72 replies to this topic

[Pharaoh's number 2]

Yes, I managed to get one today in person for a couple of weeks time. V happy, saves dayseating!

[RH1234]

Very disappointed by this - it was just a bit boring... why are we supposed to care about the relationships of these people?

[Pharaoh's number 2]

I can't really see why this was revived. A bit of a snooze fest if you ask me. Well acted, though for me the best was Rosie Jones in the small part of Phenice... very nice performance. Though Dominic Rowan was a bit wooden at the beginning, though he did get much beter as the play progressed. Always a pleasure to see Anne-Marie Duff on stage. Interesting configuration of the Donmar- felt bigger and by far the most interesting aspect of the evening. But what was the point? The noisy staircase/bridge, the play even- It all seemed 'for the sake of it'.

It's by no means awful, but I think the dullest thing I've seen at the Donmar. A shame as I had high expectations.

On a side note, the Donmar was 1/6th empty by the looks of it. One row of the side circle was deserted, the stalls had quite a few gaps, my row (row A side circle) had a few seats empty - nice as I had more room! - and there was nobody standing. Who says it's difficult to get tickets to the Donmar?

[RH1234]

Yes, totally agree with your comment 'the dullest thing I've seen at the Donmar'. Shame.

[Honoured Guest]

RH1234, on 19 October 2012 - 09:03 AM, said:

... why are we supposed to care about the relationships of these people?

I haven't seen this but Racine is like orchestral writing for chamber forces, where massive emotions and lifeforces collide with the inevitability of icebergs and the characters make crystal clear exactly how the collision occurs. Alan Hollinghurst is a very meticulous writer so maybe it appears superficially to be a relationship exercise but that's just the medium for the drama..

I recall, I hope with accuracy, the Almeida staging, featuring a glorious singer to intensify our involvement. Dominic Domgroole sniffily dismissed that production as irrelevant on the grounds that it featured vast swirling curtains.

[young offender]

I have seen the first four shows under Josie Rourke's tenure and enjoyed them, but the Donmar has certainly lost some of its ticket frenzy buzz this year - it's disappointingly easy to get seats now.

I booked cheaply for Berenice months ago, and after the indifferent response do not feel compelled to show up.

[dude-1981]

Pharaoh, on 19 October 2012 - 09:18 AM, said:

Who says it's difficult to get tickets to the Donmar?

People who used to try and get tickets when it was hard to get tickets and then gave up trying to get tickets and now don't know that these days it is easy to get tickets!  

[Honoured Guest]

You'd get a much better, more appreciative and engaged audience if the people who go "because it's the Donmar" were to f*** off, to be replaced by people with a genuine interest in seeing the particular show. Three cheers for the Barclays Front Row scheme which should achieve this, at least in the front row. But unfortunately it's easier for theatres to sell tickets to a core audience than to drum up a different but ideal audience for each show. The same applies to the NT where people go regularly because it has such a convenient car park and then moan that it should change its policy of repertoire choice because they personally are disinterested in the Spanish golden age. The same has happened at the Royal Court, although on balance it's probably preferable there to past times when some shows played to very small houses until word of mouth and positive reviews kicked in, if they did, and at least the Royal Court crowd are keen on new writing.

[young offender]

In the case of Berenice, though, the Donmar Friend demographic is surely the most likely to be appreciative and engaged. This is hardly a play for 'new audiences', i.e. the kids who queued for Frankenstein, and it doesn't have the star wattage to pull in the floating theatregoer.

[Alexandra]

Berenice is one of the best shows I've ever seen at the Donmar. I'm happy to wave goodbye to the star wattage if I can see shows as good as that there.