The Play's The Thing- The Theatre Thread

[SiHart]

I'm feeling all high brow today and asking you what you've seen at the theatre.

I love going to the theatre. There's just something wonderful about being an audience and watching the actors on stage. I don't know if it's being there knwoing that you're going to see somethign unique because no two performances are the same, or whether it's just the whole live thing playing in front of you, but I really enjoy it.

But have you seen?

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

Last thing I went to see at the theatre was A-Team the Musical which was brilliant and very funny. It also had John Dorney in it, who some of you here know.
Before that it was probably Golden Opportunities in Croydon which had a certain Alex Finch in the cast.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Providing we get our car sorted tomorrow - I should be off to see a Midsummer Night's Dream, which I've very excited about.

My parents took me to see a version at the Derby Playhouse in the 80s, which kind of was like nothing I'd seen before, and got me excited about Shakespeare, using as it did a host of Punk Faeries - which was my inspiration for my Doctor Who story.

The version on in Wellington looks kind of wonderfully wierd ...

[Si Hunt]

I absolutely love going to the Theatre, and we like to go occasionally in Peterbrough, though sadly one of the two theatres there recently burned down and has closed. I couldn't tell you the names of many of the things we've seen, but we went to see a wonderful murder mystery once, and another time we saw "Dad's Army - The Lost Episodes" which was a stage reproduction of three of the missing episodes! The cast were absolutely spot on, and it was very funny. Another time we saw a play with Gordon Kaye in. About the only negative experience we had was when we went to see Simon's young cousin in a play in Salsbury, as she'd got a part (it also featured Emma Atkins, soon to be returning to Emmerdale). Little Frankie was great, unfortunately the play itself was a very long, very tortured World War 1 thing, and was frankly woeful!

I love going to the theatre though, and seeing lots of good actors, many of whom we know. There's also a sense of supporting the "meat and drink" of the profession (when we saw Kaye he stood up at the end and thanked us for supporting the industry); there are lots of actors and relatively few parts on TV, so theatre is where it's at, really. You're directly paying the wages of people in a very wonderful profession - and, quite honestly, I just love the thrill of watching the live performance. It's not the same, watching something pre-recorded and pre-edited. In theatre the actors are mere metres away from you, and there's a certain buzz in knowing that anything can happen.

Si.

[Antony Cox]

I like going to the theatre, too, though I haven't been for years and him indoors isn't really interested.

But over the years I've seen Arsenic and Old Lace (featuring a certain Mr T. Baker), An Inspector Calls (WIth Bernard Kay [D.I.O.E, The Crusade, The Faceless Ones, Colony in Space]), and another play I can't recall the title of but which was very good and had Susannah York and Robert Powell in. Oh, and a production of Sleuth with Peter Bowles.

[SiHart]

Arsenic and Old Lace (featuring a certain Mr T. Baker)

I saw that in Sheffield many years back and really enjoyed it. Tom's American accent was... ermm... interesting!

The other week we went to see waiting for Godot with Sir Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow and Ronald Pickup. It was quite wonderful. the play itself was one I studied many years back in Sheffield (there's a theme emerging here!) and I really destested it, but it comes alive on stage. Very much so when you've got all these fine actors performing it for you.

Tomorrow we're going to see Paul McGann at The Globe theatre. He's in Helen by Euripides. We're possibly being a bit highbrow right now!

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

We're possibly being a bit highbrow right now!

Yes and no ...

Yes when you consider the last two things I've seen were Little Shop of Horrors and then Oh What A Night!

But no as I notice for all this talk of fine arts, there is a common theme of "starring someone from Doctor Who". If David Tennant was starring as Widow Twanky, you'd be queuing for tickets ... along with the inevitable female crowd wanting to see him dress up as a woman!

Nice to hear other people enjoy going to the theatre as well. It's a luxury though, which seems kind of really expensive, esp around London.

I've also been involved in a lot of theatre work as well on an amateur level, and I kind of miss that scene, but groups can be very variable. The ones in Burton, Colchester and Portland were excellent. The ones around Farnborough were dire.

