So Much Shakespeare, So Much Rain

Sound: "Grace Kelly" by Mika

This past weekend I went on a school trip to Oxford and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Most of the time was spent in Stratford, which made me kind of sad. See, I really liked Oxford, and Stratford has become so touristy that I have difficulty truly enjoying it (MINI RANT: It is ridiculous to charge £12 to see the inside of Shakespeare's house. Seriously. What is wrong with you, Shakespeare estate? I get that upkeep is necessary, but £12? Also, if you're charging that much money, then don't be surprised that less people are visiting the house. Try £2, and you'll probably be a lot more successful in getting visitors.).

The town of Stratford is lovely, though, so even though I didn't visit most of the Shakespeare sights, I did have a great time exploring the town. We went on a motor boat ride, which was quite the adrenaline rush, because Will drove. Will does not possess a regular driver's license, and had never been on a boat before. Somehow, I ended up being responsible for teaching him how to drive a boat (you can laugh now, family). This further cemented my belief that I should not have children, although I did feel some pride when Will (on the fourth try) managed to steer the boat under the bridge without hitting any of the supports... perhaps this is what parenting is?

During our visit, we were able to catch the Royal Shakespeare Company's production for "Julius Caesar." "Julius Caesar" is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and holds a special place in my heart, since I was in my high school's production in 2006. Overall, I really enjoyed the production. The acting was fantastic, and I thought they did a great job bringing the text to a relatable, realistic level. And the fact that a lot of sexy British men were running around in various states of undress didn't hurt.

Last night, I went to see "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at The Globe. "Merry Wives" is my least favorite Shakespeare play. I've previously seen two productions of it and read it multiple times, and I still don't like it. This production, however, pleasantly surprised me. It was actually funny, was clear, and wasn't too bawdy- something I feel productions often struggle with. But then London reared its ugly weather head. Because we were in London, and had been enjoying beautiful weather for the last few days, we were suddenly and unexpectedly blessed with rain- a downpour- and the Globe has an open roof. If you have seats, you're fine and covered, but the ICLC wanted us to have a real Shakespeare experience, so we were groundlings (this means we stood in the yard for 3 hours and therefore were rained on). The fact that none of us left really speaks to how wonderful the production was.

Then we all took taxis home because there is currently a full-out tube strike and the buses were full. Shakespeare, we've been close for a while, but I'm not sure I can handle so much of you in my life. A girl needs her space. I'll see you in two weeks, though, when I return to The Globe and stand for "Henry IV, part 1."

Peace out, cubscouts.

EDIT: Fun Fact That I Almost Forgot: "Avon" is the Celtic word for river. So the River Avon just means the River River.