Resurrections, Elixirs, and Deaths: Out of Order and Out of Time

Museum of the Docklands

The museum of the Docklands on the Isle of Dogs is very informative, relating the history of London's east side docklands from slavery to the Blitz. The exhibits were informative and well laid out. However, for the small group of us who had a two hour acting final earlier that morning: we must have been a pitiful sight. After performing various monologues, poems, and exercises a final time (including Beckett's Come and Go with and without masks) the anticipation and ordeal left us very drained having to hop the tube immediately after lunch. Four of us could then be found watching a video on the blitz (with two slumped on the floor and two laying on the wooden benches), and watching the video a second time through instead of getting up. We were a little silly with exhaustion and operating on a very low retention level. Great museum, bad timing.

Somerset House and Thanksgiving

Located on the North Bank of the Thames next to Waterloo bridge, Somerset house was a palace originally built by Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector Edward Seymour. Seymour had demolished several churches on the site to build the palace, though he was executed for treason shortly after the building's completion. Having operated as a Royal Palace for many years, Oliver Cromwell died here. So a location with interesting history now primed for holiday celebrations.

We met at Somerset house for an hour of open air skating in the courtyard. The event was entertaining (as I haven't been on skates in over eight years) and very casual. Casual until a group of maybe forty small children mobbed the rink in bright orange vests. At this point ice skating became a living obstacle course and I suffered a pretty nasty fall dodging a little bugger. Worst part of falling being that the weather was surprisingly warm, allowing the rink to be slightly sloshy. I was a little battered from falling, but mostly soggy. Otherwise a fun way to spend Thanksgiving day, a holiday that no national was celebrating.

After skating, I visited the Courtauld Gallery (free as a student) which is a smaller collection featuring some wonderful work from the Renaissance to the Impressionists. Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and a single Lautrec graced the manageable collection. Also, the gallery offers a unique atmosphere to admire these famous paintings almost to yourself (near impossible with any Van Gogh at the National Gallery) totalling in the perfect collection for a quick visit to spice up your itinerary.

After a day of ice-skating and relaxing, we attended our Thanksgiving dinner upstairs at the Ship Tavern. Many of our professors and hosts from the Pickwick joined us for a three course feast of Turkey and Pie. Meanwhile, other tables were hosting premature Christmas parties in the same room, complete with silly paper elf hats.

National Theatre Backstage Tour

I want to work here. I want to play with all the toys. After seeing multiple shows in this theatre, getting a glimpse behind the scenes was fairly fascinating. There carpentry shop was massive, well equipped, and remarkably CLEAN. The paint studio featured three mechanical lifts for painting massive backdrops. The Dorfman Theatre (the one we hadn't seen) has the stalls on hydraulic lifts with fold-away seats: able to rearrange to many configurations. They have dedicated offsite warehouses for props and costumes. The new design studio (which we didn't enter) overlooks the scene shop, though sound-proofed. There is over 1,000 employees at the National, with many more freelance artists hired as needed. With the nature of 'front of house' at theatre's being very clean and presentational, gazing on techies bustling about running sound and lighting checks, or the random table with the eclectic collection of various props, was a refreshing reminder how much work goes into every show.

The Geilgud Theatre; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

This National Theatre transfer is a Simon Stephens' adaptation of a Mark Haddon novel, winner of 7 Olivier Awards (including Best Play) in 2013. The story is touching and the technology is pretty mesmerizing. The set is enclosed in massive projection screens, pulsing sound systems, and flashy automated lights. This high-tech environment supported the devised physical theatre style of an ensemble cast, telling the touching story of an (albeit extremely highly-functioning) autistic adolescent attempting to solve the murder of his neighbor's dog. To be honest, if this show were in the first few weeks of the program, I would have been much more impressed. Instead, several things about the show really bothered me. The autistic episodes of the protagonist ranged from artistic to all out rave-scene with pulsing rhythms and seizure inducing flashing lights. At one point (and only one) the entire back wall moved slowly forward to represent the character's claustrophobia. Basically, I enjoyed the actors' innovations and representation, though some of the tech use in the show struck me as expensive, expansive, and at times overdone. When there was harmony between the devised theatre style and tech, this show really soared. At other times it just struck me as "oh, oh, look what we an do with all this expensive equipment!"And then they brought a puppy onstage and over 700 people all went "Awwww" simultaneously and talked excitedly through the rest of the scene as if they'd never seen a damn puppy before. Curtain falls as the crowds excitedly mob the gift shop.

Royal Opera House; Lulu- A Murder Ballad

Brecht inspired, pitch-black comedy gypsy cabaret: the Tiger Lillies present a musical meditation inspired by Frank Wedekind's heroine Lulu. Performed by the musical trio onstage with a single dancer darting around, this show was easily the most advantageous work the program attempted. And more than half the group attempted to walk out (probably why we didn't see Pinter). So not for everyone, but a fierce cult following among the right crowds.

Narrating the tale of Lulu getting pimped by her father to multiple husbands or lovers and leaving a trail of corpses behind them through brooding songs. The show featured triple layered projections, framing the proscenium arch and dual layer screens upstage for the dancer to appear in between the projections. Beyond the projections and minimal lighting, this was a very narrative, expressionistic piece. Clown make-up and accordion. Bowler hats and stand up bass. Narratives on prostitution and misogyny. Dark and provocative, addressing classical and modern social issues to the accompaniment of a hand-saw being played by a violin bow. So good I'd see it twice (which I did).

The Hackney Empire; Jack and the Beanstock

Voted London's most welcoming theatre, the Hackney Empire presents a traditional holiday British Panto story. Getting to the theatre was another misadventure. While on the 38 bus (on which I missed Medea) a creeping feeling of foreboding once again greeted me. Checking my ticket, I discovered the show was at 7:00 and would therefore be late (happened to many on our group as the show was mistakenly on our schedule for 7:30). However, as a family friendly show, I was allowed to enter late without having to wait for the interval. Assumed I had missed some backstory, where I apparently did not. Backstory for Jack and the Beanstock? No. Backstory for why Jack was a woman in fishnets repeatedly referred to as a boy, and why there was a Jamaican snowman running around the stage. These things were apparently not explained. The show also featured the classic "Dame" role of a man very unconvincingly playing a woman, something that Britons find endlessly entertaining in comedy. There were parody versions of everything from Aretha Franklin to Taylor Swift. Basically, this show was kid/family tailored Christmas fun. After I talked to a father at the interval, with his three young children enthralled at their first live theatre show, I enjoyed this show as a merry time not to be too scrutinized. Also the only show I've ever seen where the stage hands got to bow onstage with the actors. So go Hackney Empire.

