British Comedy Guide

Things that piss you off Page 1,307

Quote: Tursiops @ October 12 2013, 1:09 PM BST

If the person wanting to get off waited a few seconds they might find out...

When I am patiently waiting for the doors open so I can exit the train in an orderly fashion and some git elbows past me, that pisses me off a bit.

You need to develop a low-level menacing aura.

Like getting H-A-T-E tattooed on my forehead? Trust me, I have considered it...

Quote: Tursiops @ October 12 2013, 1:16 PM BST

Like getting H-A-T-E tattooed on my forehead? Trust me, I have considered it...

Too much. Try unblining staring.

But when I do that women just look uncomfortable and adjust their clothing.

Quote: chipolata @ October 12 2013, 1:15 PM BST

You need to develop a low-level menacing aura.

I find saying loudly "Mind the Baby" works quite well.

But honestly sometimes yakity-yakers block the exit for some time, long enough for the hordes on the platform to decide that no-one is coming out (like about 1 second) and all come rushing in.

God I pity the poor bastards that have to go to work by train

Paying a fortune to be herded in like a bunch of cattle

Nightmare

Proper Train Etiquette

Just gave up on watching a bloody awful recording of a play. Why can so few stage actors actually act all of a sudden? Is it because drama teachers are people who weren't good enough to be actors themselves and are passing on their terrible technique? It's so infuriating to see serious drama played by panto actors, and there's always one poor member of the cast who can really act, and their subtlety is just drowned out by ridiculous over the top gestures and mock surprise. Ugh. No wonder theatres are half empty most of the time - I'd be livid if I'd paid £45 to see such shite.

Don't blame drama teachers. They're a bit like football managers - they may not be brilliant performers but some are good enough to pull the best out of their pupils.

I'm sure many of them are - I just can't think of another reason why so many professional actors can be so bad at acting and not know it.

I barely remember English from school it was that forgetable, other than our English teacher - nicknamed The Satch for some reason - was rumoured to be a raging alcoholic. And he died not long after I left.

Quote: Harridan @ October 12 2013, 10:52 PM BST

Just gave up on watching a bloody awful recording of a play. Why can so few stage actors actually act all of a sudden? Is it because drama teachers are people who weren't good enough to be actors themselves and are passing on their terrible technique? It's so infuriating to see serious drama played by panto actors, and there's always one poor member of the cast who can really act, and their subtlety is just drowned out by ridiculous over the top gestures and mock surprise. Ugh. No wonder theatres are half empty most of the time - I'd be livid if I'd paid £45 to see such shite.

Well, if it was just a filmed recording of a play from a static camera, then that never really works. Very different from being in the theatre at the time. Was it?

And theatre acting is more "out there" than film acting, so it usually seems OTT when you watch a recorded version of a play.

What level of production was it? Fringe, Rep, West End?

Just curious. :)

Those live satellite screenings of plays in cinemas are supposed to be pretty good, though I've not been to one yet.

It wasn't a static camera, the recording wasn't too bad, it was just the overacting. I get that the process of stage-acting is different because there are limitations in what you can convey to a large crowd, but I've been to plenty of good performances where the acting is wonderful. What I find very odd is that they all overact in the same way - that kind of stage-school child actor kind of acting.

Quote: Harridan @ October 12 2013, 11:51 PM BST

It wasn't a static camera, the recording wasn't too bad, it was just the overacting. I get that the process of stage-acting is different because there are limitations in what you can convey to a large crowd, but I've been to plenty of good performances where the acting is wonderful. What I find very odd is that they all overact in the same way - that kind of stage-school child actor kind of acting.

Maybe the average level of stage acting has dropped off then? I never go to plays any more since I left London 15 years ago. You'd get good stuff at the National, Almeida, Bush, Hampstead, Lyric in Hammersmith, Riverside, Old Red Lion etc.

Or maybe better TV acting - imported US drama for instance - has made us more critical of theatre acting?

Maybe the production you just saw was badly directed? So it could be that the quality of directors has declined? I'd imagine that pay for theatre directors is fairly low, and the good ones are quickly tempted by TV/Film/Ads.

It's an interesting topic, and an important one.

Quote: Harridan @ October 12 2013, 11:51 PM BST

What I find very odd is that they all overact in the same way - that kind of stage-school child actor kind of acting.

I almost can't watch any movie filmed before the late 70s, because the acting has moved on so far since.

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