Archive for the 'Donmar Warehouse' Category
Tuesday 25 November 2008
One of the many differences between the Whingers is that Andrew doesn’t really “do” parties whereas Phil will seize on any event as an excuse to hold a party – a general election, the Eurovision Song Contest, the arrival of his water bill and so on.
But with one voice they can agree that the birthday party around which T.S. Eliot pegs The Family Reunion is one they would find any excuse to miss. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Anna Carteret, Bunny Christie, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, Gemma Jones, Linda McKnight, London, Nick Powell, Penelope Wilton, review, Rick Fisher, Samuel West, T.S. Eliot, The Family Reunion, theatre, Una Stubbs, west end, William Gaunt | 14 Comments »
Tags: Anna Carteret, Bunny Christie, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, Gemma Jones, Linda McKnight, London, Nick Powell, Penelope Wilton, review, Rick Fisher, Samuel West, T.S. Eliot, The Family Reunion, theatre, Una Stubbs, west end, William Gaunt
Tuesday 30 September 2008

Take two Whingers. Take two Strindberg virgins.
Of course they’re one and the same. Or two and the same.
Incredible isn’t it that the Whingers had never ever seen a play by August Strindberg considering he’s one of those playwrights like Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov and err… Pinter where the Christian name is utterly redundant.
Particularly incredible since Andrew and Strindberg have something in common, both being named after a month of the year. Andrew was originally given the name”June”, but dropped that notable moniker a few years ago as it didn’t suit him.
Anyway, off the Whingers trudged to Creditors at the Donmar Warehouse with their usual open minds but not sure quite what to expect.
And clearly they weren’t the only ones who felt a bit out of their depth because – unusually for a Monday night – the Donmar Warehouse wasn’t packed to the rafters. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Alan Rickman, Anna Chancellor, August Strindberg, Ben Stones, Creditors, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, London, Owen Teale, review, theatre, Tom Burke, west end | 4 Comments »
Tags: Alan Rickman, Anna Chancellor, August Strindberg, Ben Stones, Creditors, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, London, Owen Teale, review, theatre, Tom Burke, west end
Sunday 10 August 2008
The Whingers waited for what seemed like eons for a mesmerising diva from the Americas to come along only to find themselves treated to two in the same week. And, no, we didn’t make Elaine Stritch this time round.
Who would have thought the Whingers would be swept up by a second stunning star performance within just a few days and – on this occasion – moved to ovate? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Donmar Warehouse, Edith Piaf, Elena Roger, entertainment, Jamie Lloyd, Katherine Kingsley, London, Lorraine Bruce, Neil Austin, Pam Gems, Piaf, review, theatre, west end | 7 Comments »
Tags: Donmar Warehouse, Edith Piaf, Elena Roger, entertainment, Jamie Lloyd, Katherine Kingsley, London, Lorraine Bruce, Neil Austin, Pam Gems, Piaf, review, theatre, west end
Thursday 10 July 2008
Yet another fussing letter the other day from from Michael Grandage and Kate Mitchell at the Donmar Warehouse.
It is one of the benefits of friendship.
Regular readers may recall that the Donmar’s friendship programme comes in levels of friendship: Props, Lights, Costumes and Scenery and that the West End Whingers have hitherto always opted for the lowest level of friendship (much as they do in real life).
Anyway, the letter announces that although the price of the Props membership level will remain at a minimum donation of £30 a year, these friends will now only be able to purchase up to two tickets per production as opposed to the four.
But in a masterstroke of marketing aimed squarely at the West End Whingers a new membership level has been introduced which offers four tickets per production. It is called “Wigs”.
The cost of this new friendship would be £50.
We have to say that we’re almost tempted…
Posted in Donmar Warehouse, friendship, London, theatre, west end, wigs | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Donmar Warehouse, friendship, London, theatre, west end, wigs
Tuesday 10 June 2008
Now, let us think a minute… When was the last time the Whingers left a play yearning to get their hands on a copy of the “text”? Oh yes, we remember now… That’s right – never.
