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Post by showgirl on May 20, 2022 14:37:54 GMT
I had the call this morning to "upgrade" our dead-centre, front-row, plenty-of-legroom seats to row E, well off centre, tomorrow afternoon. Not best pleased. And why leave it so late? But surely you can decline this kind "offer"? |
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Post by mkb on May 20, 2022 14:51:35 GMT
I had the call this morning to "upgrade" our dead-centre, front-row, plenty-of-legroom seats to row E, well off centre, tomorrow afternoon. Not best pleased. And why leave it so late? But surely you can decline this kind "offer"? I didn't realise I had a choice. Are the original seats still being used then? |
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Post by Dave B on May 20, 2022 14:57:52 GMT
But surely you can decline this kind "offer"? I didn't realise I had a choice. Are the original seats still being used then? There are 5 seats left on each side of Row A and in use. The rest are entirely covered by the addition to the stage. |
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Post by Mark on May 20, 2022 14:58:19 GMT
But surely you can decline this kind "offer"? I didn't realise I had a choice. Are the original seats still being used then? The stage extends over the front row so those seats aren’t in use. |
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Post by theatremiss on May 20, 2022 16:19:22 GMT
I sat in Stalls B15 which was in effect front row. The only original front row seats are the numbers 4-5 in row A.
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Post by mkb on May 20, 2022 17:42:32 GMT
So they've known about this since at least 7 April then. I presume they've been storing up returns so that they didn't have to move everyone affected to the back of the circle. I guess I'm lucky to still get a good close-up view.
As per the recent Young Vic discussion, I struggle to understand why theatre contracts with the director and set designer can't specify the date by which they must let the theatre know of any unavailable or restricted-view seats, with no changes allowed after that date. Smacks of ineffectual management to me.
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Post by showgirl on May 21, 2022 4:08:40 GMT
It is both ridiculously and inconsiderately late to contact those who've booked. The suspicion must be that the NT was waiting to see how sales went and which seats were still available as they have to move people to more expensive ones but suppose those people particularly wanted to be close to the stage, or to have the extra legroom you'd normally have in the very front row?
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Post by mkb on May 21, 2022 19:59:36 GMT
Oh dear! Reading through this thread and looking at reviews post-show is deeply depressing. If this production is what constitutes good entertainment, I might as well give up on theatre with immediate effect.
That today's matinée received a partial standing ovation and enthusiastic applause, I struggle to compute. I found the whole thing utterly dreadful and sailing perilously close to one-star land
Every major directorial decision was astonishingly ill-judged: the framing device was tiresome after a couple of minutes, never mind the whole damn play; the open set of Act 1; the anachronistic, modern acting/speaking style of Walker; having 30-something actors playing teenage miners and 16-year-old Bessie -- are the nation's drama schools as bare as the first-act stage?; the fourth-wall breaking by Walker; costume/make-up for the miners reminiscent of Mary Poppins' chimney sweeps with full-on black-face ludicrously meant to signify coal dust; caricature Cockneys; caricature squire; caricature maiden. I could go on...
The actual "Educating Rita" story would not be uninteresting were the behaviour and dialogue of characters not so unbelievable and unrealistic at every turn.
Perhaps the nod to Disney chimney sweeps is apposite, since the lead here is less a rounded character than a practically perfect feminist.
I would reserve the worst of my scorn for the set designer who seems to hold the audience in callous disregard. The partial removal of the front row seating was entirely gratuitous, serving only to provide a platform for a short prelude to Act 2 in front of the safety iron that then opened painfully slowly. It would have been far less clunky had that scene been staged in front of a quickly opening curtain further back. Both acts are performed on platforms needlessly raised 15 inches, impairing the sightlines of those in the front four rows. Act 2 takes place in a box that is 60% of the stage width with side walls perpendicular to the stage front, meaning that front corner seats have a severely restricted view.
A very disappointing afternoon, quite surprisingly.
Two stars.
