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The Norman Conquests Reviews
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| 1 |
Not Worth the Money Review by: Carla, Jul 9, 2009 |
| I thoroughly agree with the negative reviews. My friend and I (both women)found Round and Round, the play we saw, totally unfunny. The main character, Norman, was visually unappealing and emotionally stunted. His relationship with women was obnoxious, while at the same time, unbelievable (can't imagine any of the women in the play being attracted to him.) If this is a play about stunted human beings, particularly 70's men, and the allure ... read more is a sense of identity with these characters, I must admit to having missed the point all together. My friend and I walked out at intermission and I've never done that! I saw a considerable number of people doing the same. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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Hilarious! Review by: Dharma, Jul 8, 2009 |
| This is hilarious, the only thing is I would suggest seeing all three plays in order, unlike suggestions that they can be seen in any order (and maybe the first one can be seen alone and enjoyed, but that's the only one I would suggest seeing without the other parts). Also, it's not for kids and I wouldn't suggest this for a date night unless you're ready to discuss dysfunctional relationships that is! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Alone
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A Great Trilogy: see together as a great day and evening of theater Review by: NJJEFF, Jun 30, 2009 |
| I saw all three plays in one day. That is clearly the ways this trilogy should be seen. Each on its own is witty and fun, but taken together the brilliance of the playwright comes to light. Surprises abound and it is rip roaring funny. The actors do an excellent job and the staging is superb, I beleive the director should have won the Tony for this rather than for God of Carnage. I cannot recall laughing so much and so hard, actual belly laughs. ... read more I recommend this very highly as great theater. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 4 |
Will Definitely See the Other Two! Review by: Dyerfan, Jun 26, 2009 |
| I absolutely loved Round and Round the Garden. The audience laughed throughout the show. This was a delightful evening of theater. It is in a theater where there aren't any bad seats. I'm going to see the other two as soon as I can! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 5 |
Stick to the Review Review by: rtp, Jun 24, 2009 |
| I've been reading these reviews trying to get a feeling for people's views on the show, as I do with many shows before I see them. I would like to make a comment to the person who wrote the review entitled "Need A Laugh (or A Hundred?". People go to this website to read others' opinions, and I find it insulting and demeaning that she denigrated another person's review (she called someone else's review "absurd"). Whether you agree with ... read more someone's opinion or not does not make their opinion any better or worse than yours. Please stick to your review and your opinion, and don't comment on anyone else's. This is not a blog, it's a review website, and I for one appreciate reading any and all reviews, whether I agree with them or not. |
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| 6 |
These wonderful actors and actresses will leave their mark on you Review by: FrisbieCat, Jun 22, 2009 |
We saw the first play (Table Manners) a couple months ago, and immediately bought tickets to see the other two plays last weekend. We can't say enough about these shows: Relatively small, comfortable theater where the "in-the-round" concept works well; great, very funny dialogue and plots; and, above all, extremely talented actors and actresses. Seriously, every one of them will leave their mark on you, from the charismatic Normal ... read more to the hapless Tom. If people are curious what show to see (if not all of them), we were partial to the first and third (Table Manners and Round and Round the Garden), thinking the second (Living Together) was a tad slow in parts. But really, you can't go wrong with any of them. I believe the run ends on July 25th, and I suspect some shows are sold out now, so I strongly recommend that people get tickets now and enjoy this production before it leaves. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 7 |
Don't be afraid to see just one! Hilarious. Can't wait to see the the other two. Review by: philpit, Jun 17, 2009 |
I saw "Round and Round the Garden" the week of opening night. I can't tell you when I heard an audience laugh so hard.
I'm traveling back to NY to see the other two parts at the end of June, and I can't wait to see how the plays intertwine, particularly since the play I saw seemed so complete. You shouldn't hesitate to see just one, but, like me, you'll probably catch the bug and want to see the other two.
The actors are all spot on ... read more terrific. I can't figure out how only 4 of 6 got a Tony nomination. These British imports know (coached, no doubt, by Matthew Warchus) how to deliver Ayckbourn's lines. Unlike some productions where a good, not great, text benefits from a wonderful production, this play (I suspect all three plays) is the complete package.
It's a jolly good time. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 8 |
A Helium High of Non Stop Hilarity Review by: , Jun 14, 2009 |
We saw the middle show of The Norman Conquests yesterday,
Living Together, and it was absolutely hysterical. This is a superbly acted play performed by veteran English stage actors from the world renowned Old Vic Theater. Their comic timing was incredible.
If you are planning to be in the New York City area between now and the end of July I urge you to get tickets for any and all of the plays in this trilogy. We saw the play on a day ... read more when the entire trio is performed and there were a few times when the audience guffawed at things that sailed over our heads, references no doubt from the initial play Table Manners. However, we were easily able to follow the play and the performance kept us in stiches of laughter.
I am returning to the box office tomorrow to purchase tickets for the other two pieces that bookend this blissful, happy, madcap production.
The Norman Conquests will delight you, tickle your funny bone and ignites more laugh out loud moments than I have encountered at live theater lately. I am still grinning from the helium high of this giggle inducing farce. Don't miss it!
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 9 |
Go! Review by: Theatergoer, Jun 8, 2009 |
I had almost been scared away by two negative reviews
on this website, and feared that these plays would
be boring or insulting to women. Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Instead, my friends and I were lucky enough to enjoy
a truly great theatrical experience. All three of these
plays contain hilarious and excruciating moments because
they show us real people - trying to communicate, connect,
and ... read more care for each other, but all too often blundering,
alienating, and wounding each other. The acting ensemble
is breathtakingly good, and the plays are rewarding
and beautifully written.