English National Opera; The Mikado

A Gilbert and Sullivan's classic, the Mikado is light entertainment critiquing British culture under the guise of exotic context. However, this exotic context (Japan) can be interpreted as racist a little too easily, more so when all the British actors have exotic makeup. Also not the best depiction of feminist issues. Basically I had to keep reminding my mind that the show is Gilbert and Sullivan to stop looking at the show from an analytical liberal arts college standpoint. That being said, many of my college friends would probably picket this show from a social issues standpoint.

The show itself featured a large cast with dancing maids and school girls. Most interesting was the set, with a stage featuring multiple angles of rake in a surrealist manner. Also a victorian interior painted all white (including the house-plant) to make the black and white coat-and-tails costumes really stand out. Basically, the show was well composed and exactly what I'd expect from a Gilbert and Sullivan show being produced this caliber of a professional company. But yeah, British actors speaking in British accents wearing British fashions (mostly) and then sporting 'asian' make-up was a little disconcerting for my sensibilities. Classic Gilbert and Sullivan song and dance though. Matinee performance contrasted by a second viewing of Lulu: a Murder Ballad for something completely different.

The Pit; The Body

Located in the second level of the basement of the Barbican Complex, the aptly named "Pit" black-box theatre was perhaps the perfect venue for this piece, altered to an intimate 18 person capacity. An experimental work exploring the human body; brooding and celebratory. Winner of the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award 2015, Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari's the Body featured projections, medical equipment and a rather large population of dolls of every variety and function. The audience had to attach heart rate monitors at the start of the show, and were then handed a weighted baby doll for the rest of the show. Later on we were handed party hats and a slice of jam cake. The musical score was ambient with a violin that was revealed as being played live. Overall, an extremely experimental piece with somewhat mixed results. Personally I wish the show had a bit more continuity, as certain moods and moments were quite remarkable and could have been extended, but were instead quickly swept away in cabaret-like mini-scenes. Not the most cohesive narrative ever composed, but definitely made you reflect on "what it means to be alive for a brief time in this astonishing complex world, in this bag of skin and fat and muscle and bone and neurons."

This week also included a four hour acting workshop with Pomona Director Ned Bennett:
"No. There's you. There's me. And there's the space." The world tomorrow offers:
our Shakespeare class final presentations,
our last meeting for British Theatre,
and tea with James Roose Evans.

Later in the week,
Visit the TATE Britain.
Then finish all classes.
Then the final banquet.
Then home to Ithaka.
Whatever that means.

Billy Pilgrim returns to the slaughterhouse. Malexander Supertourist dies (again) somewhere in Denali National Park. The monster is beheaded by a contemplative beamish boy. I'll leave them dead. Inside my head.
Until they come gallumping back.

The Roads Back and the Roads Forth

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace was initially built by Cardinal Thomas Wosley, before Henry VIII seized the structure during Wosley's fall from favor at the start of the Reformation. Wosley was charged with securing King Henry's divorce from his first wife, Kathrine of Aragon, and Wosley's failure in this enterprise prompted both his fall from grace and the Anglican faith. The Catholic iconography, including Wosley's coat of arms, were replaced with the many depictions of Henry VIII and the coats of arms of his six wives. The Palace was extensively remodeled by King Henry and featured the first chimney pots in the country, all artistically designed and unique in a display of wealth. The design of the palace is in similar layout to the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, with structures encompassing the various open air courts. The Great Hall and Chapel Royal feature marvelous and intricate ceilings, with a network of kitchens and cellars beneath. The gardens feature everything from Royal Tennis Courts, Tiltyard, hedge-maze, privy and rose gardens; sprinkled with statues and fountains.

After the palace survived an occupation by Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth, King William III added massive extension to the structures and gardens of the palace, hiring Christopher Wren and hoping to parallel the brilliance of Versailles. However, when construction was halted around the turn into the 18th century, the palace was left in part Tudor and part Baroque style. Since this time, the palace has not been inhabited by the Royal Family and is open to the public as a museum on the Tudor and Georgian periods. However, as the palace is a model of Tudor and Georgian methods of heating and insulation, the drafty palace may be best enjoyed in the warmer seasons. Though there is usually a fire burning in the kitchens during the winter months.

New Palace of Westminster

With the original building constructed under Edward the Confessor, the Palace of Westminster has not been a Royal residence since the early 1500's when a fire ravaged the old structure. In the early incarnation of the palace, the building housed the Royal Family, the two Houses of Parliament (the Royal Council before that), and the Justice Courts (long before the Royal Courts of Justice were formed in the mid-1800's). After a second devastating fire in the early 1800's, the palace was rebuilt in Gothic Revival style as seen today, with the Justice Courts moving out of the structure as well. Since that time, the Palace is home exclusively to the two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords (appointed) and the House of Commons (elected).

While the parliamentary procedures have been updated to modern times (iPads and emails), several old and interesting traditions still stand. Votes are still taken via head counts as members of the house physically divide into “Yaes” and “Noes” lobbies, a system they describe as incorruptible. Most interesting is several traditions developed from King Charles I's reign: no monarch is allowed inside the House of Commons. This leads to an interesting ceremony during the opening of Parliament every year, when the monarch arrives at the Palace and must summon the members of the House of Commons. There is an odd traditional ceremony where the “Black Rod” (messenger from the monarch) approaches the House of Commons and gets the door ceremoniously slammed in his face. After knocking with the ceremonial black rod, he is allowed to enter the chamber and summon the members before the monarch. Traditions like the “Black Rod” keep the history strong, while new referendums (like curbing the House of Lords to below a thousand members) keep the Palace of Westminster evolving into the modern age.

