Blog post 13

By Isaac Overman

June 16 2022

Today we ventured to the Victoria and Albert museum. Our goal was to view their exhibit on theatre over the years. Several items immediately jumped out at me. The first was a massive horse puppet that was used in a production of War Horse. The puppet was not only stunning but immediately contrasted against the puppets that were prominently featured in Life of Pi. Both puppets where of considerable size being about six feet long and tall. These creatures have one to three actors moving different parts in order to create life like and accurate movement. Seeing this live in Life of Pi was incredible. They had four animals that moved so life like that it was a bit frightening. And this element is curtail to both stories. If the Tiger looks like and acts like a puppet then the sense of danger is lost from the play. I imagine it is the same with a play like War Horse. If the horse moves like a robot instead of being one of the stars of the play—it becomes goofy and unbelievable.

The other thing that stood out was a trap door that was made up of many triangles. It is designed that way so it appears flush like the rest of the floor but then allows an actor to fall straight through the floor. The one at the museum was from a production of Peter Pan. This also reminded me of Life of Pi because at one point Pi goes under water and then pops up at other locations making it look like he is swimming on the stage. Obviously it was closer to a latex material then wooden triangles but it shows the evolution of stage tech that yields similar results through different means. Life of Pi was one of the best plays that I have ever seen in part because the stage design for the puppets and stunts were so brilliant. The Victoria and Albert museum reminded me just how special some of these plays can be.

Spending just short of a month in an entirely different country, combined with spending most of that time in one of the most international and diverse cities in the globe, leaves one with countless possibilities in regards to food. And, given that food accounts for nearly fifty percent of my personal spending on this trip as of composing this post, I like to think that I have taken ample advantage of the opportunities London provides. I sorted my adventures in three categories: totally new foods, familiar brands, and the only food goal I had prior to departing the United States.

The first category, as one might expect, contributed to the most revelations about the foods I have missed out on back in Arkansas, and what I should attempt to replicate on my own once I return (though that may have to wait until I have a kitchen with a proper vent hood, among other things). Examples of this category include the following experiences:

• I tried out a Malaysian seafood soup-like dish on the first full day here at a restaurant with Taylor and Hailey. While it was nice, it was made of various types of seafood, with some of those not being among my favorites. It came in a larger portion than I expected, so I ended up leaving more on the table than I would like.
• The week of our departure from London to Stratford-upon-Avon, I stopped into a Chinese restaurant nearby the hotel. The menu had very little English on it, only being used for short descriptors of the food’s content rather than any sort of formal name for the various dishes, and some of the items listed were…abnormal in my opinion. To my credit, I tried to order an appetizer that was outside my comfort zone (rabbit head cooked in hot chili sauce, in case anyone was curious), but was told it was not available. Though, given the portion size of the boiled fish filet in hot chili sauce that I ordered instead, I would have been too full to finish the entrée if they had that appetizer in stock. The fish was soft and thoroughly took on the flavor of the sauce, as did the vegetables and other ingredients in the bowl, but the spice level made my nose start running by the time I was about half way through the meal.

• The group stopped at Spitalfields Market after our visit to the Museum of London, and after I completed my shopping, I looked around for food and found this stand selling a small number of Indian dishes. I forgot the name of the specific food, but I recall that its base was lamb mixed in with various spices and vegetables, and that the vendors put chili sauce and pickled pineapple on the top. Whatever amount I paid for it was well spent, because it was absolutely delicious! The sweetness of the pineapple on top complemented the savory meat perfectly, and I would not hesitate to recreate it if I knew the ingredients!

The second category contained less outright surprises, but allowed me to make some nuanced observations about the differences in an identical product made and sold in two different places.

• Fanta in the United Kingdom has several flavors that I have never seen in the United States, like Tropicool (which is a mix of various fruits and flowers) and Shokata (a particularly refreshing blend of elderflower and lemon), but the main flavor, in both countries, is orange. I found that the sugar-free variant (as well as most other sugar-free sodas in the UK) was not especially good, but the normal kind was. I believe sodas in the UK utilize more actual sugar than in their US counterparts, which use corn syrup as well as sugar. The orange flavor in the UK is less overtly sweet than in the US, and has flavors closer to fruit juice (though it certainly will not be confused with orange juice). I have come to prefer the version sold in the UK, and I will see if there is any way to get them after coming home. I have come to the same conclusion about Dr. Pepper as well, though Sprite and 7 Up has not proven itself as significantly different from those sold in the States.

