His Dark Materials

[janeite]

The stage production of Pullman's "His Dark Materials" is coming to Birmingham next year and I've already bought tickets.

Did anybody see it in London and if so, what did you think? Is it as good as the critics said?

Can't wait! And of course it gives me an excuse to read the books again!

Nobody?

I did see it and it was very good. I think because of the length they had to cut some bits but it was still very well done.

Ooh thankyou; I thought I was destined to life on unanswered threads! Please tell me more? Do they do puppets a la The Lion King? What's the stage like?

Haven't seen the Lion King so don't know how they do it. Don't want to tell you too much as don't want to spoil it for you

Stage was left quite bare, not a lot of backdrops, what else would you like to know?

Thanks again. Okay - I'll stop asking questions and wait to be surprised/amazed hopefully. Cheers!

BUT I do have one more question - are the daemons good?

The daemons were good, so was the land of the dead, the bears & the witches!

When is it on?

Not until march but having missed getting tickets for "Hamlet" I was determined not to miss this!

oh wow, that's ages away! You'll have to dig out the thread again & let me know what you thought!

Ikwym though, I missed HDM first time around in London, as soon as they announced a 2nd run I booked tickets immediately.

I've love to see that. DS#1 has just finished reading the Amber Spyglass so I'd take him. Wonder if it's going to Bristol.

I saw it (naturally). It was great. Daemons were fantastic.

Thanks Iorek. So, why would I guess you'd seen it? Erm...... is it something to do with your name perhaps? It seems to ring a bell.....Nah....can't think what you mean.

Ormirian and Flamesparrow - here's the info from the Rep; it's done in two parts, so we've bought tickets for consecutive Friday evenings.

Rep

Just found this thread. I am going to see the stage version at the Lowry at the end of April and I absolutely cannot wait!!!! Have you seen it now Janeite?

Oh I saw it at the National a few years ago. It was brilliant- a really magical day.

The new one is a different production though I think.

We saw it a few weeks ago. I missed the first one as I had to work but saw the second and dp and the girls saw the first without me.

Erm.... I feel terrible saying this but...
I really, really didn't like it.

Dp and the girls loved it though.

Some things were good - eg: the polar bears and the bit in the world of the dead but I mostly really disliked it, largely because I was very unimpressed by the girl they'd got playing Lyra.

I suspect I would have liked it better if I'd seen the first part.

But as I always say, even bad theatre is better than no theatre!

Oh no, that's a shame. The production I saw lastest 6 hours and it would have been unbearable if I hadn't loved it.

I love the theatre best of all but I have to disagree, there's nothing worse for me than bad theatre.

I go by myself to matinees now that we have ds and have spent a few afternoons willing myself miserably to stay awake. ('The Year of Magical Thinking' was the worst- a monlogue with no intermission, I wanted to cry).