Off to Stratford, and the Courtyard Theatre!
The RSC hosted a Brazilian company's work, Two Roses for Richard III, for a five day run. It was different, and good... I think. The play started with a nude fest (partial female nudity, full male), but did not have contexts of sexuality, and as I guessed correctly. During the talkback we attended the following day, one audience member challenged the director on it. She was an old British lady. Not to stereotype, BUT...
The set reminded me of running water, and as I found out later, it was designed to show how there is no end, the "stage" just keeps going on and on.
As the director said at Unwrapped (the talkback), he is trying, with his co-director, to create a new language of theatre based in theatre and circus and acrobatics. This company used the space, used all of it, height and width and breath. Assassins dropped from the ceiling, people were raised up, and many interesting visuals ensued. I can't really describe them to do them justice.
It worked in creating a new language, but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what that language was. Since I'm not familiar with the circus, I think I missed some ideas and allusions. Images merged and changed and struck me and then confused me... I enjoyed it, both intellectually and emotionally. The biggest problem I had was that the entire production had surtitles, which meant over half the time I was reading the lines on the screen. This half of the time I was not having as much fun, I was just trying to keep up with the speakers, didn't see any of their expressions, and missed some of the acrobatics. I should have just let the surtitles be, but I couldn't help myself.
I'd love to see more productions by this company. It was a palate-cleanser, showing the borders of what one can do just using Shakespeare's text... and a little of their own. This production looked at acting, had actors speak about their characters in jarringly metatheatrical moments, which peppered the production... drawing us in... shoving us out... drawing us in once again into the world of the play...
I'd recommend it, as long as you can find reasonably priced tickets. Any seat is good.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Days 30th, 31st, and 32nd
May 13th:
Travel day! Really and truly. Me and mum got on the train back to London... arrived at the Lime Tree Hotel... and crashed. Slept. Zzz... the entire day. Except for one mission to acquire food.
May 14th:
Mum and I started out the day heading to St. Paul's, only to discover that it was closed for the day for some kind of event. Disappointed, we wandered the streets for a little bit before we decided to just trolley over to the British Library, and boy was that a good decision! The BL was incredible, really demonstrated what book and history dorks me and mum truly are. Some of the things that we went nuts about: Massenger prompt book, a First Folio, the original music sheets from Mozart and Handel, Beethoven's tuning fork, the Magna Carta, Davinci's sketches, one of three surviving Tyndale translations of the New Testament, the Codex Sinaiticus (aka, the Gospels version 1.0), and the St. Cuthbert Gospel (oldest European book that is still intact). OMG SQUEE! That was just the gallery. The exhibition included a painting of Hobbitton-across-the-water by Tolkein, Stow's Survey of London, and original drafts from Rowling...
After that, we went to St. Martin's Cafe in the Crypt, ate a tasty spicy meal (which I got to co-opt), then checked out St. Martin's briefly before walking across the street to the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery is more interesting than I thought it would be. It had a lot of images I know from textbooks... like portraits of Elizabeth, Cecil, Wolsey, Drake, Raleigh, Leicester, Dudley, Cranmer, Cromwell, Mary I, Phillip II, Richard III, Henry VIII... My previously-blown mind was turned into goo.
After all that excitement, me and mum went and got more tasty goodies from the pink shop before we crashed.
May 15th:
Mum and I's last day here. First stop: St. Paul's. They let us in this time. No pictures allowed, of course, but I was too awed to be angry for any period of time. Even though it's not an ancient cathedral, it is still a beautiful, beautiful building. I have the need for there to be cathedrals in the states, cathedrals like I've seen in the last month. I've fallen in love with cathedrals. St. Paul's threw me a bone, too... it let me climb. Some 200 steps up are the Whispering Galleries, where you can look down into the interior of St. Paul's and peer at the little people praying. Next, where I boldly ventured by myself, was another 200 steps of narrow, winding stairs. At this stop was the Stone Gallery, where you can look from the edge of the dome over London. And then after another roughly 150 stairs, very tight, lots of heights, you get to the Golden Gallery, an amazing view of London. I was giddy. And I took pictures. Lots of them. I deserved it after all that climbing :-P. I love heights. Going down was... interesting. I wish the individual stairs were larger. I trust me not to fall... but I don't trust other people, say, behind me, especially if they are larger than me.
I thought I misplaced my mother for about ten minutes, but I found her. After St. Paul's, we went looking for souvenirs, got our luggage from the Lime Tree, and I saw Mum off on the Piccadilly Line, took the line myself to the YHA, checked in, then rushed off to the Globe where I watched 1 Henry IV (review upcoming) and the first half of 2 Henry IV. Came back to the YHA, and now I'm spending my last bit of time here in London.
