more about the trip . . .

[chelseagirl]

I'd always wanted to go to Bath, but somehow last time I made that request (to M.) I ended up in Brighton, instead, which is Not At All the Same Thing, although it did lead to two positives: 1) we stopped by to see his mum's cousin, who is a goldsmith, who ended up making a platinum wedding ring for me at a substantial discount AND breaking the mold afterwards so there is no other ring in the world like it, and 2) whenever I watch Mirrormask and there are those scenes on the balcony overlooking the seafront I can say "I got proposed to a few hundred yards down that beach!"

But this time, silme made my wish come true. Lots of walking about oohing and aahing at Georgian terraces, lots of thoughts of Jane Austen, and visits to both the Roman Baths/Pump Room and the Costume Museum/Assembly Rooms. Also, we each had half a Sally Lunn bun, so I feel at one with the nineteenth century, culinarily.

And if that wasn't enough, the next day, we went up to Stratford, to see Patrick Stewart in The Tempest. This was the second production I'd seen him as Prospero in, and he is wonderful in the role. The production was interesting as they decided to set it in an Arctic environment instead of the usual tropical; in places it ran counter to the text, but also made things fresh. Besides Stewart, I thought the gentleman who played Ariel was outstanding -- too many actors play this role as very fey, but not in a sexy way, just kind of fluttery and in bespangled bodysuits -- but this performance was along the lines of the Ariel in Derek Jarman's film, only more funereal. It was, anyway, a fresh conception of the role. Caliban, on the other hand, I thought lacked a bit; I'm a big fan of the postcolonial reading of the play, I confess, so I preferred the earlier Stewart production here in NY (Caliban was played by an African-American actor, thus emphasizing his Colonial Otherness, and Ariel, by an African-American woman, Aunjanue Ellis, which made the character dynamics between her and Prospero really fraught in interesting ways). At least this Caliban wasn't dressed up like the Creature from the Black Lagoon (see Richard Burton, in one of the commonly available filmed versions), but there wasn't so much there, really. A production well worth seeing, in any case.

We also did lots of running around, to the church where Shakespeare is buried (ever since I did a project on Shakespeare in fourth grade, I have been haunted by that "Good frend for Iesus' sake forbeare, to digge the dust enclosed here, etc.") and around and about most of the usual suspect sites like Anne Hathaway's cottage, the birthplace, etc. (Those, we decided not to go into, as the admission charges really add up and honestly, I was spending most of the holiday in a low-roofed, wooden-beamed cottage, probably only a hundred years newer, in parts, than this.)

So once again, many thanks to silme for logging so many miles in such a short period of time! (Also, to her and luis_mw for having the only decent shower I met up with in my entire stay in England . . . )

Next time . . . Norfolk.

Comments

[sbgrl.livejournal.com]

Oh very cool! I would love to see Patrick Stewart do Shakespeare one day. How fabulous.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Well worth it! I'm just sorry we won't be over there to see Ian McKellen's Lear this fall/winter. :-(

[sbgrl.livejournal.com]

Ooooh

[silme.livejournal.com]

Spring/early summer. It runs 24 March to 21 June, so there's a chance if you travel over here next year. We're going to buy our tickets as soon as public booking opens a week from Monday since we've not joined the RSC yet.

And you're definitely welcome. It actually was a lot of fun running around with you! You can tell how much I hate driving around England. (NOT!:) Oh, and we were NOT going to buy a house without a decent shower. ;)

You know you are welcome here whenever you can get here. {hugs}

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I guess the problem is that by the time we figure out whether we'll be able to come, tickets will have long sold out. :-( So I will live vicariously through you.

However, M. and I have determined that if Stewart, McKellen or Rickman ever appears onstage in NY again, we're so there. (*cough* having seen all of them myself and knowing how very much he would like to *cough*) Even if I've found a university or he's found a park to work in way out west somewhere.

[silme.livejournal.com]

It is playing at a slghtly smaller venue, the Courtyard Theatre -- that newer one where the Henry VI plays were being performed -- the one we walked by as we went to the church. But it's not as small as the Swan; the Courtyard holds 1000 people. (Where we were holds about 1500, I think.) So, there might still be tickets.

You can always return to New York City from wherever you might be!

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

And always will. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Nice trip!

I saw Stewart in his Shakespeare in the Park Tempest one sultry summer night many years ago, there was heat lightening and thunder in the distance that acted as the most perfect special effects imaginable. I think it was a different production from yours as Ariel was played by a young blond man. I did love the bizarre scene of the apparently Jamaican voodoo goddesses, played by actresses on stilts.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Nice trip!

I saw Stewart in his Shakespeare in the Park Tempest one sultry summer night many years ago, there was heat lightening and thunder in the distance that acted as the most perfect special effects imaginable. I think it was a different production from yours as Ariel was played by a young blond man. I did love the bizarre scene of the apparently Jamaican voodoo goddesses, played by actresses on stilts.

[(Anonymous)]

I think it'd be considered the same production, as it was specifically the "let's move this so-successful Shakespeare in the Park production to Off-Broadway" version I saw, but I'm surprised about the recasting of Ariel as the version I saw worked so beautifully with everything else about the production. The voodoo goddesses were definitely in it. And a realistically tomboyish Miranda, yes? (As opposed to the too many prissy girls who somehow managed to mince their way through life on the island.)

How was Ariel played? I've viewed a lot of different versions, since I've taught this play in several different contexts now and am always looking for one that will work better, and really this Ariel and the David Bowie-esque (but post glam Bowie) one in the Jarman film and the funereal one in the RSC production are the only ones I've seen that aren't all about spangled body stockings and self-conscious mannerisms. And I'm sure they wouldn't have done *that*.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I just did the exact same thing you did! 'Twas me, above.

[trav28.livejournal.com]

Did you shoot any pictures on your epic odyssey to Eng-Er-Land?

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, and my husband helpfully loaded them with his own to Snapfish. Now I just have to figure out what to do with them -- I need to caption them and figure out whether I can include a link on my LJ or only send email invites to view them.

Since the semester is on the verge of beginning, that'll be a few weeks, alas.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

There's no way on earth I'm going to get a chance to see that production, so thank you for describing it in a way that let me "get it." I wish there were more filmed theater available. I know it's not a perfect substitute for being there, but given the ephemeral nature of the stage, it would still be better than nothing.

I'm glad you had such a great trip. Bath really is a gem of a town, isn't it?

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. The first Stewart production I saw has become my ur-Tempest because it did all the things I wanted it to do -- I so wish I could show it to my classes! (I have thought of contacting the Public Theater and seeing if it's available.)

I really loved it there, yes. I'm such a New Yorker, though. As we admired houses and flats, silme kept commenting on "where would those people park?" In my reality the question is a non-starter. Park? Oh, a car? (You're supposed to get your US drivers' license within 6 months. My husband drove on his British license for 4 years -- you know, the couple of times a year we rented a car . . . )