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Theatre 2017



Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
The Wedding Singer at the Theatre Royal.
The film is one of the few Adam Sandler films I really enjoy. Part of the charm is the 80s influence, particularly the music. Which makes the decision to write this play with original music a little confusing, and the play certainly suffers for it. It also seems to be a play that while it got a lot of praise when it originally started over ten years ago, doesn't seem to be a big one, so the theatre was quite empty.

Having said all that, I quite enjoyed it. It was a decent b-level show. That cast worked really hard despite the small crowd. While the songs aren't blowaway hits, there are some catchy bits of some of the songs
 






atomised

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2013
5,107
The Wedding Singer at the Theatre Royal.
The film is one of the few Adam Sandler films I really enjoy. Part of the charm is the 80s influence, particularly the music. Which makes the decision to write this play with original music a little confusing, and the play certainly suffers for it. It also seems to be a play that while it got a lot of praise when it originally started over ten years ago, doesn't seem to be a big one, so the theatre was quite empty.

Having said all that, I quite enjoyed it. It was a decent b-level show. That cast worked really hard despite the small crowd. While the songs aren't blowaway hits, there are some catchy bits of some of the songs

Also saw this last week. It was OK but never really took off for me.
The original songs came about because the producers didnt want to pay out licensing fees for the 80s songs. It was all the poorer for it and in my opinion it couldve sold far better if it was marketed as featuring those hits.
 


Postman Pat

Well-known member
Jul 24, 2007
6,971
Coldean
Also saw this last week. It was OK but never really took off for me.
The original songs came about because the producers didnt want to pay out licensing fees for the 80s songs. It was all the poorer for it and in my opinion it couldve sold far better if it was marketed as featuring those hits.

Saw it Saturday in a half-empty theatre. Much the same.

I've seen much smaller productions use licenced songs, can't see why they couldn't, didn't need to be loads, just some of the key ones to keep the story moving and add the comedy element. Do you really want to hurt me for example.
 




Wardy's twin

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2014
8,402
Saw 'all or nothing' which was brilliant. I also saw the 'illegal eagles' who I really liked. Theatre Royal seems to be diversifying into more live music. Hill
 


Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (parts 1 and 2)
I loved it. The first few minutes were like a regular play - people on stage acting - then they start walking toward the front of the stage to indicate going through the barrier at king's cross into platform 9 and 3/4 and something impressive happens and you realise it is going to be part play, part magic show. Maybe there are some things that you'll see and say 'well, it's obvious how they did that' (the polyjuice potion scene, the wizard duel), but it is well done, and fun and done with such style that you don't care you just go with it. Seeing both parts in one day was a little tiring, but it was still a great experience, and I'd recommend it even to people who aren't massive fans of Harry Potter.
 


Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
Young Frankenstein
This was originally staged in the US, and got a mixed reaction. There have been a couple of tweaks, some songs taken out, a couple added in, and the story streamlined a bit (the US version featured a pro-logue of sorts with Victor, and a later reappearance from Victor in a dream sequence, both cut) and the set reduced (the stage is one of the smaller ones I've seen recently). I don't know if it was the changes, or a british sensibility, but the West End production has received mostly strong reviews, and deservedly so.

A strong cast, Hadley Fraser would be familiar to musical theatre fans thanks to his work on Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis (which led to a small role in the film version - he's the soldier who orders the firing of the canons on the barricade), he is brilliant as Frederick Frankenstein. Ross Noble does a good job as Igor, Leslie Joseph is great as Frau Blucher (neigh!). Summer Strallen plays Inga, I'm not familiar with her prior to this, but apparently she is Bonnie Langford's neice. She was great, too. Shular Hensley did a great job as the monster, being the only cast member from the American production to join this production (apparently, he also played Frankenstein's monster in the film 'Van Helsing').

If you're familiar with the film, you'll know the story. It's not all there, but the majority of it is, and it feels like the play uses that to it's advantage, the more famous jokes played with a sense of 'we know you know the punchline and we're going to play with that'. I absolutely loved it. As mentioned above, the cast were great, including the ensemble and smaller roles, not a weak link in the show. I have since downloaded the broadway recording (there isn't one for the london recording yet), and I don't think it suffers the loss of Victor Frankenstein, or his songs. I really want to watch it again, fortunately, the show has extended it's booking due to popular demand, and is currently booked through to September 2018. I wouldn't be surprised if it is extended beyond that.

I would absolutely recommend checking it out (they do £25 day tickets - turn up on the day to buy your ticket at the box office). £25 is a bargain.
 




Braggfan

In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded
May 12, 2014
1,815
I've got tickets to see Bryan Cranston in Network at the National Theatre next year. Looking forward to that.
 


LowKarate

New member
Jan 6, 2004
2,002
Wombling free
I've got tickets to see Bryan Cranston in Network at the National Theatre next year. Looking forward to that.

That is a performance I would like to see. It's on until March. I only recently saw the original film and that attracted my interest in the play.

I also went to the National on Saturday with my family to see St. George and the Dragon. It was a very decent play with a mischievous and moral sub-text and funny in enough places. Well worth seeing, but only on for another week or so.
 


Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
I'm gonna put this here instead of the cinema thread...

I went to the cinema last night to watch the live broadcast of the National Theatre production of Follies.

I like musicals, but have never really embraced Sondheim. At his best I find there are one or two songs, or portions of songs that I like in each play, but overall they come up as very meh to me. Not the worst plays I've seen, but wouldn't really trouble my top ten. My enjoyment tends to rely on the cast, and I thought the cast were all pretty strong. I've seen Imelda Staunton in Gypsy (on tv), but still never really seen her as a strong singer and after watching Follies I'm not sure why. She was really. As were the rest of the cast. I also liked the 'gimmick' of this play where the younger versions of themselves were always on stage with them and interjecting (in an appropriate way - the play is about a reunion and the younger versions play out the memories etc).

Fun time, glad I saw it, probably wouldn't go out of my way to see it again.
 





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