As an ex-drama student, and a massive drama queen- I am a massive fan of theatrical productions. All of them. Plays, musicals, ballets, even pantomimes- you name them, I love them. (The exception to this rule are circuses with clowns in, because I hate clowns and they should be banned from life)
So it was clearly a very welcome (and surprising!) suggestion when MM mentioned he had seen a flyer at work for 2-4-1 tickets to selected musicals in the West End, and perhaps we should go.
I obviously laughed at what I assumed was a wind up joke (bearing in mind this is the boy that almost fell asleep during the ballet at Christmas,) before realising that he was being serious- and quickly snatched the opportunity - alike to a fat kid grabbing cookies that they can't believe they're allowed to have- before the offer was retracted.
The flyer was for a website called Showpairs- and it is great. The idea is that you pay for a top-price-bracket ticket (which means good seats!) and get the other one for free.
I had spied advertisements for From Here To Eternity on the tube and read the reviews, which were all very positive. Produced by Tim Rice, the play is set in Pearl Harbour in 1941- just before the Japanese attack, and follows two separate (but intrinsically linked) love stories.
The tickets were booked and paid for £67.50 in total, and absolutely worth every penny.
The show, whilst a little slow in getting going, culminated in an incredible final 30 minutes. It's not all glitter and bright lights- it's harsh, hard hitting, and emotional, well choreographed, dimly-lit and brilliant.
The song performed by Private Angelo "I Love the Army" is a particularly poignant moment, and "The boys of '41" sung by the entire cast at the end had me in absolute bits... Actually, I was crying for the majority of the second half- but I cry at everything, so this is not really a groundbreaking event. I'm a bit of a drip.
It is wonderful though. A completely different west-end experience to the big name shows, but no less enjoyable- albeit for different reasons.
I have been re-bitten by the musical bug, and tickets for my next theatre visit are already booked!
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