Travel day! Really and truly. Me and mum got on the train back to London... arrived at the Lime Tree Hotel... and crashed. Slept. Zzz... the entire day. Except for one mission to acquire food.
May 14th:
Mum and I started out the day heading to St. Paul's, only to discover that it was closed for the day for some kind of event. Disappointed, we wandered the streets for a little bit before we decided to just trolley over to the British Library, and boy was that a good decision! The BL was incredible, really demonstrated what book and history dorks me and mum truly are. Some of the things that we went nuts about: Massenger prompt book, a First Folio, the original music sheets from Mozart and Handel, Beethoven's tuning fork, the Magna Carta, Davinci's sketches, one of three surviving Tyndale translations of the New Testament, the Codex Sinaiticus (aka, the Gospels version 1.0), and the St. Cuthbert Gospel (oldest European book that is still intact). OMG SQUEE! That was just the gallery. The exhibition included a painting of Hobbitton-across-the-water by Tolkein, Stow's Survey of London, and original drafts from Rowling...
After that, we went to St. Martin's Cafe in the Crypt, ate a tasty spicy meal (which I got to co-opt), then checked out St. Martin's briefly before walking across the street to the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery is more interesting than I thought it would be. It had a lot of images I know from textbooks... like portraits of Elizabeth, Cecil, Wolsey, Drake, Raleigh, Leicester, Dudley, Cranmer, Cromwell, Mary I, Phillip II, Richard III, Henry VIII... My previously-blown mind was turned into goo.
After all that excitement, me and mum went and got more tasty goodies from the pink shop before we crashed.
May 15th:
Mum and I's last day here. First stop: St. Paul's. They let us in this time. No pictures allowed, of course, but I was too awed to be angry for any period of time. Even though it's not an ancient cathedral, it is still a beautiful, beautiful building. I have the need for there to be cathedrals in the states, cathedrals like I've seen in the last month. I've fallen in love with cathedrals. St. Paul's threw me a bone, too... it let me climb. Some 200 steps up are the Whispering Galleries, where you can look down into the interior of St. Paul's and peer at the little people praying. Next, where I boldly ventured by myself, was another 200 steps of narrow, winding stairs. At this stop was the Stone Gallery, where you can look from the edge of the dome over London. And then after another roughly 150 stairs, very tight, lots of heights, you get to the Golden Gallery, an amazing view of London. I was giddy. And I took pictures. Lots of them. I deserved it after all that climbing :-P. I love heights. Going down was... interesting. I wish the individual stairs were larger. I trust me not to fall... but I don't trust other people, say, behind me, especially if they are larger than me.
I thought I misplaced my mother for about ten minutes, but I found her. After St. Paul's, we went looking for souvenirs, got our luggage from the Lime Tree, and I saw Mum off on the Piccadilly Line, took the line myself to the YHA, checked in, then rushed off to the Globe where I watched 1 Henry IV (review upcoming) and the first half of 2 Henry IV. Came back to the YHA, and now I'm spending my last bit of time here in London.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Macbeth
Well, maybe this play is cursed. But only in Polish.
Having seen a variety of Globe to Globe productions, I was fairly confident that taking my mother to a show would be a good experience for us. The Globe had warned me in a letter that this show contained nudity, violence, and a rape scene. It gave me the impression of a dark, violent Macbeth, a gritty reality.
This was not reality. Or if it was, it was a sad director trying to recreate the awesome party he had last month with a half-dozen transvestites.
The problem with this was that the audience was not completely wasted, stoned, or high. If they had been, they might have enjoyed it. For me, it was a bad mushroom trip. A nightmare where the text of Macbeth is violated. It was a rape scene... they raped Shakespeare's text.
I suppose it needs a little more description. To say something was unrelentingly awful should require more justification than just my word.
The witches were transvestites, the only slightly clever moment (they are women, but for their beards...). However, they were present in almost every scene, dancing, staggering drunkenly, flashing the audience, etc. Lady Macbeth was absolutely batshit from the outset. I could never tell what any of the actors wanted... their objectives and tactics were completely obscure. I couldn't see Macbeth's internal struggle. Malcomb was a violent ass. And the party scenes went on... and on... Did the director think the overweight men running around in their underwear, resulting in fat bouncing buttocks, was remotely entertaining or contributed to the story of Macbeth?
Me and Mum left at intermission, and I only got that far because I needed a stamp for a free tour. My soul was bleeding.
Having seen a variety of Globe to Globe productions, I was fairly confident that taking my mother to a show would be a good experience for us. The Globe had warned me in a letter that this show contained nudity, violence, and a rape scene. It gave me the impression of a dark, violent Macbeth, a gritty reality.
This was not reality. Or if it was, it was a sad director trying to recreate the awesome party he had last month with a half-dozen transvestites.
