London Calling

            

            Regardless of my long and arduous journey with the Curriculum Committee that finally resulted in my Italian Studies special major getting approved, I am first and foremost an English major. And English majors, in case you didn’t know, begin their studies at a young age. By this I mean that at the age of six, I was constantly trying to discover different nooks around the house in which I could read my books in secret instead of doing all the chores that I had been assigned. It means that for Christmas, the things at the top of my list for Santa and family have always been books, followed by things that normal children ask for, like toys or music or movies. It means that now, at the age of 21, I will happily gush about a Shakespeare play and will describe themes, character development, and historical comparisons for as long as you’ll allow me. Which is why if you’re not a particular fan of British history or Shakespeare in general, you might not understand how incredibly amazing my impromptu trip to London was, ending just two days before my exams. Brace yourselves, my friends: this is a long one.

            I had been trying to get to the U.K. this entire semester. I had really wanted to go back to Ireland, but as luck would have it, a lot of people in the program either had no intention of traveling to the U.K., had already planned on going with friends from school who were studying abroad in different countries, or had already planned out all of their trips and were completely broke for the rest of the semester—aside from the occasional gelato purchase. As a result, I had pretty much given up on the idea of going, which I had justified by reminding myself that I had spent five weeks in Bath, England last summer and I didn’t really need to go back to the U.K. However, anyone who has been around me for the past five months knows that I recently discovered BBC’s show Merlin, which is about as nerdy as it sounds but is also spectacular. Again, I am an English major. Things like the Arthurian legend are the equivalent of an unlimited bucket of candy to a child on Halloween.

            So one day in April, as I was perusing articles online, I came across one that announced that Colin Morgan, the actor that plays the title character of Merlin, would be performing in a production of The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, starting in April. Without any real serious intention of considering this, I went on the Globe’s website to see how outrageous the ticket prices were and discovered that the Yard tickets (where you stand right in front of the stage, where the peasants would have stood in the time of Shakespeare) were only five pounds.

            I was ecstatic. I immediately began researching flights on RyanAir for the remaining weekends or days I had free. I realized that I had about five days between my trip to Sicily and my exams…so why not take three of those days and dedicate them to a trip to London? I would come to regret this "logical" thinking not because the trip wasn’t amazing, but because the time I had to study for my exams ended up being limited to a few nights in our hostel and one Sunday after I got back.

            I asked around ECCO’s office, desperate for anyone to be my London-buddy. I was even considering going alone, I wanted to go so badly, but Michelle—who I had traveled with before to Venice and Florence—happily agreed to come with me. I was SO EXCITED. Not only did I have a traveling buddy, but I was also really happy to travel with someone new.

            I got back from Sicily and had one day to go to my appointment with Ivan, in which he made me feel thoroughly panicked about my prospects for my exams, and study as much as I could. The next day, Michelle and I were on a plane and waiting in the hour-long line at the airport because—surprise, surprise—British airport customs is actually legitimate, as opposed to Bologna’s. Going from sunny Sicily to cold and rainy London was quite a shock and I realized as soon as I stepped out of the airport’s doors that the clothes I had brought with me weren’t going to keep me warm for long.

            Michelle and I had flown into Stanstead Airport, which is about an hour and a half outside of London, so we had to take a bus into the city. Once there, we decided to try to walk to our hostel, as GoogleMaps had promised us it would only be about fifteen minutes. So approximately two hours later, we finally found our hostel—freezing and backs aching from carrying our backpacks all over the city. We had been walking through East End (Jack the Ripper’s old stomping grounds) and thus a not very touristy area of London. As such, there were a lot fewer helpful signs pointing us in the direction of our destination. However, we got there eventually, which is all that matters.

            Our hostel was YHA London St. Paul’s, which was, obviously, right next to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Up until this point, I had been spoiled in my study abroad experience, staying in hotels or apartments rented from AirBnB. This mainly was a result of really good exchange rates (Poland, I miss you!) or the fact that our group was just so large in number that split between ten of us, one nice apartment in the center of Venice was actually cheaper than staying in an old hostel. However this is not the case in London and besides, what kind of study abroad experience would it be if I hadn’t stayed in a hostel my entire time in Europe? Michelle was a pro—she found this hostel for us, which was right in the heart of London’s business district. This meant that not only were we in a very safe neighborhood, we also left the hostel each morning to be surrounded by very attractive British men with accents in sharp suits, off on their way to work to be successful. There is no better way to start your day.

