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| Cat that got creamed |
The situation should be very funny - one woman, two men, both of them called Phillip for the purposes of counselling, and a couples counsellor played by Raquel from Only Fools and Horses in the sort of clothes that saw Norman Linton Slim-o-sizes go out of business. But it's not just wardrobe malfunctions - never was there a more gaudily dressed cast - that catch the attention. There is one set change that takes over a minute as the bits are clunkily put together like Lego while Raquel and the team posture in the dark.
Is it the overblown direction, the dull, often pointless script or the casting that's wrong? Probably all three. I felt sorry for the players. There's not one sympathetic character in the piece, and you'll find more sexual tension in a granny's thong.
In conclusion: This is the cat that should have been shoved in the wheelie bin.
References
Jo Caird in Whats on Stage
Peter Brown on the London Theatre website
References
Jo Caird in Whats on Stage
Peter Brown on the London Theatre website
I wasn't sure what was going on with the set either, I had never seen people moving stuff in the dark before between scenes when I've been to the theatre.
ReplyDeletePoor actors, I think it's the script and direction that's wrong, I wasn't sure what the whole point of the story was in the end and I lost interest a few times during the performance.
I feel sorry for the actors because they've got another 6 weeks or so to do of this, I'm not sure what they could do to make it better without changing it entirely :-(
I just hope it runs for six weeks. The general consensus seems to be that it's a turkey, which means it's future could be stuffed. Tonight was press night, let's see what the serious critics make of it tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteOn the night I went it was a technical shambles, largely because of the over-complicated set. Details here http://garethjames.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/park-avenue-cat
ReplyDeleteI saw it over the weekend. Maybe it's got better since you guys were in. I liked it. It zips along at good pace and the group therapy thing at the end is really funny.
ReplyDeleteI'm debating going back in a few weeks and seeing what they've done with it since, especially as there are tickets flying around at £9.50 apparently if you book at short notice. Trouble is, if it's no better then I'll be kicking myself for going again!
ReplyDeleteI hope it's got better because the cast are nice people.
It appears that they have taken the recent reviews on board and have rewritten Park Avenue Cat according to this
ReplyDeletehttp://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2011/07/rip-it-up-and-start-again.html
That's good news, will be interesting to see what they've done with it since.
It's interesting that they'd rewrite in the middle of a run. Interesting too that they think so little rewriting is required that it can be done in the middle of a run. The premise is terrific but the characters are badly drawn and it's there that the work is needed. My personal view is that the characters need to be younger, warmer, wittier and chaotic rather than dull, middle-aged and stupid. We need to like them and care what happens. We're all watching the space...
ReplyDeletePerhaps the tickets weren't selling. It had been slated quite a bit so maybe they thought they'd be better off doing something now to improve things with a good month to go rather than just leave it.
ReplyDeleteIt's closing early now, on 6th August. What a shame for the cast.
ReplyDeleteA shame for the cast and for the theatre, but not a surprise. With luck they'll reprise the play in a more coherent and embraceable form after a fully thought-through rewrite. Plays like Cat and Loyalty are a reminder of how hard it is to write well for the stage and how lucky we are that so many new writers nonetheless manage to do so.
ReplyDeleteClosing early, August 6th. Job done.
ReplyDeleteOh Miss P, the only way this Cat could be recycled is as violin strings.
ReplyDelete