Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #070

31st January to 21st February.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. The Wasp (Hampstead)
2. Kat and Matt Do That: Education, Education, Education (COG ARTSpace)
3. A Stab in the Dark (Lyric Hammersmith)
4. Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory)
5. Sister Act (Yvonne Arnaud)
6. Oppenheimer (Swan Theatre)

7. The Shoemaker's Holiday (Swan Theatre)
8. Othello (Lyric Hammersmith)
9. Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory)
10. The Merchant of Venice (Almeida)

Who was the best performer in number one (The Wasp)?
Hmmm. I don't really favour choosing one performer over another when it's a two-hander, but Sinéad Matthews really was.

Why did you go to see number two (Kat and Matt Do That: Education, Education, Education)?
Either a fondness for the performers or an inability to let go. Or possibly somewhere deep down I knew that there would come a point when the entire audience was encouraged to bellow 'Let It Go' at the top of our lungs, which must have been terrifying echoing through the floor to the people in the pub below.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (A Stab in the Dark) that you liked?
"When you come, your face looks like Ron Weasley after he's had bad news." Crude but vivid.

What would you give number four (Assassins) out of ten?
I think at this point it's very clear I will be giving it an unashamed TEN out of MOTHERFLIPPING TEN. It was especially exciting this time for having had a bit of a cast reshuffle due to some people leaving and other people being poorly and yet still being just as powerful as the first time I saw it.

Was there someone hot in number five (Sister Act)?
I couldn't say. For its size, the Yvonne Arnaud is surprisingly steep.

What was number six (Oppenheimer) about?
Science and sad eyes. It was EXCELLENT.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (The Shoemaker's Holiday)?
I'm going with Jack Holden. I have no idea which king he was meant to be, but he was DELIGHTFUL.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (Othello)?
THE SET THE SET THE SET. Who needs to get bogged down in drunk acting when the walls will give a far more convincing display of inebriation than any actor ever could?

Would you see number nine (Assassins) again?
I had already declared that three times was enough and I was going to move on with my life. I think we can all tell from this blog entry that that just didn't happen. I could honestly see it once a week for the rest of the year at least and be satisfied. Thank heaven it's closing soon.

What was the worst thing about number ten (The Merchant of Venice)?
Oh come on, it was cracking. Though I suppose I could've done without leaving with a bevy of Elvis songs stuck in my head.

Which was best?
Oh look, Assassins and Oppenheimer again. How did THAT happen?

Which was worst?

Did any make you cry?
Uhhh, no.

Did any make you laugh?
I laughed an awful lot at Kat and Matt Do That, but that's to be expected. If I laughed at any of the others, it was not on a comparable level.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I DEFINITELY have to stop going to see Assassins for I have reached the stage where I could genuinely go on for the Balladeer myself with only a bare minimum of rehearsal. I mean, I know all the words, I play the banjo, and there has already been a need for an understudy in the role, sooo...

Which one did you have best seats for?
A Stab in the Dark. Also I was sat next to Frances de la Tour at The Wasp and I was genuinely surprised that she is not at least eight feet tall.