a VERY short note - made longer

Everyone. Do whatever you have to to see The 39 Steps. It is hilarious. Its also playing in NYC, so its not like you have to come here to see it. Though you could. That'd be fun too.

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So I've seen a lot of shows here now. Read reviews for all of them, both before and after seeing them (some were in previews still). Still can't get my head around this acting from the outside in thing - Caiti might be able to shed some light on that...

But one thing I've noticed is that its a serious thing here. Its serious business. Its not even like NYC and Broadway. I mean, its infinitely better, for one thing - more options, better options, better atmosphere..
They (being the critics) also have no problem absolutely ripping a show apart - in very astute and not-mean ways, but just being exactly critical. Its actually a little unsettling, to be honest. The headline for the Telegraph's review of Complicit:

Complicit at the Old Vic, review: a play about torture? It certainly was

Sorry for the type font change - that's how it was on their site. But I mean... WHOA. I don't know that I've seen a review that starts throwing punches like that right from the start. It wasn't a very good show, by any means, but still.

That might, in the long run, be a bad thing - too much criticism leads to jaded audiences. But there are people going to everything all the time. If its a bad show, you know it because it doesn't sell out. Everything sells out if its good. It isn't where you have a critically lauded show that falls through the cracks because it didn't have a star performer or writer or director (coughcough Passing Strange). Yes, people line up for stars (would I have lined up for David Tennant and/or Patrick Stewart in anything? Absolutely. Not afraid to say it.) but they also line up for theatre in general.

we need the arts like this in America... we really do.

Brief Note. Really.

You're probably all a bit sick of hearing from me, so I'll keep this brief.

One: I met Dr. Watson yesterday and had tea with him. and wandered around Holmes' suite for like an hour.

Two: I saw August: Osage County today. Caiti, we'll discuss after you see it... because I felt this way, it may be that you hate it. But so be it - I've never been so powerfully moved by a production. I was sobbing at the end. I mean, literally, tears (multiple) streaming down my face. I felt like an idiot walking to the Tube because my eyes were still all bleary and I was clearly an emotional wreck.
Maybe its just because I could draw so many parallels to my own dysfunctional family (don't worry - mine is a fun dysfunctional. not a fucked up dysfunctional, like the Westons in the play). But wow. wow wow wow.

Theatre, Round Two

Hi again, everybody.

This is a good ol' two parter - having seen two shows since the last one. I'll start with Part One, subtitled "The Best Thing I've EVER SEEN" - no lie.

Caiti had quite the adventurous time getting here, which she will no doubt expound upon in the not-too-distant future. She finally got to my flat around 2:30am and promptly crashed. I, too, decided to sleep but it would only be for a few hours, as we had decided that come hell or high water, we were seeing the closing performance of Hamlet.
So, 530am, I'm up and out the door, catching the first tube out of Mile End (the station next to my campus). Caiti would meet me a few hours later. I stood in line, much like that time for Spring Awakening, from about 615 onwards. Only this time, I was alone (until Caiti came/we befriended some nice people around us) and it was fucking freezing. I thought my toes would fall off. But we waited, we perservered... and then they announced they were out of tickets EIGHT PEOPLE in front of us. The dilemma, then... do we wait? Returns or unclaimed? Will it be worth it?
So we sat on the floor of the lobby and chatted and read and slept... and slowly but surely, they announced that tickets came back. Soon, we were one person away from tickets. THEN! we got them. Hallelujah, we got two unclaimed tickets on the aisle about 15 rows back... 40pounds a piece, which is like 60 bucks, but it was so worth it - having stood/sat in line ALL DAY, having barely slept, and getting the opportunity to see this show that has been so incredibly acclaimed... it was worth it.
We rushed home (it was about 415 and the curtain was at 715), showered, made a pseudo-dinner (mind you, we're both running on FUMES at this point) and hustled back to the theatre.

As my reading for Reading Theatre for this week said, it can be quite difficult to accurately verbalize how you felt about a show, because you've channelled it through yourself. However, you're all pretty familiar with my rather critical eye, so I'll just lay it out there - this was the best show I have ever seen. Ever. Yes, I love David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, but if the show was shit I would say "well, it was cool to see those guys..."

