Post by MartinT on Sept 20, 2024 8:49:48 GMT
Stranger Things, Phoenix Theatre, London
Last night I took Ruth to see Stranger Things in London. The reviews all looked promising and the sets apparently were award winning. Neither of us had seen the Netflix show but reviews said this was not necessary to enjoyment of the production.
It started well, with a scene from The Philadelphia Experiment set in 1943, the notorious 'report' about an experiment to make a ship, the USS Eldridge, disappear. We had two scenes on different levels going on, the set is indeed fantastic and the effects all created a feeling of unnerving disaster - all very effective as an opener.
Then everything changed: we are now in 1959 in Hawkins, an American town with a school. Let me start by saying the production remains fantastic throughout, with rotating stages, sets at different levels, lighting and lots of flash-bangs. However, that's where the enjoyment, for us, stopped. We are now in some kind of juvenile horror fantasy, with the emphasis on juvenile - lots of teenage shouted lines, more flash-bangs, and a virtually totally incoherent script and storyline (summary: a boy has electricity and causes things to happen). The delivery is all American college in the most annoying conceivable voices.
The first hour and a half gave us more shouting at ear-piercing levels; lots and lots of flash-bangs, and an incoherent plot unless (perhaps) you've seen the show. We looked at each other in the interval and just started laughing, to the consternation of the fan audience around us. Did I mention the audience? Lots of "knowing laughs" and whooping throughout, which only served to alienate us further. We walked out into the street and made a fairly instant decision that we were not prepared to go back inside for more of this exceptionally childish, shouty nonsense for another hour and a half. Luckily, we found a really nice coffee bar and chatted and laughed about what we had just witnessed. We had also had a wonderful meal beforehand, so the birthday trip was rescued.
I know never to believe reviews or comments of productions but I am now very wary of ever seeing anything in London again. Stranger Things just added to all the cheesy Andrew Lloyd-Webber garbage musical productions infesting London's theatre-land. That's £242 wasted and a lesson learned. I think we'll keep to the provincial theatres in future.
Last night I took Ruth to see Stranger Things in London. The reviews all looked promising and the sets apparently were award winning. Neither of us had seen the Netflix show but reviews said this was not necessary to enjoyment of the production.
It started well, with a scene from The Philadelphia Experiment set in 1943, the notorious 'report' about an experiment to make a ship, the USS Eldridge, disappear. We had two scenes on different levels going on, the set is indeed fantastic and the effects all created a feeling of unnerving disaster - all very effective as an opener.
Then everything changed: we are now in 1959 in Hawkins, an American town with a school. Let me start by saying the production remains fantastic throughout, with rotating stages, sets at different levels, lighting and lots of flash-bangs. However, that's where the enjoyment, for us, stopped. We are now in some kind of juvenile horror fantasy, with the emphasis on juvenile - lots of teenage shouted lines, more flash-bangs, and a virtually totally incoherent script and storyline (summary: a boy has electricity and causes things to happen). The delivery is all American college in the most annoying conceivable voices.
The first hour and a half gave us more shouting at ear-piercing levels; lots and lots of flash-bangs, and an incoherent plot unless (perhaps) you've seen the show. We looked at each other in the interval and just started laughing, to the consternation of the fan audience around us. Did I mention the audience? Lots of "knowing laughs" and whooping throughout, which only served to alienate us further. We walked out into the street and made a fairly instant decision that we were not prepared to go back inside for more of this exceptionally childish, shouty nonsense for another hour and a half. Luckily, we found a really nice coffee bar and chatted and laughed about what we had just witnessed. We had also had a wonderful meal beforehand, so the birthday trip was rescued.
I know never to believe reviews or comments of productions but I am now very wary of ever seeing anything in London again. Stranger Things just added to all the cheesy Andrew Lloyd-Webber garbage musical productions infesting London's theatre-land. That's £242 wasted and a lesson learned. I think we'll keep to the provincial theatres in future.
