"Go elsewhere, ye who seek dishonesty; my life is truth, and truth my greatest passion!"
:: After pulling an all-nighter last Wednesday I finally got ready to head for the airport. The flight was uneventful -as one would hope a flight to be- and finally arrived in London a couple of hours later. Got to Kensington (always like staying there since it's where I used to live), checked-in and then headed out for a walk and some lunch. After some much needed rest, we set out to watch our first play, 'La Bete'. Hadn't been to the Comedy Theatre before but since all West End theatres are in such close proximity to one another it wasn't hard to find. After the play we grabbed something to eat and then strolled down Whitehall 'till Westminster Bridge. It was drizzling and quite windy and my mum who insisted that we were caught in some sort of storm or tornado, went on a giggling fit. Of course, seeing her laughing her head off for no apparent reason, struggling with the uncooperative umbrella while her scarf is blown in her face got me into a giggling fit! So there we were, on Westminster Bridge getting drenched and laughing hysterically. All in all, a good night!
:: I really enjoyed David Hirson's 'La Bete'. Everyone's performance was very good, but it was Mark Rylance who really stood out. Won't be surprised if he's nominated for a Tony when the play transfers to Broadway. His character Valere keeps jabbering on for half an hour non-stop, is coarse, unsophisticated and incoherent due to his drunken state! Thoroughly entertaining! David Hyde Pierce's expressions to this man were hilarious and you could see glimpses of Niles Crane in him! The language is truly unique due to it's lyricism and creates an upbeat atmosphere. However, as amusing as the language and bantering was, after a while I did get a bit bored and wanted something more. Luckily at that point more characters were introduced including Joanna Lumley's Princess. The bantering continues but now we're introduced to the most interesting issue dealt with in the play, which is the importance of art. Specifically the exploitation of it and the reduction of it to something mediocre (as shown through Valere) open to everyone rather than something truly beautiful and moral (voiced by Elomire). As DHP's character -Elomire- so eloquently puts it:
"Decrying France's vulgar predilection
For cheap and undistinguished works of art,
His play, ironically, is from the star
As bad as any work that it decries!
This bleak phenomenon itself implies
A danger to our nation more malign
Than so-called facts of cultural decline!
It represents a much more lethal trend:
The language used by artists to defend
Against the rule of mediocrity
Has been appropriated to a 'T'
By just those mediocrities who rule!
It's dangerous to be governed by a fool,
But worse when fools bemoan the sad decline
Of standards which their efforts undermine!
To mourn decaying values in a play
Which only reinforces the decay
Devalues the idea that it expresses!"
:: I read a couple of reviews which stated that this play may not strike a nerve with the general public simply because the play is set in 1600's France. I find statements like this to be utterly ridiculous. The theatre in general isn't for everyone. This play may be meant to be performed in an absurdly high-comic style, at lightning speed and with iambs respected but it's not rocket science. On the contrary, I'd say it is for everyone simply because it's theme is something still plaguing our society. Always trying to create something quick, that will sell rather than take time into creating something that may not be understood by all, but will withstand time. Reviews like that, really do make the play even more current as they prove it's point! Elomire really does voice the sad and unsettling truth about society, "Good art -good deeds- become... unnecessary: what's crucial is portraying them as good! Hard facts count less than how they're understood; Pretension and the truth become confused!"
:: I got to talk to DHP a bit and he was such a sweetheart! No pictures I'm afraid as just when I was about to take a picture my camera 'pinged' signifying it had run out of battery! Urgh! How could I have been so stupid?! Anyway. I did get my program signed which was nice. The fantastic comic duo French and Saunders were also at the show that night, and joked around with Joanna Lumley a bit after the show! Jennifer Saunders has cut her hair reeeeally short. It almost lookes like she's shaved her head! O_o
:: I really enjoyed David Hirson's 'La Bete'. Everyone's performance was very good, but it was Mark Rylance who really stood out. Won't be surprised if he's nominated for a Tony when the play transfers to Broadway. His character Valere keeps jabbering on for half an hour non-stop, is coarse, unsophisticated and incoherent due to his drunken state! Thoroughly entertaining! David Hyde Pierce's expressions to this man were hilarious and you could see glimpses of Niles Crane in him! The language is truly unique due to it's lyricism and creates an upbeat atmosphere. However, as amusing as the language and bantering was, after a while I did get a bit bored and wanted something more. Luckily at that point more characters were introduced including Joanna Lumley's Princess. The bantering continues but now we're introduced to the most interesting issue dealt with in the play, which is the importance of art. Specifically the exploitation of it and the reduction of it to something mediocre (as shown through Valere) open to everyone rather than something truly beautiful and moral (voiced by Elomire). As DHP's character -Elomire- so eloquently puts it:
"Decrying France's vulgar predilection
For cheap and undistinguished works of art,
His play, ironically, is from the star
As bad as any work that it decries!
This bleak phenomenon itself implies
A danger to our nation more malign
Than so-called facts of cultural decline!
It represents a much more lethal trend:
The language used by artists to defend
Against the rule of mediocrity
Has been appropriated to a 'T'
By just those mediocrities who rule!
It's dangerous to be governed by a fool,
But worse when fools bemoan the sad decline
Of standards which their efforts undermine!
To mourn decaying values in a play
Which only reinforces the decay
Devalues the idea that it expresses!"
:: I read a couple of reviews which stated that this play may not strike a nerve with the general public simply because the play is set in 1600's France. I find statements like this to be utterly ridiculous. The theatre in general isn't for everyone. This play may be meant to be performed in an absurdly high-comic style, at lightning speed and with iambs respected but it's not rocket science. On the contrary, I'd say it is for everyone simply because it's theme is something still plaguing our society. Always trying to create something quick, that will sell rather than take time into creating something that may not be understood by all, but will withstand time. Reviews like that, really do make the play even more current as they prove it's point! Elomire really does voice the sad and unsettling truth about society, "Good art -good deeds- become... unnecessary: what's crucial is portraying them as good! Hard facts count less than how they're understood; Pretension and the truth become confused!"
:: I got to talk to DHP a bit and he was such a sweetheart! No pictures I'm afraid as just when I was about to take a picture my camera 'pinged' signifying it had run out of battery! Urgh! How could I have been so stupid?! Anyway. I did get my program signed which was nice. The fantastic comic duo French and Saunders were also at the show that night, and joked around with Joanna Lumley a bit after the show! Jennifer Saunders has cut her hair reeeeally short. It almost lookes like she's shaved her head! O_o
