Nice to have done one
Aaaaawwwwweeeeesssssoooooommmmmeeeeee!
The Bacchae was SO good. (I'll be articulate in a minute - for now - Whooping!)
And spoiler ALERT! I mention a couple of things below which might detract just a tiny bit from surprise if anyone is yet to see it.
...
OK, seriously. Tour de force. Well done, National Theatre of Scotland. You have earned your public funding - not least because scripts were available for £3 only. Programme notes and all.
One might have expected an Allan Cumming vehicle - all of the press has certainly been about him, and he was absolutely superb, but all credit to both him and, more importantly, his fellow performers - he didn't swamp anyone. Nor would I have wanted him to. The real import of the play would have been lost if it had been all about how great Allan Cumming looks in a skirt (strangely great, in fact). And loving the hair.
A technical marvel, too. Nice conjuring tricks from Dionysus (Cumming) and an actual wall of flame, at one point. I jest not. Dionysus heaves a lightning bolt at Pentheus' palace to punish him for not recognising Dionysus as a God. The set was made up of two curved walls, with what one thought were just handrails / climbing frame type stuff for the Bacchae to pose and preen on. Turns out they were piped through with gas. The flame was so intense it forced you to look away and the heat hit you like a slap. Truly impressive and not something you get in your average performance.
The chorus mostly sings, rather than chanting, as one would expect. Excellent technique to give the play a modern polish. You didn't lose out on the language, either, as it was all very well pronounced.
I was good, though, and didn't take camera. Would have been nice to get a wee shot of the man himself or just the curtain call, but I decided I'd rather just be there. Very glad I did. Was truly great. Considering going through to Glasgow to see it again.
...
One tiny point of irritation - bloody Hub tickets don't charge your card until they print the tickets (unlike King's Theatre's usual process) so I thought I'd already paid for the tickets. About two months ago! So today I am suddenly skint.
Really don't care, though. It was sooooo gooooood.
...
Nice to have done one? Well, that's because I have, as we know. Last year, after seeing Troillus and Cresseda, again at the King's, in the International Festival (I have expensive taste in theatre!) I got a bit down about not having done a play in a while. So it was very cool to enjoy the play(s) I've seen in a contented "I've done my bit" kind of a way. Very keen to catch a couple of visual art exhibits. One at the Dean, one at the Modern Art Gallery.
...
Oh - if any of you Edinburghers fancy it, I'm going to see Part 2 of Torchsong Trilogy on Saturday at 2.30pm. Worth a look. I've seen it three times already and am still looking forward to seeing it again.
...
Nihil obstat,
C
The Bacchae was SO good. (I'll be articulate in a minute - for now - Whooping!)
And spoiler ALERT! I mention a couple of things below which might detract just a tiny bit from surprise if anyone is yet to see it.
...
OK, seriously. Tour de force. Well done, National Theatre of Scotland. You have earned your public funding - not least because scripts were available for £3 only. Programme notes and all.
One might have expected an Allan Cumming vehicle - all of the press has certainly been about him, and he was absolutely superb, but all credit to both him and, more importantly, his fellow performers - he didn't swamp anyone. Nor would I have wanted him to. The real import of the play would have been lost if it had been all about how great Allan Cumming looks in a skirt (strangely great, in fact). And loving the hair.
A technical marvel, too. Nice conjuring tricks from Dionysus (Cumming) and an actual wall of flame, at one point. I jest not. Dionysus heaves a lightning bolt at Pentheus' palace to punish him for not recognising Dionysus as a God. The set was made up of two curved walls, with what one thought were just handrails / climbing frame type stuff for the Bacchae to pose and preen on. Turns out they were piped through with gas. The flame was so intense it forced you to look away and the heat hit you like a slap. Truly impressive and not something you get in your average performance.
The chorus mostly sings, rather than chanting, as one would expect. Excellent technique to give the play a modern polish. You didn't lose out on the language, either, as it was all very well pronounced.
I was good, though, and didn't take camera. Would have been nice to get a wee shot of the man himself or just the curtain call, but I decided I'd rather just be there. Very glad I did. Was truly great. Considering going through to Glasgow to see it again.
...
One tiny point of irritation - bloody Hub tickets don't charge your card until they print the tickets (unlike King's Theatre's usual process) so I thought I'd already paid for the tickets. About two months ago! So today I am suddenly skint.
Really don't care, though. It was sooooo gooooood.
...
Nice to have done one? Well, that's because I have, as we know. Last year, after seeing Troillus and Cresseda, again at the King's, in the International Festival (I have expensive taste in theatre!) I got a bit down about not having done a play in a while. So it was very cool to enjoy the play(s) I've seen in a contented "I've done my bit" kind of a way. Very keen to catch a couple of visual art exhibits. One at the Dean, one at the Modern Art Gallery.
...
Oh - if any of you Edinburghers fancy it, I'm going to see Part 2 of Torchsong Trilogy on Saturday at 2.30pm. Worth a look. I've seen it three times already and am still looking forward to seeing it again.
...
Nihil obstat,
C
posted by Chris at 9:13 am
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