Circle Time!

Jeez, thought you were gonna go on about something else then!

Anyway....

The Old Vic Theatre London
Configured in the round for productions in 2009.

I've seen lots of stuff in-the-round at the Manchester Royal Exchange but they tend to be classic plays (Ibsen, Chekhov) or light comedies (Coward, Wilde). I couldn't say any of them were innovative, though water did come out of the taps in a kitchen-sink drama. Scenic devices seem to be lowered in from above.
And they really struggle with musicals, though I can't help wondering if Hytner's 1980s Carousel in-the-round overcame the problems.

Corridor theatre = Black Watch: Military parades, tableaux of warfare, cast emerging from a snooker table (or was it a tank)? Great stuff. I think there's a DVD.

Octogan Theatre, Bolton

actual stars. the lot of you :)

"Jeez, thought you were gonna go on about something else then!"

Me too! Which is ofcourse what the little minx wanted us to think.

"Well there's the stage at the Young Vic"

Now that's a good point. I saw The Good Soul of Schechuzaun there last year and the staging was really interesting. You entered down a long, dark, narrow, winding corridor (no Sam - that isn't a metaphor) and when you came out you were actually on stage with those already seated in the audience watching you (eek! yikes!). The set on the stage was a cement factory with actors in protective clothing pushing sacks of cement about on the stage and the air filled with cement dust. You then had to climb off the stage into the audience to take your seat, walking past the onstage pianist whose piano I gave a quick tinkle (no Sam - that isn't a double entendre) on my way.

Now that was exciting, innovative staging.

"Jeez, thought you were gonna go on about something else then"

"Me too! Which is ofcourse what the little minx wanted us to think"

when i first though of the title i was thinking more about circle time at school..sitting in a circle dealing with problems, passing the talking stick! and NOT about a certaiin circle in which a group of men stand whilst doing most vulgar things...

i feel that your status had a lot to do with my thread title today thanks love

whats a sphincter?

Why has no one mentioned the 'New Vic Theatre' in Stoke-on-Trent?! Beautiful theatre in-the-round always producing wonderful productions as well as housing various touring productions throughout the year. Sort of twinned with SJT Scarbourough and often they tour their productions to each other. A wonderful theatre!

I mentioned the Railway Children in York in an earlier thread...here is a video of it, showing the unique staging. This production was superb. Have a look!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8199614.stm