An update on some of the shows I've been lucky enough to catch these past few weeks!
First off- this space is really cool. It's a converted warehouse in the Hackney Wick district that's half theatre/half bar which made for a nice, intimate change from all the huge West End venues. The show was a new work that focused on class structures in an "increasingly isolated and individualistic London." I enjoyed the whole cast (which had several East 15 grads in it) but especially liked the physical quirks that several of them used in their performances.
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| photos via |
2. Laban Dance Theatre @ E15
Students from the BA Contemporary Dance course at the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music & Dance came to East 15 as part of their third year tour and presented two Laban-style dance pieces. We've studied Laban throughout our first trimester here and I've loved exploring how to use this form for the actor. Taking the work and funneling it into the specific theatre area has given all of us a completely fresh way of tackling text.
It was interesting to see Laban movement put back into a dance arena. The first work focused around reflections while the other dealt more with memories and how they ripple out to affect others. I was pleasantly surprised to learn during the Q&A afterward that the second piece was almost completely improvised. I won't go anywhere near saying this was my favorite dance genre or performance, but it was interesting to see an expansion of the art form as I knew it.
3. Once @ The Phoenix Theatre
I went into this show without having seen the movie (which I think ended up being a good thing). I only had heard lovely things, loved the few songs I already recognized from the show, and knew that Baylor Theatre's own Elizabeth Davis originated the role of the roommate (sic 'em!) in the Broadway production.
Long story short, I loved this show. All of it: the pub setting, the whole cast on stage, the barely-present transitions, the Czech and Irish accents, the not-a-love-story love story, the music - holy religious experience for my ears batman - this MUSIC. Just do yourself a favor and download that album.
Having a front row seat? Only 25 pounds. Trying not to ugly cry during the last fifteen minutes of Act 2? Priceless...and let's be honest, kinda just a day in the life of Jenny.
The London cast rendition of "Falling Slowly":
(I personally prefer Declan Bennett's voice to Steve Kazee's #sorrynotsorry)
A look inside the making of the original Broadway production:
The first thing I love about the National? Eight pound student tickets. The second? The Shed - their blackbox theatre space that literally has no bad seat. I also loved that the 3 pound program I bought for this show included the full script!
Nut might be the best example of black comedy I've seen in person, with lots of emphasis on the darkness. It centers around a depressed, self-harming woman who is visited by the voices in her head. These characters are as established and fleshed out as the actual "people" of the play.
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| The Shed outside The National - photo via |
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| Photos via |
To the blessings of live theatre,
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