On Wednesday 11th November a coach load of buddies and international students descended on London for a magical night of musical entertainment.
We arrived outside the theatre at 5pm, giving us two hours of free time before the curtains were due to go up. This was the perfect opportunity to grab a bite to eat before the show started, so we split up into groups and ventured off to find the perfect place. We decided on a typically English pub offering a classic gastro menu. We really enjoyed sharing our stories, over a tasty burger and chips, discussing different cultures including topics such as food and drink. The buddies were fascinated to hear that The Who and Jimi Hendrix had played in the legendary Mandela Hall, an iconic hall in the heart of the Students’ Union building – Falmer House, now used for our hundreds of societies to meet, perform and practice in.
As we ventured towards the venue, we receive a phone call like no other. We were expecting it to be a lost student, however we were told that we were actually being upgraded! “This never happens”, an excited buddy exclaimed. Excitement was now in the air as we turned the corner to see the green glow of the Apollo Victoria Theatre, the perfect opportunity for a cheeky selfie.
We took to our upgraded seats and eagerly awaited for the show to start, admiring the amazing stage and rather fierce looking dragon overlooking it. It was hard not to be mesmerised by the breathtaking set; we were blown away by the beautiful costumes and special effects. The incredible voice of Elphaba the (not so) wicked Witch of the West was definitely one of the highlights of the show. As the show came to an end the buddies and international students took to their feet and gave a standing ovation, the perfect end to a utterly brilliant performance.
On the coach ride home, the atmosphere was buzzing with chatter about how much they enjoyed the show. When I asked a student what they thought, they said it was just “WICKED”
“I really enjoyed watching wicked!!!!!!!”
“Fantastic evening :)”