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Topic: NO MAN'S LAND | Reactions, Reviews & POLL! Have you seen Damien's new play?

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NO MAN'S LAND - What did YOU think? [14 vote(s)]

5 stars - Incredible! Amazing play! I absolutely loved it!
64.3%
4 stars - Great! I really enjoyed it!
7.1%
3 stars - Good, I liked it
21.4%
2 stars - OK, but probably wouldn't see it again
0.0%
1 star - Loved seeing Damien on the stage, but the play was not for me
7.1%
0 stars - Terrible, I really didn't enjoy it
0.0%
Damiac
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RE: NO MAN'S LAND | Reactions, Reviews & POLL! Have you seen Damien's new play?
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Pearl - when I first looked at tickets I ended up finding agency sites and they only seem to have expensive ones.  If you'd really ĺike to see it live go straight to the theatre site http://www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Tickets/NoMansLand/NoMansLand.asp to book direct from them....you'll find cheaper tickets are still available in November.



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Aradia Zavion wrote:

Just got home from watching No Man's Land - loved it! I didn't know the play, so had no idea what to expect but I was sucked in right away (don't think I 'understood' it, but loved it anyway).

The Q&A afterwards was great too; most of the Q's were for Sirs Ian and Patrick, but someone did ask how Damien and Owen Teale came to be cast. Apparently the director, Sean Mathias, had worked with Owen on a play before, but Damien had to audition. The director recognised him as Flight from Ripper Street and said "Oh my God, I'm in love with you!" Damien looked a tiny bit embarrassed at that anecdote, but there was a good reaction from the audience!

It was super crowded at the stage door, but I did manage to get Damien to sign my programme! Was too late for Ian McKellan, didn't see Patrick Stewart and was too excited from having (very briefly) met Damien to pursue Owen Teale. It was too busy to ask any questions or take pictures at the stage door, but I did manage to sneak a few pictures of the Q&A, which I will post here later if that's okay?


 Thanks Aradia!  I'm glad you enjoyed it....apparently Pinter himself didn't know what the play was about so 'understanding' it obviously isn't an issue! 

Sooo jealous you got to see a q&a - I'd really hoped they would do it on Tuesday when I was there......but I wouldn't have been able to go on Wednesday anyway.  If I'd had the opportunity/courage to ask a question I would totally have asked about Damien's casting - so thank you so much for sharing that little nugget smile



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Molonian
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Now that it is going to be at my local Cineworld, I will go and see it there. I will go on my own as my husband doesn't like going to the cinema and no-one else as far as I know is a Damien fan. Much better to go by myself and enjoy it than to worry about a companion not liking it!

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Pearl24 wrote:

Now that it is going to be at my local Cineworld, I will go and see it there. I will go on my own as my husband doesn't like going to the cinema and no-one else as far as I know is a Damien fan. Much better to go by myself and enjoy it than to worry about a companion not liking it!


 Amen. I go to things by myself a fair bit for this reason.



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Lord Toby's verdict on Damien in No Man's Land: 



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4 star review from theatresmart.com:

 

No Man's Land Review Wyndham's Theatre

"Special mention to Damien Molony and Owen Teale who play the servants - not easy characters to make sense of, but acting of an impeccable standard nonetheless." 



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Molonian
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Domino, thank you so much for posting all the reviews. It is so good to see others sharing our opinion of Damien's acting, especially critics, who can make or break a performer. It would be so easy for both Damien and Owen Teale to just disappear into the background and not be noticed performing with the Sirs, but it is really good that they hold their own.

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It's my pleasure Ellie, glad you are enjoying them as much as I am. Reading all the positive reviews for the production is a thrill, but it does feel important to share those that mention Damien and Owen, because there is an obvious tendency for the (understandable considering they are legends) adoration of the two Sirs to over shadow their performances in the four man play.

I intend to pick out the best and post individually in the forum reviews section (apologies in advance for spamming the forum!) but the idea of this topic is to mix together all reviews from everyone, not just the press but the audience too, whose opinions are just as important!

Thank you to everyone who has shared their experience so far and to all who have voted in the poll

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Damien Molony Forum wrote:



Lord Toby's verdict on Damien in No Man's Land: 


 I don't know why this gives me such a thrill!!  I guess when I consider how (weirdly) proud I feel of Damien....Lord Toby must feel justifiably so much more so.....



