84 replies to this topic

[Abby]

Epicoene, on 22 August 2012 - 09:05 AM, said:

How about his frequent clutching of his own groin which seems to be a new acting weapon he has introduced to his considerable armoury ?

In training for when he puts his Privates on Parade...?

[Epicoene]

Abby, on 22 August 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

In training for when he puts his Privates on Parade...?

Ho Ho. Those of us who saw him in Edward II have already had that pleasure (if that's the word I want). I wonder if groin clutching will become a permaent feature of his performances, these little mannerisms often do, one that occurs to me is how many bald actors, to signify moments of tension, have a habit of splaying out their hand, clapping it down on the top of their shining bonce, and wiping it forwards - J. Slinger was at it in The Tempest but he is far from alone.

[KevinUK]

I thought he had quite a few of the "moves" as Danny DeVito has, especially the theatrical arm movements. Maybe it's a short actor thing?

[mallardo]

Finally saw this last night.  The only groin clutching from SRB came in the second act after the scene with Flavia - and seemed to have a quite deliberate implication.  He was wonderful, as usual, but I didn't care for Deborah Findlay much or Hilton McRae whose permanent sneer got to be wearing.  I know Apemantus is a cynic and a misanthrope but McRae played it to such an extreme that I spent the play wondering why anyone would tolerate his presence for more than a few seconds. Nick Sampson's Poet and Penny Layden's Painter were fun though and Tom Robertson's Ventidius was entertainingly loathsome.

The play itself, which I had never seen, is indeed a strange one, its two halves structurally reflecting each other and many scenes played for pure comedy.  It would have been nice, though, if Shakespeare and Middleton could have come up with a decent ending.

[young offender]

I saw the matinee on 1 September, and it was very much a game of two halves for me. A really impressive first hour –  highly pertinent modern setting, strong characters, slick direction, and memorable setpieces (particularly that second feast). You get to the interval and wonder why the play is so rarely staged. Then you come back for the second half, and its ‘problem’ status becomes all too explicable. The buried crock of gold has troubled many a director, I gather, and here they find no way to make it anything but the most risibly shoehorned McGuffin. And then Timon rails at the world and a succession of former friends for an hour or so. SRB tries to vary the tone with a bit of jazz-handing humour (there were touches of his last outing as Stalin), but even he can’t bring any real import or pathos to the guy’s downfall. And then it all just ends, without any gruesome deaths (there is an axe, but it’s never gainfully employed). Go for the first half, by all means – it’s worth the Travelex price for that alone – then go out and enjoy the rest of your evening.

[peggs]

Made me think of shades of SRB's Lear to come, that and how very timely a production this was.

My biggest criticism is that all those blood sucking 'friends' didn't get slaughted but i guess that can't add to the text THAT much!

I probably preferred the first half as I think i got a little lost in the hatred of man in the second half, i hadn't read the play and was still wondering where all that gold had sprung from under the floor and was wondering if there was something i had missed, but that's mainly a text thing rather than the acting. SRB reliably good as ever, somehow seeing him beat up felt very wrong, sat in 3rd row back he was one very blood smeared down and out and really rather scary when wielding an axe, i found myself leaning backwards in case he got a bit carried away. Deborah Findlay laid down another class act, my favourite bit was when in the second half she finally persuaded Timon that there was one decent human left on the planet. Some good support from elsewhere and a lovely catch up with Latecomer to boot, good way to spend a sunday.

[Latecomer]

Very enjoyable day out. Loved the first half and all the backdrops depicting various views of London....don't know how they slipped in the tower with HSBC on it....did the bank not mind? Perhaps they were nor familiar with the play. Thought the production did corporate schmoozing very well....perhaps they are pretty well acquainted with the whole scene!

Second half had a few problems with the play but enjoyed some of the bits....particularly when SRB sat and was quiet...his talk about the beasts was genius...like each little thought had just popped into his head then and there.

Highlights? Thought the support cast of the first half was very good...it was difficult to fault any of them. And the production made the distinctions between them all very clear....the playboy (Prince Harry anyone?), through the rather cunning business man (Murdoch anyone?) to the politician who cared about power and how people perceived her (bit too efficient and go-getting for anyone in the current bunch? Law?). Also excellent poet and artist and I loved Deborah Finley as the steward. I think perhaps that's why the second half was a bit of a let down....the first has so many excellent characters and then the second half feels a bit thin....

Very glad I saw it.

[Pharaoh's number 2]

Latecomer, on 10 September 2012 - 09:31 AM, said:

Very enjoyable day out. Loved the first half and all the backdrops depicting various views of London....don't know how they slipped in the tower with HSBC on it....

Whilst the design idea was nice, I thought it looked rather cheap- poor backdrop painting, esp Jesus' face in the money lenders piece in the "Timon Room".

[theatrepaul]

I loved the first half of the NT production. By cleverly setting the play in a very contemporary setting, Nicholas Hytner has made real sense of one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays. Simon Russell Beale is excellent as always and the whole cast really deliver in this production. I was less convinced by the second half of the production. Its such a contrast to the first half that it just doesn't gel and work for me. That said, this is definitely the best Timon of Athens I've seen.

[Lynette]

Blimey, how many have you seen, theatrepaul? I dont think I've seen more than one other production of this one. And I see a lotta Shakespeare.