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Original poster

A Little Life

115 replies

NooNakedJacuzziness · 07/01/2023 09:40

I watched Graham Norton last night and one of the guests was James Norton. He said he is appearing in a play of A Little Life soon in London. Apparently it's over 3 hours long. Having read the book (thanks to hearing about it on here) over a few weeks I'm not sure I could cope with such an onslaught of misery in one go, you'd come out needing a very stiff drink!

Anyone planning on seeing it? I'm fascinated by how they'd do it so might try and get tickets.

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Kanaloa · 15/01/2023 10:48

Was considering seeing it myself but I’m trying so hard not to hate watch stuff at the moment 😂 but if the tickets were cheaper I probably would have gone just to see how on earth they’ve adapted it.

MrsHaroldRobbins · 15/01/2023 10:50

I'm going in May, really looking forward to watching James Norton on stage although at almost four hours it could be a challenge! Am reading the book at the moment, hoping to get it finished before the show, better get a shift on, I'm not even 100 pages in yet!

StColumbofNavron · 15/01/2023 13:26

A colleague was telling me that he is diabetic (I think this intel came from Graham Norton where he was plugging the play), so they’ve incorporated sweets dotted around the set for him, which I now feel like I’m going to spend an inordinate amount of concentration looking for.

OlleOskiFelle · 16/01/2023 09:31

StColumbofNavron · 15/01/2023 13:26

A colleague was telling me that he is diabetic (I think this intel came from Graham Norton where he was plugging the play), so they’ve incorporated sweets dotted around the set for him, which I now feel like I’m going to spend an inordinate amount of concentration looking for.

I can concentrate on that then if I hate it!

Kermitgreen · 16/01/2023 09:34

I love the book (I’m sure I shouldn’t but I do!) and would love to see the play but logistically it’s not going to happen.
Does anyone know what are the chances of it being screened on ‘national theatre at home’ ?

StColumbofNavron · 17/01/2023 21:55

It’s at the Harold Pinter so won’t be on NT@Home but they may well have a cinema screening.

Kermitgreen · 17/01/2023 22:50

I’ll look out for a cinema screening but holding out hope as prima facie was at Harold Pinter too and that’s on NT at home at the moment.
Looking forward to hearing the feedback from those who are going!

BaconAndAvocado · 19/01/2023 08:18

I loved the book and love JN but agree with the idea that it’s not the role for him. Having said that, he’s an excellent actor so will no doubt do an excellent job.
A definite yes to Robert Sheehan in the role, he is EXACTLY how I imagined Jude to look.
Equally, I don’t think I could hack seeing the high levels of abuse re-enacted on stage. Makes me wonder how exactly it will be portrayed.

CrispsnDips · 18/03/2023 07:15

Eeeek…great to see JN naked but way too depressing for me…I won’t be going but have just read about it, and seen the photos, in the Daily Mail this morning.

Perfectlystill · 18/03/2023 07:27

A friend went to see this this week and said it was three hours 40 mins and relentlessly miserable. He's on stage stark naked for most of it, and at the break she and her friend asked themselves what on earth they were doing watching it.

Also he has a tiny willy apparently. Which is disappointing.

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NooNakedJacuzziness · 18/03/2023 08:24

Bloody hell, just had a look at the sidebar of shame as well - you'd come out of the theatre completely depressed and deflated surely? I'm sure the acting is great but 3 hours & 40 mins of misery - I don't think I could. JN must be so confident to be starkers for a lot of it & it looks as though the audience is very close to the stage too.

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NooNakedJacuzziness · 18/03/2023 08:30

Just noticed the Mails headline - "James Nowt-On" - FFS, so infantile

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Mercurial123 · 18/03/2023 08:33

NooNakedJacuzziness · 18/03/2023 08:30

Just noticed the Mails headline - "James Nowt-On" - FFS, so infantile

Hardly a surprise though?

