I've been spoilt this week …

This week I’ve finally manage to see two shows I’ve always wanted to see.  The Lion King, thanks to a very generous birthday gift from my boyfriend and War Horse (although this was a live streaming in a cinema I’m still counting it). 

I said I wasn’t going to review The Lion King, but I can’t resist a little comment…I had high expectations for the show and wasn’t disappointed.  The whole thing is a spectacle of colour, costume and dance.  It’s a very slick and clever show, as you’d expect from such a long running West End success story.  I was particularly impressed at the way Mufasa’s death was staged.  The best part of the show was the music, and not the big hits everyone knows from the film, but the incidental music.  The harmonies of some of the more tender choral moments were goosebump making! I particularly liked 'One by One’ performed immediately after the interval, the cast wore colourful costume and performed this stunning choral piece, making me forget all about the gin & tonic in my hand.   There are six different African languages in the show, and in the words of the programme “Africa (is) at the heart of the production”, with the music bringing Africa to the West End.

The only thing I want to get off my chest is how badly behaved the audience were.  A constant level of noise was in the theatre, with people talking at normal volume and people eating everywhere!  And, to top it off, people started clapping along during Hakuna Matata – one of my biggest pet hates. Why can’t audiences just watch something, and take it in, without joining in?  Especially when people can’t clap in time and continue when dialogue is taking place over the song.   Maybe that’s the problem with shows that become tourist attractions in their own right?  Most audiences are there to tick it off their to do in London checklist, rather than because they want to see amazing theatre.  Having said that the buzz of excitement as Circle of Life began and all the animals came into the theatre was something I won’t forget!

Last night I headed to the Curzon Cinema in Chelsea to see the National Theatre’s live streaming of War Horse. I’ve wanted to see War Horse for a long time, however looking to go recently the tickets are not cheap.  So when I spotted that it was being streamed to the cinema, for a much more do-able price, I was in buying my tickets immediately.  I’ve seen a Jamie Cullum gig streamed to a cinema before, which was weird at first but then you get used to it.  This was much the same, at first you’re very conscious you’re watching a theatre through a screen, however once the enchanting and heart-wrenching story of War Horse begins I was completely immersed.   The play is truly incredible; it’s amazing how quickly you forget you’re watching a puppet and feel affection for Joey.  I especially liked how they don’t ever hide the fact that the horses are puppets, the costumes of the puppeteers aren’t particularly hiding them although do match the colours of the horse.  With hardly any set, it really is a treat for the power of the imagination, whatever your age.  I was transported to a variety of locations from scenic Devon to the horror of the trenches through simple props and lighting – and of course the power of the story itself taking you to these locations.

The story is powerful and heart wrenching.  Billy raises Joey from a foal and they build a powerful bond, which we see is unbreakable.  Joey is sold to the Army and the two are split, this play tells the story of the two characters individual war experiences and the ending is so emotional I’m welling up just thinking about it.  It is a beautiful story and left my Mum and I in tears.  As if the performance itself wasn’t special enough, at the end Joey himself entered the cinema! Everyone burst into excited applause; it was a privilege to be there and meet Joey.  I think it may be the closest I’ve ever been to a horse! Everyone was commenting on how real he seemed, and as he walked around the cinema amongst a sea of camera phones and people trying to stroke him, he just showed how extraordinary a creation he is. 

NT Live is a great idea, bringing live theatre to cinemas. However I didn’t like the interval feature, it was behind the scenes videos, showing behind the scenes footage and interviews.  This would be great to see at the end of the show, or a few days later. But seeing this in the middle of the show slightly broke the magic that had been cast over the cinema, particularly as the clips showed parts of the play we had not yet even seen!

I’ve had such a great week seeing these two productions, and next week promises to be just as exciting as I return to see IJAD perform at Vault Festival (a post about this will follow soon!)