That was my year of theatre-going 2015: Favourite curtain call moments
28/12/2015
Still have at least one theatre trip planned before the official end of the year so there could be a late addition to this, but as there are quite a few lists to work through (love a list) thought I'd kick off with my favourite curtain call moments.
The lively one: Cheek by Jowl's Russian actors were bubbling with energy having finished their performance of Measure for Measure at the Barbican. They linked arms and hokey-cokey style ran at the audience. They were obviously chuffed with how things had gone and deservedly so.
Back at ya: It seemed wholly appropriate that at the end of a play about football that the cast of The Red Lion (National Theatre) would, football player-style, applaud the audience as they left the pitch stage. Benedict Cumberbatch did something similar at the end of Hamlet but I'm not sure why. Perhaps he was rewarding us for managing to get a ticket or successfully negotiating the security and ID checks to get into the theatre or simply for good behaviour. Whatever, I can officially say I've been applauded by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Can't get out of character: Got to enjoy John Heffernan on stage in two different plays this year and both curtain calls you could see the moment when he clicks out of character and becomes himself. It is always several seconds into the applause and he always looks delightfully shy and self conscious. First time was Oppenheimer, Vaudeville and the second was Macbeth, Young Vic.
Didn't we do well: Do enjoy it when British reserve is thrown out the window at the curtain call. Denise Gough was so chuffed with how things had gone in People, Places, Things at the National Theatre she did fist pumps. And then there was the lovely moment at the end of the RSC's Othello when Hugh Quarshie fist bumped Lucien Msamati when he joined him on the stage.
Job done: One of the benefits of sitting on the front row is that you very occasionally overhear what the actors say to each other as they leave the stage. Once I heard an actor say to another 'you were rubbish'. This year, at the end of the Beaux Stratagem, National Theatre, when the actors had taken their third or fourth bow, Geoffrey Streatfeild turned to Susannah Fielding and said ‘can we go now’.
Anyone else got a favourite curtain call moment from 2015?
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