Elizabeth
Mon, 12 Mar 2001, 07:05 amWalter Plinge6 posts in thread
Elizabeth
Mon, 12 Mar 2001, 07:05 amElizabeth - This was a interesting play being shown at Maloo Theater in
Darlington. A fairly well done play with very few characters, this play
revolves around Queen Elizabeth I. From the pissing horse, to the Ugly Dame,
and to the NAKED guy in Elizabeth's bed, this play gives you an oppertunity
to laugh. The skills of the actors are proven by the many line that where
needed to be memorised over two 1 hour act. This was further proven by the
last 5 or so minutes of the most complex sentences I have ever heard come
out of a persons mouth. Parts of this play did get a little tedious, and
some jokes where not that funny. The send-up of the matrix, which I believe
that the audience, which was mostly made up of the elderly and would not of
understood the send-up, did not fit in well into the play
Overal the play was ammusing to say the least, but would I see again if I
had an oppurtunity? Maybe not... But again, maybe I would...
Darlington. A fairly well done play with very few characters, this play
revolves around Queen Elizabeth I. From the pissing horse, to the Ugly Dame,
and to the NAKED guy in Elizabeth's bed, this play gives you an oppertunity
to laugh. The skills of the actors are proven by the many line that where
needed to be memorised over two 1 hour act. This was further proven by the
last 5 or so minutes of the most complex sentences I have ever heard come
out of a persons mouth. Parts of this play did get a little tedious, and
some jokes where not that funny. The send-up of the matrix, which I believe
that the audience, which was mostly made up of the elderly and would not of
understood the send-up, did not fit in well into the play
Overal the play was ammusing to say the least, but would I see again if I
had an oppurtunity? Maybe not... But again, maybe I would...
Walter PlingeMon, 12 Mar 2001, 07:05 am
Elizabeth - This was a interesting play being shown at Maloo Theater in
Darlington. A fairly well done play with very few characters, this play
revolves around Queen Elizabeth I. From the pissing horse, to the Ugly Dame,
and to the NAKED guy in Elizabeth's bed, this play gives you an oppertunity
to laugh. The skills of the actors are proven by the many line that where
needed to be memorised over two 1 hour act. This was further proven by the
last 5 or so minutes of the most complex sentences I have ever heard come
out of a persons mouth. Parts of this play did get a little tedious, and
some jokes where not that funny. The send-up of the matrix, which I believe
that the audience, which was mostly made up of the elderly and would not of
understood the send-up, did not fit in well into the play
Overal the play was ammusing to say the least, but would I see again if I
had an oppurtunity? Maybe not... But again, maybe I would...
Darlington. A fairly well done play with very few characters, this play
revolves around Queen Elizabeth I. From the pissing horse, to the Ugly Dame,
and to the NAKED guy in Elizabeth's bed, this play gives you an oppertunity
to laugh. The skills of the actors are proven by the many line that where
needed to be memorised over two 1 hour act. This was further proven by the
last 5 or so minutes of the most complex sentences I have ever heard come
out of a persons mouth. Parts of this play did get a little tedious, and
some jokes where not that funny. The send-up of the matrix, which I believe
that the audience, which was mostly made up of the elderly and would not of
understood the send-up, did not fit in well into the play
Overal the play was ammusing to say the least, but would I see again if I
had an oppurtunity? Maybe not... But again, maybe I would...
Walter PlingeSat, 24 Mar 2001, 12:05 am
RE: Elizabeth
I think that Troy should have had a larger part....this man will go a long way but he will have to work hard and need firm direction though....*wink*
having 4 women in the front row of varying ages he was extremely lucky not to be grabbed and have his cute lil buttocks bitten.....
sorry troy..had to do it....you were great!!!!..and sooooooo brave......*thinking of being his personal wardrobe assistant*.......Tracee was amazing...such lines to remember...
and peter...very clever...there were moments he didn't have to say a thing.......and i would set off in a uncontrollable giggle...
well done everyone...a couple of flat spots and some very high pitched voices.......but otherwise an entertaining evening...
having 4 women in the front row of varying ages he was extremely lucky not to be grabbed and have his cute lil buttocks bitten.....
sorry troy..had to do it....you were great!!!!..and sooooooo brave......*thinking of being his personal wardrobe assistant*.......Tracee was amazing...such lines to remember...
and peter...very clever...there were moments he didn't have to say a thing.......and i would set off in a uncontrollable giggle...
well done everyone...a couple of flat spots and some very high pitched voices.......but otherwise an entertaining evening...
