Katryna Nicole Abroad

10June16 

 A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare's Globe Theater

This was the second version of Midsummer that I’ve seen whilst on this trip and I definitely thought this was a more fully formed concept and felt the magic and fun that I had always associated with this show.

One of the choices that they made with this version was to cast Helena as a male (Helinus). This was such a beautiful choice, because while Helinus and Demetrius were the same sex couple they were not the ‘forbidden love couple’ (as that is Hermia and Lysander) and it was ultimately treated as a non issue. Which I loved! There was so much textual evidence to back that choice up and it was very exciting to see space made for different identities on stage! 

09June16 

The Spoils written by Jesse Eisenberg 

Trafalgar Studios

Not going to lie we mainly wanted to see this show because of all the star power going on in the cast! (as pictured below) But I was actually pleasantly surprised by the caliber of writing and story telling! The play was a super interesting mix of social commentary on the white male upper class, race relations, and what it means to be a friend. It was hilarious, disturbing, and a bit heartwarming. Over all I really enjoyed this show and was really glad that I got to see it! 

Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) 

Kunal Nayyar (Big Bang Theory) 

08June16 

Richard III with Ralph Fiennes

at the Almeida Theatre. 

Wow. WOW. wow. wOw. WOW. 

This was one of my absolute favorite shows I’ve seen. 

Arguably one of William Shakespeare’s most famous history plays; Richard III uses the lens of the past to examine the timeless struggle of what it takes to achieve and keep a hold of power. Throughout the play the title character, Richard, is someone who—despite having royal lineage—sees himself at a disadvantage due to his physicality. Referring to himself as:

Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time

Into this breathing world, scarce half made up,

And that so lamely and unfashionable

That dogs bark at me as I halt by them—

                                                                       (1.1.20-23)

Richard is historically a character that audiences sympathize with, after all everyone loves an underdog!  Richard blames his disadvantages on his physique and turns to Machiavellian tactics to “prove a villain” because his deformities prevent him from “prove[ing] a lover” (1.1.27-30). 

His lust for power resonates with the audience and even though his goal is to win the crown at any cost, he is the Shakespearean character we love to hate.

Shakespeare’s Richard derives power from his words. He is a craftsman of speech and knows how to turn his sentences into spears, to convince, cajole, and manipulate his way to the throne. In an interaction with his brother Clarence in the first scene of the play Richard promises; “Well, your imprisonment shall not be long/ I will deliver or else lie for you” (1.1.114).  This demonstrates perfectly the craftsmanship of Richard’s words. Here he is conveying to his brother that he will ‘deliver’ him from jail or else ‘lie’ on the chopping block in his place whilst actually meaning that he will ‘deliver’ Clarence to his maker and ‘lie’ in order to do so. This use of double entendre manipulates both Clarence and the audience. Clarence gets the impression that his brother is going to help him and the audience is left awe struck by Richard’s use of words.

I would argue that compared to the Richard that lives strictly on page, Ralph Fiennes’ Richard was a Richard that found power through his physicality when words failed him. Fiennes is a very powerful performer who knows how to take up space on stage. Smartly, he often found his way to the front of the boards causing his figure to tower in the foreground. This developed an intimate relationship with the audience because his proximity allowed for direct address. Having insight into his machinations and an up-close-and-personal view of his villainy gave Fiennes a power over the audience that can only be felt through staging.

It is because of this that Fiennes’ larger that life Richard stood in stark contrast to the simplistic design of Hildegard Bechtler (set) and Jon Morrell (costuming). The design was both minimalist and poignant and left room for Fiennes acting. A specific moment I found particularly striking was during the coronation scene when Fiennes came to the front of the stage to bow to receive his crown. In this moment he was costumed in a form fitting black long sleeved shirt that showed off the curve in his spine and height of his right shoulder. And even though this was one of the only moments in the show that he got to his knees he never looked larger.

