Week 6: Back in London

The program was back in high-gear following the mid-term break. Students had a busy week of excursions, starting with Richard II starring Kevin Spacey in a powerful performance at the Old Vic Theatre on Tuesday night. The range of emotions that Spacey brought to the character of Richard was extraordinary, and the modern-dress production brilliantly invoked our media-saturated politics by staging big speeches--for instance, John of Gaunt's peroration on "This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle"--before the camera and then recycling them as video sound bites. Click here for a student review of the play.




The following morning, we met at Shakespeare's Globe for a tour and workshop on Richard II, which the Globe produced in period costume two years ago. We got a backstage look at the facility and learned about the quirks of performance here, with pigeons, rain, or helicopters sometimes impacting the show. It is a pliable, richly interactive space for actors and audience. Our guide, Trevor, took us to a rehearsal room where we sat in a circle and discussed modern vs. classical performance of Shakespeare. We read John of Gaunt's speech aloud in relay, line by line, then phrase by phrase, to test its rhythms.

Wednesday afternoon: The Arts class visited the London Central Mosque, where a guide explained to them various tenets of Islam.

Thursday am: St. Paul's Cathedral. Surveying the tomb of Admiral Lord Nelson, slain at the battle of Trafalgar 200 years ago, students were surprised to see a full-dress Nelson impersonator walking in the cathedral.

Thursday afternoon: the Maritime London class met at the Museum in Docklands for a look at the culture and changes that marine commerce brought to London during the age of sail. Two outstanding exhibits: a spectacular magnification of the Rheinbeck Panorama, which depicts a richly textured urban expanse and an unruly press of vessels gathered to unlade at the Pool of London c1800, when the Docklands were being built to manage the traffic; and models of the old London Bridge, in medieval and early modern versions. We also enjoyed a lively open-air presentation on pirates and privateers from two of our students.

More photos:
In-house lecture at the Globe
Students take the stage and ham it up
Docklands Pirate princesses
A pub break in the "Sailortown" exhibit at Docklands Museum

Next week