On Tuesday our group traveled to the famous Westminster Abbey. Going into the tour I only knew that it was the place where coronations happen, but I didn’t really know just how many people are buried there. With military figures, royals, scientists, and artists. There is a wide variety of different people that have been laid to rest in the building. While the tombs of the royals were incredibly ornate and cool to see, it was Poets Corner that intrigued me the most. This section of the building contained memorials and graves of famous authors and artists. It was so cool to see so many people that I love the work of buried there.
While many of the people who have memorials there are actually buried there, some are not. For example, Shakespeare has a fairly large statue dedicated to him, but he is actually buried in Stratford Upon Avon. This is the same for the likes of the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen. It was interesting to see Shakespeare get such a large statue, whereas these four women only got small plaques by Shakespeare’s feet. I understand that Shakespeare is an incredibly famous figure, but the amount of men that have statues as compared to women felt sexist and fitting of the time they were made. I talked to a worker at the museum and he said that this is a common sentiment, but it is actually a great honor that they are placed there because it means that they were the female Shakespeare’s of their time. This explanation didn’t quite make sense to me, and I think it was just an attempt to make it look better, but that is besides the point.
One person that I thought was interesting to see was David Garrick. I did a research project about the birth of the modern theatre director last semester, and he was one of the main people that I focused on. He was an incredibly popular Shakespeare actor, and he managed Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He helped create more unified work in a time when neoclassical ideals were being heavily pushed. This led to him being the first modern director in terms of working with the actors, and the other design elements of the show. He also helped switch the style of acting of the time period from a more rehearsed and recited feel, to a naturalistic style.
Another intriguing person to see was Charles Dickens. Being one of the most famous authors of recent history, I am very familiar with his work. His stone on the floor was very plain like many of the others, which was interesting to see for such a prolific person. One show that I would like to go see before the end of this trip is “Oliver!” This musical is based on Dickens’ book “Oliver Twist.” His works have clearly stood the test of time the last 200 years which is marvelous to see.
One that I found particularly interesting to see was Laurence Olivier. Apparently he wasn’t actually buried there, but his ashes were spread near the location. He does have a smaller stone than the people who are actually buried, but I think that he counts. Laurence Olivier was an incredibly famous English actor who was influential on the artform. He started the National Theatre, where our group saw the show “War Horse” on this trip. He also starred in movies like Wuthering Heights, Spartacus, and Hamlet. His career was so illustrious that they named the Olivier awards after him. These are the British theatre awards (kind of similar to the Tony’s in the United States).
Our trip to Westminster Abbey was full of history, and it taught me so much about this country. Definitely recommend to anyone visiting.
Cheers,
Thatcher
Theatre in London U of A 