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Post by Being Alive on Sept 10, 2023 11:16:09 GMT
Wasnt a criticism at all - it's great that the intention to blindside the audience can still happen
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 10, 2023 11:28:52 GMT
I knew nothing about the show before going in and the reveal came as a complete surprise to me too. Very cleverly done but obvious once you replay it back 😀
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Post by BVM on Sept 10, 2023 11:32:33 GMT
Saw this and night and... wow! I kinda went in blind. Yest I have the CD but the songs come on as individuals on a random shuffle playlist so, I have never heard the whole score through so didn't really now the story, other than the basics and that Cassie Levy had flown in from America to perform in this. A very workable, simple yet effective set. Strong performances all round in terms of acting and vocals. It was interesting to wee that as the wife slowly started to heal, then the husband started to decline. Also the parallels between what both the mother and daughter going through. And the reveal half way through the first act- no spoilers- I couldn't see if I tried. This may seem a silly thing to say but what struck me the most was the standard of this production- as referred to above, the acting, the vocals, the set, the costumes and the orchestra. With The Little Big Things and now this, who could have predicted when I woke on Monday morning what an emotionally draining week this would be theatrewise? Quite frankly, I don't know how much more I can take! London musical theatre- you're killing me! Haha - I love this! I also saw TBLT and NTN back to back last week and was rendered emotionally exhausted. |
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Post by anthony40 on Sept 10, 2023 11:34:00 GMT
Saw this and night and... wow! I kinda went in blind. Yest I have the CD but the songs come on as individuals on a random shuffle playlist so, I have never heard the whole score through so didn't really now the story, other than the basics and that Cassie Levy had flown in from America to perform in this. A very workable, simple yet effective set. Strong performances all round in terms of acting and vocals. It was interesting to wee that as the wife slowly started to heal, then the husband started to decline. Also the parallels between what both the mother and daughter going through. And the reveal half way through the first act- no spoilers- I couldn't see if I tried. This may seem a silly thing to say but what struck me the most was the standard of this production- as referred to above, the acting, the vocals, the set, the costumes and the orchestra. With The Little Big Things and now this, who could have predicted when I woke on Monday morning what an emotionally draining week this would be theatrewise? Quite frankly, I don't know how much more I can take! London musical theatre- you're killing me! Haha - I love this! I also saw TBLT and NTN back to back last week and was rendered emotionally exhausted. Glad I'm not the only one! |
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Post by BVM on Sept 10, 2023 11:34:51 GMT
Almost positive the two nurses are just stage crew? I am sure they were. In fact it was the ONLY part of production that wasn't 5 stars. Before second act they were stood over the ECT table for ages just kinda gossiping/talking about shopping/discussing what was on telly etc etc and I was like why are they there, is this meant to set the mood for act 2? Weird! |
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Post by BVM on Sept 10, 2023 11:37:29 GMT
Funny enough, how I gave the production 3 stars (still stand by it), yet come back to read the variety of reactions on this thread, most curious. And a month after seeing the production the performances haunt me still, Jamie’s gradual meltdown as Dan and Jack Wolfe’s I’m Alive in particular, still hear it in my head in repeat. First time seeing this actor and I’m already wondering what he’s doing next. It really is quite peculiar now deep this story touched me even though I wasn’t impressed with the songs at all, the essential part of it. Somewhere in the parallel universe this exist as a play that I would rave about… Another vote for loving Jack Wolfe and I'm Alive. It just all became a little bit more classic musical theatre relief at that point which I was very much ready for! (And I also pondered if subject matter wise it might have worked better for me as a play...) Btw was gobsmacked when I googled Jack Wolfe and found out he was 27! |
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Post by curiouskc on Sept 10, 2023 11:45:27 GMT
Jack Wolfe’s I’m Alive in particular, still hear it in my head in repeat. First time seeing this actor and I’m already wondering what he’s doing next. He has a main role on the Netflix series 'Shadow & Bone' so if the sag/wga strikes ever get resolved and that show gets renewed, then I assume that'll be what Jack is doing next. If not, then I imagine he'll be in demand in the West End. I haven't heard anything about the UK casting for Hadestown yet but there's already a lot of people on Twitter fancasting Jack as Orpheus (which would be amazing). I loved all this N2N cast, but I'm especially interested to see what Wolfe and Worthington-Cox do next. If this show transfers next year, hopefully they'll both return. |
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Post by kz on Sept 10, 2023 12:45:40 GMT
I saw this last night after The Little Big Things matinee. It was one of the most emotionally draining but fulfilling days of theatre I've ever experienced.
The cast were incredible. I could listen to Caissie Levy forever. I Miss the Mountains was particularly special and I felt I understood the lyrics in a way I hadn't when listening to recordings. Eleanor Worthington Cox really showed the development of Natalie, and what a voice. Jack Wolfe also has such an incredible voice. I can completely understand the calls for him to be Orpheus. Jamie Parker, while the weakest singer on stage, managed the score reasonably well but it was his acting that was one of the stand out aspects of the night. Watching his deterioration through Act Two was just heartbreaking. The focus on the impact for family members in this production was particularly powerful.
