So Thursday was my second and final trip to Stratford Upon Avon. I haven't been feeling well for the past few days, a minor head cold, so I took some decongestant and conked out on the bus. I can't even begin to tell you how many tissues I've gone through. But the good news is that I am feeling much better today. Not to worry!
Anyway, Stratford. This time I made sure to do the things I didn't get a chance to last time. Since we were slightly hungry, our first stop was actually a milkshake shop called Moo Moos. Man alive do I wish they had Moo Moos in the US. Essentially any flavor you can think of is made into a milkshake. I went with Snickers. I assure you it was delicious.
We then walked by the site of Shakespeare's birthplace. There is a period style building with a plaque but this place is not actually Shakespeare's home. Many years ago, the owner of the original Shakespeare birthplace got fed up with people coming by seeking out Shakespeare's first home that he tore it down. Quite misguided don't you think? So since it wasn't original and was ridiculously expensive we took pictures of the exterior and moved on.
We wandered around, stopping in bookstores and other Bard themed shops. We decided to find the church where Shakespeare was buried. It only cost us fifty pence to enter the chancel where Shakespeare and his family were interred. From there we had dinner at an Italian place called Carluccio's and then walked back to the Royal Shakespeare Comany's theater.
The performance of the evening was Midsummer Night's Dream. This was another modern interpretation, set in the 60's, and though I had my doubts it was thoroughly enjoyable. One of my favorite elements is that they had Titania and Oberon and Hypolita and Theseus as the same actors so that the human couple and the fairy couple were direct foils to one another. It created a really interesting dynamic that I've never seen in any other production of Midsummer. At the end of the first act not everyone was sold though. A rather loud and crotchety old man stood up at intermission and said, "This isn't Shakespeare. This is a mockery!" He and his companion didn't return.
It really picked up in the second act though. Bottom the Weaver completely stole the show. We were all bent double in our seats. I laughed hard enough that tears came to my eyes. I think if I lived anywhere near Stratford I would have season tickets to the RSC. They're shows are never boring. They might not always be to your particular taste but they always provide interesting interpretations of classic Shakespeare.
No comments:
Post a Comment