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Post by Jon on Mar 19, 2023 16:12:09 GMT
I would imagine the Richmond run was a way for them to iron out any kinks before they move to the West End.
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Post by karloscar on Mar 19, 2023 18:07:52 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 19, 2023 19:18:47 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? " Disagree. I felt lots of empathy for Jude in the book. And I could understand his qualities that drew people to him. Just not really in the play. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2023 19:42:26 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
Sigh. This is not the case at all as any of the numerous conversations and interviews with her reveal.
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Post by karloscar on Mar 19, 2023 20:39:07 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
Sigh. This is not the case at all as any of the numerous conversations and interviews with her reveal.
Strange that I had the same problem with the characters in To Paradise. Barely recognisable as human. |
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Post by Fleance on Mar 19, 2023 21:11:11 GMT
I was deeply moved by A Little Life and felt empathy for Jude and understanding as to why his friends loved him. I think that was evident (for me) right at the top.
I have to confess that I rarely read modern fiction, and so what the book did or didn't do does not concern me. I took the play on its own terms, and that was enough. Perhaps I'll see it again later on, to see if it has changed.
Someone commented much earlier in this thread that, when the play was done at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC a few months ago, many people walked out. Well, I'm not surprised. This is not a play to see in Dutch with sub or super titles, which is the way it was presented in Brooklyn. I hope the memory of that does not prevent a full production in English sometime in the future.
Amid all the horror of this play, there is something profoundly rare and moving. The cast, creators, and crew are to be congratulated for giving us something to think about.
If I must make one criticism, it's that I found those seated on the stage somewhat distracting. I know it made it possible for the theater to earn a few extra bucks and for more people to be able to see it, but that's the one thing I would change.
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Post by asps2017 on Mar 28, 2023 20:35:06 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them?
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Post by Jon on Mar 28, 2023 20:44:22 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them? Don't what it's like at the Pinter but at Richmond, they were excellent seats. You do have minor restrictions where the actors have their back to you but frankly for the price, it's worth it. |
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 28, 2023 22:54:46 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them? Really good. Quite comfortable seats and very up close view of everything happening (which is probably a warning in itself, idk how closely you actually want to see some of the bloodier scenes). A few moments where the actors are fully facing away, but most of the time they're side on or moving around enough that you can always see someone's face. |
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Post by clarefh on Mar 29, 2023 19:56:54 GMT
There is a sign up for notification of on stage seating at the savoy going on sale on the little life website incase anyone is interested.
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Post by ArbitraryGibberish on Mar 29, 2023 20:10:48 GMT
Saw this last night and was definitely very impacted by the performances. James Norton especially of course and Zubin Varla’s bit at the very end. I found it very difficult to assess the quality of the actual play and how I felt about its content. I didn’t dislike it at all. Obviously it’s not a fun play to watch, but I also didn’t feel moved in the same way I have for other impactful plays, the endless onslaught of torture had more of a numbing effect for probably 80% of the time. Being very neutral on the play itself I voted 4 stars primarily for the performances but if I had felt stronger about the material I could easily have seen myself going lower or up to 5.
I got a seat in Box E just the day before and would definitely recommend it if anyone has a chance to get a ticket there, it’s a steal for £35. The box seat lends itself to so much more comfort, legroom, and freedom to move around and adjust which was really nice for an almost 4 hour show. The view itself was about as good as you could expect from a box. Good proximity to the stage for a close view of course, and only the far left (stage right) was cut off. With leaning on the rail I could see like half of the kitchen counter and half of the bed where he visits Andy. Everything past that is cut off but it really never felt like it hindered the viewing experience
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Post by eua78 on Mar 29, 2023 20:41:43 GMT
Managed to pick up an on stage seat for next week, looking forward to this having never read the book. Also mentally preparing myself 😭, will report back on view as it only cost £25 AA1 I believe.
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Post by Steve on Mar 30, 2023 16:57:54 GMT
I saw this last night, and the trauma in this was so upsetting, I felt physically ill at points. I wouldn't call this entertainment, though it is extremely worthwhile theatre, as I feel that it shapes your views around the topics it covers in an empathetic way such that it becomes an unforgettable cultural touchstone for those issues for everyone who sees it, which will be alot of people. James Norton, Luke Thompson, Omari Douglas, Zubin Varla and Eliot Cowan are all terrific.
Some spoilers follow. . .
I haven't read the book, so I didn't know what to expect. But when it opened with four friends palling around, this was an entertaining element to the plot, as were the dramatic shifts that cause some friends to grow closer and some to drift apart. But this is the story of lifelong trauma from child abuse of the most heinous sort, and we flash back to witness enough of it such that, identifying with the characters as I was doing, I found it very hard to take.
In a way, this show reminded me of when Norton played Captain Stanhope in "Journey's End" at the Duke of York's Theatre. That show too was a story about extreme trauma (trench warfare) and coping strategies (alcohol, cigarettes) and how the best coping strategy of all was bonding with your band of brothers. Norton's performance was equally committed in that, so traumatised yet bravely hiding it from his troops. I cried buckets at the end, and that show became an unforgettable cultural touchstone for me when I think about warfare, such as what the Ukrainians must be going through, for example.
