London: day thirty-seven

*None of these photos are mine: photos weren't allowed in the theater

The beginning of the day was really not worth mentioning as it was a pretty general morning filled with homework and then class. I went back to NIDO afterward and then hung out until 6:40 when I met up with Alyssa and Hannah and we went to the theater. We had been fortunate enough to land half-priced tickets to the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream playing at the Barbican. For only 17 pounds, we got pretty much the best seats in the house; right in the middle on the lowest level. Because of the slant though, we were place at the perfect height to the stage. The Barbican is an absolutely beautiful theater, round lights on each side, comfortable, sofa-like seats, high-tech gates which slide shut at the end of each row when the show begins, and a hard “curtain” which actually looked more like a shell that would raise up from the floor and descend down from the ceiling to seal off the stage during intermission.

This particular production was recommended to us by Alyssa and my Shakespeare professor, who told us during class that even though she has probably seen A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed upward of 35 times, this particular production probably ranked about second on her list; indicating the promise of a very good performance. So we booked the tickets. This particular production was interesting though as it was characterized by a rather eclectic and almost Steampunk setting and costume style. There was also a beautiful use of abstractions that contributed to the success of the performance; holding up rough-cut boards, and moving them around in dancing motions to indicate the character of the forest or the ethereal movement of Titania’s wings. Tapping on the boards, combined with chimes and singing also added a fitting musical quality to the performance. Because this is the same production company that is currently also putting on War Horse, there were complex, artful puppets used throughout the show. These puppets definitely incorporated a mechanical, Steampunk style in their creation, and while a bit abstract, were used masterfully in their representation of the faeries. 

Oberon was represented by a great head which was raised aloft at arm’s length and a single, giant, mechanized hand which was used to gesture. Titania was also represented by a head held high aloft, but, instead of a hand like Oberon, the gestures of her movement were expressed by the moving boards which other actors danced around with and moved together in synchronized patterns. Puck was composed of several separate parts, held by three actors together; a head that looked something like a watering can, a body which was a handled straw basket, a piece of scrap metal for one arm, what looked to be a giant fork for the other, a hand broom for one leg, and a wooden mallet for the other; but seriously, who knew you could get so much expression by moving around a collection of odd, everyday objects. At one point, they made him look like a dog, at another time he resembled a snail. The three actors would also alternate his lines, and sometimes speak together for emphasis, giving Puck an ethereal and fluid quality. Most hilariously though was Bottom. Now in the original, Bottom is simply cursed with having an ass’s head. However, this production went the whole nine-yards; not only did they make Bottom into and entire donkey, being completely transformed, no, they also made him an ass. The actor came out lying face down on a wheeled contraption which he pedaled with his arms and held his legs, bent at the knees in the air. Sort of flippers had then been attached to his feet which resembled ears and leggings on his calves with glass circles on them represented the donkey’s eyes. On his head, there had been fastened a tail which he flicked about by moving his head back and forth. Oh yeah, and the most attention commanding detail; no pants. So his ass actually functioned as the majority of the donkey’s body; an ass transformed into an ass made of an ass. 

One of the most well done aspects of the play, I thought, were the transitions between scenes. There was never a pause to change scenes, rather, the actors in the following scene were almost always incorporated in the previous scene. For example, a scene depicting the lover’s in the forest utilized the trick with the boards being held up and moved around, one moment the lovers were in the forest as the trees moved in closer in a threatening oppressive manner. The lovers jumped up and ran off stage followed by many of the board holders which created a moments of visual confusion by moving the boards around in an erratic fashion, suddenly, three or four of the board holders tucked the board under their arm as though carrying a board for building, and then launched into the next scene (as the ones holding the boards had been the actors playing Quince, Bottom and the rest of the crew rehearsing a play for Hippolyta and Theseus’s wedding). It was those kind of seamless transitions which made the whole thing flow beautifully, keeping the audience enraptured for its entirety.

After the play, we took the Tube back to King’s Cross where we then decided to seek out a restaurant or something for a good dessert. We first stopped at a place just across the street, and while I was getting money out of the ATM, Hannah went inside to see if they were open. The restaurant wasn’t so she asked if the cocktail bar would perchance have desserts. Apparently, the guy at the bar then asked her what she considered “dessert” to which she replied, “oh I don’t know, something like that –“ pointing to a plate of sugar coated doughnuts in the window. According to Hannah, the bartenders found her “cheeky” and so decided to just give her three of the doughnuts for free because they were closing up anyway. Even though we had scored sugar already, we decided to also stop by McDonald’s for a McFlurry and some fries, because, we figured, “why the hell not? It’s girl’s night.”

Walking back to NIDO, there was one thing that kind of put a sort of solemn end note on the night; we had stopped at an intersection because the pedestrian light had just turned red. However, a woman was walking very, very slowly across the crosswalk and did not make it to the other side before the traffic light turned green. Thankfully the car she was in front of was aware of her, and waited patiently, the next care whizzed by but the one after that also waited for her. No one honked even though she still crossed slowly and paused for a moment to look at the traffic before putting her left hand to her ear and cupping it over her ear with a clawed hand. Traffic continued after she gained the sidewalk. When the light turned green for us, we crossed and it was not long before we were coming up behind the woman who was walking very slowly still. Just as we were about to pass, she stopped in the sidewalk, spread her legs out, kind of straddling, and just started peeing on the sidewalk. She had a dress on, so of course it immediately created a puddle that one had to step around. We passed her without saying a word, and I could not see her face because her hood was up. But I believe that she was probably suffering from a mental illness of some sort. It was a bit of a sobering moment because I don’t believe that there is nearly enough aid and attention given to people suffering these kind of ailments, and more often than not, they are the ones who end up homeless, living on the streets in squalor because no one wants to take care of them, they can’t take care of themselves, and they have nowhere to go. I also think that there is a tremendous amount of damage done by various stigmas that many put on people suffering from mental illness (i.e. that those with Depression should just “buck it up” and be happy instead and quit seeking attention and trying to do as little work as possible, etc.). I have noticed it in the States but have not been made aware of any intention to change it. Here, at least, I saw at least one sign on the Tube which stated how “Mental Illness can happen to anyone” and asked to “Stop the discrimination of those suffering Mental Illness.”

Despite that sobering end note, the night was a fantastic success and we had a wonderful time. If I get the chance, I am hoping to go see Les Miserables while I’m here, that way I will have covered some of the quintessential “London Theater.”