West End Gossip #2

[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

 

[ReginaFalangeee]

I’m fed up of the boys brigade reviewers who couldn’t put on a decent show for love nor money. That group of guys seem to be trying to get famous/VIP in the west end for writing a few sentences on a blog or yapping into their vlog cameras. They talk about whatever is mainstream but have no eye for up and coming shows, new writers, fringe work. They are lazy and clout chasing

 

[lilyannrose]

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

Such blatant stunt casting except what does she have these days other than being Tom Fletcher's sister? She really blew it with her "own" career.

 

[lilyannrose]

I’ve seen too many shows with screens this spring. Yes, lucky me to have gone, but just because you can do something it doesn’t need to be done. Going to see Romeo & Juliet in 2 weeks.

I've become really sick of the reliance on projects in theatre. In small doses it's okay and can be effective but I worry traditional theatrical effects are going the way of the dodo due to cost and that would be so sad.

 

[leabytottle]

Has anyone seen the current touring production of Hamilton in the UK? Just curious how it differs staging wise from the obviously more fixed staging/revolving stage of the West End.

Yes, I saw it (twice!) in Manchester- it was phenomenal. The cast were outstanding and the staging was the same as the west end and revolves, and is the same in every way. I wasn't overly impressed with the woman playing Angelica the first time I saw it, she wasn’t bad, I just didn’t particularly like her interpretation, although it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the show. I saw 2 different Hamiltons and both were were exceptional- on a parr, if not better than any bootlegs I’ve seen of Hamiltons on broadway. Billy Nevers was brilliant as Jefferson/Layfette and Daniel Boys’ KG3, in my opinion was the best I’ve seen (much, much better than Joel Montague, who’s the KG in the west end)

 

[ElektraWintour]

I’ll never understand why theatres sell popcorn and crisps. I saw Back to the Future recently and had the added sound effects crunch crunch crunch from the audience.

 

[180922]

Perhaps the female Greaseball is so the hip thrusting etc is more " socially acceptable" for modern sensibilities, than a male doing it. She can probably hamm it up far more with it cast in this way.

I think it's real shame it's a Mama and not a Papa though, there are not many roles for older black males as it is and if the change was the other way around, I think they'd be outrage about it.

I'm a bit miffed to have spent £200+ on those front seats which were meant to be moving, to see they're stationary standard seating! Massively upsold there. I wonder if I have a leg (a skate?!) to stand on with a complaint?

 

[Mark81]

The film version of The History Boys is on iplayer at the moment with the original national/west end cast for anyone who hasnt seen it/is a fam. Still one of the highlights of my theatre going seeing it at the national. Crazy how many actors came from that cast.

 

[lablife54]

They really are a dickhead of the highest degree with zero self awareness

View attachment 3014448

The temptation to reply something like “oh so you’ll be there then” but I’d probably just get banned

 

[Insomiaflamingo]

Awesome, thank you! Not gonna lie, I have a trip booked to SF in September/October and it's on my list to visit the house in Steiner Street from the movie.

Will definitely give it a book for when I'm in London in November.

I enjoyed it but wouldn’t go back again. The 2 leads were incredible and how they did the transition was amazing. I’m glad I saw it and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too but it’s not a must see for me or one I’ll rave about.
---

I agree with that tbf and I don't mean to defend the actors at all



Thats the internet for you ig

The child’s mother is reportedly saying it’s been rough, yet actors are defending it still. I see terms like snowflake being banded around and people can’t take a joke. If people who know the children are saying the children are upset shouldn’t everyone be taking this seriously, not doubling down on their actions even though they don’t have ill intent?

 

[leabytottle]

Audiences have definitely changed since covid, I think. I’m totally in agreement with the whole food situation. I don’t want sit next to someone munching popcorn, coughing when it gets stuck, so then slurping a drink. Or opening sour cream Pringles, and wafting them around! If I take anything to eat in the theatre, it’s always something without a wrapper, and I eat during the interval!

 

[Ladeepfriedmarsbar]

I do like that you can take a drink into the theatre these days (I swigged too many interval wines in record time in the past as you couldn't take them back in with you) but I agree about the noisy food. When I was a kid it was strictly an ice cream in the interval only, you would never have dreamt at eating food in the auditorium. My Dad (massive theatre goer/bit of a thespian!!) would have been horrified if I had produced a packet of crisps (or anyone around him) and would have removed them from me promptly.

 

[nohopefletcher]

Thoughts on “Why Am I So Single?”

It screams fringe and not in a good way

 

[lilyannrose]

Put this in the general celeb thread, but relevant here. Just wow...

I try very hard not to hate anyone. There's enough of that in the world and it's a destructive emotion that does no good in the slighest to anyone...

But oh my God, I really hate the Kardashians. With the fire of a hundred million suns. Not North as she's just a kid but the adults in the clan.

 

[Phil I Buster]

Put this in the general celeb thread, but relevant here. Just wow...

It’s like every school show I’ve had to sit through.

Apart from, you know, the inclusion of Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons and an audience of 17,000.

 

[TravellingPants]

Also it’s not your experience to call out, and making this sort of vague statement does far more harm than good because it’s so unclear who or what she’s even calling out. Who is her allegation against? Has she been given the permission of friends who presumably confided in her privately to make this public…?

 

[Mark81]

They really are a dickhead of the highest degree with zero self awareness

 

[kev1974]

I agree. I preferred in the heights.

I think if Hamilton wasn't so hyped I'd have enjoyed it more. But by the time it got to London it was this monster

It's the dancing in the stage version of Hamilton that blows me away. It's such a mix of modern and old, all uber-choreographed and SO slick how they come on and off stage all the time without it being noticeable, one second there's just Alexander Hamilton on stage alone and next second there's 12 dancers around him and you just have no clue how they got there, it's utter perfection and yet complexity for the entire duration of the show.

I held off from seeing it for quite a while after it came out because everyone was calling it a rap musical, but it's not, there's a lot of that style but if anything it's "dumbed down" rap that everyday people can cope with, with a whole variety of other styles throughout (and not just referring to King George's comedy interlude bits).

 

[lilyannrose]

So thanks to some very pushy fans, the Starlight Express thread on theatreboard is now basically a rave thread. Anyone who doesn't like it is wrong or their posts are ignored by the clique of fans who won't have it that there could possibly be valid criticisms to be had on the 2024 London version. One called ceebee is being especially obnoxious to the point where if ALW got a literal turd, painted it and called it Starlight Express he/she/they would probably be all over it with praise.

Obviously people are entitled to fan as much as they want but that level of pants wetting hysteria style fandom is gross to me.

I find theatreboard too happy clappy anyway, as a rule. I'm glad Tattle allows us grumps to have somewhere where having a moan isn't stigmatised or automatically accused of being mean.