            YHA is a great association, because they have certain cleanliness and safety requirements that they must reach in all of their hostels. St. Paul’s actually used to be a Choir Boy’s School, so our rooms used to be used by the young boys who stayed there and would then cross the street to sing in the Cathedral. We got some lovely bunk beds…although Michelle’s was a bit of a challenge to climb into. Our roommates were friendly but not overly-chatty. My only complaint? The girl in the bed below me snored all night. Good thing I brought my ipod.

St. Paul's Cathedral, right by our hostel

St. Paul's YHA Hostel

Michelle's weird top bunk

            Since we had arrived late in the afternoon of our first day and we were both pretty tired, Michelle and I agreed that the best course of action would be to walk around our area and then maybe head over to Oxford Street to see some of the shopping. Oh, British clothes…going into Primark and TopShop has to be one of the most dangerous things in the world, but it was certainly an afternoon well-spent. In the evening, we went to Nando’s, which was something I had discovered in Bath. It is essentially the Portuguese equivalent of Chipotle in England and it is delicious. We went back to the hostel after our walk back and hung out there until turning in for an early night, prepared for a full day of touring the next day.

            We woke up in the morning to get a head start. I’ve been to London before—once with my mom, when I was nine, and once last summer, when I studied in Bath. My memories of the city are a blur of rain and a trip to Harrod’s; this trip, I insisted on at least one historical (also known as expensive) tourist spot. Michelle and I started our first full day in London at the Tower of London. I have been a history nerd since I was a kid and British history is a personal love of mine....and the Tower is basically a Tudor history fantasyland; as we took our guided tour from our warden (also known as the men in the fancy uniforms, or “Beefeaters”), each mention of Anne Boleyn or Thomas Moore made me giggle with joy. The clouds also conveniently parted so we had a few, precious hours of sunshine. We also saw the Crown Jewels, which were ridiculously extravagant, but incredible to see. 

Our Beefeater!

The bridge in the distance

            We also got to participate in a historical reenactment in which we were soldiers and then later the jury of a trial against a man who had attempted to overthrow the king. I loved this. I feel like it is so easy to become bored with history when in classrooms all they do is give you a book with facts and dates. In Europe, you walk by history on a daily basis on your way to the grocery store. It’s just so much easier to love history when you can see it and feel it and experience it.

            Afterwards, we navigated the tube (which I loved doing) and walked around Piccadilly Circus, the Strand and Trafalgar Square. Obviously, we were walking in the rain; England, for all of its beauties, is in a perpetual state of April-showers. Later that night we found a neat little pub and talked over beers, burgers, and Thai food.

Trafalgar Lions

            The next morning we got up early and navigated the Underground again to get to Buckingham Palace, where we watched the changing of the guard. I’m not sure if this was entirely worth it, seeing as unless you’re six feet tall or you got there early enough to be pressed right up against the gate, you can’t see much. Luckily, I’m almost six feet, so I could see a good amount. Poor Michelle, who is much shorter, had her view blocked for the majority of the hour and a half that we were there. It was still very neat to see and was especially worth it for my secret love of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s relationship, as you can see the balcony they emerged from on their wedding day for the traditional kiss in front of the screaming crowds.

            Following the crowds of Buckingham, we walked a bit around London Town, seeing Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the House of Parliament.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben! And House of Parliament

            Later, we made our way to the neighborhood of Notting Hill. Even if you haven’t seen the particularly charming Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts film, this area is definitely worth a visit. It is much quieter than the rest of London and it feels like you’re in a completely different city. The houses are all in a row, painted various pastel colors, and the little shops and boutiques are rivaled in cuteness only by the charm of the Portobello Street market, that has anything from organic papayas to hand-knitted Scottish wool. Having no layers and knowing that I was going to be outside all night, I decided to splurge a little and bought myself a wool sweater (which I now love with all my heart) which ended up being a brilliant idea, since the night ended up being a cold one.

