Is the half price place half price? In NY in Times square they have these similar booths, I popped round the corner to the actual theatre and got my tickets cheaper. One thing that does get to me is rude box office staff, and in London there seems to be a lot!
Had a look on-line and some of their prices are cheaper but not all (one or two are actually a bit dearer)
Someone else suggested going to the actual theatre about an hour before the show. May well try that.
Ended up seeing School of Rock, which was brilliant.
Lady Day at the Wyndham theatre next to Leicester Square, about Billie Holiday with 3 piece jazz band supporting.
Strong performance by the lead, Audra McDonald. Not being a Billie Holiday, jazz, or musical fan before this, I really didn't know what to expect but can recommend it, and would even go again -maybe if tickets are cheaper towards the end of the run (finishes 9th September).
Lovely theatre, and impressive stage set made for an absorbing experience. Yesterday's matinee was not full. We were in the Grand Circle (3rd of 4 tiers, and the Balcony above was closed), and paid £25 each. Seats lower in stalls or royal circle would be much better but are double the price.
Just on way home from seeing Dreamgirls. I thought seeing Nicole Shirtswinger singing Memory in Cats would be the ultimate one song wonder but Amber Riley just blew it out the water. I've seen a lot of musicals but few have had such 'wow' moments as that.
I saw 'Oslo' at the National on Friday, a week or so before it moves across to Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End.
It's based on the true story of the secret PLO-Israeli negotiations, which were instigated and organised by a Norwegian couple in the early 90s. They resulted in the Norway Accords and an agreed Declaration of Principles, which were intended to be a roadmap to the resolution of the conflict. The US-led negotiations (which excluded the PLO as a terrorist organisation) had gone nowhere and it was the Norwegian initiative which led to the signing of the 1993 agreement by Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn in the presence of Bill Clinton, an occasion marked by the protagonists' famous handshake.
I thought the play and its cast were first rate. The dialogue is tense and, at times, very funny and it's an interesting examination of the need to build rapport between negotiating parties, get behind their public positions and explore areas of potential agreement and compromise. Well worth seeing.
Just been to see The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre. Fully recommended.
Written by Jez Butterworth who did Jerusalem , directed by Sam Mendes (numerous great films) and starring Paddy Considine who is excellent.
Very powerful play.
Wholly agree, an excellent piece. Three hours long, but it flies by.
Saw this last night. Brilliant. Cast changes after tmrw so had to go before it did.
Had such a bad week and knew nothing about it before we went. I wasn't hopeful I'd stay awake for a 3 hour long political play but I was gripped the whole way through.
Saw Labour of Love on Saturday night. Martin Freeman did not appear but the stand in was ok. Tamsin Greig was excellent, can see this being made for TV
Caught up with The Wipers Times at the weekend, which is making its way round the provinces. I enjoyed it. It didn't really have a plot, and wasn't as funny as it thought, but the second half in particular was strong.
I saw 'Follies' at the National last week, the Stephen Sondheim musical.
Set in New York in 1971, the iconic Weismann Theatre is about to be demolished and, thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls attend a farewell party to drink, sing and dance and big themselves up. It is quite dark in parts, given that the central characters are two unhappily married couples and that probably contributed to its lack of commercial success on Broadway (that, together with the fact that there was a huge cast plus an orchestra to feed and water).
I thought it was good/very good, as opposed to excellent, but was clearly in a minority, as the audience gave the cast a standing ovation. It's scheduled to be screened shortly in cinemas as part of the 'NT Live' programme.
Saw 'Labour of Love', with Martin Freeman, Tamsin Greig (both at the top of their game) and Rachel Sterling (the unfeasibly attractive wife of Andy in 'The Detectorists'). A very insightful and amusing look at the Labour Party's fortunes and ideological conflicts over the last 25 years or so. Given that this play was written by James Graham and directed by the same guy who worked with him on 'This House', I had high expectations and was certainly not disappointed.
Glengarry Glen Ross... Solid 4/5 fare. Really good performances all round, and the play itself is too notch. Good production. The play itself is pretty brief and a bit one paced, but can't fault it for entertainment
Written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes, the play is set in a farmhouse kitchen in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Against a backcloth of the troubles, it explores a number of issues, including the impossibility of escaping the past.
An immensely powerful play with many layers of complexity, I thought it was nothing short of magnificent. It's on at the Gielgud Theatre until May 2018 - do try and see it if you can.
Written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes, the play is set in a farmhouse kitchen in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Against a backcloth of the troubles, it explores a number of issues, including the impossibility of escaping the past.