• This will come as a surprise to no one, but there are a decent number of McDonalds’ fast-food restaurants in London. So, I got it into my head to try and find the differences between the ones here and the ones back home. After my “scientific” investigation, I have found that there is zero difference in the burgers and ketchup, the fries (as I have observed about British chips as a whole) taste more like potatoes but lack seasoning, and the flavors of milkshake that the UK chains share with the US chains taste different (I suspect that the flavor syrups they use are different than the ones back home) but not in a bad way.

The third category is by far the most interesting because it involves a mission with personal stakes. I have been to London once before with my mother and brother, during the summer after my freshman year of high school. On one day during that trip, we walked around the British Museum all morning and left at around lunch time. We were understandably tired, and we stood in line and got lunch at this café in a nearby park. I got a really pathetic sandwich with nothing but sausage and onion on it, and a slice of Queen Victoria sponge cake that turned out to be one of the greatest things I had ever tasted! After eating our food (and fighting off dive-bombing pigeons trying to eat said food), we sat out on the grass and watched an old man put on a traditional Punch and Judy hand puppet show. It was one of the least “touristy” things we did on our whole trip around Europe, but it was so peaceful and picturesque that it has always stuck with me.

Understandably, I wanted to find that café and that excellent cake a second time, so I planned to look around at the various parks near our hotel (which is also nearby the British Museum) as a sort of preliminary search. At the first park I walked through was Russel Square Garden. I found a café that looked very similar to the one I remembered. But, when I went inside the place, hey did not have the cake. So, I resolved to look elsewhere for the spot from my childhood. I could not find it anywhere, and my mother could not recall anything useful about it when I asked her. Because it was my only remaining option, I returned to the first park I visited and entered the café again. While placing an order, I asked the lady working there how long the business had been in the park, and if they had ever served Queen Victoria sponge cake. As it turns out, their family has been running that café (Caffe Tropea) at that location since the 1980s, and they actually did used to serve that cake, but they stopped during the outbreak of Covid-19 and have not brought it back since. I was proud of myself for tracking down the memory, and even though the cake of my dreams was nowhere to be found, the torte-della and tiramisu I ordered were fantastic substitutes!

The food on this trip has been amazing, and I know I will miss some of it dearly once I am back in the States.

Genuinely, the fringe theatre in London is absolutely stunning. Both shows I saw with the group left me REELING. Lift was a short moment relative to the length of life, that will stick with me for years to come. Girl On an Altar was a visceral experience, shaking me to my core and showing me what good greek tragedy can do. Not to even mention how great it was to sit so close, fringe in London is absolutely astounding.

Starting with Lift, the story inside the mind of an artist working through life problems and moving forward in the few intimate seconds riding up the lift in the tube surrounded by the many odd strangers one might find in London. The 90-minute run time is crammed full of the imperfect but astoundingly unique reality of London. the glowing network of tubes filling the tightly packed black box represents both the convoluted tube map of London and the set dressing for each scene. The music is brimming with heart and soul, feeling deeply personal at times, and impressively bizarre at others, it comes off as endlessly interesting as the city proved to be. I fell in love with London, and this show managed to encapsulate that in the rawest and most imperfect way, making me fall in love with it as well.

Girl On an Alter. Raw and true, it turns a searing mirror to family dynamics, toxic masculinity, the effects of trauma, and the danger of power in a visceral take on the story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. With modern dress, and a minimalistic set, the show finds its power in its focus on the movement, lighting, and dialogue. It takes the text and forces the audience to feel it deeply as best it can, the stark red of bloody sheets, sounds of sex, the screaming tears of a trauma unhealed. It does a powerful and wonderful job at this. Happy to report that there was direction for all the intense aspects of this play. For the safety of the actors, this is most definitely needed for this play. I’m slightly less happy to report that it did lack a warning for the audience or at least lacked clear ones (though that seems to be a trend in British theatre… perhaps a cultural disconnect between America and London there.) Knowing the story well, I suppose I expected some sex and gore, so harmed I am not, but a valid criticism remains. While the actors were safe, I fear for audience members of less fortitude than I.

