Curiouser and curiouser!

You know I've become *slightly* addicted to immersive theatre ever since Punchdrunk. So when I heard of Alice's Adventures Underground, I decided to take a tumble down the rabbit hole and go on my own adventure in Wonderland - which just so happens to be under the arches of Waterloo station, don't you know?

Its a wonderful immersive experience, I wasnt just a bystander watching a scene unfold but I was seen, spoken to and given jobs to do - but I could also just watch. I loved the tunnel of books (and I totally want one), the Cheshire cat, the haunting Mockturtle's song, the acrobatics of tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, the Mad tea party and the cheeky Red Queen who kept blowing kisses to all those who were designated a heart suit during the court scene.

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Eat me, drink me
I chose the "eat me" option and was given a small candy before being shown through to be assigned a S.U.I.T and beginning my own adventure into the nonsensical, mad and utterly enchanting world of Wonderland. The lovely Emma, my fellow Wonderland adventurer, was given a different S.U.I.T so we were temporarily split up, but that was OK as we got to compare notes afterwards. The outcome of comparing notes? We want to go again and try the "drink me" path!

I don't want to give too much away, it really is a fun experience. Also, as a nice bonus to attending one of the shows, the card given to you, your S.U.I.T, can be used to go back into the quirky bar area (complete with maze, croquet space and live music on weekends) on other evenings and you can bring 3 friends - a great twist on a night out.

The show is running till the end of August so you still have time, just don't be late like the White Rabbit!

What do you think? Would you be game to take a tumble down the rabbit hole?

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The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime

If you have read the book, you'll enjoy the play, its quite faithful to the book and is very cleverly done. Its both funny and sweet and thoroughly enjoyable. And there is the most adorable puppy at the end. What can I say, I like cute fuzzy things.

I went with a couple of friends, one who had read the book a while ago and one who hadn't read the book at all and they both enjoyed it as much as I did. The set, as I walked into the theatre, was simple. Deceptively so as I would later find out. Things kept appearing out of cupboards in the wall and floor. The boxes had a hundred different uses and the screen at the back was a really clever part of the set which at one point turned into an escalator.

In case you don't know, the story is told from the perspective of Christopher, a young boy who has Asperger-like qualities. It starts with him finding his neighbours dog dead in her front yard and follows his 'investigation' into its murder. But its really not as morbid as it sounds. Its really about family, truth and trust.

If you enjoy plays that are a little different, you should give this one a go. You will have a laugh, an 'awwww' and maybe, just maybe, Christopher will teach you a thing or two.

Have you been to a play based on a book?

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8 Tips for Booking Theatre Tickets in London

I have been on a theatre booking binge lately. If you have been following my twitter feed, you'll have noticed. I have now booked so many tickets I'll be going to the theatre each month till the end of the year! I'm not crazy (OK maybe a little) but seriously, only in London can you get a theatre ticket at the same price of a nice dinner somewhere, in some cases, even less. 

London's theatres and shows is one of the things I absolutely love about this city. It is affordable, there is so much variety to choose from and its such a nice night out. Over the past couple of years I have seen, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Lion King, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cripple of Innishman (hilarious), Lady Windemeres Fan, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Woman in Black and The Drowned Man. And I have enjoyed each and every one.

Much Ado About Nothing - Noel Coward Theatre

Now I have booked:

1. The Man Who Climbed Out Of His Face - this month
2. A Comedy of Errors - September
3. Book of Mormon - October
4. Twelfth Night - November
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - December

And I still have so many more on my list! Actually, I think I might try to get myself to the BBC Proms too, not strictly theatre but still...

Phantom of the Opera - Source

If you think you cant afford to go to the theatre, think again! Here are some tips to get you booking too!

1. Approach the theatre company direct! Often ticketing agencies, even 'discount' ones, will add a hefty markup on the value of a ticket and you can end up paying more!
2. Book waaaaaaaaay in advance, cheap seats go fast so get in early. Some places will even give you a discount for doing just that. For example, Book of Mormon don't charge a booking fee if you book ahead by 12 weeks.
3. Book mid week. Often midweek tickets are much cheaper than Friday night or weekend tickets.
4. Signup for newsletters. OK, OK, we all hate spam mail, but sometimes you will get notified of specials or given promo codes. Find a show you want to see and sign up to its newsletter. Don't worry, you can always unsubscribe after you've seen the show ;) You can also keep an eye on Time Out's offers. Occasionally they will have a really good deal. I managed to get a tickets to the Woman in Black for £10 pounds back in June because of it.
5. If you are a student, a lot, if not all, theatre companies will give you a discount.



