May 13, 2011 Hamlet at the Globe and The Stock Da'wa

Today was a very long and eventful day so...I'm having a hard time remembering where to begin.

It started off in Middle Temple, London for our Shakespeare walking tour with Tim and Jane. Outside Middle Temple Hall, we learned that the Temple area was the original beginnings of London and now it's an exclusive law practicing area. We learned that the term "bar exam" originated in England and why it is called the bar exam. In my journal, I wrote, "I forget the specifics now, but I have to tell Dad when I remember."

Middle Temple Church

Middle Temple Hall
Photo by Andy

Andy and I on our way to the Globe in front of St. Paul's.

The south bank view of London

We visited what used to be the Blackfriars Theatre, the original foundation sites of both the Rose and the Globe, and George's Inn (another interesting venue for theatre way back then).

After the tour was over, we headed over to the Borough Market and Tim bought us the most amazing brownies (I couldn't finish mine in one sitting!). Which reminds me, I have half that I still hope to finish! Andy and I abstained from buying Borough food for our li'l packed lunches. Matt did the same and we ate in front of the Southwark Cathedral with the London masses on their lunch break as well.

Chase got the yummiest chicken curry from the market and Nathan had some delicious fish n' chips. I still haven't had authentic English fish n' chips! Or a meat pie...rickaracka...

When our picnic was forced to end by Andy's and my schedule, we ran to the Globe to get tickets to see Hamlet. ALL SOLD OUT?!?! WHAT? NOOO!!! Hamlet HAS to be the first play I see at the Globe!!!

We hopped in the return ticket queue to see if we could get in...it was not looking good, the play barely began and WAM! Five pound tickets to stand as a groundling!

Standing for two and a half hours sucked! But, anything to see Hamlet at the Globe.

The production of Hamlet itself was very interesting. The cast was pretty small...under ten people...and all the characters, but Hamlet, were double cast. That made the play within a play staging very exciting and innovative. The man who played Claudius was amazing! He also played the ghost of Hamlet's father and the player king and played the mandolin! The man who played Polonius was amazing too! Maybe my favorite Polonius of all the Hamlet productions I've seen. He controlled the audience completely with his comedic timing. He was also the best gravedigger I've ever scene...HA! ...worldplay.

But, Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude were all weak. The scenes between them made me long for the Dan Donohue production. Hamlet's face was sooo distracting, unbelievable and muggy. Ophelia's madness scene was a complete joke. Gertrude didn't even seem like a queen to begin with!

But, all these things were worth being able to see my favorite play as my first show in the Globe.

After Hamlet was over, Andy and I headed over to the Hampstead Theatre to see a new play called The Stock Da'wa. It was in the small space below the Hampstead main stage, where Silence is playing, called the Michael Frayn Space.

I was, at first, very excited about this show because it was new and in an intimate setting...but then the show began and it all went to hell.

The Stock Da'wa poster: incredibly misleading.

This was, by far, the most awful professional show I've ever seen. The worst. A first grader could have written better dialogue than David Eldridge. He wrote what seemed to be "a slice of life" play. HA! Ha. Ha. Ha. While writing the play, he perhaps pondered to himself, "But...hmmm...maybe people will find my play boring...so...I'll make this white guy a converted muslim...I'll chuck in some suggestions of child molestation...a pinch of obesity, homophobia, murder, economic problems, sex (T.M.I.), gratuitous cursing...uh...have I missed anything? Oh! And a head in a duffel bag. Done. Play."

Nothing. Was. Resolved. Nothing. Mattered. The complete opposite of Clybourne Park, of course, but was trying to achieve similar things...I think.

Because of all these things, the acting sucked. Or, these poor actors were directed by a very heavy hand, Ugh. It's making me not want to venture to see new plays. But, as Chase said, "You have to get ripped off at lease once in London."

I did learn from it. I learned that the Cafe Caesar near the Hampstead has yummy and cheap Tuna sandwiches.