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Large Group
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| 10 |
At last ! Farce that only the Brits can do well! Review by: dossie, May 25, 2009 |
| Two down, and one to go! I will feel empty when this trilogy is over. The cast is marvelous- only the Brits can do farce with essential timing. I am so happy to find a show which is superb in all respects! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 11 |
Need a laugh(or a hundred)? Don't miss these shows! Review by: neeneenewyawk, May 19, 2009 |
To the woman who wrote that long, absurd review about this show, I have one comment: LIGHTEN UP! This is a farce,not a drama. I'm all for women's rights,I have two very accomplished daughters, and I was not in the least offended by these plays. Obviously,comedy is a subjective thing. What makes one person laugh may bore another.. However, at the three shows I attended(yes,I saw them all in order on one Saturday)I laughed throughout the ... read more entire series. And so did my husband. And so did most of the audience. These are clever, beautifully acted, wonderfully funny shows. There are no bad seats:it's theater in the round. If you've ever seen an Alan Ayckbourne play, you know how hilariously he can write.. If you haven't, you're in for a treat!
As I said, comedy is subjective. Sooo, take a chance,buy a ticket to one show and see if it's your cup of tea. You will probably find yourself enjoying three cups! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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Terrific, I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy Review by: Bobbydacron, May 9, 2009 |
| Just got back from watching one of the best plays, Round and Round, I have seen in many years on broadway. Fresh from the Old Vic in London Alan Ayckbourne's farce about relationships & marriage is truly hysterical. The theatre was pretty much sold out. For those reviewing who feel that it picks on women and that females in the audience got up and left...well we must have gone to a different show. What my wife and I saw was a ... read more hysterical British show that was full of blunders, over the top characters and incredible acting. If you didn't like it then, well I really sorry. If you have an ounce of a sense of humour then you will love this. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Adults
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Round and Round the Garden - Nauseating and Hateful to Women Review by: BroadwayBabySawIt, May 6, 2009 |
| I swore not to go back after the boring Table Manners, but a friend wanted to see one of these plays and did not want to go alone. So I sat through Round and Round the Garden to keep him company, and I was shocked at how hateful this play is to women. Out of politeness, I had to keep sitting there, but I noticed that the theater was one third empty, and several women sitting around us left at intermission - lucky them! On the very, very long ... read more line at the ladies' room during intermission, I got talking to several other women, and we noted the following: that the only people laughing at this nauseating thing were older men (not younger men and not women), and that we felt that women in the play were being abused and threatened with violence as if this was an acceptable way for men to behave towards women (note to the male director and the male writer and the male producers: It is NOT OK to show a man grab a woman and knock her to the ground and force himself on her while she tries to fight him off, and it is REALLY NOT OK to show that when another woman (Not any of the male actors standing around tries to help her, like Kitty Genovese, it seems that these male characters think it's OK to do nothing when witnessing assault) when another woman comes in and tries to rescue her, a second man forces her to the ground and assaults her in the same way. There is nothing funny about this, sexual violence is NOT funny, and this is clearly assault in anyone's book, it does not belong in a play unless a point is being made about violence - and this un-funny play makes no point at all about anything. One thing is very clear: in 2009 in New York City, hate and violence against women is not viewed by any intelligent person as fun entertainment. What we ladies decided on the ladies room line (and that smart conversation was the best part of the evening) was that 35 years ago, this Neanderthal view sadly was thought acceptable by the ill informed, but we have grown to recognize bullying and physical assault as violence and not comedy, and so we do not find assault and verbal abuse funny when we see it, fiction or not. To my forever gratitude: At the end, my friend turned to me and said "Disappointing and nasty, why is this on Broadway?" I am so happy that he saw the perverse underbelly of this mess too. A note to the men in the production team: Please read this again and imagine yourselves in the female roles, and see if it's funny to be bullied, threatened with violence as a means of control, thrown to the ground and assaulted while others stand by and do nothing, and verbally demeaned throughout. Sexual assault and bullying of other human beings are hate-based, unacceptable behaviors, not comedy, not farce. A note to myself: In future, when faced with anything that claims to be art but just debases human beings as a sick form of humor, walk out FAST rather than be nauseated. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 14 |
SO VERY, VERY FUNNY! Review by: DRB, Apr 20, 2009 |
| I don't usually like farce, but this was superb! Laugh-out-loud funny; the audience gave it a standing ovation. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Business Associate
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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Table Manners - Tis Pity It's a Bore Review by: BroadwayBabySawIt, Apr 14, 2009 |
| We wanted very much to like this one, it has lots of Superlative! Quotes! in the ads. But in truth, we came away from it saying, it's just dinner theater with English instead of American accents. In fact, American actors might have breathed some badly needed life, some Zest! into it. It's a real let down, a sad story about global disappointment with life that can be told in 10 minutes but here is stretched out into 2 hours, and that's just one ... read more of the 3 plays. There is some food flinging in this one, so don't sit in the front row or you might get a tin box, crackers or soup thrown at you. It's a not very funny look at a not very real English family in the not very funny 1970's (weird clothes and hair mean the 1970's right? No other explanation). It's really a radio play, and should have stayed on the airwaves and off the stage, it would work better if we didn't have to watch these unattractive people, who are just pitiable stereotypes. We understand that you are supposed to see all three shows to admire how clever the interlocking devices are, but one is enough for us, sad to say, and the best thing is that it's immediately and readily forgettable. Our advice: Skip this one. Stay home and watch any Marx Brothers movie, they did it all before with more spirit, more talent and better scripts. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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