BabarSat, 24 Mar 2001, 03:55 pm
Aww youse guys!
Awww shucks Teri.
Private sessions at reasonable prices!!!
Old-Age Pensioner Concession Cards welcome!
Contact me via http://l-space.tripod.com
:P
To be honest, I'm kind of surprised. All these people commenting on the nudity, but not one has mentioned the political sub-text.
Private sessions at reasonable prices!!!
Old-Age Pensioner Concession Cards welcome!
Contact me via http://l-space.tripod.com
:P
To be honest, I'm kind of surprised. All these people commenting on the nudity, but not one has mentioned the political sub-text.
Walter PlingeMon, 26 Mar 2001, 12:03 am
Elizabeth - Almost by Chance a Woman
Almost by chance a plot, you mean.
Actually, that's a bit cheeky. There was indeed a plot, but it sometimes seemed secondary to the slapstick shenanigans. Not that that's a bad thing - it was a very funny production, but I honestly think it's the sort of show you have to see more than once to get a firm grasp on what's going on. It was all too easy to become sidetracked and distracted by the farting about to pay attention to every nuance of the political intrigue.
And isn't that EXACTLY what politics is all about.
Very witty indeed, with some enormous laughs and wonderful performances. I don't know about others, but I LOVED Tracee Sliskovic's manic, paranoid Elizabeth. Non stop energy and emotion, coupled with demanding lines and an intense, ten-minute final monologue - asserting Elizabeth's regality and Tracee's command of the script and stage. (Hmmm, this has been a week for great monologues...)
Peter the Pear made a particularly unattractive woman as the aptly-named Dame Grosslady, and had almost as many lines as Queen Lizzie, starting with an horrendous Cornwall (?) accent which - thankfully - mellowed a little as the play progressed. Fiona Forster, stunning as always (but particularly so in black leather) exuded calmness and efficiency as the head of the intelligence service, and held the plot together as practically the only person on stage who wasn't absolutely mental. Although, Desiree Schrock performed well in the understated part of Elizabeth's lady in waiting, and John Hall seemed to having fun as the assassin.
Troy Hall made the most of his bit part. People were heard to comment that it was pleasing to see Troy coming out of his shell.
I didn't gell with the intermittent musical accompaniments. They probably had a deeper, significant meaning, but they seemed to come and go at odd places for undefined reasons. The set was simple but effective, and I loved the wooden horse. A damn strange, but damn funny show. It'll be interesting to see more of Dario Fo's stuff. Roll on Stirling...
JB
Actually, that's a bit cheeky. There was indeed a plot, but it sometimes seemed secondary to the slapstick shenanigans. Not that that's a bad thing - it was a very funny production, but I honestly think it's the sort of show you have to see more than once to get a firm grasp on what's going on. It was all too easy to become sidetracked and distracted by the farting about to pay attention to every nuance of the political intrigue.
And isn't that EXACTLY what politics is all about.
Very witty indeed, with some enormous laughs and wonderful performances. I don't know about others, but I LOVED Tracee Sliskovic's manic, paranoid Elizabeth. Non stop energy and emotion, coupled with demanding lines and an intense, ten-minute final monologue - asserting Elizabeth's regality and Tracee's command of the script and stage. (Hmmm, this has been a week for great monologues...)
Peter the Pear made a particularly unattractive woman as the aptly-named Dame Grosslady, and had almost as many lines as Queen Lizzie, starting with an horrendous Cornwall (?) accent which - thankfully - mellowed a little as the play progressed. Fiona Forster, stunning as always (but particularly so in black leather) exuded calmness and efficiency as the head of the intelligence service, and held the plot together as practically the only person on stage who wasn't absolutely mental. Although, Desiree Schrock performed well in the understated part of Elizabeth's lady in waiting, and John Hall seemed to having fun as the assassin.