Until last night when the Whingers tripped happily out of the revival of Enid Bagnold’s The Chalk Garden at the Donmar Warehouse. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dame Edith Evans, Donmar Warehouse, Enid Bagnold, entertainment, Felicity Jones, London, Margaret Tyzack, Michael Grandage, Penelope Wilton, Peter McKintosh, review, The Chalk Garden, theatre, west end | 21 Comments »
Tags: Dame Edith Evans, Donmar Warehouse, Enid Bagnold, entertainment, Felicity Jones, London, Margaret Tyzack, Michael Grandage, Penelope Wilton, Peter McKintosh, review, The Chalk Garden, theatre, west end
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Do the Whingers believe in “luck”?
Well after some of their recent theatrical sorties, not much: Phil felt blessed by his inability to attend Marilyn and Ella with Andrew last week, then kicked himself when he realised what a stinker he’d missed.
On the other hand, letting Andrew persuade him to see Legal Fictions was a very bad decision on Phil’s part.
Certainly people do have some control over their fortunes: chess master Garry Kasparov certainly believes Dimitry Medvedev created his own good fortune in the Russian Election.
But to get back to the more crucial top of the Whingers – do they create their own misfortunes simply by making poor choices? Are they creators of their own destinies? Or are they just plain “unlucky”? Must their few pieces of good fortune ultimately be paid for?
These questions and more prompted much chin stroking after seeing Arthur Miller’s The Man Who Had All the Luck at the Donmar last night. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Arthur Miller, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, off-West End, review, Sean Holmes, The Man Who Had All The Luck, theatre | 2 Comments »
Tuesday 4 December 2007
Well, it’s all go at the Donmar. Signs outside the door saying that bags will be searched (they weren’t) and people with headsets busying around the auditorium telling you to switch off your mobile phones (not everyone did).
Yesterday saw the last preview of Othello at the Donmar Warehouse and the Whingers – being “friends” of the Donmar Warehouse – were rewarded for their friendship by being seated once again in the side rows while luminaries such as former Home Secretary Kenneth Baker (Baron Baker of Dorking), Michael Billington, Mark Lawson and the Whingers’ über stalker Baz Bamigboye were in the seats which faced the action, so presumably they got to see Othello’s big speech and death (sorry – should have said earlier: plot spoilers in here). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Biggins, Christopher Oram, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, Ewan McGregor, Kelly Reilly, Michael Grandage, off-West End, Othello, review, shakespeare, theatre, west end | 12 Comments »
Tuesday 18 September 2007

A tragedy surrounding a young girl? A grieving parent? A suspect damned by circumstantial evidence created by police anxious for a conviction in a high profile case? A woman crusading for justice? The media whipping up public opinion to a frenzy of hatred? No, the Whingers weren’t flicking through one of this mornings tabloids, (they are all tabloids aren’t they these days?) but sitting watching a musical: Parade at the Donmar Warehouse. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Alfred Uhry, Donmar Warehouse, entertainment, Hal Prince, Harold Prince, Jason Robert Brown, London, musicals, Parade, review, theatre, west end | 12 Comments »
Tuesday 31 July 2007
What is the absurd? It’s difficult for the Whingers to say exactly.
Andrew knows that Phil must have quite a well-tuned sense of it judging by the choices he makes vis a vis his wardrobe; Phil believes Andrew must too on the basis of his oxymoronic “trendy beard”. But neither of them can pin it down more than that really.
So the opportunity to see Absurdia (a triple-bill of short British absurdist comedies) at The Donmar Warehouse presented an ideal opportunity to gen up. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Absurdia, Donmar Warehouse, John Hodgkinson, Judith Scott, London, Lyndsey Marshal, Michael Frayn, N.F. Simpson, Peter Capaldi, review, theatre, theatre of the absurd, west end | 5 Comments »