peggs

Marvellous. Damp [ a downpour at one point] and chilly tonight but the first time I've been really moved by this play. They play it for laughs where possible, broad but not crude comedy and well, Roger Allam, what can one say? It seems that with his Falstaff and now this , he has found his stage. Gone all that usual pompous aloofness, but he was a man with a daughter, serious issues with his family and special powers...which he gives up! Jessie Buckley as Miranda a very modern lass. Good support all round. Joshua James's Ferdinand less of a wimp than usual. The theme of good governance came through strongly I think, both of one's own character and then of a state.

Theatre development: new staircase which is good as I was always a bit worried about falling down the old curvy one, a cafe space on ground floor, usual baked goods, still hoarding round the new theatre and obviously a way into from the Globe spaces that is boarded up still. The Swan cafe very buzzy, pricey but quite nice food. So many places to eat round there; Globe snacks expensive too. But then they don't get a subsidy.

mallardo, on 03 April 2013 - 07:06 PM, said:

Yes in my dreams I would have a teeny weeny waist to show dresses off to good effect. In reality I had a blueberry muffin before the play....

I always take an empty can of coke into the theatre with me and if I feel someone is misbehaving I throw it at the their head. U would be surprised how effective this is

Pharaoh, on 24 February 2013 - 12:31 PM, said:

I think it's one of the built in improvements....

Lynette, on 04 February 2013 - 03:30 PM, said:

The older you get the younger the policemen start looking......

Booked for the first and last performance in the current booking period. My love of Rory Kinnear knows no bounds.

Saw this twice, and really enjoyed it both times. Above people have said most intelligent comments but would also like to add that the physical details are very clever...people keep popping up when you least expect it and the second time around it still surprised me! Lots of costume changes as all the hullabaloo is going on but the cast manages it brilliantly and never once did I "see the join" or have the magic spoilt!
Very fine production that I will remember for a long time.

I was really astonished by this.  Firstly, the cast is just incredible, and were there an award for ensemble I can't think of a more deserving lot.  Frances Barber, who at the beginning I thought I wouldn't like, was brilliant, Harriet Walter equally superb and Cush Jumbo felt like a definitive Marc Antony.  More importantly, I can't remember being so engaged in a production in yonks.  It was gripping as a thriller, haunting, slightly mystifying.  The conceit of putting it in a women's prison turned out to be genius, in ways people here have more eloquently said than I could - importantly, the story of the prisoners correlates, if not completely matches, the story of the Shakespeare, which gives both stories more depth.  I adored Frances Barber literally casting a shadow over the events after her death.  Other tiny details worked a treat - I went with my parents, who both thought that perhaps the Irish accent hinted at something there with regards to that crime, for example.  I'd quite like to read Phylida Lloyd's notes on the production, because I could imagine they'd be worth analysis in themselves and there's much I missed.

Afterwards, I couldn't help but compare it to the Rickson Hamlet I absolutely hated.  With that, I felt the points that he and Sheen were trying to make and the points Shakespeare were trying to make were at odds with each other, which meant Rickson said nothing about institutionalisation and mental illness and Shakespeare said nothing about the Dane and three hours of my life were down the drain (if memory serves, wasn't it even longer?).  With this, it was a perfect marriage, and both explorations of violence, influence and power spoke clearer than ever, and for the next week I know I'll keep picking up on more.  The highest praise I can offer this is that I completely forgive Lloyd for inflicting Pierce Brosnan's singing on us.  Haunting and remarkable, five stars.

It's that new audience...they are so disorganised they can't be bothered to go...or perhaps they just forget? I still like the "super-efficient to the point of control freak" old audience....

I agree with everything Parsley said ...he summed it up really well. It went quite well with The Republic of Happiness as my double bill as both had a bit of a theme of family stifling one. The description in the short write up of the play doesn't really describe what happens very well, it is a bit more subtle than "granny discovers how to have fun after husband dies" and I thought Lipman gave a lovely nuanced performance.

Also loved supporting cast, especially mother Helen Ryan, who was superb.