Troy Hall made the most of his bit part. People were heard to comment that it was pleasing to see Troy coming out of his shell.
I didn't gell with the intermittent musical accompaniments. They probably had a deeper, significant meaning, but they seemed to come and go at odd places for undefined reasons. The set was simple but effective, and I loved the wooden horse. A damn strange, but damn funny show. It'll be interesting to see more of Dario Fo's stuff. Roll on Stirling...
JB
Walter PlingeMon, 26 Mar 2001, 01:10 pm
RE: Elizabeth - Almost by Chance a Woman
HI GUYS,
I REALLY LOVED THE SHOW. IT SO GOOD AND TROY YOU WERE REALLY BRAVE TO DO THAT. AS I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR A FEW YEARS NOW IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT SORT OF SHOW. SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE IT AND SOME DID. I HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS AT THE NEXT SHOW.
I HAVE TO GO NOW BECAUSE I AM STILL AT WORK.
BEST WISHES
FROM CLAIRE.
I REALLY LOVED THE SHOW. IT SO GOOD AND TROY YOU WERE REALLY BRAVE TO DO THAT. AS I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER FOR A FEW YEARS NOW IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT SORT OF SHOW. SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE IT AND SOME DID. I HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS AT THE NEXT SHOW.
I HAVE TO GO NOW BECAUSE I AM STILL AT WORK.
BEST WISHES
FROM CLAIRE.
Walter PlingeThu, 29 Mar 2001, 03:00 pm
RE: Elizabeth - Almost by Chance a Woman
“There was indeed a plot, but it sometimes seemed secondary to the slapstick shenanigans… It was all too easy to become sidetracked and distracted by the farting about to pay attention to every nuance of the political intrigue.
And isn't that EXACTLY what politics is all about.”
Thank you, Jarrod!
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve always thought that Dario Fo’s works have similarities with ‘The Simpsons’ and early ‘South Park’. The easy laughs are there and obvious, and if you just want the easy laughs, well go for it! BUT there is a deeper, more subtler humour underpinning the whole thing, if you want to think about it.
In this respect it is also similar to Stoppard (except Fo’s jokes are way cruder). I mean, how many people got ALL the jokes in ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ in the first sitting? I know I didn’t, in fact I think I still pick up new laughs every time I’ve seen it (and I’ve seen it many many times).
“I don't know about others, but I LOVED Tracee Sliskovic's manic, paranoid Elizabeth.”
No, Jarrod, a few people did NOT love Tracee’s manic, paranoid Elizabeth. Some people have this idealised picture of the Virgin Queen, and get offended by any other portrayal of Liz. A couple of people didn’t even like Elizabeth portrayed as a predator in Schiller’s Mary Stuart. Personally, I’ve always thought the ultimate portrayal of Elizabeth was somewhere between Miranda Richardson in ‘Blackadder’ and Quentin Crisp in ‘Orlando’.
“Peter the Pear made a particularly unattractive woman as the aptly-named Dame Grosslady, and had almost as many lines as Queen Lizzie, starting with an horrendous Cornwall (?) accent…”
That accent was pretty much authentic Wiltshire, you just have to listen to his MotherÂ…
“Fiona Forster… practically the only person on stage who wasn't absolutely mental.”
Playing AGAINST type for once?! (Sorry Fiona, couldnÂ’t resist!)
“Troy Hall made the most of his bit part.”
[guffaw]
“People were heard to comment that it was pleasing to see Troy coming out of his shell.”
Hah! You should have seen him the night the Hills Community Support Group came to see the show… ‘I haven’t seen one of those since my George died in 1939’
“I didn't gell with the intermittent musical accompaniments. They probably had a deeper, significant meaning, but they seemed to come and go at odd places for undefined reasons.”
The reason is mood.
Why is it that incidental music is no longer acceptable in a play except during scene changes?
You go to see any movie, and you always have incidental music playing underneath, enhancing mood. It doesnÂ’t play all the time, but it is there to underscore pertinent moments.
Dammit, I LIKE incidental music, so IÂ’m gonna keep putting it in!