This costuming choice harkened back to another powerful staging moment at the beginning of the play when—during the excavation process—one of the archeologist pulled Richard’s spinal column from the earth. The rest of the scene dissipated as Richard’s spine was turned in the archeologist’s hands. This showcasing of the spine’s curvature served a catalyst for the action and set the tone for the way that Fiennes would portray Richard. Fiennes’ Richard was not limited by his deformities, but rather empowered despite them.

An example of this can be found in the scene between Richard and Anne in which Richard is attempting to convince Anne to marry him. The text reads:

RICHARD

Is not the causer of the timeless deaths

Of these Plantagenets, Henry and Edward,

As blameful as the executioner?

ANNE

Thou wast the cause and most accurs'd effect.

RICHARD

Your beauty was the cause of that effect

Your beauty that did haunt me in my sleep

To undertake the death of all the world

So I might live one hour in your sweet bosom.

                                                                             (1.2.117-124)

Here, Richard is persuading Anne that it was her beauty that caused him to commit murder and that the blame should, in turn, be shared between them. When Richard’s waxing words don’t seem to persuade Anne, in this production, Fiennes got very physical with her. In response to her spitting in his face he grabbed at her body aggressively until he was finally able to plant a forceful kiss on her lips. When Anne (Joanna Vanderham) then walked through the voms touching her lips, one could see that she was affected by the kiss, despite Richard having killed her husband and assaulted her. When his words could not win her to his wedding bed he proved himself a ‘lover’ by forcibly overpowering her.

Later he results to using his similar physicality to overpower Queen Elizabeth. After Elizabeth discovered that he had killed her two young sons, Elizabeth stands up to Richard calling him out for the murders he has committed.  Richard professes his desire to wed Elizabeth’s daughter, and vows that through wooing her daughter he would be negating the wrongs he had committed against her sons. Physically harkening back to his interaction with Anne earlier in the play, Fiennes’ cunning couldn’t outwit the wrath of a Queen Mother scorned. But this time his physical aggression accelerated, and with his line: “And be a happy mother by the deed” (4.4.427) Richard raped Elizabeth. Thus illustrating how acting/directing choices can turn a line on the page (that reads as a witty retort) into a graphic moment of power and violence. From this point on it is clear that Fiennes’ is not only willing to lie and murder, but he is now also willing to resort to rape when he cannot get his way with words.

Another design element that reinforced this idea of a villainous and unlikeable Richard was the use of skulls on the back wall of the stage. Each time that Richard aided in (either directly or indirectly) the death of another person a skull on the wall would be spotlighted. Making it impossible for the audience to forget the mountain of corpses upon which Richard’s throne rested upon.

Show #24

09 June 16 

Sunset at the Villa Thalia by Alexi Campbell 

The National Theatre 

+Workshop

This was something we did outside of the program, Cece found it online and it looked like a great opportunity! It was £15 for two workshops with the staff director Caroline Williams, and included a ticket to see the show! 

At the start of the first workshop Caroline asked us to describe ourselves as a building. I said that I would be a ‘rooftop garden’.

From there we went to discuss the housing crisis in London (which was interesting to learn about from an outside prospective) and how that relates to the plot of the show we would be seeing later on in the week. 

We watched the video above which is a short advertisement for a Luxury High Rise that was taken off the air after widespread outrage…

From this video we went on to discuss how the idea of the ‘American Dream’ is very much geared toward the white, upper-middle class, male audience. And that it is not something that everyone can relate to or strive for. 

We talked about the E-15 case which caught a lot of wind throughout the UK.  It was centered around a group of 28 homeless single mothers who were living in the E15 Focus Hostel in Stratford. Because of funding cuts, these families were told they would have to be rehoused to other communities–which would have isolated them from their families, friends, and potential job opportunities. 

(See article at bottom for more details) 

This was really striking in comparison. On one hand there are these huge high rise apartments being built for the wealthy, while those in need are being forced from their homes because of budget cuts.  

