My First Experience of London’s West End

London is a hub for West End theatre, especially when you go to the West End you can see all sorts of big lights, razzle-dazzle and famous musical theatre shows.

I have been to London to see a couple of shows before but this blog is about my very first experience of London’s West End.

My first time was with school in 2008, it was the big London Trip.  Now, of course, we did the classic touristy things such as the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, shops and restaurants etc but I was so excited to go to the theatre section of the trip.We got to see Hairspray, Wicked and have a Wicked workshop.

 It was from watching both musicals that I caught the theatre bug. I was amazed at the size and beauty of the theatres, the red seats and gold embroidery on the walls. And then the actual performance, now I was not much of a fan of Hairspray, Michael Ball forgot his words and I was not impressed. 

 Wicked on the other hand was out of this world and I loved it, I have since seen it many times now but I loved the story, the magic, the dance and the songs. I just loved the magic of it all. I remember watching Defying Gravity and crying, in the wonder of Elphaba flying and achieving her dreams and her powerful voice- it touched my heart. 

I saw myself in Elphaba and Glinda, on one hand, I was determined but then, on the other hand, I was like Glinda, wearing pink and wanted life to be like a musical. I just loved all of that. 

I really want to write about the Wicked Workshop but was 2008  and I can’t remember anything about it, which is a shame as I am sure I would have loved it but I just don’t remember. 

From then on I have always loved theatre, from performing to writing about it. I dare say that if I had not gone to London school trip I would have still enjoyed theatre but I would have never been inspired or got that magic that I experienced.