Is Journey The Lifeline Of London’s West Finish Theatre?
After the lull of the previous two years, London is again on the map with regards to tourism. In some methods, it seems like a metropolis on the cusp of getting into a brand new cultural renaissance. Vacationers are arriving, accommodations are filling up, the inventive industries are impressed anew and London’s West Finish theatre district – one of many fundamental pulls for a go to to the capital – is buzzing once more.
The Phoenix Theatre, displaying Come From Away.
For the reason that theatres went ‘darkish’ through the pandemic – the primary time this has occurred because the begin of the Second World Warfare – there’s been a rising urge for food for escapism and jollity within the type of theatre and musicals. There’s hope that the numbers of holiday makers to town, and to theatre specifically, are anticipated to quickly peak these taken in 2019.
Throughout this, the final yr that vital numbers had been recorded, worldwide travellers, aged between 25 and 44 years outdated, had been proven to have the very best variety of visits to London. Total, vacationers aged 25-34 and 35-44 accounted for 4.5 million and 4.4 million visits by abroad residents, respectively (supply: Workplace of Nationwide Statistics). In the meantime, data from VisitBritain (a non-departmental Public Physique funded by the Division for Tradition, Media, and Sport) and the Authorities’s Worldwide Passenger Survey exhibits that almost half of abroad guests to West Finish theatres are from America, with different English-speaking nations, resembling Canada and Australia, additionally contributing vital numbers.
Come From Away is pulling within the crowds and embraces themes of journey.
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Theatre, dwelling to the musical, Come From Away, says: “It has beforehand been recorded by VisitBritain that 24% of all international guests to London will attend a West Finish theatre present. In consequence, not solely does theatre generate income by itself, however it additionally brings tourism, which in flip has its personal benefits to our financial system.”
Whether or not you go for the basic melodrama of Les Misérables or the thought-provoking Pricey Evan Hanson, the West Finish, lengthy synonymous with an eclectic selection of dramatic and musical theatre, provides one thing for all ages and all tastes. For the reason that late 19th century, the world, which encompasses elements of Soho, Covent Backyard, the Strand and Shaftesbury Avenue, has turn into the stomping floor for lovers of the stage.
Come From Away tells the story of how the small city of Gander welcomed in travellers from throughout … [+]
Again in 1898, the curtains lifted on what was London’s very first American musical – The Belle of New York – however the historical past of musical theatre stretches again to Gilbert and Sullivan’s music corridor comedies. The truth is, the heritage of the West Finish theatre scene stretches again even additional – some 350 years. After the puritan ban was lifted on theatre in 1660 (it had lasted an unbelievable 17 years), the London theatre scene began to thrive, with many a whole bunch of performs and musicals coming and going – some staying longer than others. Today, the oldest working musical stays The Mousetrap, which has attracted audiences at St Martin’s Theatre since 1974.
The Phoenix Theatre is within the coronary heart of London’s ‘Theatreland’.
Curiously, one of the crucial well-liked modern exhibits for guests is Come From Away, on the Phoenix Theatre. It’s the true story of what occurred within the wake of 9/11 when 7,000 air passengers from everywhere in the world had been grounded within the small city of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada. The guts-warming story follows the Newfoundland neighborhood who invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives. In addition to telling this outstanding story, the play additionally provides a nod to the Irish heritage of Newfoundland, with a people and Gaelic-influenced musical rating.
Mockingly, maybe, on condition that a lot of the viewers can also be ‘come from aways’ themselves, Come From Away, the manufacturing, celebrates the theme of journey at its coronary heart. What occurs whenever you descend someplace new, and unplanned? How welcome are you in a brand new setting? How prepared are you to adapt to a brand new tradition? What occurs when issues don’t go to plan and you don’t have any management over your scenario. All these questions are essential to the musical’s plot and raison d’etre, however are additionally actual concerns when travelling the world.
Come From Away makes us consider the challenges and advantages of journey.
Within the musical, the lyrics to one of the crucial well-liked songs appears to sum up the sentiment of what occurs once we expertise the perfect of journey: “Someplace, in the midst of nowhere. In the midst of who is aware of the place… You discovered your coronary heart, however left part of you behind…”
Jonathan Mountford from ‘Come From Away’s advertising company provides his conclusion on the connection between journey and musical theatre: “Come From Away reminds us of the significance of kindness, hope and charm – particularly as we emerge from a worldwide pandemic. The core theme of the present is about strangers coming collectively and this resonates nicely with lots of the social advantages related to the tourism and hospitality trade – for instance, the financial results of that trade could be the strengthening of communities and the preservation of heritage.”
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