            After Notting Hill, we headed back to our hostel for a quick change of clothes which included me putting on approximately five layers (including the wool sweater) and a scarf. We then walked across the Millennium Bridge, which was right next to our hostel, and arrived at the reason for this entire trip: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

           

            I admittedly did not always like Shakespeare. I remember struggling in Mrs. Inderlied’s freshman class in high school as we covered Romeo&Juliet. The language was befuddling, the plotline already known, and it didn’t make sense: why was Shakespeare any different than other authors who could write in a much more understandable language? But American high schools love a classic, so I was forced to learn more and more of his plays and I would sympathize with my fellow students as they bemoaned the injustice of having to memorize a portion of Hamlet’s famous To be or not to be speech…all the while, realizing that I actually didn’t hate it as much as I claimed to. By senior year, we were covering The Tempest and I had a role in that very same play in Catholic High’s spring production. All of the sudden, the words took on a whole other meaning. Studying the play and then being able to participate in its creation made The Tempest one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, even if there are others that surpass it in characters and plot and wit. I studied Shakespeare again in college and, again, The Tempest was on our syllabus. I watched the play in Bath in a park, in which a theater troupe used the surrounded trees as “backstage” and we sat on our picnic blanket with Bath buns (special Bath pastry) and Cornish pasties in the chilly, summer air.

            And now I was seeing The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe—a recreation of the famous structure that supposedly stood around this area years and years ago…where the original plays were first performed. My love for Shakespeare is no longer a secret. It seems like a stereotype, for someone who studies English, but if you study it you understand. There’s something inherently magical in his words and the way in which he crafts a play that I keep being drawn back in.

            To say that my excitement was reaching impossibly high levels once we had crossed the bridge is an understatement. We bought a few sandwiches and drinks around the corner and then sat down in line (we were seventh in line), preparing to wait for our spot. If you bought tickets with seats, you can obviously show up right before the play starts. However, if you want prime spots as people who have Yard tickets (standing-room-only), it’s first-come-first-served. I was determined to be right in front and—two hours later—that’s exactly where we were.

            I was touching the stage. We were almost dead center and Michelle and I were touching the stage, which was just about level with my head. We made friends with the people around us who were, ironically, American. A few were students studying in Dublin who had come in for the play for the same reason I had—a not-so-secret love for Merlin, Shakespeare, and actor Colin Morgan. There was also a daughter and her mother, who was a professor from JMU, leading a program in London, and we got along great. It’s ironic that as little kids we’re always taught not to talk to strangers…but nowadays, it’s one of my favorite pastimes. There was a buzz in the air and I couldn’t contain the occasional squeal of excitement as I looked around. It was beautiful.

            For those who are not familiar with The Tempest, you’ll have to excuse me as I gush a little bit about this performance. This is the Globe’s official description:

Prospero, Duke of Milan, usurped and exiled by his own brother, holds sway over an enchanted island. He is comforted by his daughter Miranda and served by his spirit Ariel and his deformed slave Caliban. When Prospero raises a storm to wreck this perfidious brother and his confederates on the island, his long contemplated revenge at last seems within reach. Imbued with a spirit of magic and the supernatural, The Tempest is Shakespeare’s late great masterpiece of forgiveness, generosity and enlightenment.

For those who are familiar with the play, then you know that—like all of Shakespeare’s work—it is far more complicated than this simple description. You know about the themes of colonization, of power, of love. You know about the troublesome treatment of the character of Caliban and of the often-disputed relationship between Prospero (played by Roger Allam) and Ariel (played by Colin Morgan). And for those of you who are familiar with the play or familiar with Shakespeare’s plays in general, you will understand how incredibly life-changing it was to see an interpretation of The Tempest in which everything you had studied and every conclusion you had drawn by yourself while pouring over your textbook late at night was performed exactly how you pictured it.

            The humor that these actors managed to pull from the text was incredible. I was laughing through the entire performance and they acted in such a way that the jokes that Shakespeare had originally intended his audience to laugh at were easily understandable—the entire theatre (which was packed) was laughing at everything. The actors did not remain on stage. They walked through the crowd, they snatched beers away from people in the front row and chugged them, they ran along the upper rows of the seats. Caliban pretended to hit me in the head with a huge log and I unfortunately flinched, which meant that he immediately zeroed in on me and growled all of his lines right in my face. The entire theatre was looking at me, so I scrunched up my face and didn’t look at him until he went away (he is the monster of the play, after all). Trinculo poured water all over my head and the head of the JMU professor next to me (at the cast’s final bows, he leaned down and said “Sorry!” to us with a wink). It was just so nice, seeing the actors enjoy what they were doing almost as much as we were in watching them.

