Where are you going tonight?

[William the White]

Great review of the Octagon's Long Day's Journey into Night in yesterday's Guardian.

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/o ... ght-review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spot on...

[clapton is god]

Long Days Journey into Night:

Well, where to start? Almost from the off the four main characters are arguing and bickering and even shouting at each other and continue so for duration of this play, and it is a long play only concluding at 10.45pm. It is hard going as none of the characters engender much, if any, sympathy from the viewer. At least a dozen of the audience on one side of the theatre alone oposite us voted with their feet after the (much needed) interval by not turning up for the second half!

At the interval we discussed what we had seen and our lad said he wanted to jump on stage and batter Margot Leicesters character - he was quite worked up about it! He could see she had problems but wasn't quite switched on enough to work out what was going on, and you'd have to know him to understand his reasons for reacting as he did. Mrs C had some sympathy for his statement! And if theatre isn't about provoking a reaction, even one such as his, then I don't know what it is about!

We have seen around 50 productions now at the Octagon alone and Mrs C said this was possibly her least favorite of them all. I might have agreed with that if we were judging on the first half alone but for me the second half redeemed the production. This starts with a long, long scene with just father and youngest son on stage and listening to them I found myself absolutely spellbound, hanging on every word. And, sacrilege or not, I have to say that the second half benefited from not having Margot Leicester on stage (until the end)! She is good, no doubt about it, but she does that thing that she does in every production but dressed in different clothes and with a different accent. That may seem harsh but we all agreed it was fair and on this occasion Brian Protheroe, as the father figure, absolutely blew everyone else off stage. He was magnificent and I hope he has found a home at the Octagon with David Thacker.

So what of the second lad we took, the theatre virgin? He voted with his eyelids in the first half and fell asleep, even through the constant arguing. He managed to stay awake for the second half and his verdict when asked was "it was all right.' Again, you have to know him to understand that was a good reaction.

The cast got through no less than three bottles of "whisky" during the evening. I hope whatever it was tasted okay as they also had a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon so that would be six bottles of the stuff. They all came off stage last night visibly exhausted after two very long performances yesterday. And speaking of matinee, as we entered there were four patrons complaining loudly and giving staff a hard time that their tickets were duplicated and someone else was sat in their seats. Turned out their tickets had been for the afternoon performance, which brightened my day no end.

One of the lines delivered by Edmund was "am I a seagull or a fish?" (or similar) and, with the play being set in a coastal town, we had the sound of seagulls circling over us all through the interval. Just thought I'd mention it

[LeverEnd]

Oh no mR C! You've mentioned the dreaded s-word at the end there. thebish and LLS will be all over this like a rash!

[clapton is god]

Oh no mR C! You've mentioned the dreaded s-word at the end there. thebish and LLS will be all over this like a rash!

I felt they both needed a little excitement in their lives

[Bruce Rioja]

And, sacrilege or not, I have to say that the second half benefited from not having Margot Leicester on stage (until the end)! She is good, no doubt about it, but she does that thing that she does in every production but dressed in different clothes and with a different accent.

I'm happy to pay money, double in fact, to see Maqrgot Leicester do that thing she does, and the fact that her character didn't appear for a long period in the second half only to appear at the end suggests to me 'maximum effect'. I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

She is absolutely fecking brilliant and the fact that she produces her stuff in a tiny theatre in our town centre is complete anathema.

[William the White]

I think that's a typically thoughtful post from clapton. I think this production will divide audiences. I gather pretty much every performance some fail to return after the interval.

This is a demanding play in a lot of ways. But it grabbed me very early - its emotional power, and its heightened language and the quality of the acting drew me in to the point when I will certainly go to watch it again.

But an easy night at the theatre it certainly is not!

I'm not sure about where you are coming from with your assessment of Margot Leicester. I think she has had a series of roles where she plays a woman hurting or being hurt, or both. To that extent there's an underlying similarity, I guess. But, imho, she has played each of them with real truth and particularity.

I know what she brings to the rehearsal room - she has played in two of my own plays (in Lancaster and on Radio 3) - and her commitment to getting to the heart of her character is total. She does it again here, i feel. And that last scene, where she is at the centre, where she has the last word, is stunning.

But theatre divides opinion - and it's great to have this forum to express that, and look forward to hearing Bruce's when he's seen the show.

[clapton is god]

What I should have said was that I thought the second half improved with the absence of Margot Leicesters character from the stage rather than her herself. Don't get me wrong, I love her as much as you do! She does have some mannerisms that transport from play to play though - I guess that's acting for you. Perhaps it was the nature of that first half that made them jump out at me but on this occasion anyway I thought she was greatly outshone by Brian Protheroe.

