Live at the West End
Many of the good times that I have had in London include great music – a night out in town, late night events at a museum, etc. When it is paired with theatre, then boom! Something magic happens. I wish I could enjoy that a bit more often. That’s why I decided to attend the West End Live event in Trafalgar Square this weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to see some top performances, and while the commercial aspect put me off a bit, I still find it was two great days out for all ages.
It all started 11 years ago, with a small stage in nearby Leicester Square showcasing brief previews from just four shows. This weekend, we could see previews of more than 20 productions in Trafalgar Square over two days to encourage people to buy tickets for shows such as Matilda, Thriller, Jersey Boys, Carmen, Stomp or The Lion King. The quality of the performances was quite high, which is interesting given that they were performing for a non-paying audience. Some were even performing later in the day.
Whilst all of the performances were great to watch, I was massively impressed by some of them, ie, Stomp and American Idiot. I have included below some pictures and a video which I took at the event.
The square was packed, especially on Sunday. The two presenters on stage and a reporter did a great job at entertaining the audience, especially when heavens opened on Saturday afternoon. They even made new friends from the show War Horse!
Apparently, the people who manage the horse are inside for 40 minutes in one go and are trained for several months before they can even do it.
There were also stalls representing West End businesses which have something to do with theatre or cinema, as well as a car exhibition. Do you recognise the car in the picture below?
Or this one?
Two of the best previews shows that I saw this weekend are Stomp and American Idiot.
Unlike most shows Stomp dancers use a different type of props: rubbish bins and similar objects. How about that? It was even more engaging than I thought, so it could be a show to see next. I apologise in advance, as the quality of the video is not the highest, but hope you can get a feel for the show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3245WLimIA
American Idiot was a huge surprise. I much prefer Green Day singing, BUT this is good. She’s got a hell of a voice and kept loads of people singing along, including those who clearly were Green Day fans.
It’s a shame I couldn’t take a video of their great performance, and so good others did. Thanks to misterhighw4y for uploading this on YouTube!
Just one thing. I’m sure that I have heard one of the organisers, in their enthusiasm, saying that theatre started in London… Surely not?
A Londoner from Afar
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