hells_half_acre (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hells_half_acre) wrote2011-03-17 10:51 pm
hells_half_acre) wrote2011-03-17 10:51 pm
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Frankenstein at the National Theatre
I just got back from seeing Frankenstein at the National Theatre in London, England....and I didn't even have to leave Vancouver. We live in awesome times, people.
National Theatre Live is this thing they do where they film a live performance of the play and then send it around the world to different theatre on one evening. Naturally, given the time-difference, my version was the live-to-tape version, since I doubt their doing shows in the wee hours of the morning.
Plays always make me nervous. I think because there is more risk involved - will the actors mess up, will something go wrong...plus, the emotion is more immediate, more visceral in a play than it is on the screen somehow. So, yes, I get very nervous before I go to plays - and I don't usually seek them out for this reason. But, this was FRANKENSTEIN - seriously one of the greatest stories ever written...and it was staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller...how could I pass that up?
National Theatre Live is this thing they do where they film a live performance of the play and then send it around the world to different theatre on one evening. Naturally, given the time-difference, my version was the live-to-tape version, since I doubt their doing shows in the wee hours of the morning.
Plays always make me nervous. I think because there is more risk involved - will the actors mess up, will something go wrong...plus, the emotion is more immediate, more visceral in a play than it is on the screen somehow. So, yes, I get very nervous before I go to plays - and I don't usually seek them out for this reason. But, this was FRANKENSTEIN - seriously one of the greatest stories ever written...and it was staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller...how could I pass that up?
And I'm really glad I didn't.
The cool thing about seeing the play live, but filmed, is that we had the best seats in the house. We were right in front of the stage, above the stage, and through the marvelous invention of zoom-lenses, it was as though we were on the stage sometimes as well. You may lose the ability to choose what your focus is on - but, you lose that when you are actually inside the theatre as well - hence all my memories of Paul Gross as Hamlet are looking at the action from a little bit to the side and a fair distance away. There's a price to pay for any method of viewing, really.
Now, for an actual review of the play - I liked it. Well, that was a short review....haha.
It's amazing to see that caliber of acting. It's not that people on TV or in movies aren't as good, I'm sure they are - hell, I've seen Benedict in Sherlock, and he was phenomenal there too....but in a play you can REALLY see it. The pure commitment to the characters - there was never an insincere moment from either of the two leads. They were ALWAYS in character and always completely devoted to the play when they were on stage. You could see them dripping with sweat from the lights at some points, but you'd never know it by their acting. And bless the poor girl who had to kiss Johnny when he was literally dripping with perspiration - that's commitment.
My only critique was that Frankenstein's father seems a little stiff - and, um, this will make me sound racist, since I'm white and I'm not allowed to criticize stuff like this - but, although I think it's a really cool idea to not cast based on skin colour, it kind of pulled me out of the play a bit to have Victor Frankenstein's father be a black guy. My brain kept trying to rationalize it. "He's actually his fiance's father...oh, no, that line just ruined that solution...ok, step-dad...ok, he's talking about what Victor was like as a baby....step-dad who happened to be there from the beginning...and um, the younger brother REALLY took after their mother? Damn it, just watch the play." So, yeah, like the colour-blindness on a conceptually, but not in practice, I'm afraid. But whatever, it was a REALLY small critique and it probably wouldn't have pulled me out so much if the actor didn't seem a little stiff...though, I suppose he's playing a 1800s Magistrate, maybe he's supposed to be stiff.
But let's go back to talking about good things...the set was amazing! It all fit together and sprung up from the floor and completely transformed...the old man next to me (and the theatre was basically ALL old people...but I suppose that's what I get for going to the "Theatre") kept saying "wow" whenever the set turned to display an entirely new setting. The soundtrack...or, um...I guess score? Is it a score for a play? Anyway, it really fit in well, unnoticed except when it was supposed to be noticed, and very industrial and perfect for the setting.
