Martin Freeman to play Richard III

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Interesting and strange.

[CarrieHarayel]

The director said on twitter its not intentional that some audience members end up with blood all over them. well really... I was thinking like you said clear the first few rows of seats... unless?! Ive been googling other productions and the same director did Macbeth at the same place some of the audience ended up the same.

 

Some people on twitter/tumblr saying they went to RichardIII other day and the blood soaked right through their clothes! This has really put me off of theatre, buying advanced tickets and sitting anywhere in the front 5 rows.

 

I'm thinking regardless of if you tell people. Why it not acceptable for the audience to interfer with the production but perfectly acceptable for the production to violate the audience!!

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Seems this director has a problem....

[CarrieHarayel]

Just a bit! :-\

[Carol the Dabbler]

I assume it's not real blood -- did anyone say whether it's washable?

 

I took Mom to a dolphin show at the zoo a few years back.  Her eyesight was not very good, but fortunately I noticed there was absolutely nobody sitting in the first couple of rows, so I guided her down there.  After we were seated, I noticed a warning sign -- first two rows may be splashed -- so I asked Mom if she wanted to move, but she was game (and wanted to be able to see the dolphins), so we stayed.

 

The dolphins did splash us (sometimes on porpoise, I think!), but we had a blast.

 

 

You might consider wearing a raincoat?

 

[Arcadia]

*groan*

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Some of that fake blood can stain pretty badly.....so if people are dressing up for the evening they should be warned away from those front seats.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yeah, I think I'd wear my grubbies!

 

But seriously, if there were any sensible way for me to visit London this summer, I'd love to attend.  The production itself sounds a bit too "arty" for my taste, but judging from the couple of rehearsal photos I've seen of Martin Freeman, he is so into that character that just watching him would be a huge treat.

 

[CarrieHarayel]

I was really going to go try and get the 15 quid tickets. But I wouldnt want anyone sitting in front of me when I throw up... so... I think they need to give warning on blood use in productions before you start buying tickets. Even though Ive only started going I really don't think Im going to bother with much theatre.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Well, you could get a seat in the front row of the balcony (then you'd merely be throwing up on the people below you).  Or you could wear a rain coat AND take along an airline barf bag.

 

There really is something special about a live performance, though, and I'd be game to see this play at least once (though I'd reserve the right to leave at the intermission if it's too horribly gory).  I hope somebody from the forum sees it and gives us a report.

 

[CarrieHarayel]

Well, you could get a seat in the front row of the balcony (then you'd merely be throwing up on the people below you). Or you could wear a rain coat AND take along an airline barf bag.

 

There really is something special about a live performance, though, and I'd be game to see this play at least once (though I'd reserve the right to leave at the intermission if it's too horribly gory). I hope somebody from the forum sees it and gives us a report.

Live is great... I spent number of years going to see live bands. I really enjoyed going to see Birdland the other month. It was amazing to see acting/performance live. But it never registered in my mind they will sometimes use stage blood. I had a massive fear of blood when I was younger while I can now watch most gory horror movies you can think of.... I can stand the thought of it coming anywhere near me. It not that it makes me feel ill its that i start to panic which could possible lead me to passout or throw up. It was reading a review yesterday then googling productions... eeekk. Then thinking what if I buy a ticket for something having no idea what its about.... I know it sounds stupid but I get panicky with many things avoidence seems to be the easy solution!!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Unfortunately, I suppose you're right -- about what's right for you.

 

Those who are merely worried about coming out of the theater covered with blood might be comforted by this information from Sherlockology's review of the play:

 

 

 

It should be noted, if you find yourself seated in the front row, that you may find yourself handed a t-shirt by the theatre staff to ward off potential arterial spray, and by the close the stage itself is thoroughly spattered with the stuff.

 

I wonder if they let you keep the T-shirt?  (Talk about a truly unique souvenir!)  The entire review is well worth reading if you're at all interested in this production and/or Martin Freeman's range as an actor.

 

And -- here's a link to the full interview with Freeman that we've seen quoted recently, wherein he discusses this play (as well as The Hobbit, future Sherlock episodes, and Fargo).

 

[Convict13]

When I heard about this I really wanted to go (who wouldn't? Its Martin Freeman!) then I found tickets were in the region of £30 to £70 a little to expensive even the cheapest seat was £30. Then I found out they were selling £15 tickets at the start of each month... yay! Now I'm reading about the production =-O the very bloody production apprently!

 

Just a quick question for anyone who got tickets for the front rows... where you told about the blood when you bought your tickets? I'm very curious.

 

Also for many reasons i'm glad I didn't get tickets even the £30 ones because I probably would have thrown up at some point!!

 

I just keep thinking about this scene

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MGOI7xrgGA

 

 

also interview with Martin @ 1hr 36 mins in I believe

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048hz9l

[Carol the Dabbler]

I just keep thinking about this scene

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MGOI7xrgGA

 

 

also interview with Martin @ 1hr 36 mins in I believe

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048hz9l

 

I seriously doubt that Martin Freeman "goes on the tube like that"      though some members of his audience might!

 

Could you quote or paraphrase the relevant portion of the Graham Norton video -- just in case I'm not the only one with a slow internet connection?

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Martin Freeman as Richard the lll

[Arcadia]

I think I recognize that "I'm about to kill you," smile.......

[Caya]

Does that man ever look sexy when thoroughly pissed off .

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks, Fox -- that is one scary Martin Freeman!

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The uniform threw me a bit until I read the interviews where this takes place in a 1970's or....what ever...setting.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yeah, apparently some kind of alternate-universe 70's dystopia.

 

[CarrieHarayel]

Yeah set in the 70s.

 

Im going to it now I actually bought tickets today so it will be a waste of 50 quid if i chickened out.

 

Ive got 3rd row aisle seat but on the stage (its a weird setup)... apprently the aisle is the same one the actors use to enter the stage... which i find odd. On the theatre monkey someone said 'be careful not to slip on blood in the aisle and dont touch the hand rails'... great!! Ill report back once I have gone.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Zow!  An aisle seat -- you're a brave woman, Carrie!  Hey, if they give you one of those protective T-shirts, could you maybe post a picture showing how it looked when the play was over?

 

Radio Times posted their review of the play yesterday.  Naturally they said good things about Freeman's performance -- after all, he's one of the BBC's stars.  But I take it they were genuinely impressed, because they didn't just blather, they made some interesting points, such as this one:

 

Freeman's talent lies in creating something frighteningly ordinary about his villainy. He has a hump, OK, and a hand he cannot use, but he is not the physical monster of some productions and moves about his wicked business with a kind of blank indifference to his actions which is somehow even more chilling.

 

... which fits right in with what Freeman has been saying about such people, that they don't think of themselves as evil, or have babies for breakfast.  I'm glad he's finally gotten a chance to demonstrate the effectiveness of that interpretation.  (Just wish I could see it.)

 

And Radio Times posted an even scarier picture:

 

[Caya]

Their audience is apparently having a good time, Carrie - you'll be fine .

 

 

 

 

 

 

(source)

[CarrieHarayel]

Im "pretty sure" all the audience defacement happens to the ones in the front of the stall seats for probably bits of it I will be watching the backs of actors heads?! Anyway I'm up in the 3rd row... But if you get front row stall seats they are the best ones if you want to be up close to it all.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Third row sounds pretty darn good, though!  And on an entrance / exit aisle as well -- I had an aisle seat in a small theater once, and the entrances and exits were extra interesting because of that.