51 replies to this topic

[Jan Brock]

Started the discussion over in another thread, the topic is times you felt entirely alone in an audience who found someting funny/praiseworthy when you didn't.

It happened to me when Blood Brothers first opened in the West End, I found it to be pathetic patronising rubbish from start to finish with attempts at humour pitched at the level of about a seven year old, however the rest of the audience were screaming with laughter.

[dunkley]

Ooh, good idea. Along with Noises Off:

- We Will Rock You.
I hated it, and by the end hated everyone there (though the music of Queen remained unscathed). By far the worst thing I've ever ever seen, be it theatre, tv or film. I look down on the fans (sorry fans, i've nothing against simple people but COME ON NOW it's DREADFUL).  

- Black Watch
Now this was a surprise. I ended up giving it a standing ovation because I'm weak and was on the front row and didn't want to offend the cast (who looked knackered and i thought did well), nor did I want to look like some sort of anti-war protester. I was mostly bored rigid though, and could not understand the raves.

- The 39 Steps
Similar to Noises Off really. I felt like the only audience member not about to wet myself. I thought it was perfectly watchable, but such obvious humour and I'd seen it all before really.

- Lovesong (Abi Morgan / Frantic Assembly)
Lots of standing and whooping and weeping at the end. I wish I'd stayed at home and watched The One Show.


I also hated the much loved Wicked, but I didn't feel I was the only one in the audience feeling that way. Ditto The Mousetrap.

[Reich]

oh good topic. from the top of my head ...
one man two guvnors
london rd
legally blonde

michael billington constantly praises the national (not just the two hits listed above but lots of the other stuff)i wonder if he has the odd one out feeling?!

[Pharaoh's number 2]

South Pacific at the Barbican- standing ovation etc, but I was resisting the urge to boo. Thought it was awful.

Lend Me a Tenor at the Gielgud- just didn't find it funny at all.

Noises Off at the Old Vic- I laughed a bit, and enjoyed it... just not as much as the elderly folks behind me!

Frankenstein at the NT- yes, it had spectacle, and the leads were great, but that didn;t overcome the terrible script and even worse supporting performances (well, one mainly- the father, I won't name names).

Hamlet at the Young Vic- bits of it I really liked, bits of it really didn't work. Full house standing ovation at the end, except for me....

[Lynette]

You are not alone re Hamlet Young Vic but I am alone re The Pillowman.

[dude-1981]

The Red Shoes from Kneehigh: One of those things where you know you've made a bad decision almost as soon as the doors closed.  I never normally talk in a show, but I leant over to my friend after 5 minutes and said 'Is there an interval?'

There wasn't.

A Delicate Balance: Went down very well with everyone there apart from Mrs1981 and I who hated it with a passion.

London Assurance & When We Are Married.  Both Saturday evenings, seemed like we were the yongest people in attendance at both, not my cup of tea, greatly enjoyed by all and sundry around us.

(Certainly wasn't a full house ovation when I saw Hamlet, very split.)

[QuincyMD]

Wicked - sat there stoney faced through the whole thing wanting it to end so I could get away from the trite dialogue, poor songs, poor singing and dodgy staging and yet all the time I was surrounded by 2000 odd other people who were screaming and whooping for even the slightest thing. The cacophony of hollering and clapping at the end of defying gravity was totally unwarranted and I wanted to jump on the stage and cry "The emperor has no new clothes!"

[armadillo]

A Flea in Her Ear - appallingly unfunny

Lend Me a Tenor - ditto

Jerusalem - simply couldn't understand the fuss

England People Very Nice - I found this hilarious (which according to some Whatsonstage posters is akin to admitting BNP membership   )

War Horse - dreary, manipulative and predictable. Its success completely baffles me

Black Watch - seen a million student plays just as good

Enron - would have been far better as an hour long student show. The raptors got very very dull very quickly

The History Boys - annoying, full of plot holes and inaccuracies and did we really need to see Bennett's defence of paedophilia again in The Habit Of Art?


Lynette - what was your dissenting opinion of The Pillowman? I thought it was laughably dreadful though Tennant and Broadbent gave good performances.

[mallardo]

The Norman Conquests and, by extension, just about anything I've seen from Mr. Ayckbourn with the single exception of Woman in Mind.

[armadillo]

mallardo, on 29 December 2011 - 08:42 AM, said:

The Norman Conquests and, by extension, just about anything I've seen from Mr. Ayckbourn with the single exception of Woman in Mind.

Ah yes, forgot about Ayckbourn. But then did anyone find the recent Seasons Greetings revival funny?