[sticky entry] Sticky: Theatre 2011

Jan. 16th, 2011 01:59 pm
lorannah: (Default)
OK, totally stealing this idea - but here is a handy list for me to remind me where I've been and where I'm going and where I'd really like to be going money, time and scary ticket rushes permitting.
Cut for your sanity )

lorannah: (Default)

Dear Yuletider,

Firstly, I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting even longer than expected. It’s been one of those months. So you should have recieved my requests by now and I hope they've not caused you to throw yourself into a pit wailing and rending your clothes.  Anyway if you are one of those super-organised people who have already finished their story, feel free to ignore this and carry on – I know I’ll love it – but if you’re feeling like you’d like some more inspiration here I am (also I do not use ip tracking, so feel free should you like to ask me anonymous questions).  I hope that something I've suggested will give you a grain of inspiration, but if not don't worry - I love surprises as well - and what I'd really love is for you to write something that makes you happy and is fun for you - don't worry too much about me.

I don’t really have much to add to the prompts as I’ve probably bored you enough as it is. But in case it helps some of the things I love - bittersweet sad stories, fluffy stories, angst, dark stories, fun, adventures, gangs, friends, silliness, AUs, queer themes, extra moments, character moments, post-canon, old 'married-couple' friendship bickering, dreamers and fantasists, manipulative characters with secret soft spots, timeline crossing, awesome women, mixed up narratives, found families, what ifs. Genfic, slashfic, femmeslashfic, hetfic and polyfic are all loved.

Things I'd prefer not to have - character bashing, woman/queer characters dieing.

But mostly, anything goes.

I hope you have fun - and please feel free to quiz me anonymously here if you'd like more info on anything or through the yuletide mods.


You're awesome.


Prompts )



lorannah: (Default)
This was another slightly silly week of theatre (though nothing can beat the 8 show week of doom) - so with four plays squeezed in (and a resignation), I've split the diary into two posts. First up, as I seemed to spend most of the start of the week at Sloane Square, it's the Royal Court Edition.

So this week I've seen:

20. 14th February 2011 - The Heretic,
Royal Court Downstairs (Play - Bean)
21. 15th February 2011 - Our Private Life, Royal Court Upstairs (Play - Rozo)



The Heretic )


Our Private Life )



lorannah: (Default)
This was a bit of an odd week for me as I ended up cancelling my planned trip to Becky Shaw at the Almeida only a few days before I was meant to go, so I could see Love Story with a friend before it closed. This ended up being a good decision for several reasons.

So this week I've seen:

18. 9th February 2011 - Love Story,
Duchess Theatre (Musical - Goodall/Clark)
19. 10th February 2011 - Water, Filter at The Tricycle (Play/Experimental - Filter and David Farr)



Love Story )

 

Water )


lorannah: (Default)
Although this was a three show week (I should have known the two show a week rule would never work) - it's only a one show blog as I've only talked about the other two shows recently. Links included below.

So this week I've seen:

17. 4th February 2011 - The History Boys,
Rose Theatre Kingston (Play - Bennett)
... 15b. 5th February 2011 - As You Like It, RSC at the Roundhouse (Play - Shakespeare) - PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED HERE
... 12b. 5th February 2011 - Julius Caesar, RSC at the Roundhouse (Play -
Shakespeare) - PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED HERE


The History Boys )

lorannah: (Default)
So... I may have fallen just a little bit behind with the theatre blogging - sort of a combination of moving flats and jobs and seeing a truly ridiculous amount of theatre. But I'm determined to catch up, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner - though given I'm 14 plays behind, that might be wishful thinking.

Anyhow, at the end of week 4 I saw:

15. 29th January 2011 - As You Like It,
RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)
16. 30th January 2011 - Double Falsehood, Union Theatre (Shakespeare... possibly)



As You Like It )


Double Falsehood )


January Stats )



lorannah: (Default)

So this week I've also seen:

13. 27th January 2011 - King Lear, Donmar Warehouse (Shakespeare)
14. 29th January 2011 - King Lear, RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)

Originally  I was going to do this weeks shows as three posts, instead of the four that it's ended up as and that's mostly due to the two Lear's. Given that I saw them one after another and it's inevitable that I'm going to end up comparing the two - it seemed silly not to write about them together. Anyhow - I'm extrememly glad that I saw both of them but as experiences go, it was something akin to being repeatedly battered around the head - in the best way possibly - but still battered. By the end of the pair, I felt like my brain had bled out of my ears and that I desperately needed a drink (may be one of only two people who associate Shakespeare with whisky). I really can't imagine how the actors get through these plays, especially twice a day.