But this is much more (psychologically) traumatic, with more destructive coping strategies (self-harm such as cutting and burning), and the best strategy of all, the bond with his band of brothers is mostly fractured and tragic, because Norton's Jude is so damaged he can't really let them in.
I honestly don't know how Elliot Cowan is going to stomach the places he has to go, night after night for months, because all three characters he plays are the worst of the worst, each in subtly different ways. I suppose, like Norton, he's just going to have to adopt some Brechtian internal distance from the material.
Personally, I wished for some Brechtian distance at times. After 3 hours and 40 minutes of gradually building trauma, I was thankful to escape, and resolved never to read the book and never to see the play again, no matter what star is cast.
Once though was worth it. I won't ever forget this, and if I see something in the news about self-harm or about abuse, I'll be more empathetic.
4 stars from me. :0
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 31, 2023 8:39:38 GMT
I suppose, like Norton, he's just going to have to adopt some Brechtian internal distance from the material. Completely agree on this. I have no idea how Norton is doing this every night and smiling afterwards. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2023 12:55:22 GMT
If would be a tremendous sacrifice, but I am available post-performance each day to comfort Mr. Norton as he may require  |
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 31, 2023 13:57:33 GMT
Bit weird considering what the play is about but each to their own
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 14:09:10 GMT
Are the reviews for ALL appearing at the weekend as it's strange that no reviews have surfaced.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Mar 31, 2023 14:55:49 GMT
Embargoed til 6th April for reasons I'm yet to find out
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Post by Dave B on Mar 31, 2023 14:56:10 GMT
Are the reviews for ALL appearing at the weekend as it's strange that no reviews have surfaced. I believe last night was a Gala performance, not a press night so press night must be tonight or tomorrow. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2023 16:11:24 GMT
Bit weird considering what the play is about but each to their own
Is this directed at me? If so, I sense you misinterpreted my definition of comforting, but to each their own.
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Post by stevemar on Mar 31, 2023 20:26:08 GMT
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Post by Jon on Mar 31, 2023 20:57:07 GMT
TBH the nudity loses its 'shock' factor after a couple of times, it's more degrading in the context of certain scenes if anything. |
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Post by asps2017 on Apr 1, 2023 10:11:17 GMT
Any ideas when the savoy stage seats may be on sale?
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Post by solotheatregoer on Apr 2, 2023 12:59:23 GMT
Saw this twice last week. I originally booked stall seats but couldn't miss the opportunity of on stage seating, so ended up booking twice. I loved the experience of the on stage seats, such a great view looking out into the auditorium and seeing what the actors see. You really feel part of the cast and the production is set up well so you never feel as though you're watching from behind. Getting to walk backstage was also fun. In terms of the production itself, it stays very true to the book. Seeing the play brought back all the feelings I felt when I read the book in 2019. I agree with the comment that the abuse and nude scenes do lose their shock value after a while and I really didn't think they needed to show quite as much to achieve the same effect (I thought this about the book too). But overall, the acting is some of the best I have seen in live theatre. My favourite addition is really the expanded role of Ana compared to her relatively brief appearance in the book. Nathalie Armin adds a welcome warmth and relief in all scenes she is in and plays this role perfectly. It really added a great dimension to the production and provided some much needed balance and perspective. The music choices are also outstanding in my opinion. There are a few moments that will stay with me for a long time, especially when... {Spoiler - click to view}
Jude and Willem first kiss to Nine Inch Nails' Something I Can Never Have and when they dance to Arcade Fire's Wake Up. Felt very cinematic and I found myself listening to these on the train back home. I know James Norton is getting a lot of publicity and praise (deservedly so) for his portrayal of Jude but this really is a fantastic ensemble cast. Every actor more than pulls their weight. The casting overall is perfect in my opinion. I may have to book on stage seating for the Savoy once released just to experience this one last time... |
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Post by n1david on Apr 4, 2023 23:23:47 GMT
Are the reviews for ALL appearing at the weekend as it's strange that no reviews have surfaced. I believe last night was a Gala performance, not a press night so press night must be tonight or tomorrow. Tonight was definitely A press night (given that there are several these days) as Mark Lawson and Quentin Letts were in attendance. This for me was very well acted, I think it's worth seeing not just for Norton's performance - which is truly exceptional - but, as solotheatregoer says it's a real ensemble piece and some of the less obviously dramatic parts like Harold played by Zubin Varla were terrific (who I know from the Oliviers suffered a family emergency at the weekend, so credit to him for being on stage tonight and in full form) The play itself, well it's somewhat less subtle than the book (which was in itself less than subtle) and the necessary focus on Jude (Norton's character) does make the narrative seem a bit like "and another thing. Oh, and another thing..." rather than the story of the subsidiary characters (which are much more fleshed out in the book). Stickers on phones tonight, although if people said no then they weren't forced. Long queues to get in, I arrived at 6.40pm and only just got in before 7. Nevertheless show started about 7.07pm and we were out about 10.50pm. |
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