Last night, we went to something wonderful.
My boyfriend took me to this Doctor Who show, at a theatre in London. I wasn’t sure what to expect. And being led into a dark basement didn’t help my nerves. But my boyfriend held my hand, and I’m glad we went inside.
We were led into this crazy whirlwind of an adventure. There was a storyline, of which we were all invited to be part of. We were tasked to help U.N.I.T save the universe. There were beautiful sets, and fun characters to interact with.
I was a little shy at first, unsure and scared of some Daleks (which I knew were fake but sounded real). But then the story intrigued me, my curiosity piqued as I started to ask questions. I bounced off a new friend called Chris, who seemed to be more into Doctor Who than I knew could be possible, and we helped to recalibrate some time portal machines. When they worked, we moved onto the next scene, through a crack in time.
We were led into different sets, to uncover the mystery and save the future. We trekked through past, present and future, and met many people along the way. And it was at that part, I really started to enjoy it.
We met new characters, who invited and included me into their world. And I wanted to be part of it. I was invited to be creative, to add things to the narrative. I was encouraged to make stuff up, and I got lost in these new worlds, loving each minute. It was my adventure, and we explored each part with excitement. I could tell everyone was like me: fans of Doctor Who, who loved creating stories. I bounced off Leonardo Da Vinci, and found a new friend who loved creating things more than me. And talking to him felt natural, as if I was talking to an old friend from a writing group.
There were puzzles, with an archaeologist character. I love puzzles, and quizzes. I was encouraged to be curious, solving mysteries and pushing buttons in an ancient tomb set ( even if meant accidently awakening some cybermen).
We hid in a spaceship, until it was over. But the story continued, and I made more friends, my usual uncertainties washing away. For this was a home of creativity, where I could be myself. A place where even limited sight didn’t matter. Being sighted was a hindrance in one section, when we needed to follow sounds in the dark.
We travelled through danger and darkness, through oddly lit rooms and weeping angels. I was a little scared, but I knew we were safe really. It was part of the story. We followed our new guide, without blinking, a chain of strangers holding hands. They were all following me, and I laughed, the idea of a visually impaired person leading sighted people amusing me.
A Timelord took my hand, guiding my forward. We sang and chanted, a hundred souls in one. And I felt it. The Timelord even let me speak, and build a device, guiding my hands to where the slot was. We helped save the day, and it felt wonderful to win a victory.
It was brilliant. I left the theatre feeling amazed, inspired, invigorated. I loved it, and would definitely go again.