Theatre in London

            I wanted to take a moment to give a round of applause to some of the fantastic works of theatre I have had the honor to see here in London. Thankfully, The Glass Menagerie has been the only performance I have ended up disappointed in.

            We went to the National Theatre and saw The Father and the Assassin. This was a story about the man who assassinated Gandhi. It was written from his perspective, and he talks to the audience and tries to convince us that he was justified in his actions and tells us that we will in fact be on his side by the end. I thought this narrative was excellently written and poignant in today’s political climate. By the end, I wasn’t in support of his cause and his actions, but I did come to understand his perspective. By creating a character that we can relate to and understand, we were able to look at the hatred and prejudice he ended up coming to and see it from a completely human point of view. The ending speech he crafted was about how the people who are different than us are sitting next to us, and we must eliminate them before they come for us. By turning it back on the audience it forced us to think about the narrative in terms of modern times, and it was very familiar and reminiscent of the hatred and discrimination taking place in the divided political climate of today. I bought a copy of the script so I can go back and more closely analyze this writing that intrigued and inspired me.

            The set and the stage were what really drew me into this show. The stage was sectioned off into three different moving parts, one of them a raised ramp that allowed characters to climb and run up and down to communicate travel and movement. It was fantastically blocked so that ensemble moments were strikingly realistic and partner scenes were intimate and several scenes could be happening at once without creating a gap in understanding. I thought the way the stage was crafted was mind-blowingly cool, and I really enjoyed watching the way they played with movement. There were several impactful moments, such as the flags falling from the ceiling to represent the death of the characters, and the ensemble celebration of the separation of the nation. I felt really pulled into the moment, like I was there with these characters.

            Another show we saw as a group was House of Shades. This show absolutely changed my life, for good. The writing was fantastic. Beth Steele was able to develop relatable characters, and a family that felt real and representative of life. It was filled with tragedy after tragedy, but it was expertly intermixed with the dark humor and bonds between these characters, so it didn’t feel set out of realism. In fact, this was the truest to life show I’ve ever seen. The acting was phenomenal. I really can’t emphasize enough how impressed I was by everyone’s performance. I had to remind myself several times that these people were merely actors and were telling a story. It felt so real, the most immersive on-stage story I’ve ever had the privilege to be intertwined in. My heart was broken time and time again.

            Each character was represented as three different versions of themselves as time progressed in the show: the younger version, the mid-life version, and the older version. I typically don’t enjoy when shows try to jump big time gaps, but this one was executed perfectly; a testament to the writing, acting, and directing. I really loved the way that it was cast so that the children of some of these characters ended up being played by the same actor who represented their father earlier in the show as they aged. It was very realistic this way, and a true challenge to the actors who had to continually jump roles, sometimes playing their own daughter just moments after they played the mother.

            There was a moment after the father of the family dies where he opens up a trap door in the stage and walks down into a light coming from the bottom of the stage, representing his death. Then the actress who played his young daughter comes out and the older version of her watches as her childhood self follows her father into the depths of the stage. It was heart wrenching. I immediately began to cry as this woman watched her inner child die with her father. After the show I immediately called my dad and had a really good conversation with him.
            Isn’t that the dream?! To create theatre that impactful? We all left in some sort of emotional turmoil and shock. Several of us chose to call our fathers that night. Three days after we had seen the show, we were all still desperate to talk about it! That is the kind of work I want to create, where the impact is immediate, long lasting, and clear. There were so many layers to this show that it would be impossible to unpack them all. By melding politics, deep metaphors about life and death, life changing events, aging and family Steele was able to write a play that can simply be described as about life itself. That is incredible, and something I’ve never seen before. I’ve been thinking in complex and deep terms about what life is and our purpose in it ever since. One of the most complex and expertly crafted shows I’ve ever seen. Especially because it was written by a female it did a great job of representing the female perspective in an ever-changing world. I’d like to meet this playwright and get a view into her mind and how she created this masterpiece.

