FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS

THE WATERLOO VAULTS

Saturday 1^st February 2014 (my review)

When scrolling through ‘Time Out’ and London’s upcoming attractions, I was caught by a new production of ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ to be staged in The Vaults. The Vaults, promised to be a mysterious underground venue housed under Waterloo and this seemed a perfect setting for Hunter S Thompson’s outlandish drug- fuelled adventure. I was expecting to be scared and I thrilled in this expectancy, so booked tickets.

Unfortunately, the production did not scare me at all. I wasn’t freaked out in the slightest. The most scared I was throughout the night was the walk to the venue, (through waterloo tunnels filled with teens doing graffiti and ominous looking cars).  The crazy drug hallucinations that Id been eagerly awaiting were tepid and repetitive. The lighting was rather bland and though it changed throughout, it felt too constant and dreamy even. I had hoped for kaleidoscope style lighting that would’ve made me sick with dizziness and echoed the nausea induced by the drugs, or darkness in times of uncertainty to evoke fear and heightened senses. None of this was given to me.

Nothing experimental was given to me; I was practically watching the movie again because the characters were so similar. I can’t remember if the movie had a nude man?? But the stage show did, I guess that was unexpected… and it did work but a naked Gonzo was not enough for me.

The actors were all good, though I didn’t feel anything new was brought to the Gonzo or Raoul characters. The chorus was necessary; I would’ve lost focus if they hadn’t been flitting on and off the stage throughout. I’m not sure if I liked the whole lizard-acting the chorus did several times to represent Raoul’s hallucinations. I was impressed by one of the girls rapidly flickering tongue but after seeing it several times I wanted it put away.

Acting like lizards didn’t portray to me the severity or scale of the drug use sited in this story, I didn’t feel the drugs were threatening or overpowering I just felt they were a nuisance and I think the whole experience of this book was neglected.

Before seeing the show, my friend Kyrill and I had lots of ideas of how each drug would be represented and how with each binge, the pace would quicken and madness thicken, but nothing like this happened.

I think London has produced enough fascinating and experimental pieces for this play to be better, there’s no real excuse.

Though the play was disappointing I didn’t feel completely cheated as inside, the venue was actually very nice and in the foyer were several Ralph Steadman illustrations done for ‘fear and loathing in Las Vegas’. The framed illustrations were hung in a room filled with sand and a taco stand and this room was quite enjoyable. The drawings themselves were wonderfully bizarre, with the characters distorted with drugs and Ralphs distinctive inky scrawls. Seeing these drawings and having a few drinks with good company was enough to make my Saturday night enjoyable.