Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #080

15th August to 10th September.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse)

2. Song from Far Away (Young Vic)

3. Splendour (Donmar Warehouse)
4. Annie (Theatre Royal Norwich)
5. Against Captain's Orders (National Maritime Museum)

6. Alice's Adventures Underground (The Vaults)

7. Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe)

8. King Lear with Sheep (Courtyard Theatre)
9. Bakkhai (Almeida)
10. Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe)

Who was the best performer in number one (Casa Valentina)?
Well, I thought Emma Stone was terrific, but apparently that was actually an actor called Ashley Robinson, so. Tamsin Carroll was superb too. In fact, the whole cast was great, I didn't realise quite how much so until a tonal shift in the second half but the subtle differences really hammered it all home.

Why did you go to see number two (Song from Far Away)?
I still have no idea how I feel about Simon Stephens, but I know I feel very happy about Ivo van Hove, and the Young Vic does continue to be a delightfully affordable theatre so there was no reason not to be all over that.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (Splendour) that you liked?
"Buzz Lightyear is not a real spaceman."

What would you give number four (Annie) out of ten?
Hmmm. Well, the production was fine, but it's really just not a very good show, is it? Another non-committal 7.

Was there someone hot in number five (Against Captain's Orders)?
The quite excellent Kathryn McGarr!

What was number six (Alice's Adventures Underground) about?
ERM. Difficult to say, to be honest, it was sort of like Alice in Wonderland but with minimal Alice and then the Mad Hatter started flirting with me while my friends were wheeled away on a wagon and I don't even know anymore.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Macbeth)?
I'll never know who it was, but the faceless stage ninja who played the "is this a dagger I see before me?" dagger. They were TERRIFIC.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (King Lear with Sheep)?
Nothing in the production itself actually lived up to the concept. Some things are so perfect in idea form that to elaborate on them and explore them further is only ever going to bring them down.

Would you see number nine (Bakkhai) again?
Nah. I really liked it but I have no real need to revisit it.

What was the worst thing about number ten (Much Ado About Nothing)?
Having stayed up until 1am to watch the Almeida's livestream of The Iliad, I was extremely not up for standing up for three hours by the time I got to the Globe. Luckily the production was so thoroughly charming that I didn't regret a thing in the end, apart from maybe taking my earphones out early enough to hear at least five different and yet oddly similar conversations about the Branagh film version from an array of fellow audience members.

Which was best?
Probably Much Ado About Nothing to be honest.

Which was worst?
King Lear with Sheep was pretty disappointing.

Did any make you cry?
Tears of pride were shed at Against Captain's Orders, seeing how emotionally over-invested in a Punchdrunk production my 7 year old nephew had become.

Did any make you laugh?
None of them significantly more than any of the others.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
BEATRICE AND REGAN.

Which one did you have best seats for?
There was one particular scene in Alice's Adventures Underground where I didn't get into the room in time to sit on one of the provided seats, so I sat on the ground, on the edge of a pier, and dangled my little legs over the water, and it was perfect.