Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #044

15th October to 2nd November.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. The Events (Young Vic)
2. Ghosts (Almeida)
3. Secret Theatre: Show 3 (Lyric Hammersmith)
4. Perle (Soho)
5. Edward II (National; Olivier)
6. Roots (Donmar Warehouse)
7. The Scottsboro Boys (Young Vic)
8. The Love Girl and the Innocent (Southwark Playhouse)
9. The Herd (Bush)
10. Mercury Fur (RADA)

Who was the best performer in number one (The Events)?
Well, clearly the choir! They were quite splendid and made the production SO much more wonderful than if it had simply been the two-person show that it otherwise was.

Why did you go to see number two (Ghosts)?
I decided to blanket-book everything at the Almeida and worry later about whether I wanted to see it or not. Between this, Chimerica, and the American Psycho casting, I'd say it's a policy that has paid off very nicely.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (Secret Theatre: Show 3) that you liked?
I'm terrible at remembering lines and lyrics unless it's a show I already know quite well. Can we exorcise this question? There's no way in hell it's the most satisfying answer to read of the bunch.

What would you give number four (Perle) out of ten?
8, I reckon. I'm having a really good run of one-person shows.

Was there someone hot in number five (Edward II)?
Edward II had pretty much the most attractive cast EVER, between John Heffernan, Kyle Soller, Vanessa Kirby, Kirsty Bushell, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and beyond!

What was number six (Roots) about?
Being better off without the pretentious hipster from whom you derived the need to see all the beautiful things the world has to offer.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (The Scottsboro Boys)?
You know ensemble casts? You know how it's a whole bunch of them and they're all great? Yeah, I'm not answering this. Although I'll give a shout-out to Tom Green in the band, clearly some kind of mandolin/banjo/ukulele/guitar-playing wizard. If it weren't for the guitar, he'd be pretty much the perfect man I'm sure!

What was your favourite bit in number eight (The Love Girl and the Innocent)?
Not an individual part, as such, but it was an absolute joy to see a play of Russian extraction that didn't feature all the usual Russian theatrical tropes. A country pile that no one can afford, longing for the city, general ennui and dissatisfaction, et cetera.

Would you see number nine (The Herd) again?
I would, actually. I think the play is good enough that it would have been produced even if it hadn't had a notable name for its playwright.

What was the worst thing about number ten (Mercury Fur)?
I shouldn't be allowed to sit next to strangers at Philip Ridley plays anymore. Apparently I worry them.

Which was best?
Edward II and The Scottsboro Boys.

Which was worst?
Probably The Love Girl and the Innocent if we're being fair.

Did any make you cry?
I wept at The Events, Edward II, and Mercury Fur.

Did any make you laugh?
I laughed at Secret Theatre: Show 3, Perle, and The Herd.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
Um... none, really.

Which one did you have best seats for?
Front row centre for The Events, Perle, The Love Girl and the Innocent, and Mercury Fur. Also I had a splendid seat for The Herd from which I could see a certain beloved actor, also in the audience, beaming out of the darkness like the Cheshire Cat at the parts he found particularly amusing (most of the play). It was CHARMING.