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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 23, 2020 8:19:24 GMT
Announced as the Christmas musical in the fringe venue, which is now Covid-19 secure. Not quite at the scale of their recent Christmas musicals, but should still be of the same high standard. I enjoyed this when it ran at The Other Palace three or four years ago. www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com/forever-plaid16 December to 24 January. Runs 80 minutes with no interval. Tickets are £22 plus fees on weekday (£24 plus fees at weekends). |
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Oct 23, 2020 13:09:21 GMT
Good news. Definitely booking. I missed the last revival but saw Forever Plaid at the Apollo back in 1993 and still have the programme and CD.
What they do with that limited space Upstairs At The Gatehouse is always impressive, reaching a pinnacle for me with 42nd Street last year.
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4,961 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 23, 2020 16:21:02 GMT
Good news. Definitely booking. I missed the last revival but saw Forever Plaid at the Apollo back in 1993 and still have the programme and CD. What they do with that limited space Upstairs At The Gatehouse is always impressive, reaching a pinnacle for me with 42nd Street last year. Even before Covid stuck I knew 42nd st would be one of my theatrical highs of 2020 |
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Post by firefingers on Oct 24, 2020 9:16:13 GMT
Forever Plaid is very much Upstairs at The Gatehouse's "old faithful", makes perfect sense to bring it out again now. Lovely wee theatre.
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3,334 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Jun 4, 2021 22:53:43 GMT
Finally got to see this today (the fourth performance of the current run, or the fifth if you include the single performance in December).
A very nice venue as always. Each group queues on a socially distanced staircase, is checked in, temperature taken, asked to scan the NHS app and taken to their seats. All the seats are pre-assigned as well now, so you don't have to rush to be very early to claim a preferred seat. And I didn't spot anyone taking liberties and removing their mask (there is a pre-show announcement).
It is the current standard Gatehouse seating, with seats on two sides. A lot are empty due to the maximum audience capacity of 40.
A great show from the cast of four (and orchestra of two). Very minimalistic, as you'd expect, but the sound is good throughout. Biggest disappointment is Alexander Zane only gets to play his trumpet for a few seconds - they leave playing instruments to the orchestra!
I did see the show at the Other Palace a few years ago. I don't have the best memory, but I think this is largely the same, possibly changed about a bit and compressed. It seemed to have more jokes (and the cast are great singers, but they're at their best with the comedy material). I certainly don't remember all the mask jokes from when I saw it last time! But trying to get the audience to sing in masks doesn't really work.
If you're a single man attending, then you might be pleased to know you're going to get (socially distanced) serenading from four good looking guys, all with immaculate haircuts. I didn't spot the single women getting the same attention (can't think why). It is mostly an older audience as you'd expect at the Gatehouse.
There's no interval. Started about 19:35 and finished at 21:00, so it's still light when you leave the theatre. Or you could stay in the pub if you've booked a place (it looked packed when I passed through to go upstairs to the theatre).
The reasons to attend? The fantastic music, performed well, with none of the unnecessary added riffs that spoil so many revivals. There's a cast of names several levels up from the ones you normally get at the Gatehouse (nearly all scheduled to return to the West End or to be in UK tours soon). Plus, you're supporting one of the best small theatres in London! Go see it!
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