The problem with this was that the audience was not completely wasted, stoned, or high. If they had been, they might have enjoyed it. For me, it was a bad mushroom trip. A nightmare where the text of Macbeth is violated. It was a rape scene... they raped Shakespeare's text.
I suppose it needs a little more description. To say something was unrelentingly awful should require more justification than just my word.
The witches were transvestites, the only slightly clever moment (they are women, but for their beards...). However, they were present in almost every scene, dancing, staggering drunkenly, flashing the audience, etc. Lady Macbeth was absolutely batshit from the outset. I could never tell what any of the actors wanted... their objectives and tactics were completely obscure. I couldn't see Macbeth's internal struggle. Malcomb was a violent ass. And the party scenes went on... and on... Did the director think the overweight men running around in their underwear, resulting in fat bouncing buttocks, was remotely entertaining or contributed to the story of Macbeth?
Me and Mum left at intermission, and I only got that far because I needed a stamp for a free tour. My soul was bleeding.
The Duchess of Malfi
Mum and I had to see something at the Old Vic, and I've wanted to see the Duchess of Malfi, so we went on Lastminute.com and grabbed some tickets in the morning for an evening show. The theatre is lovely... I'm not used to being in a proscenium space. There was a little mixup with the tickets... we were given tickets for seats that other folks had, so we were moved closer to the stage. We were three rows back, center. I don't think tickets get better than that. We paid around 20 pounds for 50 pound tickets. :-)
I would love to point out specific parts of this show that were especially lovely, but the work of everyone melded in such a beautiful way that it will be hard for me to praise particular aspects. The set design and lighting design worked together.... it was amazing. The atmosphere changed from cathedral to prison to grand hall and back again through the lighting, showing off different aspects of the set design. Truly remarkable.
The cast was excellent. Eve Best as the Duchess had top billing, even above John Webster (the author). The story was clear, the actors creative and compelling, the music appropriate, and the choreography a perfect finish for this triple-layer cake of tragic decadence. Like any baking project, this one had all the right ingredients in the right time.
Mum loved it just as much as I did.
I would love to point out specific parts of this show that were especially lovely, but the work of everyone melded in such a beautiful way that it will be hard for me to praise particular aspects. The set design and lighting design worked together.... it was amazing. The atmosphere changed from cathedral to prison to grand hall and back again through the lighting, showing off different aspects of the set design. Truly remarkable.
The cast was excellent. Eve Best as the Duchess had top billing, even above John Webster (the author). The story was clear, the actors creative and compelling, the music appropriate, and the choreography a perfect finish for this triple-layer cake of tragic decadence. Like any baking project, this one had all the right ingredients in the right time.
Mum loved it just as much as I did.
Days 28th and 29th
May 11th:
Our first full day in Stratford! We started out by going to Shakespeare's childhood home, which sadly was already crowded with students. The format of the tour moved me away from their copy of a First Folio faster than I would have liked. A First Folio... one of the most valuable books in the world. The birthplace itself was not particularly remarkable. It was an old building, but it had gone through so many different owners I didn't know what was from the period and what was repaired or a recreation. The floor in the parlour was the genuine part of the house I knew of. So I started my day by walking in Shakespeare's footsteps. Next we went to Nash's House and the excavation of New Place, which really wasn't that interesting, really. I don't care about his descendants that much. No connection to them.
Then we toodled past Shakespeare's school, which is still a school, so no tour there. We stopped at the chapel next to the school, that was cool. I really like churches and cathedrals now, apparently. Then we walked to Hall's Croft, where I looked at the house and the things they had and it was mildly interesting. Last, but not least, we went to Holy Trinity where Shakespeare is buried. I sat in front of his grave almost an hour, thinking deep thoughts and whatnot. I felt like that was the end of my pilgrimage... I am ready to go home. I have paid homage to the author who I studied, seen his town, seen his houses, seen the streets where he walked and now have visited his grave, the most concrete thing we have of him, except for the legacy of his work and our language.
We finished up the day by watching a production of Two Roses for Richard III, in Brazilian... review upcoming (I'll get to my reviews).
May 12th
Me and mum went to Unwrapped, an hour's discussion with the directors of Two Roses, then killed some time before the 1:30 showing of King John (review upcoming LOL). After the show, we got hungry and bickered, fed us, then I slept.
Our first full day in Stratford! We started out by going to Shakespeare's childhood home, which sadly was already crowded with students. The format of the tour moved me away from their copy of a First Folio faster than I would have liked. A First Folio... one of the most valuable books in the world. The birthplace itself was not particularly remarkable. It was an old building, but it had gone through so many different owners I didn't know what was from the period and what was repaired or a recreation. The floor in the parlour was the genuine part of the house I knew of. So I started my day by walking in Shakespeare's footsteps. Next we went to Nash's House and the excavation of New Place, which really wasn't that interesting, really. I don't care about his descendants that much. No connection to them.
