Theatre Chat

[K]

Let's get classy up in here.

I've found myself going to the theatre a lot lately. I'm really enjoying it, and I think I'm going to try and go more. It's just so expensive unless you know what you're doing.

I recently saw In The Heights, the musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the same guy that did the Alexander Hamilton musical, (The rap you might remember from the Barack Obama, White House Poetry Slam) It was amazing, and I highly recommend it. For the Londoners reading this, you can pick up £50 tickets for about £15 right now. It's so worth it, and I really, really do suggest you check it out. I was in the third row or something.

I went to an immersive, all-female production of Henry VI a few weeks ago. It was incredible. The set design was minimalist industrial, if that's not a contradiction, and it was very powerful. You were led through this attic space, amongst ducts and scaffolding, which was both part of the seating area, and the stage. It was very cool.

I saw a weird musical theatrical biography of the Beastie Boys, (Called Licenced to Ill) which was so much fun. They had a giant puppet playing Rick Ruben, and pulled a girl out of the audience to play Kate Schellenbach in a few scenes. It was a blast.

I went to a play about a lesbian, who transitioned into a man, and the stress it placed on his relationship. It sounds really intense, but it was both moving and hilarious. (It was called Rotterdam)

I went to the Lion King, which was just this enormous performance, it was actually unbelievable how grand it all was.

I went to see a small play about a dystopian not-too-distant future, where a select part of the population has contracted a disease. It was called Over Mud and Shells. I really liked it, although it fell apart a little in the third act, and I keep going back to it in my mind to think about what the writer was channeling when he wrote it. At the moment I'm seeing parallels with the migration crisis, but at the time I remember thinking it was a commentary on homophobia. I suppose that's the beauty of art though, death of the author and all that.

I just bought myself a subscription to the Southwark Playhouse, so I paid £60 and I get five tickets to whatever I want.

I definitely going to see the stage adaption of the Toxic Avenger, (Yeah that one), and they have a few other things that look interesting as well.

Theatre chat lads, go.

 

[LL!]

Book of Mormon 4 ever.

[LittleDaniel]

Hamilton is the fucking best.

Although, to be fair, I've only listened to the soundtrack at this point because I haven't given in and watched a bootleg yet.

[K]

Book of Mormon is really expensive. Anyone seen it from the cheap seats in London? Are they good enough?

[LittleDaniel]

Is it already over there?  I was under the impression that it was touring outside of Broadway for the first time later this year (first show is in Chicago, kinda want to save up and go).

Wait, or are you talking about Mormon?

[K]

5 minutes ago, LittleDaniel said:

Is it already over there?  I was under the impression that it was touring outside of Broadway for the first time later this year (first show is in Chicago, kinda want to save up and go).

Wait, or are you talking about Mormon?

Sorry man, I think we posted about the same time. Yeah I was talking about Mormon.

I'm fucking psyched for Alexander Hamilton though, there's talk of it coming to London.

[ADG]

34 minutes ago, K said:

Sorry man, I think we posted about the same time. Yeah I was talking about Mormon.

I'm fucking psyched for Alexander Hamilton though, there's talk of it coming to London.

Wait LMM actually got round to completing the Hamilton Mixtape? If it comes to London I'm making the trip.

[K]

4 minutes ago, ADG said:

Wait LMM actually got round to completing the Hamilton Mixtape? If it comes to London I'm making the trip.

Yeah man, the musical has been running since February last year. The soundtrack is on Spotify, but I can't bring myself to listen to it 'cause I wanna see the show so bad. If it comes to London I'll go see it with you.

Edit: And if you like what you've heard of Hamilton, again, In The Heights. LMM's writing style is so distinctive you're gonna enjoy that too.

[ADG]

Not seen In The Heights live but listened to the soundtrack enough times after seeing them do a little bit on the Tony Awards a few years ago now.

[LL!]

I'd say Book of Mormon is VERY worth it. And judging by the price of tickets for Hamilton on Broadway, I would expect you'll be facing the same dilemma once it travels across the pond.

[K]

14 minutes ago, Hans GruLLer said:

I'd say Book of Mormon is VERY worth it. And judging by the price of tickets for Hamilton on Broadway, I would expect you'll be facing the same dilemma once it travels across the pond.

I'd be interested to see how Hamilton does over here, given that 99 out of a hundred people wouldn't be able to tell you who Alexander Hamilton was. That said, I don't know how much people knew about Mormonism either.

[ADG]

11 minutes ago, K said:

I'd be interested to see how Hamilton does over here, given that 99 out of a hundred people wouldn't be able to tell you who Alexander Hamilton was. That said, I don't know how much people knew about Mormonism either.

And the hundredth person can recite "how does the bastard orphan son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot... " from memory. 

[Jimmy]

5 hours ago, K said:

 

I went to a play about a lesbian, who transitioned into a man, and the stress it placed on his relationship. It sounds really intense, but it was both moving and hilarious. (It was called Rotterdam)

---

I just bought myself a subscription to the Southwark Playhouse, so I paid £60 and I get five tickets to whatever I want.

 

Was Rotterdam at the 503? I'm desperate to go see something there soon. 

Also, Southwark Playhouse seem to be doing a lot of fantastic stuff, very tempted by that £60 for 5 tickets. Let me know when you plan on going and I might hop along if it's the right play? 

I've been going loads lately, too. I think I've seen something like twelve plays in the last six months, most of which have been at The National Theatre because if you're under 26 you can get tickets for £5. I also try to justify it to myself as 'work' because I'm watching theatre and watching a lot of actors for casting stuff. 

