Cyrano de Bergerac
Jan. 20th, 2020 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitI think James McAvoy is a great stage actor, and have done since I saw him in Three Days of Rain eleven years ago. So I really wanted to see him in Cyrano, but the ticket prices were expensive, and I couldn't justify the cost once I'd added on the travel. But then, when I knew I was coming up to see Uncle Vanya I decided if I was in London anyway I might as well get a ticket. So £37.50 for a ticket in the Upper Circle with a restricted view. However, for some reason I received an email saying I was being upgraded to a seat where I'd have a proper view, and I ended up in the Royal Circle (one tier down) in what I worked out was a £67.50 seat, so that was a plus.
This is a new version of Edmond Rostand's play, produced by Martin Crimp. The language is very modern, as are many of the ideas, but there's still a lot of rhyming and poetry, although in a hiphop style. The set is also very sparse, and although the action is in 1640 the characters wear modern clothing. It works very well. I didn't know the original play, but enjoyed what I saw - maybe if I'd known the plot I'd have been disappointed in the updated version, but as it was I generally enjoyed it.
But, although it is a play about words and the use of words, sometimes it felt too wordy and I don't think I was alone if the occasional creaky of seats from the audience around me was any judge. I also felt the character of Roxane didn't entirely work, or maybe she was simply too self-absorbed for me to care about her.
In the end, it was James McAvoy's play, and he was brilliant - totally convincing, with a great range of emotions. He was able to use his native Scottish accent as well, which was another plus, so I'm very glad I got to see him again.
This is a new version of Edmond Rostand's play, produced by Martin Crimp. The language is very modern, as are many of the ideas, but there's still a lot of rhyming and poetry, although in a hiphop style. The set is also very sparse, and although the action is in 1640 the characters wear modern clothing. It works very well. I didn't know the original play, but enjoyed what I saw - maybe if I'd known the plot I'd have been disappointed in the updated version, but as it was I generally enjoyed it.
But, although it is a play about words and the use of words, sometimes it felt too wordy and I don't think I was alone if the occasional creaky of seats from the audience around me was any judge. I also felt the character of Roxane didn't entirely work, or maybe she was simply too self-absorbed for me to care about her.
In the end, it was James McAvoy's play, and he was brilliant - totally convincing, with a great range of emotions. He was able to use his native Scottish accent as well, which was another plus, so I'm very glad I got to see him again.
