Both James and Damo in their undies! fifi, sounds like you had one hell of a day!
I'll be seeing Damo this Saturday and James at the end of March. I like to spread my naked actors throughout the month.
I did, UJ, I really did!
I think spreading your naked actors is probably good advice....
Hope you enjoy Damo on Saturday. I do wonder if I'd have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen The Ruling Class in the afternoon - it had so much vibrancy and spectacle and physical energy....The Hard Problem felt quite sedate by comparison. Might have been quite good to see them the other way round...
I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Damo on Saturday and catching up with The Hard Problem thread here on the Sunday. Then I'll just take it easy to recover from all the excitement.
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
Took my daugher to see Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre on Thursday. She was desperate to go and see it and, although it's not really my thing, so many people told me how good it was that I was actually really looking forward to it. I thought the production was exceptional...the staging and the lighting are clever, imaginative and incredibly effective - and it's kinda nice to have a proper (albeit small) orchestra. And the cast were all brilliant. (Especially Carrie Fletcher....who was the main reason my daughter wanted to go and see it now!)
In truth - there was just a bit too much singing for me (and yes - I was expecting it, but that doesn't change a thing....) but it was still a brilliant evening out!
fifi, now I'm curious about how I'd find Les Mis nowadays. Loved it back in the day but then the movie made me laugh.
Saw The Ruling Class last week. Fantastic stuff. And James McAvoy did fluff a couple of times - He was off the unicycle sooner than he intended and there was trouble with a cane - but it didn't matter, it added to the fun. A fabulous evening.
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
UJ - hmmm...yes...well...he came off the unicycle too early when I saw it too! It makes you wonder if he falls off in every performance......whether, in fact, it was planned that way... It's possible that he's just not capable of staying on it that long! Not that I mind - as you said....it all added to the fun whether it was planned or no. Glad you enjoyed it!
I've never actually seen the film of Les Mis....I've heard very mixed opinions of it.
Domino - it was lovely taking my daughter to the theatre in London...and she loved it. Really hope we can do it again sometime...
fifi, the film of Les Mis is worth watching to experience Russell Crowe's performance. Someone descried it as him sounding as though he was singing through concrete in a car park ... If that doesn't make you want to see it then I don't know what will. It also has baritone Hugh Jackman not being able to sing the very high 'Bring Him Home' (could they not have changed the key?) but Anne Hathaway can't be begrudged her Oscar and hey, that nice Freddie Redmayne's in it too. The style is odd and I can see what the director was trying to do but it didn't work, not on my telly it didn't. Maybe it worked on a big screen. And somehow Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter make the Thernadiers flat. I have to blame the director for that.
I think there is the odd 'mistake' in every performance of The Ruling Class and everyone just goes with it and has fun with it.
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
I saw the lovely Cillian Murphy at the national theatre for the last showing of 'Ballyturk' which was a complete mind scramble and left me very emotionally unstable! ahaha. It was fantastic and I loved every moment of it. I've seen plays since then but Ballyturk is definitely my favorite ...(And I've witnessed Matt Smith singing in nothing but boxers) But Ballyturk tops my list of fabulous and if it come's back to theatre's at all in anyone's local area id suggest going to see it! Very comical but also very emotional! never a boring or dull moment constant activity and amazing script. Really leave's you thinking though.. Once I clocked what the story was about I had to explain it to my mum twice! lol :)
I loved the film of Les Mis - I saw it twice at the cinema and I wept both times. I've never seen it on the stage so perhaps that makes the difference.
James McAvoy didn't last very long on the unicycle when he was on Graham Norton's show either. I'm not going to criticise as I couldn't do it!! I still chuckle every time I see James McAvoy now after UJ described him to me as not being 'one of her official boyfriends'!
I love going to the theatre, both plays and musicals... Visit London as often as I can but also lucky to live near Chichester Festival Theatre and we have lots of professional plays/musicals too... Saw "Way Upstream" tonight with Sarah Parish, Jill Halfpenny, Jason Hughes (midsommer murders), and Jason Durr (heartbeat). Remember seeing Les Miserables over 20 years ago.... Before comment on other previous posts need time to read (and up early in morning for work), but loved finding thread....
