Saint Joan
Best thing that happened today was the email from Girlguiding saying that they're going to be merging the waiting list & main database system so there's omly the one \o/ onestly the time & stress that those two have caused me and my mentees make this a VERY good news day.
*ignores all the rest of reality*
Play #2 of the year is tomorrow so if I want this year to be more successful than last year I REALLY should talk about Saint Joan last Thursday...
Saint Joan @ Donmar Warehouse
I've seen Saint Joan once before at the National Theatre with Anne Marie Duff (in 2007 it turns out, I had to look that bit up). I don't remember a whole lot about that production other than being mesmerised by Anne Marie and the staging which I seem to remember involved lots of chairs and loud stomping in the battle scenes. Also I think Paterson Joseph was the bishop that was played by Eliot Levy in this newer production?
Anyway it means there wasn't a strong memory to compare this to and yet I still have the lingering feeling that that production was better. Not that this was great, it really was, and Gemma Arterton is never less than fascinating but occasionally she was actually a little bit too much. Too mannered was what we said immediately afterwards and I think I'd go with that.
Also the staging was clever but a bit too much at times too. THey had a lot of projection wuth fake news reports and fake stock exchange graphics (no countries, lots of corporations) and I liked the news stuff but it might have been taken a step too far? And also we had a revolving stage and sometimes it's nice if sets stay in one place and don't endless spin even if it does ensure you see everyone's faces.
BUT. Gemma really was great and I loved the dynamic between her and Hadley Fraser's Bastard. I also loved Fisayo Akinade's Dauphin who was clearly much more comfortable wandering around in pyjamas and bare feet than actually leading. And then Elliot Levy who continually sneaks higher and higher in my estimation every time I see him. I loved the way his bishop never let go of his humanity even in the face of scheming that he was very much part of. I absolutely believed he wanted to save Joan for her own sake (even if at the same time he knew she had to be removed from public view for the safety and security of his country).
I think I found the scenes between the bishops, with the political maneuvering, the most fascinating but with the scenes between Joan & the Bastard perfect quiet moments in between.
And I will always have more Joan feelings than I know what to do with.
So a very sold start to the year but not a perfect one. Still who needs perfect, room to improve is a good thing!
This entry was originally posted at http://morganmuffle.dreamwidth.org/1390728.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
*ignores all the rest of reality*
Play #2 of the year is tomorrow so if I want this year to be more successful than last year I REALLY should talk about Saint Joan last Thursday...
Saint Joan @ Donmar Warehouse
I've seen Saint Joan once before at the National Theatre with Anne Marie Duff (in 2007 it turns out, I had to look that bit up). I don't remember a whole lot about that production other than being mesmerised by Anne Marie and the staging which I seem to remember involved lots of chairs and loud stomping in the battle scenes. Also I think Paterson Joseph was the bishop that was played by Eliot Levy in this newer production?
Anyway it means there wasn't a strong memory to compare this to and yet I still have the lingering feeling that that production was better. Not that this was great, it really was, and Gemma Arterton is never less than fascinating but occasionally she was actually a little bit too much. Too mannered was what we said immediately afterwards and I think I'd go with that.
Also the staging was clever but a bit too much at times too. THey had a lot of projection wuth fake news reports and fake stock exchange graphics (no countries, lots of corporations) and I liked the news stuff but it might have been taken a step too far? And also we had a revolving stage and sometimes it's nice if sets stay in one place and don't endless spin even if it does ensure you see everyone's faces.
BUT. Gemma really was great and I loved the dynamic between her and Hadley Fraser's Bastard. I also loved Fisayo Akinade's Dauphin who was clearly much more comfortable wandering around in pyjamas and bare feet than actually leading. And then Elliot Levy who continually sneaks higher and higher in my estimation every time I see him. I loved the way his bishop never let go of his humanity even in the face of scheming that he was very much part of. I absolutely believed he wanted to save Joan for her own sake (even if at the same time he knew she had to be removed from public view for the safety and security of his country).
I think I found the scenes between the bishops, with the political maneuvering, the most fascinating but with the scenes between Joan & the Bastard perfect quiet moments in between.
And I will always have more Joan feelings than I know what to do with.
So a very sold start to the year but not a perfect one. Still who needs perfect, room to improve is a good thing!
This entry was originally posted at http://morganmuffle.dreamwidth.org/1390728.html. Please comment there using OpenID.