Act 1: 14:16-15:39
Act 2: 16:02-16:57
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Post by samuelwhiskers on May 21, 2022 21:20:22 GMT
So they've known about this since at least 7 April then. I presume they've been storing up returns so that they didn't have to move everyone affected to the back of the circle. I guess I'm lucky to still get a good close-up view. As per the recent Young Vic discussion, I struggle to understand why theatre contracts with the director and set designer can't specify the date by which they must let the theatre know of any unavailable or restricted-view seats, with no changes allowed after that date. Smacks of ineffectual management to me. It’s often because they just can’t give directors and designers the budget or the time they need to have access to the space with the budget for the design elements. If there was enough time and enough money then it wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s just not possible to completely predict how a show will handle the move from the rehearsal room to the venue. The space you’ve done all your rehearsals and blocking in might be a completely different size and shape to the stage, and rehearsal time is sometimes barely enough to get the performances together. The Barbican Hamlet set had to be changed last minute causing all kinds of problems because the venue just couldn’t install it till so close to first preview. |
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Post by mkb on May 21, 2022 21:33:04 GMT
So they've known about this since at least 7 April then. I presume they've been storing up returns so that they didn't have to move everyone affected to the back of the circle. I guess I'm lucky to still get a good close-up view. As per the recent Young Vic discussion, I struggle to understand why theatre contracts with the director and set designer can't specify the date by which they must let the theatre know of any unavailable or restricted-view seats, with no changes allowed after that date. Smacks of ineffectual management to me. It’s often because they just can’t give directors and designers the budget or the time they need to have access to the space with the budget for the design elements. If there was enough time and enough money then it wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s just not possible to completely predict how a show will handle the move from the rehearsal room to the venue. The space you’ve done all your rehearsals and blocking in might be a completely different size and shape to the stage, and rehearsal time is sometimes barely enough to get the performances together. The Barbican Hamlet set had to be changed last minute causing all kinds of problems because the venue just couldn’t install it till so close to first preview. Don't they use 3-D computer modelling so they can see exactly how the set will fit and what it will look like from any seat? |
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Post by samuelwhiskers on May 22, 2022 19:26:37 GMT
Iirc (and I’m going by memory from some years back) the issue with the Barbican was that the original set was too cumbersome and revolved too slowly, so there were huge gaps between the scenes.
3D modelling, yes some theatres use that and I assume the NT is one (no personal experience) but it doesn’t tell you what the play will feel like or look like when you first see it in person and the actors stand on the stage for the first time. If UK theatre had the budget for lengthier rehearsal periods and proper time to rehearse on the stage, like they do in other countries, I don’t think we’d have these problems.
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Post by showgirl on May 24, 2022 4:13:46 GMT
mkb I raised this concern and you too then mentioned "the anachronistic, modern acting/speaking style of Walker" but we seem to be the only two so far. I cannot understand how this has failed to jar with others; did no-one else notice it?
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Post by edi on May 24, 2022 8:30:32 GMT
mkb I raised this concern and you too then mentioned "the anachronistic, modern acting/speaking style of Walker" but we seem to be the only two so far. I cannot understand how this has failed to jar with others; did no-one else notice it? I interpreted it that she was ahead of her time and to be honest this was the bit that I enjoyed most. |
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Post by bordeaux on Jun 10, 2022 5:25:41 GMT
This was a highly enjoyable evening and an excellent example of a play which when played straight may well be rather dated, sentimental and melodramatic but given the directorial framing retains its emotional power whilst not entirely junking the sentiment. Excellent performances all round and the most applause for anything I've seen since reopening after Covid. Can't wait to see what Dominic Cooke does next... can anyone remind me?
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Post by Steve on Jun 10, 2022 6:24:18 GMT
Can't wait to see what Dominic Cooke does next... can anyone remind me? Good, with David Tennant, at the Harold Pinter Theatre.  |
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Post by Rory on Aug 9, 2022 10:57:56 GMT
Coming soon to NT at Home. Great news!
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