Theatre Throwback: Wicked.

Hello everyone and welcome to another #theatrethrowback. So this theatre throwback is actually quite a special one. The night still stands out in my mind. On this day three years ago, I was in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre with my best friend. We were celebrating our Leaving Cert results because we had just gotten them that morning. We were both delighted and relieved and so excited. We sat in the very front row and we saw Wicked and it was the most incredible night.

If you’re Irish then you will know how stressful the Leaving Cert can be and you’ll also know what a big deal results day is. If you are not Irish and you keep wondering what is this Leaving Cert that I keep referring to, it is one of the biggest exams Irish students do. It is the last exam we do in secondary school (high school) and it is the exam that will determine whether or not someone who wants to go to college will get in or not. We sit eight or more exams and it can be a very long, stressful experience. So results day is a very highly anticipated one. It is actually a day that I don’t like to discuss because in my personal opinion, I like to keep results private and I’m aware that not everyone walks away happy on results day, but I was someone who did walk away happy and very relieved and even though I have been lucky enough to see Wicked on a few occasions now, it is this day that stands out the most because it was a very important day in my life.

This production of Wicked was in Dublin in 2018 and my best friend and I saw the incredible Helen Woolf as Glinda and the equally incredible Amy Ross as Elphaba. If you have seen Wicked then you know already that it is a brilliant show. The staging is absolutely brilliant, the costumes are stunning, the score is beautiful and the story is funny, compelling, and very moving. I have seen this show on four different occasions and if someone asked me would I like to see it again tomorrow I would say yes. I don’t think it is possible to have a bad time seeing Wicked.

The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is perhaps my favourite theatre in Dublin. I absolutely love seeing shows there. I always sit in the stalls and I love being out by the canal. If you’re from Dublin then you will know how beautifully the theatre is lit up on the outside and if you’re not from Dublin then I would say if you ever visit, go to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre because you will have an amazing night and there are lots of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars nearby to have a drink or some food before heading to the theatre.

This night stands out in my memory for so many different reasons. I was so happy and so excited, and my family and friends were all so excited and proud of me. New starts were ahead of me, I was looking forward to college, I was looking forward to starting my new course and making new friends. We were sitting in the very front row. We could see the orchestra and the conductor and if you know me, then you know that I am a huge fan of music (I even considered studying it in college), so seeing the conductor’s score was so exciting. One of the best moments was during Defying Gravity, I don’t want to spoil the show for anyone who hasn’t seen it, if you know you know, but being in the front row during that song in particular was an experience I’ll never forget. I was with my best friend, who I’ve known since I was a toddler. We were both so happy and we were celebrating a huge milestone and there we were, watching Wicked, a show that highlights how life changing best friends can be. It was a very special night and when it came up in my memories I just knew it had to be my next #theatrethrowback.

Have you seen Wicked? What do you think of the show? Let me know.

Kate xo.