Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #058

27th June to 5th July.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Handbagged (Vaudeville)
2. The Elephantom (New London)
3. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk)
4. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk)
5. Secret Theatre: Show 5 (Lyric Hammersmith)
6. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk)
7. Adler and Gibb (Royal Court)
8. The Last Days of Troy (Shakespeare's Globe)
9. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk)

10. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk)

Who was the best performer in number one (Handbagged)?
They were all superb, but I think Fenella Woolgar just pips the others to the post, as she did that slightly creepy thing that all the best actors do where you can't possibly describe any physical differences at all, as there are none, but nonetheless she suddenly became an entirely different person at the curtain call (which, of course, meant that she had thoroughly BEEN an entirely different person throughout the play and was reverting to herself). Difficult to explain, but always impressive to see.

Why did you go to see number two (The Elephantom)?
I went to the theatre 170 times last year. Some of the shows I saw were excellent, some were superb, but the one show that not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them beyond my wildest dreams was The Elephantom. I was THRILLED when they announced the transfer!

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable) that you liked?
No. Not really. For the most part I was just so ridiculously overjoyed that Ed Warner would be playing the Barman one last time (Ed Warner Barman being my unexpected but absolute favourite performer/character combination, and signs indicating that he possibly had finished playing the role forever) that I couldn't really hear or focus on anything over my own grinning, and then I was completely overwhelmed to learn that the Greener Happy Ending is a thing that exists after all.

What would you give number four (The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable) out of ten?
TEN. AN UNABASHED TEN.

Was there someone hot in number five (Secret Theatre: Show 5)?
I've come to love the entire ensemble a great deal. But my girl crush on Nadia Albina is going through the ROOF.

What was number six (The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable) about?
It was about all the various ways people can be messed up by Hollywood. Though I'm not entirely sure that real Hollywood ever goes the extra mile in the way that Temple Studios does.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Adler and Gibb)?
Ooh, erm. Rachel Redford, I reckon.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (The Last Days of Troy)?
I didn't really have a favourite bit, I was mostly too overwhelmed by ankle pain and by trying to work out if Simon Harrison had always been that hot.

Would you see number nine (The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable) again?
Nah. Oh, wait...

What was the worst thing about number ten (The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable)?
After far too many trips to mention, I have finally received my very first Temple Studios injury. A performer/character combo who had always seemed to disdain me before finally decided we were friends and gave me a bunch of whiskey. This may or may not have been a contributing factor when I later fell off a raised platform in a crowded saloon and went over on my right ankle. It wasn't a problem at first, but this was the 5pm show on a Friday night, and I was in serious pain by the 9pm show that same night, and it also had a knock-on effect on my Globe trip the next day. I can highly recommend not injuring yourself, if that's something you had considered making a part of your life.

Which was best?
Look at that list of shows. Don't make me.

Which was worst?
See previous answer.

Did any make you cry?
Always the weeping at The Drowned Man. Probably some weeping at Show 5.

Did any make you laugh?
Definitely The Drowned Man and The Elephantom. Show 5 and Handbagged had some serious giggling too.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I can't. I'm not really functioning very well emotionally right now.

Which one did you have best seats for?
Secret Theatre: Show 5. I may or may not have come out of that show with a secret of my own which may or may not have come due to my choice of seat.