I just saw The King And I at Lincoln Center. Wasn't a big fan of the music but the cosuming was stunning and the perfomaces were great! (especailly Kelli O Hara) and it was great to catch up before hand with an old friend of mine.
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My all time fave Hal line (just love the way he says it)
"We've been played! My God! We've been played!"
"Annie's getting hysterical downstairs and I'm not enjoying it"
"kill me. Kill me now. You can tell Annie that I attacked you or something"
"“Were you guys talking about me? I heard ‘clearly gorgeous’”
Seeing Miss Siagon in 90 minutes.... Saw the original 20+ years ago so excited to see the changes... Also, had a ball at the Comedy Store last night watching the Comedy Store Players... That's it (except local theatre) to Edinburgh Fringe... Unless someone gets up to something else of course...
I know it isn't quite the same but we went to see Pasha Kovalev (winner of this year's Strictly) at a local theatre on Tuesday. Great show and every seat was taken!
Constellations is a very clever and engaging exploration of string theory. It touches on the themes which are raised in The Hard Problem....but without the wordy scientific debate, and in a totally absorbing way. Following the theory that every moment of time exists simultanously and that there are infinite universes created by unlimited possibility, it's a love story - or not - depending on which reality you are in. Marianne and Roland (Louise Brealey and Joe Armstrong) meet.... and then you follow them through multiple versions of the same scenes culminating in different outcomes. The play is only 75mins long - but the two actors are on a bare stage throughout and the exceptionally clever script relys heavily on their ability to pull it off....which they did totally!
By coincidence (or was it?!) I went to see it last night when there was a post show Q&A. Louise Brealey is one of those people who radiates enthusiasm for their work - not only was fascinating to hear what they (mostly she!) thought of the play and the processes they went through (only 3 weeks of rehearsals!!!) but it was an absolute delight to see her passion!
Oh, I've seen lots of these plays! I've had a very theatre year!
I saw Constellations in Liverpool the other week. It was a lot darker than I had expected (I didn't really know what I was going into! But I had read somewhere that it was "heartwarming" so was unprepared!!) and to be honest... I didn't enjoy it that much while the majority of it was happening (though I loved the stage design!) However, I completely loved how it came together at the end: it made me emotional and really, really worked for me! If I'd known about the euthanasia aspect I am not sure I'd have picked it for a family trip to the theatre though. !!
I saw The Ruling Class earlier this year... several times! I've never been overly a fan of James McAvoy (I mean, I like him, but I wouldn't seek out his work, though I thought he was fabulous in Filth the other year) and only saw the play initially as I happened to be down in London, but I was utterly blown away like I don't think I have ever been by an actor's performance on stage! I seriously think he is made for the stage! I guess I was expecting nothing first time I saw the play, even thought I might hate it and wow, I was blown away. I felt like he really left something of himself on the stage: gave it everything. He stayed on his unicycle when I saw him!! (Actually, I saw it a couple of times and he did fall off once! ) I also really, really loved the play itself! Love for Peter Barnes! It was so fun, then so dark and I really felt like it had something to say. In fact, it made me want to take action! Do something about the society we reside in!! I felt like the play was attacking me personally - telling me the way things are is my fault too, challenging me to change things, you know?
I saw King Charles III too which I found impressive in its Shakespearian-ness (I love when there is rhyming!!!) and certainly thought provoking, but if I am honest I know it got rave reviews and everyone loved it, but despite apparent truth in some of its basis, I found something uncomfortable about a play about real-life people who are still alive, but set in the future. I couldn't help imagining if this play was still around 300 years from now, would people think of it as based on fact, when in reality it was written about a fantasy-future. I don't know... something about it made me uncomfortable... And I also didn't like how I felt it had a political agenda. I don't say I disagree with it's point, but I like to think about things and ponder my own point of view and I felt like this play was telling me what I should think... Hmm... I know I am probably the only person who felt this way... I think it probably was impacted by the fact I saw it the same weekend I first saw the Ruling Class and both plays have in some sense a similar theme, but I felt like this play was saying "think this" rather than just "think". But very well acted! And psychologically interestingly complex. Just don't tell me what to think!!!
