It's official – going to the theatre is good for you. Michael Boyd in his reinstatement of his brief for the design of New Shakespeare Theatre writing of these distinctive qualities - “No other art form addresses our humanity with the full human presence in the way that theatre can: the actual presence of the body and spirit of the person, shared in the same space through real time with an audience breathing the same air. …” (pg 25 The Guthrie Thrust Stage: A Living Legacy). He goes on to say that the closer you can get a large audience to the performing area, sharing the private emotional detail as well as the inspiring epic, the better. A consensual exploration of our common humanity! That is is what's good for us.
At the New Vic we have the tremendous success of Alice in Wonderland. An interpretation of a story that has a wide influence delightfully for all ages. A creative expression of a concentrated team effort – take-away magic made by people. The interpretation reflected the age it was written in and the issues then of poverty and ignorance. It seems like a good tonic in these uncertain times to be reminded that creative ingenuity by people is the way forward rather than depending on systems.
See you down at the Vic – if not I shall want to know why.
By Michael Lewis - member of the 'Ages and Stages' performance group
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