After roaming around the streets of London and asking random people at the local pub directions to the Waterloo East, my flat-mates and I finally made it to the Waterloo East Theatre. Trekking to our seats, I noticed a gentleman walking to the bar located in the lobby of the theatre. I thought he looked familiar, but could not put a name to the face. Little did I know that Stephen Frye would soon return, pint in hand, and sit only two rows in front of us! I knew that this was going to be an unforgettable night and the performance hadn’t even started.
As soon as JB, Pete, Jordan, and Ross took the stage I knew that I was in for a night of laughs. One look at JB’s “I’d Do Me” shirt was proof enough of that. Opening with “Brits on Tour” provided the perfect introduction for this brash and amusing musical. It promised to both piss off and engage the audience. And it delivered—the youthful cast kept the audience entertained throughout the show with clever songs and witty banter. The blatant sexual humor made me laugh so hard that tears filled my eyes. The onstage acoustic guitar duo providing the soundtrack also added a unique edge to the performance. The pilot outfits were a nice touch too.
Yet the play was not only fun and games. The play also provided commentary on coming of age, travel, higher education, and the importance of friendship—issues relevant not only in the my life, but the life of many of my fellow students abroad who were in the audience that night. The topic of Jordan’s sexual orientation was also treated with care and added depth to the production. In my opinion, it added a new dimension to the play by bringing an important issue to the forefront of what appeared to be an entertaining, but somewhat superficial musical about heterosexuality and travelling mishaps.
While I’m sure that many of us have interesting stories about Ryan Air, departure lounges, and exotic lands, I doubt many of them are as musical or compelling as the escapades presented in Departure Lounge. It was one of my favorite shows here and I am really glad that we were fortunate enough to see the show and then meet the director. It was experiences like these that really made our time in London memorable.
Ashley Hopwood, UCSC
Hi Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your review of Departure Lounge--you have a way with words! This was definitely the play I enjoyed the most since we've been here. It was simply creative genius in how the production incorporated both humour and sensitive topics. The director coming in and explaining the process added more insight that was completely unique and complemented the experience. This play completely resonates with the experiences we have all been having here during our semester abroad!
Cheers!
Camille Brake