            The set was expertly created so that you were immersed in this family home, but it was also flexible to represent other places and time periods. The sound design was incredible. The music was very impactful, and it hit heavy when we would hear things like the heart monitor flat lining, the booming rumble of the house being destroyed, or the final cry of a dying baby in a bucket. It was bone chilling. Then to hear the singing and watch this beautifully talented woman’s dreams die in front of her aging eyes. I could go on forever about this show. I loved it!

            I went to go see The Phantom of the Opera on my own time. I have seen this show before, so I had high expectations and they were magnificently exceeded. I splurged and got second row tickets and I am so glad I did. This show was packed to the brim with unspeakable talent. I’ve never heard singing like that in my lifetime. The soundtrack seems lackluster in comparison to the live performance of these fantastic actors. Being that close to all the action had me elated, mouth open in the biggest smile and tears streaming down my face for most of the performance. I’m going to cry just writing about it! As soon as the familiar rhythms and melodies that form the iconic music of this show begun reverberating throughout the theatre I was absolutely entranced and overtaken with emotion. Watching the chandelier rise and then crash back to the ground in this beautiful, tall theatre was so mind-blowing. We were so close when they used the fire effect where the flames burst up from the stage it was hot on my skin and felt like it was burning my face! I could see every little detail and hear every breath from the characters. It was intimate and emotionally impactful. This performance made Phantom of the Opera my favorite musical. I’m not sure I will ever get to witness such iconic vocal talent ever again. Music of the Night must be one of the most beautifully written musical theatre songs, the lyricism and composition are unforgettable. All I Ask of You is now my all-time favorite love song. This performance was so much more impressive than the one I saw in New York, in every way. Being that close to the orchestra was beautiful, and the magic of the effects and set of this show will forever blow my mind. The moving set pieces, the candles and fog that created the magical ambience of the lake scene, the costumes—everything! At the end the Phantom sits on a throne and places his cape over himself to hide from the approaching enemies. When they arrive and lift his cape he had disappeared, leaving only his mask behind. It was a hard hitting and picturesque moment and I still can’t figure out how they managed to pull that off.

            After Phantom, Austin and I were on the train back to the hotel. Russel Square had been closed for the past couple of days, so our plan was to get off at Holborn – the station before. However, the conductor didn’t announce that Russel Square was closed, so we agreed to risk it and see if the train would stop at a station closer to the hotel. The train was packed with people, and so we stood over the seats. The train pulled up to Holborn and right before the doors were about to close the conductor finally announced that Russel Square was indeed closed. This meant we had to get off. Austin moved to the left and I moved to the right. Despite my best efforts of pushing and shoving through the crowded train car, I could not get off. I resigned myself to the next station, but when I looked back Austin was gone. He waved from the platform as the train took off towards the next station. The people around me commiserated with me and checked to make sure I’d be okay on my own and that they didn’t need to stop the train for me. I told them I’d be alright, and this struck up a conversation with the two older women sitting in front of me. One of them asked about my bag of phantom merch I had accumulated and asked if I had enjoyed the show. I raved about it and showed them all my merch. As the train pulled up to my stop, the older woman in front of confessed that she been in Phantom before! She listed several cities where she’d performed, places like Vienna! Then the woman next to her who had been quietly listening chuckled and pulled out her ID badge and said, “I was going to say, I work Phantom!” It was a universally placed moment. Everything happens for a reason, even missing your train stop!

            I had seen Les Misérables during a matinee before Phantom and was incredibly impressed. It quickly became another one of my favorites. The production was also expertly crafted. The way they were able to play with dark lighting to hide characters in the background was amazing! This quickly became a new favorite musical as I cried my way through all of the numbers. The vocal performance again trumped any recording available online. I heard several people saying that the London version was much better than the Broadway version, which seems to be a common theme here. The woman sitting next to me struck up a conversation with me and told me this was her 7^th time seeing it! I understand why!

