Theatre and Leaving London

“The stage is a magic circle where only the most real things happen, a neutral territory outside the jurisdiction of Fate where stars may be crossed with impunity. A truer and more real place does not exist in all the universe.” ― P.S. Baber

In my life, I have been incredibly lucky in regards to my exposure to the arts (hence my soft spot). And although the theatre offered around the valley is good, it is specifically selected to the community in which it will be performed as well as to the veteran patrons of these theatre communities.

But in the West End (London’s equivalent to Broadway), there is a hosting of a lot of brand new, and some very edgy theatrical pieces. You had all of the usual shows (Wicked, Les Mis, The Phantom of the Opera, etc.), but the West End offered a lot of new material that was incredibly done both acting-wise and production-wise. Since I’m a theatre junkie, I splurged and bought tickets to three extra shows on top of the two shows included in our program.

Before I dive into what shows I actually saw and what I thought of them, here are some tips about the theatres in London (in no particular order):
1. Programs cost money here! No free Playbills when you walk in the door. My programs cost between £3-£7.
2. Leave at least an hour and a half in advance, especially if you’re taking the public transportation, or going somewhere you have never been before.
3. Intermissions are called intervals.
4. Chat with the people in the seats next to you, especially if you’re in a single seat, as they might be alone too and you could get some great stories or advice on where to go or what to do in town.
5. You CAN get amazing seats really close to when you want to see the show. I got second row tickets a few days before two of my shows. Incredible!
6. Watch for Concession prices and other ticket discounts through the same box offices that run different theatres.

Now on to the five shows I saw in London:
1. “Blithe Spirit”
2. “King Lear”
3. “1984”
4. “Once”
5. “Antony and Cleopatra”

But the one I would like to focus on in particular was the production of “1984” based off of the book by George Orwell, and set in London. This show was one of the most violent and disturbing plays I have ever seen. But it was also one of the most well-produced and well-acted plays that I have ever seen. The fact that 1984 was published and set in London made it that much more disturbing. This show didn’t allow you to be anonymous as an audience member. Your seat shook with deep vibrations, LED lights flashed and exposed each person in the theatre. It was a place where there was no darkness. Big Brother was watching you. You were a part of that society and the characters cried out to you for help. Not the people of this futuristic, dystopian society; YOU. It really made you think about the way everything is going today and how you can see the same technology we have today being used in those manners. It was unsettling and absolutely incredible. Art is supposed to open up a mirror to your society and make you uncomfortable; and this show did just that.

Even though London was very culturally stimulating, after three weeks of non-stop running around and trying to cram everything in, there has been a lot of sensory overload. I am glad to slow down a little bit in Ireland.