1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Feb 14, 2023 16:43:07 GMT
The Young Vic twitter account posted an (admittedly obstructed) image of what the pros-arch staging looks like from tech rehearsals yesterday:
|
|
5,795 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 15, 2023 8:27:07 GMT
Well it looks like it’s very smartly installed at the Wyndham’s.
It still remains one of the most turgid nights I’ve spent in a theatre so… good luck to em but I won’t be seeing it again!
|
|
|
|
Post by danb on Feb 15, 2023 9:00:20 GMT
Do they just sit and do a table read of Oklahoma? Does the table split in half and turn into a barn?
|
|
|
|
Post by mrnutz on Feb 15, 2023 9:22:52 GMT
Do we think they'll leave the house lights on as they did at the YV?
|
|
5,795 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 15, 2023 14:20:27 GMT
Do we think they'll leave the house lights on as they did at the YV? Of course they will. |
|
1,046 posts
|
Post by jgblunners on Feb 17, 2023 12:11:55 GMT
Looks like the wooden panelling extends into the auditorium too, presumably to minimise the separating effect of moving to a proscenium theatre.
|
|
|
|
Post by mrnutz on Feb 17, 2023 12:55:57 GMT
Looks like the wooden panelling extends into the auditorium too, presumably to minimise the separating effect of moving to a proscenium theatre. And they've brought the band out into the auditorium as well! |
|
19,659 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 17, 2023 15:20:11 GMT
Theyve gone a little overboard with the gun racks haven’t they?
|
|
4,171 posts
|
Post by anthony40 on Feb 17, 2023 16:01:01 GMT
Gaston used Antlers in all of his decorating, they've done similar with the thing that killed all those deers with antlers
|
|
|
|
Post by max on Feb 17, 2023 19:28:28 GMT
Do we think they'll leave the house lights on as they did at the YV? Do we think they'll go for the prolonged complete blackout (with hardly any prominent warning) which caused fear and panic to someone sitting next to me. I knew it was 'just theatre' but she thought something had gone wrong, and as I was on the very narrow balcony I feared she was going to try and get out, pushing past Totally irresponsible at the Young Vic - ushers said they'd had many complaints and 'situations' around it. |
|
5,139 posts
|
Post by Being Alive on Feb 17, 2023 19:56:49 GMT
Can't wait to see this again, terrific at the YV (loved all the full light/prolonged blackout stuff) - only thing I didn't like was the Ballet (which is cleverly moved to act 2)
And more Patrick Vaill - hoorah!
|
|
19,659 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 17, 2023 20:14:22 GMT
Gaston used Antlers in all of his decorating, they've done similar with the thing that killed all those deers with antlers That’s a stretch isn’t it? |
|
4,171 posts
|
Post by anthony40 on Feb 17, 2023 20:31:15 GMT
Gaston used Antlers in all of his decorating, they've done similar with the thing that killed all those deers with antlers That’s a stretch isn’t it? Hmm, possibly |
|
3,325 posts
|
Post by Dr Tom on Feb 18, 2023 12:32:52 GMT
No reports yet, so I will add mine. I saw this last night (second preview) and it has transferred very well. So well in fact that I've edited my undeserved 4* rating to a 5* rating.
I got lucky with a rush tickets, so was two seats from the end of the front row. I think the outer two seats at either end are the rush tickets (there may be more, depending, I suspect, on how many seats have been sold). The show was sold out.
As you may be able to tell from the pictures, there is a main stage area with a small step down to the middle of the front row. The band are between the low stage and the front row, there is no orchestra pit. The front row is a little restricted, but not too bad.
The show is restaged a bit, but the essence is the same as at the Young Vic. Sound quality is very good.
At the previous venue, there were lots of seats for the performers to interact with. Here, they can only really get to the middle of the front row (I was almost in the safe zone). So only book these if you enjoy a bit of audience participation, you don't mind having someone sit on your lap, or having James Patrick Davis singing seductively into your eyes and playing footsies with you. On the positive side, Stavros Demetraki very much seems to enjoy helping everyone to cool off. You also get lots of smoke in your eyes.
The front row yesterday was all male (singles and couples) which was an interesting dynamic.
I thought the show much more sexually charged in its new iteration, especially between Anoushka Lucas and Georgina Onuorah (Georgina is also absolutely fabulous as Ado Annie and brought the house down).
To answer earlier questions, the house lights stay on. It is uncomfortably hot at times, especially at the front, so dress accordingly. It also gets pitch black, I thought it even more pitch black (if that's a valid phrase) than at the Young Vic. There are plenty of warning signs, but I've no idea if anyone read them.
The audience was generally very polite, apart from a few inappropriate laughers. I got the impression most people had not seen this before. The ending is very powerful and better staged for the majority than before, not least because everyone is watching from the same angle. Hopefully without spoiling it, I will say they got the jets exactly right.
