I had been to London before, a few years ago, and one of my favorite places when I went was Borough Market.  I loved all the different food there and even went back multiple times.  Visiting London again excited me because I was so happy to visit Borough Market, but said it disappointed me.  The Borough Market I remember was a lot of food stalls making meals; however, now it’s most market stands selling food to cook.  It was a market to get a meal, but now it’s more like a farmer’s market.  , and I went there several times to try more food.  Coming back now one of the things I was most excited for was going back to Borough and getting to have the food again.  Sadly though, Borough market has changed a lot since I was last here.  Before, Borough market was similar to 7 dials market with a ton of places to buy meals but now it’s more like a farmer’s market with most of the places being to buy cheese or vegetables.  There are still places there selling ready to eat food like the pie stand or the Turkish Delight place but there are also several cheese shops and vegetable stands.  While in Borough market I had a pain au chocolat from a pastry stand, ice cream from an ice cream stand, and I had Turkish Delight for the first time which was really good and made me completely understand why the kid in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe would betray everyone for it.  While there I also tried some of the cheeses and one of the cheese places and it was incredible.  I tried this seasoning cheese meant for salads and pasta and it was incredibly flavorful.  Overall, while Borough Market is still really cool I think Borough Market is more suited for locals now because of all the non-ready to eat food now sold there.

Something I’ve enjoyed the most about watching theatre in London, is seeing the magnificent costumes. How they tell a story, or tell the audience something about the characters. The costumes I have seen in most of the shows I’ve been to in London, are so impressive. When I watched Guys and Dolls at the Theatre, I was so close to the actors. It was a perfect chance to see their costumes up close. The detail in West end shows is incredible, and the designs are always spectacular.

Which is why I was so excited to see the Theatre & Performance Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. According to their official website, the collection includes over 3,500 stage costumes and accessories that date back from the mid 18th century. The collection includes pieces of various types of performances including opera, pantomime, film, rock, and circus. Unfortunately, the collection was closed. While the fashion collection was open, it was small and with less variety. A fourth of the collection was also blocked off because of renovations, so it was an even smaller array of pieces to look at. With that said, I was still able to admire some pieces of clothing and learn more about its history.

Pictured above are some of my favorite pieces from the Fashion collection.

The last one is the “Robe à La Française”, which would have been called a “sack” in Britain. This piece was said to be made in France or Switzerland in the 1760’s. 

Another piece that caught my attention was the Blue Dress above. I was immediately reminded of the Royal courts Theatre production of Bluets. It was almost the exact shade of blue used for the costumes. I felt like the dress would have been a perfect addition to this show, if it were set a a different period. The 1850s to be exact. This style of dress came about after the invention of the light framed steel that replaced heavy layers of petticoats. It made the dress lighter, and also more voluminous.

This shade of blue came about from development in the chemical industry, that eventually led to artificial dyes. What I found even more interesting, was that some of those dyes were found to be dangerous. In 1869, The British Medical Journal warned the dangers of arsenic in magenta dyes, that it could leak from washing or even rain. Somehow when I read that, I connected a few more dots with Bluets. In the production, the color blue swallows the narrator whole, damaging its perception of reality. The obsession with the color blue was harmful. When I read the artificial dye fact at the museum, it was too much of a coincidence. How color can be harmful. Isn’t that kind of crazy?

I continued to look at the rest of the exhibits. I was on a mission to find anything that related to the theatre. Right as I left the fashion collection, I was immediately drawn to a headdress The name read, “Theatrical Headdress”. I got really excited! It turns out, that this piece most likely would have been worn by an actor impersonating the king of celestial beings in the 1800s. The shape and high quality of the piece resembled that of crowns worn by the royals or minor deities during the Konbaung period.

The production I immediately thought of when I saw this headdress was King Lear. When King Lear starts losing his mind in the play, the taking away of his crown (both figuratively and physically) is a really important symbol in the play. They are not just taking away his dignity but also his power. The headdress was so well preserved, it looked like it could make anyone look powerful. For it to be a theatrical headdress, the detail and shape of it was magnificent. I thought “I guess if your gonna portray a king, you need to be able to portray power”.

