All the World's a Stage

We arrived at Stratford-upon-Avon, and after leaving our stuff at the hotel, decided to wander around the small town. The entire place seemed to be made out of charming buildings and quaint parks.

            We wound our way to the Holy Trinity Church, the site of Shakespeare’s grave. Through the mass of people, I was able to indeed see the worn tomb of the Bard, so faded that you can’t read the inscription. In addition, there was a baptismal font that Shakespeare may have been baptized with, and a lovely organ.

            Next, we wandered over to the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) and stayed in the shop until it was time for the performance. I was sorely tempted by the mug that was a facsimile of the Underground train lines, except the different colored lines represented fools, lovers, and many other categories. Where the stations would have been were characters that fit into the categories. Sadly, the thought of carrying a breakable object for weeks on end trumped my wish to own the mug.

            The performance we went to see was the Merchant of Venice, and it was stellar. The actors were superb, and (sorry, Maggie Smith) it was possibly the best version of the play I’ve ever seen.

            The next day, we wandered the town slowly, stopping at the Monument to Fools, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and several stores. We had plenty of time to get Kinder eggs, and I guess real food too, before going back to the RSC to see Othello.

            It was another truly fabulous performance, drawn to full perfection by the set. At first, there was a boat sitting on what appeared to be a series of decorative grates, with fanciful lighting to make it look like there was water. However, it soon became apparent that the grates could sink under the water, or could be at floor level as a simple pathway, and could even rise to make stairs and tables. It was spectacular.

            We went back to the hotel to prepare ourselves for the long day ahead.