151 posts
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Post by gra on Apr 26, 2017 12:22:22 GMT
It's rather strange that this show has been given almost nil publicity.
They really do need to get their act together if they want healthy audiences.
It's running through to the end of June!
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1,254 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on Apr 26, 2017 20:49:01 GMT
It's rather strange that this show has been given almost nil publicity. They really do need to get their act together if they want healthy audiences. It's running through to the end of June! Well it's currently being comped and flyered lots of places so there will at least be some audiences  |
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Post by d'James on Apr 26, 2017 20:55:24 GMT
It's a shame they're not doing Rush tickets on TodayTix for this. In fact it's a shame they're not on TodayTix full stop.
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151 posts
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Post by gra on Apr 26, 2017 23:56:51 GMT
It's rather strange that this show has been given almost nil publicity. They really do need to get their act together if they want healthy audiences. It's running through to the end of June! Well it's currently being comped and flyered lots of places so there will at least be some audiences Around 25% this afternoon. But very supportive, with warm applause at the end of each 'big' song, and a partial standing ovation at the end. |
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on May 21, 2017 16:21:01 GMT
I keep forgetting to come and post about this, after seeing it on Wednesday night. I went in expecting it to be awful, I came out thinking it was... alright.
The music is the best thing about it. Some very nice hummable songs, which are unfortunately skewered by some shallow lyrics and terrible rhyming. Good performance from the lead guy playing Braille, while I thought Jerome Pradon was really hamming it up. I liked the staging, with the 'house' on two levels, and the third lower level in front, but I thought some of the costuming choices were odd, especially the repeated removal of blindfolds - it seemed to be representing different things each time, and the metaphors were rarely clear.
I get that it's unfinished and a work in progress, but it's not presented as such. And for all it's cheaper than other shows in the West End, it's not being sold more cheaply than other shows at the Charing Cross Theatre, and it's certainly nowhere near the quality of Titanic or Death Takes a Holiday.
And wow, it's selling badly. 35 people in the audience on Wednesday.
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on May 23, 2017 13:21:42 GMT
Oh dear. My companion bailed at the interval but I stuck it out. I wasn't bored and the leading actor had a very pleasant voice, but even though it was very well-intentioned, large swathes were risible. The lyrics/book/characterisation/title just didn't work.
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on May 25, 2017 18:18:32 GMT
Amused that they have a new tube poster campaign running, with a quote from yours truly on it. And a video: Who would think a comment praising legroom would get you so far? (;-)) |
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 25, 2017 22:34:32 GMT
I'm travelling down from Manchester to see this on Monday with a non-sighted friend. Not particularly looking forward to it but it might surprise me. Baffled that they only have two audio-described performances schedules for this, a musical about braille.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2017 11:28:35 GMT
Baffled that they only have two audio-described performances schedules for this, a musical about braille. Those cost about £1500 each, alas, to do. I was sitting next to 2 officials from RNIB, and I know one had a braille guide to the show, so maybe contact the venue if you need that as well? The RNIB and producers worked closely together, but it really is all about cost, and no slights were ever intended. Yes, the theatre company I'm on the board of works with a lot of partially sighted/non sighted audiences, and it's often so prohibitively expenses to use audio description, as it's a speciality (it's a company who works on inclusive theatre) we're trying to figure out ways to bring some of it 'in house' and lower costs, but there's often just no way around it- the equipment and time costs what it costs. Which is yet another hurdle.
Anyway this production sounds really interesting!
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on May 26, 2017 12:28:36 GMT
It is interesting, and a shame it isn't being sold for what it really is - something that is ready to be seen, but not yet perfected. Yeah - if I'd seen this in the same context as The Other Palace are advertising Heathers I would have been a lot more positive towards it. |
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 26, 2017 13:23:14 GMT
Baffled that they only have two audio-described performances schedules for this, a musical about braille. Those cost about £1500 each, alas, to do. I was sitting next to 2 officials from RNIB, and I know one had a braille guide to the show, so maybe contact the venue if you need that as well? The RNIB and producers worked closely together, but it really is all about cost, and no slights were ever intended. Fair enough. I just assumed, perhaps naively, that as a musical about braille it would maybe have factored a couple more in, but I guess if there's no demand and the cost outweighs it. Have told her about the braille guides, thanks for that! |
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 26, 2017 14:33:11 GMT
Have told her about the braille guides Check with the venue in advance, to be safe - it may just have been for press night, but I'm guessing not. Aye - she's giving them a call. Cheers |
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677 posts
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Post by westendcub on May 26, 2017 16:37:45 GMT
I saw this on Wednesday, nothing remarkable but not as bad as some found it.
Act 1 drags on and the story does not feel that compelling and there's dramatic close to the act, Act 2 was stronger for this piece.
There's some cracking melodies and songs within the piece to be found and the lead boy is one to watch. There was a song toward the end that got a tear or two rolling away.
From Thom's season this set is by far the most disappointing and just lacks something.
I believe they were some fan girls in (I think for the lead boy) and despite not being busy there was a good audience buzz.
I'm looking forward to 'Yank'.
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183 posts
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Post by sirdaniel on May 29, 2017 22:03:19 GMT
Well this wasn't as bad as the reviews had me think. Nothing remarkable but not horrendous by any stretch.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2017 22:03:27 GMT
Well. Call me a sentimental old fool but I rather liked this. The cast is terrific, the band/orchestra is marvellous and there's some lovely little songs in there. The evening zipped by. The first act is sweet, the second act is a touch more dramatic in a 'Grantchester' sort of way (I love 'Grantchester' btw so I don't mean that as a slight. Actually, I love James Norton more but I do love the show too) and I'm sure I had something in my eye several times by the end.
On a braille theme, I'd love to run my fingers over Ashley Stillburn as Monsieur Dufau (booo! hiss!) but the whole cast is great. However, the show belongs to Jack Wolfe who has a truly lovely voice, some wonderful hand acting and more than a touch of the musical Alex Lawther about him. I hope we see more of him in London's glitzy West End in the future.
And I was rather impressed with the way they kept spinning the gazebo from 'The Sound of Music' round and round at a rate of knots. I half expected Rolf and Liesl to come flying out at some point. The cast manfully hung on for dear life without missing a beat though I'm pleased to say.
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 1, 2017 9:34:51 GMT
Okay, that last paragraph made me laugh out loud.
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