Well that is it for now friends!

Farewell!

PS: Some of us went to the Natural History Museum afterwards, and these are some pictures of really cool stuff we found!

When I first found out we would be watching King Lear, I was somewhat excited. I wrote my scene analysis on this play, and in reading and analyzing it, I found that I quite enjoyed it. I was excited to see if Shakespeare’s longest, and one of the most tragic shows would actually be entertaining when put on. When I heard that we would be watching King Lear in Ukrainian, without subtitles, I was less excited. But, I knew the text pretty well, so I believed that I could follow the story. I was wrong once more. 

I wondered why this show was in Ukrainian. When Shawn explained that this show was created as a result of the war between Ukraine and Russia, I was stunned.

When Russia invaded, Thousands of Ukrainians found refuge in the small town of Uzhhorod of western Ukraine. The local theatre director of the town, Vyacheslav Yehorov , found parallels of the refugee’s experience and that of the story of King Lear. I found this so interesting, I had to learn more of how it came about.

According to an interview with The Guardian, the director was actually a directing student. He was inspired to create this production, after noticing the positive impact of the theatre on the children he worked with. He wanted to create the same impact for the adults, who also needed something to cope with. 

Most of the cast and those who auditioned to be in the show were displaced people. Who for the most part had little to no theatre or performance experience. The cast of 12 are made up of teachers, doctors, students, and laborers. 

Learning these details changed my initial outlook of this production. The story of King Lear as I knew it, was being interpreted. Instead of the classical play, it was going to be more of an interpretive piece. I changed the way I have been seeing all of the pieces of theatre. I have been very analytical, either over the set design or acting. But less to be critical, and more to learn and be inspired by the great theatre London offers. With this show, I had to turn that off. Which was a lot harder than I imagined.

When the show first started, the actors came out dressed in linens. The clothes looked like undergarments of some kind. The stagehands brought out a chest right in the middle of the stage, and the actors took each of their costumes. Once they each had their costume, they just looked at the audience, with their hands out. It made for a very vulnerable moment, and I could not wrap my head around why. That was until I talked with my peers. Someone mentioned how that scene, was them putting on a costume. Like saying, “Hey this isn’t who we are, we are people, who want to share a story”. None of them are professionals, so this isn’t just a show they got hired to do. But something that means so much to them, that they are doing it willingly. That scene set up the rest of the show for me. 

With that said, I spent most of the show trying to figure out what scene or what character was on stage. I thought not knowing the language would make understanding the story more difficult, but I found myself being able to somehow understand what was trying to be said. It was weird but cool that I could still follow along. Although this production wasn’t the most amazing performance or design, it was a reminder of what theatre can be used for. Theatre can be an escape from reality or a way to cope. That is what made this show special. It is of real people, who have undergone so much pain and suffering and created beautiful art under tough circumstances. 

I am so glad I got to be part of the special performance. To think the Royal Shakespeare Company was only putting on this show the weekend we arrived at Stratford Upon Avon. It feels like we were destined to watch it.

Well that is it for now friends! 

Farewell!

I just boarded my first plane back to Arkansas and I can’t lie, fighting tears on public transport is embarrassing. I am listening to “Birds of A Feather,” by Billie Eilish, eating Cadbury sticks, and reminiscing on the wonderful times I shared with you wonderful folks. 

After our last day in London, we took a short day trip to Oxford. With a bomb tour guide, we got to learn all about The University of Oxford and some history of the city. Because I lost my umbrella, (the Royal National seemed to absorb a lot of my belongings), I was struggling to pay attention to David because I was getting pelted with raindrops. I wish we could have spent more time in Oxford because it is a cool, quaint city, but our final destination in Stratford-upon-Avon was worth it. 

What seemed like a long bus ride for us from London to Stratford-upon-Avon would seem lightning quick in Shakespeare’s day. Apparently, the commute would have taken Shakespeare 3 days. So, we have nothing to complain about. After bus our ride with our very knowledgeable driver, we arrived at our little bed and breakfast at Avoncot. While me, Ann and Belle thought that we were going to be in the Bridge room, (which is about twice as big as the one they moved us to), we were delighted to finally stretch our legs. Us girls have a lot of crap. 

