West End Gossip #2

[shakeygal]

Well.
My fiance and I are currently having a picnic in a park and the whole cast and swings of SiX are having a picnic next to us, as it’s one of the Queen’s birthdays and it’s very obvious - they’re sitting in a tight knit circle, sharing food etc and are celebrating. A whole gaggle of girls literally crashed the celebration. My fiance and I are just sitting with our mouths open.

 

[kev1974]

Opening night has been slaughtered in the reviews.

So I saw this last night, having booked the ticket ages ago long before there were any reviews or offers

It was as terrible as I'd read, but sadly not "so bad it's good" terrible, it really is just terrible.

Sheridan and a couple of the other actors are good, but they've just got such a hopeless book and staging. The much touted outside bit where it's said that she crawls through the streets of soho was a nonsense, she literally walks (not crawls) about four haphazard steps across the narrow road at the stage door round the back of the theatre and straight back onto the stage, nowhere near what they did in Sunset Blvd.

I suddenly remembered about half way through act 2 that her co-star in the "play within a play" that she's doing is her ex lover, and then all of a sudden some (but not all) of what I'd seen made sense, they had said that he was her ex at the start (I've never seen the film) but it was so poorly written and so all over the place that I'd forgotten this crucial detail. So if you go to see it (only if there's very very cheap tickets around) do remember that important plot point.

There's continuous overuse of a massive centre-stage video screen, there's probably two scenes where it was useful, the rest of the time it could have done with being flown out. One particular scene they put live headshots of various other actors' "reactions" up on it full-screen, including some of the stage crew, and you're just sat there wondering who they're supposed to be, it was like how by about episode 6 of The Apprentice there'll be a couple of randoms pop up who've been there all along but done nothing, so you don't know who they are or anything about them.

Weirdly, there's a scene in Sheridan's' apartment with a sofa and shes puts a big handbag down next to it. When the crew picked up the sofa to take it off stage her handbag fell over and an actual foil-wrapped creme egg fell out and rolled under where the sofa had been, so the crew removing the sofa didn't see it. And it then sat on full view in the middle of the stage floor for the whole of the next scene until one of the actors diverted his exit to pick it up and put it in his pocket. Was it a secret snack for Sheridan? Is it her actual handbag? crew playing a trick on her? a weird "easter egg" in-joke that I didn't get? (I mean the play is set on Broadway, where they don't have creme eggs). Pondering why there was a creme egg in the middle of the stage was one of the highlights of the performance.

 

[silkytoes]

Anyone seen the news about the Bonnie and Clyde tour being suddenly cancelled? It's been announced today.

Posters on TheatreBoard are saying it's a repeat of the Cinderella closing, with current and future cast members finding out via social media at the same time as everyone else, and apparently the current cast were waiting at the next venue wondering why nothing else was arriving!

 

[Katykatykaty]

I’m totally in the minority but I love The Greatest Showman. Yes it has its flaws but I just love it. I cry every time it starts with The Greatest Show opener and then again with it closes with From Now On. Is it the best film ever made? No, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy every minute…. apart from Never Again which is just an awful song!

 

[Tookster]

That kids legally blonde audio on tiktok

1) its not even funny to begin with
2) other tiktokkers trying to cancel actors that have used it for their own engagement ... please touch grass

trying to create drama out of nothing

I doubt the poor child being mocked sees it as being “nothing”. It’s cruel and lacks empathy.

 

[kev1974]

Been to see The Picture Of Dorian Gray tonight with Sarah Snook playing every character, aided by some incredible camera and LED screen work.

Absolutely astonishing piece of theatre. I know the story but even so the last 10-15 minutes she had me on the edge of my seat. Seriously never been so engaged in an Oscar Wilde piece.

Unfortunately it ends on Saturday and there's no tickets left otherwise I'd be insisting my partner go and see it, it's that good.

 

[Katykatykaty]

I saw Stranger Things last night, bloody hell that was long and drawn out. Nice special effects and the main guy was good, that's about the only good thing I have to say about it, the rest could have done with some serious editing and trimming!

Had forgotten how dreadful that theatre is for toilet provision (for males anyway!) and curses upon the venue management for selling large tubs of popcorn. nearly all of the second half I had to suffer a woman noisily snuffling her way through what seemed to be an endless vat without a care for the rest of the rear stalls, constant noise from her trotter diving in to the tub and pushing the contents round and round and then chomping noise every so often

If I had my way all food and drink would be banned from inside theatres. By all means stuff your face during the interval but not during the show. Absolute pet hate!

 

[Mark81]

That kids legally blonde audio on tiktok

1) its not even funny to begin with
2) other tiktokkers trying to cancel actors that have used it for their own engagement ... please touch grass

trying to create drama out of nothing

Nah I agree on people criticising actor's who have used it. Especially as many of these actor's throw a tantrum at the slightest criticism themselves.

