Apollo Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue

Summer is upon us in Ol’ Blighty and with it comes a cheeky sun, wacky warm temperatures and a wide array of sunnies. During one of E.J.’s YouTube black holes, she stumbled across an interview with the inimitable Sophia Bush and one of the guest hosts of the Daily Show discussing her stage debut in her ends, the West End

*drum and cymbal clash*. Best believe, she was Googling ticket availability for 2:22 A Ghost Story, a few seconds later.

Last year, one of the best decisions E.J made, was avoiding all spoilers by not watching trailers, not reading any reviews or articles and not watching any press interviews before she consumed any kind of visually creative project. So, when she purchased three tickets to see A Ghost Story, she had no inkling about the plot or who Sophia’s co-stars are. Her primary focus was to finally experience the masterful genius of Mrs Sophia Bush Hughes, live and in-person, just like it was in her sweet, sweet dreams (except this time, she was not sitting in her underwear). Giddy, exhilarated, naturally intoxicated, fervently electrified – these are some of the wordage that came to mind that perfectly described her emotions rollercoaster, in the days leading up to the performance.

Fuad, Kammy and E.J. decided to meet at the Apollo theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. For the first time in months, she had on a full face beat. From primer to highlighter,  with  her  signature  Ruby  Woo  slash

Bridgerton Rouge combo and a faux beauty spot a la Marilyn Monroe. Feeling cute and saucy, she decided to wear a bright yellow floor length halter dress with a thigh high slit. Had her in some Jay-Z dust off my shoulder feels.

“Mama, I am ready!”

E.J.’s Mama came down the stairs to get out the ramps. After placing them on the floor at the front door,

E.J. parked at the top, patiently waiting till it was safe for her to ascend the ramp. They smiled at each other just before E.J. left for the bus. The great thing about the public transportation system in London is, it is free (yes, I did say free) for disabled people and fairly accessible, especially the buses. An automatic ramp pops out, at the behest of the drivers, whenever they are flagged down by a wheelchair user. So convenient and the total opposite of the accessibility, or rather lack thereof, in the mad city of Lagos. No shade, just stating facts.

Rolling down the infamous/famous Wardour Street,

E.J waded through the colourful crowd to get to the theatre 15 minutes before curtains up. Racing against the clock, she zoomed past a street photographer, that desperately wanted her to model for him. A massive smile and a Sorry later, E.J. arrived at the Apollo. Fuad was already downstairs at the bar, getting drinks for his bestie,

E.J and mutual amiga, Kammy.

As soon as E.J. parked at the entrance, a very friendly attendant, Alin materialised and directed her to the top of the stairs where a handy, petite platform lift was hovering patiently over the staircase. Alin used a remote control to get it ready for E.J. As the lift descended, E.J. and Alin talked about how lovely, kind and thoughtful Sophia is in

Wheels of Imagination – Adventures and Verses of Resilience

real life. E.J. was so engrossed in the conversation with Alin, she almost did not notice Fuad at the bottom of the steps, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had two cups in either hand and excitement was written all over his face. The platform lift whirred softly and stopped at the bottom. The attendant led us to our seats and Fuad fireman carried me into my chair, which happened to be a few rows away from the stage. Using the official Whill app on her Samsung 23 Ultra, E.J. parked the wheelchair in a little room, out of everyone’s way.

Fuad and E.J. chatted about the ease with which, she was able to get into the Apollo. “I totally give this place a 5 out of 5 stars. Think about it, Fuad, despite the fact that it is clearly an old building, the designers and architects made sure that wheelchair users can access and experience any theatre production so easily. The attendant was so lovely, professional, informative and helpful. The platform lift is a tad small but it is large enough to accommodate petite and medium-sized wheelchairs and scooters. Conclusion – the Apollo is beyond awesome!” As she finished the sentence, the scent of jasmine and something flowery suddenly wafted in the air. “Bring on Brooke Davies. Hashtag One Tree Hill fangirls unite.” They all burst into laughter at the exaggerated delivery of her statement. Fuad said, “Technically, I am not a girl, Kammy.”

“Cállete, Fuad! My friend, do not front like you aren’t a fan boy for Sophia Bush,” Kammy guffawed. Teasing is definitely Kam’s love language. The clock struck 7.30pm. The lights dimmed, the signs urging people to switch off their devices were being waved by a couple of staff members and a respectful hush washed over the room. The audience was so silent, one could hear a pin drop. Lo and behold, the luminous, effervescent, stunning, inimitable Sophia appeared on stage and the three friends sat back to enjoy the theatrical adventure.