The staging, the directorial decisions, the acting (with the exception of Ophelia, really - she wasn't BAD, but she just didn't reach the level of everyone else. She was a little one-dimensional)... it was just fantastic. People in London have been talking about this show as though its the best thing to hit stages in a long while and legitimately it is. I mean, its the second show I've ever seen in London, so its not like I can agree without sounding like a complete idiot, but it was excellent. Tennant brought a manic energy to the role and he really let Hamlet off the chain. His first sollioquy was heart-rending and you FELT it. It wasn't like with Branagh's, for example, where you can see that he's sad but he also is just a little pathetic (and I like Branagh's Hamlet). It was just pure emotion. Same with when he confronts Gertrude in her bedchambers... it was almost tough to watch because it was so physical and so viceral. Of course, he was also HILARIOUS - his insanity was a joy to watch. Actually, his take on the insanity was really interesting - there were times where he was clearly in control and just playing with people, moments where he was clearly off his rocker, and moments where even he didn't know - where the audience AND the character didn't quite seem to know where it was going. A balancing act of sorts.
I enjoyed Patrick Stewart's Claudius perhaps because of how subdued he was. He wasn't some grand ruler who has grand ambitions and such... he was just a man who desperately wanted power and now has to decide how to use it - not necessarily in a grand way, but in the way of real modern-day rulers. This also contrasted nicely with Tennant's Hamlet, who seemed like he didn't really WANT to be king. He just wanted to hang out, be happy, etc.
I cried at the end, too. I'm going to stop going on before I start sounding like Louis. But yeah, I cried. It was incredible. They came back out for four bows, we were all on our feet before they even got to the stage the first time... it was not only a fantastic show but a fantastic moment in theatre history. They (the theatre pundits or whoever) are talking about Tennant in the same breath as classic Hamlet's like Olivier and Branagh. Its all justified. I look forward to seeing Jude Law as Hamlet at the end of my time here, but... well, you always remember your first. My first Hamlet will be no exception.

Part Two is that I'm going to see a Tom Stoppard tonight called "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" - its like an hour long and it is a "play for actors and orchestra" so color me interested.

In other news... settled in, finally. Bought some books at Waterstone's yesterday, wandered Piccadilly Circus a bit... Its quite rainy here today and so it really feels quite like London is supposed to. Not to say I don't miss people, but I think I'm going to quite like spending the next few months here.

Theatre, Round One

First off, a shout out to Carr on a Bike. Love it. I only found it through clicking on the following-this-blog link - I'm not THAT creepy.

Second off, I'm seeing Riley tomorrow! I didn't already mention that, did I? I mean, its confirmed now!

Third off, I saw my first London play today. Called Amazonia, at the Young Vic. It wasn't very good. One actor was pretty talented and the movement pieces were pretty fantastic, but the music... the staging... the play itself... not very good. It also devolved into a Chuck Mee style dance at the end that had nothing to do with anything... which is okay in a Chuck Mee, but not when its completely random and at the end of an otherwise more-linear and less Chuck Mee-y play. Interesting staging - in the round, but with a HUGE wooden "tree" in the middle that actually blocked a lot of action at various points throughout the play... so that sucked. Also, the play is all about saving the rainforest, so it begs the question of why you put a whacking great thing of 2x4s as your only set piece... seriously, at least an entire tree went into building this set. PROBABLY from the amazon. Nice going, Young Vic.

Next up: something theatrical with Caiti (hopefully Hamlet... or August: Osage County...).
There's a play at the Old Vic directed by Kevin Spacey with Richard Dreyfuss called "Complicit" that looks quite good... who wants to go see it in the next month-ish? Tina, does that sound like something you'd want to see when you're visiting us before heading to Bath?


oh, ps... I'm actually done classes at the end of MARCH... and then I have a month... and then I might not even need to be back for finals, depending on if any of them are sit-down or not... so let's discuss inter-Euro travel, yeah?

Proper Hammered

RIGHT! So its been one hell of a couple of days.

Let's get the basics out of the way: I'm homesick by varying degrees and miss all of you terribly. Some days or even moments are better than others. I'm hoping Caiti's arrival at the end of the week makes me feel better - knowing that there's someone else here, cause its lonely knowing you guys are all still in the States. Though I might be meeting up with Riley on Thursday! So that'll be fun too!

Orientation was not-so-much orientating as disorientating. or disorienting. I'm getting phrases mixed up here - they use different things, obviously, and so sometimes its like "uhh.... what did you say?"