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fifi wrote:
Damien Molony Forum wrote:



Lord Toby's verdict on Damien in No Man's Land: 


 I don't know why this gives me such a thrill!!  I guess when I consider how (weirdly) proud I feel of Damien....Lord Toby must feel justifiably so much more so.....


 I know, Lord Toby has spoken! His word is the word! and I feel proud too fifi, it's weird/ not weird to feel fan proud, we've watched, admired, supported our fave actor's work since BH too!



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5 star No Man's Land review from Live Theatre UK, with special mention of Damien!

 

"Molony is an exemplary “vagabond cock”, a bristling, pouting, sexually ambiguous and latently terrifying Foster. He makes dark shadows his friend and convinces as a lurker on the edge, one whose power and influence over Hirst waxes and wanes. His loud clothes reflect his arrogance and his sense of his own masculinity. The moment he plunges Spooner into darkness is chillingly intense. Molony is superb."



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First reviews are in from No Man's Land national press night!

 

 

5 Stars – The Telegraph
“All four actors on stage (with Damien Molony and Owen Teale completing the quartet) display a deft sense of how to knock every utterance for six..”

5 Stars – The Londonist
“There is strong support from Owen Teale as the gruffly voiced, aggressive Briggs and Damien Molony as the provocatively camp Foster to complete a well-balanced ensemble of competing forces scrabbling around in no man’s land.”

4 Stars – The Guardian
“four excellent actors, under Mathias’s direction, exquisitely capture the fluctuations of mood of this remarkable play”

4 Stars – The Independent
“two thuggish minders whose insolent possessiveness and vaguely homoerotic complicity are excellently communicated by Owen Teale and Damian Molony.”

4 Stars – The Stage
“The two actors, [Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart] a year apart in age at 76 and 77 respectively, are extraordinary in the way they convey a sense of isolation and containment, and they find plenty of humour too in the imposing gloom of Mathias’ darkly calibrated production…Owen Teale and Damien Molony also bring the required sense of menace to the servants who police their interactions.”

4 Stars – Radio Times
“Everyone is good: Stewart is the picture of melancholy, while Damien Molony and Owen Teale are sinister as Hirst’s mysterious associates. But it’s McKellen who gives the masterclass. Every tic, every expression, every fumble with his hat or coat is carefully measured. You simply can’t take your eyes off him.”

4 Stars – Time Out
“Set and costume designer Stephen Brimson Lewis also extracts some definite LOLs with the ‘70s setting: Molony and Teale look ludicrous, and a the deadpan deployment of an anachronistic serving trolley gets a deserved round of giggles. ”
“It’s not a boundary-pushing or definitive production, but it’s a finely-balanced and entertaining one, suggestive of the absurdity and chaos of late life and the disintegration of memory.”

  

 

 


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Molonian
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Good reviews to wake up to the next morning for all of them.

Not enough mention of Damien for me (he deserves a couple of paragraphs to himself, as far as I'm concerned) but his performance obviously stands out amongst such a strong cast, I think he can feel proud,

Domino, I have decided you never sleep, you are so on top of everything x

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Loving reading such positive reviews! Damien is definitely holding his own (that always sounds a bit rude!) amongst this sterling cast!

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EllieForster wrote:

Good reviews to wake up to the next morning for all of them.

Not enough mention of Damien for me (he deserves a couple of paragraphs to himself, as far as I'm concerned) but his performance obviously stands out amongst such a strong cast, I think he can feel proud,

Domino, I have decided you never sleep, you are so on top of everything x


 

RPLovesIpswich wrote:

Loving reading such positive reviews! Damien is definitely holding his own (that always sounds a bit rude!) amongst this sterling cast!


 

It's absolutely understandable and right that the two best loved theatrical knights in the acting world are the main focus of national press reviews. Every single one also mentions Damien and Owen, and in a positive light, more than we can ask for really! I feel so happy and proud of our fave talented actor.

Ellie, looks like I am not the only one who waited up for the reviews!

Rosie, I shall never look at that phrase in the same way again!



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Another 4 star review from Broadway World UK and Damien's performance has a special mention!

"Damien Molony gives a superb Foster, oozing charisma, flirting just the right amount to confuse both Spooner and the audience."

Click below to read the whole review.