[SiHart]

But no as I notice for all this talk of fine arts, there is a common theme of "starring someone from Doctor Who". If David Tennant was starring as Widow Twanky, you'd be queuing for tickets ... along with the inevitable female crowd wanting to see him dress up as a woman!

It was a co-incidence. I didn't know Paul McGann was in it until this morning and these tickets were booked months ago (and not by us anyway). And I have seen plenty of shows without Doctor Who stars in them down the years. But there is an extra bit of excitement if you're going to see an actor you admire on stage anyway. I'm not going to apologise for that!

Si xx

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Wellington is having a creative arts month in September, and there are a load of performances on over the month - some will no doubt be awful, but I'm planning to try out a couple.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Back from seeing Midsummer Night's Dream - now that was really something special. They basically had the faeries as circus performers, which made for some very mesmerising moments. I have to say I'm wondering if I can get away with seeing it again!

[Paul Monk]

We had a fantastic time once going to see a play called "Scissor Happy" in Woking. It was a spoof whodunnit set in a hairdressers. We were drawn to it simply because it had Lionel Blair in it and I don't know why but his prescence made us think it could be cheesy fun. But it was actually better than that. In the interval you could ask questions and point out things to the the detective, who was brilliantly played by Trevor Bannister. He stayed in character throughtout the interval which must have been miserable considering he effectively got no break. Then in the second half the audience decided who they thought was the murderer and that scenario was played out.
Si Hunt and Pip would have been pleased to know it also starred Sue Hodge from Allo Allo.

[Paul Monk]

I also remember seeing a very good adaptation of Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said at a threatre in Oval. I went with a load of friends and we all liked it even the non sci-fi fans. It utilised video footage really well. I was the only person who spotted Shane Rimmer in the cast, geek that I am.

[Si Hunt]

But no as I notice for all this talk of fine arts, there is a common theme of "starring someone from Doctor Who".

Given that Doctor Who has run for about forty years, with a different guest cast every four or so weeks, it's going to surprise nobody when I report that it's actually quite difficult to see a play with NO-ONE in it connected to Doctor Who! I really is!

Especially as older actors tend to finish their career in Theatre (it's commonly remarked upon that there are less TV roles for older people) and the old series of Who is twenty years past.

Si.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I was just teasing Si! However with the new series going down a storm it's hard to duck out of members too.

When we went to see Little Shop of Horrors, there was Sylv McCoy obviously, but one member had been in the Christmas special, another a bit part in Torchwood.

We had a fantastic time once going to see a play called "Scissor Happy" in Woking. It was a spoof whodunnit set in a hairdressers.

Sounds terrible "Any plans for the weekend sir? Only I'm about to slit your throat.".

[Captain Tancredi]

Tomorrow we're going to see Paul McGann at The Globe theatre. He's in Helen by Euripides.

Does Mr Byeuripides know about this?

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Well last night me and Cameron went back to see Midsummer Night's Dream. It was so visually stunning, you just wanted to see it again. Basically it was part Shakespeare, part circus act.

Plus as it was done in the round, we sat opposite our other seats, which meant we had a slightly different vantage point, and some of the performances were clearer.

Oh and one of the actresses comes on stage wearing only a body stocking on her top, with a few strategically placed areas (she's meant to be a tattooed lady). We got a much better view of that ...

[MinaHarker]

I've seen a number of musicals, including Cats, Rocky Horror, Oliver, Lion King, Chicago, Phantom...

I love The Woman In Black - seen ti twice, it's so scary!

The trouble is, theatre is too far from where I live and costs too much for it to be something I do often though

[The Secretive Bus]

I live in Edinburgh so I've been enjoying the Fringe, finances aside. Saw quite a good production of "Art", one of my favourite plays, and lots of new pieces of writing by friends of mine. Must admit, though, that the best thing I've seen in recent times was the Broadway production of Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury when I was in New York!

