Note about sightline: The stage is so tall at the Adelphi the front few rows aren't that great of a view, especially if you are on the side, as the set rotates and some of the action may happen around a corner you can't see. I was on the right side Thursday (15/10) night and left side Friday (16/10) night. Saw things Friday night that I had missed and it filled in some gaps I was wondering about. Friday night when things were obstructed, I knew what was happening from the night before, so didn't miss out.
I would recommend the right side of the stalls if you have to- that's where Wiesler's desk is so you can see everything from your vantage point pretty easily. On the left side I had to turn my head to look at either Wiesler stage left or something happening in front of me on stage right. At least in previews this is how it's set up.
The actors are mic'd so you can hear them. Being so close though you get a great view of facial expressions and can hear them saying things to each other on the side when their mics are off, like in a musical.
Show 1 vs show 2: Thursday was pretty tight and they were really prepared. It was a solid first preview and I’m not sure how they could tweak much else. Just ironing out all of the audio and visual components and dealing with the rotating set perspectives.
Thursday night when I was sat on the right side, those around me gasped at a certain reveal in the bathroom when it rotated around (IYKYK). Then we saw an actor stand up out of the bathtub before the bathroom was fully out of view and several of us were audibly relieved to realize it wasn’t actually a person in that certain situation.
I only noticed two small changes on Friday night. An actor at the end said his lines with a cigarette in his mouth and I couldn't really understand him. I guess most couldn't because Friday night he held the cigarette and just took drags between lines. And in the final scene on Friday Stephen walked in front of the first row and then up the steps to the stage. I didn't remember that Thursday night and he would've walked in front of me. I'm pretty sure he just came up the side steps (house left). Several entrances happened from the house left floor up those steps, including 2 from Keira midway through the show.
Thursday night had one audio cue issue. At one point when Stephen picked up his phone it was silent and he was kinda staring up at the booth and wondering how long to wait. He just hung it up and carried on with his next lines. Friday night the audio played correctly when he picked up the phone.
Review (free of major spoilers):
Stephen Dillane was the standout by far. And some of the lesser-known supporting guys were great, especially Paul Higgins, Jamie Ankrah, Nick Holder, and Calum Finlay.
I’m a big Keira fan, but she wasn't the strongest. She was good but just did her usual bag of tricks that we’ve all seen before. Luke had better material to work with. Keira's character plays a pivotal role but it's not fleshed out in an interesting way IMO- and I don't think it's her fault. She was solid and consistent both nights. No flubbed lines. She actually gets to show off quite a wide range of emotions. Has about a 2 minute monologue early on where she's performing something for the party guests. There is a brief fun moment when she's dancing and mouthing along to Make Your Own Kind Of Music.
What I thought was most interesting was that she also got to do some screen acting. There are a few scenes in the play where a character is being interrogated stage left. They have their back to the audience, with the interrogator facing front. Stage right is a screen that is live-streaming from a camera on the interrogation table, showing the actor's face whose back is to you.
The show is very meta, which is fun. I enjoyed that aspect. Lots of references to the audience and acting and theatre. In Keira's first scene she's toasted by the ensemble who are doing a bit of "stargazing" as they toast their "most compelling actress....our leading lady tonight." Later her character is criticised as not being the "real thing" and another character remarks "we know how you got the play and we know it wasnt talent." Even later in the show Keira says "actors are never who they are."
I think I liked the play better than the film because Wiesler walked in between and amongst them as he was listening to their conversations, almost like a ghost. In the film, Wiesler is in the attic and separate (obviously). But the ability in the theatre for him to wonder around them (invisible to the other characters) added so much.
There are quite a few laughs, which are unexpected because it's not a comedy by any means. The majority were related to the meta references. Some laughs are just due to dark humour- the ironic, absurd situations/lines.
It’s not your typical curtain call- as there was no curtain. Luke's character wrote a book on the events we witnessed. A TV interview about it included the biggest laugh of the night on both nights (IYKYK). The ensemble are all on stage for a book signing event. There are a few lines and then everyone pauses and just walks to the front of the stage to form 2 lines and they bow. The front line circles around and comes for another bow (the main players).
I’ve heard the video aspect has been utilized more. In the first few previews it was only during the interrogations and then when the surveillance is first installed. But someone told me now they are projecting some scenes from various rooms of the flat, which sounds nice since some of that was what was obstructed for me in the early previews.
Tl;dr:
Overall, it's a very interesting and fantastic production and I've never seen anything like it. I'm interested to see the press reviews on the 29th. Knightley will probably get mixed/negative-leaning reviews (weakest amongst the 3 leads, etc). Dillane was fantastic.
If you have a chance to go I'd highly recommend it. I think it's close to selling out. Anyone else who goes: please let us know your thoughts!
Bonus: I spotted Keira’s mum at the first preview, which I thought was sweet. She was sat in the middle of the stalls.
