A little life - anyone seen it?

[Lemursandions]

I saw this at Richmond in a seat very close to
the front.

Just wondering if anyone else had at all. I had quite a few issues with the play itself but thought James Norton’s performance was incredible and so intense.

The play has really stayed with me - and keeps
popping into my head. The violence and the vulnerability. I’m finding it very hard to shake off.

Yes! Saw it this week at Richmond as well. James Norton was amazing- I can't see how he can do that performance night after night for months on end.
I hadn't read the book but will do now. I was expecting to be traumatised after everything I'd heard but actually could be quite detached despite thinking it was amazing. Probably because I'm lucky enough to have a pretty good 'normal' life. Can imagine it could be very 'triggering' for some.

I haven't yet. Read the book and it had a similar impact on me to your experience.
I bought a ticket for Harold Pinter theatre but could only get a seat behind the stage. So in view of the audience and seeing the play from the rear. I bought the ticket in a hurry and didn't realise it clashes with something else. So when the tickets for the Savoy theatre went on sale I bought another ticket, second circle. I don't want to waste money so will sell one of the tickets for face-value.
Question for you OP as you wrote you were very close to the front - better to watch close up, I think very close! Or at some distance and perhaps more significantly some height?

One of my main take home points was that I was v v v pleased I wasn't sat on the stage...

Also- I normally like being very close to the stage in the stalls but for this I was in the dress circle and had a brilliant view.

Thank you both!

@Shedoesasshepleases - I don’t usually sit near the front but got a cheap ish ticket. I was the first row A but there were only 4 seats either side of the string quartet. I was very very close to the stage - at times the actors sitting on the edge of the stage were pretty much touching me. It also meant I was lit up the whole time. It was therefore probably a bit similar to the on stage seating. I almost felt like I was in the play? I got blood splatter on me in one particularly violent scene.

In some ways it was amazing - I mean I was so very close. But it also meant it was very, very intense. I go to a lot of theatre and havent experienced anything like it before. The lady next to me at the end just turned and said ‘f**k - I don’t think I could watch this from
this seat again’

I was actually fine with the self harming - but there were a few scenes where the violence was quite difficult ( in particular the scene with Caleb).

I thought the JN in particular was incredible - but the play itself had issues for me. I understand in the book the characters are all built up - in the play it’s hard to feel their relationships and they are very lightly sketched - similarly it’s not clear why they are so obsessed with Jude. It’s mainly about Jude and his disintegration. So for me it lacked light. But I know others feel differently and thought the whole play was amazing!

Having said that I’ve just started a thread and written a ridiculously long post so it clearly has impacted me!

@verylittlelife - I also agree I’ve no idea how James Norton will do this for the extended run. And with matinees as well.

I also saw an audience member had taken photos of some of the naked scenes and the DM published them. Which is awful.

I should add re seating - in Van Hove style it’s a pretty basic set, so don’t think you need to worry about sight lines particularly ( although I suspect some of the screens at the side might not be visible from some seats). You are obviously always visible to the audience in the on stage seating but it would certainly be an experience. A lot of the action is side on - so again I doubt you’d be looking just at the backs for very long periods on the stage.

wou you say it’s better to read the book in advance? Or go in cold?

Would you

My negative thoughts of being on the stage were not because you wouldn't get a good view of the stage etc ( you definitely would) but just that I would have felt extremely exposed.

I'd say go in cold...

Hi, I just bought a ticket for A Little Life at The Harold Pinter theatre on Twickets. But now I’m wondering if it’s a fake ticket as it wasn’t as dear as I thought it might be. It’s for the stalls, a few rows from the front. Would anyone know if £80 is a feasible price for such a seat? By the way, it’s for a weekday matinee….maybe that’s why it’s cheaper??
Thanks so much.

@VioletLou - you can only sell
for face value on Twickets. ATG ( which owns HP theatre) does surge pricing - so the ticket price rises with demand and demand is now high and prices totally obscene ( IMHO)! When I bought my tickets in December it was way cheaper - so if the person selling bought before the surge in interest then yes I think a stalls ticket could have been £80.

Oh right, that makes sense!
Thanks so much, Lemursandions.

Hope you - was going to say enjoy it, but that’s not quite right! - find it worth the ticket price 😀.

@Shedoesasshepleases hi, just wondering whether you are still selling your ticket? Thanks!

Yes I am only going to the first show so have a spare ticket Saturday 29th July 1.30 Savoy Theatre Grand Circle Row B restricted view (think its a safety rail). If you are interested PM me - I'm on the app and couldn't see how to PM you??

Thanks - I’m only looking for an on stage seat but thank you!

I'm going to take a chance on the full-on experience!

Oh goodness I came on here to see if there was a thread about this. I saw it last night. Stalls. I was wondering if the on stage people would have found it a bit too close for comfort.

Like others have said it was absolutely brutal. Completely absorbing, moving, brilliantly acted but what an emotional ride. I cried at a few points.

My friend and I asked the same question - how on earth can JN perform this night after night? It must be completing exhausting. Luke thompson who played Willem, his partner was also fantastic too.

It won't leave me for a while. Order a large glass of wine for the interval (though not if you are prone to nodding off as it's very long!)

Oh and yes - I have a teen DD with MH issues who has self harmed quite a lot. I found these scenes very triggering but then the average person might do too. I had to look away even though there were 'worse' scenes in the play.

@Wilma1999 FYI onstage seating for the Savoy run is released on Wednesday.

I've managed to get an on stage ticket at the Savoy in August for £35. There's not many left but you might be lucky. A Little Life Tickets | Savoy Theatre in London West End | ATG Tickets

Wow, just saw this yesterday. How incredibly talented (and handsome 😍) is James Norton?!? His performance was absolutely amazing and he's capable of playing so many completely different roles. The subject-matter of the play is horrendous, but I'm quite robust. Though people around me were crying and one woman had to be carried out of the audience. It's a very depressing play (to put it mildly) but James Norton is incredible in it and of course the full frontal nudity was a bonus 😂