Doctor Who Proms
I tried taking pictures, but they were horrible even with the flash (which we of course couldn't use during the concert), so I took some videos! Which are really blurry as they were taken with a photocamera, but still better than nothing. Unfortunately I can't manage to upload them because YouTube hates me. Thankfully Emilie's camera was much better than mine, and she's allowing me to use her pictures.
I got to the Royal Albert Hall two hours early, at 9am (the Prom was set to start at 11), thinking it would be quite enough to be ahead in the queue. Apparently not. The queue already went all the way around the corner, and I ended up with ticket #260. Still very good, I was standing in the Arena about 5metres from the stage.
I was alone, because in the end my next door neighbour couldn't come. But while queueing (sp?) I made friends with a very nice French girl, Emilie, who was also there alone, and two other people from London, and we happily spent the two hours long wait chatting to each other, about Doctor Who and Torchwood and, heh, Queer As Folk, generally revelling in our geekiness. :D:D:D
Here we are:
Mine and Emilie's feet: true Tenth Doctor fans!
Once we got inside, unfortunately we lost the London guys, and it was just Emilie and me. We took our places, and then we waited.
We noticed that people were holding TARDIS-shaped programmes, and I went on a mission to find them. Running around looking for the man who was selling them, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I bumped into someone. Apologizing, I turned around to find myself face to face with... an OOD!!! Who held up the translator, bowed his head, and went on on its way walking among the audience. I stood there gaping like an fish for a while. :D :D :D
Alert: Ood walking!
Programme secured, I went back to Emilie and in a few minutes the orchestra walked in. This is what the stage looked like.
And then... the lights went down, Ben Foster came on stage, and it began.
I can't describe what it felt like to listen to this music I love so much, while seeing the orchestra play live, and watching images from the episodes pass on the screen. When presenting, Freema was standing not five metres from me, looking lovely in a black dress.
During the music, there were Judoon, and Cybermen, and Sontarans, and Ood walking around in the arena among the audience. Children screamed. Adults eeped and giggled.
Everyone got chills, and a lot of people cried at various point (myself included). I don't think you can fully understand how powerful an experience it was.
The Music of the Spheres was absolutely brilliant. It may look silly to watch from home, but being there you really felt like you were interacting with the Doctor, it was timed perfectly and the audience response was awesome. When he threw the music sheets at the screen, there were papers falling down on the orchestra, and the Graske ran around on the stage and battled with a celloist. :D David of course couldn't be there in person, but Freema said he talked to him on the phone during the interval and he said he was listening live on Radio3 from Stratford. :D
After the break, we had Noel Clark and Camille Coduri try to introduce a piece, only to be chased down by a Dalek, who held Ben Foster hostage.
Suddenly, Davros rose from underneath the arena, and loomed over everyone, declaring the Albert Hall his reign and that there would only be Dalek Music.
And after that... SURPRISE!! Catherine Tate got on stage to say hello and introduce another piece, and got a standing ovation and a roaring applause with catcalls and whistles. Good for her - she really deserves it.
There wasn't a dry eye in the Hall when Doomsday played, and everyone clapped their hands on rhythm during Song For Ten.
It was incredible. I can't wait for it to air on BBC, so I can watch it again and you all can have an idea of what it looked and felt like.
After, Emilie and I went to wait by the stage door. Met and got autograph from Ben Foster (who looks really cute):
And Murray Gold:
It was the first time I asked for an autograph, EVER, and I was soo embarassed! I didn't know what to say and I babbled something and didn't even have the courage to correct their spelling of my name (English spell it Georgia... when it's Giorgia). I don't know if I'll ever do it again. What am I gonna do with an autograph anyway? With Tennant, I'm probably just going to hang back and watch him from afar and swoon...
As I said in my previous post, Freema and Catherine tried to come out, but were ushered right back inside after a couple of minutes because it was just too crazy. Blurry picture I managed to take by standing on a handrail and zooming in:
Apparently Russell T Davies, Julie Gardener, Phil Collins, Euros Lyn and Steven Moffat were all in attendance and came out to sign autographs, but I must have missed them. :( Oh well!
I'm still trying to upload the videos, if I can manage to, I will post them ASAP.
Oh, I'm still walking around dreamy-eyed, humming the music... amazing. Awesome. FANTASTIC!