Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #043

28th September to 13th October.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe)
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare's Globe)
3. The Lightning Child (Shakespeare's Globe)
4. Blue Stockings (Shakespeare's Globe)
5. Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model (Soho)
6. The Light Princess (National; Lyttelton)
7. Farragut North (Southwark Playhouse)
8. Secret Theatre: Show 1 (Lyric Hammersmith)
9. Secret Theatre: Show 2 (Lyric Hammersmith)
10. The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas (Royal Court)

Who was the best performer in number one (Macbeth)?
Oooooh! Gosh, they were all wonderful! No, I won't name names, I love the whole ensemble very dearly. Actually, I will name one name, god bless Philip Cumbus for making the godawful 4.3 work!

Why did you go to see number two (A Midsummer Night's Dream)?
It was Globe closing weekend. I wouldn't have been anywhere else in the WORLD.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (The Lightning Child) that you liked?
It was all so very odd that I'm not sure I can! I did come home with a piece of internal organ wrapped in a tissue though.

What would you give number four (Blue Stockings) out of ten?
10! A 10 a 10 a 10! It was funny, it was brilliant, it was passionate, it was likeable, it was populated with wonderful characters and produced with the utmost excellence, and on a subject very very dear to my heart! If I see a better play this year, I will simply have to roll over and weep!

Was there someone hot in number five (Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model)?
Ew, what an inappropriate production to ask this question about. We're meant to be teaching our children not to objectify people, and making sure they aren't sexualised too soon, damnit.

What was number six (The Light Princess) about?
Beautiful ladies with fabulous red hair. A falcon. A beautiful lady falconer with fabulous red hair and impeccable dress sense. A lake.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Farragut North)?
Hmmm! I rather liked Rachel Tucker, I thought she was excellently excellent.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (Secret Theatre: Show 1)?
The whole experience was too surreal to be able to remember thoroughly and/or break down into bits.

Would you see number nine (Secret Theatre: Show 2) again?
I would, actually. It's always exciting to see how strong writing stands up to any sort of production, particularly one that is so utterly tied to the time and place of its setting.

What was the worst thing about number ten (The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas)?
Why on EARTH did such a long play start at 8pm when the one act play upstairs started at 7.30pm? Somebody at Sloane Square has VERY inappropriate ideas of sensible scheduling.

Which was best?
Blue Stockings! And Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Which was worst?
The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas, while not quite the trainwreck others have declared it to be, was not great.

Did any make you cry?
I spent so much of Blue Stockings sobbing that it's not even funny. Same with Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model. I like to say I'm an angry feminist because the alternative is being a crying-all-day feminist, but it turns out really I'm just an angry-crying-all-day feminist.

Did any make you laugh?
Let's say all of them! But I'd be lying if I said A Midsummer Night's Dream didn't make me laugh the most.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
Bring on ALL THE SHAKESPEARE. Any lady in Blue Stockings, it's such a fantastic play! I think I'd like to play the Falconer in The Light Princess, but maybe I just want to be Laura Pitt-Pulford, an understandable desire.

Which one did you have best seats for?
We did very well with standing spots for the Globe. Possibly we were a little too close to the action for The Lightning Child (especially the jig), but then we were even more too close to the action for A Midsummer Night's Dream and that was GLORIOUS. I also got front row centre, next to the same two ladies, for both Secret Theatre shows, which is nice. And I was front row centre for The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas, which did at least mean I was fully able to see Tom Brooke and Joshua James's superb faces very well indeed.