The Time Traveller's Wife - Chester Storyhouse / Apollo

[andypandy]

Can we have a poll please?

[BurlyBeaR]

Poll added

[mrbarnaby]

I don’t understand why producers go to the effort and expense of staging these shows, workshopping them, and then the score is not good enough. It seems so basic.

After these reports, unless this gets amazing reviews, I shall be skipping this one.

[iwanttix]

I saw this Friday night - I admit the only reason I wanted to go was for David Hunter but I did enjoy the show as a whole. Unfortunately we were front row so with the ridiculously high stage we did feel as though we missed a fair bit. Both me and my friend want to go and see it again from further back.

I liked the songs, the lead roles were well played and sang and the constant disappearing and reappearing was actually pretty impressive.

[max]

I don't think Dave Stewart has much talent as a musical dramatist - for odd reasons: rather than bringing the more unusual and creative impulses of his days in Eurythmics, he writes in an over-obvious (and somewhat cliched) pop Musical Theatre style. I've listened to three songs from this show, and one of them hits 'that' supposedly euphoric Musical Theatre harmony, that we've just heard too often over the last 20 years ('Rent' probably started it, or certainly cemented it as a 'go to'). Does it work anymore? Probably if you don't go to musicals that often.

I remember being suprised by the two big songs for Oda Mae in 'Ghost' - two generically lazy 'strong Black woman' songs, that absolutely didn't deserve Sharon D Clarke selling them to make them sound so much better than they were. To think he co-wrote 'Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves' as sung by Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin. The real deal ebbed away long ago.

[musicbox]

I had been planning on seeing this show when it was announced as I was a fan of Joss Stone since I was a kid, but I had the misfortune of meeting her at the start of the year, and she was so vile to me that I was devastated and decided never to support anything she does ever again (Never meet your heroes and all that!).

I was just thinking today that I haven’t heard any buzz or real promotion for the show and wanted to see what the consensus was - it really doesn’t surprise me that the general feeling is that the music isn’t great, as I’ve never enjoyed anything that Dave and Joss have made together. Joss is also not a great composer or songwriter in general to be honest, she is a brilliant vocalist whose best albums have been covers or collaborations with soul and blues legends (The late, great Betty Wright basically launched her career).

I might still pay a visit out of curiosity if there are any good dynamic pricing deals in the next few weeks.

[singingbird]

Really in two minds about going to this now. I dislike Joss Stone's music - it always seemed bland has never remotely grabbed me. Dave Stewart, on the other hand, was one of my early musical heroes. Eurythmics were my favourite band as a teenager (especially their earlier artier stuff - their first two albums are bonkers and brilliant) and his first couple of post-Eurythmics albums were touchstones for me circa 1990. But I never thought his work had a musical theatre feel to it, and Ghost was singularly unmemorable. I'll probably go if I can get a cheapish ticket at some point, just for old time's sake, but nothing I have heard about the show so far has really sold it to me. I can't see it lasting long - there is zero buzz around it.

[interval99]

If anyone would rather relive Dave Stewart Eurythmics music he is doing a concert celebrating 40 years of sweet dreams at the palladium on November 17th. Sadly without Annie but apparently its a show he has done before and got good reviews.
Tickets a bit pricey and the top ones include being able to watch the sound check but chance to hear some classics.

[max]

Oct 22, 2023 17:39:00 GMT musicbox said:

I had been planning on seeing this show when it was announced as I was a fan of Joss Stone since I was a kid, but I had the misfortune of meeting her at the start of the year, and she was so vile to me that I was devastated and decided never to support anything she does ever again (Never meet your heroes and all that!).

I was just thinking today that I haven’t heard any buzz or real promotion for the show and wanted to see what the consensus was - it really doesn’t surprise me that the general feeling is that the music isn’t great, as I’ve never enjoyed anything that Dave and Joss have made together. Joss is also not a great composer or songwriter in general to be honest, she is a brilliant vocalist whose best albums have been covers or collaborations with soul and blues legends (The late, great Betty Wright basically launched her career).

