A Little Life - Richmond/Harold Pinter/Savoy/ Cinema

[schuttep]

Saw the lovely, but short interview. James opened up about how he is dealing with the mental challenges of the show and the physical ones as he is diabetic.

And Luke's comment about what he will miss after the show closes gave me a lump in the throat: "..being on the stage with this guy every night..."

[sweets7]

It was a lovely interview. And they really have settled into a lovely chemistry together. I saw another interview where James said that he was really nervous to meet Luke and just wanted Luke to like him. Which was sweet. They then spent a couple of hours just telling eachother everything.

Anyway Luke Thompson seems to be the type to develop chemistry with many people so James looked out. I've always slightly laughed at his chemistry with the actress who plays his sister Eloise in Bridgerton.

I'm sure actors bring something of themselves to every role and that has to be their essential nature.

Their characters on stage are very different and actually they seem like very different people too. Loved the comment about Bond and Luke saying you take Bond, it isn't my bag. I do hope theyvhave another opportunity to work together when really they must have developed an amazing amount t if trust and respect for this.

It really works on the stage where actually you just buy into their relationship without ever getting anything much about Willians inner thoughts.

However if I was James doctor I would have been nervous about this play but he is really showing to all out there that when properly managed and safe you shouldn't see your diabetes as life limiting. I believe his sister is a hospital doctor and that too is going to a career where hypos are a danger. Set up of pmY really wpuld have worked in his favour easy for him to walk over and pick up glucose etc from the kitchen or sink.

He is looking tired and I hope he gets a good holiday afterwards.

[A.Ham]

Yes agreed, a great interview and lovely to see them so relaxed together off stage. I would imagine it’d be incredibly hard to do the performance they do each night without having that friendship and respect for one another, but nice to see it in evidence.

It was great to hear James’ comment that this play is the work he’s proudest of across his career. He certainly should be!

And I think I caught him say at the end that he’s going on holiday once the Savoy run finishes, which yes, I’m sure is much needed.

[iwanttix]

I saw this a few times at the Pinter, but I was always on the stage. Yesterday was the first time I saw it from the front with a bargain £15 'restricted' ticket in row C. It was brilliant to be able to see it from a different angle and I saw things that your obviously miss sitting behind them. It really shook me how young and vulnerable James was able to make himself look when Jude was blowing out his birthday candles - something I'd not been able to notice before.

The chemistry between Luke and James is amazing, you get the impression that they get on really well in real life especially with that nice little interview yesterday. The whole cast are generous with their time and so friendly to meet at the stage door. This play, the cast, everyone behind the scenes... they're really special. I've got a few more booked but only one more in the stalls where I'm front row which will be interesting.

After seeing the play I went and read the book- I am not a fan of reading, in fact the last book I read was probably 6 or so years ago, but I powered through 'A Little Life' in 3 days!

[solotheatregoer]

Jul 10, 2023 13:13:24 GMT iwanttix said:

I saw this a few times at the Pinter, but I was always on the stage. Yesterday was the first time I saw it from the front with a bargain £15 'restricted' ticket in row C. It was brilliant to be able to see it from a different angle and I saw things that your obviously miss sitting behind them. It really shook me how young and vulnerable James was able to make himself look when Jude was blowing out his birthday candles - something I'd not been able to notice before.

The chemistry between Luke and James is amazing, you get the impression that they get on really well in real life especially with that nice little interview yesterday. The whole cast are generous with their time and so friendly to meet at the stage door. This play, the cast, everyone behind the scenes... they're really special. I've got a few more booked but only one more in the stalls where I'm front row which will be interesting.

After seeing the play I went and read the book- I am not a fan of reading, in fact the last book I read was probably 6 or so years ago, but I powered through 'A Little Life' in 3 days!

Super impressive.  Took me 4 months to finish the book!

Looking forward to seeing this for a third and final time next week from Row A in the stalls. 

[Jon]

Jul 10, 2023 6:59:31 GMT A.Ham said:

Yes agreed, a great interview and lovely to see them so relaxed together off stage. I would imagine it’d be incredibly hard to do the performance they do each night without having that friendship and respect for one another, but nice to see it in evidence.