I regularly write and direct shows for the university's student theatre, with two on the go at the moment! "Adoring April" is my first drama - about a 41 year old guy and a 19 year old girl both unsatisfied with themselves and trying to do something about it - and it's on in September, with a rather good cast. Excited about that, though the next 2 weeks of intensive rehearsals will be exhausting and I'm not even in it! And I've got a surreal character piece about a woman who invites her friends to her cellar to tell them she thinks her husband is going to murder her becaue he has shifty eyes. That's being written with a friend and should be on in October. I really do love putting on shows. The October one will be my tenth self-written show in the last 3 and a half years and I hope (I pray) I've been getting better at it! Really want to make a go at being a professional playwright if I can...

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Has anyone seen "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens"? Theres a production of it on this week in Welly, and I don't know whether to try it out or not.

[Darren]

I love theatre, currently specifically, musicals. The whole experience is exciting and exhilarating giving a real buzz. I have seen Cats, Chicago, Phantom, Guys and Dolls, Les Mis, We Will Rock You, The Producers, Starlight Express, Spamalot, and recently Hairspray and Sister Act.

When I was in Norwich last month, I went to see an amateur production of Death Trap at the Maddermarket theatre, which I really enjoyed.

[Alex]

Has anyone seen "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens"? Theres a production of it on this week in Welly, and I don't know whether to try it out or not.

Ah, fraid I've only seen this post just now so I imagine it's come and gone, but my Sister saw it a couple of months ago and said it was entertaining, but nothing that special - so I don't think you've missed out on a classic.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Thanks Alex - I was kind of ultra-busy that week so it was never going to happen.

[duncan]

My list of shows I have seen at various Theatres include;

Time The Musical (Cliff Richard)
Chess
Five Guys Named Moe
Misery
Grease
Cats
Starlight Express
Saturday Night fever
Riverdance

and the most recent was Joseph starring Gareth Gates.

[MinaHarker]

No Rocky Horror?

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Booked for the theatre tomorrow. Is it Panto season?

Well maybe - but we're off to see Wolf's Lair ...

http://www.circa.co.nz/circatheatre/Shows/Wolf%27s-Lair-$25-$20

A portrait of an ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances.

"Of course, the terrible things I heard from the Nuremberg Trials, about the six million Jews and the people from other races who were killed, were facts that shocked me deeply. I was satisfied that I wasn't personally to blame and that I hadn't known about those things. I now know that it was no excuse to be young."

- Traudl Junge

Wolf’s Lair is a solo show based on the life of Traudl Junge, Hitler’s personal secretary during World War II. Wolf's Lair is a 50-minute fractured portrait and monologue, about the "unspectacular life" of a very ordinary woman who found herself in 1942 at the age of 22 working in Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair), Hitler's headquarters.

Germany, 1942. Traudl Junge was a young woman with dreams of becoming a ballerina. Instead, at 22 years old she became Adolf Hitler's personal secretary. She served him for two and a half years, until the final days of World War II when Nazi Germany fell. Traudl Junge was one of the few survivors to emerge from the Berlin Bunker where Hitler and many members of his inner circle ended their own lives. For many years Traudl Junge claimed she had been blind to the genocidal activities being carried out around her, it was not until the late 1960s that she began to confront her past. Over the next 35 years that confrontation became an increasingly painful process; an exhausting attempt to understand herself and her motivations as a young woman. She died in February 2002, shortly after the publication of her memoir.

With this work we have been drawn to one woman’s relationship to her guilt, memories and responsibility for the part she played in history; a woman who served a mass murderer and yet does not fit into the polarized territory of the hero's and the villains. We have used voices from different periods of her life to explore this theatrically. In trying to uncover the truth about Traudl Junge, we have discovered that truth is constantly shifting, and is often relative to time, age and perspective.

Wolf’s Lair is an examination of the ghosts of one woman's conscience. Wolf’s Lair, rather than re-enacting her autobiography, shines a light on the pain and confusion Junge suffered - not at the time of the Nazi genocide, but when as an adult she finally started questioning and accepting her role in what happened around her.

Sounds a barrel of laughs. But Cameron is fascinated with the Second World War, and enjoyed both the Valkerie movie and Boy In The Stripped Pyjamas.