#56 See four shows at the west end; The Nether

A few moths ago I went to see the Nether with a friend.

It turns out writing about something you love is incredibly hard, however, simply put, the Nether is everything I will ever want from a play.

The story itself is incredibly dark, and by now if you've heard of the play you'll probably know why. With such a dark subject matter form the off start (it involves children), I felt completely unsettled and incredibly close to standing up and leaving. The whole subject unnerved me to the core, but perhaps because of that the whole story becomes so pertinent and I really cared for it in every single moment of the play.

The real star though is the production, which follows the example of the engrossing and inventive storyline, and combines traditional staging with futuristic digital projections which merge seamlessly with the crisp staging of dollhouse Americana, poplar trees and the most brilliant use of mirrored walls. The whole effect is otherworldly and a perfect example of when out digital minds entrenched in our cinematic references and cues, actually manage to mould all of this into something new and spectacular.

I enjoyed the speculative nature of the play and I really hope to see something else by the playwright. It really was the best play I've ever seen.

#57 Watch 3 Plays

I was a bit surprised when my family announced that they wanted to watch the latest Jacqueline Wilson play, or as far as I know the only Jacqueline Wilson play. However, as a childhood fan of the books, and also a theatre lover, I was happy to agree and went off with little knowledge of the story or production. 

The play is a about red headed feisty girl, given away as a baby to an orphanage, or rather a foundling hospital, during the Victorian era. There she is given the name Hetty Feather and sent to live with a provincial kindly foster family, before returning once again to the Hospital where all notions of love and family are abandoned. Hetty fights against the harshness through her own determination to be reunited with her family and to find her mother.

The presentation of the story was incredibly impressive. The choreography is based on circus acrobats and this is married happily with the set which is built up of scaffolding, ribbons and trapeze. Using these the actors are able to describe everything from trees, to elephants, classrooms and of course circus's.

I'm happy to say that even if you're past the age of 11 Hetty Feather is still heartwarming, beautiful and sweet. The music, on stage acrobats and intelligent set design all create a beautiful piece of theatre which push your imagination  in the best possible way. Maybe one to go with your Mum.