Sage in London

As mentioned by fellow blogger Bob Goepfert, Sage is in London. Our department is offering "Arts Immersion", a course that sends students to shows, concerts and museums all over the city. The students have really committed themselves to seeing everything. For instance, yesterday two students did a Thames River ride, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Greenwich and a show at the National Theatre. Those attractions alone could be enough for one trip, but that is how zealously students have approached their trip.

Every student has shared different highlights. The Crown Jewels have been a favorite. Our show at Shakespeare's Globe has had many mentions and the visit Westminster Abbey is way up there. The shopping on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Portobello Road has been popular. Students have been quick to note the bloody, lurid history that makes its way into most attractions. Ancient murders, tortures and ghosts are very salable to tourists in the 21st century.

As for myself, I have been gorging on theatre. London is a mecca for, if not quality theatre, then quantity theatre, with diverse options. Some highlights and lowlights are:

• Hamlet--Slick, imaginative Shakespeare set in a modern day surveillance state. This production is part of NT Live and will be broadcast in the U.S.
• King Lear--Stark, clear production with a beautiful, heroic performance by Derek Jacobi. Again, this will be part of NT Live--don't miss it.
• Men Should Weep--A neglected feminist classic from 1937 that looks at the effects of poverty on a family living in the slums of Glasgow. Heart-breaking and surprisingly funny.
  
• Oliver!--An eye-poppingly, sumptuous production that covers serious flaws in the material. A terrific performance by Griff Rhys-Jones as Fagin.
• Fela!--A musical that looks at corruption in Nigeria through the concept of a nightclub show by activist musician, Fela Kuti. Part of NT Live.
• Seasons Greetings--A bleak sitcom of the Christmas we have all suffered through with our families.
• The Master Builder--An arty production that is both overblown and underwhelming at the same time. Some of it is the play, which is later, more obscure Ibsen, but it could still benefit from more heart and less mind.
• The Invisible Man--An all-around good time with amazingly clever illusions that had to work close-up.
• Hansel and Gretel--A dark opera with a cooler full of dead children. Chilling and fun.
• Winter Wassail--A presentation of ancient songs and spoken word at the Globe Theatre to ring out the old and ring in the new. A very fresh way to bring on 2011.
  

Other mentions include: The Country Girl (dull), The Rivals (lazy) and Deathtrap (a guilty pleasure that soon wears thin).

War Horse gets its own mention because it does what the best theatre should do. It presents the human condition through imagination and complete trust in the audience. In it, we see the best and worst of ourselves and the horrors and the love all around us. The play is a simple children's story, but works on many levels, appealing to many demographics. The stagecraft is rudimentary and ingenious all at the same time. When it comes to New York next month, don't miss it.

Seeing so much good work leaves you jonesing for your next fix. I don't know when that will be, but have enjoyed taking advantage of the theatre London has to offer.