King Lear - Donmar )


King Lear - RSC )

lorannah: (Default)
Whups - bit of a delay there. First time so far I didn't manage to get a week's shows up before the next week started - not an overly impressive feat given that this is onlu week 4, but oh well. It means that both the Caesar review here and the As You Like It reviews are really talking about two performances (the joy of having multiple friends who want to see shows - more excuses for me :D). Will see how that goes... onwards and upwards.

LATER EDIT: as it turned out, that went not so well - writing about two performances as if they were one, was a little confusing. So I'm just going to write about the first performance and add anything that pops into my head from the second.

So this week I've seen:

11. 26th January 2011 - YPS Hamlet, RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)
12. 26th January 2011 - Julius Caesar,
RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)


YPS Hamlet )


Julius Caesar )
lorannah: (Default)
OK, well this has been a bit slower getting up than normal - mostly because I did the most ridiculous week of theatre ever - seven days, eight plays (actually I'd squeezed them all into six days), several hours queuing in the cold and a pub crawl. Insanity! In some ways it was too much theatre and all a bit overwhelming - but on the other hand nearly all the plays were excellent and my mind is buzzing in a way that only this sort of cross-pollination of ideas promotes. Anyhow, it does mean I've had to split these reviews thoughts into four posts this week. This one's the non-Shakespeare edition (so much Shakespeare!). I'll try and get them up as soon as possible.

So this week I've seen:

9. 24th January 2011 - Tiger Country, Hampstead Theatre (Nina Raine)
10. 25th January 2011 - Three Sisters,
Sovremennik at the Noel Coward (Chekhov)


Tiger Country )



Three Sisters )



lorannah: (Default)
I fear finishing these by the skin of my teeth at ridiculous hours of the morning might be a regular theme in these mangled musings. Not really sure how next week will go, write up wise as I am seeing a truly ridiculous amount of theatre. We shall see.

So this week I've seen:

7. 19th January 2011 - Hamlet, National Theatre - Olivier (Shakespeare)
8. 20th January 2011 - Salad Days, Riverside Studios (Musical)


Hamlet (full of production spoilers) )


 
 

Salad Days )


 


lorannah: (Default)
A rough list of what theatre I saw in 2010, may be the odd mistake here and there, records not being my skill - but mostly right. And scary. Somewhat pleased that my theatre going got much more interesting as the year wore on. Think it is fairly obvious when I was living in Stratford.
Cutty cut )

 



lorannah: (Ave Q - Puppets)
I fear I may have to declare this the Month of Shakespeare, as I seem to have booked a ridiculous amount. You may also discover that I generally say far more than is necessary about Shakespeare. It is like a disease of some sort.

So this week I've seen:

4. 11th January 2011 - Twelfth Night, National Theatre - Cottlesloe (Shakespeare)
5. 15th January 2011 - The Glass Menagerie, Young Vic (Tennessee Williams)
6. 16th January 2011 - Love Is My Sin, Rose Kingston (Shakespeare)



Twelfth Night )


The Glass Menagerie )


Love Is My Sin )
lorannah: (Default)
And the winner is... )
3) JULIET:-
But as much as I Iove Romeo, this production is all about Juliet for me. Mariah Gale is amazing. She practically glows throughout this for me. I never fail to find the way she throws herself around the dance in the ball scene enthralling, or how quickly her mind seems to work. She is so clever and bright and so determined in every single moment, even if the next moment will be entirely different. She is committed to her very core. She reminds me a lot of Mecutio oddly, they are similar in a lot of ways, which obviously adds another dimension to her relationship with Romeo. And as I said before I think she becomes something of an anchor for Romeo, in the way that nothing else has been and when he thinks she is dead – he’s cast loose and desperate. This was particularly true for me when I saw Mariah against Dyfan, who was an excellent, though very different, understudy Romeo – his Romeo (which I also rather loved) was much more hesitant and self doubting and it worked wonderfully against Juliet’s certainty – her appeal was so obvious and then his fascination with/devotion to her was so appealing for her, because I think she is so often not noticed at the beginning of the play... Ummm... sorry tangent. But, yep, I actually think Juliet is one of my absolute favourite heroines almost solely based on Mariah Gale’s performance.



