It is my second day in London, and it was quite eventful. We toured around the city in a coach bus, and I got to see so many beautiful and historic places and buildings. Such as The Tower of London, The London Bridge, Big Ben, and The London Eye. Unfortunately, my jet lag was still bad that morning, and I was trying so hard not to take a nap during the day. So, instead of napping, I finally built up the courage to leave my hotel room and explore the city. I went to a wonderful restaurant called “Nando’s” which had the best grilled chicken I’ve had in a while. I went with a few friends, and we had the most funny and lively conversations. I was a bit scared when my card suddenly wouldn’t work when I was trying to pay for my meal. Thankfully, after a while, my card mysteriously began to work again. I don’t know what happened, but I hope it never happens again. After finishing our food, my friends and I decided to look around in all the shops. We saw places that sold different types of sweets, clothes, and beauty products. We all stumbled across a convenience store, and never once in my life, have I seen a group of people so excited about a convenience store. Many of us bought snacks and I bought a gallon of water for my roommates and me. I didn’t know that it would be so difficult to get water here. There are no water fountains anywhere. You get your water at the store. After our little adventure in the city, we all walked back to the hotel smiling and laughing. Then, later that night, we saw Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theater.
Dancing at Lughnasa was written by Brian Friel in 1990. This memory play is about a middle-aged man named Michael Evans sharing a memory about his mother and four unmarried aunts in the summer of 1936. When he was seven years old. The lights on stage light up and you see Michael near his kites that he’s building, and his mother Christina Mundy and his aunts bickering inside their cottage in Ballybeg, Ireland. Michael tells us that it is the time of The Lughnasa Festival. Which is a celebration of the Irish god of the harvest named Lugh. Where people go to dance, burn fires, and drink. Most of the sisters miss going to the festival. Michael also remembers his aunts welcoming home their oldest brother Father Jack from Uganda. He’s been serving as a missionary in a leper colony for 25 years. But he was sent home because of his malaria. However, we come to find out later that not only was he sent home because of his malaria, he was sent home because he was not doing his missionary duties. Instead of teaching the people of Uganda about Catholicism, the Ugandans taught him about their way of living. This brought shame to the Mundy family. Michael also recalls his father visiting his mother after being absent for 13 months. He watches his parents dance and laugh down the lane and back up again. He remembers his dad proposing to his mother and promising him that the next time he’s in town, he’ll have a bike for him. There was never a bike.
I didn’t enjoy reading the script of Dancing at Lughnasa, but I did enjoy watching the performance. I loved the sisters’ sisterly relationships with each other. Then they all were dancing and hugging one another, their love for each other seemed genuine. I thought the set was amazing and incredibly detailed. It was one of the best sets I’ve ever seen. However, I don’t think I would watch this play again. It was too slow paced in my opinion. Everything else was great. I enjoyed the National Theater (except for all the steps) and I wish that we could have seen another show there.
Theatre in London U of A 