Ask the four of us if we enjoyed the production and you'd get "no', 'possibly', 'maybe' and 'yes', so opinion there very divided. I would be the 'yes', and firmly so, and with the production still front and foremost in my thoughts two days later (in a way that cinema can never do), it has obviously had an impact on me. And, I am considering going again, on my own, primarily out of a desire to see that last ten minutes (and the whole of the second half) so yes, that last scene was indeed stunning. I have my own spin on what I saw there and want to quietly check it out.

Don't for a second let me put you off going Bruce. I too look forwards to seeing you thoughts afterwards.

[Dr Hotdog]

Tonight I'm off to the RNCM to watch seminal 70s proggers Camel perform their smashing opus 'The Snow Goose' in full.

[thebish]

^ as antidotes to watching Bolton go - that's pretty awesome!!

[Dr Hotdog]

Yeah I'm pretty chuffed to be honest!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Tonight I'm off to the RNCM to watch seminal 70s proggers Camel perform their smashing opus 'The Snow Goose' in full.

If I recall correctly (and I believe I do), there were two Camels: Frampton's and some other fecker's.

[bobo the clown]

Tonight I'm off to the RNCM to watch seminal 70s proggers Camel perform their smashing opus 'The Snow Goose' in full.

If I recall correctly (and I believe I do), there were two Camels: Frampton's and some other fecker's.

Peter Bardon's. It was his lot who did the Snow Goose. He died in 2002 so I doubt he'll make it.

Wow ... "the Snow Goose". Listened to it only a few weeks ago.

[Bruce Rioja]

Will they be selling commemorative elbow patches and Briar pipes at this concert?

[Dr Hotdog]

I should think so! I've been told that you get a free pair of slippers upon arrival too!

[Worthy4England]

I should think so! I've been told that you get a free pair of slippers upon arrival too!

[LeverEnd]

Just to be the anti-prog guy, just got home from the Arena after watching Alter Bridge. Actually went to watch the support Halestorm but missed them due to various train mishaps. Got in to see Shinedown, who were terrible, then was blown away by Alter Bridge despite knowing none of their songs. Great performance.

[Dr Hotdog]

Well Camel were very, very enjoyable on Monday night. They did a flawless 45-minute Snow Goose set, took half an hour to powder their noses and take a cod liver oil capsule and then came back and did a 1 hour 45 minute set from their back catalogue! Whooosh!

Tonight i'm off the Manchester Art Gallery for a preview of the new Grayson Perry exhibition. I'm hopeful of a couple of glasses of free plonk and perhaps some snacks.

Friday Night sees Manchester host (at least) three top-quality concerts. For the cultured rich middle to upper there's Pete Gabriel (with Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick!) at the big Arena while for the grubby underbelly there's a choice between post-rock nice chaps The Appleseed Cast at the Deaf Institute or the frantic post-industrial-prog-instrumental-looped-guitar-lunacy of Russian Circles at 'Gorrilla'. Plus probably loads more because Manchester's a fine place to live with plenty of bobbins happening all over the place. Just don't forget to capture it all on social media and show off to your followers what you did with who and where you boring shit.

See you down the front.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Well Camel were very, very enjoyable on Monday night. They did a flawless 45-minute Snow Goose set, took half an hour to powder their noses and take a cod liver oil capsule and then came back and did a 1 hour 45 minute set from their back catalogue! Whooosh!

Tonight i'm off the Manchester Art Gallery for a preview of the new Grayson Perry exhibition. I'm hopeful of a couple of glasses of free plonk and perhaps some snacks.

Friday Night sees Manchester host (at least) three top-quality concerts. For the cultured rich middle to upper there's Pete Gabriel (with Tony Levin on the Chapman Stick!) at the big Arena while for the grubby underbelly there's a choice between post-rock nice chaps The Appleseed Cast at the Deaf Institute or the frantic post-industrial-prog-instrumental-looped-guitar-lunacy of Russian Circles at 'Gorrilla'. Plus probably loads more because Manchester's a fine place to live with plenty of bobbins happening all over the place. Just don't forget to capture it all on social media and show off to your followers what you did with who and where you boring shit.

See you down the front.

Not at a Pete Gabriel concert you won't!

[Dr Hotdog]

If I was there I'd be in awe of Levin and his Stick.

[Bruce Rioja]

If I was there I'd be in awe of Levin and his Stick.

They make a great sound, Chapman sticks, which is as well because they look fecking ridiculous.