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    #76
    One Touch Theatre

    A couple of weeks back: Stupid Fucking Bird, an adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull.

    All shouty and angsty, with people acting and acting and acting. We left at intermission, which we've only ever done twice before.

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      #77
      One Touch Theatre

      Oddly, one of the other two we've bolted from was also a Chekhov-derived play called Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike [and shite].

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        #78
        One Touch Theatre

        WOM wrote: 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.
        Update: this has been on Broadway for less than two months, opening to stellar reviews, and has already joined the 'million dollar club', doing $1 million+ a week in ticket sales. Today it received 9 Drama Desk nominations.

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          #79
          One Touch Theatre

          WOM wrote: Oddly, one of the other two we've bolted from was also a Chekhov-derived play called Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike [and shite].
          Was "Spike" a Symbol of darker skinned minority groups in this hep contemporary Unkie Vanya, or some white trash/jock type? Or even worse, a dog? (Especially if physically performed by an Actor). Sounds like all kinds of awful whichever way you cut it.

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            #80
            One Touch Theatre

            We saw Moms The Word 3: Nest 1/2 Empty last week. I went with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach based, I confess, solely on the title. As it turned out it was really good, in a cathartic type of way. As suggested it's the third production, by a group of local female actors, built around around experiences in parenting and family life. I realise that still sounds kind of queasy, but it's done with an enormous amount of honesty and humour which makes the experience really enjoyable. I didn't see the previous productions, which have toured internationally, but it probably helps to be about the same age as the performers. Some of the anecdotes — the performance consists of monologues, short scenes and some songs, built around common events — are clearly from life. One of the performers is the partner of the lead singer of Spirit of the West who's been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Her bit on being the carer of someone who's been your lover for many years, especially hit home. The rest are more general, grandchildren asking about flabby body parts and the like. As I said probably somewhat age specific, but worth a look for all that.

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              #81
              One Touch Theatre

              Lang Spoon wrote:
              Originally posted by WOM
              Oddly, one of the other two we've bolted from was also a Chekhov-derived play called Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike [and shite].
              Was "Spike" a Symbol of darker skinned minority groups in this hep contemporary Unkie Vanya, or some white trash/jock type? Or even worse, a dog? (Especially if physically performed by an Actor). Sounds like all kinds of awful whichever way you cut it.
              Oh, god it was painful. Spike was like an athletic, hottie-hipster. Academic, with a nice ass. We bolted at intermission, which we've only done thrice total.

              The second thing (ever) was Sherlock Holmes, starring David Arquette. It was easily the worst thing we've ever seen, and it was playing on a big stage with a big ad campaign. We were almost trampled in the intermission exodus. People were punching each other, trying to get their arms into coat sleeves quickly.

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                #82
                One Touch Theatre

                Forgot to post this. P and I saw a matinee performance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Old Vic a couple of weeks ago.
                Both leads ( Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire) were really good, but the show was carried by David Haig as the Player King. Stage chewing tour de force from someone who seems to be in every stage production in the West End.

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                  #83
                  One Touch Theatre

                  I saw David Haig in something not so long ago too and he was really good, much better than his telly and films would lead you to expect.

                  Years ago I lived in Brockley and he'd walk up our road with a couple of kids at the same time every Sunday, as regular as clockwork.

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                    #84
                    One Touch Theatre

                    Oh goody, I've got something to put in the theatre thread.

                    I got a free ticket to The Plague at the Arcola tonight, couldn't give away the second ticket, as I suppose it sounds a bit bleak. It is quite intense and made me cry, but it's excellent, thought-provoking, and brilliantly executed with a minimum of props.

                    Recommended, but don't expect to come out punching the air and singing the tunes (there aren't any).

                    Directed by Neil Bartlett. Only 85 minutes long.

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                      #85
                      My cousin's playing Mr. Clough in The Damned United at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington with the Red Ladder Theatre Company, November 13-18, after a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival (mentioned in latest WSC). Tickets here.

                      Had a great run of theatre visits in our local park back in August when the Dramatische Bühne did its annual open-air season for six weeks. They take classics and do what the fuck they want with them, in an extremely laid-back atmosphere. For their production of Othello, half the audience were directed back-stage. While on the front stage the actors performed a truncated, 50-minute version of the play, backstage we were treated to a concurrent play involving the entire cast and their personal neuroses as actors, all linked in to what was happening on the front stage. After the interval we got to see the front-stage production, knowing what was going on backstage, with actors sabotaging rivals' props etc. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in any theatre, let alone while watching a Shakespearian tragedy.

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                        #86
                        Doesn't quite fit here, but what the hell. My wife is directing an amateur production of Jerusalem in a couple of months. It's her birthday today so I'd tried to get some words of encouragement from people involved in the play professionally - got personal messages from Jez Butterworth (the playwright), Ian Rickson (the original director at the Royal Court) and Mark Rylance.