From here we discussed what makes a ‘home’ and what it means to have ownership over a space. We created dream homes with our bodies, and were asked to write down a time when we felt most ‘at home’ and this is what I wrote: 

I remember the short path from my room to my mother’s room late at night, or early in the morning with cotton socks sliding along the hardwood floors. Right out of my room. Right into her room. I remember how her flannel sheets would welcome me in and one arm would curl around me as I relayed with shallow breaths my nightmares. I remember a warm wash cloth to clean my brackish face and cover my eyes as I fell back asleep beside her–syncing my breath to hers. 

The play itself was not as compelling as the workshop unfortunately.

Sunset on the Villa Thalia centered around three families; an English couple who are on holiday in Greece, an American couple who they meet and invite for dinner, and the Greek family who own the house. At the dinner party, the Greek family (daughter and father) come by the home to get some furniture out of the basement that they are wanting to sell. It turns out the Greek family is moving away and needs money for their travels, so the American man (who is a government agent of sorts) suggest that the English couple buy the house and stay there. 

At first the Greek daughter is quite distressed at the idea of the family home being sold (which would mean she would be unable to raise her own family there) but her father convinces her they need the money, and the English woman promises to take excellent care of the home. 

After the interval, ACT II takes place in the same Villa nine years later. Where the English couple has added two kids, and the American couple has come for a visit. There were quite a few loose ends that were left untied. But ultimately, the crux of the play is revealed when the American man relays that the Greek father had not found success in the new country and ended up passing of a stress-related illness, and the daughter was left without contacts in a foreign country.

The English woman then experiences guilt for having purchased the property for such a cheap amount (although it was the amount set by the Greek father). And they end up kicking the Americans out for a multitude of confusing reasons, and reveal that they are planning to sell the Villa and move back to England. 

This is where I do not think the play hit the mark politically. I feel like it would have been more powerful if, the English couple had not lived in, and made the Villa their home for nine years. If, instead, they had rented the rooms out and made a profit off of the property--then they found out that the Greek family was suffering greatly while they had been making a profit off of what was once their family home, I think it would have been more impactful. And spoke more clearly to the housing crisis being experienced in London. 

That being said, I am not sure if that was the aim of the playwright, or just the lens which we were encouraged to look at the play through, and overall I am really glad to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented director and to have seen a different prospective on the beautiful city that I have had the privilege of living in these past few weeks. 

We went out for Kelsey’s Birthday to this place called Bar Rumba! 

Had such a fun time :) 

05 June 16 

King John directed by Trevor Nunn 

Rose Theatre, Kingston 

This was the first (and only) Shakespeare show that I saw that was done in period! They used really interesting symmetrical staging elements, and they used lived filming and filmed fighting scenes to put a contemporary lens of the Medieval action. 

03 June 16 

 Cymbeline 

 Royal Shakespeare Company

This was the second show we saw while in Stratford. Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s lesser done plays because it is a little bit complicated and hard to wrap your head around. But I thought that RSC did a great job of making this challenging play really accessible. 

As many of you know I am keeping this blog not only as a great way to store my memories of this trip, but also because I am a Social Media Scholarship recipient for the Summer Semester Abroad at the University of Utah (whoo hoo!) 

To keep us on track we are asked to post on certain topics, like transportation, school programs, leaving, coming home, and ‘adjusting.’

When I first saw that I had to write about adjusting I thought; “Gosh! But London is so fun and amazing...and English speaking! What could I possibly have to say?”

I thought about writing about how difficult it was to find eggs at the grocery store (they don't refrigerate them over here!) Or about how being in the front seat of an Uber, sitting in what would be the driver’s seat, was one of the most terrifying moments of my life! 

But really I would say that the thing that was the hardest to get a hang of, was communicating. Many people in my program, including myself, did not change their wireless plans, but instead just decided to turn on airplane mode and rely on wifi to get in contact with friends and family back home! I thought this sounded like a reasonable idea! There’s wifi everywhere right?? 

I had not realized how much I rely on my cell phone. I always thought that when my mom told me I was ‘addicted to my phone’ she was being hyperbolic.

