Month: March 2024

I managed to get one of the 12 noon release of return tickets for this sold out show before it closes.

It tells the story of how a community joined together, led largely by left wing socialists and communists to stop fascists from marching through the East End.

The theatre felt a bit cramped and a lot smaller than when I saw Stranger Sings in the same space due to the different seating formation.

Some of the subject areas seemed a bit odd to be singing songs, and most of the small cast played multiple parts covering all sides, which could be a bit confusing. At times it was also hard to hear the words as the music felt louder than the singing.

There were some laughs – I liked the bits where they sang about the headlines across the media (mainstream and non-mainstream) and how the media can at times twist the sane story depending on who owns it.

7/10

This was the second show I saw on a 2 show day at the National Theatre complex, both of which were £10 tickets in the weekly Friday Rush.

This play is a comedy drama about a family get together. There was a lot of characters that didn’t really impact on story and made it feel a bit long,but it had quite a few laughs and an interesting revolving set.

7/10

I got a £10 Friday Rush ticket to see this, at my first attempt.

It was in the circle and not very close, but I could still see everything on stage.

This is a play (that includes a musical number) about the founder of the NHS.

It was an interesting – and at times slightly surreal – play that told the powerful story behind the man who created the NHS and how he overcame the opposition he faced against introducing such a socialist concept. A concept that (from the stats shown at the end of the play) has decreased infant mortality rates, increased life expectancy and treats over 1 million people per day based on clinical need rather than how much they can afford.

10/10

I got a Rush Ticket, and it was a great seat in the Dress Circle.

This is a musical about how the Live Aid concert to raise money for the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s happened.

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would despite the fact I’m not familiar with all the songs or know who all the people portrayed or mentioned were.

8/10

I got an ATG+ discount for opening night, but the prices for this production were higher than most, so for the normal price of a dress circle seat, I was near the front of the upper circle.

I was pleased that I had watched the BBCs Hollow Crown of Richard II and both parts of Henry IV in the weeks before this as the story is very complicated. I also managed to get some of the jokes.

They wore modern costumes and had modern props, which seemed a bit odd for a “history” play, particularly when they don’t seem to modernise the language.

I liked the way they changed scenes by walking a curtain across, and while it was being walked across, they changed performers and the limited props.

However, they also had a black screen/curtain that regularly came between half and three quarters way down the height of the  stage which blocked all but the very front of the stage to those in the upper circle and some scenes were completely blocked by it – although the restricted view was not mentioned beforehand.

They also just came out on stage and started speaking at the start and after the interval without warning and while the house lights were all still on, meaning quite a few people had to suddenly rush to their seats and clamour over people trying to watch.

Overall, despite the abridged script, and staging issues I enjoyed the fact that I got to see Sir Ian McKellen perform in a Shakespeare play in a role that has comedic elements without having to go into central London, and I now know that I could probably cope watching other “history plays” and/or VERY long plays (but  I was pleased I was aware of the general story beforehand).

7/10