BWW Review: NO MAN'S LAND, Wyndham's Theatre, 20 September 2016



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High praise for DaMo in the NY Times No Man's Land review!

nomannytimes2.jpg

 



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To all our visitors and guests:

Have you seen Damien in No Man's Land? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Come and vote in the poll and add your comments!

Thanks to everyone who has voted in the Poll so far - over 85% have voted 5 stars!

NO MAN'S LAND - What did YOU think? [7 vote(s)]

5 stars - Incredible! Amazing play! I absolutely loved it!
85.7%
4 stars - Great! I really enjoyed it!
0.0%
3 stars - Good, I liked it
14.3%
2 stars - OK, but probably wouldn't see it again
0.0%
1 star - Loved seeing Damien on the stage, but the play was not for me
0.0%
0 stars - Terrible, I really didn't enjoy it
0.0%

 

 





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I saw the play 17th of September. It was amazing. Told that to Damien too, he thanked with a smile. It really is the emotion after the play, only few days after when I ponder about the play more, I was able to make a more deeper opinion about it.

There have been lots of praising words about the play but I want to share few of my thoughts and not tell too much about the plot.

First of all, Damien is in good company. Ian, Patrick and Owen are the best possible buddies on stage he can have. They all have so much experience in so many different projects, so this must be really good education moment for Damo. And he really seems to enjoy himself, I don't doubt for a moment that this project is one of the most remarkable one of his acting career.

Ian was the absolute star in this play. Damien will always be my favorite star and he really is good on stage. He takes control of the room so well and I love when he takes contact on the audience. He looks people in the eyes while he talks, like you were in that same room with him. It's wonderful and facinating, even you wouldn't be a Damo fan it's really special moment when you have that contact with him.

But Ian, oh dear I've always think that he is good but I have never seen him on stage. It was like has has born on that stage and grown up on that stage and lived on that stage his whole life, at least it felt like that. He was so natural and deebly in his character than other actors seemed even shallow on his side. And he was so very, very funny.

When the play was about to start I told myself "Don't even try to understand it, just go with the flow" and that is excatly what you need to do when you watch it. There are just many funny and dark moments there in that room and with those people and I didn't try to analyze it too much. It worked and I found myself enjoying myself a lot.

Play itself made me wonder about life. How we make these memories and moments in our life and one day we look back at them and if anyone is trying to twist them wrong, we try our very best to find justice to them.

Ian was in trouble and find himself in awkward situations and he just tried to make the best of it and survive. What all need to do when we face hard people or situations, just survive and use all your talents, gifts and manners to do it.

Around Patrick there was magic but I've never really seen much of his work so I really looked him there with open eyes. I don't know how he would have been there without Ian, those two were like brothers and their chemistry was just admirable. The best moments of the play is when there's just Ian and Patrick. Super hilarious.

Owen is so funny, harsh and sweet in the same time. I've never liked him more. On the stage door he was the true star. He acted like he loved everyone there, would like to hug everyone there and he was all smiles and talked a lot. Took even few selfies even they were forbidden (he tried his best to hide this from the security guards and I found it hilarious).

Damien's character was very similar as Spike from THP. He was selfish, annoying, pompous, funny and first time very scary. He did so well and he used all the elements he could find around him while he worked his character. His acting is smooth and graceful, even he had huge shadow of Ian, Patrick and Owen, (yes it's a shadow, he is the most unknown around these gentlemen) and he really earned his place among them. I don't wonder if there will be many new DaMo fans after this play.

I think I'm going to see this again on theatre here when there will be NT live. It really is worth for second round.

Only minus was that few times they talked very quietly, I'm glad I had good seats, they were worth every penny but I wonder did everyone at the back heard everything. At least audience was quiet and actors always gave extra moment for laughs, there were many smile

stagedoor.jpg

 



-- Edited by JozieMozie on Friday 30th of September 2016 09:05:40 PM

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Jozie, I'm so glad you enjoyed the play and I agree with every word.

I've seen Ian Mckellan on stage quite a few times and he is always mesmerising, from an early age. I think Damien is a lot like him - commands the attention whenever he talks, has a beautiful voice and is the character when he acts rather than just playing a role.

I've often thought it's unfortunate that this day and age more people watch TV or see a film than go to the theatre. I've seen stars of the big and small screen who are dreadful stage actors - zero personality and wooden acting. Damien is just marvellous on stage. I also think he's lucky to be working and learning from three great actors. This will be a stand-out moment in his career, I think.

