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Post by zahidf on Apr 16, 2021 9:24:26 GMT
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Post by theatrelover123 on Apr 16, 2021 15:21:39 GMT
Interesting that they didn’t continue with SRB in John Gabriel Borkman as planned - and they chose this instead.
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Post by princeton on Apr 16, 2021 16:49:08 GMT
Interesting - this was actually announced, albeit simply referred to as an untitled play about Bach starring SRB, when the theatre launched - and long before John Gabriel Borkman was mentioned. It was originally slated to be part of the 2018 season - but seemed to disappear from the upcoming productions list.
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1,471 posts
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Post by mkb on Apr 16, 2021 17:22:56 GMT
They have been rather sneaky, underhand perhaps, in moving my John Gabriel Borkman tickets to Bach & Sons. There is no mention of the fact that Bach top price is £69.50, less than the £72.50 I paid for Borkman, which I presume was the top band. So existing ticket-holders are expected, by default, to pay more than new customers. It may only be £3.00 each, but to sneak it through I don't like.
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Post by theoracle on Apr 16, 2021 19:28:34 GMT
I'm up for this. Will Simon Russell Beale be playing instruments too? Also, will this be a one man show or will there be multiple characters on stage?
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3,307 posts
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Post by david on Apr 19, 2021 18:53:47 GMT
Having booked for this today, there wasn't much choice for cheap tickets. The £15 seats are currently being sold in pairs. You will get a few single seats for £25 in Gallery 2, otherwise, £40+ for single seats on the different dates I clicked on this morning.
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Post by Dave B on Apr 20, 2021 9:11:59 GMT
Yes, not many cheap seats. The £15 seats we have sat in a couple of times and they worked fine for things like Talking Heads but I'm less sure about this and White Noise. Not on sale on TodayTix (unusual for the Bridge and we have a lot of credit with them that might have swayed me) but will have a look again closer to the time for Rush tickets etc.
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Post by TallPaul on Apr 20, 2021 11:18:51 GMT
I got an email from TodayTix just 20 minutes ago, so you may wish to have another look. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on May 25, 2021 10:21:34 GMT
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 27, 2021 11:42:50 GMT
They have been rather sneaky, underhand perhaps, in moving my John Gabriel Borkman tickets to Bach & Sons. There is no mention of the fact that Bach top price is £69.50, less than the £72.50 I paid for Borkman, which I presume was the top band. So existing ticket-holders are expected, by default, to pay more than new customers. It may only be £3.00 each, but to sneak it through I don't like. I've had some terrible customer service from this theatre |
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1,471 posts
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Post by mkb on May 27, 2021 12:31:07 GMT
They have been rather sneaky, underhand perhaps, in moving my John Gabriel Borkman tickets to Bach & Sons. There is no mention of the fact that Bach top price is £69.50, less than the £72.50 I paid for Borkman, which I presume was the top band. So existing ticket-holders are expected, by default, to pay more than new customers. It may only be £3.00 each, but to sneak it through I don't like. I've had some terrible customer service from this theatre Just to set the record straight... Following my initial posting, and without me having to contact the Bridge, there was a subsequent email a day or two later saying they were crediting the difference in price. So just an omission from the initial communication, rather than an attempt to charge existing ticket-holders more. |
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Post by NorthernAlien on Jun 11, 2021 20:22:09 GMT
I've booked to go and see this - I had to ring the Box Office, as despite the fact that a solo ticket was clearly shown as being available in Gallery 1, it wouldn't let me buy it online, citing the usual 'you can't leave a solo seat' nonsense - but a very competent chap called Dan sorted it out for me over the phone. It will be my first theatre visit since March 2020!
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Post by sfsusan on Jun 15, 2021 13:28:27 GMT
Email from the Bridge Theatre today:
"Just a quick note to confirm that Bach & Sons is going ahead as scheduled, and we're greatly looking forward to welcoming you back to the Bridge."
Yay!
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1,828 posts
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Post by Dave B on Jun 22, 2021 10:16:55 GMT
Today Tix just emailed out to confirm £20 Rush Tickets. Unlockable in the app and alerts available for availability.
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4,789 posts
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Post by Mark on Jun 23, 2021 12:29:17 GMT
Starts tonight. Anyone going?
Curious to hear reports (and also Rush experience)
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Post by Jon on Jun 23, 2021 15:59:19 GMT
I wonder if any reviewers or even the Bridge themselves will be tempted to use Theatre is Bach as a headline?
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1,256 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jun 23, 2021 16:01:13 GMT
Or 'Bach To The Theatre'. Like 'Back To The Future'. Do you see?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Jun 24, 2021 18:53:06 GMT
Is it as turgid as it sounds?
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Post by properjob on Jun 26, 2021 21:25:20 GMT
I saw it on Thursday. I don't have much experience of going to early previews so I'm not sure if it just needed a bit of bedding in or directorial tweaks but it felt a bit meh.
