#hal golson

With midterms over, I thought it was time to celebrate. I received an email that there were cheap tickets to see Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. All we had to do was find our own transportation there. I knew I had to go. It would be great way to celebrate outside of Cambridge, and I would get to go to Shakespeare’s home, which I didn’t think I would get the chance to do. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my dad is a theater arts professor, so a love of all things Shakespeare has been instilled in me. For him I knew I had to make the “pilgrimage”. I bought a ticket for Macbeth and waited anxiously for the short trip to come.

            Unfortunately, no one I knew very well on the program was going, so when the day came, I made my way down to the Cambridge train station alone. For 20 pounds I was able to buy a train ticket to Stratford and back. What a good deal! I boarded the train 10 minutes before it raced out of the platform. The train hurried past English countryside-hedgerows and rolling hills, drawing closer to Stratford at breakneck speed. It was the first train I’d been on during this trip, unless you consider the countless metros, trams, and trolleys I rode on the Continent. It felt European, even stereotypically British, to say I’ve now been on a train in Europe.

            The train arrived in Stratford after aboutan hour’s trip. It was 4:00 PM, so I had three hours before the play started. Looking at a map outside of the train station, I realized that three hours was plenty of time to see everything that I wanted to in town.

            As you can probably guess, the first place I visited was Shakespeare’s childhood home, which is also the sight of the Shakespeare Center. When I saw the entry price was 11.50 pounds, I was   hesitant to enter, but I knew I wouldn’t be back here anytime soon, so I forked over the money. In retrospect, it was worth it. I walked through the Shakespeare Center, which led to Shakespeare’s family home, and was greeted by Patrick Stewart’s voice giving me a little history of The Bard’s life. Then I  entered Shakespeare’ house. It was a prosperous home, indicative of the money that John Shakespeare, William’s father, would have made as a glove trader and part time illegal moneylender. After walking through the many rooms of the house, I toured the garden that lay outside before leaving for another landmark.

            Next I visited Shakespeare’s manor house which he bought on his return from London with the success of his plays. It was not in as great condition as his childhood home, but it was still great to see. A quick walk from here led me to the Stratford Trinity Church, which is where Shakepeare’s grave is located. I hurried over there, and for only 50 pence I was able to tour the church and see his grave which was built into the ground of the church. I felt that—aside from seeing a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company—my pilgrimage was complete.

            The play was going to start soon, so I hurried over to the Company’s theater on the River Avon. The stage looked fantastic. It was in the round with a platform on top where four cello players sat. The play opened as four long cello notes filled the air. While I was disappointed with the costumes (Macbeth was a real Scottish king prior to the Norman Invasion, so I always like to see the Scottish Play in more medievalist garb) and the cutting of the “double double toil and trouble” scene, these were minor points of contention. The production was wonderful. Actors emerged from under the stage and above it. I was particularly impressed with the character Ross who presided over Macbeth’s coronation by singing a traditional Latin hymn. I also liked the replacement of the Witches with these incredibly creepy children, and the use of the cello music as interlude. I feel very lucky to say I’ve seen Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Company.