Nine Hundred and Fifty-Six Waiting for a Long Time

In London at the end of May, you can't feel the breath of summer at all, and the coldness of late spring still retains the bitterness of winter. After night fell, the temperature dropped significantly. Standing on the street in the West District, the cold wind was pounding and biting to the bone. When talking, you could even see the hot air coming out, which made people wonder whether to laugh or cry.

However, all of this still can't stop the enthusiasm of the fans. The alley directly opposite the back door of the theater is full of people. The crowd is crowded, crowded, and the crowded scene looks like the entrance of a speakeasy. , and tonight's party must be very, very exciting, so even in the early morning, even when shivering, there are still so many people gathered at the door.

The only difference is that this is not a bar, but the Almeida Theater.

There is such a tradition in the West End of London. Loyal fans, avid audience members, after the show, can go to the back door of the stage to wait - this is an open area, anyone can wait here; When I have time, I will stop here to sign autographs, take photos for fans, and even have a brief exchange.

Known as a "stage backdoor signing", it's an unofficial fixture in the West End and an opportunity for actors and audiences to mingle off stage.

Almost all actors are no exception. As long as you have the heart and wait patiently, you can 100% wait for the actor you like.

However, the performance task in the West End of London is really too heavy. If the actor is not in good condition or is in poor health, he may leave in a hurry. Moreover, after the performance, the actors need to deal with a lot of things, ranging from thirty minutes to long. Then two hours, which is normal, not every audience can have such patience.

Therefore, the audience can wait 100% for the actor they like, but it may not be able to wait for the "signature link".

Over the past two weeks, the back door of the Almeida Theater has become the hottest venue, because Tom Holland, Charlotte Kennedy, Joe Alwyn and other young actors have never been treated like this, they 100% will stop and communicate with the audience for a short time, and the fan benefits are indeed a lot; more importantly, because of Renly Hall.

Since Les Misérables premiere night, Renly has never missed a backstage autograph after every show. It will definitely appear every night, and it will definitely stop, sign autographs, take pictures, talk, etc., and the affinity is explosive. According to rumors, Ren Li, who is cold, proud and arrogant, shows another side of an actor.

For stage actors, communicating with the audience is part of the job. Because the stage is an art form in which the actors communicate with the audience face-to-face, without the feedback from the audience, the performance is incomplete. That's why people always say that "backdoor signing" is one of the most formal traditions of unofficial events.

only,

In the era of fast food culture and national entertainment, fewer and fewer people pay attention to stage plays, and there are also fewer and fewer outstanding actors. This tradition is gradually dying out.

At night in the West End of London, in the back alleys of those theaters, there are often only single-digit audiences waiting, and it is extremely difficult to get into the double digits; furthermore, the actors are reluctant to stay and leave in a hurry after signing autographs, and some actors even leave. Not even willing to sign, the performance is getting bigger and bigger.

However, Renly showed his professionalism and dedication. In the past two weeks, I have never been absent or perfunctory.

Rumor has it that on the Monday following the opening weekend, there were only three spectators in the back alley waiting for Renly. Despite this, Renly stopped patiently, not only completed autographs and photos, but also bought coffee for them to warm up, stood on the side of the road and talked for nearly 20 minutes, sharing his views on the performance. leave.

This experience was later posted on Facebook, sparking countless discussions, and as a direct result, more and more viewers were waiting at the back door. For example, tonight, there were more than 80 spectators waiting at the door, which almost filled the entire alley.

Rebecca Burke is one of them.

This isn't the first time Rebecca has been waiting for Renly at the back door. She has had a close encounter with Renly since the day the premiere night tickets went on sale, and Rebecca has fallen in love with it. Big boy, sunny and bright, focused and devoted, she can even smell the dry woody smell on him, which is fascinating.

Rebecca was one of the three spectators that Monday.

One day, another day, every day, Rebecca insisted on waiting for Renly at the back door. Every wait was different, but deep down, the uncontrollable excitement and excitement were the same. Everything is so beautiful, yet so real.

Tonight, the cold wind was blowing and the temperature dropped sharply, and the thin coat seemed to be unable to stop the cold. In the middle, waiting for Renly to appear, that kind of uneasy anticipation, like countless butterflies fluttering their wings in the lower abdomen, makes people get carried away.