Classes started yesterday. However, before I could go to class, I had to formally enroll and get my id card and stuff. You can't get into buildings without an id card. Enrollment started at 10:30. I had a 10am class, followed by one at 11 and one at 2 - back to back to back. A dilemma, to be sure. So I went over to the offices where they were doing ids right at 10, when they opened. I lucked out and got in right away, so at this point we're only like three minutes later for class. Or so it seems.
They don't have anything like we do with Agora, where they tell you where your classes are online or in a nice, easy, user-friendly manner. You have to go to the department office and find your class on this big list. Sounds easy enough, except I have no freaking clue where the department offices are. Turns out everything that isn't science or math is in the Arts Building (which also houses the Harold Pinter studio theatre, for those of you theatre buffs in the crowd). So I finally make my way into the building, which can only be accessed from the street, which is a bit silly. I figure out quickly where my Reading Theatre class and the Hitchcock class are - but they're the 2 and 11 (respectively). So I finally go into the poli sci secretaries office and ask about my 10am and, since I'm there, the class I was supposed to have today at 12. They tell me the 10am is on the first floor of that building - sweet, no problem - but that they can't find my other class. It turns out... that the class I was registered for is in fact not being offered this semester. How I managed to get REGISTERED for it is beyond anyone. They, however, helpfully say "you need another class" and I was like "UHHHHH no idea - gotta go to this one first!"

SO I run downstairs, this whole thing having taken longer than expected or anticipated or hoped. I get into my class, The British Political System, about 20 minutes in. I try to slip in and am very quiet, but the professor, of course, stops and looks up at me. Awkward. Great start. It also turns out that all of the discussion sections (which they don't tell you about when you sign up for classes...) are during my other two Monday classes. So I have to figure THAT one out...
The Hitchcock class was a nice breather. About 45 minutes of lecture, then a film. We watch Strangers on a Train this past week. We get a film EVERY week too. Awesome. A nice midday break. Discussion later this week - we'll see how that goes.
Reading Theatre seems fun - a lot of shows for very cheap (I think it ends up being 8 for 90 pounds, which is great on all levels. It would be 9, but I'm missing one for the Rome trip). First show is tomorrow night at the Young Vic. It's called Amazonia. And has gotten shitty reviews. But I don't care that much, simply because I'm getting out to see a show!
Today, I tried to get my class thing resolved... that didn't happen. Most of the English modules (classes) are filled, so I have to meet tomorrow with my abroad advisor and see what he can do for me - there's a poli sci option too, but this might be an opportunity to get into a Shakespeare class.

Finally met all of my flatmates yesterday. We had a party last night, actually, for one of them who just turned 20. Side note: I'm the oldest person in the flat. What. The. Fuck.
There's Dan, who is a chain-smoking punk-mixed-with-hippie kind of guy. British.
There's Katy, whose name I actually don't know if I've spelled properly, but she reminds me of a British Carol. Sort of the mom of the flat, but a cool mom. British - obviously.
There's Caty, whose name I also don't know if I've spelled correctly, but she was the one who turned 20 yesterday. I've talked to her the least, so I know the least about her. British.
There's Charlotte, who kind of reminds me of Jen Winslow, if Jen was British. ...predictably, British.
There's Daveed - no idea if its actually spelled that way, but thats how his name is pronounced. He's NOT British but in fact another abroad-er, from the Bahamas. Goes to Miami. Hooray ACC! A bit of a loner, but that might just be the jet lag.

Speaking of, its awful. Jet lag. If you have a night flight, you try to sleep, and you think that'll work out. Perhaps it has helped me - I don't really know. But I like to take naps as it is... I slept from 2 to 9 this morning and then from 1030 to 2 (after my failed attempt to get into another class). I would have slept longer except I forced myself to go get a SIM card and do some grocery shopping.
For those interested: 0781 243 7823 is my number!
I'm probably going to cook something for dinner... and then go to bed. I mean, maybe I'll sit up with the flatmates for a bit, but honestly I could sleep for a freaking day.

So yeah. That's about it. The homesickness has been coming and going - talking about it helps, I'll give that advice. It's just so strange to look up at night and not recognize the stars. That's probably been the strangest thing - plus, you all know how "cosmic" I can be, with the Zodiac and stuff. not the killer. though that's a good movie.
Okay. Signing off for now.