Hounded By The Press
The reviews for The Real Inspector Hound are in.
30 October, 2020
Last weekend, Rob Grant and Paul Jackson staged their third Lockdown Theatre production with a cast that included Derek Jacobi, Simon Callow, Jennifer Saunders, Freddie Fox, Emilia Clarke, Samantha Bond, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Gary Wilmot and Robert Lindsay. It's safe to say that The Real Inspector Hound was a walloping success, and the combined total raised by Lockdown Theatre over three productions has now exceeded £112,000 for the Royal Theatrical Fund. Not bad for an idea that started life as a chat about Future Echoes.
The play is famous for its scathing criticism of the press, so it was with trepidation that the team read the reviews on Monday morning. We needn't have worried. It was universally loved:
Theatre Weekly: "This one-off live table read of The Real Inspector Hound was pure magic, thanks in the main to the outstanding cast, but also to Stoppard's ability to write one hell of a farce." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Independent: "All the performances were well pitched for Zoom - appropriately heightened for the thespy world of the play, but with the actors simply sat at home rather a bells-and-whistles production, we also got the human side of these archetypes - crisp pastiche, instead of overindulgence." ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Broadway World: "There is great simplicity in this way of experiencing a play, as there is little to concentrate on except the words. It is not trying to be a substitute for live theatre, but it is an innovative and very enjoyable piece of entertainment." ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British Theatre Guide: "Back in normal times, there was no way that the team from Lockdown Theatre could have commissioned a top director like Jonathan Church to work with a literary cast on this 70-minute presentation of a relatively unknown metatheatrical masterpiece... Not only is it great fun but the script also benefits from Tom Stoppard's legendary rich use of language and delight in sending up a minor art form that is often taken too seriously and therefore fully deserves to be lampooned."
And as can be seen in this excellent blog post by Jo Brodie, it wasn't just the critics that loved it, the audience did too. Here's some of our favourite tweets from the night:
@ferrifrump talking into a banana!
— Darren Ross (@dazzaross) October 26, 2020
Freddie Fox snogging @SamanthaBond!@TVSanjeev's eyebrow!
Emilia Clarke being lovely!
Derek Jacobi @SimonCallow@RobertLindsay@garywilmotactor being fab!
Thank you @LockdownThtr for an ace performance of Tom Stoppard's #TheRealInspectorHoundpic.twitter.com/d8ibw2vCbQ
Thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you for putting this together and giving me a chance to get a little theater "fix." It's an interesting and intimate way of experiencing live performance -- just for now -- while we cannot be together in person. x
— Adria Hirsch ??????? (@KeenLibrarian) October 25, 2020
What an absolute joy to experience digital theatre for once! Loved every second. ???????#TomStoppard?????
— Daniela Schweizer (@danischweizer) October 25, 2020
?Thanks for giving @michischweizer and me hope that "Blithe Spirit" might be coming back to real theatre - fingers crossed!? We'd be back for sure.?????
Fun but nervy for the actors who do it thrilling and innovative for the audience who watch it and rewarding for those in need......thank you https://t.co/9HKbPzAauL
— Robert Lindsay (@RobertLindsay) October 26, 2020
This was great, thank you ?????
— Elspeth Cox (@ElspethCox) October 25, 2020
Excellent performance this evening @LockdownThtr definitely looking forward to the next one @RobertLindsay@TVSanjeev@emiliaclarke@SimonCallow@SamanthaBond
— Sam Claypole (@CrossStitcherHX) October 25, 2020
It was yet again like being with you all, and yes I did forget a couple of times that you couldn?t hear me singing my praises at the end. ??Yes please we like some more ..?
— Helen (@GreeneyO) October 25, 2020
It was brilliant! Of course it's most definitely not the same as performing with others in person, but this is far more accessible for so many people. I've seen an actual, proper play for the first time in my life during the pandemic thanks to @LockdownThtrhttps://t.co/IgX88itOhb
— Charlotte Edmonds (@MusicalLottie) October 25, 2020
It was wonderful! Thank you so much!!
— Mary (@MaryColon) October 25, 2020
I laughed and laughed and laughed. Thank you. Spreading the word....
— Stella B Davie (@stellabavie) October 25, 2020
We're thrilled with the support we've received through these performances and want to say a massive thank you to our stellar cast, our hugely talented director, the teams at Lockdown Theatre and The Royal Theatrical fund, as well as our wonderful audience. And perhaps best of all, the event was even watched by Sir Tom Stoppard himself, who took the time to offer a 'bravo' to everyone involved in the audience chat. It was well-deserved.
Encore!
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