4) COSTUMES:- I think the costumes have probably been discussed by more people than anything else in the production – costumes generally seem to upset people in the theatre. Rupert Goold is definitely doing something interesting with them in this – with a mix of costumes from Elizabethan to Steampunk to Pirate to Modern and I can’t even begin to understand or explain everything he’s doing with it. But I do love it – particularly all the gorgeous dresses for the girls (the way the servants dresses move fill me with envy – even though they do seem a bit rich for their social class) and Lord Capulet’s ridiculous (and awesome) boots. But what I love most is that the way Romeo and Juliet are separated from those surrounding them by their modern clothes but also that it makes that moment when they see each other at the ball, it gives them an instant connection and recognition. It makes their attraction palpable for the audience.



5) THE CRAZY CAPULETS:-
Almost as much as I love Juliet – I love her crazy, twisted, incestuous family. This production for me is as much about watching the Capulet family tearing each other apart. One of my favourite scenes is the one at their breakfast table in the second half where you see them shift between grief and forced closeness and violent anger. It’s both disturbing and compelling and it’s the real driving force of the play. One of the little choices they made with this production that I think is awesome is that during the dance you suddenly spot Tybalt and Lady Capulet kissing – passionately and that tiny moment throws everything into a different light (and has given me a huge fanon about how Tybalt should really be the head of the family by right) – it heightens Lady Capulet’s grief at his death, focuses the tension between Tybalt and Lord Capulet, deepens Tybalts frustration and barely controlled aggression, and provokes Capulets desire for control. I could watch the relationship between those three playing out for hours.



6) DISEMPOWERMENT:- Alongside the violence and passion in this production, there’s a deep vein of powerlessness and disempowerment as well. I’ve already mentioned this in terms of the Prince and I certainly see it within the Friar and the young lovers, but for me its best represented by Lord Capulet. Every other production I’ve seen has played Capulet as all powerful and I understand that desire, but in this he is wearing the mask of power to hide how little he truly has and how much is beyond his control. And it works so much better for me – it’s why he is so intent on controlling Juliet, she is his last opportunity. I think it also motivates a lot of the other characters to their most desperate acts – whether it’s Tybalt’s fighting or Mecutio’s bravado or the lover’s suicide – they’re all trying to take back some control, to leave some mark of themselves. Also this is one of those issues that I love to see explored (wade through my Drunks review for more evidence... much more evidence).



7) DANCE:- Ah, I have already described this Verona as throbbing with anger and passion in the fight at the beginning, but the joyful, energetic side of that is carried through to the Capulet Ball. It never fails to fill me with glee when the play reaches it. The fun of it all is infectious. There are scantily clad people and chanting and dashing around and fire literally bursting from the floor. And there are lots of bits o bits nd there are lots of bitsthe floor. And there are lots of bits are scantily clad people and chanting and dashing around af choreographical pairing that fill me with happiness – Tybalt dances with the nurse, Juliet dances with her father – it is the little glimpses of relationships at their best we only see at their worst, if at all. And then in the middle of that you get Juliet and Romeo’s first meeting, and once Juliet stuck her tongue out at him and my heart all but exploded. :D



8) MUSIC:- Obviously a big part of the dance scene is the music within it (Morrocan inspired, or so I’ve heard I think) – but there are bits and pieces of music throughout that I think are awesome. From the choral chanting at the beginning that issues you into the theatre to the beautiful piece of music that Romeo is listening to her just before he hears of Juliet’s ‘death’. I personally don’t like the way the news is sung to him but I am sort of digging the idea my friend raised of Balthasar as a castrato (even more disempowerment).



