(no subject)
So Little Dog Laughed is kind of really fantastic.
I wasn't entirely expecting that from the reviews but it's a bit like someone took all the things I love talking about and thinking about and just generally LOVE and turned them into a funny and thought-provoking and TRUE play.
You know what I'm actually not cutting this review. (No spoilers, do not fear)
Because it's about hollywood and actors and making movies out of plays and it's about how to live your life when you're constantly in the news and it's about discovering things about yourself and letting yourself try something new and it's also mostly about how impossible it still is to be a successful film actor, lead actor, and be Out (with a capital O)
And actually a lot of the subject matter is really quite depressing with Tamsin Greig's agent character maipulating everyone and focussing so purely on the money but even she's at least honest with herself which Rupert Friend's character never entirely is.
But that said it was VERY funny. I think there were a lo of industry types there actually judging by one or two of the loudest laughs but the whole thing just had beautiful bitchy one liners and then the sort of jokes that you giggle at and then afterwards remember aren't entirely funny.
Also the... well sex scene is maybe an overstatement but it was hot and funny and kind of awkward and I like that more than when they're flawless and fade to black.
And Harry Lloyd's Alex was just beautifully done. One of those parts where the silences sometimes say more than the words (and I loved the staging, I should say at this point, Rupert and Harry kept having these scenes standing on opposite sides of the stage just when they were finally saying things that might make them closer and it worked really well)
And, finally, Gemma Arterton was brittle and funny and right on that edge between sympathetic and really really not.
I will say I was somewhat unnerved at the start by the tendency of characters to talk to the audience. Tamsin's Diane does it a LOT and actually she literally does it and expects a response, the others it's more like hearing their thoughts. It's a strange device but something about the fact that the play is about plays and acting and hollywood means it does actually work. For me anyway.
And I may want to rewrite this review tomorrow or write thinky thoughts about gay actors and leading roles and how much it scares/upsets me that the play was pretty much accurate in how it showed the obstacles/impossibilities for guy-next-door types to come out and also maybe write about why that makes actors like Russell Tovey so utterly fantastic. Only he's a TV actor isn't he? It's kind of sad in films we've never got much beyond Rock Hudson.
No really. It was GREAT and you should all GO AND SEE IT!
(here I am not writing a rant of EPIC proportions on the evilness and annoyingness of horrible autograph hunters who can't be bothered to see the plays and push you out the way and are generally obnoxious)
Gemma Arterton, by the way, is super sweet and made sure everyone with an actual programme got an autograph before signing anything else and seemed really happy to be told we'd loved the play :D Harry was lovely and also said he was really enjoying being in the play and Tamsin Greig... well Tamsin sounded like she was losing her voice and slightly mocked us because I had to turn the pages of seiyaharris's programme (she had gloves on, it was reasonable! My gloves are fingerless thank you kindly nicolap :D)
Also we saw Richard Coyle who came to see Harry Lloyd <3 but couldn't be bothered to wait for Tamsin Greig to come out *g*
Also we might have seen Hayley Mills in the interval but that was a bit less certain.
I wasn't entirely expecting that from the reviews but it's a bit like someone took all the things I love talking about and thinking about and just generally LOVE and turned them into a funny and thought-provoking and TRUE play.
You know what I'm actually not cutting this review. (No spoilers, do not fear)
Because it's about hollywood and actors and making movies out of plays and it's about how to live your life when you're constantly in the news and it's about discovering things about yourself and letting yourself try something new and it's also mostly about how impossible it still is to be a successful film actor, lead actor, and be Out (with a capital O)
And actually a lot of the subject matter is really quite depressing with Tamsin Greig's agent character maipulating everyone and focussing so purely on the money but even she's at least honest with herself which Rupert Friend's character never entirely is.
But that said it was VERY funny. I think there were a lo of industry types there actually judging by one or two of the loudest laughs but the whole thing just had beautiful bitchy one liners and then the sort of jokes that you giggle at and then afterwards remember aren't entirely funny.
Also the... well sex scene is maybe an overstatement but it was hot and funny and kind of awkward and I like that more than when they're flawless and fade to black.
And Harry Lloyd's Alex was just beautifully done. One of those parts where the silences sometimes say more than the words (and I loved the staging, I should say at this point, Rupert and Harry kept having these scenes standing on opposite sides of the stage just when they were finally saying things that might make them closer and it worked really well)
And, finally, Gemma Arterton was brittle and funny and right on that edge between sympathetic and really really not.
I will say I was somewhat unnerved at the start by the tendency of characters to talk to the audience. Tamsin's Diane does it a LOT and actually she literally does it and expects a response, the others it's more like hearing their thoughts. It's a strange device but something about the fact that the play is about plays and acting and hollywood means it does actually work. For me anyway.
And I may want to rewrite this review tomorrow or write thinky thoughts about gay actors and leading roles and how much it scares/upsets me that the play was pretty much accurate in how it showed the obstacles/impossibilities for guy-next-door types to come out and also maybe write about why that makes actors like Russell Tovey so utterly fantastic. Only he's a TV actor isn't he? It's kind of sad in films we've never got much beyond Rock Hudson.
No really. It was GREAT and you should all GO AND SEE IT!
(here I am not writing a rant of EPIC proportions on the evilness and annoyingness of horrible autograph hunters who can't be bothered to see the plays and push you out the way and are generally obnoxious)
Gemma Arterton, by the way, is super sweet and made sure everyone with an actual programme got an autograph before signing anything else and seemed really happy to be told we'd loved the play :D Harry was lovely and also said he was really enjoying being in the play and Tamsin Greig... well Tamsin sounded like she was losing her voice and slightly mocked us because I had to turn the pages of seiyaharris's programme (she had gloves on, it was reasonable! My gloves are fingerless thank you kindly nicolap :D)
Also we saw Richard Coyle who came to see Harry Lloyd <3 but couldn't be bothered to wait for Tamsin Greig to come out *g*
Also we might have seen Hayley Mills in the interval but that was a bit less certain.