A day of Shakespeare

Hello Everyone!

It has been awhile since any of us have made a post but don't hold it against us, we did try to find internet access. I honestly did not think it would be this much trouble to find internet access in the UK!

There is much to write about and so little time! After Edinburgh, we traveled to Henry’s house in Worksop. We stayed on their farm in the country and that night they made us a traditional English meal (roast beef, potatoes, rolls, green beans and gravy!) They were great hosts and our trip to their house definitely stands in the top three highlights of the trip thus far.

The next day, (08/24/08) we traveled to Stratford-upon Avon. Immediately upon arrival we took a taxi to the Court Yard Theater (one of the theaters owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company) where we stood in the queue for returned tickets for Hamlet that night. Some background about Hamlet… we had tried very hard to get tickets for Hamlet several months in advance, but apparently Hamlet sold out for the entire season within the first week of releasing tickets. Are only chance was to stand in the queue and hope that someone would return their tickets, that we would then be able to purchase. As a backup, we got tickets to a Midsummer’s Night Dream playing at 1:00PM that day, but our dilemma was that we were about tenth in the queue for tickets and Hamlet did not start until 7:15PM that night. We had to make a choice whether to risk staying in the queue in the hope of getting some tickets for Hamlet or going to a Midsummer’s Night Dream at 1:00PM and coming out three hours later to stand in the queue once more. Thankfully we did not have to make that choice as a nice family in front of us in the queue insisted that we must see a Midsummer’s Night Dream, as they had seen it the night before, and that it was not a play to miss. They also said that they would hold our place in the queue until we came out a Midsummer’s Night Dream at 4:00PM. Thanks to Dorothy and Rebecca (the family that held our spot in the queue) we were able to see both Hamlet and a Midsummer’s Night Dream in the same day! Once we were back in the queue, Ben and I got two tickets in the fourth row, at 6:55PM (20 minutes before the Hamlet started)!!!

Both Hamlet and a Midsummer’s Night Dream were amazing! I had never had a theater experience like that in my life; seeing Patrick Steward live was incredible. In case you don’t know yet both Ben and I are big fans of Mr. Steward. =) David Tennant (Hamlet) was also amazing, as well as the rest of the cast.

Well I think I have rambled on about this long enough. Bellow are some pictures. Sorry there is no picture with Patrick and I; he rushed off in his Black Jaguar before I could get to him. :)

Henry, cutting up the roast beef


North American Bald Eagle show at Warwick Castle


Waiting for the Train... somewhere


Blenheim Palace, Woodstock