I've just returned from watching a production of War and Peace by the Shared Experience company, and oh my God, I will never see theatre like that again. That was the most incredible play I have seen in my life.
I didn't know War and Peace before I started watching; all I knew was that it was a massive, massive book; so huge that the play was spread over two evenings due to the length. Didn't know a thing, but I instantly got completely sucked into the world of Natasha, Pierre, Napoleon, Andre, Marie, all of them. It was epic, very stylised; actors played multiple roles and sat on pianos, lurched out of huge frames posing as open windows; there was crying and screaming and kissing and an odd yet brilliant scene between Pierre and his fiancee where they simulated sex, but not quite, as if to convey his torn feelings, his indecision, whilst Napoleon looked on and encouraged him to take the plunge.
I'm not being completely coherent here. I just...I was bowled over. I was sunk into every single second of the play; it was violent, and passionate, and dynamic, and moving, and very funny in certain parts. We'd done a workshop, our drama class, with one of the actors the day before, and he'd told us about the physicality of the play, the sheer effort that goes into it. I wasn't prepared at all; I was exhausted just watching it. God knows how tired out the actors get.
The actors were lovely, too. They came out and did a question and answer session with the audience afterwards; a tiny audience, unfortunately. I felt oddly ashamed at that; a production as epic as this, such a famous text, and only about a quarter of the theatre was filled up in the end. This is theatre, proper, serious theatre, and our town seems to be showing itself up as philistines by selling out to crap murder mysteries with characters all played by soap actors.
I have to see that production again. Somehow. And, come to think of it, read War and Peace. The characters are absolutely incredible, all of them.
I'm rambling, and have much more to say, but it's half past eleven and I have to get up for work tomorrow. More then.
Thank you, Shared Experience. That was sensational.
P.S. I had my first proper AS exam today, as well, but more on that tomorrow.
I didn't know War and Peace before I started watching; all I knew was that it was a massive, massive book; so huge that the play was spread over two evenings due to the length. Didn't know a thing, but I instantly got completely sucked into the world of Natasha, Pierre, Napoleon, Andre, Marie, all of them. It was epic, very stylised; actors played multiple roles and sat on pianos, lurched out of huge frames posing as open windows; there was crying and screaming and kissing and an odd yet brilliant scene between Pierre and his fiancee where they simulated sex, but not quite, as if to convey his torn feelings, his indecision, whilst Napoleon looked on and encouraged him to take the plunge.
I'm not being completely coherent here. I just...I was bowled over. I was sunk into every single second of the play; it was violent, and passionate, and dynamic, and moving, and very funny in certain parts. We'd done a workshop, our drama class, with one of the actors the day before, and he'd told us about the physicality of the play, the sheer effort that goes into it. I wasn't prepared at all; I was exhausted just watching it. God knows how tired out the actors get.
The actors were lovely, too. They came out and did a question and answer session with the audience afterwards; a tiny audience, unfortunately. I felt oddly ashamed at that; a production as epic as this, such a famous text, and only about a quarter of the theatre was filled up in the end. This is theatre, proper, serious theatre, and our town seems to be showing itself up as philistines by selling out to crap murder mysteries with characters all played by soap actors.
I have to see that production again. Somehow. And, come to think of it, read War and Peace. The characters are absolutely incredible, all of them.
I'm rambling, and have much more to say, but it's half past eleven and I have to get up for work tomorrow. More then.
Thank you, Shared Experience. That was sensational.
P.S. I had my first proper AS exam today, as well, but more on that tomorrow.
posted by Rosby at
3:19 PM
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