Chapter 931

"I completely met all my expectations. Personally, I even exceeded them. What a surprise!"

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! Raleigh hall is definitely one of the best young actors in generation Y, no doubt. God, I still can't come out now. Several performances are worth remembering. "

"Yes, I'm looking forward to the second half now. tired? For one thing, three hours is really long; But in fact, it's more exciting than tiredness. I haven't felt the charm of drama again for a long time. "

"For me? I like the Almeida theater version. I know that this is not suitable for the public taste, because it's really too long, and the Queen's Theatre version is excellent; However, as far as I'm concerned, the Almeida theater version presents a magnificent picture of the original story, which can really taste the details. "

"Drama is always a drama. You need to sit and watch it in person in order to realize its true meaning. Langley hall, it's really good. Now I can finally understand why so many people praise him all the time. "

……

After the first half of the performance, 550 spectators swarmed out. The door of Almeida theater was enveloped in a boiling warm current.

Reporters can't wait to get first-hand information, hoping to get a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg; Other audiences can't wait to communicate, hoping to feel the scene atmosphere of the play through a few words. Of course, those who are asking for tickets are still holding up their brands, but they are doomed to be disappointed.

As the most popular play in May, tickets for the premiere night of "les miserables" are always on the market. The original price of ordinary tickets of 120 pounds was first hyped to 3500 pounds, and then to 5000 pounds. One audience could not resist the temptation and chose to sell them, and actually sold them for 5000 pounds.

On the night before the premiere, ticket prices hit a new high, reaching 6000 pounds. But no one is selling it.

However, people always persevere. As this "tragic world" is a distinction between the first half and the second half, and tickets for the two halves can be purchased separately, it can be imagined that if the quality is not satisfactory after the first half, or far below expectations, then a large number of tickets for the second half will be released——

Even if it's not 6000 pounds, it's only 600 pounds, and even 300 pounds, it's a better deal.

As a result, a large number of speculators gathered at the gate of Almeida theater, including scalpers waiting for the opportunity, loyal fans full of desire, and opportunistic middlemen... However, they were all disappointed, the consensus, praise and reputation were booming, and the expectation value not only did not fall, but also continued to rise.

"In the second half, it was more exciting."

It sounds strange. A six hour performance, in the present year of 2012, is written clearly on the forehead: "non literate and youth artists, please don't come near"; However, after the three hour first half performance, the three hour second half performance has become the expectation of every audience——

Five hundred and fifty, each. Literally. Maybe... ALF hall is the only exception. She has no idea.

It's hard to imagine that the second half tickets of "les miserables" are on the black market, and the popularity is rising instead of falling. Some people have offered 8000 pounds in one go, which can be called insanity. Maybe it's just a joke price; Perhaps, it is doomed to be impossible to buy tickets, but behind this figure is revealed the popularity of the play, as well as the strong appeal of blue rite.

There are still two and a half hours to go before the opening of the second half, but the upsurge in the west end has not stopped, climbing to new heights bit by bit. It's definitely one of the craziest events in London in 2012, and there's no problem removing one.

The outdoor bustle and boiling slowly permeate every corner of Almeida theatre. The busy scene of flowers, laughter and bustle reveals a sense of warmth and joy. The warm and cold weather in London seems to have smelled the breath of midsummer at the moment, which makes people feel happy involuntarily.

Ned Mulan was a little nervous.

Yes, nervous. Realizing his nervousness, Ned himself was dumbfounded.

As a senior reporter of Empire magazine, Ned naturally saw numerous big waves; More importantly, at the Berlin Film Festival not long ago, Ned had a face-to-face interview with lenley, and they had a very pleasant conversation. But today, thinking that he is about to see Lan Li again, the sweat of his palm and the palpitation of his heart still reveal his true feelings.

Noticing Ned's smile, Emma Fielding, the theater manager, turned her head. "What's the matter?"

Ned chuckled. "If I say I'm a little nervous now, can you believe it?"