An immensely powerful play with many layers of complexity, I thought it was nothing short of magnificent. It's on at the Gielgud Theatre until May 2018 - do try and see it if you can.
Saw it with Paddy Considine some months back. Superb.
Written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes, the play is set in a farmhouse kitchen in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Against a backcloth of the troubles, it explores a number of issues, including the impossibility of escaping the past.
An immensely powerful play with many layers of complexity, I thought it was nothing short of magnificent. It's on at the Gielgud Theatre until May 2018 - do try and see it if you can.
Saw it with Paddy Considine some months back. Superb.
What was Paddys opinion of it?
(I saw it with him too, and absolutely agree it is a great play. Serious and dark but also very funny in parts)
The Award for the Most Promising Playwright went to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for 'An Octoroon' at the Orange Tree, Richmond. I saw it there and thought it was an exceptionally original, powerful and, at times, humorous take on the representation of race. It transfers to the National Theatre in June next year and is well worth seeing if you get the chance.
If anyone's stuck for things to do with the kids over the holiday period, you could do a lot worse than Cinderella at The Bob Hope Theatre in Eltham. We went last night, it was superb, proper old school panto. The ugly sisters were brilliant with plenty of jokes for the adults that go over the kids heads. Just £10 a ticket too.
Comments
Strong performance by the lead, Audra McDonald. Not being a Billie Holiday, jazz, or musical fan before this, I really didn't know what to expect but can recommend it, and would even go again -maybe if tickets are cheaper towards the end of the run (finishes 9th September).
Lovely theatre, and impressive stage set made for an absorbing experience. Yesterday's matinee was not full. We were in the Grand Circle (3rd of 4 tiers, and the Balcony above was closed), and paid £25 each. Seats lower in stalls or royal circle would be much better but are double the price.
Written by Jez Butterworth who did Jerusalem , directed by Sam Mendes (numerous great films) and starring Paddy Considine who is excellent.
Very powerful play.
Miranda no show (not fussed about that as the understudy probably had better voice) they missed out my favourite song though. Otherwise it's good.
Felt sorry for those who didn't realise the 'stars' don't perform every show.
Our house is touring so going to see that again in October in Bromley. Really enjoyed it before.
I thought seeing Nicole Shirtswinger singing Memory in Cats would be the ultimate one song wonder but Amber Riley just blew it out the water. I've seen a lot of musicals but few have had such 'wow' moments as that.
It's based on the true story of the secret PLO-Israeli negotiations, which were instigated and organised by a Norwegian couple in the early 90s. They resulted in the Norway Accords and an agreed Declaration of Principles, which were intended to be a roadmap to the resolution of the conflict. The US-led negotiations (which excluded the PLO as a terrorist organisation) had gone nowhere and it was the Norwegian initiative which led to the signing of the 1993 agreement by Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn in the presence of Bill Clinton, an occasion marked by the protagonists' famous handshake.
I thought the play and its cast were first rate. The dialogue is tense and, at times, very funny and it's an interesting examination of the need to build rapport between negotiating parties, get behind their public positions and explore areas of potential agreement and compromise. Well worth seeing.
Suggs approved and a right good night out.
Highly recommended.
Bromley October 24-28
http://www.ourhousetouruk.com/tour-dates/
Cast changes after tmrw so had to go before it did.
Had such a bad week and knew nothing about it before we went. I wasn't hopeful I'd stay awake for a 3 hour long political play but I was gripped the whole way through.
Set in New York in 1971, the iconic Weismann Theatre is about to be demolished and, thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls attend a farewell party to drink, sing and dance and big themselves up. It is quite dark in parts, given that the central characters are two unhappily married couples and that probably contributed to its lack of commercial success on Broadway (that, together with the fact that there was a huge cast plus an orchestra to feed and water).
I thought it was good/very good, as opposed to excellent, but was clearly in a minority, as the audience gave the cast a standing ovation. It's scheduled to be screened shortly in cinemas as part of the 'NT Live' programme.
Written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Sam Mendes, the play is set in a farmhouse kitchen in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Against a backcloth of the troubles, it explores a number of issues, including the impossibility of escaping the past.
An immensely powerful play with many layers of complexity, I thought it was nothing short of magnificent. It's on at the Gielgud Theatre until May 2018 - do try and see it if you can.
(I saw it with him too, and absolutely agree it is a great play. Serious and dark but also very funny in parts)
The Award for the Most Promising Playwright went to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for 'An Octoroon' at the Orange Tree, Richmond. I saw it there and thought it was an exceptionally original, powerful and, at times, humorous take on the representation of race. It transfers to the National Theatre in June next year and is well worth seeing if you get the chance.