Please Sir, Can I Have Some More?

I woke up, breakfasted, and left with friends well in advance to get to the Changing of the Guard; however, the gates of Buckingham Palace were all ready flocked a full hour and 15 minutes before the scheduled event was to take place. Being short, my friend and I tried to weave through the crowd to an acceptable spot from which to see the event, but we were unsuccessful. We saw the guards marching in to the band (brought back memories of marching band), but could not even get a glimpse of the guards within the gates. So, we left. Here is evidence of what we did see.


The Palace.

Approaching band.


Clarinet line!
A quick errand to Oxford Street to exchange money was next, after which we ate lunch at Garfunkel's Restaurant. I got the spiciest pasta I have ever eaten- it had a spicy tomato sauce as well as jalapenos in it. After lunch, we split ways because I had to be back on campus for my theatre class field trip. I did, however, make a stop at a street vendor selling pashmina shawls for really, really cheap in the most spectacular designs. I could not resist and got myself a few...maybe I'll be inclined to part with a couple when I get home.
I got back to campus at around 2.15 and took a power nap until around 2.35, at which point I got ready to meet the class to go to the Drury Lane Theatre Royal, which is actually on Catherine Street. We had the best tour yet. The tour guides got dressed as prominent people in the history of the theatre and were incredibly animated about the information they gave us. The theatre set the standards for what we know as modern theatre. It was at Drury Lane that women were first allowed to person in Britain. The use of a lot of technical elements originated at this theatre. It is because of tunnels leading to the docks from the theatre, and sailors being the operators backstage that they are now called crew. Sailors were the natural choice for the job because a lot of the equipment used backstage (ropes, etc.) is the same as on boats. We toured the Royal Retiring Room, which is where the Queen would retire to during interval, etc. It was a very engaging tour.


Our tour guides. I didn't quite catch the importance of the man, Mr. Brown, but the lady is the first actress to perform there- Nell Gwynn.

The Theatre. It takes up the entire street.
Dinner and a quick stop at Covent Garden (which I plan to revisit for a longer period of time) later, it was time for the show Oliver. We, unfortunately, had really bad seats. They were on the ground level, or stalls, but we were under the first floor. The play had a lot of scenes which involved the use of a hydraulic bridge, and so we had to resort to just listening because we couldn't see beyond the balcony. The play, in effect, was amazing. I have never seen a production of this magnitude...not that the cast was big, but it was so apparent that they had a lot of funding. The sets were magnificent and reflected London streets perfectly. They created a 3D effect, and it seemed like the stage extended infinitely in the background...I have no idea how. Compared to Romeo and Juliet and Warhorse, this play, which was a musical, had thousands and thousands of props. The show is based on Dicken's novel, Oliver Twist, and although it is different from the novel, the story was conveyed well. The boy playing Oliver cannot have been more that 12, but he was a spectacular singer. I was thoroughly impressed. The lighting was extravagant and so were the costumes, and I was constantly reminded of how much of a budget the show probably had...considering the theatre is one of the best theatres in London and is currently owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Speaking of the theatre again, it is where My Fair Lady with Julie Andrews was performed...I got cold chills when I heard about it.
Ultimately, I have decided that I love musicals. They are not as engaging as say, a Shakespeare production, or as thought provoking as a serious drama, but I would be perfectly content to see extravagant shows one after another...to be given a sense of reality instead of constantly indulging in suspension of disbelief. Class tomorrow, which will be less exciting, but hopefully rewarding.