The play itself, I thought, was very well written and well done. I like the fact that they kept the creature intelligent and articulate, but still (and maybe this is Benedict's acting) a little naive, and eventually jaded and always someone that didn't seem quite right.
So, yeah, a winner in my books and definitely worth seeing. If anyone is interested, they are doing an encore performance on March 31st that you might still be able to get tickets to, if they are showing it in your area. On March 31st (or maybe March 24th, check with the venue), Benedict will be Frankenstein, and Johnny will be the nameless creature.
A great night! I'm definitely going to keep my eyes on what other plays National Theatre Live does in the future.
On a side-note, there was a lot of this today:
Person dressed in green and full of revelry: What are your plans for St. Paddy's Day!?! WOO!
Me: I'm going to see a play.
Person: *stares blankly*
Me: It's at the National Theatre in London, but projected onto a movie screen here!
Person: Um...
Me: It's got Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller in it!
Person: .....
Me: ...you know what, nevermind. Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Person: WOO!
So, I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day - those who are Irish, those who aren't, and those who sprang into this world fully formed, nameless, and of unknown creation - May the road rise up to meet you. :)
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Okay, I think I got what you meant by all that. For me as you can guess - it's the other way around. I love that danger that comes with going to theater. And yeah sometimes in theater the fighting (especially on smaller stages) seems even closer to you and makes one feel much more uncomfortable and sometimes even more dangerous if they go from verbal fighting to physical. So that part I can understand very well.
And it is completely logical that some people chose to not see things that makes them feel not good, since in the real life we get enough of the bad.
Ah, then I suppose I will hope that it was just a situation like with my "older people" play. Because otherwise all this gets too sad if the younger ones really don't care about theater anymore.
As for your last part - exactly. It depends on whose side you are. Now that I am thinking I am not so sure which is harder. To get your act together and spit in the face of your older colleague/friend even if the current role says that you have to. Or just to brace yourself and get "hit" with the spit.
I think that part where you can't wipe your sweat is more more annoying that uncomfortable. (And most of the times it seems really nice when some fellow actor takes pity and do that for him - wipe the brow or whatever. Even if it is said that he/she has to do that, it still looks somehow very intimate and trustful.
And maybe all those sweat related thing to me seem more comfortable than to you - because since I have danced before - sweaty guys just doesn't seem so scary anymore :) especially on stage where sometimes you have to stand with them cheeks pressed together after 6 dances without breaks and everyone is so wet that you really can get water out of the shirts in the end.
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I suppose maybe it's weird that I was more distracted by the sweat then I was by the spitting...I mean, I'm Finnish and grew up bathing in a sauna, and I certainly don't mind when things get sweaty in the bedroom...but yeah, I suppose it was sympathy for the actor who had the annoying sweat dripping off their face, possibly stinging their eyes...I suppose they probably don't think of it, too focused on the play and acting and everything - I'm sure it's similar to dancing.
I agree that it's also really cool to see how trusting and close the actors must be with each other in order to do this sort of play - because they have to depend on each other so much...and help each other out when things go wrong.
I think seeing the play on film was really the best option for me - because I still got to see the emotion, and it was more visceral than in a movie, yet, I was also still removed enough that I did not become nervous or uncomfortable...and could just remain enthralled. But yes, different things work for different personality types, and there's not much anyone can do about that. I am very thankful that I got over my usual discomfort at the idea of plays and went to this event.
I have acted in a play before, ironically. It was fun. Not a professional production at all, of course, but fun nonetheless. My best friend also acted in plays in university, which I went to in order to support him - foreign language modern stuff, but he did a good job.
I'm glad I did not ruin Othello for you! Haha, that would have been horrible of me.
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Sauna - I hate it. I have nothing against sweating as it is, but I hate sitting in sauna or any other type of it, where it is hot and your only job is to sit still and perspirate.
Actors - the only men who nowadays don't get scared from man&man contact on regular basis.