Me and some friends went to dinner at Ask Italian before the show, which was great! Then, we headed to “Merry Wives of Windsor.” I had no idea how much I would enjoy that show! I was pleasantly surprised that although I had not read it prior, I caught on to the storyline quickly and was thoroughly entertained throughout. This one tickled me so much because I loved the mischievousness of the two wives and how they bamboozled the men. The only character that I did not enjoy was Slender, and I think it’s because his character felt too showy for me, rather than authentic like the other characters. The priest was hilarious and the moment where he was stuffing the wife’s underwear into his pockets had me doubled over. 

The next day, we visited Shakespeare’s birthplace. I was surprised to see how big the home actually was— it seemed substantial for the 16th century. It was cool seeing John Shakespeare’s glovemaking room, and learning about Shakespeare never finishing an apprenticeship for a trade. It seemed like a good environment to foster a future genius playwright. 

Anne Hathaway’s cottage is everything you would expect it to be. While the actual cottage is quaint, beautiful and picturesque, the gardens were a magical escape. Seems like the perfect place to get engaged, (wink wink). For our last excursion, me and some friends frolicked and played tag through the meadow. My inner child flourished. 

Shawn told us that this trip would change our lives. Everyone I talked to who has went also said the same thing. So, I was prepared. Or, I was as prepared as much as I thought I needed to be. However, I don’t think it really started to set in until our train to Bath. For some reason, I got this overwhelming feeling of never wanting to let go of this experience. I was so overwhelmed with joy, gratefulness, excitement, and dread for when I have to leave. Growing up in Berryville, Arkansas, I have always yearned for something more. More theatre. More restaurants. More sights. Just more!

London gave me that, to say the least. It is really hard to leave a place that brought me so many new experiences, as well as friendships that will last a lifetime. I don’t think I will ever get to do something as special as this again. 

I am so beyond grateful for this chance to see theatre, see architecture, try new food, speak to new people, get closer to people I already loved, evaluate what I want to do with my life and think of how I can get this feeling back again. 

It’s hard to spend a month with the same people. Exhaustion and pain leads to irritation and anger. However, when you figure out how to balance your culmination of emotions, a beautiful friendship can bloom. I am so glad to have so many beautiful friends. 

Here’s to tea, beans on toast, hoards of Elementary School kids, trying not to get noise complaints, Tesco meal deals, the Tube, the Tube Map, the Zebra, no public toilets, the lack of free water, the lack of A/C, the cool clothes, the cool buildings, the mind-blowing theatre, the 40 year old woman we befriended in a pub, drinking blood water, trying not to get hit by a car/biker, getting whiplash at Thorpe Park, Maddie jumping stone to stone outside the British Museum and skinning her foot, Maddie getting her phone stolen, getting lost in a foreign country, Pride and Prejudice, mashed potatoes with tuna and hot sauce, sneezing black boogers, Ian McKellen, and of course…. Papa Duck. 

Peace out, London! I will find you in another lifetime. 

xoxo, ex-London girl

Bluets

One of the most interesting pieces of theatre I have ever seen. Bluets, currently being presented at the Royal Court Theatre, is an adaption on the book “Bluets”, written by Maggie Nelson. The book is made up of prose and poetry, all talking about the color blue. Or should I say, the obsession with blue. 

It’s a story of depression, desire, longing, love and loss. It’s hard to explain how many themes are involved in this piece. And part of the themes in this show is blue. Isn’t that interesting?

From reading the description of this show, I had assumed it was going to be very interpretative. In my head, I thought the set would be bare, with little to no big pieces. I could not have been more wrong. 

