Close & Personal

“Getting spit on the face or becoming momentarily deaf or even having someone step on my leg wasn’t enough to distract me, I was there with the characters and in the play”

You only truly experience the performance of the actors and the essential difference between watching a movie and a play when you seat at the edge of the stage. Seeing the actors that close, puts you in middle of the action and everything is enhanced to a level beyond what your sensory inputs are able to handle at times!

For some reasons every time I watch something it takes me a little while to be convinced by the characters, especially if it’s a period piece. To believe those people belong to whatever era they supposed to belong to … but being closer was kind of a shocking experience and instantly made me believe whatever they wanted me to, it was as if the was no longer a curtain in between. I’m not sure if the actors can actually see you with all lights pointed at them, but occasionally you find them looking right into your eyes and it does add to the experience, makes it feel very direct and personal.

Seating at the first row in the stalls was a fascinating but a little exhausting experience! And I wouldn’t recommend it for every play, but once in a while, seat close and let the actors take with them on a journey, close and personal!
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Photo: The Low Road at The Royal Court