Our overnight flight was delayed two hours due to a crazy storm that ripped through NYC 45 minutes before we boarded. The flight was so bumpy I was convinced we followed the storm across the Atlantic. Needless to say, neither one of us got any sleep.
Our first show in London was "Merry Wives of Windsor" at The Globe. The benches in The Globe are wooden and you can "hire" cushions. I was thinking The Globe was an exact replica of Shakespeare's theater but Michele was convinced there was a roof. In fact, she remembered seeing pictures. Based of that, I wore a skirt. Thankfully I could "hire" a blanket as well. The Globe is well done. The building, stage and seating make one feel like they are getting an Elizabethan experience. In the courtyard, they were selling moderately priced food. There was even a stand that had a giant wok-like looking piece of cookware that was filled with caponata that looked liked it had been made on the spot. I started the night with a hot chocolate and got a can of Pimm's Lemonade at the "interval."
As for the play...it was delightful. High comedy! During the interval, I recast the show for a Shakespeare in the Park run with Julie White as one of the leads and Richard Jenkins as Master Ford/Brook.
I was very impressed with the UK concept of the PlayBill. First of all, they call it a program and secondly, it is not free, you have to buy it. More interestingly, it is filled with dramaturgy instead of advertisements.
Thus far, I think the theater experience here is going to be very different than Broadway.
On a side note, it is refreshing to travel in an English speaking country.
Tomorrow we have a double-bill of "Mousetrap" and "Passions." Maybe I'll have time to take a peak inside the Tate.
HIGHLIGHT: The play was a blast and crossing the Millennium Footbridge to get there and back was gorgeous but my highlight was walking back to the hotel (The Zetter -- highly recommended for anyone planning a trip to London) with Michele. As we zig-zagged through the streets, making our way to the Underground, the act of crossing the street felt progressively more and more harrowing. Why? They drive on the wrong side of the road here so we are CONSTANTLY looking the wrong way. We came to a crossing that cleverly had the following words painted on the corner in foot-tall lettering "LOOK LEFT." Honestly, the sign made me feel like I could get through the weekend without injury. We both acknowledged how clever it was of the kind administrators of the city to warn mindless tourists, stepped to the corner then looked RIGHT. Despite the obvious danger in our blatant disregard for the sign we just discussed, we burst into laughter, looked the way we were just instructed to look and vowed to make it habit to always look both ways before stepping off the curb.
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