Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #065

30th October to 14th November.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Permission Improbable (Battersea Arts Centre)
2. Symphony (Soho)
3. 2071 (Royal Court)
4. Electra (Old Vic)
5. Spine (Soho)
6. Unidentified Item in the Bagging Area (Old Red Lion)
7. St Ethelburga's Hallowtide Fair (Eastbury Manor House)
8. St Ethelburga's Hallowtide Fair (Eastbury Manor House)
9. Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse)

10. The Wild Duck (Barbican)

Who was the best performer in number one (Permission Improbable)?
I liked them all a great deal, but Alex Murdoch was my easy favourite by the end.

Why did you go to see number two (Symphony)?
I had a ticket to see it back in February, when I was unfortunately beset by The Ill and had to make the very grown-up decision to not attend, so I was thoroughly delighted to be able to have this second chance to see it. Also Tom Wells. He's one of my top three playwrights, I'll see anything that's got his name on it.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (2071) that you liked?
Nah, it's not that kind of play. Not even a play at all really. I remember one point when he said "myriad of" and I shuddered, but then there was another point when he said "these data are" and I purred, if that counts for anything.

What would you give number four (Electra) out of ten?
Let's say 7. Some absolutely faultless performances, particularly from the women, but I'm just not sure I liked the play itself very much.

Was there someone hot in number five (Spine)?
It depends what you mean by hot, really. If you mean "LIKE LIGHTNING, BLAZING HER WAY ACROSS THE STAGE AND LEAVING THE AUDIENCE SEARED AND SCORCHED BY HER BRILLIANCE", then sure, Rosie Wyatt is hot. I mean, she's attractive too, but that really pales into insignificance next to how brilliant she is.

What was number six (Unidentified Item in the Bagging Area) about?
I think it was about bad customer service. I really couldn't get over how ridiculously unprofessional every single bejobbed character in this play was (well, one was only mildly unprofessional but still not really adhering to accepted professional standards, and another may not have accepted professional standards so to speak but I'm still pretty sure it was unprofessional behaviour).

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (St Ethelburga's Hallowtide Fair)?
I can't be 100% certain that the one I'm thinking of is definitely Matthew Odell, but assuming it was, he was utterly delightful in his story-telling, his performing, his audience interactions, and his recognition of my Hallowe'en costume.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (St Ethelburga's Hallowtide Fair)?
I very much liked the repeated opportunities to sit and sing songs I know well (and the song I learned for the first time that day and will never forget), and I liked the treasure hunt in the garden a great deal, and I liked the guided tour to the attic an awful lot, but I think my favourite bit was the scene at the top of the tower performed just for me, which I was extremely lucky to get to see, and very moved by.

Would you see number nine (Henry IV) again?
Nah, some things are perfectly satisfactory on just the one viewing, especially when one has been cramming so much theatre in lately.

What was the worst thing about number ten (The Wild Duck)?
Well, I was expecting to be more devastated than I was. Don't get me wrong, it was superb, but I emerged disappointingly dry-eyed into the night. I think I'm just a little too genre-savvy, and though audience members around me were clearly surprised by the plot turns (well, the woman who delivered an extremely audible gasp at a key point was, anyway), I just wasn't, and while sometimes foreknowledge simply adds to the feeling of tragedy, it wasn't the case for me this time. Mind you, I can't really complain about not being devastated at the theatre, life is devastating enough.

Which was best?
Well, Spine! Spine Spine Spine!.

Which was worst?
I don't think I enjoyed Unidentified Item in the Bagging Area for any of the reasons I was supposed to. Indeed, I'd go so far as to suggest I maybe didn't really enjoy it at all.

Did any make you cry?
I definitely wept at Spine. I think that was the only one.

Did any make you laugh?
I laughed at Permission Improbable a great deal, and Symphony, and Spine, and there must have been laughter at St Ethelburga's Hallowtide Fair, because it was too delightful for there not to have been.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I want to play ALL the roles in Henry IV. Well, any role. We'll see.

Which one did you have best seats for?
I like unassigned seating, I did very well with Permission Improbable, Symphony, Spine, and Unidentified Item in the Bagging Area.