What else have I seen? I saw the Edward Scissorhands ballet in Liverpool which I didn't like as much as I'd thought I would! I adore the film and used to dance from age 3-18 and I thought the combination of these two loves would be right up my street, but it just didn't move me like I thought it would. I mean, I didn't not like it, but it just... wasn't as much as I suppose I had expected.
I saw A View from the Bridge (is it "A" or "The"??) which was very intense!!! A play where you know from quite early on what it is leading to and you're just waiting and waiting for it to get there and the lack of resolution just builds and builds and builds until you're like RESOLVE, STORY! RESOLVE! You know, when you feel as though you can't take it anymore!?! And... eventually it gets there and resolves just like you knew it had to and it is satisfying deep down that it ends, it feels right like the only end there could ever be (I call these "Shakespearian endings" in my head although I don't know much Shakespeare and they might not be at all! Maybe they're Greek tragedy endings? I wouldn't know. I just know it is a kind of ending I reckon has been around since people started writing plays/stories and this kind of ending resonates satisfyingly.) Very well acted by all. And lots of blood!! I was a bit distracted though because a lady sitting by me spent much of the play sobbing really loudly! I have to say, I didn't find the play sad at all! Maybe she had seen it many times though? Perhaps tears would come if you'd already seen it and so were thinking about it all in a different way..?? But it was a bit distracting.
Is there anything else? I saw Ralph Fiennes in Man and Superman which I enjoyed... but it was a bit long! *blush* I think there is a bit of a problem if you're saying you've had enough of watching Ralph, but there it is..!! The most impressive aspect of it probably was the sheer number of lines Mr Fiennes had to learn!! But it was clever and witty and I liked it a lot!!
I'd never been to the National Theatre before this year, but have now seen lots of plays there! I saw Treasure Island which was light but a delight! I loved the constellations in the sky (well, I guess it was the ceiling really!), the amazing stage and the fact that the main character was a girl!! *thumbs up*
And I also saw Rules for Living a few days before I saw The Hard Problem. It was in the same theatre, but the stage was in the centre and the seats were just all around the edges going straight up like a boxing ring. It was hilarious but also had a deeper message. Great comic acting and more than just comedy.. Not sure the play itself worked totally for me, but the actors carried it off such that it worked. Must have been a lot of work changing the Dorfman around all the time between performances of different shows!!!
I also saw Amarican Buffalo too which to be honest I didn't enjoy much as a play (in the first half I was falling asleep a bit and just couldn't stop myself! You know when you really want to shake yourself out of drowsy but you just can't?) However, great acting again by all (I know the people in it are known, but I'd only seen John Goodman in anything) and it was very interesting in terms of the characters and their relationships. Tom Sturridge (who I'd never heard of before) was particularly impressive somehow, even though he had the smallest role of the 3: he was the most interesting and the emotion of the play hinged on him and the other characters' relationships with him. I am so embarrassed that I could barely keep my eyes open in the first half though! Ooopssss!! The second half was much more engaging, but I was put off by the first half I guess.
And I saw Ah Wilderness! Which was so lovely! It was so sweet and passionate. Adorable and true. I'd never been to the Young Vic before. What a lovely theatre!
And the result of all this theatre is that I now have no money whatsoever, whoop!! But if I hadn't embarked upon this theatre mission, I likely may not have seen Damien on stage! When I write it all down, I can't believe how many plays I have seen this year! Lucky me!!! I doubt it'll happen every year, but it has been a good year!!
Wow, you really have been to the theatre a lot, littleimpulse! I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've only seen two plays in the last 18 months and both of them had Damien in!
) I also really, really loved the play itself! Love for Peter Barnes! It was so fun, then so dark and I really felt like it had something to say. In fact, it made me want to take action! Do something about the society we reside in!! I felt like the play was attacking me personally - telling me the way things are is my fault too, challenging me to change things, you know?
I adore the film and used to dance from age 3-18 and I thought the combination of these two loves would be right up my street, but it just didn't move me like I thought it would. I mean, I didn't not like it, but it just... wasn't as much as I suppose I had expected.
I doubt it'll happen every year, but it has been a good year!! 