IceandIndigo · 18/03/2023 19:29

No way would I see this, the book was bad enough. I know there’s a lot of abuse but why does he need to be naked so much?

illiterato · 18/03/2023 21:05

Perfectlystill · 18/03/2023 07:27

A friend went to see this this week and said it was three hours 40 mins and relentlessly miserable. He's on stage stark naked for most of it, and at the break she and her friend asked themselves what on earth they were doing watching it.

Also he has a tiny willy apparently. Which is disappointing.

Might be a grower not a show-er [shallow]

OlleOskiFelle · 19/03/2023 12:08

Oh gawd, what am I letting myself in for?

OlleOskiFelle · 29/04/2023 15:15

I went on Thursday night, this is what I put on my FB straight after

A Little Life
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NooNakedJacuzziness · 29/04/2023 17:23

I imagine the audience leaving in stunned silence @OlleOskiFelle

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Barbarbarf · 29/04/2023 17:29

I hated almost every second of the play. If I could've walked out without disturbing people I would have. I'd forgotten what I thought of the book... Bought a last minute cheap ticket for opening night.

I didn't think it was amazing or brilliant and I've been a big fan of the director's theatre previously.

Trite bollocks. Not good enough to make up for the constant torture. Eventually became farcical, ridiculous.

Kanaloa · 29/04/2023 18:43

Barbarbarf · 29/04/2023 17:29

I hated almost every second of the play. If I could've walked out without disturbing people I would have. I'd forgotten what I thought of the book... Bought a last minute cheap ticket for opening night.

I didn't think it was amazing or brilliant and I've been a big fan of the director's theatre previously.

Trite bollocks. Not good enough to make up for the constant torture. Eventually became farcical, ridiculous.

This is what I felt about the book. However, the play is coming to a cinema near me soon so I may go and see it just to judge what it’s all about. Did it follow the book closely? I struggle to see how the flimsy character development and misery porn type stuff would be made gripping in a play.

OlleOskiFelle · 29/04/2023 19:06

NooNakedJacuzziness · 29/04/2023 17:23

I imagine the audience leaving in stunned silence @OlleOskiFelle

No, lots of applause, rightly so as the actors were excellent.
There was lots of obvious crying from the audience towards the end, I didn't cry, I was stunned I think.

OlleOskiFelle · 29/04/2023 19:08

Barbarbarf · 29/04/2023 17:29

I hated almost every second of the play. If I could've walked out without disturbing people I would have. I'd forgotten what I thought of the book... Bought a last minute cheap ticket for opening night.

I didn't think it was amazing or brilliant and I've been a big fan of the director's theatre previously.

Trite bollocks. Not good enough to make up for the constant torture. Eventually became farcical, ridiculous.

Did you leave as soon as you could?

Kermitgreen · 29/04/2023 22:02

@Kanaloa where did you find the details of the cinema screening?

Ohow · 29/04/2023 22:19

Barbarbarf · 29/04/2023 17:29

I hated almost every second of the play. If I could've walked out without disturbing people I would have. I'd forgotten what I thought of the book... Bought a last minute cheap ticket for opening night.

I didn't think it was amazing or brilliant and I've been a big fan of the director's theatre previously.

Trite bollocks. Not good enough to make up for the constant torture. Eventually became farcical, ridiculous.

This is so annoying as I tried so hard to get a ticket for opening night month ago!

But also because I'm now worried the steep price I have paid won't be worth it 😳

TimeforaGandT · 29/04/2023 22:37

I have seen the play.

I would not have cast JN based on the book’s description of Jude and agree that I saw him as more of a fragile build (as a previous poster mentioned, someone like Eddie Redmayne).

However, JN is excellent in the role and the acting by all the cast is excellent. The shortcomings are in the inability (in the time available) to portray the friendship elements and the more uplifting parts of the book so that you do tend to move from one traumatic moment to another.

JN is not naked for huge amounts of the play (barely (no pun intended) at all in the first half) but from time to time and Willem is also naked at one point. There is, however, a lot of blood and antiseptic.

I am glad I saw it (not least because of the strong performances) but think you need to have the read the book first.