#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.

#56 Watch 4 West End Shows

Wicked; a musical for musical performers.

I'd heard so much about Wicked beforehand, being an old fan of Glee, and well a human being in the western world, and so I was incredibly happy when my sister presented me with a free ticket. 'Great!', It though 'I finally get to see what all the fuss is about'.

Wicked is a good musical. The music ticks all the boxes Disney has instilled within me when judging any musical drama, and the visuals were rich in tricks and skill. However, there was something particularly "industrial" about it's near perfection, which really undermines any opportunity for real heart, intrigue or even beauty. It is in this meticulous approach to creating a musical however, which lends itself so well to musical performers, and perhaps explains why I associate it so much with young aspiring Idina Mensels. The voices on stage were great, and only show what a good composition can do for a great singers voice, but I'm sorry to say it is only these technicalities which make it good, but not great.

All of that said, as much as I pretend, the story did draw me in with it's; talking animals, a dystopian regime, and an ugly duckling love story, all elements which spoke to my inner nerd, even if they weren't really properly explored.