Then we toodled past Shakespeare's school, which is still a school, so no tour there. We stopped at the chapel next to the school, that was cool. I really like churches and cathedrals now, apparently. Then we walked to Hall's Croft, where I looked at the house and the things they had and it was mildly interesting. Last, but not least, we went to Holy Trinity where Shakespeare is buried. I sat in front of his grave almost an hour, thinking deep thoughts and whatnot. I felt like that was the end of my pilgrimage... I am ready to go home. I have paid homage to the author who I studied, seen his town, seen his houses, seen the streets where he walked and now have visited his grave, the most concrete thing we have of him, except for the legacy of his work and our language.
We finished up the day by watching a production of Two Roses for Richard III, in Brazilian... review upcoming (I'll get to my reviews).
May 12th
Me and mum went to Unwrapped, an hour's discussion with the directors of Two Roses, then killed some time before the 1:30 showing of King John (review upcoming LOL). After the show, we got hungry and bickered, fed us, then I slept.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Days 25th, 26th, & 27th
May 8th:
Bright and early, before it opened, me and Mum went to Westminster Abbey. Glad we did, too... although we had to wait a few min to get in the door, it got quite crowded quite quickly. The cathedral was gorgeous, and the pure amount of history there almost made me cry. I was speechless at Elizabeth I's tomb. We wandered in awe, especially at Poet's Corner. The Abbey had moments of silence every hour, as well. When we were done, we went to the London Eye. (Congrats to mum!) It gave us a nice view of London, and it hit home how completely different London is to any American city. It's short. It's green. It stretches as far as the eye can see. US cities are tall and grey and devolve into suburbia.
I drove mum hard after that. We tried to go to the Borough Market, but it was closed, so we ate at Nando's instead. Nando's was out of hummus, which made me sad. Then we went to the Globe to see a Polish production of Macbeth. Review upcoming... but we did leave at intermission, if that gives you any clue to what I think of it. Then we simply went back to the B&B and chilled there.
May 9th:
First thing in the morning, we went to the Tower of London. I didn't expect it to be so much like a castle, even though I was aware it was one. All the pictures I had seen were simply of the keep... and for some reason, that's all I thought was there. I was pleasantly surprised to find more towers and ramparts for me to scramble around on. Because the audio tour cost three pounds, mum and I shared one, turning the volume way up and putting our heads together to hear it. We must have looked pretty funny. The crown jewels were very shiny, but some of them were absent, their places marked "in use", as it was the opening of Parliament. I'm not sure if I missed seeing them, or was excited to know that something was happening with them. Mixed feelings.
The Tower gave us six hours of entertainment, just looking around and listening to the tour. We didn't even go on a Beefeater tour, mostly because the place got crowded so quickly, and we were happy on our own. We perused every gift shop, had fish and chips at the cafe (om nom nom), and went into every castle crevice that was open to the public. I loved it.
Possibly the highlight of our trip was at noon, when a three-gun (artillary) salute rotated for a salute of 41 shots for the opening of Parliament. I went running toward the loud noise, Mum stayed put and listened and imagined. I got to the front of the crowd and grinned like an idiot at the lovely explosions. Teeheehee.
When we were done with the Tower, we went back to the B&B, got dinner, but on our way back we got a cupcake from the cutest shop I have ever seen. Painted pink, it looked good enough to eat. Adorable! I have pictures.
May 10th:
We packed up and left our things with the manager of the bed and breakfast while we went to the Cutty Sark at Maritime Greenwich. :-D It was impressive. I wish Dad or Ben had seen it, they both would have loved it. Me and mum spent about an hour and a half there before we picked up our luggage and went to the train station. We had about an hour and a half to wait, and during that time, we watched what we think was a movie being filmed. I don't know if we got in the way... I hope they would have asked us to move if we were sitting in the wrong spot. Whatever the case, we got on the train when it arrived, and then mum discovered that she had either lost her credit card or had it lifted between getting coffee at the station and getting on the train. There was the appropriate amount of panic and dismay, and when we got to the B&B in Stratford-upon-Avon, mum got the number for the credit card company and reported it lost/stolen. To finish up the day, we took a stroll to SuA's oldest inn, The Garrick, and had delicious fish and chips. Award-winning. Om nom nom.
Bright and early, before it opened, me and Mum went to Westminster Abbey. Glad we did, too... although we had to wait a few min to get in the door, it got quite crowded quite quickly. The cathedral was gorgeous, and the pure amount of history there almost made me cry. I was speechless at Elizabeth I's tomb. We wandered in awe, especially at Poet's Corner. The Abbey had moments of silence every hour, as well. When we were done, we went to the London Eye. (Congrats to mum!) It gave us a nice view of London, and it hit home how completely different London is to any American city. It's short. It's green. It stretches as far as the eye can see. US cities are tall and grey and devolve into suburbia.