The Drowned Man - source

6. Get a good group of friends together. Almost all theatre companies will give discounts for group bookings. Too easy!
7. Check the ticket prices. Don't just assume its expensive. If you follow tip number 2, you'll be surprised by how 'cheap' the tickets are to some of the big shows.
8. Put the cost in perspective!!! Look at what you currently spend your money on... coffee? lunch? eating out? drinks on weekends? brunch with the girls? A cute top or must have shoes? There are so many ways you can find the money for a ticket, just make tiny adjustments to what you currently do.
9. [Added 11th August 2016] Download an app called 'Today Tix' onto your phone. A couple of nights ago I got £20 front row tickets to Kinky Boots by entering their daily ticket lottery. You can book regular tickets through this app too, but as I was mainly interested in the special deals so I haven't tried that out. Do let me know if you have used or had any luck with this app!

Do you have any theatre going tips?

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Enter the world of Temple Studios

Photo by Pari via NT

There is darkness...

A nervous excitement...

The labyrinth of the studios swallows my friends...

I am alone.

Or am I?

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Much Ado About Nothing - Royal Shakespeare Company 26th September 2012 Social Media Call

Much ado has been made about the new adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Mainly talk has been about the fact that it is sent in modern day Delhi and it is the first all-Asian cast do perform such a play at the RSC. And while all that is true, the fact is Shakespeare originally set the play in Sicily and this adaptation isn't that far removed from how Shakespeare probably originally intended it; its a story that you can very much see play out in modern day India without suspending your disbelief.


Benedick after "overhearing" that Beatrice has feelings for him

Wednesday afternoon (26th Sept 2012) found me at the Noel Coward theatre in London for the RSCs social media call for their production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing as part of the World Shakespeare Festival. A bunch of theatre reviewers, bloggers, twitter-ers and other social media folk were shown a scene from the play followed by a Q&A with those members of the cast.


Members of the cast and the Director Iqbal Khan during the social media call Q&A


After watching a scene from the play (Act 2 scene 3) i asked the cast "If there is one thing you would like the audience to take away from this production, what would it be?". I received mixed answers.

Madhav Sharma (Leonato) said "Happiness and joy, that there is love in this world" and Shiv Grewal (Don Pedro) said "family is important". My favourite response however was from the Director Iqbal Khan
who candidly said "Its a fucking good play...and its a much better play than people give it credit for, it think it might be his [Shakespeare's] best comedy..."




And for whatever my 2 cents are worth, I'm going to reiterate what Iqbal Khan said...it is a fucking good play...seeing it that Wednesday night (thanks to the RSCs complimentary ticket) only served to prove that. Walking in to the auditorium that evening....i was met with a raised curtain and a recreated scene of daily life in in a bustling Delhi neighbourhood, the set was designed around a courtyard space, with curved doorways, balconies, an old tree wrapped with wires and a light streetlight protruding from the center as though it had grown there complete with a simple rope swing that had a wood seat. People were milling around on stage as though this was their daily life, a maid plaited the hair of a younger maid, a young man was fixing an upright fan, young girls returned home from a shopping trip and stopped for a chat. And that was all before the play even began.

Benedick eavesdropping on Leonato and Don Pedro

During the play itself, Paul Bhattacharjee who plays Benedick and Meera Syal who plays Beatrice were simply fantastical in their witty repartee and awkward affection. The entire cast did a fantastic job in transporting me to modern day Delhi and telling a great story. There were even a few scenes that were quite moving, one in particular gave me chills.

Don Pedro takes advantage of Benedick disguised as a servant

I've already recommended this play to my flatmates and my friend at work is already booking her tickets. Give it a go, its one of the few RSC plays for which you don't have to travel to Stratford-upon-Avon to see and will be gracing the Noel Coward Theatre stage till 27th October 2012.

Leonato and the maid

Benedick and the set for Much Ado About Nothing

If you do go see it or have seen it already, let me know what you think.

Links
Play Synopsys
Cast and Crew
Production Photos
Audience feedback
Director Q&A

VP

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