Another couple of shows to update on.
Friday 24th October: Hamlet @ Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
This was a repeat visit to this particular show, an event which proved to be worth every penny as Patrick Stewart's performance as Claudius had vastly improved from when I had seen it in July.
I still have reservations about some of the decisions made by Doran, as to cuts and placement of the interval, but overall the show works a treat. With exceptional performances by David Tennant and Penny Downie. Also the most credible Ophelia I have seen for a long time.
Saturday 25th October: Privates on Parade @ Birmingham Rep Theatre
Knowing that this had first performed by the RSC in the 1977, I wanted to go to see what the fuss had been about, and have to say I can see why this is such a popular show. The current production is a co-operative effort between West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Rep.
Played on an open stage, there are times when I had wished for more dialogue and more of the background, but overall this is a sharp and astute production of a play that is richly layered.
Well worth a visit
Monday 27 October 2008
Thursday 23 October 2008
Continuation of 1st blog entry
To bring up to date from last saturday.
Saturday 18th October: John Webster's The White Devil @ Menier Chocolate Factory, London
Though rarely performed I first saw this play done by the RSC in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1996, and having been only marginally impressed by that production was curious to see how it came out in a different show.
Sat on either side of a traverse stage, the audience were treated to a series of filmic scenes in modern dress which took the play at a fair old speed, but let the language still come through, and the story be clear. The violence and madness which are so essential to the play were played straight and were genuinely shocking, especially the madness of the mother played excellently by Sandra Voe.
Special mention must also go to Louis Hilyer and Claire Price as brother and sister, especially to Price for her mesmerising performance in the trial scene.
Saturday 4th and Tuesday 21st October: Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost @ Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The reason for seeing this show twice, apart from the fact it is a gem of a production was that the second visit was to see the understudy matinee.
The first performance was the high calibre cast version with David Tennant shining through as Berowne on stage, and with a tight ensemble around him. The show is set on the Hamlet stage, but a large tree has renched its way through the floor and glass sherds are hanging from the flies, looking like leaves off trees and leaves from books at the same time.
The production plays the texts for laughs, and though Oliver Ford Davies and Jim Hooper have the most complex text to work with they manage at times to get the most laughs. The ladies look sumptous and the men look wonderful in their period costumes. Special mention must go to Jaquenetta who steals the show with some suggestive churning.
The understudy matinee gave those that have been in the shadows a chance to shine, so David Tennant ended up playing Forester and Marcade, and the person who had been playing Longaville played Berowne, with Longaville/Dumaine being covered by the same actor, along with Jaquenetta/Rosaline and Maria/Katherine being played by the same actresses respectively.
There are going to be similar chances to watch the understudies at work next year, an event I cannot recommend highly enough.
Looking forward
What I am hoping to post blogs about over the next few months:
October:
Friday 24th: Hamlet @ Courtyard Theatre
Saturday 25th: Privates on Parade @ Birmingham Rep
November:
Friday 7th: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelth Night @ Courtyard
Saturday 22nd: The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes @ Wilton's Music Hall
Saturday 29th: Boris Godunov @ ENO and hopefully Oedipus @ NT
December:
Saturday 13th: War Horse @ NT Olivier, and either The Pride @ Royal Court or Cordelia's Dream @ Wilton's Music Hall
January:
Saturday 3rd: Twelth Night @ Wyndhams and The Family Reunion @ Donmar Warehouse
Saturday 10th: Gethsamene @ NT Cottesloe
February:
Saturday 7th: Mrs Affleck @ NT Cottesloe and The Magic Flute @ ENO
March:
Friday 13th: His Dark Materials Part 1 @ Birmingham Rep
Friday 20th: His Dark Materials Part 2 @ Birmingham Rep
April:
Saturday 4th: Madame de Sade @ Wyndhams
July:
Saturday 4th: Hamlet @ Wyndhams and Madame Butterfly @ ENO
A few of these aren't definite but will keep updated on what I have booked.
Any comments please do not hesitate to contact me.