Special mention to Tracy-Ann who did an excellent job of caring on when an audience member decided to join in very loudly "he's not being very nice" shouted out by some confused old dear, followed by her mobile going off and then more aloud talking until she was hushed by people near! Quite the kerfuffle

Ironically (for those who have seen the play) I was delayed on leaving as daughter needed me to phone her about moving rooms in London, so it meant I was late enough to bump into Maureen Lipman on leaving! She was lovely, I asked if she was enjoying the part and she said she loved it and people kept coming up to her and saying their life was exactly like the play! She had lovely dangly jade elephant earrings!

I always love this thread as it reminds me of all the fantastic theatre I have seen throughout the year!

2013 has been a special year for me, so much lovely theatre going and often I smile at the thought of who I have seen various plays with, partilcularly Beth and Peggs!

So highlights....
Two fantastic Julius Caesars...Donmar and RSC, touring to Aylesbury. Who would have thought I would end up loving this play so much?

Good year for Shakepeare generally as I also loved Richard II at Donmar and SRB as Timon at the National. Plus excellent and thrilling Taming of the Shrew at RSC Statford and loved Globe touring Hamlet and Henry V, both at Oxford.
Disappointed by Rylance is both his efforts - I expected brilliance and got just ok. Preferred his Richard III of the two.

Special times for me, watching The River (Royal Court) and then a few days later All That Fall (Jermyn Street) - both front row.

And play reading of Look Back in Anger by Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Anna Maxwell Martin et al  followed by evening perfromance of Posh with day seats.

Plus a crowd of us all seeing This House at the National, followed a week later by special meet up for This Effect, again the National

And A level results day for daughter, taking whole family down to see Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and seeing family transformed by the joy of theatre.

And Matilda with work people, all joyous and me being charmed by the adaptation.

Oh dear, I have too many highlights don't I!

Also DruidMurphy marathon that was just perfect in Oxford  and the madness that was The Physicists at the Donmar with someone to raise eyebrows at next to me!

Plus Misterman, an afternoon of cocktails, followed by Detroit - I love a good drama with everything going pear shaped!

And Last of the Haussmans, because it reminded me rather a lot of my mother-in-law!

The Changeling (young Vic), as I love how mad this play is, Tis Pity She's a Whore (Oxford Playhouse) as it was just like a gorgeous painting and Great Expectations(Aylesbury) as it exceeded expectations!

Special menations too to Top Girls (Oxford Playhouse), Absent Friends( Kara Tointon and the rest so well cast and so funny) and Torch Sing Trilogy (Menier)

A small list of disppointments....Volcano (so miscast and dull), Steptoe and Son (what were they thinking?) and Neighbourhood Watch (Ayckbourne has lost the funny stuff).

Some just ok, probably due to high expectations - 55 days, Hedda at Old Vic, Long Days Journey into the Night, Uncle Vanya (print Room), London Road, She Stoops to Conquer, Collaborators, The Recruiting Officer. Sometimes a play is just not my sort of thing and I find it quite hard to put my finger on why! These were all fine, some more than fine, but if I hadn't seen them I wouldn't have felt too bad! So just not stand out for me!

So top play.....two winners -  Boys (Soho theatre). Simply superb. Loved it! And Master and Margarita...can't remember if I saw it  end of last year or beginning of this but am going again after Christmas so will include it anyway! Stunning and made me go and read the book.

peggs, on 04 December 2012 - 09:11 PM, said:

I insist that you have a miserable time at Julius Caesar.  There shall be no having of fun!

zyx123, on 29 November 2012 - 02:04 PM, said:

Or in theatrical terms, if quantum mechanics is the original play, multiverse theory is the spin-off.

Honoured Guest, on 29 November 2012 - 10:13 AM, said:

Haven't seen the play. But isn't multiverse theory just an interpretation of quantum mechanics.

dude-1981, on 19 November 2012 - 06:40 PM, said:

If it's like The River...will sell out in 30 secs on line. So people at box office....or on phone actually talking will stand no chance! I think they would be kinder to do it on a non-working day or at least early! I tweeted Josie asking what about people who work on Mondays and she tweeted back saying "it's ok, you can book on-line" but not everyone is allowed to faff about on the internet booking theatre tickets! Perhaps the "new audience" is only people with superfast internet access who don't work or have understanding bosses!