I drove mum hard after that. We tried to go to the Borough Market, but it was closed, so we ate at Nando's instead. Nando's was out of hummus, which made me sad. Then we went to the Globe to see a Polish production of Macbeth. Review upcoming... but we did leave at intermission, if that gives you any clue to what I think of it. Then we simply went back to the B&B and chilled there.
May 9th:
First thing in the morning, we went to the Tower of London. I didn't expect it to be so much like a castle, even though I was aware it was one. All the pictures I had seen were simply of the keep... and for some reason, that's all I thought was there. I was pleasantly surprised to find more towers and ramparts for me to scramble around on. Because the audio tour cost three pounds, mum and I shared one, turning the volume way up and putting our heads together to hear it. We must have looked pretty funny. The crown jewels were very shiny, but some of them were absent, their places marked "in use", as it was the opening of Parliament. I'm not sure if I missed seeing them, or was excited to know that something was happening with them. Mixed feelings.
The Tower gave us six hours of entertainment, just looking around and listening to the tour. We didn't even go on a Beefeater tour, mostly because the place got crowded so quickly, and we were happy on our own. We perused every gift shop, had fish and chips at the cafe (om nom nom), and went into every castle crevice that was open to the public. I loved it.
Possibly the highlight of our trip was at noon, when a three-gun (artillary) salute rotated for a salute of 41 shots for the opening of Parliament. I went running toward the loud noise, Mum stayed put and listened and imagined. I got to the front of the crowd and grinned like an idiot at the lovely explosions. Teeheehee.
When we were done with the Tower, we went back to the B&B, got dinner, but on our way back we got a cupcake from the cutest shop I have ever seen. Painted pink, it looked good enough to eat. Adorable! I have pictures.
May 10th:
We packed up and left our things with the manager of the bed and breakfast while we went to the Cutty Sark at Maritime Greenwich. :-D It was impressive. I wish Dad or Ben had seen it, they both would have loved it. Me and mum spent about an hour and a half there before we picked up our luggage and went to the train station. We had about an hour and a half to wait, and during that time, we watched what we think was a movie being filmed. I don't know if we got in the way... I hope they would have asked us to move if we were sitting in the wrong spot. Whatever the case, we got on the train when it arrived, and then mum discovered that she had either lost her credit card or had it lifted between getting coffee at the station and getting on the train. There was the appropriate amount of panic and dismay, and when we got to the B&B in Stratford-upon-Avon, mum got the number for the credit card company and reported it lost/stolen. To finish up the day, we took a stroll to SuA's oldest inn, The Garrick, and had delicious fish and chips. Award-winning. Om nom nom.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Days 22nd, 23rd, & 24th
May 5th:
Uneventful day. I stayed in the
hostel, went to see Othello, and
then came home and stayed in the hostel. I was recharging after my
Dover trip.
May 6th:
I went to pick up Mum from the Piccadilly Circus station. The entire underground was horribly busy that day, for the entire Bank Holiday, because of closures on several important lines. I understand the need for the work... I just feel bad for all the employees when the Olympics hit.
Mum was in a state of sleep-deprived, caffeinated excitement. We dropped our luggage at the Morgan Guest House... in room 8. It's on the top floor (not counting the loft). It's also three stories up. Which means lots of narrow stairs. Getting our exercise! The bed is also slightly sloping, as in, I have to move to the centre of the bed to stop from rolling off of it. The bathroom pipes make exceedingly strange, whirring, groaning noises when any water from the tap is used. Source? Unexplained. Unhappy dead tenants?
They have a lovely breakfast here, with something that's like oatmeal meeting cereal in the worst possible way. Mother tells me this is known as muesli. More appetizing elements of breakfast include scrambled eggs, baked beans (since when is that a breakfast food?) and grilled tomatoes. Toast and jam are also available. Om nom nom.
Anyways, after me and mom dropped our stuff off here, we went to the British Museum, because I figured that would be the best way to keep Mum awake. It was nice. They had the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles. They didn't look like marbles to me... But other than that, it was a lot of old things... and one old thing, without any context, followed by another old thing... it gets boring, and I love history. It was a very impressive collection of old things, but not my period. The Romans. The Greeks. The Assyrians. The Egyptians. Other cultures that ethnocentric white people have just started to discover. Mum liked the coffee. And, of course, she geeked at all the history. Humph. History majors.