I might still pay a visit out of curiosity if there are any good dynamic pricing deals in the next few weeks.

Urgh, that's horrible.  Sad to hear you experienced that.

[musicbox]

Oct 22, 2023 20:41:37 GMT max said:

Oct 22, 2023 17:39:00 GMT musicbox said:

I had been planning on seeing this show when it was announced as I was a fan of Joss Stone since I was a kid, but I had the misfortune of meeting her at the start of the year, and she was so vile to me that I was devastated and decided never to support anything she does ever again (Never meet your heroes and all that!).

I was just thinking today that I haven’t heard any buzz or real promotion for the show and wanted to see what the consensus was - it really doesn’t surprise me that the general feeling is that the music isn’t great, as I’ve never enjoyed anything that Dave and Joss have made together. Joss is also not a great composer or songwriter in general to be honest, she is a brilliant vocalist whose best albums have been covers or collaborations with soul and blues legends (The late, great Betty Wright basically launched her career).

I might still pay a visit out of curiosity if there are any good dynamic pricing deals in the next few weeks.

Urgh, that's horrible.  Sad to hear you experienced that.

It’s not that she’s a bad person or anything, she just has a really nasty attitude, probably a product of being famous at such a young age and never developing social skills the way most people do. She made me feel about 2 feet tall, which doesn’t happen very often.

I can’t deny she’s a brilliant performer though and I hope this project isn’t a massive flop or financial disaster for her.

[Rory]

No excuse if she acted like that towards you.

[theatrefan77]

I thought this was quite boring. The whole of the first half fell flat and the last number just before the interval was embarrassingly bad. It's all too fragmented and it's really difficult to engage with the story. The second half starts with a really good opening number but it goes downhill from there. The music didn't do anything for me either, totally meh.

[andypandy]

Oct 23, 2023 0:09:14 GMT theatrefan77 said:

I thought this was quite boring. The whole of the first half fell flat and the last number just before the interval was embarrassingly bad. It's all too fragmented and it's really difficult to engage with the story. The second half starts with a really good opening number but it goes downhill from there. The music didn't do anything for me either, totally meh.

The pre interval song (wine glasses in hand) I think was the most amateur and sadly cringeworthy song and ensemble routine I’ve EVER seen on a West End stage

As for the chorus boys holding their hands like limp wrists in the air to portray gay men at an art event in floral shirts / I actually found it offensive.

The show is a total mess.

[anthony40]

Wow! Disappointingly a lot of negative feedback fro you guys.

I've not seen it.

I wonder what sort of reaction it got through try outs before hitting the West End?

[Rory]

Sounds like we might soon be in for more months of one night concerts, comedians etc in a Nimax venue on Shaftesbury Avenue.

[c4ndyc4ne]

Oct 23, 2023 14:47:32 GMT Rory said:

Sounds like we might soon be in for more months of one night concerts, comedians etc in a Nimax venue on Shaftesbury Avenue.

is it selling badly? 

[marob]

Oct 23, 2023 14:10:23 GMT anthony40 said:

Wow! Disappointingly a lot of negative feedback fro you guys.

I've not seen it.

I wonder what sort of reaction it got through try outs before hitting the West End?

In Chester it got standing ovations. 😂

I didn’t think it was great, but as 2 hours entertainment I thought it was ok. I liked the story and the characters, thought the central couple had decent chemistry, just the entire thing is let down by having music that is completely forgettable.

Storyhouse only opened in 2017 and were still finding their feet when the pandemic came along. Apart from a Christmas run of The Wizard of Oz and a rep production of A Little Night Music and The Crucible, most of their shows are quite small-scale - adaptations or cut-down versions of existing works, with a static set and the dreaded actor-musicians.

So for me personally I appreciated the fact that it was a massive step up in terms of staging and ambition, particularly as a follow-up to a rather weak Tim Firth musical. But sadly this promise hasn’t really been followed up on and it’s back to business as usual.

