32 replies to this topic

[Latecomer]

Anyone seen this yet? I see it is all sold out and the tweets seem positive(although I am always a little skeptical at the beginning of a run that these are all from friends and family!)
I am having a Bulgakov Day on 31st March....matinee at The Master and Margarita followed by Collaborators in the evening at National. I have a ticket spare to both as daughter can't make the date now - can give back both for credit so doesn't matter if no-one wants them but thought I would offer them here first! Stalls ticket for Barbican B19 £32, K21 at Cotteslow £32. Private message me if you fancy!

[The Suburbanite]

Seeing it this weekend

[Latecomer]

Tickets to both now gone....looking forward to my double bill!

[Alexandra]

I'm not sure what you'd make of it if you hadn't read the book, but it's largely brilliant. Sinead Matthews, Paul Rhys and Angus Wright are magnificent. It's visually exciting but also has very intimate and touching moments. It isn't without its less interesting (and certainly confusing) passages, but overall it's a great achievement, and above all it's SO refreshing to see something non-literal on our usually hugely literal and narrative stages.

[Polly1]

Alexandra, on 23 March 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

I'm not sure what you'd make of it if you hadn't read the book, but it's largely brilliant. Sinead Matthews, Paul Rhys and Angus Wright are magnificent. It's visually exciting but also has very intimate and touching moments. It isn't without its less interesting (and certainly confusing) passages, but overall it's a great achievement, and above all it's SO refreshing to see something non-literal on our usually hugely literal and narrative stages.

I haven't read the book and I'm going this evening so I'll let you know! Very much looking forward to it.

[The Suburbanite]

Alexandra, on 23 March 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

Sinead Matthews

I had no idea she is in it. I'm looking forward to it even more now - one of our best stage actresses.

Pairs of seats at rear stalls have become available for a small number of dates - https://www.barbican...asp?shoid=34230

[Alexandra]

Sub - if you read Billington's review you'll probably look forward to it even more.

[The Suburbanite]

Alexandra, on 23 March 2012 - 02:54 PM, said:

Sub - if you read Billington's review you'll probably look forward to it even more.

Thanks, just read it following your tip.

Oh my word. My hands and lower legs have gone weak.

[Cardinal Pirelli]

This was really wonderful, Complicite firing on all cylinders. I've never read the book but it was easy to follow, I thought.

The performance of Paul Rhys is something to treasure as is the staging which allowed the audience to use their imagination whilst being something spectacular in itself. Less impressed by Sinead Keenan as Margarita, she sounded strained and denied more of an emotional connection, for me, but that's a small point in what was a three hours that zipped by and more than balanced by great performances from Tim McMullan, Angus Wright, Richard Katz etc. etc.

[The Suburbanite]

Cardinal Pirelli, on 25 March 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

Sinead Keenan as Margarita

Sinead Matthews.

I agree with pretty much everything you've said, except about SM's performance which, while it wasn't the best one I've seen of hers, I still thought was very good. Her delivery of just that one word "delighted" over and over in the ball scene, becoming incresingly frantic, was wonderful. But yes McMullan was perhaps the best I've seen him - the very first Pilate scene will remain in my mind as something very special. I really liked the focus on that character as Pilate is a figure I've been intrigued by for many years. McMullan's delicately weary entrance, with the terrible pain in his head, was a treat to watch.

This might be the most grand-scale, epic Complicite production I've seen, but then I haven't seen everything they've done.

There was an enjoyable post-show Q&A with McBurney as well.