406 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Sept 21, 2016 9:00:29 GMT
Has anyone seen it already? I went last night. It lasts around 2 h and 50 min and there is an interval after about one hour and fourty-five minutes (two parts before the interval and one after). I liked the central part and some performances are in general excellent (Nadine Marshall, Tom Bateman, John Stahl). I had quite high expectations knowing that the play had been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize so I was slightly underwhelmed by some wooden performances but the flow should improve since we are just in previews.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2016 10:07:08 GMT
Going to see it in its last week. BF really dreading it so I do hope it's quite spectacular. Any coup d'theatre? I'm all about the coups
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406 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Sept 21, 2016 10:35:42 GMT
Going to see it in its last week. BF really dreading it so I do hope it's quite spectacular. Any coup d'theatre? I'm all about the coups I don't want to give spoilers but it is a surely a play where words dominate over special effects. The set change between part One and Two has a surprise (at least for me) and there is a very original character in Part Three. The music is nice  ) |
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Sept 21, 2016 14:40:10 GMT
I hope it's good, I need to see this for uni
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Post by argon on Sept 24, 2016 21:47:56 GMT
First surprise of the evening was this piece was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize followed by an animated canine with the subject matter at hand. Consequentially, it stands to reason i found this mediocre at best. It's shame a saw Flick at the NT on the basis it was also nominated for a Pulitzer prize and found it highly entertaining. 2 stars
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Post by popcultureboy on Sept 25, 2016 9:08:38 GMT
The Flick won the Pulitzer, and deservedly so.
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Post by rosscoe on Sept 25, 2016 13:15:50 GMT
Saw this after arriving from a long haul from Sydney Australia at the Mark Temper ( LA ) earlier this year, I was insanely tired and this was the first time I've ever walked out of a show without seeing how it finished.
It was very wordy without a lot happening , but that might have been due to fatigue and jet lag
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2016 13:21:11 GMT
Words at the Royal Court!
Whatever next?
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Post by barelyathletic on Sept 26, 2016 11:58:54 GMT
Saw this Friday and really liked it. She's a beautiful writer and has a light, deft touch, which, for me, made, the play absorbing and compelling, never boring or tedious (unlike The Flick). Lovely performances and a simple but effective design that suits the piece well. The Brechtian approach, with characters breaking the fourth wall, and the unusual dramatic voice in the third act, may not be to everybody's taste, but I enjoyed this and felt the references to Homer's Odyssey added another layer to an intriguing and interesting story of what it really means to be free. Three hours flew by, aided by a great musical accompaniment.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2016 8:29:10 GMT
Well. It's three hours. Yes kids, three hours. BUT. It fairly flies by! Especially the first two acts. The third act is a bit patchy and when one of the characters in the third act starts to narrate it's a bit silly at first but then the actor who portrays him does it so brilliantly that I ended up kind of loving it. Don't go in expecting realism though, they take a few liberties with costume (trainers, bum bags etc) and performance (finger snaps) that take it straight out of history and plonk it in current times but it sort of works and it didn't bother me in the slightest where normally it would and that's a testament to the play I reckon. It's apparently the first three acts of a nine-act family history. Lovely performances all round. I don't think I've ever seen Steve Toussaint who plays Hero before goodness, he's got great stage presence and quite a difficult role to play in amongst the scene stealers. I'd certainly want to see him in something different in the future. Star of the show? Tom Bateman. Why? Because he's Tom Bateman innit. 'nuff said. He's so delicious I just want to eat him up and lick the plate clean.  |
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Post by perfectspy on Sept 28, 2016 17:08:57 GMT
Saw this after arriving from a long haul from Sydney Australia at the Mark Temper ( LA ) earlier this year, I was insanely tired and this was the first time I've ever walked out of a show without seeing how it finished. It was very wordy without a lot happening , but that might have been due to fatigue and jet lag Not the best way to combat Jet Lag by seeing a three hour play. |
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Post by perfectspy on Sept 29, 2016 22:53:03 GMT
I saw this the other night from my favourite seat in the house being the circle slips. Right up close with a downward view. The live music was great to hear and gave the play a heartbeat.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2016 23:01:03 GMT
I saw this the other night from my favourite seat in the house being the circle slips. Right up close with a downward view. The live music was great to hear and gave the play a heartbeat. Do u go in the seat closest to the stage? |
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Post by perfectspy on Oct 1, 2016 9:25:06 GMT
Yes, seat 16. No one sitting to my left which allows me to stretch my left leg out. There's even a slot to hang my coat up LOL.
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 4, 2016 16:17:23 GMT
Spare ticket tonight, front row, £15!