As soon as I enter the theater, I am puzzled. There is so much going onstage. Three big professional cameras with tripods, all spaced out evenly on stage. Surrounding the camera equipment were tables that were decently sized TVs. There were also other pieces of props. The most obvious was the same bottle of Makers Mark whiskey with a glass cup, and they were stationed the same on each of the three tables. On the same tables was a bunch of blue Knick-knacks. It was the exact same stuff on each table. Behind these tables and cameras, was more stuff. It was chaotic how much stuff was on stage, I couldn’t tell what it was possibly there for.

What also threw me off was the fact that behind all the cluster, it was completely open to the back of the stage. Around 10mins before the show started, I could catch glimpses of the actors just sitting backstage. It appeared there was so no borders or backdrops. The wings of the stage were also open, so much so I could fully see the stage manager. 

The biggest piece of scenery though, was the gigantic black screen over the actors on stage. It was so huge, it took up all of the width of the stage and more than half of the height of the proscenium. 

I knew I was in for a ride. This was going to be a interesting show, 

The story follows someone, who became infatuated and obsessed with the color blue. It also follows the story of her clinging to a toxic ex-partner, and then taking care of a friend who becomes quadriplegic. All while struggling with depression, and desire to be loved. It was so poetic and personal, but philosophical and emotional. I was inside the mind of someone who was slowly loosing touch with reality and themselves.

The way that this was all portrayed sometimes took me out of the words the actors were speaking. The story of all the moments the author was going through, are all portrayed on the huge screen. The cameras in front of the actors were all transmitting live to the screen. But we could see how they were creating those moments, right in front of us. Why did they go this approach? As if a film was coming alive, and we were part of watching the process. This production would have only made sense as a film, so why did they do it like this? Why execute this piece in this way?

Does this count as theatre or some other sort of creative piece? I don’t know. What is theatre? The fact that this production posed this question to me, is quite impactful. It’s challenged me to think outside of the box, in a way no other show has done. 

Well that is it for now friends!

As someone who has seen very little theater, before this trip I don’t know if I’d ever seen a live piece of art that truly moved me. In fact, I’d argue nearly every piece of art that has truly evoked some serious emotion from me has either been from the written word (Poems, Books, etc) or, more importantly, film. I lead with this not to talk down upon theater, I adore theater, moreso to highlight where I’m coming from when I say that Bluets is my favorite thing I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing on this trip. While I sat down to see a piece of theater, I left having watched the only instance of what I’m dubbing “live film” I’ve ever seen. Is it still theater? Of course, but it’s also a crossover of genres that truly has to be experienced to understand what I mean. 

So as I sat there in seat F16, looking upon the odd stage setup, with cameras for 2 separate angles, my first emotion was one of confusion. Why were there cameras and televisions topped with LED light strips on the stage? Moreso, where were the actors supposed to move around as the machinery left little playing room for our 3 stars? My head continued to buzz with these questions as the lights dimmed and our 3 identically dressed actors stepped out onto stage. Then as the screen turned on and the cameras clicked awake, our middle performer opened their eyes and uttered the line, “Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color…” From that point forward my neck was locked, eyes were pointed, and what was often passive enjoyment turned into an active participation, hanging on every word.

To deviate from the technical elements for a moment I should touch on the script. Bluets is not a traditional play, in fact, it reads and sounds more like a piece of poetry. There is a story, yes, but only one character that we follow. That character is a mirror, never fully named, the three actors who are in order male, non-binary, and female stand to show us a spectrum of different voices living with a mutual struggle. They talk with a similar cadence, they move similarly, they stare with the same cold distance, and while in theory, they are different it’s like staring into an opal reflecting a beautiful pattern that culminates into one breathtaking, coherent image. The story is simple, it’s a tragedy interspersed with daydreams of when life felt more normal. Blue as a color is simply meant to show the protagonist’s worldview shifting, an obsessive need to understand the newfound lens their world is shaped under by focusing on the most sorrowful of colors. A lens shaped by erotic daydreams of a lost lover, the experience of being unable to help a friend, and eventually the recognition that time moves on, that we move on. Honestly, I could go on for hours about the writing but my description would just be a cheap retelling of something better experienced by reading or watching.