It was great to hear James’ comment that this play is the work he’s proudest of across his career. He certainly should be!

And I think I caught him say at the end that he’s going on holiday once the Savoy run finishes, which yes, I’m sure is much needed.

I'm surprised he didn't take a holiday between the two week break they had after the Pinter run.

[sweets7]

Maybe it wasn't convenient. They may have had to run it on new place as well.

He may have taken a few days but I think he probably needs one a lot longer.

Interesting 6 degrees of separation. Luke Thompson worked with and went to RADA with Jessie Buckley who also then later worked with James Norton in War and Peace (and of course dated him).

[iwanttix]

Jul 10, 2023 13:26:15 GMT solotheatregoer said:

Super impressive.  Took me 4 months to finish the book!

Looking forward to seeing this for a third and final time next week from Row A in the stalls. 

Yeah I'm not sure how I managed to get through it so fast, I think determination and a glass of gin. I cried far more at the book than the play (which I still cried at more than any other play I've seen). I think seeing the play first helped - being able to picture the characters I'd already seen. I have 4 more booked but 3 of those are stage seats. Its funny, I didn't have any real interest in seeing it when it was announced and it was only because a friend went and recommended it that I decided to give it a go... Will end up seeing it 8 times...

[sweets7]

Some things just capture your imagination.

I wouldn't see it a second time. I couldn't see it knowing what was coming. I am however very glad I did see it.

[A.Ham]

Jul 10, 2023 13:57:31 GMT sweets7 said:

Some things just capture your imagination.

I wouldn't see it a second time. I couldn't see it knowing what was coming. I am however very glad I did see it.

That was how I felt. I expect I’ll watch the filmed version at some point, but having gone in cold not knowing the details of the story, I’m not sure it would hit me in quite the same way if I saw it again knowing what happens next.

And I was lucky enough to have a front row stage seat at the Pinter so also conscious watching from elsewhere in the auditorium (at a greater distance) might mean I’d ‘enjoy’ it less (not sure this is a play to be ‘enjoyed’ but you know what I mean!)

[solotheatregoer]

Jul 10, 2023 15:21:40 GMT A.Ham said:

Jul 10, 2023 13:57:31 GMT sweets7 said:

Some things just capture your imagination.

I wouldn't see it a second time. I couldn't see it knowing what was coming. I am however very glad I did see it.

That was how I felt. I expect I’ll watch the filmed version at some point, but having gone in cold not knowing the details of the story, I’m not sure it would hit me in quite the same way if I saw it again knowing what happens next.

And I was lucky enough to have a front row stage seat at the Pinter so also conscious watching from elsewhere in the auditorium (at a greater distance) might mean I’d ‘enjoy’ it less (not sure this is a play to be ‘enjoyed’ but you know what I mean!)

I know what you mean.  Whilst the on-stage seating was a great experience, I would say I enjoyed it more from the stalls seats overall.  I found I was too enthralled with the overall experience of walking backstage, being on stage so close to the actors, having all the audience being able to see you etc that it somehow distracted me a little from the play itself if that makes sense?  From a traditional stalls seat I felt I was able to fully immerse myself in the experience without being so self-conscious of my surroundings (probably me being weird!). 

It's a strange one, it's a play with such heavy and disturbing themes but I will miss it when it closes.  Glad I was able to sneak one final visit in at the Savoy. 

[iwanttix]

It's funny, you'd think you'd see more close up sitting on the stage, but I saw far more odbte cutting scenes from the stalls. Of course close up on the stage you could see the massive pools of blood which I didn't see in the stalls. I guess there are plus points to both but I'm very glad I got the chance to try both options.

[A.Ham]

Really interesting to get different perspectives. I guess it’d be good to see it from the stalls or dress too, but know the material wouldn’t ‘get’ me in the same way a second time.

I’m working my way through the book at the moment which I’m enjoying, but understand the comments now that the play focuses primarily on the dark side(s) of Jude’s life, with very little of the light. The book has a much more even balance of light and shade in telling the stories of the four friends.

