A Theater-filled Day!

Wednesday started off with a tour of the National Theatre here in London. This was a class trip, although not a class that I am enrolled in. However, one of the students, Jenn, has a conflict on Wednesdays when they take the class excursions and so I am her fill-in! I am so thankful as this was amazing. Also, I already have a ticket to a tour of the BBC in a couple of weeks! Thanks, Jenn!

I think that what made the tour all the more intersting is that last week I saw "Rocket to the Moon" in this same theatre. The National Theatre actually includes 3 theatres. It is a repitrarie theatre which means that there can be more than one play on a particular stage at a time. Not at the same time, but the sets are all there for two shows and one plays about a week and then switches out and the other place for a week or so and then back again. They have to be able to switch out sets in one day - like 8 hours! The idea is that as a national theatre it should have shows that reach the widest audience as possible. I was able to go on stage at the Olivier Theatre which is named after Sir Lawrence Olivier! It is the biggest of the three. The interesting thing about it is that, unlike most theaters in london, it is not rectangular, but rounded like a Greek open-aired theater! The total angle of the seating is 118 degrees. This is the same angle that our peripheral vision includes. This way, when you are standing in the center of the stage to give a monologue or speech, you have the entire house within your vision! I'll tell you, they think of everything!

On the way back, I stopped at the "Rock & Sole Plaice" and split fish and chips, which was wonderful! The portions are huge and I love it, but am glad to be able to share it with someone!

Something like 70-80% of the costumes, props and sets for productions at the National Theatre are made "in house." There is a metal shop, a carpentry shop, an armory, a scenic studio (where the sets are painted, and the prop department. It was amazing to see on of the horses from "War Horse" up close and personal! Totally amazing! The one that we saw was Emily, Joey's mother! Her role got cut a few weeks before the show opened at the National. So, there she lives. Sets are recycled as much as possible. Props and costumes are kept to be used for future shows and are "hired out!"

After that wonderful tour, I was anxious to go to the show! I went to see "Love Never Dies" at the Adelphi Theatre which has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Some says that this is a sequel to Phantom of the Opera, but I've been told that Webber doesn't say that's not true and I'm guessing he would know! As you can imagine, it was wonderful.

In the evening, I saw another powerful production, "War Horse!" If you can imagine, it had "puppets" that were life sized for full-grown horse! It required three puppeteers for each of the big horses and they were able to carry a man on top of the horse!

Obviously, I am loving the theater. I think that it is most exciting to me that London is such an easy place to be active even by myself. I have no problem going to shows at night and walking. It is just an amazing place!