National Theatre: Follies

[Scripps2]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 5:44am

The full cast list, performance dates and marketing image are now on the NT's website (https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/follies); the logo is certainly different from previous productions.

Updated On: 6/16/17 at 05:44 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/9/17 at 6:03am

I hope this gets a west end transfer, along with Angels...sadly not back in London till early Jan 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 3:28pm

BUMP.

What's the chance that this gets recorded by National Theatre Live?  It would be wonderful to have a proshot production of Follies.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 3:47pm

That's a strange poster, but really beautiful at the same time. It does capture the essence of this show well, but I wonder if it means the characters younger selves are going to be more of a focus in this production.

And yes - what GeorgeandDot asked. I would love to see this show as part of NTLive in theaters.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 3:58pm

I think it's highly probable that this will be filmed for NTLive. I can't imagine they would choose not to. This season they decided to broadcast 8 of their own productions, which is almost everything that went into their 2 larger houses (I think they only left out The Red Barn and Ugly Lies the Bone). Plus they filmed an unprecedented (?) number of outside productions, capturing some of the most anticipated shows of the season. A production in their own house with this high of a profile is almost certain to be broadcast. 

Updated On: 6/15/17 at 03:58 PM

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 4:09pm

is it just me or does Imelda Staunton seem to be in everything lately in London?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 4:10pm

JBroadway said: "I think it's highly probable that this will be filmed for NTLive. I can't imagine they would choose not to. This season they decided to broadcast 8 of their own productions, which is almost everything that went into their 2 larger houses (I think they only left out The Red Barn and Ugly Lies the Bone). Plus they filmed an unprecedented (?) number of outside productions, capturing some of the most anticipated shows of the season. A production in their own house with this high of a profile is almost certain to be broadcast."

 

I would assume that much like the Broadway revival, where it was reported that Goldman's widow shut down any possibility of filming, that the National Theatre would face the same hurdle. Maybe with her own show opening Off-Broadway in a month or so she'll be too distracted to put up any objections.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 4:15pm

AEA AGMA SM said: "I would assume that much like the Broadway revival, where it was reported that Goldman's widow shut down any possibility of filming, that the National Theatre would face the same hurdle. Maybe with her own show opening Off-Broadway in a month or so she'll be too distracted to put up any objections."

Oh wow, I didn't know all that had happened! I wonder if the NT could win those deliberations with a little bit of "this is what we do here" or "it's expected of us" logic. Maybe that's unrealistic of me, though. 

 

[Callum_brown1]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 4:16pm

rosscoe(au) said: "I hope this gets a west end transfer, along with Angels...sadly not back in London till early Jan 

 

"

I think Follies will still be playing in Jan (but I'm not certain) - they do it in rep so will be a long-ish run.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 5:13pm

How difficult is it to get the tickets NT releases the Friday prior to the performance week?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/15/17 at 5:45pm

Wildcard said: "How difficult is it to get the tickets NT releases the Friday prior to the performance week?"

Depends on the production. It's doable, but the popular shows do go very quickly. If you are ready to go right when they go onsale, and if you're flexible with dates, it can be done, but no guarantee. 

 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/16/17 at 12:35am

I love the idea of that image.   But the right side of the face (looking at the image) is coarse and ugly.  It needs much more shadow.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/16/17 at 2:22am

rosscoe(au) said: "I hope this gets a west end transfer, along with Angels...sadly not back in London till early Jan 

 

"

To answer my own question last performance 3rd Jan

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/16/17 at 4:34am

My expectations are low

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/16/17 at 7:19am

 

Oh, hell, Philip Quast as Ben? Be still my heart. Finally, an actor who might give Benjamin Stone more than one dimension.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 12:10am

Update: confirmed for NTLive (as I expected ). Excellent news!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Imelda-Staunton-FOLLIES-to-Come-to-Cinemas-Everywhere-This-Fall-20170706

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 12:19am

Hm. Curious to see how they do this. It's a HUGE space, and the theater is very 1970s. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 12:33am

RippedMan said: "Hm. Curious to see how they do this. It's a HUGE space, and the theater is very 1970s. "

What do you mean? They broadcast the majority of the shows that play in this space. 

EDIT: Sorry, were you referring to the broadcast or the production itself? In retrospect I'm guessing you meant to production, lol.

Updated On: 7/7/17 at 12:33 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 12:53am

haha yes the production! It's a very big and wide theater. Just curious design wise, how they would do this.

[binau]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 12:56am

How did the widow Goldman let this be filmed but not the recent NYC revival?

Good luck Staunton trying to reach the level of acting in "Buddy's Eyes" as Bernadette or reaching those high notes in Too Many Mornings. 

[Tag]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 1:02am

Wow that cast is clearly lacking in diversity...

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 1:10am

qolbinau said: "How did the widow Goldman let this be filmed but not the recent NYC revival?

Good luck Staunton trying to reach the level of acting in "Buddy's Eyes" as Bernadette or reaching those high notes in Too Many Mornings. 

I don't think we should be concerned with Staunton's acting. She's an Oscar nominee, after all.  She's probably one of the finest stage actresses alive and working today.  I am interested in how she's going to sing the role.  Her singing voice actually reminds me of Dorothy Collins a little bit, which should be interesting, but I'm pretty sure that Imelda isn't a soprano.  I predict we'll see a very different Sally than the one that Peters gave us.  

 

[brian1973]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 2:47am

 

Are you actually serious? You are questioning the acting abilities of one of the best actresses in the world? You clearly didn't see her in Gypsy, or Sweeney Todd or anything else she's ever done.

Bernadette's level of acting in Follies left a lot to be desired.

 

 

qolbinau said: "How did the widow Goldman let this be filmed but not the recent NYC revival?

Good luck Staunton trying to reach the level of acting in "Buddy's Eyes" as Bernadette or reaching those high notes in Too Many Mornings. 

 

"

 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 3:19am

I recently saw Staunton in VIRGINIA WOOLF, that woman.can.act. I mean, she's, probably, the greatest theater actress of the UK right now, for either play or musical.

 

[binau]

Posted: 7/7/17 at 4:15am

I think we all saw her 'performance' in Gypsy. She can't sing. I do concede she definitely has fine acting skills - I mean she is probably a better actor than Bernadette - perhaps it is the direction I'm more afraid of and the specific choices, as well as her ability to actually use her voice in a vulnerable way with a pleasant sounding timbre. I don't think anyone, at least as captured on record, used their voice to act through "In Buddy's Eyes" the way Bernadette did. Not Collins, not Cook, not McKechnie, not McKenzie. Clark was pretty close actually - maybe it was a directorial choice. Most seem to sing the song straight through and you can barely hear the transition in emotion/subtext of the song as it reaches the end. Maybe it needs to be seen and not heard?

What I also find weird is - why does no recording actually capture the tempo as written on the score for "In Buddy's Eyes" except the most recent revival? People actually complained that Bernadette sung the song too slowly but it was basically as written. If they speed it up again I'm going to scream. 

Bernadette's "In Buddy's Eyes" was 100% perfect. Maybe not her Losing My Mind - though what's on record here is a much more straight-forward and plain/sung through interpretation of the song than what she actually did in the theatre. So if you forget how she actually performed it nightly (which seemed to get more sulky as the run went on) there is little to complain about.

Also, I realise there is absolutely no point to showing my Bernadette fandism but this is a Broadway message board and we are theatre queens. Pointless displays of affection for performers or unwarranted criticism for performances that haven't even happened yet is what this place is all about.
 

Updated On: 7/7/17 at 04:15 AM