Fanfared!

Well let me say, West side story was... average, and that's all I have to say on it.

If you are going to see fanfared, don't read!!

Fanfared was THE BEST THING EVER! It was like a "game" or an interactive performance where each individual audience member went on a story and met different characters in the rooms in the Crucible. We were all different characters and the stories we followed and the Characters we met were all from productions in the Crucible for the past 40 years, as it was the 40th Anniversary. MY story was quite interesting!

We all went in and sat down, and I listened to my cello teacher play Bach (cos he was in the "play") But a random guy took our tickets and swapped them for ones that said 1971 (this is me and a friend who's called James) And then we were taken to the main stage of the crucible, where a rehearsal for the performance "Lives in Art" was going on. We were told to sit down, And then another random guy read out our seat numbers, and James became the Lucky Fool and was taken away. I was then called the Unlucky Fool and lead away by a "Cabaret" girl. I was taken to a room which they had called "The Kit Kat Klub" where I saw James dressed as a rabbit. He was then sent away. I was asked to read a script, and I kept mentioning trousers (just go with it OK)

I was then handed a Donkey costume and told to don. The Queen (yes, but not Liz) told me that I was being sent on the same mission as the Lucky fool, but I was her insurance and a reinforcement. (all the while I'm a donkey) I was then practising to greet the king in the Klub and told to go to the King, tell him to abdicate, and report back. I was then left to my own devices.

I walked around exploring the building (which was all dressed up for the occasion) and found an Undertaker, who said "follow me" and then brisk walked around some costumes for a while and then stopped, handed me a kazoo, and said "buy nine more and I will help you" and then walked off. I walked around talking to different characters, finding kazoos. I talked to different characters from different plays as well as random characters, There was a "Lodged Grave Digger" who loved my hat (the donkey one. I said to go with it) I even played bingo for a kazoo. I got to see all over I then took the Kazoos to the Undertaker who lead me to the king.

I gave my Kazoos and the message to the king. He told me that for him to abdicate and to have a swan song, he would need Wisdom and Time, as well as me to play the Kazoo for him.

I was sent away.

I looked and asked around for time, and found a watch. I then looked around for wisdom. Some may say it was impossible for me to find wisdom. But I did. The Archivist told me to hand the King a mirror, and tell him that he must abdicate for old age. I then learned the Kazoo. Picture it, a Donkey with a watch around his neck holding a mirror playing the kazoo. I went to the king and gave him the items and messages, and I saw the lucky fool again. We were then lead outside to see King abdicate, and music began. Through windows we saw scenes from plays from the past 40 years. The king appeared on the Roof. The End. Everyone's stories were to help that last scene happen. It was VERY clever.

I think a really good how the characters NEVER went out of role, and they were expecting you when you got there. I don't know how it was very clever, and lots of people had very different things to do but it all resolved in the same way. It was really fun and exciting and unique, as well ass (get it?) surprising. I never thought I'd be a kazoo playing  Donkey when I went there. And if I went again, it would be completely different. And I accidentally stole a Kazoo.....