Had email inviting me to book for the 2010 season - The Tempest and As You like It and was just wondering what other people think? I may actually be As You Like It -ed out ; I enjoyed the production at The Globe [ thanks WOS regulars for telling me to go to that] but was underawed by the RSC. Will they go a new interpretation of the colonial theme in The Tempest or play it safe as these productions are for the American audience which I think, tends to be more conservative than we are here? I'm not particularly drawn to the cast tho Juliet Rylance deserves a showing so to speak. And the Old Vic is so large I don't think I will have trouble getting tix much nearer the time.

It seems we are being asked to support more and more by booking very early; I also have the RSC booking form in front of me. I know that some of you leave it til quite late to book but I am generally an early booker. Anyone know a good reason I should book so early for the Bridge?

is there a link to book?

Not for the general public, it seems. www.oldvictheatre.com isn't going any further ahead than Six Degrees of Separation at the moment.

I know what you mean about being AYLI-ed it out; I may have missed the RSC version (and I don't care what anyone says, I'm delighted to be getting a chance at it next year ), but I did catch the one in Leicester as well as the Globe production, so there really is a LOT of it about. People complain about the profusion of Hamlets, but at least the Danes over the last couple of years have been a little more efficiently spaced out. XD

As for the cast, I'm certainly looking forward to Edward Bennett, and have a nasty feeling I'm already more than familiar with some of the previous work of one of the US cast members although I'd like to research that a little more thoroughly before making any declarations, but they haven't completely lit me aflame with glee. Still, I imagine they've all been chosen for a reason, so I expect to be delighted when seeing them all in action.

Booking early? Don't worry about it. I'd be very surprised if any but the demented and incredibly nerdy are rushing to get their tickets sorted NOWNOWNOWNOWNOW. Even if there does turn out to be an early rush, I'm confident we won't need to start booking before 2010 at the earliest.

Tickets are on sale to the general public now. Just got mine over the phone.

Stephen Dillane seems like a good reason to see it to me. He was really good in The Real Thing and the Stoppard Russian thing.

Ah yes, a delightful extract from "Chicken Soup for the Working Woman's Soul" - all we need is to get Zoe Wannamaker to read that out and we've got an NT Platform Performance right there.

Sorry to ruin this joke, Jan , but the post had to go! I left the quote ..

What the hell is going on?

Moderators deleting posts again!?

Moderators deleting spam. We've had an influx of spammers posting long sections of prose interspersed with links.

Sorry "Guest", if you are interested in a jolly good rant you are wasting your time. It was just a totally non-theatre related spam message that was removed, an action which moderators are instructed to delete.

Oh, I see (I wasn't "Guest" btw) - it sounded like Jan had made a joke which got deleted. Fair enough - sorry I was a tad vehement. You can't win, can you, Lynette?!