Emma did not laugh at Ned, but suddenly closed his jaw, "believe me, I'm very nervous now. It's no small thing to interrupt the rhythm of the actors during the first and second half. I'm also in a very tight mood now for my job prospects. "

In response, Ned couldn't help smiling.

Accompanied by the theater manager, Ned enters the backstage of the Almeida theater. Backstage theatre in the west end of London, in fact, there are not many secrets, but far more complicated than imagined. The seemingly simple building includes rehearsal room, props room, lifting platform, side platform waiting area, actor waiting room and so on.

These theatres in the west end of London have a long history. When the oldest group of theatres were established and passed between the 19th century and the 20th century, their names often came from the court, or the history and founder of the block. After a century of precipitation, the traces of time can be seen in every corner and every detail of these old buildings.

The Almeida theatre is only a medium-sized theatre with a slightly narrow backstage space.

At this time, the staff were carrying all kinds of giant props. In the second half of the performance, the stage background props immediately began to increase, such as the residence where Jean Valjean became a businessman, the block where Marius and Enjolras discussed major issues, and the fortress of street war.

The experimental repertoire in the first and second half was a severe challenge; In modern times, six hour experimental plays are often art plays, and the use of large props is rare. The "tragic world" is obviously an exception. On the one hand, the preparation for the second half became cumbersome; On the other hand, the cost is also rising, naturally, the risk is greater.

Now, the staff on the passageway are coming and going, arranging all the props in an orderly way; At the same time, in and out of the props group, costume group, makeup group staff, are also preparing for the second half of the performance. Instead, the actors disappeared.

As a representative of Empire magazine. Ned was the only reporter who was able to enter the theater backstage during the half-time on the opening night. The only one is mainly due to the intimate relationship between Empire magazine and Almeida theatre. Otherwise, countless media will follow. Even if Empire magazine ranks among the top in the UK, it is absolutely not so easy to get an interview.

Because all the media and all the reporters know that, in name, this is the half-time interview of the whole crew of "les miserables"; But at the same time, it was also Langley's first interview since the Oscars. No one wants to miss it.

Thinking of this, Ned's palms began to sweat again.

"Why is the play only on for three months this time?" Ned and Emma first talked, "such a huge investment, if the response is excellent, it will take at least six to nine months, otherwise the audience will not agree."

"The premiere is not over. I don't want to jump to conclusions." Emma showed a little humility, but there was no cover for the cheerfulness between her eyebrows.

Before the show ended, Emma had a simple exchange with several senior drama critics, and the results were gratifying“ But the fact is, we hope to be able to perform for a longer time, but this play is really too long, six hours, which is a burden for any actor. "

Emma said sincerely, "it's a challenge for the actors, for the theater, even for the audience. Three months is a relatively safe choice. What's more, Langley is a very busy actor. I don't want to keep him here for too long, otherwise the fans will be disappointed. "

Compared with movies, the influence of theater is limited. The west end of London is in London. Not every fan has the conditions and ability to come to London to watch plays; Even if the crew went on a Broadway tour, it was the same.

"We signed a three-month contract with Langley, but the other young actors remained open. After three months, we can see the effect of the performance, and then decide whether to continue the performance. If necessary, we can change a group of actors and rehearse again. " Emma simply outlined the future of the play.

Six hours a day, six games a week. This is unbearable for any actor, so the theater has prepared two lineups to perform alternately. If it continues after three months, the theater will have to train another two sets of actors for rotation.

"But I had a private conversation with Langley about it. He said that even after three months, if he had the chance, he would be very happy to come back to the west end and participate in the performance again. " Emma's steady eyebrows flew up, which was rare for the experienced theater manager. "I don't know if you've ever talked to Langley face to face, but when he stepped on the stage, his eyes were really different. He's a born actor

"I know." Ned nodded to confirm. Between the two of them, they had already come to the waiting room, where there was a giggling sound. Before opening the door, they could feel the cheerful atmosphere.