Going Postal, as done by the awesome amateurs
aka Progress Theatre company, the local lot who do Shakespeare in the Abbey Ruins. (this always sells out. They're *good*.) This was the surprise my brother had been promising me as birthday treat.
Fucking hysterical. Wee bit of disconnect of book->stripped down stage, but Stephen Briggs adapted well so v. little was missed out, costumes were simple but awesome, slightly irritating use of Clannad's Second Nature as the between-scenes music, and the tiny theatre was full of Pratchett fans (you could tell because at the end of the play, where it went black after Moist and Adora Belle Dearheart theoretically walk off into the sunset, no-one started clapping because they all knew there was the Reacher Gilt scene to come). Effects - special mention to the glowing eyes they rigged for the golems and the omni-whatsit viewer.
Most of the cast were awesome (sadly, Reacher Gilt not so brilliant) - as usual, there are our fave regulars like Trevor the stage manager/director/whatever he's doing this production who always has a minor role that's a couple of lines but kills the audience every time, Moist was great, Dan playing the Patrician was channelling pure and undiluted Stephen Briggs, Assistant Junior Postman brilliant, the boy playing Stanley was sheer genius, Igor hammed it up something chronic and Adora was good. (more on her later). As ever, these people do the best bloody physical comedy and comic timing I've ever seen as a company. Even the ones who aren't brilliant actors can slay you with their timing.
My only problem? It's the first time I've seen someone playing a character based on someone I know. ABD = random_c for those who don't read this journal regularly. Actress was good, don't get me wrong, I just kept having this little voice going 'arrrgh, voice! gestures! AND WHY IS SHE NOT WEARING BLACK OR A CORSET?' ....I have no idea how people who know, say, Tony Blair IRL cope with seeing Michael Sheen playing him.
Fucking hysterical. Wee bit of disconnect of book->stripped down stage, but Stephen Briggs adapted well so v. little was missed out, costumes were simple but awesome, slightly irritating use of Clannad's Second Nature as the between-scenes music, and the tiny theatre was full of Pratchett fans (you could tell because at the end of the play, where it went black after Moist and Adora Belle Dearheart theoretically walk off into the sunset, no-one started clapping because they all knew there was the Reacher Gilt scene to come). Effects - special mention to the glowing eyes they rigged for the golems and the omni-whatsit viewer.
Most of the cast were awesome (sadly, Reacher Gilt not so brilliant) - as usual, there are our fave regulars like Trevor the stage manager/director/whatever he's doing this production who always has a minor role that's a couple of lines but kills the audience every time, Moist was great, Dan playing the Patrician was channelling pure and undiluted Stephen Briggs, Assistant Junior Postman brilliant, the boy playing Stanley was sheer genius, Igor hammed it up something chronic and Adora was good. (more on her later). As ever, these people do the best bloody physical comedy and comic timing I've ever seen as a company. Even the ones who aren't brilliant actors can slay you with their timing.
My only problem? It's the first time I've seen someone playing a character based on someone I know. ABD = random_c for those who don't read this journal regularly. Actress was good, don't get me wrong, I just kept having this little voice going 'arrrgh, voice! gestures! AND WHY IS SHE NOT WEARING BLACK OR A CORSET?' ....I have no idea how people who know, say, Tony Blair IRL cope with seeing Michael Sheen playing him.