Her Majesty's Theatre; the Phantom of the Opera

A pillar of musical theatre (along with Les Miserables) holding up expensive tickets to cover obscene production costs. The original story might have more Frankenstien meditations, however Andrew Loyd Webber's musical gets awkwardly caught between Stockholm syndrome and yet another ingenue romance. I couldn't feel pity for the over-manipulative and controlling Phantom or interest in the ugly duckling story of the chorus girl. And I made effort to care, but after the Phantom's manipulating the young ingenue into a leading role and blackmailing the opera house with violent acts, I found that the "angel of music" anti-hero was just an asshole and the ingenue stereotypically dim-witted for going along with his manipulations. The saving grace of the production (not the repetitive musical score) was the basic magic tricks used with flash-paper, body doubles, and vanishing acts. The design of the show (featuring multiple set and costume designs with the plot being within a Opera House) were pretty incredible, and sparked the realization "oh, that's why these upper balcony tickets cost double what other West End shows charge for the stalls". There's no business like show-tune musical theatre industry.

Trafalgar Studios; The Homecoming

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Harold Pinter's award winning show, directed by celebrated Pinter interpreter Jamie Lloyd, and with an acclaimed all star cast. First, a quick recommendation for Trafalgar Studios: go to this theatre. Situated right off Trafalgar Square, this smaller Art Deco theatre has electric charm and offers more 'off the beaten track' works of theatre goers. Jean Genet's The Maids is opening after I leave as an example of the works that happen in this space. So yeah, definitely visit this place for a taste of alternative theatre.

The Homecoming is one of Pinter's most celebrated works, with a world of visceral tensions and sexual depravity. The eldest son returns home with his wife, to an all male environment seething with loathing. Featuring Pinter's signature style of power dynamics with fully loaded pauses. Best moment of the show was possibly the extension of one of these pauses through the use of a fly (localized sound effect) buzzing around the auditorium. Upbeat 60's pop music contrasted the menacing nature of the show. Got my ticket (middle house) for half-price at the Leicester Square ticket booth. Left the theatre enthralled by good theatre and simultaneously feeling disturbed (like I needed a good shower) which I think are all signs of Pinter done correctly.

New London Theatre; War Horse

So I went to this show for the puppets. I had my expectations for the story set really, really low. Pleasantly surprised. The puppets were amazing and used more than I might have expected: the main character was really the horse Joey, an elaborate puppet operated by three puppeteers. The story of a boy and his horse through WWI: the basic (and mostly predictable) story was well conceived in a devised theatre fashion similar to Jane Eyre; probably because this show is also a National Theatre conception. Probably the best merger of modern technology (specifically projections) and physical theatre/puppets seen so far on the trip (sorry Lion King). Worth seeing for the technologies, though the basic tear-jerker story is well staged enough to pluck your heart strings. You'll probably laugh, you might cry. You'll most definitely walk away saying "damn, that's quite an incredible use of puppets."

The Garrick Theatre; Winter's Tale

I'm not a person who gets very star struck. I shrugged at seeing Cumberbatch and haven't really been searching for celebrities while here. However, OH MY GOD KENNETH BRANAGH AND DAME JUDI DENCH DOING SHAKESPEARE!! I paid a good amount of change (and stood in the cold for two hours) to get a ticket to this show, and yeah I counted letters of the alphabet to find out exactly how close I was to Judi Dench (15 rows away at Row O). Though I will state that why I was so impressed is that this show was by no means a 'star vessel' like Hamlet was. Judi Dench as Paulia, though perfectly cast and wonderfully performed is not a massive part. Branagh as Leontes has a larger part, but Winter's Tale requires a strong supporting cast, and the production was tailored to deliver a strong Shakespeare production, not to showcase the talents of Branagh and Dench.

Therefore, this odd fairy tale problem play was ironically the best Shakespeare production of the trip. And I say that as there really was nothing to complain about (without being absurdly picky) and this is in the play where your production team has to tackle "exit man pursued by bear" while keeping the dramatic momentum. The production handled the tonal shifts of the play with expertise: from 'Christmas time' Sicilia to 'spring festival' Bohemia, nothing felt forced or awkward, instead with the contrast feeling of welcome relief. Also that Bohemian song and dance. Also that hilarious cut-purse character. Anyway, the production was fantastic, and a happy note to end on for Shakespeare productions this trip. Overall, wonderful and well-rounded production. That being said, seeing Dame Judi as a spunky lady-in-waiting overstepping her bounds to tell off an enraged King Branagh was worth the ticket price, but supported by the rest of a well-developed production.

The Gate Theare; Medea

A modern adaptation of the classic, this new production of the Medea plays at the Gate Theare in central London and not the Almeida Theater in Islington. The Almeida Theatre is in the completely opposite direction from the Gate Theatre, so don't get on the 38 bus going in that (wrong) direction. Obviously, I ended up in Islington this night, and missed the show. Therefore all I can tell you about this show for now is that it is playing at the Gate not the Almeida. That is all.

Winter has arrived in London with cold temperatures and colder winds delivering rain. 

Christmas lights arise en masse, with no Thanksgiving to feel guilty about skipping over. 

I write my final papers and we see our final productions of the trip as the term winds down. 

Malexander Supertourist receives his revenge, deserting Billy Pilgrim to the cold in his time of need. 

The road ahead and the road behind are ruled by the monster, with the dragon sweeping skies above. 

Rewards: Real Death and Fictional Ressurections

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral is a Gothic Cathedral rich with history. The Cathedral's front facing features a statue pair of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (to the left of the main door) with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on the right side (one of the only known statues of the married couple together). A further array of Kings' statues line the outer facing of the building, with a line of clergy above them. The interior is composed in beautiful high Gothic style, and displays the most interesting stained glass; composed of the deep purples, blues, and reds. The Cathedral's Nave is also the resting place for Edward (the Black Prince), King Henry IV and his two wives. There is a candle burning in the center of the Nave where Thomas Becket's elaborate tomb once rested, before Henry VIII's cronies sacked the place in the Reformation.

Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury until his murder by four knights under misinterpreted suggestion of King Henry II. Slaughtered inside Canterbury Cathedral, there is now a grimly commemorative modern art sculpture on the spot of his murder. His body was initially put to rest in the Cathedral's crypt, with a continual vigil of two monks praying at the tomb. Becket's tomb became the destination of many pilgrimages, with two holes cut into the lead tomb to allow pilgrims to touch the wooden casket during prayer. Many miraculous miracles occurred, and the blood of Becket was also concocted into an elixir. After the tomb was relocated to the Nave, and later sacked, Saint Becket was believed to be buried in an unmarked grave in the Nave. However, excavation has found no body in that section of the Cathedral, and the body of Saint Becket is lost in mystery.

Cliffs of Dover

The town of Dover is quite quaint, with the sprawling Dover Castle over looking the town from the large hill. After somehow getting lost, we found a cafe that offered an English Breakfast for less than five pounds: one of those times where quantity won out over quality. With calories to burn, we had a misadventure by mistakingly climbing the long, steep hill to Dover Castle. Finding the Castle not only closed, and also that there was no access to the famous cliffs of Dover from that hill, we retreated down the path we came. Following the highway to outside of the town, we discovered the public access path up to the cliffs near the highly active port. While the cliffs themselves were as white as their name suggests, the view was somewhat ruined by the sight of the port imposing the view of the vast ocean.

However, after hiking for some time, we rounded the cliffs to find the perfect scenic view, leaving the port and town behind us. Other than the worn paths and occasional gate/fence, the routes along the cliffs were left to their natural splendor, with roads and car-parks further back on more solid ground. The view we finally found featured little trace of civilization (beyond several hikers taking selfies), on a jutting section of cliff facing South East. The cliffs were spectacular, dropping down to the rocky beach where rolling waves crashed the shoreline. The English Channel stretched beyond view, speckled with ferry boats to France, whose cliffs could be faintly made out along parts of the horizon. We left the cliffs and the faint view of France as the sun set, with no ominous foreboding of the events that would shake the distant country later that night.

Camden Town

Saturday featured scattered rains and cold winds. Postponing a trip to Brighton, I wandered Camden Town Market. A vibrant section of London featuring many shops, stalls, and the most diverse food court imaginable. Surprisingly, the market was still bustling despite the events of the previous night and the weather of the day. I didn't buy anything besides food. The crowds, though less than in nice weather, made me more irritable in the soggy weather. Not altogether the most worthwhile visit, but successfully got out of the Pickwick for a bit.

The Old Vic; The Hairy Ape

Eugene O'Neill's expressionist play is very different from what we've seen on the trip. Also, I fully understand why this show was not on our schedule for our group, as many would have dismissed the play for being too esoteric, yet the play served as great contrast for the different styles of theatre.
Telling the story of industrial worker Yank, O'Neill's play follows the character through an identity crisis searching for belonging in the capitalist world. As Yank begins with confidence in his work as a fireman stoking the engines of an ocean-liner, an insult from the daughter of an industrialist shatters his pride; prompting the character to search for revenge and belonging. Failing both, Yank eventually looks for friendship from a gorilla he frees from the zoo, leading to his demise.

The production at the Old Vic was fleshed out in filth and florescent colors. Bertie Carvel possessed a demanding stage presence as the brutish Yank, supported by the other actors' alternating embodiment of upper and lower classes. The expressionist elements of the production were strongest in the representation of the Manhattan 5th Avenue upper-class (wearing suits and white masks) and the man in the moon (a giant balloon with a face). The staging of the scenes in the ship's bowels (forecastle, stoke room, and showers) featured wonderful staging and physical theatre. Round everything off with an actor in a gorilla suit, and you have O'Neill's The Hairy Ape.

The Sunday Misadventure

A failed attempt to visit Brighton. Boarding the train at St. Pancras, apparently I was supposed to transfer at Blackfriars to reach Brighton. I was too engrossed in my book to realize, and hence rode a loop back to Blackfriars. Finished book. Exited station on Southbank and walked across Waterloo Bridge back to the Pickwick. Failed attempts at calling the Garrick Theatre about tickets for Winter's Tale. Visited the Vodafone store to inquire why my call was being rejected. Discovered I can't make calls to numbers beginning with “08,” didn't understand why, just accepted defeat. Walked down to Trafalgar Square to find the Garrick closed up. Sat in cafe to wait till closer to showtime for the box office to open. Box office never opened, with the theatre dark for the night. Walked back to Pickwick. Called it a day of successful failure.

In a world filled with reality and terror:
Paris bleeds. Syria burns. Soldiers perish. Industry thrives. Women suffer. Children die hungry.
And the poor and miserable continually suffer the blows and bombasts of dangerous misfortune.

Inside the little infinity of my mind:
Billy Pilgrim weeps in self-conceit. The monster eats the entrails of spare time.
And the dragon Malexander Supertourist rises again, in disingenuous resurrection.

The Virtues of Reward; Growing Fond Hearts

The National Portrait Gallery

There was a slight misadventure with our visit to the National Portrait Gallery. Having arrived in Trafalgar Square at 11:00am, we soon discovered the group was not scheduled for the Gallery until 1:00pm; a confusion due to last minute schedule changes. Having not brought any money (by mistake) to grab a leisurely lunch, I made use of the time by revisiting the National Gallery and feasting the mind though not the stomach. I located many wonderful romantic paintings based on stories from Ovid's Metamorphosis, as well as revisiting the Impressionists. Our visit was also the Wednesday of the Day of Remembrance, and therefore Trafalgar Square was a bustle of activity, with clusters of fake poppy flowers floating in the square's fountains.
Upon arrival in the National Portrait Gallery, we journeyed to the portraits from the Tudor dynasty. These rooms were a delight for me, being a Shakespeare geek, as many of the court portraits of characters like William Cecil, Henry Wroithesley, and King Richard III were all paintings I had seen in various books on Shakespeare and the Tudor era. Seeing these portraits in person was a complete delight, to observe the true scale and texture of the paintings. Furthermore, we found the famous Shakespeare portrait that was the first portrait acquired for the Gallery's original collection. Interestingly, the description admits the portrait (associated with John Taylor and dated between 1600-1610) is only “thought” to be William Shakespeare the famous writer. Of the 94 associated portraits of Shakespeare, this painting would be one of the few not a post-humorous work based off of Martin Droeshout's engraving for the First Folio.

