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    #51
    One Touch Theatre

    I'm going tomorrow night now instead.

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      #52
      One Touch Theatre

      I saw Sophocles Oedipus the King at The Abbey last night. I really enjoyed it, amazing how much tension was built up even though I knew the story going in. Watching it last night I thought some heavy editing must have gone on to make it as snappy as it was but I read the play when I got home last night and was even more impressed then. Highly recommended although it closes next week. Shame that the theatre was half empty.

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        #53
        One Touch Theatre

        I saw the RSC Hamlet at The Barbican, London a week back. No problems with a packed house there.

        It was a 5 star performance from Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, but the arsing about with the text, staging and some of the supporting cast were strictly 3 star, at best.

        Ciaran Hinds woodenly mumbled his way through the key role of Claudius. That's the second time I've seen him stink out a production - after flat-lining the lead in Juno & The Paycock at the National a couple years back. Pity: I rate his tv & film work.

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          #54
          One Touch Theatre

          slackster wrote: It was a 5 star performance from Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, but the arsing about with the text, staging and some of the supporting cast were strictly 3 star, at best.

          Ciaran Hinds woodenly mumbled his way through the key role of Claudius. That's the second time I've seen him stink out a production - after flat-lining the lead in Juno & The Paycock at the National a couple years back. Pity: I rate his tv & film work.
          I'm no connoisseur, but thought that the staging was breathtaking. It would be interesting to know what passes for five star staging in your opinion.

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            #55
            One Touch Theatre

            He made an excellent Caesar in "Rome" a few years back.

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              #56
              One Touch Theatre

              Re the Hamlet staging: I thought it both detracted & distracted from the story too often. A lot of ott visuals, faffing about with the set, and stage hands running about (when they weren't joining the cast in choreographed slo-mo movements during soliquoys).

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                #57
                One Touch Theatre

                Didn't realise there was a theatre thread.

                Last week went to see Handbagged, about Thatcher's relationship with Her Maj, in Cambridge (which was near the end of its nationwide tour). The missus and I thought it was excellent. Very cleverly done indeed, and the two women playing different versions of Thatch were both superb. We loved the way they interrupted suspension of disbelief by having the actors talk to the audience qua themselves occasionally before returning to character, which really worked and was part of a very skilful handling of the fact that the content was a mix of fact and speculation.

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                  #58
                  One Touch Theatre

                  Saw b-movie actor David Arqutte in Sherlock Holmes last night at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. It wasn't a dinner theatre production, but a big deal with a full house.

                  Good fucking grief. Terrible, over-the-top English accents, terrible sound design/quality, hammy over-acting (not by design), muddled plot and characters, slapstick mixed with drama mixed with music. A complete mess from curtain to intermission, when we and half the audience ran for the exits. Got home in time to watch Fargo S2.

                  Did manage to spot Alex Lifeson (and family), Dee Snyder (and wife) and a host of B and C level Canadian celebs in the crowd. No idea how that went down, but there they were.

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                    #59
                    One Touch Theatre

                    Got my money back on the above production.

                    Then saw the excellent Dee Snider Christmas Rock and Roll thing, which was excellent fun.

                    Recently seen Gaslight, which was excellent old-school theatre.

                    Also Bigmouth, which was a one-man Fringe Festival sort of thing and was quite good.

                    Tonight, A Night With Janis Joplin, which should be good if the performance nails the songs just right.

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                      #60
                      One Touch Theatre

                      Went to see a preview of "The Master Builder" the other week. I've seen lots of previews before, but never one with so many noticeable errors by the cast as this one. Saying that, the production was incredible, David Hare stuff always is. The lead actress, Sarah Snook was also very impressive.

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                        #61
                        One Touch Theatre

                        I really wanted to see the recent Pinter revival with the excellent cast at the Trafalgar Studio, but finding out it was finished led me to The Maids by Jean Genet.

                        I knew the play (well, vaguely, anyway) from studying Genet at Wolves Poly but we decided to take the plunge/hit (£51!) because we are big fans of Zawe Ashton from Dreams of a Life and Fresh Meat.

                        It's a great venue, there was an interesting crowd (I'm guessing they don't normally get quite so many young black women) and it's well worth seeing, but (and we've had this experience before, with a Tennessee Williams at Northern Stage) we didn't think the American accents did any favours for Zawe A nor the Downton Abbey actress who plays the mistress (checks: Laura Carmichael).

                        The decision was clearly made in order to incorporate Uzo Aduba, and she is the best thing about it- amazing performance. I've never seen Orange is the New Black so don't know if she's great in that too.

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                          #62
                          One Touch Theatre

                          Last week was Disgraced, winner of the 2013 Pulitzer. A one-act, five-cast about religious identity and interpersonal relationships. Tight, intelligent and well executed. It was excellent.

                          Last night was Chimerica. Apparently did really well in London and poorly in the US. I found it overwrought and overlong. Two hours of good material packed into three hours. Just good, but too much.

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                            #63
                            One Touch Theatre

                            I've been a bit off the theatre recently, apart from The Master Builder that Steveeeeeee mentioned upthread, which had ironed out the wrinkles by the time I went. Rather than forcing it, I'm just waiting for spark to return.

                            Just about qualifying as theatre (because it's in a theatre), on Saturday I'm going to see Jane Horrocks perform selections from the post punk songbook, with contemporary dancers and a live band including Rat Scabies. It'll either be very enjoyable or send me running for the nearest period correct Chekhov, so a win/win scenario.