The simple set was effective and reinforced the "next to normal" family life, or desire for this. There was something ominous about the knives along the back wall, despite just being part of the set. The handling of the end of Act One was particularly skillful.
Heading home from London now after a very strong few days of theatre. The West End definitely seems to be in good shape, and it's not often that I have more shows that I'd like to see than I can fit in. Back in April for Hadestown (if I can wait that long for another theatre fix).
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Post by toomasj on Sept 10, 2023 12:49:00 GMT
I saw this last night after The Little Big Things matinee. It was one of the most emotionally draining but fulfilling days of theatre I've ever experienced. The cast were incredible. I could listen to Caissie Levy forever. I Miss the Mountains was particularly special and I felt I understood the lyrics in a way I hadn't when listening to recordings. Eleanor Worthington Cox really showed the development of Natalie, and what a voice. Jack Wolfe also has such an incredible voice. I can completely understand the calls for him to be Orpheus. Jamie Parker, while the weakest singer on stage, managed the score reasonably well but it was his acting that was one of the stand out aspects of the night. Watching his deterioration through Act Two was just heartbreaking. The focus on the impact for family members in this production was particularly powerful. The simple set was effective and reinforced the "next to normal" family life, or desire for this. There was something ominous about the knives along the back wall, despite just being part of the set. The handling of the end of Act One was particularly skillful. Heading home from London now after a very strong few days of theatre. The West End definitely seems to be in good shape, and it's not often that I have more shows that I'd like to see than I can fit in. Back in April for Hadestown (if I can wait that long for another theatre fix). Agree completely but especially re: Caissie Levy, can we hide her under a blanket and keep her here forever?! |
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Post by foxa on Sept 10, 2023 14:26:17 GMT
After missing out because of the cancelled Saturday matinee two weeks ago, finally saw it last night. We ended up getting two good stalls tickets to replace the four cheaper seats we had before as two of our party could no longer make it. My reactions was much like BVM review above - cannot fault the production and there is much to admire but I felt myself more at an emotional arm's length than I epected. I was also disappointed in the music, with only 'I'm Alive' staying with me. Still glad to have seen it - think Jack Wolfe is a star and the production values, set, lighting, staging, etc were very high. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 10, 2023 15:43:46 GMT
Contains spoilers. I caught this last night also after seeing the Broadway production in 2010 with Marin Mazzie. I knew what to expect, but I loved seeing an updated take. This staging worked better I thought, and there were some really clever additions such as the walk through fridge, revolve, and the blood spill which caught me off-guard. Caissie seemed to play it very dry humoured at the start and had a more discrete way of showing Diana’s struggles than how I remember Marin. Her vocals almost seemed too polished for the story, and even though she’s in her 40s, she looks younger, especially when compared to Dan. I think a lot of the heavy lifting acting is done by Dan and Natalie rather than Diana, and Jamie and Eleanor were perfect. I had no issues with Jamie’s vocals last night, either he has worked on them since the other reviews or it wasn’t noticeable in the moment like it would be in a YouTube clip. The standout for me was Jack Wolfe as Gabe, his voice gave me shivers. I’m Alive got the biggest audience reaction of the night. I’m excited to see what he does next. I was also surprised they hired two extra cast members to play the ‘nurses’ at the start of act 2. Was this really necessary? Do they have other roles as understudies or backstage crew? It seems wasteful. I didn’t buy a programme so can’t check this. They weren’t 2 extra cast. They are stage management. They literally had headsets on. |
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Post by mkb on Sept 10, 2023 20:39:12 GMT
I'm always surprised when people don't see the reveal coming - I guess having known the show for so long it doesn't come as a shock to me, but I still think it's staged pretty clearly from the beginning what's happening (but I'm always pleasantly surprised when there is an OH moment for the audience) (Took me ages to work out that OH was not an acronym there!) I find that if I know there's a twist coming, I can work out what it will be. (Best example was The Sixth Sense.) If I'm not expecting a twist -- as here -- I'm more likely to be taken by surprise. |
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 10, 2023 20:41:01 GMT
I'm always surprised when people don't see the reveal coming - I guess having known the show for so long it doesn't come as a shock to me, but I still think it's staged pretty clearly from the beginning what's happening (but I'm always pleasantly surprised when there is an OH moment for the audience) (Took me ages to work out that OH was not an acronym there!) I find that if I know there's a twist coming, I can work out what it will be. (Best example was The Sixth Sense.) If I'm not expecting a twist -- as here -- I'm more likely to be taken by surprise. Same! I guessed The Sixth Sense 10 minutes in and nobody believed me! 🤣 |
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 10, 2023 22:29:16 GMT
Saw this last night and I largely agree with the praise it’s received. A fantastic production with a sublime cast - and band too! The sound design and musical direction are really excellent, it’s the best sounding musical I’ve heard in a while.
As I say, I think the whole cast are excellent, but Jack Wolfe and Eleanor Worthington-Cox are both particularly impressive. Strangely, for me it’s the material that fares least well in this production. Perhaps it’s because there’s been so much anticipation, or because it’s a ‘modern’ musical which is now 15 years old and starting to date, or maybe just that the direction and performances are so good that they overshadow the writing.
