The problem with staging Pinter in the 21st century is that

[brixtonbrood]

Modern middle-aged middle-class theatre audiences just can't cope with all the passive smoking any more.

Just been to see Old Times (not my usual cup of tea but I'm easily swayed by the prospect of The Lovely Rufus Sewell) and while it was very good, the random coughs from the audience as the cast lit up yet another round of fags were quite distracting.

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Comments

[k425.livejournal.com]

Be fair, this time of year you'd get a lot of random coughs anyway...

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

True, but they didn't sound like the coughs of people with coughs IYSWIM. They definitely sounded like the coughs of people who'd unexpectedly found themselves in a smoky room.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Can't the cast use e-cigs and join the 21st century?

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

Not if the entire premise of the play is that they aged 40 something and are looking back to the events of their youth in the late 50s/early 60s.

I spent the entire first half looking at the coffee tray, and their clothes and the decor and thinking "Are we sure that they would have had a cafetiere in the late 70s/early 80s?"

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

OH GOD THAT SORT OF THING DRIVES ME WILD. The leather sofas in a pub in Ashes to Ashes (I also recall a roadsign with hiviz border).

[cleanskies.livejournal.com]

They should have just used rolled up bus tickets and method.