Westminster Cathedral stands apart from other grand houses of worship in the city of London. Firstly, the building's architecture is styled in Early Christian Byzantine, and secondly the interior is both impressive and, well, unfinished. Architect John Bentley (who was converted to Catholicism for building the cathedral), was renowned for his Gothic Revival designs (preferring that style), but commissioned to build the cathedral in Byzantine style to set the building apart from Westminster Abbey; already completed in full Gothic glory. The framework of the building was completed with millions of hand-made bricks, while the interior is still under construction after more than a century. However, what is complete is rather breathtaking.
The interior features impressive marble-work, intricate mosaic tile work, wood flooring (laid in when the designs for the marble floor would over-extend the initial budget), and the blackened brickwork walls yet to be tiled. The seven side Chapels all feature a unique style, for instance the Chapel of St. Patrick featured Celtic design work differing in style from the Chapels of St. Andrew and St. Paul. This fusion of designs totaled in a wonderful house of worship, moving enough that I refrained from snapping photos of the amazing design work out of respect for reverence. The Cathedral also features a seventh story viewing gallery from the bell-tower, provided by lift from the back of the gift shop. The gallery can be quite chilly with winds, otherwise worthwhile. Finally, the Treasures of Westminster Cathedral includes some remarkable relics: from an intricate scale wooden model of the Cathedral by John Bentley, to relics of more than half a dozen Saints on display. All in all, worth a visit for any pilgrim or anyone remotely interested in architecture.
The Wallace Collection
Resting at the North side of Manchester Square, Hetford House holds the Wallace Collection: a holdings of remarkable stock in paintings, furniture, armors, ceramics, and sculptures. A collection accumulated by the first four Marquess of Hetford, the galleries were gifted to the British nation and public by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace (son of the 4th Marquess) in 1897. The Wallace Collection now displays exquisite European masterpiece paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries, each in rooms of elaborate style and décor. That the Hetford House retains the aesthetic of a home gallery, rather than that of a museum, is part of the collections charm, although much of the furniture is roped off as works of art in of themselves. From the wallpaper to the draperies, each room provides a rich backdrop for the array of masterpieces, while each room attempts to group sets of art in complementary veins.
Following the perusal of the collection, we retired to the Wallace Restaurant in the courtyard for high tea. The courtyard restaurant featured a large glass ceiling letting in plenty of natural light on the quaint and elegant garden style dining. Delicious tea with fingerling sandwiches, scones, and delectable desserts (all served on multi-tiered trays) all proved a fine way to round out the cultured afternoon. However, I reverted to my roots by stuffing the many leftovers into zip-lock baggies for later in the evening. Exit wearing jacket and tie, carrying a baggie of soon-to-be-soggy cucumber sandwiches, under the curious gaze of the pristine waitstaff.
The Globe Theatre; Measure for Measure
We return to the Globe Theatre for the problem play, Measure for Measure. As the hardest play for scholars to categorize cleanly as a comedy or tragedy (definitively not a history or romance play), Shakespeare's play about judgement and corruption has had a mixed history of popularity. Featuring what some critics consider Shakespeare's greatest female character Isabella, the story of this play can be kind of a mess depending on the interpretation. In this production, the Globe sided towards comedic melodrama (maybe that's the term?) overriding dark themes with frivolous humor. Totalitarianism, sexual coercion, corruption and trickery lead to a seemingly happy ending; complete with a few well placed lies and a righteous bed-trick. Everyone ends up married, so the play's a comedy, right? Who can tell if scholars can't. Anyway, this production allowed us to finally view the full beauty of the Globe Theatre (thanks again Oresteia) and I can now recommend the Groundling view from the yard as the best non-seats at the Globe. Some of the characters were a little flat, and the comedy catered to the drunks and tourists to an unnecessary degree at times. But I'm happy with a somewhat problematic production of the problem play. Measure not lest ye be... ah whatever.
