Original date of post: September 17, 2013
Two cultural landmarks in two days! Looks like this week is going well indeed!
Last night, I ventured across the River Thames to find Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a replica of the famous Elizabethan theatre, to watch a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I did this in part because of my love of the arts, in part because of my love of history, in part to help me with my Shakespeare class, and in part because it was mandatory for all AHA students.
The production was not completely historically
accurate (the roles of women were played by women, not young boys), but the
layout of the theatre was impressive. It
was an open-air arena with seats surrounding the stage and courtyard. The AHA tickets were for standing in the
yard, so like a low-born groundling during the European Renaissance, I was
forced to stand for three hours under the contemptuous gazes of the lucky ones
with seats…although I’m sure most groundlings didn’t bring notebooks with them
to take notes on the play as I did.
Yeah, as I said, this was work-related, as I had to examine the delivery of the play and be ready to discuss it in class. All in all, the production was well-executed (albeit a tad slapstick in a few scenes) and the acting was top-notch, particularly the actor playing Oberon. For those that don’t remember A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it’s the comedy involving Theseus, a troupe of bad actors, four foolish lovers, and an affair between Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and a half-man, half-donkey abomination.
I had a good time last night and I look forward to more exposure to the theatre in England.
Today, I had only one class, so I had the entire afternoon free to do as I pleased. Because I was on top of my homework, I naturally decided to do some sightseeing, preferably for my Criminal Justice Pilgrimage. This time, I sought out arguably the most famous address in London…
That’s right! I went to 221B Baker Street, home to everyone’s favourite autistic cocaine-addicted detective, Sherlock Holmes (I’m half-joking about the autism and not joking about the cocaine)!
Today, this address marks the site of the Sherlock Holmes Museum, which honours the (fictional) detective by preserving his (fictional) household and commemorating his (fictional) accomplishments. The first two floors consist of Sherlock’s (fictional) study, his bedroom, and personal rooms for Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson (the latter containing plaques that explained some of the details of Victorian life and how they played into Sherlock Holmes stories). Where this museum truly gets interesting is the third floor, where, among many “artifacts” from the stories, there are about two dozen wax figures of characters, ranging from Irene Adler with the King of Bohemia from “A Scandal in Bohemia”:
…to Jabez Wilson from “The Adventure of the Red-Headed League”:
…to Professor Moriarty:
…to Sherlock and Watson themselves:
There were also many characters I was unfamiliar with, clearly indicating that I need to read more Sherlock Holmes stories! Maybe I’ll read them along with the scripts of Shakespeare.
 |
| An excellent idea! |
Reflections:
The steady stream of blog entries continue, as does the Criminal Justice Pilgrimage (albeit with a fictional location) and the British spellings that would honour any dedicated theatre fan.
A Midsummer Night's Dream would not be my last Shakespeare play enjoyed in London, nor would it be my most memorable trip to the Globe.
As much as it screams "tourist trap," the Sherlock Holmes Museum was a surprisingly educational and enjoyable experience. I'd definitely recommend giving it a look to anyone planning to travel to London. Also, the constable out front was a ridiculously good sport about me taking pictures.
As I write this, I actually have a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories on my bedside table that I've just cracked open. It's taken ten years, but I'm following up on the excellent idea that I ran by Mr. Holmes!
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