AIBU to ask what is the best theatre show you have seen?

[IVantToBeAlonee]

It’s National Theatre Day today.

For me, I think Nye, staring Michael Sheen is the best I’ve seen, thus far. Though, my answer is subject to change since I have a few shows coming up soon.

What is the best theatre show you’ve ever seen?

Yes - Alex Jennings, and Stella Gonet was Hippolyta / Titania. Also the late Desmond Barrit (see post above re the announcement today), Daniel Evans (now Joint Artistic Director of the RSC), and Toby Stephens (son of Dame Maggie Smith), among others.
When it transferred to The Barbican, Lindsay Duncan took over from Stella Gonet and Daniel Evans was “promoted” from Flute to Lysander. This performance was available on DVD.

[SPOILERS] He was caught and jailed, and later did a degree in, I think, Criminology, while taking part in a programme of restorative justice, where he met and became close friends with the parents of the lad he killed. He now campaigns against violence. Remarkable true story.

The play that goes wrong is absolutely brilliant and so clever, laughed so much. Come from away is an amazing musical and such a poignant time in history, the staging is fabulous and it just makes you laugh and cry, I loved it and highly recommend it (but not sure if it’s still on!)

James Norton in A Little Life at the Harold Pinter theatre in 2023. Saw it twice alone, it was something else.

That was an incredible show, I also Christian Slater in it a few years prior and it was just as good then. I also saw him in Glengarry Glenross, then Rob Lowe/John Barrowman, Suranne Jones and Jim Fenner from Bad Girls (cant remember his name). Amazing performances, they are such good actors it was all so powerful.

Jesus Christ Superstar is my all tine favourite, Tim Minchen was particularly good in it but most productions are very good.

I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian in Las Vegas which was pretty special as its a purpose built theatre.

I have seen so many incl Cabaret over the year but bucket list is to see the latest production and sit on front tables.

One I missed but wish I'd seen was the most recent productions of 42nd Street. Its a brilliant show and the main number is quite breathtaking.

Musical- Mary Poppins

Non Musical- Brief Encounter

The Midsummer Nights Dream at the Bridge a few years ago that had Gwendolyn Christie in absolutely blew me away.
The staging, the music I was transfixed.

I adore come from away for it’s poignancy.
For laughing till I was sore Shucked.
Jesus Christ Super Star at the Watermill for really making me feel I was in the garden when Jesus was arrested.
As the mum of a performer I would just encourage people to see as much live theatre as possible, local theatres, funny quirky venues and the west end. Performers live to transport you away from your every day life and tell you a story.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Barbican was fantastic. A long time ago. Ditto Private Lives with Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan. More recently, Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. Outstanding

Perhaps everything at the Bridge is excellent!

Probably Macbeth with Dorothy Tutin and Albert Finney.

I've never seen a bad show there- MND, Guys and Dolls, Julius Caesar and the current Into the Woods- all absolutely brilliant.

Les Mis is my favourite followed closely by Jesus Christ Superstar.

I love musicals, Hairspray is also fantastic.

Probably the first time we saw Wicked. Loved it unexpectedly & my the 7 y/o dd was obsessed with the songs for about a year after. Wasn't quite the same 2nd time around.

We're going to see Fawlty Towers, Back To The Future & Woman in Black this year

We saw that recently, not with him though. Samantha Janus played the psychologist, was pretty good

Overall favourite was Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake.

Musical: Mary Poppins. So many good ones.

Biggest emotional experience: Les Mis. Got a cheap ticket with my sibling when we were teens, knew nothing of the story and were blown away.

Play: Christopher Ecclestone in Hamlet.

Les Miserables!

It’s hard to pick one, from different genres. DH quite often comes out of a theatre saying that was the best thing he’s seen - we’ve been lucky enough to go to a few shows this year including some which were excellent so Othello (Toby Jones and David Harewood), Into the Woods and Operation Mincemeat. If pushed his best of all time would be The Producers at Manchester Royal Exchange a few years ago.

Mine, on reflection, would be a production of Merchant of Venice I saw in Harrogate well over 30 years go. They’d framed it as being performed by Jewish prisoners in a concentration camp (such performances of plays and music really did happen). The first half was staged as rehearsal, but the second half was the performance, with the viewers in the position of the German audience. The actors playing Jewish characters had grotesque makeup and noses. Towards the end, Shylock addressed his speech directly to the audience and tore off the nose whereat he was shot by a guard. The actors were compelled to continue, with the body lying there - and continued to lie there until after we left. So we were put in the position of complicity with the atrocity.
Im not sure if I've described it adequately but the emotional punch was immense and stayed with me.

Matilda the musical

Mary Poppins...Bert tapdances on the ceiling!

Benjamin button - the talent of that cast was insane!!
next to normal
hades town

currently enjoying the unlikely pilgrimage of Harold fry and love that too!

Bill Bailey. We've seen him 3 times (different shows) and we have tickets to see him again in November.

We've just seen Lieven Schiere do a show about AI. Very amusing and thought provoking.

The funniest thing we've ever seen is 'The play that goes wrong'.

We're not keen on musicals, DH had NEVER been to a theatre when we met (he was in his 50s) and isn't keen on plays, but we both like things that are clever and amusing. I don't go to the theatre to sit through something depressing.

Something on a long time ago at the Royal Court, Six Degrees of Separation with Stockard Channing, and immersive theatre Punchdrunk The Masque of the Red Death (think that’s the right way round).

That MoV sounds fantastic!
That's reminded me of something I saw at the National in the very late 80s or possibly early 90s which was also fantastic - Ghetto, about a theatre group in the Vilnius ghetto. Maria Friedman was a singer and was superb, and a young Alex Jennings was a slithery charismatic and terrifying SS officer. It was so good, and had beautiful music.

The Woman In Black. it's my favourite book and I've seen the stage show about 4 times