Hair |
London theatre |
A group of young people in New York
City's East Village band together as a Tribe. They are a
New York contingent of flower children, (a freeform phenomenon
that had begun a little earlier on San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury
and would subsequently spread to Europe and beyond). Taking on the
feel of an American Indian tribe, they question authority and the
society they are living in and the war in Asia. They seek to find
a new way. They yearn to change the world. They begin by
recreating themselves. They find a potent organic natural
esthetic; the most dramatic visible element, all the men grow
their hair long. They tune in to Eastern thought & meditation.
They turn on and drop out. They hang out in self-made clouds of
incense and grass. They laugh and cavort, as they find a new
freedom of expression and camaraderie. They live in crash pads, in
the parks and on the streets. Unkempt, wild, free, and deep, they
are unique, colorful, something genuinely original and
beautiful...and so hip (yet in a different style from the earlier
hipsters and beatniks). A new word is coined to identify them.
They come to be called hippies. They try to live by the philosophy
of "Peace and Love." They are on a trip of liberation.
They commune, join hands in protest and in song. Within the
context of the play, they struggle for the light, but are forced
to fight and die, only to be reborn, again to suffer more, then to
rise from the ashes, to glow, to shine...
Hair
depicts the the birth of a cultural movement in the 60's
and 70's that changed America forever: the musical follows a group
of hopeful, free-spirited young people who advocate a lifestyle of
pacifism and free-love in a society riddled with intolerance and
brutality during the Vietnam War. As they explore sexual identity,
challenge racism, experiment with drugs and burn draft cards, the
"tribe" in Hair creates an irresistible message
of 'hope' that continues to resonate with audiences 40 years
later.
The authors of Hair played with the idea that this
movement was connected astrologically to the heavens, to the
coming of the Age of Aquarius. The musical score including such enduring numbers as
"Aquarius", "Let the Sunshine In",
"Hair" and "Good Morning Starshine".
This musical is not
appropriate for young theatergoers. The production contains scenes
that briefly depict profanity, full frontal nudity and simulated
sex acts and drug use.
Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury
Avenue, London W1
(nearest underground: Piccadilly Circus)
Booking to final performance
on September 4th, 2010:
Monday to Saturday at 7:30 pm
Thursday & Saturday at 2:30
Orchestra Stalls
£93.00 & £70.00
Dress Circle
£93.00 & £70.00
Upper Circle
£57.00
All booking fees and taxes are included in these London theater prices.