“The set was simple but effective…”
Thanks to Donna Scott from DonnaÂ’s Designs for running up the curtains for me!
“…and I loved the wooden horse.”
A left over from Marloo’s production of ‘The Desert Song’ many, many years ago…
“It'll be interesting to see more of Dario Fo's stuff. Roll on Stirling... “
Hear! Hear!
For all the bleating we hear from people about Theatre Groups always doing the same old stuff and never willing to try anything different, it was disappointing how few of these people actually made the trek up the hill to see this show.
Hopefully I have been able to raise the profile of Dario Fo just that little bit more. So the next time someone does one of his plays (Stirling Theatre are doing ‘Abducting Diana’ later this year) a few more people will not consider this MAJOR European playwright to be a total unknown!
To the cast and crew of ‘Abducting Diana’, whoever you eventually turn out to be, enjoy the experience, I know we did!
Paul Treasure
Director – ‘Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman’
And isn't that EXACTLY what politics is all about.”
Thank you, Jarrod!
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve always thought that Dario Fo’s works have similarities with ‘The Simpsons’ and early ‘South Park’. The easy laughs are there and obvious, and if you just want the easy laughs, well go for it! BUT there is a deeper, more subtler humour underpinning the whole thing, if you want to think about it.
In this respect it is also similar to Stoppard (except Fo’s jokes are way cruder). I mean, how many people got ALL the jokes in ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ in the first sitting? I know I didn’t, in fact I think I still pick up new laughs every time I’ve seen it (and I’ve seen it many many times).
“I don't know about others, but I LOVED Tracee Sliskovic's manic, paranoid Elizabeth.”
No, Jarrod, a few people did NOT love Tracee’s manic, paranoid Elizabeth. Some people have this idealised picture of the Virgin Queen, and get offended by any other portrayal of Liz. A couple of people didn’t even like Elizabeth portrayed as a predator in Schiller’s Mary Stuart. Personally, I’ve always thought the ultimate portrayal of Elizabeth was somewhere between Miranda Richardson in ‘Blackadder’ and Quentin Crisp in ‘Orlando’.
“Peter the Pear made a particularly unattractive woman as the aptly-named Dame Grosslady, and had almost as many lines as Queen Lizzie, starting with an horrendous Cornwall (?) accent…”
That accent was pretty much authentic Wiltshire, you just have to listen to his MotherÂ…
“Fiona Forster… practically the only person on stage who wasn't absolutely mental.”
Playing AGAINST type for once?! (Sorry Fiona, couldnÂ’t resist!)
“Troy Hall made the most of his bit part.”
[guffaw]
“People were heard to comment that it was pleasing to see Troy coming out of his shell.”
Hah! You should have seen him the night the Hills Community Support Group came to see the show… ‘I haven’t seen one of those since my George died in 1939’
“I didn't gell with the intermittent musical accompaniments. They probably had a deeper, significant meaning, but they seemed to come and go at odd places for undefined reasons.”
The reason is mood.
Why is it that incidental music is no longer acceptable in a play except during scene changes?
You go to see any movie, and you always have incidental music playing underneath, enhancing mood. It doesnÂ’t play all the time, but it is there to underscore pertinent moments.
Dammit, I LIKE incidental music, so IÂ’m gonna keep putting it in!
“The set was simple but effective…”
Thanks to Donna Scott from DonnaÂ’s Designs for running up the curtains for me!
“…and I loved the wooden horse.”
A left over from Marloo’s production of ‘The Desert Song’ many, many years ago…
“It'll be interesting to see more of Dario Fo's stuff. Roll on Stirling... “
Hear! Hear!
For all the bleating we hear from people about Theatre Groups always doing the same old stuff and never willing to try anything different, it was disappointing how few of these people actually made the trek up the hill to see this show.
Hopefully I have been able to raise the profile of Dario Fo just that little bit more. So the next time someone does one of his plays (Stirling Theatre are doing ‘Abducting Diana’ later this year) a few more people will not consider this MAJOR European playwright to be a total unknown!
To the cast and crew of ‘Abducting Diana’, whoever you eventually turn out to be, enjoy the experience, I know we did!
Paul Treasure
Director – ‘Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman’