GRcade

I've been trying to think of the non-musical shows I've seen. The most recent was The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which also had some neat puppetry. Seen a few of the Shakespeare adaptations (Lily James doing Romeo and Juliet and Frantic Assembly's Othello, which was surprisingly bloodthirsty for a stageshow ), but I've never seen any of the era-appropriate ones. Would love to do the Globe at some point, or even just the RSC in Stratford. We saw another Frantic Assembly thing (the Believers) at a tiny little theatre in the back of a pub in London somewhere (the Tricycle, I think? Looks like it's now called the Kiln)

I saw the Homecoming with John Simm and Gemma Chan a long long time ago. That was pretty good. Then a few years later we caught Jamie Lloyd's Cyrano De Bergerac, with James Mcavoy. It was one of those show where it starts and you're like "strawberry float. almost three hours of this..?", but after a few minutes you're invested, and it flies by.



There's still a few shows I'm hoping get new runs at some point - I'd love to see Bat Boy properly. They did a concert performance of it last Halloween, but I couldn't get into London for it. It's proper B-movie stuff, and the story is dark I really want to see Dogfight again, too - It's a musical adaptation of the film, where some army lads have a bet to see who can bring the ugliest date to a party before they ship off, and naturally the one fella starts falling for the girl he's picked. Bizarre idea for a story, but it's got songs by Pasek and Paul, who obviously then went on to do the Greatest Showman, La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen (and, most recently, the Death Razzle Dazzle musical from Only Murders in the Building )

Went to see Book of Mormon last night, brilliant stuff

I go on the rare occasion, but maybe I'll go more often when the local theatre opens up again. Went to see My Neighbour Totoro for the second time last December, and will be off to Spirited Away later this year. Bonus points for being at the Barbican as I love brutalist architecture.

Since I moved to London, I've seen Waitress, The Book of Mormon, Hamilton and A Streetcar Named Desire. So three musicals and a drama. The latter was brilliant - could see Paul Mescal's spit flying through the air.

I have seen quiet a few things in Theatre including We Will Rock You, which was awesome especially as two members of Queen turned up and Brian May took to the stage to perform a few songs at the end. I have seen Book Of Mormon twice, I have seen Wicked, I have seen a few Dr Who Proms, a few classical Music things, Avenue Q, Rocky Horror... I say The Sooty Show many many times in theatres when I was growing up and have very very fond memories of it... Also a lot of Pantomimes.

The main thing I would really really love to see a live version of in a theatre but haven't is Little Shop Of Horrors.

Book of Mormon was very very funny the first time as no one there seemed to really know what it was about and lots of people got up and stormed out when Hasa Diga Ebowi (probably spelt that wrong) was sang, I was sat there in floods of tears laughing till it hurt.

First went when i was at school and went one afternoon to see some play can't remember which one i think it was Joesph and the technicolour Dreamcoat. But went a few years ago too see the Only Fools and Horses play and really enjoyed it was a good few hours and worth the money.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been to the theatre. I've seen Phantom of the Opera (West End), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Broadway), and Northanger Abbey at a theatre in...Portsmouth I think it was?

All have been good, but it's just not something I ever feel inclined to do as a day or evening out. Probably unfairly, I kind of assume that anything put on at a local theatre is going to be a bit rubbish (despite enjoying Northanger Abbey) and so I'd pretty much only consider going to the West End to see something. With that in mind, it's then expensive, a hassle to get to, or I just can find shows that really appeal. A lot of the big ones that people rave about hold no interest for me at all.

Went to see My Neighbour Totoro with the wife and kids at the Barbican on Saturday which was the last day of its run and also our anniversary. What a wonderful show. The state design was incredible, so surprising and inventive. I had wondered how they could possibly bring a character like Totoro to life on stage without compromising somehow but without wishing to spoil it for anybody they absolutely nailed it. I’m sat there, 40 years old, in the third row, smiling from ear to ear as Totoro, the size of a small house is brought to life on stage, as expressive and emotive as any of the human actors. Wow. What a wonderful show. Can’t wait to see Spirited Away at the London Coliseum in June

One slight downside was the cost of the merchandise. We all loved it so wanted a memento and settled on a £12 fridge magnet and a £6 programme. The plushies were £75 each and the family in front of us bought four, one for each of their kids

hamm sandwich wrote:Went to see My Neighbour Totoro with the wife and kids at the Barbican on Saturday which was the last day of its run and also our anniversary. What a wonderful show. The state design was incredible, so surprising and inventive. I had wondered how they could possibly bring a character like Totoro to life on stage without compromising somehow but without wishing to spoil it for anybody they absolutely nailed it. I’m sat there, 40 years old, in the third row, smiling from ear to ear as Totoro, the size of a small house is brought to life on stage, as expressive and emotive as any of the human actors. Wow. What a wonderful show. Can’t wait to see Spirited Away at the London Coliseum in June

One slight downside was the cost of the merchandise. We all loved it so wanted a memento and settled on a £12 fridge magnet and a £6 programme. The plushies were £75 each and the family in front of us bought four, one for each of their kids

Sounds wonderful! But, apart from, perhaps, a program, no one needs the merchandise!!