At The National I've seen:

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire

The Motherfucker With The Hat

The Red Lion

Three Days in the Country

Waste

As You Like It

wonder.land

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

 

For things at the moment, everyone should definitely go see Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. It's just started it's run, and it uses a 1920's Recording Studio as a backdrop to study racial tension and prejudice. It's a wonderful mix of comedy and drama which is outstanding. I would avoid wonder.land, Damon Albarn's musical is a bit of a mess; it's far too on the nose, and it's all very over-the-top. I don't know if As You Like It is still on, but that's a fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare that's well worth seeking out. Three Days in the Country, starring John Simm, Mark Gatiss and Amanda Drew (who was in my short film) and The Red Lion starring Daniel Mays (and it's about football!!!) round off my favourite things I've seen there. 

This last week I saw Martin McDonagh's Hangmen which was hilarious and as twisted as you'd expect from one of his plays, and The Father which also stars Amanda, and is about the relationships between a Father and Daughter as his dementia worsens by the day. It's an incredibly touching and harrowing play which utilises simple stage design and inventive soundtrack to accentuate it's message.

Also saw Eclipsed at the Gate Theatre which was an excellent experience -- the theatre is really small, and it makes it very personal, allowing the actors to avoid the need to overact. I really look forward to going back. 

Huh, this is just really timely. I want to start venturing further out and go to The Bush, 503, The Yard and a few smaller places which seem to be doing really great stuff. I wish I had the money to go more and more. 

 

 

[Lineker]

Saw Book of Mormon in London. Definitely worth the expense.

Last thing we went to see was Wicked. Very good show.

[K]

9 hours ago, Jimmy said:

Was Rotterdam at the 503? I'm desperate to go see something there soon. 

Also, Southwark Playhouse seem to be doing a lot of fantastic stuff, very tempted by that £60 for 5 tickets. Let me know when you plan on going and I might hop along if it's the right play? 

I've been going loads lately, too. I think I've seen something like twelve plays in the last six months, most of which have been at The National Theatre because if you're under 26 you can get tickets for £5. I also try to justify it to myself as 'work' because I'm watching theatre and watching a lot of actors for casting stuff. 

At The National I've seen:

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire

The Motherfucker With The Hat

The Red Lion

Three Days in the Country

Waste

As You Like It

wonder.land

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

For things at the moment, everyone should definitely go see Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. It's just started it's run, and it uses a 1920's Recording Studio as a backdrop to study racial tension and prejudice. It's a wonderful mix of comedy and drama which is outstanding. I would avoid wonder.land, Damon Albarn's musical is a bit of a mess; it's far too on the nose, and it's all very over-the-top. I don't know if As You Like It is still on, but that's a fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare that's well worth seeking out. Three Days in the Country, starring John Simm, Mark Gatiss and Amanda Drew (who was in my short film) and The Red Lion starring Daniel Mays (and it's about football!!!) round off my favourite things I've seen there. 

This last week I saw Martin McDonagh's Hangmen which was hilarious and as twisted as you'd expect from one of his plays, and The Father which also stars Amanda, and is about the relationships between a Father and Daughter as his dementia worsens by the day. It's an incredibly touching and harrowing play which utilises simple stage design and inventive soundtrack to accentuate it's message.

Also saw Eclipsed at the Gate Theatre which was an excellent experience -- the theatre is really small, and it makes it very personal, allowing the actors to avoid the need to overact. I really look forward to going back. 

Huh, this is just really timely. I want to start venturing further out and go to The Bush, 503, The Yard and a few smaller places which seem to be doing really great stuff. I wish I had the money to go more and more. 

Yeah, Rotterdam was the 503 and it was baller. It's a great little space, very intimate. Highly recommend it. They've a play called BU21 coming up which I'd like to see.

As for the Southwark, I'm hoping to get to Luce, Darknet and the Toxic Avenger, and I'm well up for some company if you wanna try and arrange something.

[METALMAN]

Next week I'm going to see a student production of Aristophanes's Lysistrata which will almost certainly be awful, if that counts.

[ADG]

Last thing I saw was The Winter's Tale starring Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench a few months ago. Was really really good but not as good as when I saw Henry V at the National with Jude Law, but since Henry V is my favourite Shakespeare play it was going to be hard to top it for me.

Even then though that's not the best show I've ever seen as War Horse is to me on a different level than anything else. It's simply sublime but if you haven't seen it @K you've only got 11 days because the run at the New London ends on March 12. It was so good I did seriously consider journeying down to London to see it again before the run ends because it's one of those plays that just stays with you once it's done. 

For comedies my three best are Noises Off and Donkeys Years (both written by Michael Frayn) and The Play That Goes Wrong. Again if they ever come near you go and see them because they're all very, very, very good - especially The Play That Goes Wrong, it's so well put together. 

In terms of musicals Les Miserables is my favourite although The Lion King is extraordinary and Blood Brothers is good entertainment too.
 

[Lineker]

Blood Brothers is superb.

[METALMAN]

I went to see a Winter's Tale but with all modern costumes and set in the modern day. It was dire. I'm not too keen on those more limited stripped back performances. Like, I once went to see Rigoletto with just a pianist and it was hard to get into it.

I used to like musicals when I was at school and did musical theatre and stuff. I've kind of lost my appetite for them now, with the exception of the Cole Porter and George Gershwin type of thing. Can't stand Lloyd Webber, but I don't mind his brother (also Lloyd Webber).

[ADG]

Forgot to mention before one thing on my Bucket List is to get to The Globe to see a play at some point.