I start this piece the day after I was lucky enough to go to the London Palladium and see Songs for a New World. The Incredible production was put together by Lambert Jackson productions and featured David Hunter, Rachel John, Rachel Tucker and Cedric Neal. Also in the cast was Shem Omari Jones and the ensemble, which was made up of 3rd year Mountview students.
It was my first trip back to London since March. I knew things would be different. Before, I used to whizz about London not caring if I was stood very close next to someone on the tube. I got on the tube at Paddington station and the who carriage was empty. Silent. There was such an eerie feel. I got off in Leicester square, expecting it to be very busy, but instead I was met with silence. If you're feeling a bit apprehensive about going to London, don't (easier said than done, I know!) The only part of London that felt slightly unsafe was Oxford Street. It felt very busy. But, it's all about risk management. Mask. Sanitise. Keep your distance.
Walking round the West End was odd. It was the day after the Les Mis concert had been announced, so it was nice to walk up Shaftesbury Avenue knowing that it would soon have some life in it. Just imagine it when Les Mis, Jamie and Six are all open again! But, walking past theatres that may not be opening for a while gave me an empty feeling. Seeing the pictures on the side of buildings, of people doing what they love but at the same time knowing that they won't be doing that for a while longer.
THE SHOW! Songs For a New World! WOW! The whole show was incredible. What a way to get back into theatre after 7 very long months. I know that there have been outdoor and socially distanced shows happening for a while, but I was waiting for the right one to come along. The whole theatre was very well socially distanced and at no point did I feel unsafe. Before we went in we had to sanitise and have our temperature taken. I welled up just going into the auditorium. Seeing the stage set and the lights on was the greatest feeling. The single ghost light on the stage that remained there the whole way through the show signified the fact that theatres were closed, and most of them will remain that way for a little while longer. Infact, the whole show was very symbolic. The Mountview students coming out at the end to represent the new word was so incredible. I have never been in a theatre with that atmosphere. The show was funny, moving, and by the end I was in absolute bits. One thing that hit me during the interval of the show, was the fact that I had sat for a long period of time and thought about nothing, except what was going on in front of me. Theatre is so good for tuning out of the world around us, taking as a step back from social media, and really living in the moment. Living in the moment is something that I've really struggled with during the pandemic, I've found myself constantly worrying about what might happen next week, or next month. Yes, like so many others, I've watched never ending amounts of streamed theatre, but nothing will ever beat being in the room! What really got me, was turning around at the end and seeing the whole of the (socially distanced) London Palladium on their feet. No one would stop clapping. Although the theatre was not full to capacity, we all certainly made enough noise to make it feel like there were 2,200 people in there! There was a 7-minute standing ovation and 2 curtain calls.
I really hope that Songs For a New World has acted as a beacon of hope in what has been a bleak time for the theatre industry. And more than anything I really hope that more productions like this get put on. I can't wait for theatres to get back open so that we can all fill those auditoriums and make more noise than ever!
Georgia Downton
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