An evening well spent is typically one where you’re elevated above London’s bustling streets and positioned sky-high, Champagne in hand. The Shard, one of London’s most iconic offerings, provides just that level of relaxation, with its plethora of foodie offerings, intimate dining spaces and creative cocktails – but how about immersive theatre?
Often not the first thing that comes to mind when conjuring up images of The Shard, I was in awe of the latest revelation that the stalwart London staple had produced a Theatre In The Clouds experience in Shangri-La Hotel. The intimate extravaganza comes as a result of their partnership with brand-new private theatre company Revels In Hand whose mission, post meeting at Cambridge university, is to concoct theatre in the most outlandish of places, from drawing rooms, gardens and yachts to sensational venues such as The Shard. Lucy Eaton, Melanie Fullbrook and Freddie Hutchins are the ever so talented members that make up the group, their aim being to revive the Shakespearean pastime of performing to intimate gatherings in private homes.
The performance was simply spectacular. The offering of the evening was the Voice of the Turtle but the list to’s and fro’s between well-known playwrights such as Noël Coward and John Van Druten. The Voice of the Turtle is a rom-com of sorts that captured the room and provided many a chuckle and spellbinding moment due to the sensational skills of the acting troupe. Positioned 40-floors up and a far cry from reality, the immersion begins instantly as you’re led to seats less than a metre away from the cast, allowing your gaze to meet theirs, capturing their every facial expression from frown lines to those of laughter.
Once seated, the £95 per person ticket allows for you to indulge in two glasses of Champagne and a brimming selection of Shangri-La canapés; fairly priced considering all that’s involved, plus solely travelling up to The Shard’s viewing point costs £32 alone. What’s more, the audience is made up of a truly intimate number of people, just shy of 20, making it an idyllic date-night experience or something for those seeking a night that subverts the norm of dinner dates and drinks. Running for no longer than an hour, the performance shook the senses with more than just the talent of those involved.
One moment saw the lights slowly fade to darkness resulting in the sparkling and captivating lights of a London by night flooding through The Shard’s wide glass windows, giving you a real head above the clouds sensation like the immersive experiences’ namesake.
Whilst the images of this incredible immersive experience do little justice in exposing its magnificence and striking surroundings, I highly recommend the performance and would happily pay again to experience it for a second time. We’re privileged to see a spectrum of shows and immerse ourselves in experiences here at The Handbook, yet this one stood out from a sea of London happenings.
The Theatre In The Clouds experience runs once monthly until Thursday, 3rd October, and you can grab your tickets here to this hilarious yet utterly romantic performance and be sure to tell your friends… (but not too many, we want to keep some tickets for ourselves!)
Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU, www.shangri-la.com
