Shakespeare

            

I am so happy that I have had to chance to experience a lot of Shakespeare in my time in London so far, and I'm ready for more next semester. Above are the three plays I've had the privilege to see, and they all come with a unique story.

Here's a picture of Benedict, just because

As for Hamlet, I've probably raved enough about how much I loved it. Hamlet continues to be my favorite Shakespeare play and play in general. There are just so many things I could say about it, but I'll restrain myself so I don't bore you to tears. If you're interested about my experience, and I haven't already talked your ear off about it, there is an entry below. If you're still interested, I have a 6 page rant about it I'd be more than happy to share with you. :)

Shakespeare's Birthplace

The second play I saw was Henry V. I have to say that I was really tired when I saw this, so while I understood the story I didn't have the energy it takes to fully appreciate a Shakespeare play the first time you see it. The reason I was tired was because we had woken up at 6 in the morning to take a bus to Stratford-upon-Avon, aka, Shakespeare's home town. My British Literature class took an overnight trip there, and it was so amazing. I love that little town and if I wasn't terrified of the implications of being a writer living in the same town as the greatest writer of all time, I would plan to move there is a minute.

Am I a Coward?

We spent some time hearing lectures about Shakespeare, walking around the charming little town, and ending the night by seeing The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Henry V. (I can't believe that's sentence I can say.) I love Shakespeare, so while I had a hard time really soaking in all the wonderful language and details that make a Shakespeare play wonderful, I enjoyed seeing a Shakespeare play I had never seen before. Also, Alex Hassel, who played Henry, was a wonderful actor and has that incredible talent to interpert Shakespeare for the audience. The next day, the other English class joined us and we tour the several houses in Stratford that had to do with Shakespeare. It was a wonderful trip and I'm so amused by that little town that is geard to nerds like me. Also while I was there, I had the chance to see the third folio of Shakespeares' work and the lovely workers there kindly turned pages for me until I found my favorite line. You guessed it: Am I a Coward?

Globe Theater Stage

The last play I've seen (so far) was Richard II at the Globe theater. :D. I can't believe I got to see a production in that glorious monument to Jacobean theater and Shakespeare. It was such an incredible experience. No, I did not watch he play from the pit, I decided to upgrade to a seat, although it would have been fun to interact with the actor, I'm not about standing for 3 hours. I actually squeezed some of my exhausted friends into the benches so they could sit for the second half of the play. The globe theater is incredibly beautiful and I wish I could see every production they put on. As we saw the play on closing night, we stuck around to watch the audience and cast members through flowers back and forth to celebrate the end of the season. Wonderful actors and such a wonderful play.

Brighton

The first time I left London was to travel to the charming little town of Brighton, which is a town on the coast of the English Channel. A big group of us bought non-peak time tickets and traveled on a train to the town I think of as English Santa Monica. The day was nice and warm, as it was still September at the time and the town was pack, as it was hosting the Rugby world cup and there was a game that day.

A clock tower in a square in the middle of the city

I spent most of the day wandering around the streets of Brighton, walking down the rocky beach, and perusing all of the Rugby themed stalls, as a street market had popped up, marking the way towards the stadium.
It really was a warm and beautiful day, as you might be able to tell from the pictures. Through most of my first semester, I think I experienced uncommonly good weather, but that might change for the next one. I enjoyed the sun while it lasted, and it almost seemed like I was back in California, walking through Santa Monica.

From the pier, looking over the English Channel

The Brighton Pier

In the evening, we wandered around to find a pub that wasn't completely full where we could watch the Rugby match between South Africa and Japan. I found myself cheering on the underdog team, Japan, to a surprise victory. The atmosphere was lively, and although everyone in the place was obviously not Japanese and very English, there were huge cheers for the Japanese team every time they scored a try. (I think that's the right term, but I'm not sure if you score a try or if you just try...) Speaking of try, I was so amused at the fans holding up signs that said "try" on them, until I realized that was the term for scoring. I really just thought that rugby had a bizarrely mild fan base, as if they were saying "just do your best and try. That's all that matters. Go on and at least give it a go".

I loved this little town, and it was the first of many short day trips I plan to take over the next semester. In the end, what I really loved about it is growing closer to the people I travel with. I would never have gone to a pub to watch a game on my own. It's been so fun getting to know the wonderful group of Pepperdine students I came to London with and getting to share incredible experiences with them.

Cheers,
Sarah Kiker