It was a delight to return home and spend some quality time in London with my new husband! Ah – I am still enjoying the sensation of using that word in my regular vocabulary now. In between our musical activities, George and I enjoyed scrolling through our wedding photos and finishing off our handmade thank you cards. It is far too tempting to fill my blog with all the pictures, but I shall restrict myself to a few and happily share them with you soon.
On Friday we treated ourselves to last minute tickets to Romeo and Juliet, which was being performed at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the bank of the river Thames. It was our first visit to this theatre and boy – it was remarkable. The theatre is an open-air Icosagon, (a 20 sided polygon) – this shape allows the audience to envelope the stage by either sitting in the galleries or standing in centre ground amid the action.
We were sat stage right, (I recommend sitting in the back row in the lower ground as most rows are benches but at the back you can lean against the wall for comfort). I particularly enjoyed how connected the actors were to the audience in this theatre – they often broke the 4th wall and really engaged all angles of the playing space so no area of the auditorium felt ignored. This personally made me feel enraptured by the drama and invested in the characters and their personal quirks and intricacies.
Fun fact about the theatre, they had to receive special permission to have a thatched roof, as there has been a law against thatched buildings in London since the Great Fire of 1666! The theatre now boasts the only thatched-roof in London. If you would like to take a virtual tour of the theatre you can do so by clicking HERE:
The company performed with gusto, creating moments of intimacy, hilarity and sadness. They infused modern issues within the traditional Shakespearean text to show how relevant this historical play is to modern life, by interspersing bone chilling statistics and thoughtful musings on present day situations through a large screen above the playing space.
I would definitely recommend, to anyone who can, visiting this theatre or catching this energetic production before it closes at the end of this month.
As an additional burst of energy to my morning, I was able to cheer on the runners as they reached the 7 mile mark in the London Marathon today. It was a joy to see so many people focused on a shared goal and raising funds for charity in the process. Congratulations to all the runners involved.
A wonderful looking building, Charlotte but that thatched roof is a serious fore hazard. I’ve read about that terrible fire, so sad. Again, congratulations on your wedding, guys! 😎🇬🇧❤️
Thank you, John. A thatched house on the road to my parent’s town burned down a few years ago. It is still a shell. I wouldn’t like to live in a thatched house, but they look lovely in the Countryside.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Welcome home! I’ve been to the Globe. It was really quite an experience. I am sure Romeo and Juliet was wonderful! Cheers!
It was wonderful Benn, I’ve always wanted to go to the Globe but things have never fallen in to place before. The acting was super and it gave me lots of ideas to trial in my own performance.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I have been entranced with the new Globe Theatre ever since I heard about it. I do hope to see a production there one day. I am very envious! Thanks for the tour!
I can highly recommend it Noelle, there is nothing quite like a live performance in the round especially with a fantastic cast, I was particularly taken with the Mercutio actor.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a fabulous last minute gift. It’s always nice to be home. That’s great to see a marathon passing by. Like watching our balloon fiesta, they are well needed doses of normalcy.
I saw your fabulous balloon fiesta photographs. When I first saw the runners I thought how on earth am I going to get across to get to the shop, but there are marshaled crossing points and walk arounds.
Best wishes
Charlotte
CONGRATULATIONS, dear Charlotte and George! All the best, my dear friends!!!
Thank you, Fabio 😊. I hope that you have a super week ahead.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You have me waxing nostalgic to the days when I traveled to Stratford Ontario for the Shakepeare festivals. I love the opportunity to take the “tour” of the Globe. Cheers you two!
I didn’t know there was a Stratford Ontario. I would love to visit Canada. Thanks Annette.
Best wishes
Charlotte
The virtual tour was lovely, Charlotte. I can’t imagine standing for the whole performance but I guess if you get involved enough it might be okay. Thanks for sharing.
The Globe production is 1 hour 50 minutes with no break so yes a long time to stand. It’s very popular though. Thanks for reading.
Best wishes
Charlotte
😊
Fabulous theatre, I would love to visit it at some point. Lovely photos Charlotte. 🥰😘😘
You should do a long weekend in London and see some of the sights. It is lovely at this time of the year. Hope you are keeping well Gill.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How wonderful! Congratulations to you both.
