What if there existed a world, at the end of the alleys, in the sewers, in every shadow, and every lost or gotton place. Neverwhere based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. The decisions to aid a mysterious dying girl, named Door, changes Richard Mayhew's life forever. He plummets from his mundane life as a businessman and soon to be husband, into another world existing underneath London. Richard journeys through the "London Below" meeting monsters and angels, outrunning villainous assassins, searching for the killers of Doors family, and all the while trying to figure out how or if he can return to his ordinary life in the London Above. Richard Mayhew and those who fallen from the gaps of society carry the audience through this steampunk Alice in Wonderland-esque world, in a long epic, that seems like only a few seconds.
Most profound are the technological aspects of Robinson's Neverwhere. A intercrit set consisting of grey, grime, pipes, doors, and bridges woven together to resemble a savagely dystopia immediately caught the eye of the audience. Though only one piece, the set seemed to be ever-changing as small pieces were sliced in, doors were open, and different levels were used. The lighting with over seven hundred cues also aided the set. Creative lights reflected underworldly magic. These technical aspects contrasted the bleak London above, and the dark, yet enticing below.
The other highlight of Robinson's show was its execution of Gaiman's black humor. The characters of Mr. Vandemar and the Marquis managed to be funny, sinister, and emotional. By playing characters, not caricatures Alex Bulova and Matthew Cook brought their roles Mr. Vandemar and the Marquis de Carabas to life in a way that seemed realistic, rather than absurd. Ultimately, the entire show was able to make the fantasticality of Neverwhere seem genuine, a goal Gaiman strived to accomplish in his novel.
Go for a night. Slip between the cracks of this world. Find a world of passion and darkness. Go see “Neverwhere” at Robinson High school, but warning you may not wish to return.