As I say, this remains excellent. The casting is top notch. You just can't get the intimacy of the Young Vic at this venue, so I'd recommend sitting near the front of the Stalls (or the front of the Circle if you want to avoid a musician obstructed view), but the cast do their best to draw everyone in.
And the lovely Luke Redmore was directing everyone in the queues on the way into the theatre. What more could you want to start the evening off with a smile?
Running time was just over 3 hours.
|
|
5,795 posts
|
Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 18, 2023 20:03:24 GMT
We’re naming and crediting ushers now?
|
|
|
|
Post by Seriously on Feb 19, 2023 0:17:10 GMT
We’re naming and crediting ushers now? Fellow human beings? Yes. |
|
1,442 posts
|
Post by theatrefan62 on Feb 19, 2023 8:02:14 GMT
Isn't it more that he is a west end actor so is known and recognisable from that?
I kind of hope so anyway, personally I'd have hated having full name put on public forum when working customer service (do the name badges have full names?)
|
|
8,096 posts
|
Post by alece10 on Feb 19, 2023 9:41:40 GMT
A simple Google search for that names comes up with an actor who seems to have quite a good MT cv including West end BOM, so if this is the same person then the poster is doing nothing wrong with putting their full name and obviously recognised them. They are also complementing them.
It's not that unusual to see actors working FOH, I often see them at the Palladium.
I remember a recent visit to the Palladium and the theatre was late opening so there was a huge crowd outside waiting to go in. One of the FOH staff stood at the top of the stairs and made an announcement in such a loud projected voice that everyone could hear him quite clearly. I looked at my friend and said "he's definately an actor".
|
|
898 posts
|
Post by bordeaux on Feb 19, 2023 10:25:29 GMT
Anyone seen this from the Grand Circle at the Wyndhams? Looks and sounds good from up there?
|
|
3,325 posts
|
Post by Dr Tom on Feb 19, 2023 10:49:22 GMT
Anyone seen this from the Grand Circle at the Wyndhams? Looks and sounds good from up there? I didn't go up there, but I think it would be a decent view from near the front of the Grand Circle. The sound seems well managed everywhere. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2023 15:27:19 GMT
A simple Google search for that names comes up with an actor who seems to have quite a good MT cv including West end BOM, so if this is the same person then the poster is doing nothing wrong with putting their full name and obviously recognised them. They are also complementing them. It's not that unusual to see actors working FOH, I often see them at the Palladium. I remember a recent visit to the Palladium and the theatre was late opening so there was a huge crowd outside waiting to go in. One of the FOH staff stood at the top of the stairs and made an announcement in such a loud projected voice that everyone could hear him quite clearly. I looked at my friend and said "he's definately an actor".
If nothing else, the original mention sent me to the actor's Instagram where it is quite evident that he is indeed a "lovely person."
|
|
|
|
Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 22, 2023 23:56:20 GMT
I was sat all the way up in the grand circle and the heavy heavy fog meant that I could barely see the dancer in the dream ballet. Caught maybe 50% of her performance if that. They seriously need to scale down the fog.
Anyway, I still enjoyed this, but I feel like something was lost when the staging was adapted. Less impactful and some of the lounging around stage felt less natural and engaging like this?
|
|
898 posts
|
Post by bordeaux on Feb 23, 2023 9:29:25 GMT
I was in the Grand Circle last night too and could barely see any of the first few minutes of the ballet, the rest of which seemed bafflingly dull to me. I enjoyed the production by and large, and it makes an interesting contrast with the only other version I've seen, the Trevor Nunn version, though that too didn't ignore the darker aspects of the show. I personally don't like what they've done with the ending; too much of a liberty in my view. The sheer gorgeousness of some of those tunes clearly does come through though clearly they don't want us to luxuriate in that sort of sensuous pleasure for too long. Would it be fair to say that this is a straight down-the-line Brechtian production? You're always aware you're watching a play in a theatre, the production deliberately prevents us from being emotionally invested in the characters and we are meant to consider the politics, the injustice and the misogyny of the world depicted rather than the love stories. Interesting for me as a theatre-buff, but I'm glad I didn't take my mum (87, loved the NT version).
|
|
|
|
Post by ladidah on Feb 23, 2023 10:54:28 GMT
I'm a huge fan of the original and I know this production is not for me - but I am nosy - can you please spoil for me what the new ending is?
|
|
|
|
Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 23, 2023 11:14:57 GMT
can you please spoil for me what the new ending is? bearing in mind that I've not actually seen a traditional staging of Oklahoma, but
{Spoiler - click to view}
from what I understand they actually haven't changed the text at all, it's just the way they've staged it that makes it different. Curly shooting Jud at the end is showed to be not self defence at all, Jud is nowhere near Curly or even acting aggressive in any way when Curly shoots Jud. And then the trial at the end is directed so that it seems more like a show trial where Curly being 'not guilty' is more iffy and not presumed. The way the actors do their lines (Aunt Eller and Ado Annie's dad as the Judge) make it seem a lot more morally ambiguous if that makes sense? |
|
