7 replies to this topic

[DANNY A]

Has anyone seen this yet?  The playwrights supposed to be pretty good, according to a friend from South Africa... though it looks like he's Canadian?  Saw the Timeout review which laid into it but the user comments look good...

[DANNY A]

Has anyone seen this yet? The playwrights supposed to be pretty good, according to a friend from South Africa... though it looks like he's Canadian? Saw the Timeout review which laid into it but the user comments look good...

Found this review in The Stage now
"It is probably the acting, superb acting, in this UK premier of Canadian writer Greg MacArthur’s award-winning play that drags it under the skin of the audience."
which is right??  Can be quite a lottery on the fringe... has anyone seen to either recommend or otherwise?  Thanks!

[Sally73]

Found this review in The Stage now
"It is probably the acting, superb acting, in this UK premier of Canadian writer Greg MacArthur's award-winning play that drags it under the skin of the audience."
which is right?? Can be quite a lottery on the fringe... has anyone seen to either recommend or otherwise? Thanks!

It's a pretencious piece of fringe nonsense.  I wouldn't pay much attention to the Time Out user reviews -- they're probably the cast and crew trying to talk up the show; a common tactic. Best avoided.

[DavidDorrian]

It's a pretencious piece of fringe nonsense. I wouldn't pay much attention to the Time Out user reviews -- they're probably the cast and crew trying to talk up the show; a common tactic. Best avoided.

Thanks for your view Sally.  If you've seen the play then you've got every right to comment, here and anywhere else you'd like to.  But, if, as it sounds, you're just spewing some vitriol about fringe theatre then it's both inconsiderate and ill-considered - and made me angry enough to sign up and take the time to reply.

The Timeout user reviews aren't cast and crew.  They are acquaintances who've seen the play who we've encouraged to express their opinion on the site as the review from Timeout was so different from the audience feedback we have been and continue to receive - most of which ranges between The Stage review and the Islington Gazette review (both of which are impartial and can be checked out online).  I think it shows a good deal of responsibility that Timeout allow such a right of reply, as a Timeout review can be the only one a show receives on the fringe, so if a reviewer doesn't connect with a piece it can be sunk.

On the fringe that means thousands of pounds of personal loss, which is why your comment (if you haven't seen the show) is inconsiderate.  Why put others off because of an uninformed bias?

It's also ill-considered because a lot of the directors/ performers/ writers who go on to create the type of theatre you presumably enjoy started out on the fringe.  To rubbish the early work that they do is rather odd in my opinion...

As I said, if you've seen the show all this is null and void (though I'd love to know when you were in!).

[armadillo]

So is anyone going to tell us where this show is running and what it's about? Always a good idea if you're trying audience figures (which I hasten to say is no bad thing)

[DANNY A]

So is anyone going to tell us where this show is running and what it's about? Always a good idea if you're trying audience figures (which I hasten to say is no bad thing)

Wow!!! I only wanted to know if anyone had seen ti!! Stage review says Old Red Lion? Sounds like a psychdrama maybe, its all a bit vague (pretencious?)

[Sally73]

The Timeout user reviews aren't cast and crew. They are acquaintances who've seen the play who we've encouraged to express their opinion on the site as the review from Timeout was so different from the audience feedback we have been and continue to receive - most of which ranges between The Stage review and the Islington Gazette review (both of which are impartial and can be checked out online).

I think that's a very clumsy way to try and influence the agenda in Time Out. I also think, that to be fair to Time Out readers, that the ethical thing to do is admit that they are "acquaintances" of cast and crew and not impartial theatre-goers.

But all the best with the show.

[DavidDorrian]

The Timeout user reviews aren't cast and crew. They are acquaintances who've seen the play who we've encouraged to express their opinion on the site as the review from Timeout was so different from the audience feedback we have been and continue to receive - most of which ranges between The Stage review and the Islington Gazette review (both of which are impartial and can be checked out online).

I think that's a very clumsy way to try and influence the agenda in Time Out. I also think, that to be fair to Time Out readers, that the ethical thing to do is admit that they are "acquaintances" of cast and crew and not impartial theatre-goers.

But all the best with the show.

Not trying to influence the agenda - just using as a 'right of reply' as I said.  Agree it would be ethical to stress that the comments come from acquaintances - the interface doesn't allow for that though. However, I think anyone who knows about fringe theatre will realise they could only be people known to cast and crew as they make up the lions share of the audience early on!

Thanks for the good wishes! Audiences are slowly starting to ramp up.  We got another nice review today from the Ham&High.  Loved the performances - a little lukewarm on the play (thought it would work better on radio)