            Life of Pi was the first musical that I branched out and saw on my own and I was very emotionally impacted by this show. The puppetry was so cool, there aren’t words to describe it. Each animal was represented by a puppet operated by one or several actors. There were so many animals, I was shocked when the final bow only included a handful of actors! The lighting was magical, vibrant and colorful. I thought this live production was even more spectacular than the movie. This show would be the first thing I recommend to anyone visiting London. There was a line at the end where Pi asks the interviewer, “Which story did you like better, the one with animals or the ones without?” and he answers, “the one with animals.” Pi responds, “And so it is with God.” I was brought to tears and reminded of my own spiritual connection to my story and the universe. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

            I also saw Cinderella. The writing of this one wasn’t my favorite, not surprising since Andrew Lloyd Webber is not talented with script writing. He really should’ve just quit while he was ahead with Phantom. I’m comfortable saying this about the famous artist because of his behavior at the closing performance. I talked to an older woman in line for the bathroom, (this seems to happen to me a lot) and she told me that the show had increased in popularity because it was about to close and move to a traveling tour and Broadway. We didn’t know that we had grabbed onto one of the last two chances to see this show in London. The vocal talent was amazing, and I enjoyed the concept of the show. The ensemble was fantastic, and I enjoyed the diversity and inclusion in the cast. However, two days after we saw it on it’s closing night the characters were preparing to take their final bows. Andrew Lloyd Webber didn’t even bother to show up, and instead sent a poorly written (not surprising) letter for one of his staff members to read! With the whole cast and crew standing on stage he referred to the show as a ‘costly mistake’ in his letter. The audience booed him, as he well deserved. I was shocked and immediately felt so bad for the cast. They were immensely talented, and he obviously didn’t deserve them. Someone needs to deflate this man’s ego, how embarrassing! It was really interesting to watch this all unfold two days after I had seen it—I felt like I was a part of it and I was ultimately glad I went to see it.

            I can’t talk about the shows I’ve seen here without mentioning Six. I really didn’t expect to like this one, but ten seconds in I was blown away. The production value was incredible. The writing was fantastic. The vocal power of these ladies was extremely impressing. I really appreciated the diversity and body positivity of this show! What I really appreciated about it was the message it sent of female empowerment and reshaping of a narrative. They really emphasized that the only reason Henry the 8^th was so popular was because of them, and through this musical they had the opportunity to change the ending of their stories! That’s what art is! Giving people a voice and a chance to change the story. It was cool to get to see this show and then watch the writers win a Tony for best original score just a few days later! Two people who wrote this masterpiece in three days became the youngest female director on Broadway and the first non-binary person to win a Tony.

            Finally, we saw Girl on an Altar as a group last night. It joined the ranks, fighting for my favorite show that I’ve seen in London. It was beautifully written. Truly the most entrancing and elegant dialogue I’ve ever heard. There were several lines I tried to memorize just because I thought they were so magically worded that I wanted to hold onto them forever. I need to buy a copy of this book. The blocking and directing was fantastic. I loved the way they used simple lighting to their benefit in this one, it was very well executed, and I took note of how much I liked it several times. I would really like to learn from whoever their intimacy director was, the live sex scenes on stage were very well done and had the intended brunt force impact of shock. I was fascinated with how the actors were able to realistically pull this off. I have never seen a group of actors more dropped into their roles. I learned a LOT from watching this show. I was incredibly inspired by the writing and the acting. It reminded me of my own roles that I’ve played and made me want to go back and do them again with the things I’ve learned and gained while I’ve been in London. Watching these people perform made me desperately miss performing myself. I think that is a special kind of impact to be able to have. I loved how they were able to create entire scenes before my eyes just by describing them and miming certain things—like children! The way they made me think there was someone on the stage when there wasn’t just by indicating that there was! I was very moved and thought a lot about my own acting. I watched them and could clearly see them live in the moment, as their character, truthfully. I have never had a deeper understanding of what it means to drop in and I cannot wait to implement it in my own practice. I was even inspired to begin practicing it in my own daily life and to let that energy make me a better actor.

I really could write forever about all the fantastic theatre I’ve seen here. I’m doing my best to lock it into my memory until the end of my time.

Signing off from London,

Margaret