England, May 17-29, 2016

At the beginning of the extensive Exhibition adjacent to the reconstructed theatre.

Pre-show rehearsal for "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Zubin Varla (Oberon/Theseus) practices his wire work with the help of Margaret Ann Bain (Flute/Philostrate) and Tibu Fortes (Fairy).

Perspective of a 'penny stinker.' It's five minutes before the second half of the show starts. Can you spot the actor on stage? It's Zubin Varla again.

Groups of people listen to guides talk about the theatre. If you take the last tour before a performance, you may get to see a rehearsal like we did.

We took the tour of the theatre before a performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" so the theatre was decorated as an enchanted forest for the show.

Ushers or players? This production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was a smash hit. Every part of the multidimensional play was perfect. I even caught the banana!

The edge of the stage. In Shakespeare's time this is where buckets were placed for audience members to urinate into during the show.

The sign reads, "This performance contains naughtiness of a sexual nature." Intermission, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Intermission, "The Taming of the Shrew."

Timberframe and the only thatched roof in London. Permits for the roof delayed construction for years. London still remembers the great fire of 1666.

Ushers hand out paper visors. A sunny afternoon can be problematic for certain stalls.

Groundlings get to sit for a few minutes during intermission.

Because the Globe was reconstructed authentically, it contains no lobby or other facilities. These are housed in adjacent buildings which share a courtyard with the new Globe.

After a show, this gate opens so patrons can stream out of the complex onto the bankside.

I keep bumping into this guy everywhere!

A model of the Rose Theatre. "When Shakespeare came to London as a hireling actor in the 1580s, theatre was already a boom business, attracting large crowds. Performances with makeshift stages were the norm until James Burbage opened Britain's first, purpose-built, outdoor playhouse, the 'Theatre', in Shoreditch in 1576..."

"... Other playhouses followed: among them the Rose (1587), Swan (1595) and Hope (1614). In 1599, the Theatre was taken down and rebuilt in Bankside as the Globe Theater."

Waiting for "The Winter's Tale" by the Royal Ballet.

The ballet was wonderful but at intermission I stumbled into this swank space and discovered what these evenings are really about.

Intermissions were long enough for a quick meal. Ordering is done ahead of time.

"Shakespeare in Ten Acts" was a special exhibition exploring the performance of Shakespeare's works over the last four centuries. I didn't have time to visit it intent as I was on visiting the Ritblat.

The Ritblat Gallery is a hushed, dimly lit gallery that houses precious manuscripts like a copy of the Gutenberg Bible and Magna Carta. But the stars of the show for me were a sonnet in Shakespeare's hand and scores in Handel's & Beethoven's. None of these busts are Shakespeare's. (The first, if I recall correctly, is of Milton.)

There he is!

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, Windsor Castle organized a small exhibit about its history with the Bard.

I wonder if Shakespeare and the rest of The Lord Chamberlain's Men approached the castle along this road too.

Outside Shakespeare's birth place. The large, modern entry to Shakespeare's Birthplace is off to the left. Ticket holders enter the historic building from a courtyard in the back. But the house itself fronts onto the street just like any other.

Inside Shakespeare's birth place. The displays, furnishings and costumed docents inside the Tudor home were interesting but a bit stagy.

The Guildhall, Shakespeare's school. King Edward VI School operated (and still operates!) in Stratford-upon-Avon's Guildhall, then the centre of local governance. Shakespeare's dad was Bailiff (mayor) and the Borough promoted education.

The Guildhall and School had just opened as an attraction in April. It's staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. It tickled my imagination more than the Birthplace.

Stage setting for "Hamlet."

Our seats were fantastic, right by the stage.

The dimensions of the stalls look strangely familiar.

The RSC production rocked on all levels especially the modern African setting and the all black cast (excepting Rosencrantz & Guildenstern). All roles were acted superlatively. The youthful Hamlet rendered by Paapa Essiedu was perfect.

The final show of the trip. An obliging gentleman sold me a ticket for half-price just outside the theatre. The show had long been sold out.

The leads were movie stars who had just starred together in the wonderful 2015 version of Cinderella. Sadly, neither one could act for the stage. This was the only bad production we saw on the trip.

Richard Madden, Lily James, Derek Jacobi, Meera Syal, directed by Branagh & Rob Ashford. The art direction and costumes were wonderful, and the veteran stage actors were good. Sadly, the youngsters were not. Their beautiful faces and famous names made for a wonderful marquee though. I suspect they got rushed direction. Such are the economics of theatre in the West End.

England, May 17-29, 2016
photos by Jeff Hohner
the following photo essay and photographs are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

The Globe Theatre, London

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre

Leicester Square, London

Leicester Square

Museum of London

Museum of London

Museum of London

Museum of London

Museum of London

The Royal Opera House, London

Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House

The British Library, London

British Library

British Library

Windsor Castle, west of London

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Garrick Theatre, London

Garrick Theatre

Garrick Theatre

Garrick Theatre