Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #026

14th September to 5th October.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Damned by Despair (National; Olivier)
2. Henry V (Old Red Lion Theatre)
3. Private Peaceful (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
4. Scenes from an Execution (National; Lyttelton)
5. Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe)
6. Three Sisters (Young Vic)
7. Sweet Charity (Wycombe Town Hall)
8. I am a Camera (Southwark Playhouse)
9. Love and Information (Royal Court)
10. Antony and Cleopatra (Chichester Festival Theatre)

Who was the best performer in number one (Damned by Despair)?
Hmmm. Erm, I'll pass. There are some brilliant people in the play, generally speaking, but it's a production to quietly drop from the CV at the earliest convenient opportunity.

Why did you go to see number two (Henry V)?
Because it's Henry V. Favourite play!

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (Private Peaceful) that you liked?
Nope. It was a very faithful retelling of the book, apart from the one major alteration that I feel actually undermined the point of the story, but otherwise, if you truly want to know about the language, you can find the book easily enough in most bookshops.

What would you give number four (Scenes from an Execution) out of ten?
8! I really enjoyed it, and was thoroughly enthralled by how gloriously unapologetic and fearless Fiona Shaw was.

Was there someone hot in number five (Twelfth Night)?
I'd be lying if I said I'm not more than a little bit in love with Liam Brennan since seeing this.

What was number six (Three Sisters) about?
Russian furniture removal and a sororal trio courtesy of Russia.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Sweet Charity)?
Couldn't say I had a favourite actor. Big fan of the musical director though.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (I am a Camera)?
Taking "bit" to mean "aspect" rather than "part", I enjoyed the closeness of the relationship between Christopher and Sally. They had a terrifically believable chemistry.

Would you see number nine (Love and Information) again?
No. While some of the fun came from not knowing what was going to happen next, I have a sneaking suspicion that had I seen it more than once, I would've wanted to see it ALL THE TIMES so I could overanalyse every last scene to death.

What was the worst thing about number ten (Antony and Cleopatra)?
It's a toss-up between a miscast Antony, and Octavius just not having enough to do.

Which was best?
Either Scenes from an Execution or Twelfth Night.

Which was worst?
It's got to be Damned by Despair. I'm not hating on it to be cool, I just genuinely thought it was a very bad piece of theatre that picked up a lot in the second half but still not enough to be considered good.

Did any make you cry?
I'm reasonably confident that Twelfth Night must have done, though I don't strictly have any memories of weeping.

Did any make you laugh?
Scenes from an Execution, Twelfth Night, Love and Information, and probably I am a Camera.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I'd be very keen to play Viola, Olivia, or Orsino. Find me a local all-female production of Twelfth Night!

Which one did you have best seats for?
Definitely Damned by Despair.