Thank you, Cindy, we have both been very busy so it was nice to have a fun activity to do.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wow, great !!! 1000 bonne pensées pour toi et ton mari !!!! All the best for you and George, Charlotte !!!! xxx
Merci Pascal. It was nice to spend some time quality together.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I have never been in the globe but been past it. Lovely to her you say “husband” at long last. Welcome home.
Hurray, at last, it was precisely the day I dreamed about. I found the dress of my childhood drawings, and the whole day was just magical. Lloyd Dobbie has just sent the final photos through, sadly we haven’t had time to go through them together in the time I’d want to but it is something to look forward to at the end of the month.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I can’t wait to see the photos. 👍👍
Charlotte ,that looks amazing,
It must be lovely being back in London, ( with your husband)
Xxx
Aww it was so nice. It has been strange after having over a year together in the flat to get back to tour life, fortunately we are both busy so time is passing quickly. At least whilst rehearsing in Oxford it is not too far to go back home on day’s off.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I’ve been in a similarly designed theater in Virginia and yes, it really gives the plays energy.
I was really impressed with the sound quality and just the whole production really. I am glad you got to experience something similar.
Best wishes to you,
Charlotte
A delightful photograph of the two of you. If you have the time you might enjoy the description of our night at the globe. The relevant section of https://derrickjknight.com/2012/09/12/a-night-at-the-globe/ begins after the Thames side photograph.
Derrick I took a look, I didn’t know the standing audience was called ‘groundlings’ at least the weather gods were kind to us.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How wonderful to see you two smiling together once again. The tour of the theater was really quite fun, I could almost picture myself there! Thank you.
Thank you, GP. The modern performance was intriguing and fresh and gave me a lot of acting thoughts and ideas to inform my own practice.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte and Husband, we understand your strong performance records, and as outstanding as they are, your esteemed pedigrees in training preclude your being stood with the groundlings. We understand your desire to enhance the historical legacy of our theater, but your request to hiss and boo at the actors and contemptuously throw orange peels on the stage has been DENIED. -The Globe Management ‼️
Hehe, I would never dare be so outrageous an audience member. On stage the temptation would be great to launch the peel back into the stands.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I know that, and I also know you have a great sense of humor!!🌞
Home is so sweet after a tour. And even sweeter when you get back to your new life. And going to The Globe, what a thrill! And a great break from sending out hand made Thank You’s. Great week for you and George.
Halfway through the thank you cards, I must admit I did think, oh why didn’t I get these printed my hand was aching so much as we had so many people to thank for making our day special. I ran out of cards and need to make another dozen or so. Thank you Don.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Romeo and Juliet? In a similar setting? Must have been amazing…
“Good night, good night,
Parting is such sweet sorrow
I shall say good night
’till it be morrow…”
May have missed a word or two, but it is one of my favourite. (With Macbeth of course…)
“Good night” my dear.
Thank you, I loved playing the character of Juliette so many words to remember though hehe.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Every time I come to your blog, it is magic 🙂 Always something beautiful to read, see, and also listen to. A beautiful photo of you and your husband as well – a magical world you have made. Smiles and happiness for you and your family.
Thank you Randall, it is lovely to hear from you.
Smiles back to you and our best wishes.
Charlotte
Happy to hear you got some much deserved down time with your HUSBAND! 💥💥
That theatre is magnificent! The shape of it is intriguing. Would opera sound good in there, in that shape?
I would love to try to sing in there. It was lovely coming home, George has been so good about two tours away from home but he did whiz to Italy for a week in the middle working and has had lots of new repertoire to learn himself, I’m at a concert of his today I drove him to Oxford so he didn’t have to rely on public transport, they cancel trains on Sundays all the time.
Good news about the way you and George can live together, and enjoy your careers. Norman was always going on tours, when he had bands. I was always going out of town for film work.
Now he has a studio, and does his work there. I’ve become fussy about what jobs I will take. I feel it’s my time to create my visions. I have spent so many years making others’ visions come to life.
Public transportation is great, but one has to be able to count on it! AND you got to spend time together in the car! Get while and when you can! ❦