Not having the ability to text your friends with a ‘hey what’s your eta?’ or look up the best Curry restaurant in London while being out and about was, at first, really stressful. It was hard to make plans with people unless you were right there with them. We had to trust our guts instead of checking yelp reviews! But then it became kind of fun! I feel like I got to see a lot more of the city, partially because I kept getting lost, but also because I wasn't able to rely on the internet like I normally would. 

One time,  Monica and I were trying to get to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater to go see a show, so I made sure to put it in my Google Maps before we left. But somehow I accidentally took us to an entirely different “Globe”... 

Then we took this selfie on the tube that we couldn’t post anywhere because we didn’t have internet...but along the way we had some laughs and found Madame Tussauds wax museum! 

Communicating with people back home also became really fun! I got to send post cards, which was a first... I even sent my mom a post card shaped like the Queen’s face: 

We did have wifi at our flat so I got to Skype my dog which was also very exciting!

02 June 16 

 Hamlet 

 Royal Shakespeare Company

This was the first show we saw while in Statford Upon Avon and it was phenomenal. They set this version of Hamlet in Africa and used the structure of the play to comment on Westernization and how identity is linked not only to ones roots but also to ones choices. It was really amazing to see space made for such talented actors of color, who are often not given the opportunity to play these iconic roles. 

One of the most compelling performances in this production, for me, was Ophelia. She created a beautiful relationship to her father Polonius, that stood in contrast to the violent relationship between her and Hamlet and made her decent into madness even more heartbreaking!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet

Act II. scene ii 

Here’s a vlog of our trip to Stratford Upon Avon, birthplace of the man, the myth, the legend; William Shakespeare. 

Video taken at: 

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford Upon Avon 

http://www.stratford-upon-avon.org/shakespeare

Anne Hathaway Tea Rooms

http://www.hathawaytearooms.com

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

 https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/anne-hathaways-cottage/

The Quilt and Croissants 

http://www.quiltcroissants.co.uk

The Fun Fair!

Shakespeare’s Birthplace 

https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/shakespeares-birthplace/

30 May 16 

This is Living by Liam Borett at Trafalgar Studios

This was a show that had come highly recomended by my peers and I was really excited to see it because I was told there was a really great use of staging and water and stuff!

The show was in the smaller basement space at Trafalgar's. The story follows a couple, Alice and Michael, and tracks the trials and tribulations of their relationship up until the point at which we meet them--when Alice has died. 

29May16

Vlog of Climbing to the Dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral 

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/visits/visits/sightseeing-times-prices/new-sunday-dome-climb

28 May 16 

The Encounter by Complicité  at the Oxford Playhouse

Complicite.org

This was another one man show (two in a row!) that I feel insanely lucky to have been able to see! Complicité is a British theatre company founded in 1983 by Simon McBurnbey, Annabel Arden, and Marcello Magni. The company started off using extreme movement techniques to devise and adapt their own work and are some of the founding developers of physical theatre techniques in modern drama. 

The Encounter follows the story of National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre (played by Simon McBurney) as he finds himself lost among the Mayoruna people (played by Simon McBurney)  in the jungles of Brazil (played by Simon McBurney). 

27 May 16 

Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) by Ben Duke/Lost Dog Productions at the Battersea Arts Center

This was the first one man show I have ever seen and I really enjoyed it. The piece, as the title indicates, dealt with Milton’s epic ‘Paradise Lost.’ Ben Duke took on the challenge of turning this immensely large biblical tale into a human narrative told in a blank space. He used a brilliant combination of self-awareness and moments from his life to illustrate what it is like to create a piece of theatre that large. 

One of my favorite moments was when he got to ‘the dance of Adam’ which was meant to portray what it is to be human. And he couldn’t do it, he fell behind the music and instead of trying to catch up, described what it would have been like. And I thought this was more powerful than him dancing ever could have been! I mean, think about it, how do you go about creating the dance of man? What does it even mean to be man? How can you even begin to explain that? 

Here’s a belated photo of me at the beach in Brighton!