The last few days (and the next few) are all about supporting friends in shows. It’s a fortnight where loads of local shows are on and everyone’s been frantically trying to fit each other’s in. Last night’s Jack Absolute Flies Again was great fun, and tomorrow it’s a hit of pure 80s with The Wedding Singer. But Saturday saw a different and rarely seen choice for an amateur group - the two-part whopper that is Angels in America.
I’ve done a fair few lengthy shows and two-parters in my time. I must admit I didn’t entirely see the need for Angels in America to be quite as long as it was - each part being at least three and a half hours! The story is interesting and highlights the AIDs crisis in New York in the 1980s well, but I can’t help but feel it could have done so quicker. What shocks me most is that playwright Tony Kushner wanted to add yet more scenes! At least the team did an incredible job of it this weekend. For an amateur group to take on such a challenge and present it so well is just brilliant, and quite brave too. I still don’t really know how they managed all those lines for a start!
This trend for overly lengthy plays does intrigue me though. Personally I find that shorter, sharper shows have more of an effect on me. Is emotional impact affected by time? If so, where does the tipping point lie? When I saw The Inheritance (another two-parter based with similar subject matter) the time mostly just immersed you in the character’s stories to a deeper extent. I did those two parts across two evenings so maybe that makes a difference, but there were still times I got fidgety and watched the clock. As much as playwright’s have something to say (and should say it), you have to balance that with basic human behaviour and need. Particularly now theatre’s have taken to introducing these ‘no readmittance’ policies (which are incredibly inaccessible, but that’s a moan for another day…) There’s a delicate balance to be found, and writing a show that’s pushing three hours needs careful consideration of the format it is being presented in.
But anyway, props to the GWT for attempting such a marathon - that’s no easy feat for anyone! Happy ticket-buying!
Rochelle 🎭🎫
Carrying the banner
In the news this week…
I’m kind of a big deal
After wowing audiences at the Marylebone Theatre, Jamie Allan’s magic show Amaze is now heading to the West End. It’s a great family production, suitable for those aged 5 and above.
There’s currently discounts on the first few weeks of its run at the Criterion Theatre. You can choose from hundreds of £15 seats for Tue-Fri performances. Remember though that the Criterion has a lot of pillars which can affect the view to varying degrees. Not all of the restricted view seats are that bad, but it’s definitely worth checking before you book, especially if you are taking kids. Take a look at Seat Plan for guidance!
Hey big spender
Here’s your discounts, offers and cheap seats this week.
🏃 New rush alerts! You can now get £20 tickets for Amaze, £29.50 tickets for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and £30 tickets for Waiting for Godot. These are all available through the rush scheme on the TodayTix app at 10am daily.
Get £10 tickets to all performances of Slave: A Question of Freedom at Shakespeare North Playhouse.
There’s £15 tickets to Pins and Needles at the Kiln.
Get £15 tickets to Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical in Concert.
Get 25% off tickets to The River in Greenwich. Use code RIVER25, the cheapest tickets become £19.75.
There’s £20 tickets to Kim’s Convenience.
All tickets are £20 for the remaining performances of Buyer & Cellar.
There’s £20 tickets to F**king Men.
Get £25 tickets for this month’s West End Showstopper!
And get £30 tickets to The Cabinet Minister.
Don’t throw away your shot
Competitions, on-sales and announcements.
Watermill’s revival of The Lord of the Rings musical is coming back to the UK. It will play in Plymouth in Oct 2025. Tickets go on sale 7 Nov.
Gary Oldman will star in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape in York next spring. Public booking opens 16 Nov at 1pm.
The King’s Head Theatre has just announced its 2025 season and most shows are now on sale. There are also £20 early bird tickets available, use code EARLYBIRD.
The Orange Tree Theatre has also released details of its 2025 season. Tickets go on public sale on 28 Oct at midday.
NT at Home has announced some new additions for the winter, including Present Laughter starring Andrew Scott and Macbeth starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma. Subscriptions start from £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year.
We have extensions from Come Alive (now booking until Mar 2025) and Oliver! (now booking until Sep 2025).
Win tickets to Stranger Things: The First Shadow thanks to WoS.
And finally, win tickets to Witness for the Prosecution with OLT.
That’s all for this week. If you enjoyed the newsletter, please tell your friends. I’m also open to suggestions and requests for certain discounts, so do drop into my DMs. Right, time for an evening rehearsing how to be an oompa loompa. 🍫