Similarly, I don’t know if I can describe the visual storytelling in a way that does it justice but I’ll still try. Think of a 3 camera sitcom with a live studio audience, now imagine they did that for something with the emotional intensity of In the Mood for Love. Shots are done practically, with our actors standing and walking in front of pre-filmed backdrops, performing every close-up live with small movements of lips that say 1000 words more than any line dialogue. I could probably monologue and convolutedly throw out fragmented thoughts about this style of live performance all day long but for the sake of whoever’s reading this and the pounding headache I have while writing this, Bluets’ filming style is best conveyed by a quote I heard a few years ago.

 “A FILM IS NEVER REALLY GOOD UNLESS THE CAMERA IS AN EYE IN THE HEAD OF A POET.” – Orson Welles

Bluets is the truest depiction of the eye in the head of a poet, except you get to see it unfold right in front of you. It’s heartbreaking, erotic, and bordering on rambling but it’s also perhaps the rawest piece of art I’ve ever seen.

Hello again, all!! And also goodbye because this is my final blog in England. (Sad, I know. I’m sure you will all miss my ramblings.) I’m not ready to admit it’s the end, so I shall continue to live in denial as I write about our experiences one final time.

We have spent the last few days in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and it has been an incredible experience and a great way to end the trip. Life slows down a lot in Stratford, but my excitement did not. There was so much to see, despite how small the town is, and I love it here! Coming from the hustle and bustle of London, it was a big change to see just how small and secluded Stratford is. You can walk pretty much anywhere, there are cute shops and lots of pubs, and of course, Shakespeare things are everywhere!! We got to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, his New Place, and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Each of these places were steeped in history, and it was fascinating to see where the man himself grew up. One of the gift shops we visited had a deck of cards that had “Shakespeare’s Flowers.” On the back of the deck, it talks about how you can so clearly see the way the nature in Stratford inspired his writings, and that could not be more true. There are beautiful fields and farms, full of different flowers all over the city (not to mention swans everywhere!!), and I could see how Shakespeare would be inspired to write about nature and why he was so good at it after seeing the place that raised him. He had no shortage of inspiration to take from the beautiful place he lived in. 

I felt so at peace walking through the parks and fields and along the water in Stratford. While the city and shops were quaint and adorable, my favorite moments in Stratford were when I was just walking outside, admiring the nature and the incredible, old, Tudor architecture everywhere. When going home our first night (in the cold, mind you) my group got rained on (I’m talking downpour. We were soaked when we got back to our lodgings.). That may sound miserable, but the city, the excitement, and the joy of being with my friends made that one of the most fun moments for me. It was a small thing but a moment I will remember forever. Walking through Stratford in the rain after seeing a Shakespeare show may have been one of the most British moments of my whole trip, and it was awesome! One of the other cool moments from the trip was when a group of us went to The Dirty Duck one night, and we saw almost all of the actors from King Lear and Merry Wives of Windsor there. (It felt like spotting a celebrity in the wild. Lol)

I don’t quite know how to wrap up this post, seeing as it’s my last one, but I am so incredibly happy and blessed that I got to have this experience. I have learned so much about myself, theatre, and the world around me while in England. I have discovered I am capable of more than I ever thought I was, and for that, I am very proud of myself. I will miss cat cafes, walking everywhere, being with my friends everyday, seeing a new show each week, and of course, my Tesco Meal Deal. I will also miss seeing our fearless leaders (Shawn, Susan, Courtney, and Tim) each day. They make this trip possible, and their support has meant everything to me. I knew this trip had to come to a close eventually, but I still can’t fathom that it’s here. I hope to come back to London someday, but in the meantime, I am grateful for the memories I made this last month. I do not wish to say goodbye, so instead I will leave you with some Shakespeare. “Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.” See you, next time, England!! 

P.S. My computer is being mean and won’t download photos from my phone or upload old ones right now, but I will hopefully add some later once I figure out the issue. Stay tuned!!

Edit: Here are the few photos that I could get to load!!!

Seeing this production of King Lear was a very unique and fascinating experience that I likely will not have a chance to recreate. Watching a show in a foreign language that I have absolutely zero experience with was confusing at first, but as it went on gave me a deeper appreciation for the play as a whole. 

