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Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

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Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

Culture vultures

Theatre, darlings? What plays/productions have you seen and liked?

44 replies

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 13:27

When I was about 15 a friend and I got really into the theatre, for some reason. I think we felt terribly grown up, swanning round with our interval drinks, etc,but it was fun, and we saw a lot. Then in my year out before uni I worked as stage crew/electrician/carpenter in a few local theatres, and very nearly chose that as a career.

I haven't been for ages - we have now moved quite near a really good rep theatre, and really want to start going again. Have seen some cracking productions, and wondered if anyone else had favourites?

In particular I loved a production of The Crucible in the Royal Exchange, Manchester, in about 1988-9 - really compelling - great play, obv, but the theatre in the round setting made it really claustrophobic and unnerving.

Any other favourites?

OP posts:

Report

midnightexpress · 30/10/2008 21:07

Yes , proper north, ya southern Jessie.

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 21:08

Oh, I'm further north than you now...

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Habbibu · 30/10/2008 21:09

I knew a stage manager who took a tour of Macbeth right across Africa. How utterly cool is that?

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midnightexpress · 30/10/2008 21:10

Ooh are you?

There Be Dragons.

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 21:11

Not quite as far as dragons! NE Fife. Haven't even been to the Byre in St Andrews!

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whinegums · 30/10/2008 21:22

I'm in Scotland too - Glasgow. And also spent 'formative theatre years' in the North, in Newcastle. Saw loads of fab stuff there, and loved the annual RSC season. Habbibu, I haven't seen anything at Dundee Rep unfortunately, but I hear very good things about it. Midnightexpress, I haven't been to anything in ages, which is shocking considering the amount of stuff that's on in this neck of the woods... Feel quite sad about it now I think on.

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 21:26

What were your formative years plays, then? I saw The Seagull, with Paul McGann, and a really cool little play called Shamrocks and Crocodiles by Heidi Thomas with Steven McGann. And Something Wicked This Way Comes - isn't that on in Glasgow atm? That was great.

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Swedes · 30/10/2008 21:28

It's so hard to get out with very small children. We have 4 - youngest two are 2 and 15 months. Energy to want to go out, energy to find a babysitter, the babysitter, energy to actually go out, what to wear. Gah.

Recently we saw Vanessa Redgrave in Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking which was superb. Two days later we went to see The Constant Wife performed by the Company of Ten (rep in St Albans). We were over our interval drinks as Connie's mother kept forgetting her lines and the prompt was a man. We were still in NT mode. But we enjoyed it.

Stefka · 30/10/2008 21:29

I am also in Scotland! The Arches is great in Glasgow. I saw 'Spend a penny' there last year. It was a series of one to one encounters in the loo's and it cost one pence for a ticket. It was amazing!

Stefka · 30/10/2008 21:30

Also I hardly get to the theatre these days - not since I had my baby. So many great things I want to see though.

Habbibu · 30/10/2008 21:31

Stefka - one to one - like a monologue? Did you sit on the loo? tell more?

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Stefka · 30/10/2008 21:31

Maybe theatre's should start doing mother and baby performances in the same way cinema's do mother and baby films!

midnightexpress · 30/10/2008 21:34

Swedes have you read the Joan Didion book on which it's based? It was on my list of Books I Must Buy when it came out. Which must have coincided with a birth or something because I never did get round to buying it.

Hey ho.

Not sure a one-to-one encounter in the Arches toilets is for me Stefka

Swedes · 30/10/2008 21:48

Midnightexpress - Yes, read the book. Would you like it? Could easily post it.

whinegums · 30/10/2008 21:52

Trying to think what has stayed with me since then (a LONG time ago!). Ooh, Ian McKellen's Richard III (was a bit of a Shakespeare buff, or fancied myself as one anyway) was mah-vellous darling. Also saw lots of Chekhov, my favourite is Uncle Vanya. The Mystery Plays. Peter Brook's 'The Man Who.' Probably loads more, but I am finding as well as preventing theatre trips, my baby has eaten my brain...

LOL re one to one in the Arches toilets

midnightexpress · 30/10/2008 22:51

Oooh thanks Swedes, that would be great. Can I CAT you?

Can even give it back to you when we are dahn sarf at Christmas (am looking forward to an egg nog in harpers).

Stefka · 31/10/2008 07:40

There were eight monolouges. Four in the ladies and four in the gents. Sometimes you were in the cubicle, one you were in the cleaning cupboard, one was by the sinks. Only four people were allowed in at a time and you were rotated round the four different performers. It was really intense. I loved it but DH was a bit freaked out!

Swedes · 31/10/2008 11:15

Yes, CAT me.

midnightexpress · 31/10/2008 12:02

Gawd knows

A nice schooner of dry sherry would do.

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