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Dear Jozie, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful in depth thoughts on the play - magic!
So beautifully, honestly, passionately written - Your words are so touching.. I feel emotional reading them! I love the parts below about Damien, but all the rest of it too, he really is in incredible company on that stage.

"He takes control of the room so well and I love when he takes contact on the audience. He looks people in the eyes while he talks, like you were in that same room with him. It's wonderful and fascinating, even you wouldn't be a Damo fan it's really special moment when you have that contact with him."

"Damien's character was very similar as Spike from THP. He was selfish, annoying, pompous, funny and first time very scary. He did so well and he used all the elements he could find around him while he worked his character. His acting is smooth and graceful, even he had huge shadow of Ian, Patrick and Owen, (yes it's a shadow, he is the most unknown around these gentlemen) and he really earned his place among them. I don't wonder if there will be many new DaMo fans after this play."

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I haven't had much time to think about the play itself, but the acting was superb as should be expected from such a stellar cast. The comedic timing was brilliant.  There was one point where they all stood frozen still while Ian's character rambled on and on, and I swear none of them moved a muscle for the entire spiel.  And Patrick Stewart's timing and eventual response was perfect.  

Damien was so perfectly in character as Foster.  Foster was menacing yet lovable, but in a completely different way than Hal. And his accent sounded pretty perfect to me (though admittedly as an American that's something Brits could better determine). 

The play itself was kind of like modern Shakespeare and difficult to determine what was really going on or what the actual point was.  It seemed to me like Hirst has dementia and the play is about reminiscing on the past and losing yourself in it.   The aloneness that comes with age because there aren't many people around that share your memories.  Both Spooner and Hirst seem like former shadows of themselves.   Whatever the play was actually about, I enjoyed seeing all of these actors on stage together.  It was an experience of a lifetime.  

Basically, I'm not the literary sort that picks every morsel from these things.  I enjoyed it. 



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Thank you domino for your kind wordshug

Ellie, I totally agree with you. Thank god I have a friend who dragged me to the world of theatre when I was 14. I think I enjoy theatre experience more than movies. I feel just so very alive when I witness something amazing that is actually happening in the present, it's form of art that will always feel like novelty to the next generations.

Jane, that scene was incredible, they didn't move a muscle for a long time and stage was all Ian's! Wonderful scene.



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Thank you so much for sharing your experience of the play Jane, so lovely to read!
It strikes me as a play that takes a while to sink in, if it ever sinks in at all... more, leaves a kind of impression. Having heard Damien's accent in the new trailer, I'd say it is perfect!

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Jozie/Jane - I'm so chuffed for you both that you were able to come and see No Man's Land and that you both enjoyed it.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.... smile

It's been over a month since I went to see it in Cardiff so I've had plenty of time to digest the experience...  First off - my initial impression was the humour.....I laughed a lot when I was watching it (interestingly not always at the same things as the rest of the audience.....)  Of course I recognised that it was not a straight up comedy - but my experience on the night was that it made me laugh.  Looking back now (and having just watched the trailer) it's almost surprising to realise that it was that funny!  My impression of it now is that it is melancholic and poignant - it brings to mind sadness and futility...

I guess that it is in the job description for a reviewer to explain something of what a play is about - the plot, the characters and their relationships etc....and I have found myself musing over the very same things myself.  But those elements which traditionally define a play aren't there - by trying to explain those things you are almost missing the point.  In that one room is a microcosm of life.....in all of it's chaos and incomprehension.  The past and memory, fact and fantasy, youth and age, lonliness and companionship, friendship and menace, truth and lies, age and youth, success and failure, home and 'about'.....the themes are endless.  The constant verbal sparring is humourous and entertaining and can mask the underlying desolation.  The lack of any consistant explanation as to what these characters are to each other - and that you can't peg down what is happening - is unsettling and disorientating.    It actually reveals a need in ourselves to be able to make sense of things which have no explanation.  The only constant which I've been able to uncover is that the room is full of machismo..... It is definitely - but not necessarily exclusively - a play about men biggrin 

Of course these are only my thoughts and I absolutely recognise and accept that everyone will come away with something different from a play like this.  It is absolutely not telling you what to think.......it is surely supposed to provoke you to think for yourself.  I am so grateful that I will have an opportunity to see it again - and it is entirely possible that second time around I will think entirely differently....

 

 



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