Yesterday I popped down to London to see Wicked for the first time in ages, and I can't tell you how much better I feel for having gone!
I had the whole day in London, and as I'm trying to tighten my belt a bit and felt a bit bored of only ever visiting the shopping districts I decided to go to the V&A as I haven't been since the Pink Floyd exhibition closed. I had thought to visit the Mary Quant exhibition that's just opened but tickets were sold out and it didn't end up mattering. I went upstairs to see the Theatre & Performance section and marveled at all of the Beatrix Potter illustrations I passed. And the theatre exhibition was fab and it's been so many years since I've seen it that it all felt new. And they had Elphaba's dress!! I knew that it was there but I'd completely forgotten so it was a really happy surprise turning the corner and stumbling across it. It's the original dress that Idina Menzel wore on Broadway which is pretty amazing, and seeing all of the details and rich colours up close was a joy. Even when I'm looking at it up on stage I've always been obsessed with just how colourful it is and how the stage lights play with the different fabrics. I would really love to make my own version of it someday for cosplay but I feel like I'd never be able to do it justice as it's just so intricate and carefully designed.
I popped to the V&A shop and just bought some EH Shepard postcards. I missed his exhibition, I knew it was on at the time but I ended up not getting round to it which I'm a bit disappointed about, but I really loved these postcards I managed to pick up. I love seeing his notes on them, seeing other illustrators rough workings is one of my favourite things.
After the V&A I walked up to Oxford Street which ended up being a bit further than I realised and slightly scary because of all of the protesting, but I wanted to go to the Disney Store. Almost the whole top floor is now adult merchandise which made me so happy! Also the fact that they're selling more than just boring t-shirts and hoodies like most companies (not everyone likes the athletic-leisure look!). I can really feel the Japanese influence trickling down at long last as they've sold this kind of stuff over there for years. I did buy a dress but it's ended up being too big, so I'm going to have to decide whether to take it back or alter it. I then made my way to Victoria by walking down the mall - I did so much walking and my feet are paying the price for it today, but it was such glorious weather it seemed a shame to take the tube and I was enjoying looking at everything after being away from London for a few months. It all felt new.
Seeing Wicked again affected me far more than I thought it would. I know I last saw it in November which isn't that long ago, but with everything that's happened it feels like an age. I got teary as soon as the music started, and it just made me feel like my old self again. I keep going on about wanting to reconnect with how I felt last year, and I realised that Wicked and the theatre is a huge part of that. It made me refocus and think about visiting Broadway and going to Japan and that I need to sort myself out instead of wasting opportunities. I need to think long term instead of instant gratification like I have been. I don't know what it is about this show that affects me like that, but it just makes me want to be a better person, achieve what I set out to do and go for my dreams. I just love this show so much, and I'm so glad I got to see it again and be reminded of all of this.
I like collecting magnets as a way of commemorating places I go and things I've seen. It's a cheap little memento, and I like to think that one day I'll have all of my memories covering my refrigerator so that I can always smile whenever I'm doing something as mundane as making a cup of tea. I didn't have the London specific one, and as I'll be seeing Wicked on Broadway in a few months (!) I want to make sure that I have a specific magnet for each.
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