Betrayal Previews — Page 3

I saw this yesterday and to be honest, wasn't really a fan.  It might be a Pinter thing but I felt like I couldn't really see the intricacies of the interactions that has everyone else raving.  I thought it was fairly straightforward and didn't really grab my interest.  All the actors portray their roles well, but to me it didn't seem like they had to work hard to really capture the essence of their roles so I'm not sure if I'm just missing something.  Some of the staging moments with the turntable were fantastic, but I was a bit confused about the walls, was that just for a lighting effect or to show them in more isolation from the third party or something?  A lot of it seemed kind of arbitrary and I had a few moments when I wasn't sure if they were trying to imply something for the audience to figure out.

We also stage doored afterwards since our seats were close enough to the exit for us to snag a spot on the barricade after leaving the theater.  The measures that TheaterGeek mentioned about sectioning off the walkway and only allowing ticketholders didn't seem to be enforced my night, but it definitely was pretty packed.  None of the actors took selfies and would only sign Playbills (and maybe show related merch, but I couldn't tell), and everyone was fairly respectful (though one girl did tell Tom Hiddleston to smile which seemed a bit rude).  Charlie Cox was the first one and came out about half an hour after the show ended, and Tom Hiddleston was last, coming out about 50 minutes after the show ended.

Saw last night's performance. I had read this play, although I was very familiar with the concept and characters, but it was really clever and poignant and witty. All four actors were exceptional, even the waiter got some great moments out of only a few minutes onstage.

I saw the first performance last Wednesday. I saw the Daniel Craig version a few years ago, and was incredibly bored but this production drew me in right away. Perhaps because I appreciate Pinter's economy with words, the spare dialogue appeals to me. I thought the entire cast was, perhaps, a little too youthful for what is a middle age regrets/remembrances story.  I see this as a retrospective from the end looking back: the older characters remembering what happened to them but unable to become those younger selves.

I thought Ashton was the weakest, lacking the self-protective guile and flashes of anger. I thought Cox was brilliant: Jerry is central to most of the scenes, and is the one most manipulated by the tensions in the marriage between Emma and Robert. But I found Hiddleston heartbreaking. Craig played Robert very cold, manipulative, edgy. Hiddleston showed you how much of his toughness was an act, and there is one moment in the entire play that I will never forget. No spoilers but it said more about Robert in one wordless image than I ever could have imagined. Robert is, after all, the victim who plays along, trying not to lose the two people he loves just because they love each other more.

I really liked it a lot and would consider seeing it again. Tom Hiddleston as Robert is a wonderful stage presence and delivered the profound sadness of the story so palpably, which is the feeling that is present but not I believe directly expressed in the text, which I now want to read. Charlie Cox as Jerry was great up against him, just as strong with a wholly different energy, much more forthright. I found Zawe Ashton fine as Emma, she holds her own with two great actors, but I thought there was sometimes-retro read on the character of the woman in the story, I'd like to see it minus the occasional arch or bitter line reading, which diminish her a bit.

(A full house for the Saturday matinee. I got good Row C Mezzanine seats half price at the South Street TKTS where you can buy Sat matinee tickets on Friday afternoon.)

TheaterGeek said: "I am seeing this tonight and am excited! Any new reports on the stage door? Are they still not doing photos with the actors? Still blocking off access to people who didn't see the show?"

I saw this about two weeks ago and they didn't check tickets. We were on the barrier on the right-side - we got out quite late and this side was very empty so we were in the front, while the left was crowded. But they signed on both sides. No selfies but they were very engaged and chatted a bit. Charlie Cox was even like "They won't let us take selfies but you can take a picture of me signing!" and posed (for a man next to me). Great stage door experience! 

AllThatJazz2 said: "Are they coming out to sign at all for the matinees, or only evening performances?"

They didn't come out to sign after yesterday's matinee.

I saw this play recently as well and after the show talked to friends who have seen the production a few years ago with Daniel Craig/Rachel Weisz and they definitely preferred this production. One friend who saw the production with Liev Schreiber back 19 years ago told me Liev was the best Jerry he had ever seen. 

To me, Charlie Cox and Zawe Ashton were the standouts though all three were amazing. If time permits I hope to watch this play again before it closes as I'm sure the trio's chemistry will be even better!

So I started watching the movie yesterday but somehow just couldn't get into it. Not sure why. I definitely preferred watching this production moreso than the movie (even though I'm a Jeremy Irons fan!)

Updated On: 9/23/19 at 09:23 AM

spikethebunny said: "Saw this on Broadway Flea day (so there was no stage door that day). Thoroughly enjoyed it and the time just flew. I loved the bare stage and the direction of always having all three actors on stage. The acting was phenomenal by all three. It’s one of those shows I’m glad I saw, but don’t really need to see again.

Seating wise, I purchased last row of the mezz, last seat on the side at the box office, but was moved up to row d of the mezz (about five seats from the side) when I entered the theatre. I saw them moving some people from the back of the mezz to the front. I guess they wanted to fill the front a bit more. My new view was phenomenal and I missed nothing."

I saw it on Flea Market Day also and was disappointed, but makes sense, they didn't stagedoor.  I was sitting in D7 ($25) and really didn't have obstructed view for the most part.  Do not buy D9.  The girl next to me had a lot of scenes obstructed.  For those who have seen the show, during the second scene, is Tom on stage?  That would have been the only scene I didn't see everybody.  Which it is easily fixable to move him over.