Post by Dave B on Jan 25, 2020 23:41:12 GMT
Jodie McNee is great and puts on a strong performance from start to finish. Danny Lee Wynter is also great as Mephistopheles.
Some of the cast don't seem to be operating on the same level, it felt like there was quite a quality gap at times.
There's a good story in here. It's not quite there yet but there's a lot of potential. It's funny. It's not subtle at all. It looks great, the stage and the visuals are really good, same for the sound.
Interesting to see this tweet from the author which seems fair to me (fourth preview was tonight)
Two sour notes though.
However, it's the only nudity in the play - there are several other moments where nudity is specifically avoided. A man has his underwear ripped off and he's wearing another set (speedo type). A woman is setup for ritual abuse, her dress is ripped but it is carefully done so there isn't a hint of nudity. The main character has to strip and be examined for "signs of plague", she shrugs off an outer layer and then she's lead off-stage and the story moves on.
The dark-skinned women has nudity while being held in a rope and man-handled by a group of white men and then at multiple other points in the play, nudity is heavily implied but avoided. It did not sit well with us and it felt like a really odd choice.
There was A LOT of discussion on this at the interval. It was the first thing we talked about and then as I was just stood in the aisle stretching my legs, there were three other conversations going on about exactly that.
Some of the cast don't seem to be operating on the same level, it felt like there was quite a quality gap at times.
There's a good story in here. It's not quite there yet but there's a lot of potential. It's funny. It's not subtle at all. It looks great, the stage and the visuals are really good, same for the sound.
Interesting to see this tweet from the author which seems fair to me (fourth preview was tonight)
Two sour notes though.
The play opens with Faustus' mother being tried as a witch. She's played by Emmanuella Cole. She's wearing a very loose robe and no underwear. There's a lot of physical activity and as a result there is some nudity as she spills out of her robe through movement or when her robe is being pulled.
However, it's the only nudity in the play - there are several other moments where nudity is specifically avoided. A man has his underwear ripped off and he's wearing another set (speedo type). A woman is setup for ritual abuse, her dress is ripped but it is carefully done so there isn't a hint of nudity. The main character has to strip and be examined for "signs of plague", she shrugs off an outer layer and then she's lead off-stage and the story moves on.
The dark-skinned women has nudity while being held in a rope and man-handled by a group of white men and then at multiple other points in the play, nudity is heavily implied but avoided. It did not sit well with us and it felt like a really odd choice.
There was A LOT of discussion on this at the interval. It was the first thing we talked about and then as I was just stood in the aisle stretching my legs, there were three other conversations going on about exactly that.
Finally, and at the very start, a cast member spits out quite a bit of water. I don't know if she missed her mark or if it was enthusiasm or just a mistake but both of us and the people next to us got hit by a mouthful of water hitting the front row. Not nice, not nice at all.
We still enjoyed it, I'd be curious as to what anyone thinks as the run goes on and as the tour gets going. It could grow into something a lot of fun.