I also convinced mum that prepacked food does not contain small germy devils waiting to attack. :-P
May 7th
Mum was conscious though vaguely out of sync with the day. We started the day by going to Trafalger Square and swooping through the National Gallery in search of DaVinci. We found his painting... Virgin of the Rocks. Then we went to Piccadilly Circus, went, "hey, that's Piccadilly Circus", then went to Leicester Square, went "hey, that's Leicester Square" and discover that heaven has a retail chain. This is known as the M&M store. Never has no much happiness and colour invaded a single building. Well, maybe, but I haven't been to Disneyworld. Me and mum got ourselves plenty of delicious candy and felt very giggly. Drugs? Possible.
Then we went to Covent Garden, and wandered around there. Mum got very emotional because God conspired to have an instrumental group play one of her most favourite songs. It was sweet. She was happy. We got their CD and then we left. Covent is nice, but I lust for more bargains. Next, we trotted over to the Museum of London, because we still had daylight hours and we might get bored. She enjoyed it. I enjoyed, even though it was round two. Finally, we went to the Old Vic for their production of The Duchess of Malfi... review upcoming.
Othello
Is it
wrong that I gained more intellectual benefits from the play than
emotional release? This version of Othello, from
the O Brothers company in Chicago, turned Othello into
a hip-hop extravaganza. The curtains of the Globe were replaced by
theirs, copies with plenty of graffiti on them. The DJ perched in
the balcony, playing and changing the beats as the scene demanded.
The cast was made up of four others, just one of whom was black. He
played Othello. The tiny, all-male cast used cross-gender casting
for Emilia and Bianca, but Desdemona never appears onstage. Neither
does she have any lines. She merely sings, angelically, at moments
where a response is necessary.
The tiny cast used
no set pieces other than one graffiti-ed box on wheels, and no props
other than their costume pieces. They only paused from rapping
twice, during the entire show... once for Desdemona's death, and the
other for Othello's. Other than that, the cast of four kept a
constant lyrical stream going.
They adapted the
scene from Venice to the American music scene, where Othello has
risen to the top. At the outset of his new tour, Iago is snubbed in
favor of Cassio, and thus begins the plot as we know it. The
handkerchief is replaced with a gold chain, Cassio gets a drug
slipped into his drink instead of simply drinking too much, and
swords are replaced by mimed knives. Roderigo is a complete nerd,
one to make all nerds wince at the extreme stereotyping.
I didn't expect to
be sad at Desdemona's death, even up to the very event, but then the
change in beat, the performance of the actors, and the silence after
had a more profound effect than I expected. Emilia's death became
almost comic in comparison.
I liked it, and
admire the adaptor's skill in turning this text into a modern hip-hop
version. He (or she) stayed faithful to the text, adding allusions
to direct lines here and there, enough for the Shakespeare geeks to
giggle at. I had the feeling the actors were connected not only to
the hip-hop script, but the original as well, and displayed faithful
care to the characters, even though the women were stereotyped and
played for laughs. Men dressed as women tend to elicit that
reaction. Moreover, I was impressed by the actors' ability to keep
to the beat, with only two or three slipups over the entire hour and
a half (plus intermission). That must have taken real stamina.
The audience loved
it, and roared for them to come back for two extra curtain calls. I
heard people on my way out saying that it was “awesome” and
“better than Mozart”. No, seriously. I heard that. It was
good, in my opinion... but not great.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Titus Andronicus
This Titus was in Cantonese, from a Hong Kong theatre company. I liked it, more than the Julius Caesar, but not as much as the other Shakespeare I've seen at the Globe, and I think I figured out why. Titus was staged in a very classy manner, minimalist staging, and clear acting. However...
1) I liked the individuality of the other plays. No other play is going to be like it. This staging could have been found at any American theatre.
2) Music, movement, and dance were a vital part of the other plays, and in this one, movement was only used in the beginning (I think) to clarify relationships between everyone. Music, in this one, was the occasional flute, drum, or horn.
4) I liked how the other plays were a reflection of the culture from whence it came. This was, again, could have been found anywhere. Granted, it goes to show how universal Shakespeare is, but I wished the Hong Kong company had owned it more.
Costumes were grey for the Andronici, black for the Goths, and white for the Roman royalty. I wasn't quite sure what the point of the color-coding was. A black man was not cast as Aaron, so instead, Aaron had several black lines on his face and on his forearms, in a design that reminded me of tiger stripes. It was subtle, but got the point across. I thought that was interesting... a Caucasian couldn't have gotten away with that, for obvious reasons. There were some deadly pauses. I think the script was directly translated, and cut very little, from my memory of it.
Lavinia only had blood around her mouth and red-gloved fists after her horrible experience. I wanted more blood. Call me a typical American, but I really wanted more evidence. The actress, on the other hand, was fantastic. Instead of just sitting to the side in a mute trauma, Lavinia made herself a part of the action throughout. She told more with her body than she might have been able to tell in words. Titus' stabbing is clearly premeditated, as Lucius holds Marcus back. I've always loved Marcus' character, and this actor did not disappoint. It was quality work, but only disappointing in the light of the Twelfth Night and Midsummer I'd already seen.
