Parting is Such Sweet…uhh…

Stratford was an excellent way to end this trip. While I do wish that Back to the Future was the last show I saw on this trip I did like seeing the production of As You Like It at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show was really interesting because it was the 1970s cast coming back and when the show started it looked like a rehearsal but as it progressed it became more professional. It did not have a set or costumes until the second act and it was dope. In my opinion, it was a look into the life of an actor. Having so many elder actors come in and reprise their roles from decades ago is so interesting and adding to that, having the production and seriousness of the show escalate made it seem like a timeline. The show started and everyone kept purposely messing up lines and making silly choices but as they went on they became more serious and it looked more like a truly professional show. I know a lot of folks did not like the choices made in this show but it all came together for me. That being said it was still really long and could use a few more drafts but I don’t think Shakespeare is taking criticisms at the moment. 

I really liked this place. I think that seeing where Billy Shakes (Shakespeare) was born did not give me a better understanding of him individually but rather a better appreciation for modern life. I would hate to share a bed with all my brothers. I like how low to the ground this place is. It is quiet and soft. I think that Stratford is a much nicer palace than London but London is a better place to study theatre. I also really loved the Shakespeare statue here where he is surrounded by Lady Macbeth, Prince Hal, Falstaff, and Hamlet. I got some great pics of Paddington. 

England as a whole was a little bit different than what I thought it would be. I heard a lot more American accents than I thought and saw a lot more seas of children than I thought. There was a plague of kids at the Royal National Hotel. In our last week there a group of teenagers barked at me aggressively and I have never wanted to deck a punk more. 

I think that we saw a lot of shows that I was not a fan of but I the ones that I did like were incredible. Theatre can be hit or miss but I think that I found aspects of each show that I liked a lot. My thoughts about theatre as a whole did not change but I did get to see the epic highs and lows of professional theatre.