We had a fantastic second week in London. We rehearsed Tuesday, Thursday, andSunday evening at the Diorama Studio and Wednesday morning and completed blocking (staging) Act One of A Piece of My Heart which opens October 17th and runs until October 20th at the New Wimbledon Studio Theatre. Monday's classes went well discussing the plays we saw the previous week and our trip to Cambridge. We prepped for our trip to Canterbury which we went to on Friday and also prepped the plays we saw this week. On Monday we attended The Jungle, one of my favorite plays thus far. The Playhouse Theatre was gutted and made to look like a make-shift restaurant in the refugee camp in Calais, France. We sat, ate, and drank with the refugees in this Afgan restaurant. As the stories unfolded, we became invested. By the time the show ended most of us were emotional wrecks. I had seen the play in July. and it still had the same impact. It is transferring to Brooklyn, New York in November. A must see! Wow!
Some of the audience sat in the Dress Circle which represented The White Cliffs of Dover looking across to Calais and the camp.
Celeste and Adam enjoying a cup of Chai Tea that was served to most of us. Others got Nan bread and rice and beans. The whole performance was extremely interactive.
I think The Jungle had a great impact on us because of what is going on in our country with separating parents and children at the border and refusing refugees entry into the USA. In my opinion, The Administration needs to see and experience this play.
On Wednesday evening we went to see the farce, The Play That Goes Wrong. It was a perfect example of what we covered in the Theatre in London class this week. British Music Halls, Pantomimes, and British Farce. Still hysterical!!! This company also has another show on the West End called The Bank Robbery about a robbery that takes place in Minneapolis! Also a funny farce.
Saint Mary's Alum, Steve Schmidt was in London for a couple of days and we were able to have dinner together at Pollo Bar in Soho!!! Great seeing Steve and having great discussions! It has been awhile since having him in my movie class back at school. He was leaving for Dublin early the next morning, and I was off to seeing The Lieutenant of Inishmore.
On Wednesday afternoon before seeing The Jungle the student visited the Tate Britain Museum for the Art in London class.
Our two dancers!
Our day trip on Friday was to Canterbury, one of my favorite places in the world. I fell in love with this town and Cathedral back in 1972 and 1974. I talked more about those trips in past blogs if you want to look it up.
One of the gates into the City.
We entered the City from the opposite end of town.
A view of the Cathedral from a side street. Most of the exterior and some interior of the Cathedral are covered with scaffolding. This will last until 1920!!! If you want a good view of exterior, go to past blogs.
The main gate into the grounds of the Cathedral.
The ceiling inside the Cathedral. A lot of it in now covered with scaffolding, but we could still see a lot of the fan ceiling.
There was a blown glass art exhibit going on in the Cathedral in which the Cathedral was the theme.
Beautiful stained-glass windows throughout the Cathedral.
The ceiling above the stairs leading to the choir chamber. The white cross in the middle is also a trap door where things can be lowered.
Students sitting below the ceiling pictured above.
The Cathedral is a pilgrimage site. This came about when King Henry II appointed his best friend Thomas a Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury thinking that Thomas would do his bidding. He refused to, and Henry made the comment "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!" Four of the King's knights took this as a summons to action and left for Canterbury. They reached the Cathedral on December 29th and found Thomas before the high alter. They butchered him with their swords. Once he was made a saint people flocked to his shrine. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are stories told on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. They are wonderful. In college I had to read the complete works of Chaucer in Middle English. It was like learning a new language!
Below is the newer shrine. The old one which was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell and his men is represented with a single candle. This one is located down the side steps that lead to the Cloisters and Crypt.
The Cloisters!
The Chapter House. Fantastic ceiling and stained glass.
Sorry for the blurry photo but it is to give you an idea of this blown glass sculpture.
Another blown glass installation that represents the four knights that assassinated Becket.
A painting depicting the knights murdering Becket.
Another blown glass installation.
The zodiac signs on the floor. We were in search of a Libra in the Cathedral in 1974 to help our professor with an argument that he was trying to prove in an article he was publishing in which he argued that pilgrims went there for judgement! I found it by accident and photographed it for him.
Thomas a Becket in the stained glass.
A fresco that was uncovered.
More images and stained glass around the Cathedral
The Black Prince's armor above his tomb.
Selfie Time!!!
Sites around the City of Canterbury.
Fat Face Dan!!!
A statue of Chaucer on High Street.
Pilgrims' Hospital
The Old Weaver's House. At the other end of the house you will see a dunking chair that was used to stop a woman from nagging for example. She would be put in the chair and dunked into the water.
Part of the Garden on the end of High Street.
Many of the buildings and the wall around the City are made of Flint!!!
The new Marlowe Theatre.
One of my favorite masks outside the theatre.
My favorite house is Canterbury which in now a bookshop!
On Saturday evening, we went to see The Lieutenant of Inishmore which we read in London: Page to Stage class. It was starring Aidan Turner who stars as Poldark in the TV Series and he was in the three Hobbit movies. I got to know Aiden when he was a student at The Gaiety School of Acting many years ago. I have photos of some of our pub visits. Great show! We tried to meet him after the show but it was a melee with all the older women trying to get his autograph. Saw him from a distance. I invited him to come speak to the class, but he was leaving the next day to film Poldark.
Until next week....
THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!
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