(I would also like to mention The Play That Goes Wrong. No longer fringe, it started there and the attitude of the cast and crew remains as such. The Mischief Theatre company is a wonderful bunch worthy of all the credit they get and more)

Fringe theater is defined by the Collins English Dictionary as a theatrical performance that is unconventional or otherwise distinct from the mainstream. But in modern terms, fringe theater can be classified as any small theater company performance to anything that is uncategorizable. It is equivalent to New York’s Off-Off Broadway.

Now onto the specifics of the Kiln Theater’s production. Intense seems to little of a word to describe all the feelings felt in this show. There is power, and the struggle for power, as well as grappling the past with the present. I was wowed by the vulnerability presented by Eileen Walsh playing Clytemnestra. This character goes in circles of emotions and struggles internally and externally with herself and others. Entering the stage in only a towel presents the audience with the raw vulnerability this play demonstrates. There are many moments throughout that you feel as if you are watching through a window and seeing a quarrel (or something else) that you should not be seeing. David Walmsley, who played Agamemnon, did a great job at playing a terrible person. This character literally kills his daughter, and continues to justify it for over ten years, as well as being a domestic abuser and a raging tyrant. But Walmsley’s performance mixed with Walsh created a fiery dynamic presence on stage that made the whole scenes captivating to a point you couldn’t dare to look away.

With the Kiln theater being a smaller venue, and not being located in the center of London, they are able to get away with things most mainstream West End shows cannot. Such as nudity & incredibly intimate (if one could say, a bit to intimate) scenes. But in the same breath, they lack the production value and pizazz that is presented on the West End shows. There were many moments in this production that I thought were very beautifully directed and set up on stage with the set and lights. But there were others that were seemingly shoved under a rug and brisked past due to the fact that acting them out was literally unattainable. 

This show in all was not my favorite that I have seen, but it wasn’t bad. Could I had done with a couple trigger warnings? Yes. Could I have done with a little less… if you know you know…. Yes. Could I see the potential this script and cast have? Yes.

Blog post 12

By Isaac Overman

June 15 2022

As of writing this, I have witnessed three “fringe” plays: Lift, Girl on an Alter and Rainer. When I was traveling to see Rainer tonight, I was extremely worried that I would hate it. To be blunt, my opinions regarding Lift and Girl on an Alter are that they felt extremely self important and lacked any amount of charm that would lead me to fall in love with the productions. My problems with these plays were not because they had a lower budget or that they were in a smaller venue but that they were either void of plot—in the case of Lift—or far to long—in the case of Girl on an Alter. I would rate both of these plays in the three to four out of ten range. I was beginning to frame fringe theatre as dull and pretentious but my mind was completely changed tonight. Rainer was everything that I hoped fringe to be. It was shorter in length only lasting about an hour and a half, had a cohesive plot, and featured a single actress and two chairs. I was also intrigued by the fact that it was outside. The venue was small and the budget was obviously close to nothing but it had charm. The whole play takes place inside the mind of our protagonist—Rainer. This was the first great choice that the play made because it did not bite off more than it could chew. They had one actress and so they narrowed the scope of the play to be entirely through the lens of Rainer. The actress used the chair props and her physicality to portray each different character along with six or seven different accents. The plot was not vague like Lift and did not feel long at all like Girl on an Alter. The lead actress was phenomenal. She never missed a line and really embodied the characters. But most importantly it begged the audience to fall in love. I think this is because it was so relatable. The play is about a girl wrestling with the grief of her father’s death, her depression and letting people in to love her again. This play touched me in a way none of the other plays had. It felt so intimate and raw. Rainer was broken and we the audience watched as she slowly picks up the pieces of her life. It was beautiful. It was not a spectacle like Life of Pi. Nor did it shake me to my core like House of Shades. But it was charming and lovely. I would rate it very highly simply because it was everything fringe should be. I am glad that I gave fringe another shot because I might have missed one of my favorite plays.

As an American Abroad, the arts abound with an assortment of artistic aberrations from the average as I’ve come to know them and oof now I’m tired of this gimmick. Basically, the British way of theatre has its merit, that is to be sure, but there are times when stylistic choice (and the issues to be found in the Glass Menagerie are most certainly of the directorial decisions variety) does not mesh well with the material.

I will say flat out, as a memory play, there is to be much haze to the feeling of the play, as is the nature of the human mind. With that said, I fully do not understand some of the choices made on the stage. From the nearly completely blank center stage, to the bristlingly full outer edge of the stage…..which is all but completely ignored throughout the production, to the biggest offense of all….. the directing of the actors leading to a disconnect not congruent to a family in distress but a cast on the brink of aimlessness, there were far too many decisions made with this production that did not mesh well with the show itself.