St.Paul's Cathedral

St.Paul's Cathedral on the north bank of the City of London is simultaneously a house of worship and a monument in it's own right. One of many Cathedral's to be built on the location, St.Paul's is generally considered to be Christopher Wren's masterpiece of architecture. Impressive from the outside, with city ordinances forbidding surrounding buildings from blocking the view of St.Paul's, the interior of the Cathedral is breathtaking. With very limited use of stained-glass (only the East section: the Apse), the building offers a spacious and cavernous interior, complete with ample amounts of natural light. This neo-classical style is very different from the many neo-gothic abbeys (etc) we have visited, offering a very different aesthetic.
Below the ground floor is the largest crypt in London, featuring the resting place of architect Christopher Wren, the painter William Turner, and the war heroes the like of General Wellington and Admiral Nelson. Also a cafe and gift shop. The most delightful part of St.Paul's is possibly the journey upwards through the massive dome. With a stop on the Whispering Gallery, where whispers projected into the curved wall can be heard on the other side of the dome, you arrive at the Stone Gallery and finally the Golden Gallery with unbeatable views of the Thames and central London. There are 528 steps to the Golden Gallery, but the steps to the Whisper Gallery are extremely shallow in rise, making the total tally more impressive than it should be. And the view makes the journey incredibly rewarding. Also, side doors that avoid the exit-through-the-gift-shop stratagem may involve the “suspiciously dropping to the sidewalk from over the banister” strategy since the gates are locked.

The National Theatre; As You Like It

Unless I can get return tickets for Winter's Tale, this will sadly be the last Shakespeare production of the trip. And the show got off to a rough start. In an interesting (perhaps ill-advised) modern spin to Shakespeare's play, the royal court of the plays opening was transferred to the world of a corporate office. Not a bad concept in of itself, but whomever decided to design the office space (with vibrant colored blazer jackets and a hideously colorful carpet) made the space look like the Easter Bunny's corporate head quarters. Add a wrestling match (that for some reason is taking place in the middle of the work space during office hours) and the result was more than a little silly. So I like to forget this part of the play ever happened. A bad dream that preceded an otherwise amazing production.

Entering the forest, the array of chairs and desks were lifted into the sky for form the foliage and tree trunks. Members of the company hung out (literally) in the collage of furniture to create an organic soundscape of birds and beasts, winds and gales. The actors were all well cast, with a strong Rosalind and a Celia rounded the role into something more than a bit part. Orlando's love notes were green post-it notes, which became the buds/leaves on the trees/furniture as the Forest of Arden shifted from Winter to Spring. So intentionally forgetting the opening segment of the show, this was one of the better Shakespeare productions we've seen. The office conceit led to the amazing technical moment when the furniture rose to become the forest, and I will remember this show exclusively from that moment onwards.

Tricyle Theatre: A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes or the Gospel of Tartuffe

This world premiere at the historic Tricyle Theatre easily and gracefully lands as one of my favorite shows of the trip. A modernized comedic retelling of Moliere's comedy Tartuffe, playwright Marcus Gardley sets the stage in the American south's baptist church. Apostle Toof cures the wealthy fried-chicken-chain/funeral-parlour tycoon from heart disease. There was gospel songs with dialogue in modern verse and prose. The language was wonderful and the situations hilarious. However, the play (like the original) addressed dark themes of manipulation and corruption. The script ends with Toof being struck by holy lightning for his blasphemy, but the company allowed the play to end just shy of this moment, with Toof unrepentant and successfully cheating the family of everything they own. Ending on this darker tone, the comedy delivered powerful commentary on religion and injustice.

This show also featured our first front row seats, and I was quickly singled out by actor Lucian Msamati (as Apostle Toof) to be mocked and reproofed as "ye of little faith". The cast appreciated a group of bawdy Americans in the front row, as much of the house has been filled by more elder and traditionally polite theatre going British folk. After the show, a few of us straggled to meet five of the actors in the lobby as they left. That they were all so very gracious, friendly, and receptive to us only further increased my opinion of this show.

Mercers' Hall; The Journey Thus Far

Celebrating our acting teacher's 88th birthday, James Roose Evans performed a spoken word meditation on his life accompanied by Baroque harpist Frances Kelly. Hosted by Mercers Company, the event was definitely an experience. Entering through an unassuming door in a small side alley (after earpiece and suit wearing hulking bouncers checked you off the list), we entered a refurbished hall of an old Ironmongers Guild. The lobby was impressive, with waiters in tailed coats serving refreshments off trays. The event itself was a fundraiser for James' new theatre company Frontier Theatre Productions: geared towards giving a space for more elderly performers to pass on wisdom.

The performance featured James delivering everything from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to Mary Oliver, Lewis Carrol, and anonymously written Elizabethan love poetry. Very James, and similar to the material we've been working with in class. Also reflecting on various themes from his life, James offered wisdom on ideologies like "innocence is vastly important (distinctly different from ignorance)" or that "love is the greatest of art forms". In all, a wonderful evening highlighting a great man and supporting a new company. Made me more glad to know the man and proud to have him as a teacher for the time being.

Royal Festival Hall; Philharmonia Orchestra

As the only concert our group will attend, this was no disappointment. Featuring Weber's Overture (Der Freischutz), Mendelssohn'sViolin Concerto, and Beethoven's Symphony No 3 (Eroica), performed by a classical orchestra with many violins. World renowned violinist Sergej Kryloy was a last minute stand in for the ill Valeriy Sokolov, and was met with such tremendous applause that he performed a solo encore. Wonderful music. Most interesting was we were seated in the choir seats behind the stage. With the musicians backs to us, we had a marvelous view of the animated and expressive Juraj Valcuba as conductor. Watching the conductor added visual entertainment to the otherwise audio performance. Wonderful concert.

The road to Dublin over the Irish Sea proves to rocky without the dragon.
            Billy Pilgrim rides towards Canterbury in the arms of the monster.
                           Dragon Malexander Supertourist rots for three days time.

Malexander's Ordeal; Running the Gauntlet with Scissors

The Queen's Theatre; Les Miserables

When I first was exposed to Les Miserables at about age ten, my biggest wish was to one day see a professional production of the smash-hit musical. So years after I lost interest in the show, and with great irony, I attended the 30th anniversary run of the show in Picadilly Circus. And there was nothing wrong with the production. In fact, everything about the musical was well done. I simply don't have the interest in musical theatre that I used to possess.