As I understood this Frankensteing had a cast who mostly hadn't worked together - so their companionship was rather new and therefore even more special is that fact that they could reach levels like that of comfortability. And that's good for them!
When you are inside of something it always feels different what when you are watching it. And I think you must have had school plays as well. I doubt many people have had the chance to escape from this part of education :)
Of course he did! He is your friend after all :) But seriously that's a good thing you went. In student plays more often than not the fullness of the hall depends on the friends of the students (and it is always nicer to play to 50 than to 5 people. So every friend who is ready to watch something for his/her friend is a very good friend :)
If you had managed to do that - I would have had to congratulate you, because I think I have reached that point where it is rather hard to destroy a play for me. I will always find something positive in the thing I am watching. Even if everything else would be ruined, there always will be that one moment, one scene, one actor or line of a text - which will be worth coming to the play :)
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I was even more of a good friend, because at the time we had actually sort of had a falling out and were barely speaking!
I doubt many people have had the chance to escape from this part of education :)
Indeed! I've been in many a school play...I even played the Inn Keeper in my kindergarten nativity play despite a rather large speech impediment - I still know my lines, because my mother has recounted the story so many times during my life :P
Other than that, when I was around 14, I played Demetrius in a Midsummer Night's Dream. (there were only two boys in the production, and one of them REALLY wanted to play a fairy. I got my hair cut short and was still quit boyish at the time, and apparently fooled at least one audience member - helps that my name is unisex too, so their program didn't help them.) But yes, being in a play was great fun - oddly far less nerve-wracking for me than watching one. I'm sure for most people it's the other way around. :P
Actors - the only men who nowadays don't get scared from man&man contact on regular basis.
And for this I love them.
Sauna - I hate it.
Oh man! Haha, cultural differences. I love them, but then, I have been using them since the womb.
But yes, traditional plot-based plays - I'd be more willing to see one of those on someone's recommendation than I would anything else. But still, in terms of comfort levels, I like to go with the standard plays I already know that I love...especially comedies.
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The other group of men who aren't afraid of man & man contact on a regular basis = athletes. Especially soccer players. Just sayin' ... :)
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That's always funny how in the school/university plays the girls are more than guys, but in the actual theater world - it is the other way around. I think I have more often than not played a guy character than a girl. But it always has been a very interesting experience :)
Oh, the name fun. That's one thing that is almost impossible in latvian, but I know how sometimes when watching movies or tv I want to check who is it guy or a girl, but it is impossible to tell from the name. But YAY! for you, for being so great in the role that you could fool the audience! Because that's the best thing that could have happened :)
And for this I love them. Who doesn't? :) And that is such a nice thing.
About the sauna - not sure I would really call it a cultural difference, because here most of the people like them (russian or finnish or some other type). It's more like a personal problem with sitting still. Maybe that is why I also dislike just lying on the beach and tanning for the sake of getting darker. Physical activity in the sun? I am all for it. But not laying still.
But I suppose if I had grown up with using it regularly maybe I would have started to like it.
:) At least you know what you like and what you dont! Some people dont go to theater and dont know what they like or not. So they will never even try to learn their preferences...
And there is nothing wrong with comedies! Especially well made and well written ones.
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That being said, I'm not a fan of sun-tanning either - unless I'm using it as an excuse to nap or read.
In school, I usually liked the plays where I got to be a smug bastard - I fear now, in retrospect, it was because I was a smug bastard. Haha!
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That's good because if we would look a few centuries back - then the old latvians had it down to a ritualistical form. With a sauna/bath-house visit every Saturday after the long working week :) And then living in them, giving birth and doing everything else that they could think of doing in a place like that.
Sleeping - not that much, at some times it even might be dangerous to fall asleep in the middle of the day in direct sunlight. But reading is good. That way you can do 2 good things at once!
I think I never have had a role of a complete bastard. Either it has been a positive or even a hero type character, or a character on the mischievous side.
So you were a child who had been risen to sit still and be quiet - and you still managed to be a smug bastard?! That is an accomplishment!