Theatah, dahling!

[forbiddencharm]

We went to see Under the Blue Sky last weekend. It was good, but I find it extremely annoying that it was described as a comedy in all the reviews. It wasn't. A few funny lines do not a comedy make, especially when they serve primarily to break the tension. It was interestingly structured, with essentially three one acts stuck together cleverly. The second playlet happens because of later actions of the characters in the first, and a character in the third is driven by still later actions from those characters, but each piece stands alone. It's going to be very popular with beginning drama teachers, three two person scenes that are complete in themselves! Catherine Tate did a good job, but I wish she could have been a little farther outside of her comfort zone. I think she's probably a talented actress, but it's difficult to tell when she only ever plays the same loud, brash, dim, Lunnon-girl roles.

In other news, tickets for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet went on sale today. Which is all well and good, only Hamlet is played by David Tennant of Dr Who fame, and it's impossible to get through to the RSC. I don't think it occurred to them just how popular this man is, although sadly a lot of people only want to gawk at Dr Who. Which does explain why he wasn't willing to do a full season this upcoming year, if he wants to be taken seriously he needs to be seen by people who care about acting in a completely different role. But come on, I want to see Hamlet! With Patrick Stewart!

Comments

[word-geek.livejournal.com]

I like Hamlet. I like Patrick Stewart. I like David Tennant, and not just as the Doctor. I like Shakespeare in modern dress (it is, isn't it?). Yes, I'm a rabid Doctor Who fan, but that's not why I'd love to see this show. At least, I don't think it is.

They just went on sale today, though? I thought the show had already been running for weeks. I'm sure I saw photos somewhere. Or was that just a preview engagement? I admit I haven't paid much attention, since there's an ocean in the way, and I'm likely to actually go.

[redaly.livejournal.com]

The play has been on in Stratford-upon-Avon for a month or so and runs through October. It opens in London December 3, and tickets for THAT just went on sale. They ranged in price from 20 pounds up to 50. They're currently running just under 200 pounds apiece on eBay and other ticket resale sites. I fully anticipate it will get much worse, as quite a few folks were planning to buy this afternoon when they got off work. Othello with Ewan MacGregor was scalped for upwards of 2000 pounds a ticket last winter, and this might just beat that. This is what bothers me about movie and TV stars on stage.


Don't get me wrong, I love David Tennant as much as the next girl possibly more. He was great in Blackpool and Casanova, and I thought his fairly understated performance in Learners was genius. Just like you, I love all the aspects of this show, it's like a perfect storm. But it's a bit ridiculous! There were people camping out at the theatre at 8pm yesterday. I know darn well most of them don't give a crap about Patrick Stewart, or Shakespeare and staging choices, or the reviews the piece has gotten-- they JUST want to see the Doctor. And I get that, but it still bugs me that I spent two hours this morning on both the phone and the internet attempting to get a ticket for my perfect storm and failed, while people who will hate the experience and think it boring except for the Doctor succeeded. And sure, some of them will decide that they love theatre because of it, but some won't, while people who just like good theatre won't get to see it.

[word-geek.livejournal.com]

I'm curious, though...wouldn't the people who are just thinking "ZOMG, The Doctor plays Hamlet!" have a substantial overlap with the people who are thinking "ZOMG, Captain Picard [Professor X] plays Claudius!" Honestly, that's the twin appeal for me (in the hypothetical situation in which I could go, which I can't)...I already know that Stewart can bring the Shakespeare, I'd like to see how Tennant does on stage with him. (And I won't pretend there's not some small part that wonders if they'd accidentally rip apart the space/time continuum and cause John DeLancie to appear as Polonius, or something.)

[zaph-redmantis.livejournal.com]

"I am fortune's fool!"

(Leonardo DiCaprio said that, either in The Departed or the Aviator, I think).