Sunday 20 March 2016

Wonder.land

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Last weekend a friend and I went to watch the modern adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, Wonder.land. I enjoy watching shows in London but haven't been for a while. I often choose to see productions of films that I have seen; Dirty Dancing, Chicago, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are some that I have been to. My favourite show that I've seen so far has to be Legally Blonde, I went to see it three times! I like any excuse for a day out and love the energy, the buzz I often feel when I'm in London. I like the busyness, the rush, winding in and out of crowds. I'm not as keen on the traffic, grid-locked roads and the crowded tubes that are often close to bursting at the seams.

Last weekend, we were really lucky with the weather, although it was a little cloudy it was dry and warm enough for a light jacket and scarf. As Wonder.land was being performed at the National Theatre we decided to park near Tower Bridge and walk along the South Bank of the River Thames. I was aware of how happy I was simply being outside in the fresh air, as opposed to inside in an office or my car where I spend the majority of my time during the week. It was also lovely to be by the river, I love the sound of water; whether it's the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, a gentle flow of a stream or a water feature, the running of a bath or shower. There was also amazing views along the river, Tower Bridge, the Shard, the Gherkin, St Paul's Cathedral, modern glass buildings of all shapes and sizes alongside more classic architecture. We also passed the OXO building and the Tate Modern.

We arrived at the National Theatre about half an hour before the performance was due to begin to collect our tickets, get something to eat and pre-order our drinks for the interval. We grabbed a sandwich from the cafĂ© in the theatre which I thought was reasonably priced, about £7 for a baguette and a slice of cake. We then headed up to the second floor to the Oliver Theatre for the show.

Our decision to go was very last minute but luckily there were a few seats left. When purchasing theatre tickets I usually pick the second from cheapest price band. I was pleasantly surprised when we located our seats a few moments before the show started. Because of the theatres small size, although our seats were two or three rows from the back of the Circle section, we were still not very far away from the stage.

I don't want to give too much of the storyline away but I found it really powerful and moving during some sections and felt that it covered some difficult but current topics about why people go online and the darker side of the online world well while still following the classic Alice in Wonderland storyline of self discovery we know, love and expect, as well as cleverly introducing the various, well known, characters along the way. I think one of my favourite parts was the Caterpillar, the costumes, lighting and effects but more importantly what he had to say. His question, the only question that really matters...

Who are you? 

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