Also, in what I used to consider a production that details the suffering of the destitute, I could now only view as propagating Christian messages. “The world can be a hard place” was the message I used to get from the show when I was young, somehow completely missing much of the “but God is waiting to reward you with Heaven!” part of the moral. I'm not saying this a bad moral, just that in viewing this show I was struck that the political drama was simply underscoring the religious overtones. Anyway, the redemption of everyone's favorite criminal-turned-bourgeois hero shows us that even convicts and/or factory owners have souls that need saving.

Sadler's Wells; Love, Art, and Rock & Roll

Ok, so we attend Sadler's Wells more than occasionally. This dance show was by Rambert, (an apparently internationally renowned dance company) and all I have from this show was my own interpretation, since I don't buy playbills. The first piece featured three dancers in all white and three in all black, with a moment meditation of love or art or maybe both? The second piece featured two couples and a nebulous ensemble of dancers dressed in all black exploring the themes of love? I do know themes of love and art were among the subject matter, and the live orchestra accompaniment was delightful, but distinctly not rock & roll. Then the third piece happened.

Performed to a soundtrack of Rolling Stones songs (including “Paint it Black”, “Playing with Fire”, and “Sympathy for the Devil” among others) this last piece explicitly examined rock & roll. At least rock & roll as far as the Rolling Stones are concerned. The male dancers all wore dress shirts with ties and did interpretive rooster struts that always ended with adjusting their tie. Starting with these moves to the song “Little Red Rooster”, these movements continued as a common thread throughout the piece. I can't describe how or why it was so funny and entertaining, but I left the theatre humming Rolling Stones songs and tempted to poorly imitate the rooster walk down the sidewalk adjusting my non-existent tie.

The Lyceum Theatre; Disney's Lion King


So. I'm not a fan of Disney. That's a subject for a different blog, but the Judy Taymor Tony-Award-Winning adaptation of the much loved Disney classic into a stage musical is a subject for this blog. The puppets were interesting and innovative. The show embraced African culture much more than I expected with language, song, and dance. At core, however, the show was still a Disney story with a message of... I don't really know. Beware evil lions that lead packs of hyenas? Don't worry about the desolation of your homeland until your dead father communes with you from the stars via a shaman monkey? I might be missing major themes, or there's just not much depth to this children's story. I don't really know or care. The African culture element was nice, but the electric guitar and Disney lyrics kind of spoiled that. There was a random moment of shirtless hyena house-music techno-rave for no reason.. I spent the show comparing the plot to Hamlet (as people keep telling me the plots are similar), but found that Simba's character arc is more similar to Prince Hal in many ways. But that's analyzing the narrow plot more than the children's story maybe deserves.

The Royal Courts of Justice

Built in the late 19th century in grand neo-gothic style, the Royal Courts of Justice building is positioned on the Strand in the City of Westminster just outside the limits of the City of London. The Royal Courts of Justice operates as the High Court and the Court of Appeal, with the Central Criminal Court operating inside the Old Bailey close to St. Paul's Cathedral. The courts are populated by judges, solicitors (lawyers carrying out office work), and barristers (lawyers carrying out trial work) all of whom are, by tradition, wearing robes and wigs that appear to be fashioned in “one-size-fits-all” form. Senior barristers are even referred to as “silks” as they are allowed to wear black silk gowns while junior barristers are not. The Royal Courts of Justice are open to the public during business hours, though everyone is required go through a basic metal detector and bag screening. Furthermore, no photography is allowed anywhere in the premise. A security guard may approach you to remind you that photography of even educational displays of the Magna Carta is strictly forbidden and threaten to fine, arrest, and imprison you for any breech of this rule.

After sitting in on an appeal case involving a drunken arsonist, we left the Royal Courts of Justice to explore the regions of Middle Temple Bar and the Inner Temple. We ended our visit by exploring Temple Church, the historic headquarters for the Knights Templar but now owned and managed by the Inner and Middle Temple after being gifted by King James I. During the Crusades, the church also served as a treasury for the Templars, who were also money lenders before being denounced and disbanded. The church was originally a Round Church (modeled off the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem) that was expanded chancel added on in 1240. The Temple and courts make up a neighborhood of their own on the Strand complete with gardens, courtyards, and quaint winding alleys.

Bath Trip

Our trip began with a visit to the historical Stonehenge. The weather, being a steady and blustering mist, was exactly what I had envisioned for the site and helped keep the tourists thronging the site to a minimum. With a new exhibit open to the public, the area around Stonehenge is very controlled, but does allow for wonderful viewing and photo opportunities. After a short stop at the site, we headed to the Avebury Henge, which is open to the public scattered about various sheep fields. Trundling through muddy fields among the sheep was a wonderful way to enjoy this site when dressed for the messy occasion. Following a path along the upper ridge surrounding the village of Avebury, I was attracted to a magical grove of trees tucked away around the bend. The root masses sprawled over the small hill draped in vibrant red leaves, while the site was scattered with tokens and prayers. Burnt candles, sodden notes, messages carved into the ancient trunks, and ribbons/yarns/strings scattered in the branches. I received more of a reverent chill from this grove than any site (religious or historical) so far on the trip. In the falling mist I felt struck with the beauty of the elements; giving myself a pagan baptism with the rain-made mud, much to the later mockery from the rest of the group. 

In Bath, we toured the downtown area along the River Avon before visiting the old Roman Baths: the remains of a once massive bathhouse complex. Remains of the plumbing networks, pools, and religious iconography from the facades and temple made up a museum testifying to the sophistication of the Roman culture. There was a immersion therapy pool, fed by hot spring water that entered the pool at a velocity to make the pool the equivalent of a jacuzzi. But with healing waters from a holy spring. I tried the holy sulfuric water from a fountain in the museum, as well as from the fountain outside Bath Abbey; so according to legend, I should by protected against gout.

