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    #26
    One Touch Theatre

    I look forward to you getting back. To be fair, I'm not familiar with this play so my impressions don't have much to back them up until I read a different translation. However, it felt massively different translations of other Greek plays and not in a good way.

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      #27
      One Touch Theatre

      Went to see Beauty and the Beast at Sadlers Wells last night, extremely beautiful and well danced and staged.

      I don't know if it's Matthew Bourne's influence or what, but I love the way ballet has these little touches now, the corps don't stay still while the principals dance, they all act. The setting was amazing. Can't praise it enough. We had front row seats again, that's been the case with every ballet I've seen and I think it makes a difference.

      Dracula is back in London in November.

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        #28
        One Touch Theatre

        The most recent thing I have seen was James III at the National. Very good indeed, with all the breadth and depth of a Shakespeare history but very deftly merging the Shakespearian comportment with contemporary idiom. Sofie Grabol really, really good in the role of Queen Margaret. The presentation was skewed slightly by the audience projecting Scottish Independence meanings onto some lines where I don't think the author has such intention, but a terrific and hugely impressive night of theatre in any case.

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          #29
          One Touch Theatre

          Three weeks ago: The Boy With Tape on His Face (8/10)

          Two weeks ago: The Book of Mormon (9/10)

          Last week: Helen Lawrence (8.5/10)

          Tomorrow: Wicked (TBD)

          I'd do detailed reviews of each, but it ain't like yous'n will be thinking about seeing them.

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            #30
            One Touch Theatre

            MsD wrote: Went to see Beauty and the Beast at Sadlers Wells last night, extremely beautiful and well danced and staged.

            I don't know if it's Matthew Bourne's influence or what, but I love the way ballet has these little touches now, the corps don't stay still while the principals dance, they all act. The setting was amazing. Can't praise it enough. We had front row seats again, that's been the case with every ballet I've seen and I think it makes a difference.

            Dracula is back in London in November.
            I saw his Sleeping Beauty last year and wasn't that impressed. Too many extraneous details not enough development of the core. I've avoided his productions since then but I may have over-reacted.

            I think I was also spoilt when the first full length ballet when I started getting into dance a couple of years ago was Snow White by Ballet Preljocaj.

            I'm thinking of going to see the Ades thing at Sadlers Wells at the end of the month.

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              #31
              One Touch Theatre

              Oh, and more in the vein of this thread I was taken to An Enemy of the People a couple of weeks ago. Brilliant political theatre. 2.5 hours with no interval but it just flew by.

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                #32
                One Touch Theatre

                When they announce "Tonight's performance is XXX minutes in length with no intermission", Mrs WOM and I always go 'yessssssss' under our breaths. Goddamn people going out for a fag or an ice cream bar always fucks up the whole show for us.

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                  #33
                  One Touch Theatre

                  Wicked was excellent. And I'm not even a big Wizard of Oz fan.

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                    #34
                    One Touch Theatre

                    Andy C wrote: The most recent thing I have seen was James III at the National. Very good indeed, with all the breadth and depth of a Shakespeare history but very deftly merging the Shakespearian comportment with contemporary idiom. Sofie Grabol really, really good in the role of Queen Margaret. The presentation was skewed slightly by the audience projecting Scottish Independence meanings onto some lines where I don't think the author has such intention, but a terrific and hugely impressive night of theatre in any case.
                    I really enjoyed it - Blythe Duff had fun with some good lines too. I don't think it would be overly projecting to read referendum nudges into the final scenes with the son though. Going to see James I next week but don't think I'll get to II before the run ends.

                    Other recentish trips:

                    Great Britain - great turn from Billie Piper as an amoral hack, just about pipped by Aaron Neil's performance as an epically stupid Met Commissioner. The play manages to stop just short of the excessive self congratulation that bedevils media comedies.

                    Ballyturk. Brilliantly played physical comedy from Cillian Murphy and Mikel Murfi, with Stephen Rea doing a satanic Dave Allen in support. Enda Walsh's blend of Beckett and Bottom is slightly baffling.

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                      #35
                      One Touch Theatre

                      I went to see Grand Guignol at the Southwark Playhouse the other day. It's a comic horror play-within-a-play piece about the original theatre of horrors in Paris. It was very funny, helped by an excellent cast who carried the farce with speed and precision. The horror end of things was more camp than terrifying, I have to admit.

                      I was going to go and see James I yesterday but blew it out and got pissed watching Martin Carr instead.

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                        #36
                        One Touch Theatre

                        Went to see Ghost Brothers of Darkland County last night. It's a southern gothic musical by Stephen King, with music by John Mellencamp and T-Bone Burnett.

                        Uh....it was enjoyable, but it needs work. The music succeeds far more than the play. It's too long, too predictable, and nowhere near 'horror' enough for King.

                        Apparently they've been working on it for 15 years, and tweaking it through runs since 2012. Needs more tweaking. Good, but not great. I'm not even sure it has greatness potential. But it was good.

                        I'm damning it with faint praise here....

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                          #37
                          One Touch Theatre

                          Saw the Dracula ballet again last night. It's at the arts depot in Finchley, which may explain why the theatre was only just over half full. There are tickets available for tonight.

                          Then it is in Brighton for three nights next week, then it will be "rested" for a while.

                          It is a fantastic production. I went with six friends, two of whom had seen it at Wiltons, two who had never been to the ballet, one who expected it to be like The Rocky Horror Show and another actor friend who is very critical/hard to please.
                          All absolutely loved it.

                          We were a bit concerned that the arts depot may not live up to Wiltons, but the set and staging are every bit as good and the seats are way more comfortable, so you can get lost in what you're witnessing.

