Imagine a rather tiny theatre.
Imagine this tiny theatre packed (well, not quite, there were a few empty seats, but none of us Standees dared make a move for them...) with a lot of French, a handful of Germans, maybe a dozen British natives (and that's including the cast!), and one Austrian.
You got tonight's performance of Ibsen's "A Doll's House" pretty much summed up.
Last night was awesome in the way that I could enjoy two excellent actors, both masters of their craft, whom I'd theretofore only seen individually, on stage at the same time. Godot just stands apart from everything. Tonight everything was a first. In every category. My first Ibsen – I have to read the original (this was a modernized rewrite) sometime soon -, and the first time I got to see any of the cast. Ever.
Thoroughly "wow-ed" here.
Or to quote a certain Timelord: "Fan-taaas-tic!"
Yes, Eccleston came, brought the Northern vowels, and looked absolutely delicious in suits with barely a shirt beneath them...
Toby Stephens blew me away – I wonder if he'll ever get the chance to play opposite his Mom...now that'd be a play I'd love to see (or die trying to...) Tara Fitzgerald I would like to see more of. Definitely. Anton Lesser...have to research him in greater detail
And Gillian Anderson.... Seriously, seriously impressed.
Crazy as it sounds...I didn't go because of her. No, I went because of Stephens and Eccleston...and as Fate (Karma, you B****) would have it: the boys are the ones I stroked out on ☹ Yeah, the Bean Maneuver all over again. I can't blame them; the GA-crowd at the front was bad enough, they snuck out at the back...confirming my suspicion that the staff was lying to me when I asked about the stage door. 'There's just the front'...my ass!! There I stood, my new Austrian acquaintance right beside me, and there was Gillian. Tiny, tiny woman...with Carrie Bradshaw hair....and so engaging and patient with fans, flashing cameras, gift-givers and non-functional pens...
In spite of the inner "grrr" because of two certain gentlemen (the impression they left will last for a long time, though) I am quite pleased. With my decision to go for it, with getting the autographs of precisely those two people I wasn't all that interested in, with making the acquaintance of a nice Austrian girl (an au-pair from somewhere near Salzburg – we got talking during the intermission and at some point a German phrase slipped past my lips...the rest is history...*g* Well,
marend , I hope we can stay in touch!)
My feet and my back certainly aren't pleased. That was close to fourteen consecutive hours that I spent on my feet walking/standing/trudging/climibing etc.. I won't be able to move tomorrow, I'm afraid....
But, as per
jeherion 's request, I'll pick up some pasteis:-)))
Advice to
vicodissimus : go, go, go for it!! I know your standing up during a play just *because* may not be your cup of tea anymore, heck, *I* was having difficulties, but really, really consider it. The chance to get returns for standing room is high, you got a good view for little money and Eccleston is worth every moment.