Mirror and the Light-Gielgud

[zahidf]

With Ben Miles back in the role from 23rd Sept

www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/rsc-mirror-and-the-light-receives-west-end-premier_54102.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=20may2021

[mrbarnaby]

That’s a very short run.
It must surely be extending longer than that

[princeton]

Ben Miles also doing the adaptation along with Hilary Mantel herself, I wonder why not Mike Poulson who did a pretty good job on the first two.

And how odd, or not given the RSC's recent track record, that this gets a commercial west end run whilst the Swan sits empty in Stratford - or maybe it's going there as a Christmas treat!

[oxfordsimon]

The whole project is very odd.

She has no track record of writing for the stage. That decision seems to smack more of her ego than anything else.

Poulton remains one of the most dependable and skilled adapters of his generation. To be sidelined after the success of the first two seems unfair.

Miles is a competent actor (and better in the role than Rylance) but again has no track record in writing for the stage.

It falls ill-conceived and I won't be rushing to support it. The RSC getting it wrong again.

[lynette]

I didn't see Parts 1 & 2 so prob will give this a miss. People have praised 1 & 2 .

[oxfordsimon]

I reviewed the originals in quite glowing terms. But much of that was due to the quality of the script and the staging in Stratford.

Without the more objective hand of Poulton at the helm, I fear it will be too Mantel. She won't have the keen editorial eye necessary to do away with her own self indulgences.

And having just published a novel of over 900 pages, brevity is not her forte

[sfsusan]

May 21, 2021 2:24:14 GMT oxfordsimon said:

Miles is a competent actor (and better in the role than Rylance)

I really enjoyed his portrayal in Wolf Hall... clever, cheeky, funny... you could see how he could overcome his background by a combination of personality and brains. In the tv show, Rylance looked and acted like a pedantic gloomy gus.
But I share the concern about this adaptation... I thought The Mirror & The Light itself was overlong, under-edited, and uninteresting until literally the last scenes. But an appealing cast might be able to overcome a dull script.

[sfsusan]

Is this a particularly balky website, or have I forgotten how to book theater tickets? I thought I'd signed up at the Subscriber level to get priority booking, so went online today at 10 am to book. Couldn't find a Book Now button to save my life, then checked my email and credit card statement and realized the purchase must not have gone through. Oh, well, I'll buy tomorrow when they go on sale to the public.

Later this afternoon, an email hits my in-box saying tickets are now on sale! I try going through the Priority purchase process again and see a screen that says "Log in or Join Now to purchase priority tickets", so I'm still apparently not registered as a Subscriber. Then I click the button in the email and breeze through the process. So I'm still confused as to whether or not I'm a Subscriber, but at least I'm confused with a ticket now!

[Rory]

[sfsusan]

Does anyone know the cast by sight well enough to know if these are Cromwell's victims come to witness his execution? I'm thinking Catherine of Aragon (left, white dress) and Anne Boleyn (right, white trousers, stretching up from the floor)?

[mkb]

Can anyone who's been give me the precise time the curtain call finished please, so I can make an informed decision about trains home without the need to build in excessive contingency.

[edi]

Is it enjoyable on its own without knowing anything of the previous stories?

[sfsusan]

Oct 2, 2021 10:49:04 GMT edi said:

Is it enjoyable on its own without knowing anything of the previous stories?

If you know the history behind the story (or have read at least the first two books), yes, it would be fine.  Walking in with no knowledge of the people, the setting and the relationships... I'm not sure.  Cromwell's upbringing is critical, the personal history between Cromwell and Cardinal Wolsey is important, as is his relationship with the established nobles in Henry's court.  They do include some brief glimpses establishing , but I don't know if those would do much to really establish their importance.

I suppose what I'm saying is you would, of course, understand the events that are happening, but I don't know if what's on stage would convey why they're happening and the deeper resonance in his life.