This was a production of high quality and prestige, do not get me wrong, and having sat at the stage door after, I heard well the audiences’ opinion. The Reviews seem to agree with me on some points but flatly disagree with others. The lighting is adored, but the stage is seen as too large and impersonal. the disconnect is felt, but the set dressing goes unmentioned.

What can be said on all fronts is the stylistic choice to make this slice of Americana seem wistfully optimistic is a poor one. While it remains a dreadful look into the cultural pains present in many an American household, the memories are almost seen fondly, the characters harder to pity, the slime of the underbelly cleaned off. Almost as if the character played by Amy Adams is the one who’s eyes we see the world through, instead of the most bitter of her two children as it’s written and meant to be played.

A strange meshing of British and American culture, and it seems to disappoint both parties….. almost pitiable like the characters eh?

Well… at least Amy Adams was nice.

Rainer, Arcola Theatre

June 15^th

After our long journey to Kew Gardens, Isaac and I prepared ourselves for the trip to another fringe experience. I was quite hesitant going in because I had strong negative feelings towards Lift. I was consistently confused during Lift and could not follow any plot or dialogue, so I was worried about this production. Arcola was similar to the Southwark Playhouse with its limited seating, smaller stage, and no set pieces. Rainer was in their outside theatre, but the noise sometimes distracted me from the dialogue and my allergies kept acting up. But the play was a pleasant surprise.

Rainer is the name of the main character who we exclusively follow through their hour and fifteen minutes on stage. It is one actor who has the props of only two chairs. She can be somewhat unreliable, but it is her story of overcoming the grief of losing her father. She played so many characters, but her accents were impeccable. The lights and sounds were minimal, but they cued in the observers of the setting and mood.

She is an aspiring writer but works by delivering food all across London. We follow her mind through a few weeks as she continues to deny her experience with her father’s death. Her performance was moving, and she made the play move quickly. It did not only touch on emotions of grief but the ability to let others in and her focus on writing about the underappreciated of London. She spent some moments engaging with the audience and it created a connection with the story she was telling.

This performance boosted my opinion about fringe theatre. It was impactful, short, and impressive. It may not have potential to make it to West End, but the acting really shined. Even with limited resources, she created an active atmosphere that left the audience reflecting. If you make your way to London, don’t be afraid to have a fringe experience.

-Tabi is Booked

Girl on an Altar

Of all the plays that we’ve seen so far, this one was definitely not for me. That’s not to say it was a bad play, I think it was excellent actually. It was really impactful as a modern retelling of Agamemnon with prominent ancient Greek theater tradition. The play was mostly told through what Courtney called “memory monologues.” These monologues are hard to deliver interestingly because the actor needs to have a clear need from the audience. Most of the time I did not understand this need which made it seem like the actors were only playing emotion or opinion most of the time. However, this was a very difficult script. And, although it is very new, it’s written in a very ancient tradition. The acting that did occur between characters was interesting though. It was just frustrating for them to turn to the audience and describe what was happening as it was happening instead of living in the moment with their partner. There was one moment with a narrative monologue towards the end that I found really interesting. Cassandra, the prophetess was monologuing about the imminent murder of Agamemnon when he himself interrupts her, “What are you whispering?” Very intimidating. It brought what I assumed to be a private moment with the audience into the story. The stakes shoot through the roof in a second because Agamemnon is genuinely terrifying. He’s killed many men and at least one woman, whose to say he wouldn’t murder this girl?

The Great Gatsby Immersive Experience

The Great Gatsby was an absolute blast and I recommend any young person with a love of literature, dancing, or improv go see it. I was most impressed by how demanding it was of the actors to improvise and remain in control. They direct the “partygoers” the whole night and have to accommodate those who will say absolutely nothing to them and those who are really willing to play into it. Some of the story beats involve secrets of affairs and such so it’d be pretty easy for something to let slip and ruin the thing for everyone. I also loved the swing dancing! There was a bit at the beginning when we got to East Coast swing and me, Grason, Margaret, and Leah strut our stuff. We got called show-offs by Tom Buchanan though. The action among the characters were brilliant as well. The cast were super talented dancers and singers and pianists too! I was truly blown away. Best theater experience I had by far.