Stefano, Caliban, and Trinculo

Miranda, Prospero, and Ferdinand

Ariel and Prospero

Ariel

The King and Lords

Ariel

            Miranda was displayed as clumsy and slightly uncultured, which was perfect. Ferdinand was pompous, but adorable. Prospero was powerful without being too supercilious. And Ariel…well, the character of Ariel (and the actor Colin Morgan) was the main reason why I was there. Colin Morgan did such an amazing job with this character that I even forgot for a moment that he was Colin Morgan. He was ethereal and his movements so graceful that it was easy to believe that he was a spirit, which was only enhanced by the odd way in which he spoke, placing emphasis on the wrong words in the sentences and making it sound very unnatural and inhuman. The relationship between Propsero and Ariel was perfectly displayed as something akin to master-servant and father-son: the line in which Ariel asks Prospero, “Do you love me, master, no?” was so devastatingly sweet and sad and desperate that the entire theatre was silent, aside from a few sighs of sympathy.

            The play was simply amazing. I use that word a lot in life, and maybe it’s because I’m easily amazed by things, but that is such an accurate description. I am so incredibly grateful that I got to see the play but also that I came to the stage with an understanding of its characters and plot. The experience was that much richer because of it and I found myself mouthing some of the lines along with the characters—some of the lines that I once said on stage myself. It was also a lot more intimate, being that close to the actors. You weren’t allowed to take pictures during the performance (any pictures you see here are official photos from the Globe) and for the most part, no one in the audience snapped any secret shots. Whereas in churches across Europe, tourists easily break this rule for the sake of a Facebook album back home, there was something different about the Globe. It wasn’t just something you watched—it was something you participated in. And you wanted the actors on stage to succeed far more than you wanted that silly picture, even if there were a few times where the King of Naples was standing above me, looking incredibly imposing, and I knew that if I had a camera it would have been amazing. But I liked pretending, if only for a moment, that I was one of the peasants come to watch the show, confined to standing in the yard as the richer classes sat above us in their wooden seats. There was something incredibly thrilling about shivering in the biting night air, the sky open above us and the warm glow of the lights on stage as spirits and monsters and lords and lovers swirled about our heads, close enough to touch.

            As The Tempest is supposedly Shakespeare’s last play, it seemed appropriate that this was how I spent my last night not only in London, but also on my last trip of the semester. We returned to the hostel that night gleefully clutching our programmes and talking obsessively about how wonderful the play was and how the cast’s final bows—which was actually the entire cast doing a coordinated dance—was far better than anything we had ever seen. A few hours later, at 4:30 am, we were awake again, on our way to Stanstead Airport with a bus full of bleary-eyed tourists. But I kept my eyes open, watching London’s streets and then later the hillsides of England roll by, wishing I could stay a bit longer.

            As a child, I always talked about growing up and moving to Italy. It was, in fact, a two-part dream: I thought I would go to Oxford for my college education, during which time I would become a famous author and then promptly become rich enough to afford a villa in Italy, where I would live happily ever after. As my senior year of college looms ever closer, I’ve obviously realized what a fanciful dream that was. But my experiences in the past five months are a different sort of dream, in which I’ve realized that although I do not have the same lofty aspirations as my ten year-old-self, I still want to do things that don’t follow the usual course of landing a nine-to-five job straight out of college. It may terrify my mother to hear this, but I think moving so often with my dad being in the Navy had an effect on me. I don’t see my future as finding a place to settle down in—I can’t even decide on the amount of countries and cities I want to live in. Living in Bath last summer and returning to London for just those brief three days made me realize that although I love Italy with all of my heart…there are other places that I also love. Other places that I want to explore. Other places that I want to live in. The U.K. is definitely one of them, which is why since those fateful three days in London and that magical night in the Globe, I’ve been researching for hours late at night, looking for any possible way to get myself back over there. England is not just another America, with funny accents and a lot of tea. There is a culture and a history there that is so rich that I can’t stop thinking of returning. Being back in the United States this past week has confirmed at least one thing: my semester abroad may be over, but my time living outside the confines of my own culture certainly is not. 


© Copyright Danielle DeSimone. 2013.