After waiting for two hours, I finally saw Renly appearing. In an instant, everything else became unimportant, and the whole world suddenly brightened.

Standing in the surging waves of the crowd, Rebecca felt like she was about to suffocate. Quietly, Rebecca stared at Renly like this, capturing the faint tiredness between her brows, as well as the bloodshot deep in her eyes, and her hoarse and lazy voice even in the darkness of the night. Outline a touch of fragility.

"Renly, tonight's performance is amazing" "Master, I really like you so much" "Will you still be on stage tomorrow?" "Oh my God, this is really happening again" "I can talk to you Can you take a picture?"...

The chattering voices rushed forward and back, the flaming enthusiasm seemed to be daunting even the cold of midnight, the whole alley began to gurgling, more than 80 spectators, it seemed that the number was not many, but at this time in the narrow space But like a stormy sea, it slammed violently and fiercely, and the scene was losing control little by little.

Looking forward to, enthusiastic, moved, excited, happy, beautiful, excited. Countless emotions were surging, like an erupting volcano, one after another, endlessly, sketching a thrilling bright color in the cold early morning, making people deeply feel Renly's super popularity.

But Rebecca only felt distressed at this time, "Quiet! Everyone is quiet!" Rebecca shouted, in the din of noise, her voice was almost buried and could not be heard at all, but she did not He gave up, clenched his fists, used all his strength, and roared from the depths of his dantian, "Quiet!"

This time, it was really quiet, and everyone looked at Rebecca in shock and astonishment, not understanding what happened. Including Renly.

Rebecca didn't care, she said seriously, "Didn't you notice that the young master is really tired today? After two consecutive weeks of performances, and each performance is six hours, is there no one worried about the young master? status?"

Rebecca caught a smile on the corner of Renly's mouth, shallow and convoluted, the tiredness and heaviness seemed to hold the corner of the mouth, making the smile unable to truly show off, "Master is not iron, he works harder than anyone else, We can't help anything, but at least we can keep some sanity and don't make it more difficult for the young master, okay?"

Everyone's eyes fell on Ren Li's cheeks. Tonight, Renly's state was indeed not good, and his physical strength and energy seemed to have reached the peak.

People gradually became silent; the commotion gradually calmed down. Consciously, his footsteps began to step back slightly, pulling away, allowing the oxygen to flow back into Renly's surroundings.

Such a simple scene made Ren Li's nose slightly sour.

For Renly, the crowd of fans has never been easy, even if the psychological barrier has gradually disappeared; but every time facing such a situation, it is inevitable to be cautious.

It’s not about the fans, it’s about the crowds—as if the commotion caused by excessive enthusiasm and madness in large gathering places, even stampede accidents, are inevitable. When the number of people gathered exceeds a certain limit, the situation is out of control and everything becomes unknown.

Deep down, such an alarm never completely disappeared.

But this scene just now changed Renly's mind. They still maintained their sanity, they were able to understand special circumstances, they showed a rare demeanor, and a little change was precious. There was a hint of warmth in his eyes, and it seemed that even the cold of the night was quietly dissipating.

"Thank you." Renly expressed his thanks without being polite. He does need a little space. "Also, I'm sorry, I'm really in a bad state today, and I may not be able to sign autographs or take pictures. Let's just stand here and chat for a while. If you have any thoughts and questions about this play, you are welcome to ask them. How about you? ?"

"Of course there is no problem." Another girl in the crowd shouted, and then said, "Master, may I ask, did the tension of the performance get out of control a little in the last scene of the first act today? "

"Aha, I knew someone would find out. Yes, the control was a little bit lacking today, the vocals and the explosiveness of the body were a little too much." Renly admitted his mistake—although it was not at all called It's not a mistake, "You still noticed such a subtle change, I have to be more attentive."

Such a sincere answer made everyone chuckle, and the girl went on to say, "But in the later performance, you adjusted it back, and the performance in the second half was still top-notch. I have watched the premiere before, so I know , what's your best form, that captures some of the subtle changes."

A long show, every day is a test, even Renly, he can't every show is perfect. But, that's what the West End is all about, and the test will get harder as time goes on.