Let me know if you fancy it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2016 12:32:37 GMT
It's a real pleasure to see a play in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court that doesn't feature a spectacular design. The audience last night was really quiet, listening to the words. This is really mature but also playful. Light but deep. A simple tale and a kaleidoscopic history of Black America. It must give a real buzz to act in it and to see flares of recognition and response lighting up all around the audience. I pledge to return for the proposed Parts 4, 5 & 6 and 7, 8 & 9 in the future.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2016 8:48:11 GMT
Really enjoyed this last night. Wish it had been an all dayer with parts 4-9 included thou!!
Quite a few walk outs in the interval including, thank Disney, Mr Sighing behind me (YES WE ALL GOT YOU WERMT ENJOYING IT AFTER THE 15,000TH LOUD SIGH).
Odd crowd - two women (2nd row centre of stalls) where practically matting in front of me! I'm no prude but there really is a time and a place for getting jiggy with it, I mean at least do the decent thing and get seats in the slips if ur horny!!
My two theatre buddies found the play quite hard going but it wasn't.
Interestingly, seeing as it finishes next week, quite a few of the cast messed up lines. Assuming it's quite a challenging text
The guy playing Smith (whom was also Shakespere in Shakespere in Love) we saw outside beforehand - he's tall (over 6 foot), posh and smokes!
I sneezed 3 times and coughed twice of which I apologise
Someone who 'has just finished Eastenders' was in the audience but, as I have a life, I had no idea who he was
I discovered the BF likes to wet his face with water before fanning it (OH MY GOD THE RC NEEDS AIR-CONDITIONING) he made me try it but I was pretty non plussed
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 11, 2016 9:40:14 GMT
Really enjoyed this last night. Wish it had been an all dayer with parts 4-9 included thou!! Quite a few walk outs in the interval including, thank Disney, Mr Sighing behind me (YES WE ALL GOT YOU WERMT ENJOYING IT AFTER THE 15,000TH LOUD SIGH). Odd crowd - two women (2nd row centre of stalls) where practically matting in front of me! I'm no prude but there really is a time and a place for getting jiggy with it, I mean at least do the decent thing and get seats in the slips if ur horny!! My two theatre buddies found the play quite hard going but it wasn't. Interestingly, seeing as it finishes next week, quite a few of the cast messed up lines. Assuming it's quite a challenging text The guy playing Smith (whom was also Shakespere in Shakespere in Love) we saw outside beforehand - he's tall (over 6 foot), posh and smokes! I sneezed 3 times and coughed twice of which I apologise Someone who 'has just finished Eastenders' was in the audience but, as I have a life, I had no idea who he was I discovered the BF likes to wet his face with water before fanning it (OH MY GOD THE RC NEEDS AIR-CONDITIONING) he made me try it but I was pretty non plussed What an action packed evening! |
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Post by showgirl on Oct 22, 2016 21:04:23 GMT
I hadn't booked ahead for this and when it first opened, the initial comments and reviews didn't encourage me, either, but I was swayed by some of the views above and by an offer to get top-price tickets for £10. So OH and I saw it today and both enjoyed it, though it took a while to grow on me. It was quite slow and self-indulgent but not boring, and I thought the music really lifted it, though OH wasn't sure whether any musical accompaniment was appropriate. The house looked pretty full, so if sales were sluggish at one stage they must have picked up - no doubt helped by deals, such as the one I mentioned.
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Post by peelee on Oct 23, 2016 13:17:27 GMT
This proved to be a very satisfying theatre experience. Good writing, good ensemble acting, and musical interludes linking stages in the story that moved things along nicely. Slow to begin with, 'talky', a little static, yet really very engaging as the scenes passed. I'll definitely look out for the rest of what this writer intends to do in bringing the story up to the present.
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Post by Latecomer on Oct 23, 2016 14:34:21 GMT
I went on a last minute whim yesterday and was really glad I did! I thought it did a very good job of showing how complicated the whole slave/master relationship was...and how many generations it probably takes to change a mindset. The language was lovely and, as has already been mentioned, it was strange that the modern bits did not seem to jar atall. Sat in the circle slips and sometimes could not see all the action but it didn't seem to matter!
Will definitely look out for the next two plays!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2016 21:12:38 GMT
It's shockingly embarrassing for London theatre last year, but unfortunately totally justifiable, that the Evening Standard Awards have only three nominations for Best Play and that two of those three are the London remounts of the original American productions of Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1,2 & 3) and The Flick. The sole nominated Best Play to originate in the UK is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
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Post by perfectspy on Oct 27, 2016 22:00:56 GMT
Maybe there cutting down on the alcohol bill, fewer nominees equals fewer tables. Quite daft.
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Post by bordeaux on Oct 27, 2016 22:34:51 GMT
It's shockingly embarrassing for London theatre last year, but unfortunately totally justifiable, that the Evening Standard Awards have only three nominations for Best Play and that two of those three are the London remounts of the original American productions of Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1,2 & 3) and The Flick. The sole nominated Best Play to originate in the UK is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Odd that Simon McBurney's The Encounter is not nominated. Or are monologues not plays in the ES's book? |
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