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I just thought I'd share a recommendation with any theatre goers...

"Curve" in Leicester (wherever/whatever the heck that is) are showing "The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh February to early March. I can't recommend this play highly enough - I saw a tiny student production of it a few years back and it was utterly gripping. Please be warned though - there is a lot of bad language and some really quite gruesome or disturbing subject matter - almost always implied rather than seen - but still, it is not one to take the kids to. (If you saw the film "In Bruges" - that was written by the same guy).

The Loft Theatre in Leamington Spa are showing it mid-February as well, alongside another Martin McDonagh play, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" - again, I saw this as a student production and it is a fantastic play. Not quite as as grisly as The Pillowman (though it has it's moments) - highly recommended.

Sounds interesting... 'In Bruges' was one of my favourite films of last year (it has more quotable lines than almost any other film.... most of them quite unprintable obviously..)

saw this in a student production - fantastic performance. would love to see this professionally done. amazing plot and gripping storyline - also highly recomended!

"Curve" is Leicester's new flagship theatre which opened in December and is quite a stunning place. There had been so many delays and it had gone so over budget that I was expecting a big white elephant when it finally opened but I went round on an open day and was really taken aback just how innovative the building was in terms of design, technical capabilities etc (www.curveonline.co.uk for more info). I know it's hard to believe but it looks as if Leicester might have something to be proud of!
I'm going to see Pillowman and am looking forward to it. Firstly, it's being directed by a guy called Paul Kerryson who has talent coming out of his ears. Secondly, it's being put on in the smaller studio space so it should be more intimate which sounds like it could add to the experience. I know nothing more of the play apart from what is in the brochure and that's how I want it to be. I want to see it and go on the journey not knowing what's coming next.
It's very encouraging to see people have such strong, positive reactions to the play. It was telling that in an interview when the local paper talked to Andy Nyman (a Leicester lad who was starring in 'Dead Set' at the time of the Curve opening) he said he'd seen it in London and was blown away so he'd be coming back to Leicester sometime during the run of this production to catch a performance.
Ian

The studio space performance sounds ideal.

When I saw the student production it was in the basement of an old terrace, owned by the English department I think. Everyone involved had first had to clear the junk out of it before being able to use it. Most of the light was provided by a single lightbulb, and there was cramped space for 26 people on low wooden benches and the odd big cushion, making the front row about 3 feet from the action.

You entered via the coal-chute style doors, and when everyone was inside, the lights went out and the doors slammed, plunging you into cold, slightly nervous darkness.

Absolutely brilliant

This sounds wonderful, but not in a nice way!
The old theatre in Leicester used to have the main auditorium and a much smaller room (the studio) which was originally used as a rehearsal room. The new building has been designed with one massive stage and no backstage area at all. They have a shutter that comes down about 2/3rds in to the 'main stage' but completely seals it off with the other 3rd of the stage behind it. This serves three functions - firstly, with the shutter down you have a big stage for main productions. If they choose not to use the 'main' theatre and have the shutter down, with there being no backstage area, the space behind the partition becomes the back wall to a smaller studio space on the other side, as in the case of 'Pillowman', or they could have it down and use the two spaces either side of it independantly as it's completely soundproofed. The third possibility is not to have the shutter down at all and have things in the round with an audience on both sides of a massive stage. Even though I find the practicalities of that difficult to concieve, I do find the idea quite exciting!
I knew that the brouchure warned of disturbing language and imagery which I acknowleged but from your description, but walking into a haunted house seems more appropriate! I know that I might not like it but that's what makes it such an exciting thing to experience.
One of my main loves is music and I love so much stuff, some of it more respected than others, but all of them doing something for me that magic also should - having an emotional impact. I still love a quote from Alice Cooper which was something along the lines of he'd rather have a reaction from somebody than no reaction at all. If somebody wanted to get up onstage and punch his face in, he'd prefer that to seeing someone in the audience uninterested.
It's so rare now that people have their emotions genuinely touched. The live magic I saw down in London with Dr John made me feel alive. I'm sure that this is going to do the same thing.
Ian

I know that for some people this will seem lame, but it's just struck me how great it is that on a magic forum TM can create somewhere for this kind of debate to go on. Surely, we're a magic forum so should just restrict ourselves to magic discussion? Nah, there's so much other great stuff that people have to bring and share, let's make a section of the forum where that can happen. Thank you.
Ian

Thanks for noticing! The original subheading for TM was 'A place where Magicians chat' and the Dove's Head was created to foster, and group together, all these non-magical discussions .