Windsor Castle

The best part of visiting Windsor Castle was that Queen Elizabeth II was at home, as displayed by her royal standard flying from the keep in place of the Union Jack. The worst part about visiting Windsor Castle was not actually seeing the Queen Mum or getting the chance to say hello. Either way, closest proximity I've probably been to English Royalty. The castle itself is quite large, with the massive round keep on a center hill, with accompanying state apartments and St. George's Chapel (where King Henry VIII is buried with his third wife). As our visit to the castle was on a Sunday, the Chapel was closed for services, this Sunday also being a day of remembrance for the soldiers of WWI. 

We did tour the state rooms of the castle, which features the immaculately detailed Queen Mary's Doll House (more royal mansion than house, and in 1:12 scale) and plenty of royal treasures. Numerous displays of weapons, armor, art, and artifacts lined the rich rooms and hallways. I've probably now seen the finest collection of fine china I may ever see. Also, as the 200th anniversary year of the Battle of Waterloo (and the defeat of Napoleon by General Wellington), there were plenty of artifacts and art in the theme of the battle. There was a great painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps while looking pitifully sad. The general view from the castle's perch was overlooking the Thames river, and the old moat around the keep is now charming gardens we weren't allowed to enter. Over-all, can see the why the Queen is attached to the place, so the contractors who almost unwittingly burned the place down in 1992 must suffer from career ending embarrassment. 

"I am a villain: yet I lie. I am not.

Fool, of thyself speak well: fool, do not flatter.

My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,

And every tongue brings in a several tale,

And every tale condemns me for a villain.

I shall despair. There is no creature loves me;

And if I die, no soul shall pity me:

Nay, wherefore should they, since that I myself

Find in myself no pity to myself?"

                                                  -Malexander Supertourist

Without speeches or further ado: 

                      the monster slays the dragon Malexander Supertourist.

"I am able now, methinks, 

out of a fortitude of soul I feel, 

to endure more miseries and greater far 

than my weak-hearted enemies dare offer.

I know myself now, and I feel within me 

a peace beyond all earthly dignities; 

a still and quiet conscience."

                                  -Billy Pilgrim

Billy Pilgrim shakes hands with the monster,

                                             and not a single tear is shed, 

                                                                        and conscience does make cowards of them all. 

The Monster Approaches; Somethings Wicked

The Foundling Museum

The museum showcases the history of the Foundling Hospital as the United Kingdom's “first children's charity and first public art gallery” established in 1739 by philanthropist Thomas Coram. The charity was established after receiving a Royal Charter from King George II after many years of petitioning and campaigning, and improved the lives of destitute children for over two hundred years. For the purpose of public fundraisers, artist William Hogarth donated and collected works of fine art for display, while renowned composer George Handel created original music for the events; turning the hospital into the United Kingdom's first public art gallery. While the original facilities were demolished (with the country preferring foster care systems after WWII) the museum is constructed in similar fashions of architecture and operates today detailing the Hospital's history and operates as gallery with temporary and permanent exhibits. Of course, of the permanent exhibits, the museum houses several of Hogarth's works and many artifacts from Handel's life.


The temporary exhibit was titled “The Fallen Women” featuring works of art exploring the popular Victorian motif of the woman falling from social grace (often ending in suicide). The exhibit was very poignant in context, as the Foundling Hospital accepted children from many downcast women from various backgrounds. The art was further complemented by actual petitions for the Hospital to accept certain children, detailing the accounts of the mother's “fall” (often including sexual assault). At the back of the exhibit, by a group of petitions, was a sound installation by Steve Lewinson featuring a whispered cacophony of the petitions, underscored by cello. As intriguing as the petitions were, more interesting are the displays showcasing the various tokens left by mothers to potentially reclaim their children in the future. Where the petitions give clear evidence to how the children arrived at the Foundling Hospital, the mystery behind the tokens representing the children never reclaimed was both fascinating and haunting.

The National Gallery

Opening at Trafalgar Square in 1838 as a new home for the public painting collection of banker John Angerstein, the gallery has offered classical Western European paintings dating as early as the 13th century for the enjoyment of rich and poor alike. Today, the sprawling collection spans a massive sweep of art history into impressionism, with an additional temporary exhibit. Starting with the 13th century religious paintings (many of them altar pieces), the early rooms of the gallery feature many marvelous shades of pinks and blues gilded with golden frames. The many early portrayals of Madonna eventually leads to Da Vinci's dimensional The Virgin of the Rocks, signaling a change of aesthetics and style. But before arriving at Da Vinci, we observed Paulo Vecello's Battle of San Romano (1440) as an earlier exercise in the use of perspective, and one of the many works in the gallery depicting Kings and military prowess. After moving through the romantic works the like of Raphael and Caravaggio, we admired Joseph Mallord Turner's painting Rain, Steam, Speed from 1844 which with abstracted imagery that inspired many of the impressionists, specifically leading to Monet's many studies of the Gare St-Lazare. The painting that inspired me the most was Monet's La Pointe de la Heve Sainte-Adresse, which was depicted a beach scene in relatively classical detail, but with the water and pebbles featuring a reflective quality specific to the impressionist style. Most interesting was the horizon line between the water and clouds, which featured an intriguing tone of silver which was physically textured from paint. A close friend once observed a similar feature in the horizon of a Van Gogh painting, describing the aesthetic as “real life”: somehow, the use of silver with abstracted cloud-work reaches towards a sort of ineffable and transcendent truth.

The British Museum

The history of the British Museum begins with the Sir Hans Sloane, who donated his collection of antiquities to King and nation (in return for 20,000 pounds for his heirs) with the collection opening to the public in Montagu House mansion in 1759 as the first public museum in the world. Today the Museum offers a colossal collection of artifacts and treasures, from the Rosetta Stone to the Lewis Chess Set and beyond. While many nations are petitioning to restore artifacts to their home country (despite what the museum's trustees will tell you), finding treasures from so many civilizations housed under one roof is an experience unique to the British Museum. While you can trace many cultural threads through the museum, our group followed the development of sculpture; from low, high, and full relief of mostly marble scenes and statues. Beginning with the ancient Assyrian relief sculpture depicting the Lion Hunts (where the creatures with the most emotional expression were the hunted lions), we then compared the style used by the Assyrians to the style of the ancient Greeks in the Parthenon Marbles.  Depicting a religious procession for Athena in the temple's frieze artwork, the style of relief utilized by both cultures was similar, but with vast difference in form and content. After examining many works of statues, we ended with the ever popular exhibit on mummification, which felt claustrophobic with the swarms of people at midday. Ultimately, the British Museum houses one of the greatest collections of historical artifacts on the planet, assuming your conscious is not troubled with the various methods of acquisition used to gather the cultural treasures. Furthermore, dodging the general public might be easier on Friday evenings when the museum is open until 20:30.

