Has anyone else seen it and did you like it?

I saw this last weekend and enjoyed it not having seen the film Lantana or heard much about the play before. The cast are all superb, particularly John Simm and Lucy Cohu and there are sections where the several characters speak at once or finish one another's lines but it was all seamless.

The second act was incredibly intense and my heart was racing when I left the theatre.

I thought the use of lighting and the stage was also really impressive for such a small space. It felt really intimate.

Unfortunately the performance was marred by a drunken couple in front of me, worthy of the badly behaved audiences thread and the man appeared totally confused when the characters change after the interval. Honestly if he'd paid attention it was obvious who they were but we all got to hear his partner explain what was going on and this happened throughout despite being told to shut up.

I got cheap tickets and was happy but I think some of the view might be restricted if you were very much at the side of the circle rather than the stalls.

Even if you have seen Lantana, I don't think it would spoil it as the film only uses part of the play. I thought it was excellent - the overlapping dialogue sequence is very clevery done (and must be very tricky for the actors) and the different roles are very clearly distinguished. All the cast are very good indeed though Kerry Fox was the stand-out for me.

Saw it last night and was very impressed. As with Andrew Bovell's previous play 'When the rain stops falling' you need to engage brain to follow the story but structurally this is less complex and easier to navigate. Fans of Lantana will be confused by the first two scenes (I wondered whether a different play was the source material for that movie) but through storytelling in the first act and excellent acting in the second we are deep in Lantana-land. Lucy Cohu is amazing in two different parts and the key moment of revelation in the discussion between Leon and Knox is chilling to the bone (no spoilers here). All in all an excellent theatrical experience and highly reommended, even to thi=ose who have not seen the movie.

Although enjoying it, I did feel as if it were two plays bolted on to one another. The first half of the first half felt like a rather annoying Stoppard play and then within one line (as far as I was concerned) the play switched into life. I did wonder if the flatness of the delivery in the first act was simply actors having to pace themselves or a directorial thing? Either way I was beginning to think I don't like these people and I may not stay to see if they all die in the end, but very glad I did. Having said that, I enjoyed When The Rain Stops Falling much more, and Lantana very much more.

I saw this on Monday night and I really enjoyed it. However, I am so glad I read some reviews of the 2000 Hampstead Theatre production before I went in. The opening scene is very clever, very well written and must be a nightmare for the actors, but it can be very alienating for an audience, I feel.

Performance wise, I thought John Simm was fine, though awfully quiet. Lucy Cohu was shaky in the first act (though her delivery of "and four, well it comes after three" made me laugh out loud), but in the second act I thought she was just glorious. Ian Hart's accent wandered all over the place and he seemed the least assured of the four. Kerry Fox absolutely steals the show, she's just incredible. Particularly her huge monologue at the end of the first act. It's worth seeing just for her. I wonder what the reviews will make of it.

I have to agree with the above poster who said that this is a play where you do have to concentrate and pay close attention, but for me it was totally worth it. The links between the two halves are there, and I suspect my knowledge of Lantana probably helped a little, but I did think it hung together well as a play.

The synced dialogue scene was awesome, my first time seeing something like that done on stage, and I was very impressed.

Lucy Cohu was the standout for me, totally heartbreaking in the second act.

I've written more on my blog here http://oughttobeclowns.blogspot.com/2009/0...in-tongues.html please do take a look! ;-)

Hmmm... wasn't planning to see it, mainly as I found Lantana tedious and bafflingly overpraised. But if it's actually not much like the film, maybe I'll give it a go.

hhmm - yeah - the synced dialogue was awesome but when it went into the second scene you were starting to think "oh no - is it all going to be like this?" not good

an uneven evening that might "even out" as time goes on - it remains, for me, a strange choice for reviving - even with such a top notch cast. when i say "top notch" i mean that Ms Fox was absolutely stunning and Mr Simm has moments of outstanding brilliance and moments of terrible banality. strange

worth it, at the least, to have some "proper" drama in the west end

I saw this last night and was entranced by the whole experience. I was surprised by how often I laughed, sometimes too knowingly for my own good, and I didn't find it at all hard to follow.

