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?

OMG I was sobbing at the end
It is one of the great performances of all time

I can’t possibly single out one play from the hundreds I’ve seen but a few which really have stayed with me (as well as the above, I will watch anything by Gary Owen I think he is fabulous particularly with Rachel O’Riorden directing, loved Ghosts and Romeo and Julie)

August, Osage County at the NT
Robert Icke’s Hamlet with Andrew Scott (also had me sobbing!) and Oedipus
Jerusalem
Shifters at The Bush (transferred afterwards)
Follies at the NT with Imelda Staunton

For those who liked One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest it’s on at the Old Vic soon

Book of Mormon- funniest thing EVER

Stranger thing first shadow (on Broadway)- Amazing, best special effects I’ve ever seen in a show.

Another vote for Jerusalem. Bloody amazing.

Also both Benedict Cummerbatch’s and Ralph Fiennes (yes, I’m that old) Hamlet and Ian McKellen’s King Lear.

Tracy-Ann Oberman in The Merchant of Venice. I’m a real fan of her’s and am off to The Holy Rosenbergs next week.

Also, I love classical theatre and Sophie Okonedo in Medea was amazing.

Saw the original Rocky Horror Show, with Tim Curry and Richard O’Brian at the Royal Court Theater”s Theatre Upstairs in the 70s. He was incredible, great voice and a really enjoyable, innovative — for the time — production.
We also saw a rock-opera version of MacBeth, From a Jack to a King, at around the same time. (It was a bit of a thing in the 70s)

Gary Owen is a recent discovery for me. I saw Romeo and Julie, which I loved. I have tickets to see Owain and Henry too. Will you be seeing that?

Oh my gosh, DD and I would have been all over that!

ooh also saw Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet-trying to remember who Ophelia was...

How did I forget Jerusalem. Mark Rylance a genius.

Also remember going with a group of friends to see Spamalot.
We thought very funny and the tourists in front of us found it less so.
The less funny they found it the funnier we did-and DH bought me the coconuts to clap like a horse galloping at the interval.
Best to draw a veil over the rest 😂

Jodie Cromer in Prima Facie for best play. Absolutely sensational.

Imelda Staunton in Hello Dolly for musical. I could watch it over and over.

Aw I'm glad someone else enjoyed Iphegenia in Splott! I heard it on the radio first and was transfixed, sat in a car park and was late to meet a friend because I had to hear the end. I then saw it in London and wow!

The P&P play is Pride and Prejudice (sort of) and is hands down my favourite thing ever. I saw it before covid then many times afterwards with several casts, and will be seeing it again when it tours again this autumn. I adore it.

Hamilton

Edward Scissorhands the ballet

Top Hat

Phantom of the opera

Controversial but love never dies with ramin karimloo and sierra boggess

Thank you everyone who has reminded me of Iphegenia in Splott! One of those performances that you almost can’t breathe while watching. Which also reminds me of Grounded at the Gate Theatre - another one woman show with a truly devastating performance from Lucy Ellinson.

i saw that too! Fiona Shaw fan here.

I had forgotten about that bit/suppressed it more like! Absolutely horrific and her energy was terrifying.

I love the theatre-
A production of Jude the Obscure I saw years ago. It had minimal staging- just a big wooden door frame but was so powerful.
More recently Tracy-Ann Oberman as Shylock in Merchant of Venice.
As for musicals I saw Miss Saigon in the West End in the early 90’s and it just blew me away.
More recently I was surprised how good Dear Evan Hanson was, went with low expectations but it was fantastic.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.... absolutely beautiful. We were lucky to see it in a very small local theatre before it went to the West End.
Beautifully simple, very well done. Music by Passenger. Mark Addy and Jenna Russell were brilliant. Had read the books beforehand which i think made it even better.
Also loved War Horse. Having owned horses i was totally mesmerised by the puppeteers. They had the movements to a tee and what a great story.
Have a bit of a thing for Joseph as it was the first time i went to the theatre as a child... have the Lloyd Webber soundtrack on vinyl and still know all the words !

Judi Dench in the Cherry Orchard in London in around 1989/1990. That is a performance that will stay with me forever.

Followed by Mark Rylance as Hamlet at around the same time.

I've been lucky enough to see a lot of great theatre since then, and indeed some wonderful musicals, but those two performances are the ones that really stick in my mind.

I just love Dame Judi. She is an incredibly talented actress and I think I could watch her in anything.

Mark Rylance in Jerusalem. Brian Dennehy in Death of a Salesman. Both absolutely stunning.

OMG I loved Spamalot !

@MrsMitford3 Sian Brooke was Ophelia. Brilliant production.

Did anyone else see Nicole Kidman in Photograph 51? I loved that. Apparently it was 2015 so I was knee deep in toddlers- so I’ve no idea how I made it there but so glad I did.

There are so many. Of those already mentioned loved come from away, Hamilton & pride & prejudice (sort of). I really enjoyed the boy at the back of the class, war horse, the shark is broken & player kings recently.

All time favourite though was a company called Propeller that toured in the 00s & 2010s. Went to see various things and couldn’t really pick one out.

Bit of a musical nut and particularly like ones with great special effects/ use of the stage. Stand out, probably because it was my first theatre production, was Romeo and Juliet at the Royal exchange in Manchester sometime in early 90s. I went with school and was blown away by how immersive it was with a theatre in the round

This is going to make me sound uncultured but The Fully Monty.

I love the film, and usually that means I don’t rate the stage production but I absolutely loved it.

This was amazing. The other performance that lasts in my memory was Henry V at the national (with kit Harrington) and recent production of to kill a mockingbird was excellent

musicals wise I’ve seen the lion king three times and love it. Operation mincemeat was also brilliant

Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet at the Barbican in the 1990s.

Also, I’m not a huge fan of musicals in general, but saw Guys & Dolls at the Bridge theatre in London a couple of years ago and it was incredible.

I love the importance of being earnest, but the most recent cast at the Noel Coward theatre has been my favourite version so far.

This is years ago but Peter and Alice with Judi Dench and Ben Wishaw.

We recently say Oh Mary, it was fantastic I would definitely see it again.

I haven’t been to many and thought it was a waste of money, one that stuck out was Six, it wasn’t just the plot but I think they must have been having an off night as the singing was really poor, but I guess with so many shows that happens sometimes.

Just remembered a shocker. David Walliams as Bottom in Midsummer ND in 2013. Just no!