The Peacock Theatre; Into the Hoods

So let's be clear: Into the Hoods is a play off of Sondheim's Into the Woods. The production is a playful rendition and nothing else; not insulting, not blasphemy, not sacrilegious to the Church of Stephen Sondheim. The show is a light hearted play off Sondheim's show, in the way that Sondheim's show is a light hearted play of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales. 'Kay? 'Kay.

Admittedly, the plot was fairly dreadful, following two school kids who wander into the ghetto and must provide an iPhone, hoodie, yellow weave, and golden kicks before they may return home to presumably the suburbs. While not the most artistically deep knock-off plotline, the show did contain an impressive soundtrack of hip-hop music and beyond, and an endless barrage of admirable hip-hop dance moves. The soundtrack featured gems like an unique remix of Massive Attacks "Angel" combined with Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth". With impressive dance moves and expansive soundtrack, I was able to overlook the obscenely narrow plot and generalized overtones of the production to enjoy the soundscape and feats of physical prowess. Also featuring the best hip-hop dancing midget-fairy-godmother I have ever seen and probably ever see.

The Donmar Warehouse; Teddy Ferrara

This was the UK premiere of Teddy Ferrara, a new play inspired by a true story. The topic of the piece was LGBTQ issues in American colleges and universities, and the unfortunate trend of suicide amongst this demographic. As a problem play (exposing societal issues but not offering solutions) the play addressed many poignant and intense issues, exploring the ideas through dramatic scenarios. To the purpose of bringing attention to these issues, the play was a marvelous success. Unfortunately, as a work of drama the second act felt like a draft and not a finished product. While there shouldn't be a "happy-ever-after" ending to the dark themes the play, the play abruptly ended without any of the the character arcs being remotely resolved. The play had good characters put into intriguing scenarios, however as none of the scenarios amounted to any form of conclusion good or bad, the play was left feeling like a political mouthpiece. And I'm not upset by that. Though the show created interesting characters to populate the relevant scenarios, the plot was resolved as much as the respective issues are in reality. If this was the point, the point was not made strongly enough. In the end, this play was a disappointment in tackling potent issues and yet not fully actualizing potential.

Curzon Cinema; Macbeth

Attending a movie was an experience in of itself when compared to movie theatres in the US. The cinema was very small, the chairs similar to divided couches, and with people sipping wine instead of gobbling massive portions of junk food. Although the commercials and previews lasted about twenty minutes in all

Now, Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, was visually perfect. The cinematography of the Scottish Highlands combined with the subtle soundtrack to create the perfect atmospheric tone for the piece. Fassbender took the character to interesting limits, having Macbeth's rise to power be at the absolute sacrifice to both conscious and sanity. So the movie was visually and atmospherically perfect, with great performances from the cast. The only thing wrong with this movie was FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS SHAKESPEARE WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAVE THE SCRIPT ALONE!! With three (count 'em: three) writers adapting one of Shakespeare's most well known and popular plays, the amount the text altered unnecessarily was obnoxious. The film took innovative new twists to the classic plot at every turn, which I did not mind, but in order to make these numerous twists work with the text, the writers apparently had to rearrange the text constantly. To those not overly familiar with the text, this movie is probably perfect. For those of us who know the text to Shakespeare's play, having speeches continually rearranged was distracting to say the least. Was it essential for Macbeth's 'Taste of Fears' speech to come after his 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow' speech? I'm probably being overly critical, but if the original text had just been even remotely left alone, this film would have been the best adaptation to date. As the three writers ended up having a "copy-paste/delete" field day, this film put emphasis on telling the story visually and left much of the text as secondary to the story. A common sin with film adaptations of Shakespeare, but catering to modern audiences as if they cannot grasp the text of Shakespeare's most popular plays is insulting at best.

The Halloween Misadventure

Sometimes your company for the evening really wants to go out to a club for festivities.

Sometimes you don't have your Oyster card stocked, and convince your company to walk from Bloomsbury to Soho.

Sometimes you enter a pub/basement club with no cover charge and discover yourselves to be the only patrons there.

Sometimes you get club recommendations from people dressed as the cast from the Back to the Future movies when you stop into a pub to use the washroom.

Sometimes you get to recommended pub to discover one of your companions forgot to bring their ID and can't be let in.

Sometimes you walk back to Bloomsbury from Soho to retrieve the essential ID.

Sometimes you arrive back at the club to discover the venue is exclusively 21 and up and one of your party cannot gain entry even with the retrieved ID.

Sometimes the bouncers recommend a similar venue and you get half off entry from some random promoter on the street.

Sometimes patrons throw glitter everywhere and the blasted stuff lands in your drink.

Sometimes you wonder where the DJ is and find there is a whole separate dance section downstairs.

Sometimes a companion is deemed too drunk by the bouncers when they step outside for air and won't be let back in.

Sometimes you walk back from Soho and discover a companion had locked their keys in their room.

Sometimes you wake up the maid on night duty at 3:00 for the master key.

Sometimes sweat, make-up, and glitter equal an unflattering combination once under regular lights.

Sometimes your misadventure results in an essential day of rest and recovery.

Sometimes Halloween in London is simultaneously everything and nothing like you expected.

The battle against sloth and old habits rages with one month left in the city of London. 

Committed to memory are Shakespeare's Sonnet 23, Mary Oliver's The Journey, Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Hamlet's To Be of Not to Be speech, with Hotspur's Pouncet Box speech on the docket. Billy Pilgrim enjoyed a marvelous sunny day practicing these speeches and poems in three different public parks in the Bloomsbury neighborhood. Malexander Supertourist has become lazy, entitled, and arrogant: to be imminently attacked by The Monster when least expected. 

Tomorrow creeps in a petty pace while today sprints screeching like a banshee.