Colby and I got some cheap tickets (20 pounds, with an obstructed view, which was tots fine since we'd both seen the play before and really did not need to see EVERYTHING that happened EVERY SECOND). It was amazing. Christine was a warbler, so I kept hoping somehow the actress would succumb to some debilitating cold and we'd get an understudy, but the Phantom more than made up for it. HIP (Hottie Iranian Phantom) was like seriously the best Phantom ever. He was an awesome singer and was terrifying during the end when he freaks out. Just amazing. Raoul was nice too (for a Hobbit), but OMG. So, if we don't find Gerry (Butler), Colby and I now have a new guy to fight over. Also, y'know how in the States when you see the Phantom's face, it's kinda a little bit disfigured. Like, his lip's a bit weird and he doesn't have an eyebrow. Not so here. The Brits require WAY more in their Phantom. HIP was way too intense for this lame, half-hearted disfigurement.
For those of you who do not believe me when I say the Brits are more gruesome (inappropriate for the weak of heart and small children), it's to the right side of the blog.
See?!?!?! It was hardcore!
Wednesday: Classes. Took a nap (London is way more tiring than Cambridge, who'd have thought?). Went for a walk around London in the evening (the sun sets here at basically midnight, so it's nice for sightseeing). Saw most of the big tourist spots, it's nice to know that I can get to the main touristy stuff when I'm too cheap to use the Tube.
Thursday: King Lear. At Globe. Nuff said.
Fine, I'll say more. Classes (heavy sigh). Walking tour of Legal London (heavy sigh X 2). In a misguided attempt to compare to the awesomeness of the Parliament Field Trip we went on during the Cambridge program, our sponsor (let's call him Ineffecto) schedules a walking tour of Legal London. Like, from a company that does Jack the Ripper Walking Tours (sidenote: that would have been SO much better). We got to see some cool stuff (two of the Inns of Temple, the nearby courthouse, barristers in silly wigs), but she also used cultural references like DaVinci Code and Bridget Jones's Diary 2. We got the exact same tour as would have been given to middle schoolers. So, basically, a waste of time. I should've realized how ridiculous the tour would be when Ineffecto balked on it.
My friend and I then went to the Globe, but the groundling seats were sold out. We hung around, grabbed some pub food, and then got in the queue for returns and managed to get in right before the show started. It was amazing. The guy who played Lear is literally one of the best actors I've ever seen. They did the classic Elizabethan staging and it was just wonderful. Seriously, words fail. The simplest way to put it is this: despite the fact that I'd been on my feet since 3:00 (or 15:00, if you're British), I stood through that performance until 10:45. And then I walked home. So, yeah, amazing.
Despite the residual pain I'm experiencing, I'm planning on going to see Timon of Athens on Monday (groundling again). So yeah, Lear was good enough for me to order tickets to another play while my feet are still throbbing and my blisters have blisters.
So, here I am. I'm probably gonna get some sleep and then go meet up with Katie for dinner tonight.
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