[dm913]

Oct 1, 2021 17:07:27 GMT mkb said:

Can anyone who's been give me the precise time the curtain call finished please, so I can make an informed decision about trains home without the need to build in excessive contingency.

The matinee finished at 5:07 when I went.

[mkb]

Oct 4, 2021 17:15:07 GMT dm913 said:

Oct 1, 2021 17:07:27 GMT mkb said:

Can anyone who's been give me the precise time the curtain call finished please, so I can make an informed decision about trains home without the need to build in excessive contingency.

The matinee finished at 5:07 when I went.

Thanks

[rumbledoll]

If anyone booked via Rush tickets already. Could you share where in the auditorium are these seats placed and how hard was to get them?
Thanks!

[zahidf]

Got a free upgrade from the Grand circle to the stalls for this.

Enjoyed it a lot. Well worth watching, esp if you're a wolf Hall fan

[Jon]

I do think that the RSC and Playful missed a trick not reviving Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and playing them in rep with The Mirror and the Light.

It will be interesting to see how the upcoming TV adaptation of The Mirror and the Light which I think isn't due until 2023 compares to the play. Mantel and Miles manages to compress what is a long book into a 2 hours 40 minute play but I imagine the TV adaptation will likely be 3 or 4 episodes so they'll be able to do things that were cut in the play version.

[Jan]

Oct 10, 2021 21:58:44 GMT Jon said:

I do think that the RSC and Playful missed a trick not reviving Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and playing them in rep with The Mirror and the Light.

Yes that surprised me too. I'm entirely guessing based on no information, but maybe it's a rights issue related to the playwright Mike Poulton having been jettisoned from the project for the third part - that does seem very odd and no explanation that I've seen has been forthcoming. 

[cavocado]

Oct 11, 2021 6:27:49 GMT Jan said:

Oct 10, 2021 21:58:44 GMT Jon said:

I do think that the RSC and Playful missed a trick not reviving Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and playing them in rep with The Mirror and the Light.

Yes that surprised me too. I'm entirely guessing based on no information, but maybe it's a rights issue related to the playwright Mike Poulton having been jettisoned from the project for the third part - that does seem very odd and no explanation that I've seen has been forthcoming. 

I would love to see all three plays running in rep at Stratford next year - any likelihood of that happening, do you think? 

[Jan]

Oct 11, 2021 7:35:11 GMT cavocado said:

Oct 11, 2021 6:27:49 GMT Jan said:

Yes that surprised me too. I'm entirely guessing based on no information, but maybe it's a rights issue related to the playwright Mike Poulton having been jettisoned from the project for the third part - that does seem very odd and no explanation that I've seen has been forthcoming. 

I would love to see all three plays running in rep at Stratford next year - any likelihood of that happening, do you think? 

In Stratford I'd guess no chance at all for commercial reasons. 

[lynette]

I tempted to say that there is enough of Willie’s own work which has ‘parts’ they shy away from. Cod Willie taking up one theatre for a whole season would be a right turn off for some of us. Tempted to say..

[Jan]

Oct 11, 2021 17:23:04 GMT lynette said:

I tempted to say that there is enough of Willie’s own work which has ‘parts’ they shy away from. Cod Willie taking up one theatre for a whole season would be a right turn off for some of us. Tempted to say..

Cod Willie ? Think I'll just stick to fish fingers thanks. 

When do you think the RSC will next stage a Shakespeare play ? 6 months from now ? 

[cavocado]

Oct 11, 2021 17:43:39 GMT Jan said:

Oct 11, 2021 17:23:04 GMT lynette said:

I'm hoping for January, as soon as the Elephant musical closes! Maybe even a December Shakespeare to reopen the Swan? I wish they'd hurry up with their new season announcement. 

[cirque]

announcement next tuesday-i believe.

one shakespeare run jan-mar.

elephant will not open until next week now-this week perfs cancelled

dont really expect to see greg again,maybe wrong but its a feeling.

rsc not major player any more-have to accept this.