My study abroad program is able to get discounted tickets to several shows in London. Fresh off my Prague trip, I saw plays Monday and Tuesday night.
On Monday night, I saw War Horse. Produced by the Royal National Theatre of London, it is currently playing at The New London Theatre on Drury Lane (Do you know the Muffin Man, by the way? I believe he lives there.).
The play follows the friendship between a boy named Albert and his horse, Joey. When WWI breaks out, Joey is shipped off to France to be used in the cavalry. Young Albert joins up with the war efforts to find his beloved horse. Along the way, the audience learns stories from both sides of the war. Here is the trailer for the play:
On Monday night, I saw War Horse. Produced by the Royal National Theatre of London, it is currently playing at The New London Theatre on Drury Lane (Do you know the Muffin Man, by the way? I believe he lives there.).
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| War Horse at The New London Theatre |
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| The stage |
I thought it was phenomenal. The horses were intricate puppets controlled usually by two people. Multiple voices were used to create realistic animal noises from each horse. Each specific movement, from ear twitches to head shakes to gallops, was so perfectly executed that I truly forgot the creatures were just puppets. It made Lion King look a bit like a third grader's puppet show project. And I can't lie--my eyes may have welled up in the end.
If you can't take my word for it, just ask Her Majesty; even the Queen went to see the production! War Horse has actually been picked up by Broadway and will be premiering at NYC's Lincoln Center in March if any of you back in the States want to see it. (Tickets will be anywhere from $93-$269, so I really got a great deal seeing it in London for a discount!) Also, Steven Spielberg is starting to film a movie version of the play later this year.
On Tuesday night, I got my fill of the Great Bard by going to see Julius Caesar. Produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, it is currently playing at The Roundhouse Theatre.
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| The Roundhouse Theatre |
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| A production photo from the RSC website. Poor Julius. |
I was entertained by the brutal assassination of Caesar and the bloody civil war scenes that followed, but overall I wasn't too impressed with the production. Perhaps I was just comparing it with War Horse from the night before, but I think the company should have taken more creative risks with the show. However, it was exciting to see a Shakespearean play in the playwright's home country.
Seeing these shows is getting me excited for the class I am taking during the internship phase of my program: Modern British Drama: A Critic's Perspective. We get to see six shows throughout the duration of the course! Now it's essay-writing time, soooo end scene!
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