Days 20 & 21: Castles n Plays
May 3rd
First, I went to the Templar's
Church... cause this time, it was open. I took pictures for Ben and
wished that he was there, or even that they had a gift shop. It's
impossible to find presents for him! It was cool, but I didn't spend
much time there. I went to the Bankside Gallery, realized it was
tiny... overheard some people complimenting a very abstract painting,
which I thought was funny. It was something I could have drawn
myself. But since it was so small, I was off again, and spent some
time in the Borough Market getting foods before I went to see Titus
Andronicus (Review forthcoming). Came back to the hostel and talked
to Ben.
May 4th
May the Forth be with you!
FANTASTIC DAY.
I woke myself up at six, and managed to
catch the train just in time. Literally, I hurried to get there, and
if I hadn't hustled, even run the last bit, I would have missed it.
As soon as I got off, thirty seconds later that train was on its way.
And I would have had to wait a while longer to get the next one.
So, in time, but hungry... It was about a two hour train ride to
Dover. The first time I saw the white cliffs I literally gasped.
Beautiful. I grabbed a muffin then headed to the info place, they
told me how to get to Samphire Hoe and then to Dover Castle. I had
originally planned to hit Canterbury, but when I realized how long I
was going to be in Dover, my hope sunk. It took me about an hour to
walk to Samphire Hoe, and I only got confused how to get there a few
times. I took the main roads and had to do some backtracking. The
trail carried me over a few large hills. I had to take off my coat
uphill and put it on going downhill. Samphire Hoe is the interior of
the Channel tunnel, all the dirt they didn't know where to put. It's
right down by the water, and offers some great views of the cliffs.
I walked its circumference, sat down, breathed the fresh air... I
walked about a mile there. Then, it was time to go, so I grabbed
some food from the refreshment stand... a cheese and onion sub.
Those are condiments, not sandwich material!
I walked back the correct way, and
figured out why I hadn't found it in the first place. It was a tiny
dirt trail, little more than a deer path. Walking that over the
hills of Dover was really wonderful. And exercise. Ocean and white
cliffs and hiking... mmmm. I need to hike more.
I managed to find my way up to the
castle... key word... UP. I was definitely feeling it in my legs.
My body started to hate me so I fed it a tuna sandwich. The castle
itself was fantastic, so much to explore! I liked the recreation of
the various rooms, because I was tired of making my imagination do
all the work. Dover castle is seriously well-fortified. It made me
feel very safe. Peering from the topmost tower, I saw a smudge of
another land on the horizon... there was France! So now I can say
that I've seen France, too. It also made it very clear why Henry II
would build a castle there. The walls are impossibly thick. The
only way to win out against that castle would be to starve it out.
There were also some “secret”
wartime tunnels that I got a guided tour of. It's where the British
military organized the rescue from Dunkirk. The air raid sirens, of
course, gave me horrible chills. This castle has been used every
century as a key position... I can see why. It's a giant “fuck no”
to anyone thinking about invading... especially with the cannons now.
Giggle.
I come home, VERY sore. Of course, I
grabbed a sub. Why am I so hungry??
Wild Swans
I'd heard very good things about the
Young Vic's production of Wild Swans, but
I would call it good, not great. The play focuses on a Chinese
woman, growing up before the Communist revolution of Mao, supporting
the revolution, but then watching the new regime turn against her and
her family. It's a bitter portrayal of the way that selfish people
use other people's ideals for their own advantage. The cast was
wonderful, although the variety of accents threw me off. I think the
director gave up on making everyone have the same accent. Some of
the women in smaller parts, as well as the children, had decidedly
English accents. Some of the other characters had Chinese accents,
and the main characters and several others had what was, to my ears,
mostly an American accent. I made a note of it, but it didn't take
away from the play.
The
best part of the play were the set changes. Now, that's not
something you hear very often. The play starts with a narrow
proscenium, a city street. The floor is packed earth and the
background is a woven bamboo screen. Next, the street is taken
away, and the packed earth becomes a field, and you can see the dirt
is actually several inches deep, at least. Then, the bamboo
background is rolled away and the dirt is pushed and swept offstage,
revealing a white background and wooden floor, a hospital. This takes
all of several minutes.
