Reader Reviews
Blasted (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Outer London)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | After studying the play recently in my degree course, watching it was an experience. To see actors lift 'throw away' lines off of the page and bring to life in such an incredibly challenging piece of theatre was quite amazing. Some scenes were too difficult for me to watch, but afterwards talking to Danny Webb and Sarah's brother Simon Kane - plus looking at the overall performance I am more than happy to have seen such a historical play. Shame to hear yet again young ignorant children ruined the performance for others. People just don't have respect anymore for something that should be a valued and life changing experience. - Harriet B | 20 Nov 10 |
| Very occasionally a play is seen even though I am sure I will hate it but apparently it is an "important" piece of theatre. Perhaps the glowing reviews from the critics are based on what they feel they should say because Blasted is the most repulsive play I have ever had the misfortune to endure. None of the characters or what passes for a story makes any sense and it is clear that Sarah Kane was pandering to the mid 90's obsession with pushing the boundaries of taste as far as possible beyond what should be acceptable. I felt particularly sorry for Lydia Wilson (a bit like a slighytly younger Anna Madeley) who was excellent in Pains of Youth but has to suffer so many indignities in this appalling rubbish. Although sarah Kane's later suicide was a personal tragedy Blasted is the product of a dangerously twisted mind. - David Baxter | 17 Nov 10 |
| Given the choice of watching this play again or having my eye balls sucked out, I would choose the latter. i can excuse anything in a play, except dullness. And my god was this play dull. The author was a clinical depressive, it seems she wished to feel more normal by depressing her audience too. She almost succeeded. - Gary | 13 Nov 10 |
| A grotesque pretentious production who's irritating attempt at depicting anything of substance just fueled the rage of the audience being subjected to it....no wonder they didnt have an intermission, as half the audience wouldnt have come back!!.....appalling and embarrassing....should've listen to the critics first time around!!! - Leek | 13 Nov 10 |
| Absolutely gut-wrenching it's it's bleak power and truth. All performances superb. - JJE | 13 Nov 10 |
| Much like these 2 comments, I too would like to praise the entire team behind this production on an incredible revival of a truly unnerving and brilliant theatrical experience and to condemn the teacher responsible for bringing in a group of unprepared, exceptionally ignorant children who continuously laughed at content which is in no way, shape or form comedy - Jacob Siminovitch | 03 Nov 10 |
| I would like to echo the sentiments below, last night's performance of what was a magnificent play was as good as ruined by people laughing at things that were not remotely funny. The poster warns that this play is only suitable for over 16s, but after what I witnessed last night this should be considerably higher. - Jonny Carey | 03 Nov 10 |
| I thought this was a superb play (saw it last night), extremely harrowing, horrific in parts, yet superbly done. First class from all involved, extremely thought provoking and challenging. Genuinely unlike anything I have seen in the theatre before. The only sour point was a group of cretinous students who laughed their way through rape and mental torture as if they were watching an episode of The Inbetweeners, thus almost ruining the experience for me and my friends. - Richard Browne | 03 Nov 10 |
| i went to see the play today as part of my course at college,, the acting in the play was second to none it felt like you where watching the lives of these three poeple and they didnt know that you where there !! brilliant and moving ! allthough it is grafic and in-yer-face that is the style it is suposed to be performed in !!! - lucystudent | 02 Nov 10 |
| Fantastic, uncompromising, eye opening, thought provoking. These ignorant viewers flashing their one stars clearly have no time to think about things and probably want some mindless fluff that will make them happy. If you want that then watch strictly come dancing, if you want to see something that will challenge you watch this play. - Hamish | 31 Oct 10 |
| Everyone knows what happens in this play, which suggests to me that these outraged comments are from people who have not seen this production. It is excellent. Most productions of Sarah Kane are dire (hang your heads, students) but this is touching, beautiful, upsetting and, yes, shocking. The direction is clear and unfussy and the performances are stellar. If the thought of seeing a middle aged man get raped on stage turns you into Mary Whitehouse, don't go and see a play in which a middle aged man gets raped. Next thing we know people will be complaining that there are too many references to The Wizard of Oz in Wicked. - Joseph | 29 Oct 10 |
| Why write it? Why stage it? And why would actors Danny Webb (Ian), Lydia Wilson (Cate) and Aidan Kelly (the soldier) want to re-enact such abuses night after night on stage? Horrible and distressing. - Simon | 29 Oct 10 |
| Disgusting waste of time. The production and play are equally awful. Horribly pornographic and grotesque - This is defiantly one to miss! - Ian | 29 Oct 10 |
| Couldn't agree more. It doesn't stand the test of time and this deadly dull and slow production is no help. When the blast came it was a damp squib which barely drowned out the endles waves of ignorant coughing from the smokers in the audience. Full marks to Danny Webb for a tireless performance in a thankless role. - Joesmith | 29 Oct 10 |
| Awful awful Emperor's new clothes. The reveiwers the first time around were right. - Liam Sandford | 29 Oct 10 |
| Some mistake surely rds is reviewing Ghost Stories. - a caring friend | 21 Sep 10 |
| Only 2 stars as I felt what was on show was rubbish - sort of university drama department effort but, and it's a big but, it does have potential. There was too much of a Andy Nyman's irritating professor Goodman to start with and too few scary bits. However, it did make me think why someone else hasn't tried this idea before, The Woman In Black excepted. With a major rewrite, lots more scary bits, then I would not be surprised if a run in the West End would not be out of the question. Oh, and why the Jewish thing? That should be dropped for starters. But apart from that I wish them all good luck their original piece of theatre. - rds | 08 Apr 10 |
