75 replies to this topic

[mallardo]

Good Stuff - Plays (no order)

South Downs/The Browning Version  - The kid in South Downs was astonishing.
The Doctor's Dilemma - Loved the play, loved the production.
Love's Comedy - Undiscovered Ibsen - should be in the standard repertory.
Uncle Vanya - The Print Room production edges out the West End one, but only just.
Antigone - Really worked for me.
Detroit - My favourite Cottlesloe production.
Relatively Speaking - At last an Ayckbourn play I liked - coming soon to the West End.
Constellations - Simply wonderful despite the surreal view from the front row.
Summer and Smoke - An ingenious production of a weird play at the Southwark Playhouse.
I Am A Camera - Turns out the play doesn't need music.
Long Day's Journey Into Night - For Laurie Metcalf's performance.
Master Class - For Tyne Daley's performance.
The Master and Margarita - Just WOW!
Mercury Fur - Best ensemble cast of the year.
Philadelphia Here I Come - Best of the Donmars.
Hedda Gabler - Despite Brian Friel's lame revisions.

Good Stuff - Musicals

Sweeney Todd - Overwhelming
Floyd Collins - The Vault was ideal for this little masterpiece.
Sweet Smell of Success - All the challenges were met by the Arcola company.
Lucky Stiff - Hilarious, at the Landor.
Edwin Drood - See above.
Victor/Victoria - A triumph of style over substance.
The Bodyguard - You just have to go with it.

Letdowns:

Three Sisters - The theatrical low point of the year - at the Young Vic.
The Seagull - Runner up for theatrical low point of the year - at the Southwark Playhouse.
Medea - Not nearly as bad as the two above but pretty grim despite Rachael Stirling's efforts.
The Physicists - A play that did not need reviving.
Damned By Despair - Although Bertie was a hoot.

Serendipitous Events of the Year:  Seeing Stephen Sondheim twice, at the theatre.  Once at South Downs/The Browning Version and again at Sweet Smell of Success.  In neither case could I muster the chutzpah to speak to him.

[craftymiss]

Highlights:
Curious Incident
Soho Cinders

[SoulofaChampion]

Highlights:

The Ladykillers (Gielgud)
The Recruiting Officer (Donmar)
Love, Love, Love (Royal Court)
Antigone (National)
Constellations (Duke of York's)

Lowlights:

Last of the Haussmans (National)
Much Ado about Nothing (Coward)
A Chorus of Disapproval (Pinter)

[Epicoene]

SoulofaChampion, on 26 December 2012 - 12:16 PM, said:

Highlights:


Antigone (National)

I forgot about that. Agree.

[Carlos]

My favourite shows in 2012:

Hui Clos - I thought it was an intense production of an intriguing play. My first show in 2012 and I still remember it quite vividly.

Richard II

Matilda

The Last of the Haussmans

Abigail's Party

London Road


Productions that somehow let me down (not meaning they were bad):

Noises Off

Hedda Gabler

Lion in Winter

Judas Kiss

The first two I suppose were just eclipsed by previous productions I enjoyed better.

[poster J]

I rarely get to London, so when I do I usually see a musical or two as they're more my preference than plays.  Didn't see much in 2012, but my highlight would be Singin in the Rain, and biggest disappointment Sweeney Todd (Michael Ball certainly didn't live up to the hype, and there were sound issues and ensemble issues aplenty).

[PaulR]

Highs

She stoops to Conquer NT
The Recruiting Officer    Donmar
Mercury Fur    Trafalgar Studios
Love Love Love Royal Court  
Bully Boy    St James
Curious Incident......   NT

Lows

Juno and the Paycock   NT
Yes Prime Minister    Trafalgar Studios
Chorus of Disapproval   Pinter
Damned by Despair   NT

[Titan]

Thank you poster j! i thought i was the only one who didnt get the Michael Ball hype

[Reich]

Titan, on 28 December 2012 - 04:27 PM, said:

Thank you poster j! i thought i was the only one who didnt get the Michael Ball hype

Me too. So much so I'd forgot about the whole production.  I liked Imelda Staunton but hated* the rest of it

* Yes I know it's strong word but the production was BAD

[cat123]

Now that I won't see any more theatre this year, I can say:

Highlights

Mack & Mabel @ Southwark Playhouse - Honestly one of the best shows I've ever seen. Everything I want in a musical and the cast, Norman Bowman and Laura Pitt Pulford especially, were incredible.
Noises Off @ Novello - The best £10 I've spent at the theatre, haven't laughed that much in ages!
Rock of Ages @ Shaftesbury, last show of the original cast - There was something very special about that company. I cried.
Also....
Singin' in the Rain
Cabaret
Top Hat

Lowlights

The Bodyguard - I found it dull. And the audience were shocking
Taboo - Don't get the hype, I didn't enjoy it much at all.
Merrily We Roll Along - Good cast, but it's proved to me once and for all that Sondheim is not for me.
The Fix - Not for me at all.


As a side, I worked out the other day that in 2012 I saw:

84* Performances of 39 Productions (8 Plays, 3 Dance and 28 Musicals)

*29 were Rock of Ages. Oops.