Either way, it’s still immensely enjoyable and moving.
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Post by lumen on Sept 10, 2023 23:50:11 GMT
Just joined and wanted to say I'm living through the reviews on this thread. N2N is a show that's meant so much to me since I lost my sister - although I never saw it on broadway (just the bootlegs) it kind of became a comfort show for me in the last couple of years. Although I'm not {Spoiler - click to view}
hallucinating dead relatives, the depiction of grief and the idea that 'some ghosts never leave' and it's okay if you can't totally get over grief / feel happy feels so pertinent to me and has got me through some hard times. Dan also really reminds me of my dad in the way he just wants to get over it and 'fix' Diana rather than live with the pain and allow it to exist. I've been following both the official and unofficial audio clips that have been released and honestly get chills. It must be incredibly powerful to see in such an intimate space. I wish I could see this show myself, but the only day I could manage would be the evening of 7th October and I think that's a lost cause to find tickets for now! Annoyingly I didn't realise I'd be able to do that evening or I'd have snagged them when they first went on sale but c'est la vie! I hope there's a transfer and that they keep this wonderful cast, but in the meantime thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed reviews.
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Post by curiouskc on Sept 11, 2023 7:01:57 GMT
Just joined and wanted to say I'm living through the reviews on this thread. If you are able to go on October 7th you should try for Daily tickets on September 30th. These tickets (usually about 6-8 released) go in a flash but they are still gettable. I would recommend refreshing the ticket page repeatedly from around 9.45am. They often go up a few minutes before 10am. With Oct 7th being the last night I don't know if it'll affect Dailys but I have been told that they release them for every show. |
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Post by intoanewlife on Sept 11, 2023 12:04:54 GMT
(Took me ages to work out that OH was not an acronym there!) I find that if I know there's a twist coming, I can work out what it will be. (Best example was The Sixth Sense.) If I'm not expecting a twist -- as here -- I'm more likely to be taken by surprise. Same! I guessed The Sixth Sense 10 minutes in and nobody believed me! 🤣 They were probably stunned (as was I) that they would use such cheap parlour tricks in such a serious show? |
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 11, 2023 12:39:14 GMT
Standing ticket for tonight (Monday 11 September) just posted on the Noticeboard.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 11, 2023 16:00:28 GMT
And a seated one for 13th Sept now on the Noticeboard as well.
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Post by lumen on Sept 12, 2023 9:32:40 GMT
Just joined and wanted to say I'm living through the reviews on this thread. If you are able to go on October 7th you should try for Daily tickets on September 30th. These tickets (usually about 6-8 released) go in a flash but they are still gettable. I would recommend refreshing the ticket page repeatedly from around 9.45am. They often go up a few minutes before 10am. With Oct 7th being the last night I don't know if it'll affect Dailys but I have been told that they release them for every show. Oh thanks so much! I'll give it my best shot and put the date in my calendar now - appreciate the tips! |
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Post by jarnew on Sept 12, 2023 10:47:20 GMT
I saw it last night and it also really got to me. Still, I really agree with what a lot of people already said on here. The staging, direction and cast is sublime and make this as intense as it is. I can't help but think though it could've been something even more powerful with some work on the book and score.
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Post by anthony40 on Sept 12, 2023 10:49:03 GMT
If it were to happen, I wonder if the stage production was filmed, or even a movie made, if the intensity of the show would carry over?
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Post by apubleed on Sept 12, 2023 11:05:03 GMT
I kind of feel if there is a production that will work on film, it’s this one.
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Post by curiouskc on Sept 12, 2023 16:05:25 GMT
If you are able to go on October 7th you should try for Daily tickets on September 30th. These tickets (usually about 6-8 released) go in a flash but they are still gettable. I would recommend refreshing the ticket page repeatedly from around 9.45am. They often go up a few minutes before 10am. With Oct 7th being the last night I don't know if it'll affect Dailys but I have been told that they release them for every show. Oh thanks so much! I'll give it my best shot and put the date in my calendar now - appreciate the tips! No worries. I'd recommend phoning the Donmar box office too, just to check that Dailys are still offered that night. |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Sept 13, 2023 5:12:31 GMT
I saw this again on Monday night. I was sat next to a very pregnant Samantha Barks. I really hope she knew what the show was about before she went in...
Another fantastic performance all round. Being front and centre this time, I noticed the odd way that Trevor Dion Nicholas sings. Once I'd seen it, I couldn't unsee it. The pre recorded 'rock vocals' are still very noticable.
The friend I was with had never even heard of the show before, let alone know anything about it. It was great to see his natural reaction to certain points of the show.
Jamie Parker continues to bring so much colour to the role of Dan. His jaunty, fun 'It's gonna be good' (including his little dance) makes a great contrast to the following 'He's not here'
I find the cast donning white coats and shaking pill bottles a bit odd, especially when Natalie and Henry have a scene in the middle of it, still with the jackets on. I wish they could have used the 2 women who are nurses at the start of Act 2, or even the actors who are listed as the understudies for the production.
Next visit will be on the final night on October 7th.
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