It wasn't bad, it was entertaining but it wasn't massively exciting either.
At the start when the younger Bachs were children the adults playing children thing grated a bit which I think slightly put me off for the rest of the show.
I'd be interested to hear others thoughts.
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Post by andrew on Jun 29, 2021 8:26:50 GMT
It wasn't bad, it was entertaining but it wasn't massively exciting either. I think on the whole I'd have to agree. I'm also reviewing a preview (what's the point in theatre discussion boards if you don't review the previews etc etc) but I'd give it 'Good Not Great'. It's very effectively put together, and Samuel Blenkin in particular is an absolute treat, but I just didn't feel particularly connected to the characters or engaged in the story. Part of my problem is I'm just not sure what the point was, during the final scene I was waiting for some kind of revelation or resolution that I just didn't get. The script is funny, though not funny enough to be a comedy, smart as you'd expect from Nina Raine, but no scene has the punch or vibrancy that Consent had. There is a lot of discussion between the characters about music, and what they see as the point of it, arguing about the role of religion, and meaning in the squiggles they jot down on a manuscript. Some of those discussions were interesting, and the fake playing of instruments/use of music was convincing enough to add some degree of quasi-authenticity to a family of musicians on stage, but again I didn't feel like those discussions went anywhere, or had relevance beyond a subject for the characters to argue about. It didn't help that not one, but two separate extremely loud phone alarms went off for 20 seconds in the final and incredibly quiet scene. By the time I'd re-engaged with the play it was over, and maybe I lost something of an emotional journey thanks to two unfathomably inconsiderate patrons. But what can you do. I wouldn't return my ticket but I don't think I'll be recommending it to non-theatre-centric friends. |
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Post by tmesis on Jun 29, 2021 11:43:13 GMT
I was at last night's final preview.
Raine has a bit of a problem constructing a play about Bach as less is known about his life compared to Mozart and what we do know shows him to be a stolid, irascible workaholic who also happened to be a genius. Mozart wrote a large number of entertaining letters that give great insight into his life and show that the potty-mouthed, frivolous man child as portrayed in Amadeus is not far off the mark. Dramatising elements of Bach's life therefore is difficult as most of it involves day to day frustrations of out of tune choirs and recalcitrant musicians.
Bach famously fathered 20 children (only 9 of which survived) by two wives. This loose, baggy play derives its tension from the father-son relationship of the two eldest lads; Carl, the most talented and Wilhelm, whom he favours, who were both fine composers in their own right.. The first act (until the end) was particularly lacking in any tension at all and I think should be pruned a bit. Things are much better in Act 2 where Raine is more convincing at showing all three composers struggling with their creativity.
The best performances come from the three composers; SRB is his usual excellent self and an almost ideal choice, Douggie McMeekin plays the likeable but somewhat dissolute Wilhelm very engagingly and Samuel Blenkin is wonderful as the forward thinking Carl.
So, although I enjoyed it, I predict this will disappear without trace after this run.
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Post by kt12 on Jun 30, 2021 13:50:57 GMT
Anyone hoping that post-covid theatre would 'shake things up a bit' by employing a differing set of actors for lead roles will be disappointed. SRB - clearly used to delivering lead performances - is hauled out again to give another of his 'clipped vowels & angsty' turns as Bach. It's not so much that this play doesn't appeal ( it doesn't!), its just that you know exactly the sort of performance you're going to get. Use different actors! There are tons of good ones waiting for the call. It's the equivalent of casting Sarah Lancashire as a gritty northern detective. We've seen her do it. Time and time again.
Plus if theatre is going to prove its relevance in a post-covid society, does a play about Bach do this? It reeks of appealing to a middle-class educated elite who can dose off during the performance but drop a reference to it during a dinner party!
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Post by showgirl on Jun 30, 2021 14:34:59 GMT
Having read the comments above plus all the press reviews I could find, I'm not too enthusiastic about seeing this in a couple of weeks; in fact, I booked it more for OH as I knew he'd be keen. However, as all 3 plays I've seen so far this month have been massive let-downs, maybe I will be pleasantly surprised if I go with low expectations. At least I shouldn't be disappointed!
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Post by lonlad on Jun 30, 2021 16:29:50 GMT
It's a pretty ropey play that has had some VERY generous reviews, I have to say. Lower your expectations, enjoy SRB in a surprisingly small part for him (he's offstage for long stretches), admire the delightful set (hanging keyboards) and be prepared for a lot of drivel about the power of music, almost all of which sounds totally generic and could have been spoken by anybody .....
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Post by CG on the loose on Jul 12, 2021 14:26:34 GMT
Another one bites the dust... just had an email from the Bridge advising that the performance I was due to see on Saturday evening is cancelled due to a positive COVID test in the company. No announcement on the website but all shows up to that 17 July evening show are listed as 'sold out'.
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