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.
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