Arrived Safely...

I arrived safely in Stratford-Upon-Avon yesterday from London via train. It was a lovely trip- the leaves have finally started to change in England and the air is distinctly cold and crisp. I'm in Stratford for the next few days, then off to Cork. Travelling to Cork will be quite hairy- two trains, the London Underground, a bus and a plane! Oy vey.


I saw Richard II performed by the Berliner Ensemble last night at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford (38!). Very nice production. It was my first experience seeing a play in another language (German, of course) but I still enjoyed it. The setting was a white room made up of squares that opened, closed, moved ect. to fit the changing scenes. It was a dynamic design that fit the overall monochrome feel of the play. The The sound design was interesting too- lots of on stage sound; a scene in particular has RII being bombarded with clods of dirt/feces and the impact of the clods on the white walls make an interesting visual as well as audio contrast. The sound design also included the sounds of a steadily growing swarm of bees or hornets that blends with the sounds of hordes of armed men calling out. Very Nice. There was a nice moment too when two clown characters (gardeners) had a bit of schtick involving a hosepipe on stage, and some slapstick that worked quite well. They also had a nice stage convention (?) of props that worked like darts: gloves thrown down in a duelling challenge that stuck, like knives, straight into the floor, flower bouquets with a sharp knife at the base that stuck in the ground when thrown from above, and more. The acting was good- as far as I could tell- it's harder when it's not your language they are acting in! RII, Bolingbroke, York, and the clowns did particularly well. (Link to the production here.)

It's beautiful here and it reminds me of home. That's all for now.

Pericles Monday night (39!) Link to the production here.