All four performances were of a very high standard. This is the first time I've encountered Lucy Cohu and I was very impressed - especially in the second half. I've been a fan of Kerry Fox since seeing the film An Angel at My Table and she did not disappoint this evening, although at times I found her a little shouty. The men can be equally praised: no-one does scary like Ian Hart and I engaged most with John Simm when wearing the baseball cap.

A must see show and I'm already planning a second outing.

I also saw this last night, and was very impressed. Its intense and gripping, so not hard to follow at all. I went for John Simm and Kerry Fox, and unexpectedly pleased to see the other two were well and truly up to their statndard. Its a fantastic ensemble piece.

It's the first time I've seen Simm or Fox on the stage, although I've been a fan of both their TV/Film work for a while. Well worth seeing, and, as you say, another outing if I can.

How does one book the very front row AA (marked £21 on the ambassadors website) for this play? The seats don't seem to be available for any date.

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by this?

ohh.. I know what she/he means. This play talks straight to a very particular demographic - early middle age, in or have been in an unsatisfactory relationship. One may never have actually done or said what the characters do or say, but I bet many of us have thought it. I'm just not too keen to give examples on a public bulletin board!

Delighted as I am to be labelled 'early middle age' ............

I was pleasantly surprised by this tonight. I don't know why 'surprised' except that I've learnt not to expect too much from contemporary plays but I should have known you guys who recommended this would know your onions. It was intriguing and I was fully engaged with the characters all the way through. I felt that if anything the second half was a bit thin, some repetition crept in like the writer knew he had to fill a full second half. But that's a bit picky. Acting super - interesting to see how much tv and film all four of them have done and they still cut it on the stage. Would they do more theatre if more stuff like it existed, I wonder.
It reminded me of Pinter - Betrayal obviously and I liked that. And it made for lots of chat with the people sitting around in the interval, unusually so. This was one of the plays I booked to fill in a lean patch. So very satisfying.
Theatre not full, so if you haven't seen this, go along before it closes.

I'm thinking of going along on Tuesday to see this, probably with a visit to TKTs earlier in the day and bagging whatever discounted ticket they have left. I've been thinking about it since I heard the revival (always been interested in seeing John Simm on stage, having seen a lot of TV work of his).

So, was anyone at the show on Monday? Sounds like an interesting time was had by all

I think Ian Hart belongs in the "Cock" thread.

I'm planning to see this next month - I wonder if he'll still be in the show?

I was there and saw some of this happen and for the first time I have seen first had how the newspapers have twisted it. You shouldnt believe everything you read...

Which newspaper? I want to look it up.

Can you enlighten us, then? What really happened??

I'd be willing to guess that the 'screaming'/'attack' has been exaggerated....

Not sure which papers - I just read the WOS main page. So Adam, what did happen

If only armadillo had posted a link to a newspaper article immediately before the quote from afore-mentioned newspaper article...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle6930531.ece

Well if as it says, he says he doesn't enjoy the audience /actor relationship, there's plenty that do.
Very unprofessional even if the guy had provoked him by talking. But marvellous for us regular punters who should witness a big improvement in audience behaviour!

Straying away from the incident last Monday, I went to see Speaking In Tongues on Thursday (£21 front row, alledged "restricted view" and "good value for tall people" though there wasn't much which I couldn't see and I definitely am not tall).

Thoroughly enjoyed it, really well acted and a lot of rehearsal must have gone into the scenes where lines overlap in concurrent scenes. It's definitely a play you have to think about, to understand the order of what is happening - who is connected to who, how they are all connected to each other, who is telling the truth - etc. However, I love theatre which gives me an excuse to think - so it was right up my street.

Am tempted to give it a second viewing this coming (final) week, so I can watch it again with prior knowledge of the above.

Good production, wouldn't mind seeing it touring.

I seem to be the only one who didn't enjoy this, although I did leave at the interval so perhaps should have stuck around.

Yes, it was a different play after the interval and you missed all the cross overs etc. This is one occasion when we could have signposted this for you despite possible spoilers on the site. Don't know when you went in relation to other posts. I do understand: sometimes it is physically painful to stay when you are not enjoying it. Never mind. It wasn't the theatre event of the year so don't lose sleep over it.