                        Sometimes you assume, unfairly, that people involved in entertainment are going to be standoffish or rude, but I'm so pleased they all took the time to respond.

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                          #87
                          That's brilliant, Crusoe; it was a great idea and good of them all to have responded.

                          When one of my brothers got married, another brother who was best man did something similar for him (playing slightly upon the fact that he was stationed in Afghanistan prior to the wedding). Of the eclectic range of personal heroes contacted, David Dickinson, Ross Kemp and a darts player whose name escapes me came up trumps, while Steve Bull slightly disgraced himself by insisting that he'd only write a personal message on a photo purchased from his web shop for £12.

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                            #88
                            Originally posted by Crusoe View Post
                            Sometimes you assume, unfairly, that people involved in entertainment are going to be standoffish or rude, but I'm so pleased they all took the time to respond.
                            I've mentioned it on Books, but I often send authors an email if I like their book and the usual reply is "Oh, wow. Thanks so much. It's really nice to hear from readers." etc. Alexandra Zapruder wrote back that it was flattering to hear positive things from someone not related to her.

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                              #89
                              This is one reason why I'd like to live in New York or London. And be rich. I'd love to go to live theatre.

                              I've been meaning to try going to more local and student productions, but I never get around to it. Lately, I've had trouble getting out of the house. But it is great, isn't it?

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                                #90
                                It gets...not cheap...but much more reasonable when you commit. We usually buy a 4- or 5-play package, on a Tuesday or Wednesday in the 'previews' period. You really don't get much cheaper than that, and we see tons. We probably see a season's worth for what people pay for a good 'Orchestra' seat on a Friday night. The discounting really is that absurd.

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                                  #91
                                  The publically subsidised theatres here in London tend to have reasonable seats for £10-15, compared to £35-60 for top price. You have to be prepared to book some way in advance or regularly scan the websites to catch them though. The commercial theatres - West End and further afield - go as high as they can for top seats for a hit show and their cheap seats, while sometimes reasonably priced, tend to be very high up and very uncomfortable. The great advantage of being here is the sheer quantity of options (mostly of good quality) whereas in a town or city with one or even two theatres you're rather at the mercy of what happens to be coming through.

                                  The last thing I went to see was a musical of Bob Dylan songs a couple of weeks ago. It was basically a jukebox show but a very high quality one. Ciaran Hinds was the male lead but got away without having to sing, which was quite impressive.

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                                    #92
                                    Forgot to post it at the time, but when in London we went to Horrible Histories: The Best of Barmy Britain at the Garrick, and Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe. HH was hilarious throughout. Girlfriend was a bit annoyed at not getting the chance to check out a West End show, right up until we walked through the doors at the Globe and she saw what it's like when it's decked out for a play (we did the tour on our previous visit, in mid-winter), and then it started and was magical. Brilliant production.

                                    From the programme, I learnt that they also stream productions past and present on a website, where you can pay to watch once or to download and watch whenever you want. Varying prices - Othello for instance is £2.99 for a one-off. Think we'll be making use of this from time to time.

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                                      #93
                                      I saw Henry V at the Barbican when I visited. We were almost late because my friend wasn't quite sure how to get there from the tube. But we made it.

                                      And they sell a lot of food and drink before, during intermission and after. I'd never experienced that before.

                                      I'm not a big musical theater person. And a lot of the stuff that comes here on tour or that the students do is MT. But sometimes that's good. And the high school kids here can put on a hell of a good show too. I've been to some of their shows to support the kids of friends, but I legitimately enjoyed it for its own merits. If they're doing a show that sounds good, I'd go just to see it.

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                                        #94
                                        https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/mosquitoes

                                        I went to see this tonight and it's amazing, not sure anyone can get tickets for this run, though.

                                        Might say more tomorrow.

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                                          #95
                                          The first major production I ever saw was A Chorus Line at Drury Lane in 1977. Edited to add that this has nothing to do with what I'm about to write next.

                                          I want to go see Farinelli and The King sometime later this year. And I will stand at the stage door to get Mark Rylance to sign my Playbill, even if it's pouring down rain.

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                                            #96
                                            Did I kill this thread? I didn't mean to.

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                                              #97
                                              I'll help out. I'm torn about getting a ticket to see the Ninagawa Macbeth on at the Barbican. I've seen two of their plays now, one original and one Shakespeare and they were both phenomenal. However, the only tickets left are ones with restricted views. Either in general, or of the surtitles. And the tickets are just a bit too expensive to not see everything.

                                              But.

                                              They are a fantastic company. And the Macbeth has stellar reviews.

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                                                #98
                                                How do you get on with sub/surtitled theatre, Levin? I've got a bit of a mental block against the idea, even though it's par for the course at opera.

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                                                  #99
                                                  I'm ok with it in general. I think, in part, because of it being normal at the opera. I find it doesn't take any more brainpower than translating from Shakespeare.

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                                                    I'm going to see Michael Moore's "The Terms of My Surrender" tonight.

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