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Here Lies Love, National Theatre- Review

It was the Friday evening of one of the most stressful weeks I've had in months. There had to be the perfect occasion to celebrate the week coming to an end. And indeed there was.
Last Friday, I took a trip up to the brand-spanking new Dorfman Theatre on London's South Bank to new immersive theatrical pieces, Here Lies Love, new to the UK after its triumphant run on Broadway. Produced by legends Fatboy Slim and David Byrne, when I had first read about the piece, I was immediately intrigued and snapped up some tickets. The piece reflects on previous events in the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Markos, from her destitute childhood to life as the First Lady, and then to her ultimate farewell to life in politics.

Although I knew to expect to feel involved in the piece, admittedly, I perhaps didn't quite prepare myself for the extent I was to be 'immersed'. My first thought when I walked into the theatre: what on earth have I put myself up for?! The entire theatre was set up as a nightclub, with booming music and strobe lights, and the ushers were wearing the funkiest pink boiler suits you've ever seen. 
Picture owned by herelieslove.com
Before the musical started, the house DJ got the crowd going, and the audience were soon whooping like never before. We then found out that the stage actually moves throughout the performance, so we had a quick try of 'how to walk around a moving stage safely' whilst somehow managing to continue to groove.
Then the show began.

And what a show it was. 

As to be expected, the music was consistently memorable, moving and yet ridiculously catchy, with an exemplary combination of both dance and soulful music. Natalie Mendoza took on the vocally-demanding lead role of Imelda Markos, and utterly excelled at it. The male vocals too were strong, with Mark Bautista performing impressively as Ferdinand Markos himself. Every single cast member sung and dance remarkably well, and we, the audience, just couldn't resist in joining in.
Possibly the most memorable thing about the performance, however, was the staging of it. From the wacky outfits to the extraordinary variation in lighting, the theatre was an aesthetically stunning commodity of colour. In the standing area of the Dorfman, the audience are weaved through by the cast, and, at times, literally moved around. Not to give too much away, but let's just say I was closer to a stage than I ever had been on that night...

Perhaps the most euphoric 90 minutes of my life, Here Lies Love was everything a show involving Fatboy Slim and David Byrne could be and much, much more.
So, for my rating, I give Here Lies Love a thoroughly deserving...

  ★★★★★

Playing until 8th January, if the show sounds like your kind of thing, find out more about it and of how to get tickets here: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/here-lies-love.

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