Theatre In The Woods: Shakesperience

On the 1st July, as is custom at Gresham's School, we were treated to a night of frivolous theatre in the atmospheric Theatre in the Woods - a stage that WH Auden himself performed on in his day. Thankfully the sky stayed clear and, despite the odd mosquito bite, the evening could not have been better.

The abandoned legs at the left hand side were left from an extremely tongue-in-cheek extract from The Wizard of Oz, and due to the fast-paced scene changes didn't quite make their way off stage.

The ladies 'manned up' for a gutsy song in which they satirized the crotch driven mindset that men approach women with!

Making use of the beautiful, natural scenery in the Theatre in the Woods...

Julias Ceaser, Lady Macbeth, Ofelia and Richard iii sit down for supper in panto-like fashion!

Yet more of the delightfully mocking Wizard of Oz, complete with a Toto on a stick.

 

....And my favourite: the most over the top, self indulgent (for comic effect, of course!) and  humourously earnest discussion between Hamlet and Yoric!

Over all, a fun filled evening that left my tummy aching from laughter.

Interiors and Exteriors

On the 28th June 2011 I had the privilege of singing to the Queen at Fishmungers' Hall, London. The place itself is somewhat majestic in its vast size and exuberant decoration; with it's sweeping staircase and hallway:

Its elaborate and - it's fair to say - unnecessary crest for each Prime Warden: 

Or the beautiful intricacy and attention to detail that was apparent with each item and object in the building:

Of course, due to the occasion there were added extras such as this extravagant bouquet of flowers that was the height of a Great Dane, and could be smelt from across the room!

Although, despite the fact that the Queen of England was in the building, enclosed in its lavish interior, the outside world droned on through its mundane schedule: working, walking, waiting, running errands, hating the mediocrity of the average job over the sanctity of a cigarette break...

...As although in Fishmungers' Hall the atmosphere was abuzz with the presence of Royalty and the intoxication of vintage port, the day outside those thick walls was as grey and dreary as any other in the hopeless English summer; thus people walk on along the London Bridge, oblivious to the honour of our occasion.