Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Myself doing a poo , it's my honest face apparently

I'm back on the theatre tip again, and recently watched Rebecca at the Charing Cross Theatre. A musical based on the 1938 Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier.

This theatre has become one of my favourite smaller venues in recent years. So I was looking forward to seeing it stage this first English translation of the musical that has been playing in Vienna. Overall it was... alright. Which is disappointing as it should be much more than that.

The production, casting (especially Lauren Jones), acting and musicality is all quite strong, but what really lets it down is the stage design. This theatre is a small space, so it requires a director who is creative and knows how to make the most of the space. But instead it looked cheap and amateurish. And this can really affect the overall feel of a play.

I'd still recommend going to watch it however, as I would not be surprised if it's developed further and ends up at one of the main West End theatres (with a proper stage design - and along with their ticket pricing). At the Charing Cross theatre you can still grab a decent seat for under £50, and under £25 if you book far enough ahead.

Back to on the telly...

The Midwich Cuckoos.

A seven episode mini-series staring just about everyone in UK telly land. Including the now customary performance from Keeley Hawes playing the part of a middle-aged, middle-class, conventionally-attractive mumsy-type. It's a sci-fi thriller about a bunch of wimmin who get knocked up by an alien presence.

It's decent enough, but tries the fatal error of compensating for a lack of character development and exploration of the premises with some ham-fisted "values" thrust down your throat. On the plus side, it does utilise the creepy kids trope sufficiently well and includes some well timed horror jump scare moments. It also needed to be edited down into 4/5 episodes.

Moncur seems to be one of them cuckoos nesting in our midfield

What's the one thing we'd all like for Christmas? Is that "an 80s-style action thriller with a tenuous Christmas theme a la Die Hard" I hear you say?

Well, you're in luck...

"John Woo has done it again"
"Will leave you speechless"

These aren't automatically good things.

Merry Fuckin' Christmas, of course I'm going to see that.

Reminds me of last years Violent Night

I was just thinking that. Two great companion films.

We just need Defiant Knight next Christmas, in which a leather-clad 80s icon refuses to fight crime with KIT until the car is converted to an EV.

Also just finished Top Boy
A very satisfactory outcome and a great bit of telly

Past Lives, great piece of cinema, highly recommended

Don't know if I can watch the whole thing but Coogan as Savile in this BBC drama on now is borderline chilling, he's incredible.

Just watched the third part of The Continental. A bit far fetched.

Last night I watched the classic Dead of Night - brilliant.

Watching the 2nd Series of Irvine Welsh's "Crime". Its barry like, eh!

StillSpike wrote: ↑Mon Oct 09, 2023 11:32 pm Just watched the third part of The Continental. A bit far fetched.

Have you seen the John Wick films?

The Long Shadow

It's an ITV drama staring just about every actor on their roster, about the Yorkshire Ripper murders between 1975 and 1980. It sets out to tell this story through the perspective of the women he murdered and how this affected their families and the community. And it does this really well. But, in doing so, it loses pace and momentum and doesn't capture the detail of the investigation. It also has a tendency to reduce the police involved in the investigation and manhunt into cartoon caricatures which, given some of their failings, risks letting them off the hook.

Havent watched that yet, but the documentary on bbc about it a year or two ago was very interesting.

Also, anyone wanting to catchy Woody Harrelson, Andy Serkis and Louisa Harland in the play of Ulster American, tickets are available now. It's a limited run at the Hammersmith Studios, and likely to sell out fast.

https://www.ulsteramericanplay.com

Married at first sight- I've not really watched this before, but my favourite character is the guy who looks like a gimpy Luis Suarez- apparently he cried the first time he shagged his new wife and when another contestant suggested he was dishonest he went mental and made him say "i apologise for being a mug".

I've also started The Reckoning and The English, both seem like solid television.

MAFSUK is great so far tho Ella is definitely not my cup
Of char. That said she is far from being the most annoying newlywed in there
Stand up Portsia the ultimate pain in the ass

Also ashamed to say I’m watching MAFS too

Other shows i involuntarily watch

Teen mum uk
Love is blind
Celebs go dating

Long slender neck wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:05 am Other shows i involuntarily watch

Teen mum uk
Love is blind
Celebs go dating

Pure agony

I sort of watch Strictly Come Dancing and GBBO.

MAFS watchers- Peggy 10 years ago on Take Me Out