Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #037

8th to 28th June.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Pigeons (Royal Court)
2. The Drowned Man (Punchdrunk)
3. Titus Andronicus (Swan Theatre)
4. Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe)
5. The Merchant of Venice (Hall Barn)
6. The Night Alive (Donmar)
7. Bracken Moor (Tricycle)
8. As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Theatre)
9. The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare's Globe)
10. Even Stillness Breathes Softly Against a Brick Wall (Soho)

Who was the best performer in number one (Pigeons)?
Ooh, they were all good, but I did come armed with a Ryan Sampson prejudice that wasn't shaken by the horrendous things his character did simply because of deeply tragic and avoidable but not enough people are fighting them social reasons.

Why did you go to see number two (The Drowned Man)?
I'm a Punchdrunk veteran who's been desperately awaiting a proper return to London since The Masque of the Red Death shuttered. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (Titus Andronicus) that you liked?
If you know me even the tiniest little bit, and if you know Titus Andronicus more than not-at-all, you can totally work this one out without me going into detail.

What would you give number four (Macbeth) out of ten?
Ooh! A merry 8! It's not my favourite play and it's not a ground-breaking production but it wildly overcame some of the issues I usually have and left me feeling thoroughly cheered about my decision to see it more than once, as I do with the majority of Globe productions.

Was there someone hot in number five (The Merchant of Venice)?
Nah. I did used to have a crush on Bassanio years ago, but I can't for the life of me figure out why.

What was number six (The Night Alive) about?
The hitherto unsuspected bromance between Mance Rayder and Roose Bolton, as best I could tell.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Bracken Moor)?
Daniel Flynn. They were all excellent, but he was so good that he actually managed to suggest that the play might actually have been all about his character's emotional journey with the others only peripheral, which is no mean feat considering what the play was actually about and how excellent everyone else was.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (As You Like It)?
There was a banjo. It was pretty splendid. Though underused. The whole thing was pretty splendid. Still: more banjo.

Would you see number nine (The Taming of the Shrew) again?
Yes and no. It's a touring production and it's not coming anywhere near me again so this is only going to be an intellectual question anyway. I enjoyed it an immense amount and thought it was terribly well done, but if you get a cast of ladies together to do one of the most problematic plays feminism-wise, then they are going to take a good long look at that ending and they are going to end up cutting down to your very soul and leaving you weeping for a good half hour afterwards. I would, but I'd have to take a friend for support, and how extraordinarily lucky that I had that when I saw it this time!

What was the worst thing about number ten (Even Stillness Breathes Softly Against a Brick Wall)?
The title was pretty killer. I like to pick my tickets up from the box office where possible, 'cos it saves the possibility of losing them at any point before arriving at the theatre, but you don't half feel like an idiot when you can't even remember the name of the play you're picking up a ticket for. More playwrights should be like Philip Ridley, man.

Which was best?
It may be Macbeth actually. I cannot over-emphasise how much better this play is when those involved concentrate on the humanity of the characters over everything else. Also, DEFINITELY the best Globe jig of the season so far!

Which was worst?
This question doesn't really apply here.

Did any make you cry?
Apart from The Taming of the Shrew? Actually, I think Shrew totally had it. That's it, a month's quota of tears on one comedy.

Did any make you laugh?
Yes. Pigeons, Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, As You Like It, and The Taming of the Shrew.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
Just bring me all the Shakespeare and be done with it. Though if I had ANY athleticism at all, I would totally dig being a Punchdrunk cast member.

Which one did you have best seats for?
Front row centre strikes again for Bracken Moor and Even Stillness Breathes Softly Against a Brick Wall. Also I found a very satisfactory actor to follow around for a good chunk of The Drowned Man (hi, Adam Burton!), and I must resist the urge to do it again when I go next time.