At the time I was sad that Darius didn't get a proper solo song because I felt he hadn't had the opportunity to show how good he was in front of an important audience. However, I didn't know he was shining in a less public but maybe more important (for him) showcase.

I knew he was busy networking. Shows being a decent man pays off.

Loving the favourable reviews of D's performance :) I couldn't see D singing the lullaby, but there was a huge amount of emotion in the song, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was actually crying. I can't wait to see it again :) For me, the show didn't drag the first time, even though it was 4 hours and 5 mins. Even though I am returning I don't think it will drag on the 23rd either, particularly as they seem to have trimmed it by 30 mins.

 

The only dissappointing thing in the whole show for me was that they didn't really portray Melanie as the incredibly kind hearted and forgiving character that she was in the film, and I would imagine as in the book, though I haven't read it. It would be nice to see her given a couple of tiny moments of kindness, in order to establish her character better.

 

 

I liked Melanie in the film but I thought she was an even stronger character in the book.

She was totally lovely in the film, and that was why I understood Rhett's remarks about her at the end, but anyone not having seen the flm or read the book would have probably been confused by them. When are you planning on seeing the show BT?

May 6

its a shame if they have lost the meaning of melanie in the production, she seemed to portray everything missing in Scarlett, empathy, sacrifice, loving children - yet she had a strength and shrewdness that suprised scarlett more than once.

Scarlett isn't as bad in ther show as she is in the book. Melanie just lacks the mixture of timidness and courage the book shows.

Melanie is the one who stands up to the elder women when they want to ostracise Rhett completely, because he has always been considerate to her and there whenever she needed support. She has the strength of her convictions. There's a line about her being all heart. She sees the goodness in Rhett which Scarlett never does.

 

It's a pity she isn't a little warmer in the show.

The one we saw, Paul, had been shortened. I was out of the theatre by 11:15. The first preview was about 4hrs 10 and I got out of the theatre by 11:40.

Do you think they'll get it down to 3 hours plus interval without losing any key parts?

Only if they cut the narrative and they don't seem to want to do that.

I can understand that. It's part of what distinguishes it from the other "musicals " currently pl,aying in the West End and it's one of Trevor Nunn's signatures.

I can't imagine what they need to narrate so much about,

There is a war going on in the background and in the book, we're told what Scarlett is thinking at key moments and what she's thinking makes her take certain decisions. Unless you know what's going on in her mind, some things just wouldn't make sense. The same applies now and again with other characters.

If you do knolw what's going on in her mind, it still doesn't.

I think they could just paint the picture of her shallow, self centred nature from the outset - the plot is lost if she is nice in the production, she wasnt a nice person at all, she didnt actually know what love was, - till it was too late

I feel her character has been made slightly warmer in the musical, certainly than that of the film. I really didn't like her very much in the film, as determined and strong willed as she was, so this small departure allows me to warm to her in this production. I am sure this is intentional and if they gave Melanie some of the same treatment, it would help people empathise more with her character too.

Perhaps because Margaret Martin started off with the premise that Scarlett was a single mom just trying to do the best she can for her children whereas Margaret's Mitchell's book seemed to me to show that Scarlett feels very little maternal love for Wade or Ella.

I feel fed up. there are three nasty posts all by men on WOS all who appear to have an axe to grind re other people getting work etc, cant reply as havent seen it yet but I will do when I have. Its just what happened when people were posting fake reviews about chicago. This current lot have immediately followed a good review.