Lift
Lift was a beautiful show. It was hard to understand exactly what was going on. However, I loved how it looked, sounded, and felt. I was in the front row of this blackbox-type theater so the show felt really intimate. Intimate isn’t the right word. Being that close was intense. Overall the message of the show was kind of cute, the music was good, and the spirit of the show was strong.

Girl on an Altar

Of all the plays that we’ve seen so far, this one was definitely not for me. That’s not to say it was a bad play, I think it was excellent actually. It was really impactful as a modern retelling of Agamemnon with prominent ancient Greek theater tradition. The play was mostly told through what Courtney called “memory monologues.” These monologues are hard to deliver interestingly because the actor needs to have a clear need from the audience. Most of the time I did not understand this need which made it seem like the actors were only playing emotion or opinion most of the time. However, this was a very difficult script. And, although it is very new, it’s written in a very ancient tradition. The acting that did occur between characters was interesting though. It was just frustrating for them to turn to the audience and describe what was happening as it was happening instead of living in the moment with their partner. There was one moment with a narrative monologue towards the end that I found really interesting. Cassandra, the prophetess was monologuing about the imminent murder of Agamemnon when he himself interrupts her, “What are you whispering?” Very intimidating. It brought what I assumed to be a private moment with the audience into the story. The stakes shoot through the roof in a second because Agamemnon is genuinely terrifying. He’s killed many men and at least one woman, whose to say he wouldn’t murder this girl?

The Great Gatsby Immersive Experience

The Great Gatsby was an absolute blast and I recommend any young person with a love of literature, dancing, or improv go see it. I was most impressed by how demanding it was of the actors to improvise and remain in control. They direct the “partygoers” the whole night and have to accommodate those who will say absolutely nothing to them and those who are really willing to play into it. Some of the story beats involve secrets of affairs and such so it’d be pretty easy for something to let slip and ruin the thing for everyone. I also loved the swing dancing! There was a bit at the beginning when we got to East Coast swing and me, Grason, Margaret, and Leah strut our stuff. We got called show-offs by Tom Buchanan though. The action among the characters were brilliant as well. The cast were super talented dancers and singers and pianists too! I was truly blown away. Best theater experience I had by far.

Lift
Lift was a beautiful show. It was hard to understand exactly what was going on. However, I loved how it looked, sounded, and felt. I was in the front row of this blackbox-type theater so the show felt really intimate. Intimate isn’t the right word. Being that close was intense. Overall the message of the show was kind of cute, the music was good, and the spirit of the show was strong.

The Great Gatsby experience was something that I will never forget. To find his location it was down an alley and it didn’t have a large sign to show where it was. In fact we walked almost by it, but we saw a gentleman dressed up in a 1900’s suit who asked us if we were here at Mr Gatsby’s Party? Upon entering we were told to wait in the stairwell. A few minutes later we had an actor address us, again in full costume, who informed us of the party rules. It was a fun way to introduce the guests and also inform the guests that phones didnt exist, so don’t have them out! The venu was a bar space and an open room with some tables spaced out with an elevated surface that held a grand piano and other instruments. There was no real seating, because the show was everywhere. It could be right next to you, it could be in the middle of the room, or in other rooms entirely!

At the very beginning before the show started, the actors were walking around and interacting with the audience. We danced at the beginning with them to some music, they then had us come up and they taught us how to dance and we danced for and with them during the beginning number. It was a simple charleston step but it was so fun! The story took place in lots of other side rooms that were all decorated and hand curated. It really made you feel like you were at a party and gossiping among the party guests. 

Leah, Brendan, Margaret and I were hand selected by the actress playing Daisy. She often found us in the crowd of people and ask us to follow her into another room to continue the story. It was such a fast paced experience that was unlike any theatre experience I have had before. It was a full 360 experience because you never knew where the action was going to start. 

Something I thought was interesting about this experience is finding the line between your real opinion, and also helping the actors continue the story. For example, Tom asked us to hand a note to George saying that poor people don’t have as developed brains, so he had to cancel their deal. In this moment he was asking us to deliver a note to the other actor. Now of course, thats not true at all, but in the moment it was one of those things were you nod to the actor and think “its for the story its for the story its for the story”. Overall it was a great theatre experience that I enjoyed immensely.

Photography by Austin Bomkamp