9) BANISHED:- My other favourite scene (I have lost count of how many favourites I have and why are there no pictures of it???) is the way they do the two banished scenes, overlapping each other – so clever and the way Romeo and Juliet echo each other gives me so many feelings. They make it feel like the end of the world. Plus all four actors absolutely nail these scenes.



10) PARIS’S FLOWERS:- A very little one to end with and a bit silly but even whilst I think this production clearly shows that Paris and Juliet completely wouldn’t work (their brains just work differently) it also makes me sigh a little that Paris spends the whole play carrying his flowers for Juliet around, trying to give them to her – until he finally has to scatter them on her grave. It’s sort of sweet.


So there you go and I've barely touched on some awesome parts of the production - Jonjo's Mecutio! Noma's Nurse! Forbe's Friar Laurence! The fight scenes!
 
lorannah: (Default)
OK, almost the final stretch. Choices 5 - 2 under the cut and then one final (ridiculously long) entry for my top choice (it's definitely a post that has been building for a while). Anyway the order of these four changed around several times whilst I was thinking about this, so lets just say they were all wonderful.


5 - 2 )
lorannah: (Default)
Ok, so last year I saw a lot moer plays than musicals (partly because most musicals are just so damn expensive) - so instead of a top 5, I'm going to do a top 10. And in an attempt to keep my sanity I'm going to try and attempt miracles and keep this a bit shorter. Yeah, we'll see how that goes....


Onwards... )


PART TWO

lorannah: (Ave Q - Puppets)
OK - time to make some lists about 2010. :D First up, my favourite five musicals of the year. Ridiculously long as always. Hopefully will get my top ten plays up in the next few days.


COUNTDOWN!!! )
lorannah: (Default)
OK, so one of my very loose resolutions for this year is to try and keep a record of what I'm seeing theatre wise and what I've thought about it, mostly because my memory is truly apalling. So, hopefully, once a week-ish I'll post a round-up of what I've been to. This week I'm cheating a little as I'm going to include things from before the turn of the year (though I won't count them) and won't talk about some things that do count - because I already did and will do again in at least one case. Also, a question for those out there who may be as pedantic as I am - I'm not going to count shows more than once in a year (i.e. repeat viewings) - but should I count shows I've seen in previous years? They're not new for me, but they are new for the year? Decisions, decisions.

So this week (ish) I've seen:

a. 30th December 2010 - The Three Musketeers, Rose Kingston (Musical)
b. 31st December 2010 - Get Santa!, Royal Court (Musical / Kids)
1. 1st January 2011 - The Winter's Tale, RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)
2. 1st January 2011 - Romeo and Juliet, RSC at the Roundhouse (Shakespeare)
3. 3rd January 2011 - An Ideal Husband, Vaudeville Theatre (Wilde)



The Three Musketeers )



Get Santa! )



Winters Tale / Romeo and Juliet )



An Ideal Husband )
 
lorannah: (Ave Q - Puppets)
Given that I've spent a ridiculous amount of this year in theatres (hopefully some top theatre of 2010 posts coming soon) it's probably unsurprising that I'd eventually stray into theatre fandoms. I was surprised.


Hamlet )



We Will Rock You )



Hair )



So there you go 22,231 words, 10 stories, 8 fandoms (none of which I had written in before) and a Christmas well spent. :D

lorannah: (Spaced - friends)
I am feeling a little more human today, though still not quite - at least I am not fool enough to say I will never drink again. I have more RSC booked after all.  So... Post number 2. This time it's TV fandoms. :D


Downton Abbey )


The IT Crowd )

One more post to come.



lorannah: (spock)
OK - so have decided to split this into three posts, so that if my growing sense of nausea overthrows me, I'll be able to stop sooner. So first up are the stories in movie fandoms, as this covers both my official stories (yay - I got a pinch hit - a pinch hit I'd actually already written, as I wrote about six treats whilst waiting for the official assignments to be sent out).

The Baker )


An Education )


History Boys )



Not sure if I'll get round to the others tonight, but there is always the morning.