Post-Grad Mixer: Our Generation at the National Theatre, by Sonny Thaker
- Written byPost-Grad Community
- Published date 13 April 2022
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Post-Grad Mixer: Our Generation at the National Theatre, by Sonny Thaker
It was a bliss cool Wednesday evening in April. Spring in London was beginning to make its beauty known, in a runway curated by the worlds most renowned and admired Creative Director —‘Mother Nature’.
Her glorious greens, subtle pinks and hints of blue are shown amongst painted velvet skies and veils of cool foggy dew. All of these elements working together to temper the excitement and slowly build into a swirling mood of joy, pushing aside the greys and muted tones of seasons once delivered.
The wonderful thing about this recurring and never boring Spring Collection (aside from its expectant predictability), is its capacity to bring us together in connection, as well as its ability to trigger laughter, summon up smiles and brighten dreary days gone by. What better way to celebrate the emergence from our winter hovels; where we have been locked up, locked in and locked down for what seems far too long, than a night out in the Great British Metropolis.
Oozing with endless choices of what to do, where to go, who to be seen with and dare might I say — who not to be. The curious onlooker walking through London in the springtime, will quickly spot droves of pasty pink, washed out brown; generally sun starved natives crowded onto shadowy, slightly damp, not-so-chic, outdoor terraced, restaurant picnic tables. The natives of course, are in the hopes that they may convince summer to arrive a few weeks earlier than it should. It never does. This is London after all.
Now where were we? Oh yes — there they were on that cool (or should I say frigid) spring evening. The future leaders of the creative world aka: postgrads of University of the Arts London (UAL), had gathered to partake in this premature rush to a London riverside patio. After all ‘when in Rome... I mean London’ — brrrrr — the cold air is mixing me up.
Beers ordered, food quickly cooling and coats on — they quickly embodied all the joy of shivering at a picnic table, sure to activate joint pain in a few of the more senior group members. Thankfully these masterminds were discussing all the benefits of the Cryogenic Therapy and sipping what was actually quite lovely beer. Beer that would soon start to warm partakers from their core. Mystery 1 solved; this is why you see so many people piled outside pubs in London — drinking pints as fast as they possibly can.
Now just as the warm buzz begins to hit, a lot of natives quickly embark onto enjoying one of London’s greatest treasures — no, not fish and chips — rather, a night at the theatre.
One of the most glorious things about London, is the abundance of award winning theatre. There are blockbusters, musicals, dramas, monologues and the list goes on. This city is the Mecca for all things performance. If it’s produced for a live audience, it dreams of taking a stage and having the curtains pulled back in London Town. Arguably the most infamous of all venues is The National Theatre. To arrive here and grace it’s eager audiences is no easy feat. Several of the most famous actors, in many of the most magnificent stories have been experienced here.
Quite curiously, on this ‘now we are shivering & my food is cold’ evening, a few UAL postgrads would find themselves here, at the theatre of theatres in a university mixer event. Not only were they lucky to be entering a building with heat, they were about to be transported back to their youth through the perspective of Alecky Blythe in ‘Our Generation’.
Just think for a moment back to your teens. Breath in those mid, early & pre- adolescent moments. Moments that brought you the experiences you may well be navigating right now. Try to do that without breaking into tears or bursting into bellows of laughter. Simple right? Not that emotional. What’s done is done. What is, just is and what will be — well, of course — it will be.
What is genius about ‘Our Generation’ is the way the Alecky has designed the narratives. Audiences are treated to a time machine of memories, drawers full of diversity and scenes that make you gasp in awe of how similar they are to your very own journey. Part of this magic — I believe, was made manifest by the way the play was derived. You see, if you are lucky enough to attend... what you will witness unfold are stories that took five years of research to compile.
As you enter the lives of twelve students, you are whirled away in an oasis of jaw dropping, heart thumping, tear jerking, gut busting and sometimes soul wrenching journeys. Connecting with the stories of each student you will reach back and reconnect with your younger self, to be at this performance and not to do this — is almost impossible.
To animate this even more, the director Daniel Evans has guided the entire stage team in creating a spectacle that at times will leave you feeling magically enchanted. Masterful lighting, hypnotic yet simple set changes and a brilliant background soundtrack, only work to further heighten the worlds you are whisked in to witness.
Yes, it can be said that the play topping 3.5 hours and only touching the surface of deep topics like the Covid lockdown could be shaved back to focus more deeply on certain aspects. But as you know, I do try to remain the eternal positive beacon of light.
Now my friends, I must depart to find myself a cold and windy spring patio to sit upon. Perhaps as I shiver, I’ll order some fish and chips and make friends with one of the pasty pink natives. Goodness me, what’s not to Love in London?
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