The Globe Theatre; Richard II
Back for a second October night in a row, the Globe's production of Richard II was (mostly) brilliant. The portrayals of Richard and Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) were well conceived, leaving the audience to continually question which royalty to side with in a complicated historical case. Banners and Coats-of-Arms decorated this political drama, with perfect musical accompaniment from a quartet of trombones; providing both the celebration and lamentation as fitting. The design was perfectly classical and the staging tasteful. Well, tasteful until the Globe couldn't resist catering to Groundling tourists and undermining the tragedy of Richard's tragic murder. Immediately prior to Richard's tragic demise, we were treated to two scenes of slapstick comedy featuring a "monkey-in-the-middle" game with a pair of boots. The subject of these two scenes? Revolt against the King and later forgiveness by that King. Somewhere in there, the scenes devolved into a family melodrama filled with clowning fit for the Three Stooges. The Globe asking the audience to then switch gears back into classical tragedy was jarring; though possible to accept, the dual scenes definitely undermine the drama built over multiple hours sitting in the cold. Erasing those two scenes from my memory, the historical tragedy was nearly flawless. In the end, I measure the Globe to deliver decent Shakespeare, but processing a definite tendency to cater to the Groundlings with raunchy and/or slapstick humor. Whether this tendency ruins the plays themselves is open for debate.
Sadler's Wells Theatre; Swan Lake
For classical ballet, this production was probably perfect, as well as the most conventional production we've viewed at Salder's Wells. Pretty dancers, dressed in pretty costumes, dancing pretty on a pretty set to a pretty orchestral score. I've never been so bored by sheer beauty in my life. I felt obliged to enjoy this production out of a sense of "high culture", but by Act II was left feeling this production made no cultural statement whatsoever and was a matter of tradition more than relevance. Mopey prince denies three pretty brides to fall in love with princess trapped as swan, with true love foiled by evil sorcery. When this plot is conveyed by a cast (all of identical body type) dancing on tip-toe, Swan Lake just felt shallow. Classical ballet takes rigorous body destroying labor to achieve the immaculate form and technique, however, I'll choose to be uncultured and state the beauty feels only skin deep. Like watching a Disney movie where all the characters will eventually need hip replacements, Swan Lake was the accumulation of beauty and labor into a children's story modeled for adults to feel stimulated and cultured. This production's execution of a classic was probably perfection. Bravo to all involved. However, that second twenty minute interval before the twenty-five minute final act ruined what little patience I had for this work of seamless beauty.
A Farringdon NCP Car Park Rooftop; Of Riders and Running Horses
This production from Dan Canham/Still House, presented by Dance Umbrella in partnership with The Place, had unique style. And free playbills. Oh yeah, and was performed on the roof of a car park with a live two person band. More of my style of event than Swan Lake, I'm also biased as this event had a pre-show music powered by stationary bicycles in the lobby (the lobby being the level of the car park below the roof). So admittedly, being allowed to physically power the music of Fela Kuti and Toots and the Maytals while drinking scotch will get me to support almost anything. Of the actual performance, there were several women dancing under the stars on a rooftop. At one moment the music gave way to 'silence', and the sounds of distant helicopters and sirens provided an organic atmosphere of it's own. The propose of the production was to create "the chance, which we need much more of on this crowded planet, to acknowledge the miracle of our simultaneous existence with some sort of celebration", and the piece ended with getting the audience to join in with dancing on a rooftop to the music of a cool October night. Mission accomplished.
East End Tour
Friday morning we toured London's east end. Starting at Liverpool Station, we made our way up historic Brick Lane with much talk of gentrification and various religious/social groups moving in and out of the area. Currently referred to as "Little Bangladesh", the area has served as refuge for Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim cultures (as well as various downcast general refugees) through the area's history. After stopping at the historic Beigel Bake for a cheap breakfast of Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Bagel; we headed for Bevis Marks Synagogue (one of the oldest Synagogues in Europe) for a brief tour. The interior of this Synagogue is virtually unchanged after more than three hundred years, having been designed and built by a Quaker during the close of the Cromwell era. For the general picture of the east end, there was street art and some interesting characters around Brick Lane. Some of our group called it a ghetto (albeit with a Subway chain sandwich shop?) but to me London's east end is lively, colorful, and probably much more affordable than downtown. To each their own.
Tomorrow begins our free week complete with Britrail Flexipass.
Select few of us quench the fires of freedom by an optional all-day trilogy production of the War of the Roses in Kingston. After which I travel to the Scottish highlands and the Welsh countryside.
Astride the doorway of potential, we sit in liminality.
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