Going to the theatre is pretty magical. I am sure many other theate goers like myself will agree, there’s no feeling quite like it…sitting down to share a live experience with hundreds of other strangers, and every single person experiencing the same thing differently, in a way that’s completely unique to them.
TheStageyCouple actually inspired this post – over on instagram they’re encouraging people this October to share top 5 things to do with theatre, and I was reading through them all and came across the top 5 moments in a show. With the other subjects, I found it quite easy to think of at least 5, but this one – moments in shows – really got me thinking, and there was just far too many moments I wanted to talk about, so I felt inspired to talk about this in a blog post.
The excited chatter of an audience in the auditorium before the show starts.
I go to the theatre alone quite a lot – not so much now post covid as you have to book in bubbles, but definitley before. Sometimes it’s because my friends don’t want to see a show I want to see, sometimes it’s because I’ve been sent to review a show and I only have one press ticket, sometimes…it’s just nice to take yourself off to the theatre!
Sitting in the auditorium before a show and listening to other audience members excited chatter is something I adore. Hearing them discuss what they know about the show, what they don’t know, the cast members…and it’s adorable to hear children who are so excited to see a show live on stage – sometimes their first ever one! I remember the heart warming feeling I had during one show at Thriller…it was the interval and I heard a little girl say to her mum ‘when I’m older – I want to dance like they do’.
As I go to the theatre a lot, it doesn’t ever get any less exciting for me, but of course I am very lucky to be able to go as often as I do. Hearing people who have travelled to London to see a show, something which can be a rarity and a really special treat, hearing their positibve energy and palpable excitememnt…it’s infectious. I’ve had occasions where I’ve been more excited for other audience members and for their experience of the show than my own! It’s the excited chatter of everyone about to experience something together. I love it.
When the lights go down, the audience hushes and the show starts up
When the audience starts to hush, the excitement builds, the lights go down…the energy in the room at this point is palpable. Everyone is instantly silenced and filled with excitement and adrenaline, ready to forget all worries and troubles, all thoughts of the outside world gone for a few hours as everyone prepares to lose themeslves in a little theatre bubble. The dimming of the lights in the audience, the opening of the curtain, the lights going up on the stage, the dramatic opening notes of an overture or song, or a loud declaration at the start of a play…whatever it is – those first few seconds are crucial. In those few seconds, the magic begins and I find myself instantly getting completely taken in and lost by this beautiful live experience, and just knowing I’m about to witness a special and unique kind of magic. Whether I know what to expect or not, whether it’s a show I’ve seen 1 or 100 times, this moment never fails to give me goosebumps.
The act one opening
Now, of course the entire show is (hopefully) a good experience…but I find there’s nothing quite like a hugely impactful, dramatic or full on energetic opening to a show. It sets the bar for energy, it prepares you for what you’ll be seeing for the next 2.5 hours, it throws the audience into the show and grabs their attention from the word go. There is a reason that opening numbers seem to have such high expectations…an opening number that falls flat gives low hopes for the rest of the show, whereas an opening number that gets the audience hooked gives high hopes that the show you’re watching will be a good ‘un. Luckily, I don’t think I’ve seen a show with a bad act one opener (if I have, I can’t remember it!), but if I was to list all my favourite act one opening numbers, we would be here until next year.
The act one closing into the interval
Similarly to the act one opener, an act one closer generally leaves the audience filled with anticipation, wanting act two to start, right there and then. The end of act one is generally a pivotal moment too, a turning point in the show, where the drama is peaking. The show builds and builds and builds some more…and then, the curtain comes down…and you have a whole 15 minutes before the show continues! Granted those 15 minutes are crucial – cast, crew and creatives need a break…and in some shows, I’ve used those 15 minutes to resume my breathing to a normal pattern because a show has all too literally taken my breath away. The dramatic final notes, the curtain coming down, the lights coming uop on the audience again and the excited chatter starting up again…I love it. The interval is a perfect time to hear what other people are thinking of the show. It’s the perfect time to collect your own thoughts, hear what others think – of the show, the songs, the story, characters, what they thought of act one, what act two entails…so much to talk about in such little time!
