Thursday 5 March 2009

Not a review

Something quite disturbing happened the other night. I went to see a play and came out with no real opinion about it.  

This is Not Like Me at all. I never have a shortage of opinions. On anything. And certainly not plays and films and bands. 

It was Twelfth Night, produced by the Donmar, and it starred Derek Jacobi and some other people whose faces you would probably know but not their names, not without a bit of an explanation about what they'd been in. 

And it was... You know, sort of... Well. If you pinned me down the most I could really say is that it was alright slash quite good. 

I think maybe if you've never seen Twelfth Night, it would be quite good slash great. But I've seen it loads. Well. At least twice before. Maybe more. It's one of those plays that's always on. 

I've even seen it done by the same director (Michael Grandage) when I was studying in Sheffield. And I remember that production really vividly. It was in the round, and energetic and fun. Whereas t'other week it was all just very pleasant and competent, but you know... meh. 

Although here is a much less cynical view of the production.



2 comments:

Rogue Zentradi said...

I believe that feeling qualifies the production as a failure: theatre should always make you feel SOMETHING at the end, even if it's an utter loathing for how badly the play was screwed up or awful it was written.

easily distracted writer said...

I think you might be right, Rogue. I certainly felt it was a bad sign that I came out thinking it had all been very 'competent'. I mean, it's not good to see Shakespeare done badly, but you do hope for something more than efficiency. And a very good cast, to be fair.