The Devil Inside Him (audience opinions)
I thought this production had many strong aspects. Fantastic set design and stunning visuals combined with excellent performances from a great cast!
Unlike some of the audience on Press Night I was interested and involved throughout the entirety of this play and I believe Elen Bowman deserves huge credit for getting what she did from the text. The writing itself is really very poor and I thought completely detracted from the hard work put into this production. (I don't think Osborne's age and naivety should be used as an excuse or justification for this). The play itself seems to descend into melodromatic farce at points, causing waves of laughter from the audience at the most innapropriate moments of drama and tension. This frustrated and alienated me and some of the audience's connection with the characters and the plight of their situation. Like others have suggested there were audability issues as well especially in the Circle making it difficult to hear the subtle sections of the piece.
This production I thought was certainly interesting and Elen Bowman and the cast do a fantastic job with what they had to work with. I would question the choice of this museum piece though (that I think will still go down well with the old school national press) and believe it's a missed opportunity for great things this time around...
Any other opinions of the show? Were any of these issues present on other nights?
Unlike some of the audience on Press Night I was interested and involved throughout the entirety of this play and I believe Elen Bowman deserves huge credit for getting what she did from the text. The writing itself is really very poor and I thought completely detracted from the hard work put into this production. (I don't think Osborne's age and naivety should be used as an excuse or justification for this). The play itself seems to descend into melodromatic farce at points, causing waves of laughter from the audience at the most innapropriate moments of drama and tension. This frustrated and alienated me and some of the audience's connection with the characters and the plight of their situation. Like others have suggested there were audability issues as well especially in the Circle making it difficult to hear the subtle sections of the piece.
This production I thought was certainly interesting and Elen Bowman and the cast do a fantastic job with what they had to work with. I would question the choice of this museum piece though (that I think will still go down well with the old school national press) and believe it's a missed opportunity for great things this time around...
Any other opinions of the show? Were any of these issues present on other nights?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Alan Whitehead on
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I was in on Tuesday night, and sitting in Row Q of the stalls and like Iain (above) I had issues with the sound reproduction from some of the actors on stage; at times some lines were, regrettably, totally lost. Whether this was a technical problem (I was sitting about 4 rows in front of the sound desk), or a problem with actors' lack of projection, I'm not certain. It is possible that after so many years in television, films etc., some may have forgotten the microphone isn't a foot above their heads!
One more almost petty quibble, but one that screamed out at me, was the business with the fireguard, and the removal from in front of what would have been, at least during part of the day, a hot fire. In no way, and I am drawing on past experience as we had one when I was a child, could it be removed with bare hands as happens in this. And after such intelligent detail, such as the rain outside...tut tut!
On a very positive note, and as I said to John afterwards, I totally enjoyed the play. I believe it shows the early Osborne taking his first tentative steps into drama, and pulling off most of it with great success. Again, like Iain above, I was interested and my involvement with both play and production was total.
The idea right at the end of the staircase and the ruin of the house, hinting at the destruction of the household and the ideas that it had once held, was a great touch and all credit has to go to Elen Bowman and her production team for this. I believe it was worth doing, even if only to see how a great playwright started out. Whether a week of Osborne plays, showing his development as a dramatist, would make this stand out as the artist in embryo when compared to his later works, such as Look Back in Anger as the 'very angry young man of theatre', I honestly don't know, but full marks to NTW and their initiative in presenting this as part of their launch season. -
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Permalink Reply by Othniel Smith on
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I enjoyed the play, and have written a vaguely considered review elsewhere. I've experienced audibility problems at the New Theatre before - maybe it's just better suited to musicals, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Kama Roberts on
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Interesting, I thought the writing was really gutsy, and although, I will concede, a little naive and yes, at times tripped into the realms of melodrama was written from the heart. I enjoyed the juvenile rawness of it. In my mind it was a million times better the Look Back in Anger.
I was sitting in row two, so sound wasn't a problem for me- perhaps this gave me a little more patience with the piece. I was totally engaged throughout, and generally thought there were some great performances. I will echo Stephen's enjoyment of the staircase touch, I thought it was great. -
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Bulgo on
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Great topic of discussion, Iain. It's been really interesting hearing different opinions on the show this week.
I thought it was a beautifully nuanced productive. Compelling, highly watchable and at all time believable on the part of the cast, and Elen's direction. I thought it was also hugely atmospheric with a beautiful balance of high drama and humour, in turn.
I thought the show had a great aesthetic, too...and that final denouement and image will certainly stay with me for a very long time to come.
I felt there were a few creakily written moments in the text, but there were easily forgiven. I've heard the phrase that you used - "museum piece" - used a few times this with regard to the play. I completely agreee with that categorisation - but a "museum piece" that was well worth unearthing and reviving, I feel. I loved the very traditional setting and structure of the play (3 acts, one location etc) that was very subtley subverted with much darker undertones and themes.
Congratulations to all involved and to NTW. May there be many more provocative and compelling shows such as this one in their future canon. -
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Permalink Reply by Kirsty Sedgman on
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Hi all,
I'm a doctoral student at Aberystwyth University performing research into National Theatre Wales' (NTW's) first year of work. I have prepared a quick online questionnaire to find out what audiences thought of NTW's first year of performances, and I'd love to hear what you thought about this or any of their other shows:
http://www.ntw-research.org.uk
It doesn't matter whether you've seen only one performance or all of them so far. And if you do want to fill in the questionnaire more than once, to tell me your thoughts about different performances, then please do!
This research is independent, so honest answers welcomed, but has the support of NTW and is a really important part of my studies. For more information about my project please visit the website or send me an email at kis09@aber.ac.uk.
I hope you'll be able to help me with this, as the questionnaire will only take a couple of minutes to complete and you will be making a huge contribution to my research and to a field of study which up until now has been neglected
Many thanks,
Kirsty Sedgman -
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