Next,
the stage is swarmed by actors, who, with buckets and sponges, get
the entire background wet. After a few seconds, the white background
turns into a series of propaganda images. I don't know what they
used to make something look white when it was dry and then reveal a
picture underneath when wet, but it was a wonderful surprise. The
addition of a few haybales turned it into a field, and their
replacement with bookcases and a desk turned it into an office. But
we're not done yet! Next, the stage flooded. FLOODED. The
background images essentially disappeared under a projection of a
rice paddy. Then the stage drained, from no apparent source, for the
next scene and a different projected image. And then, for the grand
finale! The back wall broke into four sections, each turning
slightly, to show they have not one, but three faces. Two of the
sections moved forward, and two back. Mirrors on the new back wall
and sides made the stage seem like a crazy house or maze. Actors
swarmed onstage and placed sidewalk tiles to cover the wood floor.
Projections on the sides of the triangles of city life, combined with
sound effects, made for a very convincing modern replica.
Near
the end of the play, I figured out why it was so necessary to have
this many changes... the play is doing its best to show the changes
happening in China. Watching things change over the 90 minute play
was mesmorizing enough I didn't even check my watch, but I was
confused when the play ended. I hadn't realized that the events were
the climax of the play. Granted, it made sense, as life itself
doesn't provide conclusions like a play, and the play gives us the
feeling of pending change yet again. I enjoyed it, but I wished it
had been longer.
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar, in Italian.
There's not much to say about this one.
I didn't like it. The company was devoted to making the play
strange. Julius Caesar himself only made an appearance in the first
scene, and after that, disappeared from the play. Calpurnia was
given a larger role, but the main characters were obviously Brutus
and Cassio. The actors interacted with three doors (that were moved
by other characters, trying to hide behind them) and a broken-down
chair. Later, two garbage cans were added. I would have been OK
with the show if I had a clue what the doors, chair, or garbage can
were supposed to signify. However, much of the odd parts of the show
had no meaning or relevance to what was going on, or at least, not
that I could discern. The actors were passionate, but kept the same
note throughout the show.
I was disappointed, especially after
being spoiled by the last three shows.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Days 18 & 19: Quiet Days
Day 18:
I can't remember what I did on the 1st. I think I mostly just stayed at the hostel. This is what happens when I don't write everything down! I went to see Julius Casesar at the Globe, then came home. That day must have looked like this one is going to look...
Day 19:
I did, however, write down what I did on the 2nd. First I went to the Guildhall Art Gallery, a very nice collection on mostly 19th century oversize prints. Most of them were fairly large, at least. Downstairs is the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, which is extremely cool. I sat down there for a while and mused on the people who had died just meters from where I sat... when I was done with my musings, I went upstairs, at which point the nice curator guided me to the actual Guildhall itself. It was gorgeous! A massive hall from the 16th century. Archbishop Cranmer, among others, was tried and found guilty there. Very cool. After that, I went to the Templar's church, but it was closed :-(. That's where I'll be going after I finish this.
But since the church was closed, I had time to go to Kensington Palace and Gardens. Quite lovely. I took pictures of flowers. By that time, I'd used up my extra time, so I went to go see Wild Swans at the Young Vic. Review forthcoming. That was done quickly, so I finished up my day with a tour at the National Theatre :-D. Oh, every designer I know would LOVE those spaces... I geeked a little that I was walking where the greats (e.g. Olivier) have walked...
Then a quick Tube ride home to talk to Ben.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
I went to a Korean production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on April 30th. Of the plays that I have seen so far, this company knew how to adapt to the Globe stage the most effectively. They provided more information about their adaptation before the show, the text on the screens letting us know that Shakespeare's fairies have been replaced by Dokkebi, mischievous demon-like spirits of Korean folklore. Titania was now Dot, Puck was now the Duduri (twins), etc. Bottom was replaced by an old woman, searching for herbs in the forest. The mechanicals and Theseus' court were not even in the play.
The story changed little, even without those characters. The biggest change I can think of is the switching of the roles of Titania and Oberon. In this version, Dot is jealous of the affections her husband is giving young women (in fact, he sings a song about how quickly he falls in love), so she is the one who devises to make a potion with the help of the Duduri.
The Dokkebi had painted faces that worked well with their extravagant expressions. The movement and dance of the show was well choreographed. The Duduri had fun messing with the audience. Between the expressions and movement of the cast, this play was better communicated, I believe, to this audience than other companies had succeeded in doing. The audience loved it, and the applause just kept going and going at the end...
The story changed little, even without those characters. The biggest change I can think of is the switching of the roles of Titania and Oberon. In this version, Dot is jealous of the affections her husband is giving young women (in fact, he sings a song about how quickly he falls in love), so she is the one who devises to make a potion with the help of the Duduri.
The Dokkebi had painted faces that worked well with their extravagant expressions. The movement and dance of the show was well choreographed. The Duduri had fun messing with the audience. Between the expressions and movement of the cast, this play was better communicated, I believe, to this audience than other companies had succeeded in doing. The audience loved it, and the applause just kept going and going at the end...
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