It's also showing that many of them can't lip sink for shit

 

[Frances]

I said I'd report back...firstly we did seven sisters market and did a cheese bar in day then ended up at a Greek later which did the job! Romeo and juliet really really good. Tom obviously the star but francesca as juliet is excellent. Lots of chemistry between them and staging was good as well. Only thing was we was in the back in the cheaper seats so couldn't see the whole of the big projected scenes. Son did stage door got really close as well so he was dead chuffed!

 

[BingoFlamingo]

Controversial opinion but I didn’t like the Wicked stage show at all! I was bored by it. The performers were all talented but it was slow and very little atmosphere - also the theatre was half empty. That didn’t help

 

[nohopefletcher]

Jeeezy Creezy that is an insane amount of ppl . I used to SD that theatre a LOT in early 2017 (for erm reasons)and I cannot imagine crowds like that.. theres a damn functioning road right in front for a start off..
---

Elphie looks as old as the teacher in that welcome to Shizz Uni line.. wow they could not have fucked this up more outside of Dear Evan Hansen movie scale disaster. and theyre both so ugly too . Glinda has anorexia and there is no way the hero would fall in love with Elphie

I think commenting on someone’s looks and claiming they have anorexia is a bit much considering she has asked people not to talk on her appearance

 

[Iamonlyhereforthetea]

CHF as Calamity Jane. Think I will give that one a miss

 

[Mark81]

watching Hills gf California last week and someone in the balcony dropped a complete unopened tin of S&V crisps on the person sitting next to me - glad they go through the front row and make people use plastic cups and remove all glass - that would be very dangerous

Ngl...id love some S&V crisps to land in my lap

 

[RedFlagsAhoy]

I've seen the pro shot of the original London production, can't say I found it overlay impressive as a musical. All the songs were quite samey with awful lyrics

Can I get on my “Matilda was ROBBED at the Tonys” soapbox now? You have a deftly-woven Minchin score, where the 6-year-old sings an 11 o’clock number about the improbabilty of life and how miraculous it is to exist in the world… against “Everybody say yeah, yeah yeah yeah”

(Thank you for indulging me, yes I am still bitter)

 

[TravellingPants]

Wicked was great when it was first around. I can vividly remember downloading bootlegs of the various Broadway casts on Limewire. It really was something new and exciting, and one of the first in the modern trend of the songs requiring a lot of belting your face off. I loved it the first couple of times I saw it on the West End (I would have been about 16?) but it very quickly got quite tired as a production.

I think they’ve made a poor choice turning it into two films when it’s got just about enough plot for a full length show as it is. Not keen on Ariana generally, loooove Cynthia but the ages are all wrong.

 

[Glaschelle]

Okay - I know this isn't a west end issue, but I wanted to have a moan.

Me and the old dear were at the glasgow Kings tonight (a dubliners tribute show - very good but the main guy is getting old)

At the interval, I decided to get us an ice cream (don't usually cos of the cost but decided to buy it as a treat)

The guy turned up with this tray in the stalls - but he wasn't selling ice cream - he was selling beer!!!

The lassie in the foyer wasn't selling ice cream - she was selling beer. And wine!!!

I had to go to the circle bar to get an ice cream - up a flight of stairs. And me with a bad knee!!! All this to pay £9.60 for 2 small ice cream tubs.

I asked the lassie why it was so hard to buy and ice cream and she said they change it depending on the audience. Obviously decided tonight would be full of alkies!!!

I know I'm biased cos I'm teetotal but honestly if alcohol is so important to you - go to the pub not the theatre.

Sorry again!!!

 

[leabytottle]

What a shame that Calamity Jane hasnt started rehearsals yet, otherwise we’d all get to experience another look at prison guard Jane Hope Fletcher, stomping around the stage, doing “the face” and blaming the sound department for her poor singing attempt. Joel would be watching, sat crossed legged in the wings, before he also produces a dire vocal. At least the audience could carry that for him.

I hope they show a different song from “Why am I so single?” Aside from the one that sounds like it’s a gcse project.

Hannah Lowther said she won’t be performing in Six, but hinted she’d be there in another capacity? Do they have a “host” or it is just on/off stage with no inbetween bits? Unless she’s reprising her role in “Babies”?

 

[everfair]

When I saw Opening Night last month the person sat next to me managed to pour a whole cup of Minstrels on my head when I leant down to get something out of my bag. At least it wasn’t a drink!

 

[lilyannrose]

I just can't believe the Bonnie & Clyde situation and that it keeps happening. I feel awful for all involved, especially the crew who were waiting at the venue to get started only to find out that was that.

There really has to be more effort made to ensure cast and crew of shows are treated better than this, it's pretty appalling and just shouldn't happen.

 

[Mark81]

I can live without the revolve in les mis, but getting rid of the dates/location projections is crazy to me. It's a complex story already, and shoehorned into 3 hours. Those projections really helped with setting scene and time passing.

Also the barricade deaths are far less impactful now

Back to starlight, misogyny exists and probably always will. Show it, but let there be consequences. That's how people learn. Pretending it doesn't exist just buries the problem