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                              #64
                              One Touch Theatre

                              I've not had time for the theatre lately. A friend is involved in this and it looks like it will be a moving experience.

                              http://www.frg.ie/local-news/kilmainham-gaol-to-host-theatrical-production-signatories/

                              Signatories, a theatrical play about the seven signatories who signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republic in 1916, will be presented in a promenade production in Kilmainham Gaol. It will be running from the 22nd of April to the 5th of May and will be performed at Kilmainham Gaol for three days. It will also show at the Pavilion Theatre, Civic Theatre and the National Concert Hall thereafter.

                              Signatories is a UCD and Verdant Productions production. The play was written by eight writers who drew their inspiration for the script from the signatories, one a poet and one a playwright, who were held and executed at Kilmainham Gaol during the Rising. Irish director, teacher and writer, Patrick Mason, has been commissioned to direct Signatories. He is an adjunct professor in the School of English, Drama, and Film at University College Dublin.

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                                #65
                                One Touch Theatre

                                I went to Les Blancs at the National Theatre on Saturday and found the first three quarters brilliant however it loses its way at the end I think. Still well worth seeing though.

                                I've also got tickets for the Threepenny Opera later this year which I'm very excited about.

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                                  #66
                                  One Touch Theatre

                                  Levin, I'm going to Les Blancs later in the month - I'll come back to compare afterwards.

                                  Before that, I'm going to see The Flick tomorrow, which will hopefully justify the 'nothing much happens beautifully' notices or could be a long three hours plus otherwise, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom next week, before it finishes.

                                  All a bit National-centric. Other theatres are available.

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                                    #67
                                    One Touch Theatre

                                    Fight Night at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto.

                                    Wildly interesting play about an election campaign, where the audience gets a voting fob. After polling the audience for sex, age, income, marital status, etc, the 'election' begins. As each round of voting takes place, losing candidates leave the stage until a victor emerges. It's fascinating. But it's not really about voting, it's about bias and prejudice and the changing nature of opinion.

                                    Written and produced by a Belgian theatre group, and performed over 185 times around the world. Very experimental and very revealing.

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                                      #68
                                      One Touch Theatre

                                      You know they rig the voting, right?

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                                        #69
                                        One Touch Theatre

                                        No, no. It's not an American production.

                                        Apparently every night is different, as the audience's composition and biases come into play, different cast members are voted off in a different order. It's very clever.

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                                          #70
                                          One Touch Theatre

                                          I went to see Lazarus last week.
                                          Fucking weird, but the songs were great.

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                                            #71
                                            One Touch Theatre

                                            We saw Come From Away last night at the newly renovated Royal Alexandra. Hands-down one of the 3 most wonderful things I've ever seen on stage. It's going to Broadway in February, so ursus...FF...get your tickets well in advance.

                                            It's the story, told as a comedy musical, of the 38 planes that were forced to land in tiny Gander, Newfoundland on September 11. The 6,800 passengers were basically adopted by the 10,000 residents and were fed, clothed and sheltered for up to a week before they could fly out again. It's an incredibly touching story in itself, but it's told with care, astounding wit and fantastic music. One finds oneself dabbing away happy-tears in, oh, ten or twelve different places. I've never heard such thunderous applause at the end of a play before. In fact, I've heard less noise and cheering at sold-out concerts.

                                            Reviews have been stellar and ticket sales have set a record. Once word got rolling this morning that performances were selling out, the computers were crashed with panic sales. As I say, it's off to Broadway in February and opens officially in March. If the cast keeps it true to what we saw last night, they'd better settle in for a long stay.

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                                              #72
                                              One Touch Theatre

                                              Not only has it now entirely sold out, they've added a dozen standing room tickets to each of the next 40-some performances, as well as pairs of folding chairs in the wings. I've honestly never seen anything like this in this city.

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                                                #73
                                                One Touch Theatre

                                                I went to see "Licensed to Ill" at the Southwark Playhouse last night, which tries to summarise the history of hip hop and the Beastie Boys career into 80 minutes without interval, whilst also performing some of their biggest hits. Countless historical errors, huge generalisations and my many pivotal moments overlooked, but my god, it was incredible fun and the 80 minutes went by in a heartbeat.

                                                The three guys who play the Beasties were outstanding, topped only by the 4th member of their ensemble who played everyone else in their career (including Russel Simmons and Rick Rubin at the same time). No girls in the cast, so audience members had to be politely cajoled into playing female roles, which all sorted of added the chaos and fun.

                                                I really recommend it, tickets were £20 and we bought ours on the day. Sadly, a half full, fairly lackluster audience for this performance, I imagine it could be quiet riotous with a full house.

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                                                  #74
                                                  One Touch Theatre

                                                  Oooh. Sounds good. I'll look into that.

                                                  Went to The Last Tango for P's birthday last week. Vincent and Flavia from Strictly etc.
                                                  It was fine, well staged, well danced etc.
                                                  Not my sort of thing really, I derive almost no pleasure from watching people dance, but P likes it.

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                                                    #75
                                                    One Touch Theatre

                                                    Saw a marvellous play last night: Butcher by Nicolas Billon. A ninety minute thriller with four actors. I mean...thriller like The Usual Suspects. I have no idea why this isn't a film yet.

                                                    Here's the blurb: "A mysterious old man is dropped off at a police station, wearing a foreign military uniform, and a Santa hat, with a meat hook dangling around his neck. As a lawyer, a police officer, and a translator struggle to unravel the truth, they uncover a past that won’t stay buried, and a decades old quest for justice that must be served."

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