[iwanttix]

It was interesting to read the book after seeing the play to see what was missing and to get more background on each of the characters. Malcolm and JB in particular don't have a huge part to play but in the book you know a lot more about them.

[distantcousin]

WELL, what to say!

It really was an experience, managing to nab on stage seating. Fascinating for me as someone who does am dram and is interested in behind the scenes stuff. I went in quite blindly. I'm hard to shock but the parts that are the most visually confronting were hard to watch.

Completely agree it was too big of a book to make into a play, and we felt that there were a lot of gaps in the background and context of the characters.

I found the Dep Stage Manager just wandering on stage at the end of Act I to be "a choice" as the kids say now.

The acting style was very American at times. Even James played it very "big". I also fail to see why the story couldn't have been set in the UK instead. It would have lost nothing. And saved us some dicky US accents last night!

I was certainly in awe of James's performance and huge admiration for his fearlessness. The most "enjoyable" part of the evening was watching actors at the top of their games.

It made me angry and upset to think about the long history of child abuse within the religious world and how many lives it has ruined.

Interesting to note that at least two thirds of the audience were women.

[iwanttix]

I think generally women are more drawn to these types of books and plays. How many women love watching true crime stuff! I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort things so it doesn't surprise me that there are a lot more women than men who want to go and watch it.

It wasn't until reading the book after seeing the play that I realised how much was missing. JB's drug problem isn't very well addressed and the first time I saw it I thought he was a dramatic idiot who wanted attention, but reading the book you see how Jackson gets between him and his friends and there's a whole storyline there. That's not even mentioning that Malcolm and Harold are married in the book and Harold's wife especially features a fair amount and it gives Jude parents rather than a father.

The acting is absolutely incredible, James Norton being able to switch from child to adult in an instant is seriously impressive, I hope he gets nominated and wins anything he's eligible for. Elliot Cowan is also bloody brilliant, playing all the baddies but making it completely clear that they are all different characters.

[Being Alive]

I'm really interested in how the cinema releases of this goes actually.

It's pretty likely that more of the audience will end up having a visceral reaction to it than they're experiencing live actually, as so much more of the audience will be able to see it in close up, rather that the relatively small number of people in the Harold Pinter and the Savoy who are up close enough.

I do financially understand why they're doing it, but it's gonna be a really tricky one for venues to manage properly.

[Deleted]

The books feels a bit more quintessentially NYC which is perhaps why the play stayed located there.

[iwanttix]

Jul 13, 2023 12:30:16 GMT Being Alive said:

I'm really interested in how the cinema releases of this goes actually.

It's pretty likely that more of the audience will end up having a visceral reaction to it than they're experiencing live actually, as so much more of the audience will be able to see it in close up, rather that the relatively small number of people in the Harold Pinter and the Savoy who are up close enough.

I do financially understand why they're doing it, but it's gonna be a really tricky one for venues to manage properly.

It was interesting watching it being filmed and seeing the cameras on stage at certain points for close ups and dramatic shots. I want to see the cinema release purely to see how it's edited and what angles they use.

[Rory]

Were there any changes for the filmed version? I recall that in the NT Live of Frankenstein they did away with the nudity.

[iwanttix]

No it was the same, nothing cut out at all.

[sweets7]

Interesting about the filming. They filmed it 3 times and Saturday there were no close ups. Just the cameras on the front of stage and back but you really didn’t see them. Obviously each time they were for different angles…which makes sense and how they film everything for tV and film anyway.

[iwanttix]

Yeah I think a camera went on stage maybe 3 or so times for close ups, I can't remember which scenes but they were quite dramatic ones. I guess that was the point of filming it over 3 performances, to get as many angles as possible. It's why I want to go see the filmed version to see how they present it.

[42ndBlvd]

I had the opportunity to watch a proshot of the original Amsterdam production (nothing was cut or changed) and I thought they captured the show very well. To me it was just as emotional as watching it live. I'm excited to see this version.

[BurlyBeaR]

I looked at the audio book for this. It’s 32 hours long.