[timbo]

I have seen such mixed reviews of Shadowlands from excellent to, well, not very good. I know everything is open to individual taste and interpretation but would anyone like to share their opinions about this play?

[MrsDoyle]

(Tip for anyone who wants to catch it before it finishes for good - I did the closed balcony trick and ended up in the dress circle. )

I might try going on Saturday, what's the closed balcony trick then?

[Laughingmonsta]

buy a ticket in the cheapest seats in the gods - usually on a week day you will be upgraded free of charge!

[MrsDoyle]

Thanks!

[Polly1]

Strange - this seems to be the only contribution about Shadowlands on this board. It's finishing soon so I made the effort to go and I'm glad I did. I'm not a fan of the film and I wasn't really expecting to like this but it has some really great performances. The writing is variable and the set changes look like a school production but the actors tell the story well and ultimately that's what I look for in a night out at the theatre. If Charles Dance doesn't win something for this I will be amazed - maybe he already has I don't tend to follow awards. Janie Dee also proved to be a much stronger actress than I previously gave her credit for.

Charles Dance HAS already won something - the Critics' Cirlce award for Best Actor (at the ceremony he - rather misguidedly in my opinion - read out some very old reviews, including some from critics in the room who had just given him the award, saying that he would never make it).

I am not a big fan of his but I am of Janie Dee and the film is one of my favourites so I gave in and went to see this a few days ago. I was won over by Dance and not disappointed by Dee - both superb performances. Even the man next to me was weeping openly at the end. But parts of it were very funny. An honourable mention for Richard Durden who played Warnie brilliantly. If there was a weak link in the cast I thought it was the boy playing Douglas, very weak accent and not up to the usual standard of kids in the West End these days (but he'll probably be quoting this in about 30 years time!)

Incidentally, a lot of people were sent to the stalls at the last moment so I assumed that the balcony had been closed (this was a Thursday matinee. Fortunately I had bought a half price ticket otherwise I would have been very annoyed.)

[David]

Even the man next to me was weeping openly at the end.

Does the man next to you usually have a problem with displaying emotion?

[Polly1]

Does the man next to you usually have a problem with displaying emotion?

I've no idea, I'd never seen him before in my life! (I was unable to persuade my husband to accompany me, although I think that he would have enjoyed it more than he thought).