See it if you can get a ticket just to check out the first half (you can always skipt he second if you don't like it enough)
Don't see it if you think you're the sort of person who has to see both parts or nothing at all Read more
See it if you enjoy punishment
Don't see it if you fancy reading a book Read more
See it if you want to see a dramatization of Elena Ferante's popular work, you want to see a great story portrayed, or you want to see great acting.
Don't see it if perhaps if you have read the books on which it is based and find them definitive or otherwise adequate for you. (I have not read the books.) Read more
Elena Ferrante's story makes a triumphant transition to stage...a richly textured, two-part piece of theatre exploring a complex female friendship... I actually didn’t want this show to end.'
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...gloriously widescreen, five-hour, two-part adaptation ...ultimately it’s about two towering performances, one delicate and nuanced, one dense and dark as a neutron star.'
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Ultimately, despite some grumbles...this is a production which should delight the books’ many fans and serve as a fine introduction to the richly conceived, unforcedly feminist world of Ferrante.'
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...for all the hours we spend in their company most of the clans and supporting characters never seem much more than ciphers. We do get a flavour of a city that is beguiling and brutal, but that’s not enough.'
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Director Melly Still and designer Soutra Gilmour stage all this with some flair. This is a production full of lovely, imaginative touches... I admired the fluency of the staging but wondered at its purpose.'
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...the action sometimes feels as hurried as the characters...Yet there's also a touching sensitivity to how Niamh Cusack both recalls and narrates their story...'
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Though tightly written and populated by a large cast of compelling characters, the story’s rapidly shifting focus can leave the production feeling breathless...'
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Four complex novels squeezed into a big, bold show with strong performances...Cusack and McCormack...and vibrant company work make the four-plus hours fly.'
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