[thistimetomorrow]

Oct 23, 2023 16:40:28 GMT marob said:

it got standing ovations.

tbf it got a standing o when I went and there were definitely loads of people in the auditorium sobbing

[max]

The cast recording is now on Spotify. I had a listen to what I guess is the end of Act 1, as it's track listed before Entr'acte.
It's called "Who Are We".

The lyrics so remind me of Theatreboard, it could become the anthem:

"We can build whatever home we need
Colour, class, or creed.  

We've only got one life to live
There just so much love to give"

[Gregor]

Saw it this evening - standing ovation from much of the audience.
Thought Joanna Woodward and David Hunter were faultless - really enjoyed their chemistry and performances.

[mattnyc]

I had this booked before reading the reviews here and went into the matinee today almost dreading it, but I actually enjoyed it. It’s not high art or a life changing musical but not everything has to be.
I think the music works better in context to the show when you’re in the moment, rather than just listening to it cold. But I’ll get the cast album, there’s a handful of songs I think I really enjoyed.

In the end, I’m glad I went today. I might even try to catch it again before it closes.

[capybara]

Haven’t seen it yet, was hoping to pick up a rush ticket next month.

I must admit I’m a bit confused how a show they went down relatively well in Chester just a year ago can be prompting such negativity this time around.

Looking forward to getting a bigger sample size of respondents on here.

[Steve]

This was ok.

Joanna Woodward is terrific, and Tim Mahendran is great comic relief.

Unfortunately, most of the songs just do not reflect the weight of the story.

Some spoilers follow. . .

If you were time travelling about, being thrown randomly onto random streets in random times, starkers and with no money, you'd take that pretty damn seriously.

If you met a time traveller as a little girl, then got to meet him later for "the first time" as an adult, that would be an intense and astonishing thing.

But the music doesn't think any of this is intense or special at all. Neither does the music think that the connection of two such fascinating stories makes for a deep and passionate love story. Instead, the music wants you to feel like you're on holiday cruising in the sun in an open top sports car. The music feels like easy listening feelgood pop. Why?

"Journeyman," at the top of the second half is the first song to take the story seriously. It's intense, dark, exciting and excellent, and the effects are great. David Hunter performs it brilliantly.

After this kickstart, Joanna Woodward then gets to project some deep and tender feelings in "This Time," and Tim Mahendran is really funny singing "A Woman's Intuition," so the second half sticks the landing.

But because the first half is more like an inconsequential wistful and whimsical music video, that landing can only do so much.

Joanna Woodward is a terrific performer in everything I've seen her in (she was a memorable Tinker Bell in the Lost Boys Musical, for example) and she elevates the lead as much as anyone could!

The result is effective easy listening entertainment, pleasantly passing time, rather than the dramatically gripping astonishing love story this should be.

3 stars from me.

[Mark]

Was also at the matinee.
I’ll agree Joanna Woodward is great in this.

I’ve never seen the film or read the book, but I have the feeling this suffers the same fate as Back to the Future in that the music just isn’t memorable and these characters just don’t “sing”. I kept thinking whilst watching that I’d bet it would be much better as a film.

The music is probably the worst part in all honesty, just not memorable and very much like dialogue to music where nothing develops. The song Gomez sings in act one I thought was absolutely dire. I did, like David Hunters number at the top of act two.

The illusions were good, and I enjoyed the story.

3 stars.

[Nelly]

I saw this tonight and thought it was pretty average, sadly.

Some nice effects and the cast are strong vocally but the songs are so bland and never really go anywhere. Even the opening of act two which visually was fantastic, the song was just a bit meh. Whilst I get the point of the story is he is never around long, some scenes are so fleeting it actually just feels pointless.

In the days where pretty much every show seems to get a standing ovation, the audience reaction was pretty muted, barely any standers.

I expect this to be panned in the press but what do I know?