When William Shakespeare wrote “all the world’s a stage” here in London 423 years ago, even he could not possibly have envisioned the world—and hence stage—we’d be treading in 2023. Take, for instance, tonight’s second edition of Vogue World, which took place on the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, yet was simultaneously streamed to every corner of the world. Directed by Stephen Daldry, it ingeniously deployed Vogue’s core vocation—fashion—as the catalyst for connection to unite, showcase, and celebrate the myriad forms of cultural expression and performance that are central to this city’s DNA. Plus it demonstrated that Shakespeare’s words remain as true today as they ever were.
Tonight was a blast. You feared for the roof at the finale, when Vogue’s September 2023 cover stars—Naomi, Linda, Christy, and Cindy—came out as Annie Lennox sang “Sweet Dreams” with the London Community Gospel Choir. And Daldry ensured we were paying attention from the very top as John Galliano (arguably the most actorly of all designers) ushered Kate Moss on stage in custom Maison Margiela as Hongni Wu sang haunting Purcell. All this sound and beauty signified something, too: the evening raised a considerable, seven-figure sum (in British pounds sterling) for many increasingly underfunded arts and cultural organizations across London.
The performance had begun well before the curtain went up. Appreciative screams echoed across Covent Garden as the red carpet act played out. To see so many titans of the British theater—Kate Winslet, Nicholas Hytner, Harriet Walter, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and many more—rubbing shoulders with the tulle, sequin, and gazar clad chief actors in fashion (plus many other cultural leaders aside) set the tone for what was ahead. Guests toured this nearly 500 year-old theater site—recently “futureproofed” by its justly proud owner Lloyd Webber—to explore installations from houses and designers including Burberry, Erdem, and Coach. Vogue even hosted its own pub (which is not something you often get to report). These distractions were so distracting that the audience could be forgiven for settling in their seats five minutes late.
After Moss and Wu opened the show, Daldry took on a highly entertaining, mash-up whistlestop tour of London’s myriad cultural intersections. FKA Twigs sang Opus III’s “It’s A Fine Day” in Mugler and danced in impressive collaboration with the Rambert company. There was an excellent Shakespearean segue from Stormzy performing Crown that switched to Sophie Okonedo in Westwood performing the Henry IV soliloquy that inspired his song’s lyric. Then we shifted to Romeo and a Loewe-winged Juliet, who ended up clubbing (Baz Lurhmann, the night’s creative advisor, might have had input here), before we saw the premiere of choreographer Wayne McGregor’s Herrera Codes. Through many of these scenes walked the models, who along with the dancers left the stage and went out onto the floor. The enormous cast (because “fashion wears out more apparel than the man") included many runway notables; Jourdan Dunn, Edie Campbell, Ashley Graham, Alton Mason, Cara Delevingne, Precious Lee, and Iris Law, amongst many others. It also delivered some glorious, 100 percent London, curveballs; Skin, Goldie, and Neneh Cherry.
The night’s heart, however, beat most explicitly in a sketch performed by Cush Jumbo, James McAvoy, Damian Lewis, James Corden, and Sienna Miller. In punchy tartan frock coats, they played hammy theater ushers alongside Harriet Walter’s Keeper Of The Stage Door. At one point Jumbo said: “It’s what it’s all about: everybody’s feeling part of something, feeling alive.” McAvoy pitched in that there “was an actual scientific study on human beings and what happens when they’re sitting together in a theater, how their heartbeats begin to beat as one, all together, and share the same rhythm… But here’s the thing. That only happens when we’re all here together, in one room.” And as if on cue, the applause rose through the room we were all together in.
From punk to Purcell, Shakespeare to Stormzy, and McQueen to My Fair Lady, Vogue World tonight worked to align the raucous variety of London performance culture under this stately theater roof. Before the show, London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, had said: “It’s impossible to quantify the benefit this brings; don’t underestimate the effect on the city’s confidence, and every penny raised is going to worthy causes—freelancers, individuals, and small theaters across our city.”
He added: “ The great thing about London is our diversity; it’s our greatest strength. And what Anna [Wintour] and Edward [Enninful] and the Vogue team have done is curated arguably one of the most diverse events this city’s ever seen.” We were all together in the same room, facing the same stage, hearts beating, rapt.
