THE NORMAN CONQUESTS: Info & Reviews

Each play can indeed stand on its own. Having said that, I recently bought the 3-DVD set from the U.K. of the production from the 70's starring Tom Conti, and they are listed in this order:

TABLE MANNERS
LIVING TOGETHER
ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN

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Strange to me that they wouldn't do the plays "in order" during the week.

That said, the plays are just like Ayckbourn's HOUSE & GARDEN. In that duo-play, HOUSE took plays in the house; GARDEN took place in the garden. Actors would exit one play and enter the other (it helps that they were performed at Stages 1 & 2 of MTC's City Center location.

You don't miss anything by seeing one or the other or the other; if you see all three, you get the variety of perspectives. NORMAN CONQUESTS happens to take place over the course of a weekend in three different rooms. The actors exit in one room in one scene in one play and enter the next room in the same scene in the other play.

Updated On: 4/7/09 at 05:23 PM

Greatly appreciated, YankeeFan and Being.Jeremiah!

In an ideal world, I'd love to see them 1-2-3. But I'm seeing them 3-1-2. But can't complain, really. I'm a smart cookie... I think I'll be able to put the pieces together :)

Interestingly, the online ticket schedule doesn't make it easy for you (aside from the marathon days). The performance schedule isn't in-rep, per-se.

THOUGHTS FOLLOWING ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN

- As mentioned earlier in the thread, the action of the 3 plays encompasses 1 weekend... and they CAN be seen in any sequence because each play stands on it's own.

PLAYBILL lists the action as following:
Table Manners
The action takes place in the dining room of a Victorian house in England during a weekend in July
Act 1, Scene 1: Saturday, 6pm
Act 1, Scene 2: Sunday, 9am
Act 2, Scene 1: Sunday, 8pm
Act 2, Scene 2: Monday, 8am

Living Together
The action takes place in the sitting room of a Victorian house in England during a weekend in July
Act 1, Scene 1: Saturday, 6:30pm
Act 1, Scene 2: Saturday, 8pm
Act 2, Scene 1: Sunday, 9pm
Act 2, Scene 2: Monday, 8am

Round and Round the Garden
The action takes place in the garden of a Victorian house in England during a weekend in July
Act 1, Scene 1: Saturday, 5:30pm
Act 1, Scene 2: Saturday, 9pm
Act 2, Scene 1: Sunday, 11am
Act 2, Scene 2: Monday, 9am

- Kevin Spacey (Old Vic Artistic Director) was in the house (10 seats from me)

- Nick Spangler ("Amazing Race" Winner, The Fantasticks) sat directly beside me... and may I say one helluva good theatre-participant! It's hard not to have a good time at this show, but it's even more enjoyable if yourself and your neighbors are riding the same waves.

- Circle in the Square is indeed a CIRCLE in the square (as opposed to the horseshoes of Glory Days and Bee) which makes for TRULY no bad-seat in the house

- Theatre was almost entirely filled with industry people and comps. I'd be surprised if anyone even paid full-price... But this may be the BEST thing to do for this production. The first 3 shows are mostly papered and comped, making the house at nearly 100% and The Power of Word of Mouth in the hands of those with "mouths" (if you know what I mean)

- EXCELLENTLY performed. Really not a bad seed in the bunch. It makes perfect sense to me now for First Preview to have been Round and Round the Garden (while "unofficially" the 3rd part of the play series)... It seems to be the most promising and funniest of the 3 (though I haven't yet seen Parts 1 and 2) because it feels the most "open-and-shut"... And just damn funny. REALLY funny.

- Functional set piece (circular stage, in the backyard/garden) with a cool "miniature village" hovering over the action. Simple lighting and costumes but perfectly affective.

- VERY British humor, but fortunately, also very universal. Take the impossibility of opening a lawn-chair and extend the scene to 5 minutes and it's LAUGH RIOT!

- This is going to be a hit amongst 3 groups: The theatre "elite" (stuffy rich Upper East Siders who pay full price for everything but are the backbone of Broadway financial support AND cultural taste)... The well-read (either those with a fondness for British humor, familiar with Ayckbourn's style and wit, and perhaps fans of "Are You Being Served?") and the open-minded (curious tourists, ad execs, and Tisch and Pace kids who want to feel well-rounded and will be pleasantly surprised).

- Amelia Bullmore was SEX as Ruth (maybe I just loved her prose and hair). Jessica Hynes is so interesting as Annie (eager to learn what she's hiding). Stephen Mangan is hilarious as Norman (but damn, I'd have a nervous breakdown if I spent a weekend with him). Ben Miles as Tom is just so endearing and SO FUNNY in the final scene! Paul Ritter is swell but high-strung as Paul (couldn't decide if he was playing closet-case of whipped-husband). Amanda Root as Sarah is also engaging... reminds me just how much of a "flip-flop" these characters ALL do during the course of the show.

- CAN'T WAIT for the other 2 shows.

Updated On: 4/8/09 at 12:14 AM

I recently bought the 3-DVD set from the U.K. of the production from the 70's starring Tom Conti

Where is that available?? I couldn't find it on Amazon. I thought it didn't exist!

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>It seems to be the most promising and funniest of the 3 (though I haven't yet seen Parts 1 and 2)<

All three of the plays are funny, but Table Manners generally holds the reputation as the funniest of the three.

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I think what you are saying "dragged" about the second act is part of the overall arc of the plays. They aren't all comic hijinks. Alternating with the comic set-pieces are moments of quiet loneliness, sadness and desperation of the characters, which has given Ayckbourn the label of England's Chekhov. Those moments elevate the plays from just sitcom territory. Tom's awkward proposal to Annie near the end of Act Two, for example, is funny but almost unbearably sad. Or the really brilliantly written scene between Ruth and Tom at the top of Act Two, which here, I think, is a model of writing, performance and direction.

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I was there last night and thought the play was hilarious. There is not a weak link in the cast and the audience was totally into it.

I went in with tickets to just one, and now will be going back to see the next two, so for anyone who is skeptical, pick up tickets for just one, see how you like it, and judge the next two from there.

Great to hear you're having so much fun at TNC, Eug! I saw all parts in London and Living Together was actually my favourite; there is a sequence in it where Tom (Ben Miles) made me laugh so hard, I cried.

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From the two, was there a clear favorite? I'm only able to see one, sadly...

"From the two, was there a clear favorite? I'm only able to see one, sadly..."

There is definitely not a 'clear' favorite, but if you had to choose one out of Round and Round the Garden and Table Manners I would go with... gosh I can't even pick out which one I enjoyed more, they were both incredible. Are you sure you can't see all of them? :P

And thanks for clearing that up Smaxie. Just adds a level to Jessica Hynes's brilliance in this role in my book!

I'm seeing these Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and can't wait!

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