27 replies to this topic

[Marius Pontmercy]

I didn't like Grief or Frankenstein either, but I don't see how either can qualify as a turkey - surely there has to be some kind of commercial disaster involved to earn that title, and both of those did well in that regard (and also got IMO-inexplicably good reviews).

dude-1981, on 10 November 2011 - 06:21 PM, said:

And maybe God of Soho should have been on there, but did anyone think that had potential to be good?

The God of Soho was misjudged on every possible level, and I'm not sure the fact that it was as bad as it looked makes it less of a turkey. I'd estimate there were 50 people in the yard when we saw it, and Weez and I weren't the only ones to leave at the interval. Definitely a turkey.

[foxa]

Twelfth Night definitely on my list.

[Snciole]

I afraid I am only good at judging flops if they are appear on free theatre tickets websites and are based in the West End....

A sell out isn't always an indication it is good play, a sell out merely indicates big names are attached or they have a lot of under 25 cut price tickets for sale (Hello NT!). Emperor and Galilean, on its last performance, had a lot of empty seats but it pretty much did its whole run (Does the NT ever close a production early?). I'm guessing 13 and The Veil aren't selling well (I do go other theatres beside the National, I swear) judging by the increase in Entry Pass tickets.

Has this year been particularly bad for early closures? Betty Blue Eyes, Lead Me a Tenor, Cool Hand Luke, Love Never Dies etc it feels like a shows have fallen short and it can't be just due to obscene ticket prices and bad reviews/word of mouth comments?

[Lynette]

So personal turkeys?
RSC's Merchant of Venice, NT's Emperor and Galilean, Almeida's A Delicate Balance,Donmar's Moonlight,ENO's Lucrezia Borgia, NT's Men Should Weep [ actually left at half time] Gone back into 2010 I realise but sometimes you can't forget! Delighted to say that I seem to have missed through thoughtful choice, sheer genius and reading this board, some of the turkeys others have endured.

[Jan Brock]

Lynette, on 11 November 2011 - 12:05 AM, said:

So personal turkeys?
RSC's Merchant of Venice, NT's Emperor and Galilean, Almeida's A Delicate Balance,Donmar's Moonlight,ENO's Lucrezia Borgia, NT's Men Should Weep [ actually left at half time] Gone back into 2010 I realise but sometimes you can't forget! Delighted to say that I seem to have missed through thoughtful choice, sheer genius and reading this board, some of the turkeys others have endured.

I am neutral on Moonlight, Little Eyolf and Twelfth Night - School for Scandal I hated as soon as I walked into the auditorium and looked at the stage, before it started even.

[armadillo]

Surely you all saw Mother Courage? You must have known School for Scandal would be awful

I'm with the OP here - a real turkey is a flop. Otherwise it's just down to personal opinion about bad plays (I suspect most of us on this thread would loathe We Will Rock You but, in fairness, you can't really call it a turkey)

Looking forward to 2012, I keep getting emails about Juno and the Paycock. Is that not selling well?

[Alexandra]

Mother Courage was wonderful. And certainly not a flop. Though I appreciate you weren't calling it a turkey. S for S I didn't see.

[armadillo]

I remember a 'heated debate' in the interval of Mother Courage about whether we should leave and in the end we decided it would be something to bore our grandchildren with. I think we made the wrong decision though...(see also Cyrano De Bergerac with Stehen Rea)

[Whenindisgrace]

armadillo, on 11 November 2011 - 10:11 AM, said:

Looking forward to 2012, I keep getting emails about Juno and the Paycock. Is that not selling well?

Apparently not, despite great cast and director.  It got a poor review in the Guardian, though.

[El Peter]

i have not read any review of it in The Guardian whether printed newspaper or just now online. In fact I have not seen a review of it anywhere. Its press night is Wednesday 16 November according to the National website.