Before leaving on this trip, we had read King Lear in class, so that we would at least have some idea of what was happening in the show when we would not be able to understand the dialogue itself. For the most part, this prior experience with the show helped immensely, as it gave me the knowledge that I needed to understand these characters and their different machinations and downfalls. However, reading the script beforehand ended up not being as valuable as it could have been, as the version we saw was a shortened version of the original play, only being an hour and a half and having five characters total. This made the story as a whole a bit harder to fully understand, as I was trying to determine what was happening and where we were in the play through the actions and facial expressions of the characters onstage. For the most part, the actors, none of which are experienced actors but rather people, did a pretty good job at conveying the story through these nonverbals, all things considered. However, as the show is a drama in nature combined with the inexperienced actors, there was less they could really do interpretatively to get the plot across, with them giving many monologues more or less straight with minimal movement. This worked well for the tone of the play, however did make it harder to understand than it would have been in English. 

The design of the production as a whole was fairly decent. The sound was a bit too loud at many points throughout the play, distracting me from the action occasionally or just making me go deaf during certain scenes, like the thunder storm or the battle scene, but would have created a very nice soundscape if it was turned down a little bit. The sound helped to set the tone for the scenes and provide necessary context of what was happening, helping to ease the language barrier a bit. The lighting design similarly was very well done with some parts where it went a bit too far. Overall, the lighting was effective and again did a fair job at establishing mood during the dramatic scenes. However, there were a few moments, such as the thunder storm and battle scene again, where the lighting went a bit too far, as they began to strobe during these rather long scenes. The strobe effect would have been interesting, however the strobe frequency was so rapid and the color was so intense that it almost gave me a headache. The design overall was very cool and had great moments, especially those that called back to the Ukrainian origins of the show. The music seems to have been at least inspired by a Ukrainian Sopilka, a type of flute, the lighting at the end lit the stage in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and the show began with showing the refugees leaving Ukraine on train. 

Overall, seeing a show in a foreign language is a fascinating experience that I am glad to have had, and the performance’s symbolism and relevance is far from lost on me after watching this production.

To cry or not to cry, that is the question. Whether tis’ better to shed my sorrowful tears of having to leave this great country in front of the class, or save my sadness for the plane ride home and turn it off. I am forever changed by this class in the absolute best way. I have met amazing people, seen incredible shows, and eating fantastic food. I’ll talk for a while about my experience these final few days in Stratford Upon Avon then pontificate about the trip as a whole. 

Shakespeare! Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that Shakespeare is probably the most influential writer of all time. His complete works and sonnets have crept their way into every piece of modern media imaginable in one way or another, so it was sort of magical to be able to visit the place where he was born and raised. I loved walking through his house and seeing all of the little details like his writing desk and christening spoon. It was also really cool to visit his grave and read the curse he placed on it. If anyone tries to move his bones from their resting place in that church, they will be forever cursed. I thought about moving his bones, but after reading that I decided to steer clear.

Stratford Upon Avon the town is absolutely gorgeous. Who knew that just a few hours outside of London there is a lovely little town with old thatch-roof buildings and an even older history. I loved walking around all of the shops and through the market tents. Out of the ten or so markets I have been to this whole trip, this one was definitely the most chill. After spending so much time in the busy city, it caught me off guard how quiet it is here. It really is the perfect way to end our time in England.

I have had such high highs and low lows, but this rollercoaster ride is one I will never forget. All within a week I saw the greatest show of my life starring Tom Holland, cried at the most incredible tea party I have ever had at Bath, and had my phone and wallet stolen right out of my pocket. It has truly been unforgettable one way or another. I have also become better friends with some really incredible people and made memories with them that I will cherish forever. I’m currently tearing up as I am writing this because it is setting in that this really is the last time I will be here maybe ever. I have loved this class with my whole heart and I am so grateful that I was able to experience it. To anyone who is on the fence about this trip, please go, you will have the greatest time. Just remember to carry your phone in a zipped bag!

As they say in England, Cheers!