OMG!!! 'Curve' do a public dress rehearsal before the previews start when all tickets are £1 but they're only available from 12 noon for personal purchase from the box office. As I couldn't get into work on Thursday I thought I'd stand in line and get a couple of tickets for that evenings public dress rehearsal. I went, I saw and I was blown away! Absolutely superb.
I'd tried to avoid reading about specific details but had expected something a little more 'in your face' when it really wasn't. It was disturbing and definately not for the kids but a lot of that was from what you brought to it yourself. The dark humour I expected to be be something that you'd smile to yourself about when it was laugh out loud funny. Mark Warren I had seen on TV (in 'Hustle' which I really didn't like) was superb as Katurian. One complete surprise for me was Benedict Wong playing one of the policemen. I'm a huge fan of '15 Storeys High' so it was great to know he was in the production and playing such a different character. From playing Errol I just wanted to take him under my wing and look after the innocent as one of my own. From this I'd cross the street if I saw him coming towards me!
I'm so pleased to have a piece of theatre here in Leicester of such high quality. A lot of people are not going to like it but that's fine. This is theatre that should be seen. You walk in and you're treated like an adult. You have to bring something to the production yourself to get the most out of it and you walk away with something that, rather than most productions where you see the whole and take that away and from then on the impact is lost, this is something where the more you think about it afterwards, the more links and possibilities you see that might have been there and the impact is magnified.
We already had tickets for tonights performance just in case we couldn't get any for the public dress rehearsal so that we could find out if we liked it and wanted to see it again. I'm now going to try and get tickets for the night in March where there's a post show discussion with cast, crew and academics from Leicester University discussing issues raised in the play.
If anybody is around the Leicester area then I heartily recommend travelling to see this. As long as you leave the idea of not wanting to be a little challenged at home and instead bring your ticket and mind, you'll have something that will stay with you for a long time.
Thanks to Farlsborough for starting this thread. After seeing the production for myself I am more than happy to be one of the people spreading the word.
Ian

No problem - I got my tickets yesterday (for the 2.30pm showing on the 21st) and can. not. wait!

What did you think?

It's kinda hard to say, given that I've seen it before, and a fair amount of the tension probably comes from the twists and turns... in that respect, my girlfriend loved it but came out with a headache, so I expect the "tension" is all present and correct!

Overridingly, the story, the writing etc. is just fantastic. I think it'd have to be a pretty p*ss-poor production of such powerful material for me to be bored or not to have enjoyed it. It's amazing to be reminded about how funny it is... you burst out laughing and then realise you're laughing about child murder...

In terms of the acting, I though Katurian was good and Mikael was brilliant - a very good portrayal of a difficult character. And I thought the set was very good - especially the way they'd done out the corridors etc as well.

The negative parts; I thought overall there was a slightly "sloppy" element to it - I've no idea what I'm talking about it but I believe it's called the "blocking"? Some of the movements and things just didn't feel very precise.

Ariel was OK, but - I must admit, when I first read it I was unsure about the casting of an Asian guy in the character, and I'm still unsure. I wasn't a huge fan of his accent either.

I think the weakest element was Tupolski - he was a bit too old, a bit too bumbling, a bit too frumpy. The writing causes his character to change throughout the play, but I thought this wasn't convincing - I didn't think he reached the sinister or nasty elements well enough. Jim Broadbent has played the character, and I don't know if he has but Michael Gambon would be excellent too (although they're also getting on a bit now) - people who can seem friendly and understanding, but who's eyes can turn steely and scary very quickly.

So yes - some highlights, a few not-so-good points (I thought because of the slight weakness of Arial and Tupolski, the whole thing was leaning more towards the humorous and away from the "electric tension" than is preferable) but overall, the play itself still shines through, and if anyone is considering seeing it they should go ahead and book now