Greg
Saturday 18th October: John Webster's The White Devil @ Menier Chocolate Factory, London
Though rarely performed I first saw this play done by the RSC in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1996, and having been only marginally impressed by that production was curious to see how it came out in a different show.
Sat on either side of a traverse stage, the audience were treated to a series of filmic scenes in modern dress which took the play at a fair old speed, but let the language still come through, and the story be clear. The violence and madness which are so essential to the play were played straight and were genuinely shocking, especially the madness of the mother played excellently by Sandra Voe.
Special mention must also go to Louis Hilyer and Claire Price as brother and sister, especially to Price for her mesmerising performance in the trial scene.
Saturday 4th and Tuesday 21st October: Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost @ Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The reason for seeing this show twice, apart from the fact it is a gem of a production was that the second visit was to see the understudy matinee.
The first performance was the high calibre cast version with David Tennant shining through as Berowne on stage, and with a tight ensemble around him. The show is set on the Hamlet stage, but a large tree has renched its way through the floor and glass sherds are hanging from the flies, looking like leaves off trees and leaves from books at the same time.
The production plays the texts for laughs, and though Oliver Ford Davies and Jim Hooper have the most complex text to work with they manage at times to get the most laughs. The ladies look sumptous and the men look wonderful in their period costumes. Special mention must go to Jaquenetta who steals the show with some suggestive churning.
The understudy matinee gave those that have been in the shadows a chance to shine, so David Tennant ended up playing Forester and Marcade, and the person who had been playing Longaville played Berowne, with Longaville/Dumaine being covered by the same actor, along with Jaquenetta/Rosaline and Maria/Katherine being played by the same actresses respectively.
There are going to be similar chances to watch the understudies at work next year, an event I cannot recommend highly enough.
Looking forward
What I am hoping to post blogs about over the next few months:
October:
Friday 24th: Hamlet @ Courtyard Theatre
Saturday 25th: Privates on Parade @ Birmingham Rep
November:
Friday 7th: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelth Night @ Courtyard
Saturday 22nd: The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes @ Wilton's Music Hall
Saturday 29th: Boris Godunov @ ENO and hopefully Oedipus @ NT
December:
Saturday 13th: War Horse @ NT Olivier, and either The Pride @ Royal Court or Cordelia's Dream @ Wilton's Music Hall
January:
Saturday 3rd: Twelth Night @ Wyndhams and The Family Reunion @ Donmar Warehouse
Saturday 10th: Gethsamene @ NT Cottesloe
February:
Saturday 7th: Mrs Affleck @ NT Cottesloe and The Magic Flute @ ENO
March:
Friday 13th: His Dark Materials Part 1 @ Birmingham Rep
Friday 20th: His Dark Materials Part 2 @ Birmingham Rep
April:
Saturday 4th: Madame de Sade @ Wyndhams
July:
Saturday 4th: Hamlet @ Wyndhams and Madame Butterfly @ ENO
A few of these aren't definite but will keep updated on what I have booked.
Any comments please do not hesitate to contact me.
Greg
Tennant, Devils and many other things
First of all a bit of an introduction to me. I'm 28, and have been going to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon since I was 8, and since then have added many other theatres to my list. The purpose of the blog is to have a moan, write some reviews and post any news from the grapevine.
Theatres and companies that will be covered:
RSC: Courtyard Theatre and when it re-opens the RST and Swan
National Theatre: Olivier, Lyttelton and Cottesloe
Shakespeare's Globe
ENO
Royal Court Theatre
Almeida
Donmar Warehouse
West End (though this will be the rarest of all)
Nottingham Playhouse
Wolverhampton Grand
Birmingham Rep
Birmingham Hippodrome
Any comments please let me know
Theatres and companies that will be covered:
RSC: Courtyard Theatre and when it re-opens the RST and Swan
National Theatre: Olivier, Lyttelton and Cottesloe
Shakespeare's Globe
ENO
Royal Court Theatre
Almeida
Donmar Warehouse
West End (though this will be the rarest of all)
Nottingham Playhouse
Wolverhampton Grand
Birmingham Rep
Birmingham Hippodrome
Any comments please let me know
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