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                            #38
                            One Touch Theatre

                            I saw Edward Scissorhands tonight, another Matthew Bourne production at Sadlers Wells. We had free tickets as a friend is working on it, and it does look very beautiful.

                            Have to agree with Levin on this one; the set and staging were brilliant, but the dancing was nothing I couldn't manage myself after a couple of gins; whereas the dancing in Dracula looked impossible. It's more of a West End musical style production, but it's all dance, it's just not ballet.

                            I couldn't help but compare the two, and the fact that this got a standing ovation and a full house, whilst Dracula is being "rested" for a while.

                            However, most of the audience seemed to love it. My friend nodded off during the first half. We both had a tear at the last scene.

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                              #39
                              One Touch Theatre

                              Went to see Mrs Hudson's Christmas Corker at Wilton's Music Hall on Friday. Lovely venue, very funny if not exactly sophisticated musical comedy (Sherlock-themed Christmas sketches). Sort of what you'd expect from a Barry Cryer show but that's no criticism. I love that sort of thing (Fitzrovia Radio Hour shows are a less musical but just as entertaining equivalent).

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                                #40
                                One Touch Theatre

                                I'm off to see my brother-in-law who's the Ghost Of Christmas Present at the Trinity in Tunbridge Wells at the weekend.

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                                  #41
                                  One Touch Theatre

                                  Took a trip to see the Tamsin Grieg-led Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Playhouse.

                                  In general, it's a successful transition of an Almodovar film to the stage; the middle of the second act loses control somewhat and becomes a bit too silly, as opposed to a controlled farce, but other than that it's well done. Probably the only weak link was, IMO, the guy playing Ivan, who was a little flat. He didn't have a lot to work with, mind. It was also just a little weird to see something Almodovar-esque done in English, but mercifully no-one was doing a bad Spanish accent or anything.

                                  Grieg is really great in the title role, very much an Almodovar woman; channelling Carmen Maura very successfully. Granted, she's playing to her strengths anyway (slightly neurotic woman at the centre of mildly farcical comedy), but still.

                                  Not a particular classic by any means, but definitely good fun.

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                                    #42
                                    One Touch Theatre

                                    I had a ticket for the new Tom Stoppard at the National last week but had an attack of Februaryitis and didn't go. I've never really got Stoppard and not sure this would have changed things, going by the reviews. Next up instead is the revival of Closer at the Donmar Warehouse next week.

                                    The new Young Vic season is on sale now: Rory Kinnear in a stage version of The Trial looks to be one of the highlights.

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                                      #43
                                      One Touch Theatre

                                      Once (the one that's won all the awards and been made a movie of) - beardy, hipstery, folky stuff. Nice music. Nice set. Overall very nice.

                                      Cannibal, the Musical (the one by the Southpark guy) - crude, rude and socially unacceptable. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Not as good as Mormon, which the ads say it's better than. It's not.

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                                        #44
                                        One Touch Theatre

                                        Also saw The Heart of Robin Hood. I had a good time, but could barely understand a fucking word. Bad English accents, mumbled overlapping dialogue and too many characters. Eventually I just focussed on shapes and colours. The kids thought it a hoot.

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                                          #45
                                          One Touch Theatre

                                          I went to see George Bernard Shaw's Man And Superman at the National today. It's an odd play; part will they/won't they romantic comedy, part torrent of verbiage on relationships, the meaning of life and anything else that crossed the author's mind while he was hammering away at it. Three and a half hours including the interval felt like getting off lightly.

                                          It was funny and clipped along at a decent pace apart from one overlong dream scene set in hell. The main narrative of a anti-marriage revolutionary gradually being finagled into marrying his true love feels like a period piece but the production was well staged and performed to maximise the laughs.

                                          The heavy star power in the cast came from Ralph Fiennes as the commitment-phobic lead. He was highly entertaining and is rather reminiscent of Leonard Rossiter in a hang dog way (apparently he doesn't care for the comparison though). Indira Varma was an equal foil for Fiennes and the company as a whole made the most of the material. All in all, £15 well spent.

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                                            #46
                                            One Touch Theatre

                                            Folger Theatre's production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

                                            First time I'd seen it done by a professional company, and wasn't disappointed. Although I love the play, I see plenty of faults, and I worry that a lot of humor and philosophy grows more and more dated, but maybe that's just me.

                                            Performances were excellent, as was the set design (which re-used props and material from various productions of Hamlet over the years) and was very happy with a lot of the 'off-script' stuff the director and cast added (especially with the Tragedians, of course).

                                            I'd recommend it for those coming to the DC area, but I'd expect it has sold out its run now.

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                                              #47
                                              One Touch Theatre

                                              There's an African adaptation of the Duchess of Malfi on in East London next week, will be back with the details.

                                              Think I'm going to the Dalston one.

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                                                #48
                                                One Touch Theatre

                                                http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/iyalode-of-eti-the-duchess-of-malfi/#

                                                It's this weekend. The writer is a friend, very talented.

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                                                  #49
                                                  One Touch Theatre

                                                  I'm going tonight .. I see my talented friend has worked on an African version of Desperate Housewives :-) OMG I NEED to see that.

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                                                    #50
                                                    One Touch Theatre

                                                    I'd like to have seen that but just back from a week in Pembrokeshire and tomorrow is definitely looking like an indoor day. Hopefully there will be other opportunities to catch it.

                                                    In other London theatre/Desperate Housewives crossovers, Ricardo 'Carlos' Chavira was great in The Motherf*cker With The Hat at The National earlier in the summer.

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