Photo of the Day

Even the statue of Shakespeare breaks for tea at 4 pm.

Week 2 Highlights

The second week began with a gathering of the NCSA and ILACA groups at the London Centre on Monday afternoon, an opportunity for students from both Northwest programs to get to know each other. The two groups also joined Wednesday evening at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre for an exciting, modern-dress production of Julius Caesar. The staging explores ominous parallels between a thuggish Caesar’s bid for power in Rome and the threats to democracies in the world today, particularly in former Soviet bloc nations. Practicing their skills as theater critics, students in the 21st Century Shakespeare class wrote reviews of the performance, and we had a spirited discussion of the play in class; they were all particularly impressed with the rendering of Caesar’s funeral as a media-managed event.

At the close of the week, the Maritime London class gathered at the Pirate Castle near Camden Locks for a cruise on the Regents Canal. Once a thriving artery of commerce, now the canal offers glimpses of a less frantic way of life: village-scenes in the heart of London. Our aptly named narrowboat was 70 feet at the keel by 7 feet wide. It had a cozy cabin with facing benches and a galley, but everyone gathered at the open prow as we made our way down and up again through two locks, past the London Zoo, and on to “Little Venice,” an area of prosperous canal-front homes and fleets of festively painted, live-in narrowboats, where we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park. As rain set in, most of us took shelter in the cabin for the trip back to Pirate Castle. It was a good way to mark the beginning of Autumn.

Summary of Week 1 in London

Our first week in London was crowded with activities. On Monday, the students gathered at the London Centre for the first time, and were welcomed by program director Martin Upham, housing coordinator Maggie Kovacevic, programmes officer Lisa Mortini, and me. We had a safety briefing from a member of the Metropolitan Police, followed by lunch and a guided walking tour of the Bloomsbury district surrounding the AHA/NCSA center.

Tuesday, everyone gathered at the Centre to hear from the five professors about the courses being offered this term. Students with internships met with their coordinator as well. In the afternoon, we rode aboard a city bus to Victoria Embankment where we caught a river boat to the Tower of London. After exploring the Tower, we took refreshment at the Hung, Drawn and Quartered, a local pub.

On Wednesday the first class sessions were held in the morning. After lunch, we took the bus to Waterloo Station, where we waited for our train and a few students were "snapped up" by a photography crew to pose for a London Underground advertisement campaign. A half-hour train ride later, we arrived at Hampton Court Palace, former home of Henry VIII and other English monarchs.

Thursday was an excursion-free class day. Friday the students gathered outside the Anchor Pub on the Southwark side of the river for the Thames Nelson Flotilla, a recreation of the funeral procession of Admiral Lord Nelson. Several students then joined me on a visit to Southwark Cathedral, the church attended by Shakespeare and other players and playwrights while they were active at the Globe and Rose theatres in Southwark. We ended the week with an evening performance of Playing With Fire, a new drama by David Edgar which is having its world premiere at the National Theatre.