SHOCKHEADED PETER - 4/16/05

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/16/05 at 10:54pm

We had been wanting to see this for months but were never able to for various reasons. So finally tonight we got tickets and were extremely excited. Now after seeing it, I can sum up my review in three words.

What

The

F*ck

I've got to say that compared to this, BKLYN is a sheer masterpiece. We wondered afterwards if we had just completely missed everything, if every single "joke" had flown right over our heads. Those of you that know me (in person and even here) know that I have a pretty wacked out sense of humor so for me to sit there among all these people laughing hysterically at what was (or wasn't) happening on the stage really made me wonder. Now I know some of you will say that it's Brittish humor, but remember that I grew watching Brittish comedies so I'm very familiar with that. This to me wasn't funny, wasn't scary, wasn't suspensful, wasn't even amusing in the slightest. 100 minutes of us sitting there twiddling our thumbs and checking our watches. It's the first time I EVER would have left a show if there had been an intermission. (With BKLYN I would have stayed to hear Keller's songs towards the end)

And speaking of songs, the songs the band or whatever the hell you call them sang here were more annoying than a thousand Espinoa's screeching in my ears. Each song told a story that was sometimes "acted" out in various forms with puppets or people but I couldn't care less what they were singing about, I was too busy praying to the Baby Jesus they would stop.

And at 9:45, he answered my prayers and I got my ass out of that theatre. I can't for the life of me imagine how people would say that show was disturbing or even DARE compare it to the brilliant PILLOWMAN. Give me those stories and two hours and I'll write you a script that would blow this one out of the water.

Now that I've written this, I can hopefully forget tonight ever happened.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/16/05 at 10:56pm

Wow.

[TGIF]

Posted: 4/16/05 at 11:26pm

Ouch.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/16/05 at 11:31pm

thats depressing cuze it looked good

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/16/05 at 11:42pm

ohh..
I'm going to see it tomorrow, i'll post my review then..

[Razz77]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 1:21am

I must say that I was very disappointed when I saw this show -- I just thought it was boring (and I normally love things that are more dark and thoughtful in their humor). I was very let down...

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 7:35am

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way about Shockheaded Peter.

I'm very familiar with the stories of the book, having read them hundreds of times, so I was very excited about seeing this show. I was prepared to see my nightmares I had as a child come alive as people were mentioning how unsettling and disturbing the show was.

The show started with one of the performers standing on stage for about 5 minutes, just looking at the audience while about 20 people in the audience were literally screaming with laughter. I already then feared that this might not be what I'd expected.

After the first 30 minutes I would have been happy to stab my eyes out, after another 30 minutes I wanted to kill myself and the person sitting next to me.
I always considered Good Vibrations and Brooklyn to be the worst things I'd ever seen until I saw this. At least I was still amused (for the wrong reasons) when seeing them but Shockheaded Peter was just painful.

I also walked out of the theatre questioning if I just completely missed the point of this show and the Laurence Olivier Awards (realizing that this show won two of them!!!).
It was the first time ever that I deeply regretted spending money on a show.

Yes, maybe I completely didn't get the show although I have a pretty wacky sense of humour myself and can really laugh at any nonsense. I was also wondering if the fact I was so familiar with the short stories hindered my amusement but realized that other people who had never heard of Shockheaded Peter found it as painful as I did.

If anyone saw more to this than I did I'd be more than happy to be educated. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart.


QM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:02am

Oh, you didn't like it either, QM?? I'm surprised!

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:08am

You are surprised about that? Why? You thought 'oh, this is sh*te, I bet QM will like it'?

DEAD MEAT!!!

QM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:10am

Oh and you wanted to KILL ME?????

"Oh, Matt. We need to see Struwwelpeter! Let's try again to see Struwwelpeter!"

I'm so gonna kick your ass.

[bwaymyway]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:13am

Wow is it really that bad?
I thought it was going to be good.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:50am

Struwwelpeter?

I should have killed you when I had the chance.

QM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:51am

Looks like I'll have to watch my back tonight, huh?

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:54am

I will suffocate you with a pillow tonight.

QM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:55am

So than you would be the Pillowwoman, right?

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 11:22am

Yes, I'm the Pillowwoman. I will end your sad, pathetic life, so that you don't need to suffer anymore. Because you sure were suffering yesterday....

QM

[midtowngym]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 5:12pm

I saw today's matinee. The show is witty, charming and funny. However, it's about 15 minutes too long, especially with no intermission. There's no 'plot', so i didn't see how it could be confusing. It's simply a collection of short stories and songs about what happens to children (or rabbits, in one case) who misbehave. They 'die, die, die...' They die at the end of every story, and there's a band who sings about each story. Quite original. And i can definitely see that if you're not amused by the premise, you'll be bored.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 10:18pm

I was definately amused by the premise, that's what brought me to see it in the first place. What I wasn't amused by was the lackluster way it was executed on that stage.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/17/05 at 11:36pm

I'm back from the show.. I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE IT!
And it's also very rare for me to not like a show.
After the first 15 minutes, I really wanted to 'die die die'!
It was probably the worst thing I have ever saw on stage.
It was boring, not funny, not scary, nothing!!
THANK GOD I got free tickets.
You have been warned. This show makes me wanna bring FAME back to the Little Shubert (and that's not a good thing).

Updated On: 4/17/05 at 11:36 PM