On Monday (Feb 9th) we visited Hampton Court Palace with Sarah. It took us a couple of hours to get there by train. It was a particularly rainy, gloomy day, but it was an experience nonetheless. Hampton is one of the largest palaces in Europe.In its day it was practically a small city, that is for the few weeks it was in use every so often. The royal court- consisting of a few hundred people, and many more servants, cooks, butchers, etc.- would travel around to different palaces. The only reason they left is because the stench of all their waste was too much to handle. Then, after they left, there would be people cleaning the place for a few weeks. That's how much of a mess they made! The main hall was closed for restoration, which was crappy because it was one of the main things we came to see- the ACM curse of scaffolding strikes again!- and we didn't go see the expansive gardens because it was raining and cold. But the interior of the castle was lovely. We got to see Henry VIII's chambers, and the queen's chambers (I'm not quite sure which of the many queens it was actually made for...) There was a Henry VIII exhibit that was not particularly memorable, except for after we left the exhibit, there was a creepy recording of a little boy saying "Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived" in a whisper. It was really creepy, but I don't think I will ever forget the fate of each of Henry VIII's wives.
On Tuesday we got a tour of the National Theatre. It was very interesting. There are three theatres in the building. The Olivier is the largest, and it is set up similar to an ancient Roman amphitheatre. The stage is semi-circular, set in the corner with audience set up around it. The really cool thing we learned about it though, is that there is a spot a little up stage of center where it was designed to match up with the angle of human peripheral vision, so the actor standing there can see every member of the audience. Awesome.
The Lyttleton is the middle sized stage, and it is one of the most comfortable spaces I think I have ever been in. It is a proscenium stage, and it is fairly large, but designed so that the seats are closer to the stage, so it feels intimate. Also, the seats have been rated the most comfortable theatre seats in London, which I would have to agree with. Part of our tour was going back stage, and we actually got to go on the Lyttleton stage! I was really surprised. At home, visitors are NEVER allowed on the stage for any reason. Plus, it was opening night for a new show, which usually means someone is frantically trying to finish something. So, yes, I have officially been on stage in London.
The Cottesloe is the smallest theatre in the building, and is usually used for newer and more experimental theatre. This is where Gethsemane was performed. It is a black box theatre, which means the stage and the seats are not permanent and can be rearranged in many different configurations. Which brings me to another astonishing fact about the National. They do multiple shows on each stage at any particular time, and there is only a 6 hour change over time between shows. That means that they only have 6 hours to change the entire set from one show to another! Holy crap! It was really nice to be able to learn more about the National. I think most of us feel like it has become a second home to us, we spend so much time there!
On Wednesday we went to the Banqueting House of Whitehall Palace. The Banqueting House is all that is left of the once expansive palace. The rest burned down in one of the many fires London is known for. The building was intentionally saved because of its architectural significance. It was designed by Inigo Jones and was used, not for banquets as the name would suggest, but for court masques (plays/ballets that the royalty could participate in.)It was the first building in London made in the Palladian style. If you don't know what Palladian is, look at any government building in the states. It was the original neoclassic, and now it is everywhere. The building itself is not incredibly awe inspiring. Then buildings around it are more grand and more ornate versions of the style. But to appreciate the building's genius, you have to think of it surrounded by brick Tudor buildings, the only white, classic building in all of London. I think the building today is like many places in London, in that you could walk right past it and not give it two glances, yet it has such a vivid history. Many things in the city are not clearly marked telling what they are or what the historical significance is.
Thursday, we trecked back to our second home to see The Pitmen Painters (the show in the Lyttleton theatre that was opening the night before, and whose set we stood on.) The play is a true story about a group of miners in Scotland (they used Scottish accents, it was difficult to understand some of what they said) who start taking an art appreciation class, and the teacher decides the best way for them to learn is to create the art themselves. It was an interesting show; it was art discussing what art is and should be. The characters of the miners were surprising. They were not stereotypical miners, but they were well educated, well dressed men who eventually become quite well known for their folkish art style depicting the lives of the mining community. There was an exhibition of the real Pitmen Painter's art work on display in the National Theatre, which was quite nice to be able to see after watching the show.
On Friday we went to Salisbury, which is where Stonehenge is. But that will have to be a post of its own. It was an interesting and fabulous day. Computer won't let me upload pictures again. Sorry. Maybe next time...
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