I might be going to see the Only Fools and Horses musical in November. Quite looking forward to it.

hamm sandwich wrote:One slight downside was the cost of the merchandise. We all loved it so wanted a memento and settled on a £12 fridge magnet and a £6 programme. The plushies were £75 each and the family in front of us bought four, one for each of their kids

Yeah, i must admit, i was surprised at just how pricey theatre merch can be.

£12 for a magnet is definitely pushing it.

Woman in Black was absolutely brilliant - one of the best things I have seen for years.

The amount of twats who can't work out how to turn their phones off though - thereby having an annoying ringtone going for anything up to 30 seconds, was at an all time high. It was wince inducing.

Cumberdanes wrote:I might be going to see the Only Fools and Horses musical in November. Quite looking forward to it.

It's really good

Booked to see Wicked this weekend, ticket was very expensive but I very rarely go to see shows so it's a treat. Hopefully get myself a fridge magnet too

Yes, several times mainly when I was younger and including small troupes, outside performance, small theatre etc.

But the one time I was asked this question and it mattered was a 3rd stage interview for a drawing assistant at the national theatre and I couldn't remember any of them. I was told I need to see more theatre to be taken seriously .

I enjoy it, but for crowds/travel etc I'd have to cultivate and maintain the same mindset as I would have to for getting to gigs etc. If for some reason I wasn't enjoying the performance I imagine I'd find it a bit difficult, but I can't remember that ever being the case. I have some ability to "read into" art/media and find something to appreciate even if I have no idea what's happening in the story or I can't hear properly etc.

Someone mentioned practical effects - one thing that I will always appreciate at theatre is how they hand paint literally everything. When I was touring the facilities at the NT for that interview I saw them painting floorboards. Just hundreds of individual floorboards. Everything that happens in theatre is essentially "real" and has to be realised somehow.

I also went to a youth theatre in my town and did fairly well in drama, but I guess I took the live music route in performing arts, if there is such a "route". Then, for some reason, I see/visit a lot less compared to whatever I'm trying to dream up myself. Which is a bit of a shame really.

It strawberry floating sucked to be told that given events like this are rarely accessible for disabled people nor are they cheap to attend. I wasn't exactly splashing around in mobility or ticket prices at the time I made it that far into a career change. Oh well. Stage direction and putting on events etc. is something I've always been interested in. I tend to want to unravel something technically on a production level. For that and many other reasons I'd recommend seeing some theatre at least some time in one's life. It's also pretty memory forming because it's multisensory. Anything "live" is a bit different and worth experiencing compared to a recording.

Moggy wrote:

Super Hans

Just saw Joe Turner's Come and Gone (by August Wilson) at the Goodman, Chicago.

Really excellent and powerful stuff, will stick with me for a while.

I must say, post covid I feel like audience behaviour has gone so downhill. I heard 3 phones go off, multiple people in front of me checking messages throughout and there was a group behind me talking and making jibes throughout (too far away for me to shush them). Didn't hamper my enjoyment too much, it just feels very disrespectful.

Also this is a play written by an African American and set in the 1910s. Every time the white character used the n word (Spanish for black as opposed to the hard r slur) to refer to black people (in a non racist way) there was an audible "ooh that's a bad word he shouldn't say" murmur across the audience near me. This is after black characters have said it to refer to black people as a whole and after it has been established this is a very non-racist character (he shows up for breakfast to eat with them etc). I didn't really understand the reaction, like you know when it's set eh.

That sounds like some kind of failure of suspension of disbelief. Almost because it is "real", it cannot be believed. Weird. I bet they wouldn't flinch if it was a Netflix drama.

Also in those settings they feel even more like they have to constantly say gooseberry fool. Now, I talk during programmes as I pretty much can't help it and its part of the way I enjoy it/process it, but if you're basically saying "oh ma gawd I cannot believe this" you're basically saying I can't fathom this medium. So go away or try harder you berks. Or maybe they think it's pantomime. Like it kind of takes active participation, deliberate effort, to experience something, no? It's not quite right to prescribe what that is, but y'know.

Definitely put the strawberry floating phone away unless you've got to be contactable or have ADHD or something.*

*I have ADHD.

I, too, have noticed a decline in manners among theatre audiences. They act in the same way they do in the cinema, completely disrespectful to the actors on stage and the rest of the audience.