mean a trip to Chichester, lovely as it would be, is out of the question right now, and I'd rather see it in a theatre than streamed. South Pacific is the weak link for me in the R&H cannon, but it's also the only one of the big shows I've not seen on stage, and I'd like to give it a proper chance. I've always felt like the score had a lot of semi-filler (songs like There is Nothing Like a Dame, Bloody Mary and I'm Gonna Wash That Man... don't really do it for me, and seem to exist purely to have show-piece numbers to cover the fact there's not much plot there.) I also find the score lacks any truly spine-tingling moments. I know Some Enchanted Evening is a classic but to me it's nowhere near the likes of If I Loved You, Something Wonderful, Edelweiss and others. But maybe if I saw a really great production on stage I'd be won over! A really great production and the “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught/This Nearly Was Mine” sequence should be sufficient to win you over. |
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Post by Mark on Jul 19, 2021 11:04:24 GMT
Any chance of this transferring into town or am I gonna have to haul myself to Chichester? Don't forget they are streaming it on selective dates in August Aah, streaming just doesn't do it for me unfortunately. |
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287 posts
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Post by singingbird on Jul 19, 2021 11:13:02 GMT
I hope this transfers, as personal circumstances mean a trip to Chichester, lovely as it would be, is out of the question right now, and I'd rather see it in a theatre than streamed. South Pacific is the weak link for me in the R&H cannon, but it's also the only one of the big shows I've not seen on stage, and I'd like to give it a proper chance. I've always felt like the score had a lot of semi-filler (songs like There is Nothing Like a Dame, Bloody Mary and I'm Gonna Wash That Man... don't really do it for me, and seem to exist purely to have show-piece numbers to cover the fact there's not much plot there.) I also find the score lacks any truly spine-tingling moments. I know Some Enchanted Evening is a classic but to me it's nowhere near the likes of If I Loved You, Something Wonderful, Edelweiss and others. But maybe if I saw a really great production on stage I'd be won over! A really great production and the “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught/This Nearly Was Mine” sequence should be sufficient to win you over. That is by far my favourite bit of the score, so it could well do! |
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Post by Mark on Jul 20, 2021 9:04:00 GMT
Any seating advice for this one? Wanting to go cheaper rather than the more expensive seats.
Options are Side stalls at £18 or same price on the curving part of the balcony (row U)
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3,307 posts
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Post by david on Jul 20, 2021 9:16:38 GMT
Mark, the £18 side stalls should be fine. I got a £10 ticket for the front row last week and didn’t have any major issues sitting there. I’d imagine the £18 seats would be slightly better.
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Post by Mark on Jul 20, 2021 9:38:15 GMT
Mark , the £18 side stalls should be fine. I got a £10 ticket for the front row last week and didn’t have any major issues sitting there. I’d imagine the £18 seats would be slightly better. Thank you David. I knew I'd had a cheapish stalls ticket when I saw Sweeney. Raked through my ticket stubs and the then £11 seat is now £33! But its just along from the £18 seats so will go for them. Thanks! |
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Post by alece10 on Jul 23, 2021 11:19:34 GMT
Did anyone notice that huge airplane at the back of the stage towards the end? Must have cost a fortune to build. Just wished it could have actually come onto the stage.
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Post by david on Jul 23, 2021 11:27:00 GMT
Did anyone notice that huge airplane at the back of the stage towards the end? Must have cost a fortune to build. Just wished it could have actually come onto the stage. Oh yes. Agree, it’s a shame it couldn’t of come on stage. It was definitely a surprise to see it. It looked impressive from where I was sat. |
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Post by theatre241 on Jul 23, 2021 18:48:02 GMT
Hi I have never been to CFT and I was seeing if row U in the rear stalls/ balcony area is a good view. How big is the space, would I feel miles away?
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4,789 posts
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Post by Mark on Jul 24, 2021 15:41:38 GMT
Have booked for Tuesday in the side stalls seats (£18) - Hopefully not too restricted at the side.
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Post by fiyero on Jul 24, 2021 18:40:55 GMT
Have booked for Tuesday in the side stalls seats (£18) - Hopefully not too restricted at the side. We were in the £10 front row side seats today and it was great for the price. I’d say low numbers get a better view than high numbers but they do perform in all directions where they can. |
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