Anyone Can Whistle - Southwark Playhouse

[thistimetomorrow]

Just got home from this, and definitely agree with it being utterly bizarre, but so so so much fun.

Quick question I guess semi related to the fake corpsing/audience deceits thread, but in Act 1 near the beginning Alex trips off the stage and says I'm fine and then slightly later on, she exaggeratedly steps off the stage carefully. I'd like to think this was legit, but can anyone confirm?

[musicalcritical]

Does anyone know if this is being extended? I'll be in London around May 9th and I'm just missing it by 2 days

[skan]

also interested if this extends. if anyone has any insight that'd be great.

[Mark]

It Can't
The next production in the Large starts 6 days after this finishes (Lift).

[SamB (was badoerfan)]

Apr 25, 2022 22:34:20 GMT thistimetomorrow said:

Just got home from this, and definitely agree with it being utterly bizarre, but so so so much fun.

Quick question I guess semi related to the fake corpsing/audience deceits thread, but in Act 1 near the beginning Alex trips off the stage and says I'm fine and then slightly later on, she exaggeratedly steps off the stage carefully. I'd like to think this was legit, but can anyone confirm?

The stage manager came on before the show tonight and explained that Alex had had a small accident a few days ago, so was playing the role with a crutch - so I'm guessing what you saw wasn't deliberate!

[cheri78]

What a joy to finally see this, and what fun we had. It's bonkers and of course clear to see why it was a flop, but it's some of his most wonderful songs. With so little to be sure of was beautifully sung, I was in tears. Alex Young gave the campest, funniest performance I've seen in some time, the bit where she just gave up trying to hit the high colatura note was a gem of direction/acting. A true ensemble piece, and Chrystine Symon's voice in the small space of SP was thrilling. I was on front row so some tension about being involved but I escaped, though I was so into it that I now wish I had been. Alex had such fun with one guy which I guess is planned but looks so spontaneous. Yet another SP gem, one of the best fringe venues in town.

[Someone in a tree]

Just come out of the show, the penultimate performance. Loved it. So great to see the show settle in and the performances mature.

I suspect tonight's show will have an amazing atmosphere - break a leg and thank you so much for finally making this show work.

Xx

Ps please can we have a recording?

[fiyero]

I'm just having a quick dinner before I go to the final night. I hope it will be as great as the first time I saw it, I suspect they will be giving 110% tonight!

[theatrescribe]

Apr 25, 2022 22:34:20 GMT thistimetomorrow said:

Just got home from this, and definitely agree with it being utterly bizarre, but so so so much fun.

Quick question I guess semi related to the fake corpsing/audience deceits thread, but in Act 1 near the beginning Alex trips off the stage and says I'm fine and then slightly later on, she exaggeratedly steps off the stage carefully. I'd like to think this was legit, but can anyone confirm?

She tweeted this the other day so think it was legit! "Who falls off the stage THREE TIMES IN ONE WEEK? This guy, that’s who."

[mkb]

I need to recalibrate!

The fabulous Salad Days was my go-to bonkers musical, but that seems positively sensible compared to the zaniness of Anyone Can Whistle. I dread to think how much LSD may have been consumed in the creation of this work, because, let's face it, any sober creative would have tossed this aside. The book isn't even in the "so bad it's good" category. It's just plain bad. It even drags quite badly in places.

That said, the show is redeemed by the songs, and this production, by having a lot of fun with it.

I decided the best plan of attack was a large wine both before and during, and that paid dividends. It helped further that I got to congo, and my husband got the full Alex Young treatment.

I see others say this show mocks the mentally ill. Surely, it's the complete opposite? It postulates that those people are no madder, possibly less so, than the rest of us. In a crowd of "cookies" and audience, no one can tell who is whom. Well apart from the garish costumes, which didn't work for me. I didn't think much of the set either, and I have never liked traverse staging: I'm always too distracted by audience members opposite, and the constant looking left and right is neck-aching.

The parallels drawn between "cookieness" and transexuality I found somewhat baffling. There are many ways to express individuality and non-conformity, but the take here felt quite narrow and excessively "woke".

I can tick this off my Sondheim list, and I had fun, but it's a terrible musical.

Three stars.

Act 1: 19:39-20:52
Act 2: 21:13-22:02
(A new record for the Southwark Playhouse in my experience: overrunning by only 12 minutes; it's usually at least 15.)

[distantcousin]

May 8, 2022 19:29:52 GMT mkb said:

I need to recalibrate!

The fabulous Salad Days was my go-to bonkers musical, but that seems positively sensible compared to the zaniness of Anyone Can Whistle. I dread to think how much LSD may have been consumed in the creation of this work, because, let's face it, any sober creative would have tossed this aside. The book isn't even in the "so bad it's good" category. It's just plain bad. It even drags quite badly in places.

That said, the show is redeemed by the songs, and this production, by having a lot of fun with it.

I decided the best plan of attack was a large wine both before and during, and that paid dividends. It helped further that I got to congo, and my husband got the full Alex Young treatment.

I see others say this show mocks the mentally ill. Surely, it's the complete opposite? It postulates that those people are no madder, possibly less so, than the rest of us. In a crowd of "cookies" and audience, no one can tell who is whom. Well apart from the garish costumes, which didn't work for me. I didn't think much of the set either, and I have never liked traverse staging: I'm always too distracted by audience members opposite, and the constant looking left and right is neck-aching.

The parallels drawn between "cookieness" and transexuality I found somewhat baffling. There are many ways to express individuality and non-conformity, but the take here felt quite narrow and excessively "woke".

I can tick this off my Sondheim list, and I had fun, but it's a terrible musical.

Three stars.

Act 1: 19:39-20:52
Act 2: 21:13-22:02
(A new record for the Southwark Playhouse in my experience: overrunning by only 12 minutes; it's usually at least 15.)

Well summed up! My reflections were very similar.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

May 8, 2022 19:29:52 GMT mkb said:

I need to recalibrate!

The fabulous Salad Days was my go-to bonkers musical, but that seems positively sensible compared to the zaniness of Anyone Can Whistle. I dread to think how much LSD may have been consumed in the creation of this work, because, let's face it, any sober creative would have tossed this aside. The book isn't even in the "so bad it's good" category. It's just plain bad. It even drags quite badly in places.

That said, the show is redeemed by the songs, and this production, by having a lot of fun with it.

I decided the best plan of attack was a large wine both before and during, and that paid dividends. It helped further that I got to congo, and my husband got the full Alex Young treatment.

I see others say this show mocks the mentally ill. Surely, it's the complete opposite? It postulates that those people are no madder, possibly less so, than the rest of us. In a crowd of "cookies" and audience, no one can tell who is whom. Well apart from the garish costumes, which didn't work for me. I didn't think much of the set either, and I have never liked traverse staging: I'm always too distracted by audience members opposite, and the constant looking left and right is neck-aching.

The parallels drawn between "cookieness" and transexuality I found somewhat baffling. There are many ways to express individuality and non-conformity, but the take here felt quite narrow and excessively "woke".

I can tick this off my Sondheim list, and I had fun, but it's a terrible musical.

Three stars.

Act 1: 19:39-20:52
Act 2: 21:13-22:02
(A new record for the Southwark Playhouse in my experience: overrunning by only 12 minutes; it's usually at least 15.)

But isn't the relation between "cookieness" and "transexuality" (pretty sure that term has fallen out of favour now just fyi) literally in the text though? There's that whole sequence in Simple with the couple whose genders keep swapping that mocks traditional gender roles.