A live screening of the Audience (from London’s Geilgud Theatre) at the Riverside Theatre, Woodbridge. Thoroughly enjoyed the play, which is a funny and moving if somewhat slight conceit where we get to see the imagined detail of the weekly meetings between prime minister(s) and Queen.
Helen Mirren was excellent, as were most of the prime ministers, although they were built mainly on elements of mimicry rather than any meaningful characterisation. The more successful were the encounters that exhibited a little light and shade (e.g. Harold Wilson, Gordon Brown and John Major). The construction of the play and the monarch’s conversations with her rebellious eleven-year-old self worked well and scenes and jokes were still being written in to reflect current issues and events, which clearly kept the whole thing fresh.
Live screening is a great way to see a production you might otherwise have missed, but it’s no substitute for the real thing. The atmosphere can’t be replicated and, unlike in the theatre, you get to see what the director of the live stream considers appropriate. And that might be a close up of one actor when you would rather see the dynamic among all those on stage. Overall though, well worth the trip, as its just about finish its run and we would definitely have not got down to London in the next two days to see it!
Riverside might want to consider its pricing structure however, it charges a higher price than both Ipswich and Aldeburgh for the same streams.