The end of the show/the final number
This makes it sound like I love it when a show ends…that is in fact not what I mean, and I hate it when a show ends because then that means it is over…I mean, the last song, when emotions are at their peak, generally (in my case anyway) there are tears streaming down my face, and you have just had the joyous pleasure on going on a theatrical journey and experiencing an incredible story. The cast have most likel just concluded the show on a beautiful, dramatic song, and/or with some epic finale that you’re guaranteed to remember, at least for a short while. And one of my favourite bits about this part of the show? Sometimes, after the final note, before the curtain comes down ready to go up again for the bows…you can just see the cast stood there frozen in their finale poses, catching their breath, looking out into the audience. In that moment, they must be able to see hundreds, sometimes thousands of people, smiling right up at that stage, being inspired, moved, made to feel something…all because of the work they and the whole theatrical team do. Seeing the performers up there, composing themselves after just giving their all for 2.5 hours, having watched them pour their heart and sould into the show…it’s a reminder of how powerful theatre can be. I can only imagine how that moment must feel as a performer, and can only dream I get to experience it for myself on a stage one day.
The bows
The bows ALWAYS make me cry, without fail. Whether it is a show I’m seeing for the first time or a show I’ve seen countless times. Whether I know one person on that stage, or it’s a cast of people I have seen many times before and love seeing perform, I will always be filled with emotion and have tears spring to my eyes, instantly. It’s the feeling that as soon as the lights go down after a show ends to come back up for the bows, the exhileration of clapping and cheering to show your appreciation, the feeling of rushing to your feet for a standing ovation because what you witnessed was just THAT special. I know I am in no way, shape or form qualified or in an important enough position to say this, but more often than not I’m filled with such huge, immense amounts of pride – even more so if there is someone I know in the show. It’s not easy making a show happen, so seeing the incredible people who make the show happen get their well deserved reception from the audience, seeing their smiling faces, seeing everyone come together as a team on stage to see an audience wholeheartedly applausing, cheering and standing for them…it’s a wonderful moment and a heartwarming feeling. The bows is when the cast finally get to break character, just be themselves, and recieve the praise they so well deserve. Not only that, it’s when the audience gets to thank not only the cast, but the band, the tech team, and even though we may not see them, I am certainly also showing gratitude for everyone backstage who just created that magic. The bows is a chance for everyone to just take in the audience reaction, and know they are responsible for every smile, clap and cheer.
The euphoric feeling on the way home
When you leave the theatre, and you feel so warm and happy and content after having just had a wonderful evening of escapism, and you just want to hold onto that feeling for as long as humanly possible. I would bottle that feeling if I could. After a show, I usually have so many thoughts in my head – what I thought of the show, the cast, how it made me feel, was it what I expected, was it better than I expected? With my favourite shows especially, I remember the first time seeing them, I’d head home feeling all the emotions – emotional, overwhelmed, inspired, in awe…and more often than not – desperate to go back and see it again. And with my favourite shows, a lot of them impacted me and changed me from show one – I’d have learnt something or been deeply moved by something in the show that I’d feel slightly different coming out of the theatre as to the way I was when I first went in. There’s not many things in life that can have that much of an effect on a person.
So there we have it! They are some of my favourite moments that I experience when I go to the theatre. In reality, I love every single second from booking a ticket to the moment my head hits the pillow and I fall alseep after seeing a show, but these are the most distinct parts of a show that I remember and miss so vivdly.
If you have any moments in theatre you want to share, feel free to share them – also don’t forget to head over to TheStageyCouple’s instagram and join in with sharing your favourite parts of theatre this month!
Writing this actually made me quite sad and reminiscent for theatre, but alas…it will come back. We just have to be patient. And whilst it may seem bleak with theatres being dark, I just find some small comfort in knowing, whilst it may feel like it – this is definitley not forever.
One Show at a Time 