dramaturgy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dramaturgy) wrote2007-02-13 01:33 am
dramaturgy) wrote2007-02-13 01:33 am
Monday - Hampton Court and There Came A Gypsy Riding
First, just a couple housekeeping photographs I took Friday night:
This is the largest remaining part of the Roman Wall. It's just slightly north of where we were for class last week.
This is the Dominion Theatre, which is where We Will Rock You has been playing for the past five years. WWRY has (sadly, because I luff it :D) never caught on in the states, but is a huge hit over here. Ah well, it takes all sorts!Fucking idiots, who doesn't like Queen?
So today we took a train (yes, an honest to god train) and went to Hampton Court Palace. For those of you who don't know, Hampton Court Palace was mostly built by Cardinal Wolsey, who was Lord Chaplain and a bunch of other things for Henry VII and, more famously, Henry VIII. Henry VIII confiscated this palace from Wolsey (one of five which he would eventually confiscate from the poor cardinal) when he fell out of favour because he had been trying to anull his marriage from Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boelyn. :D Edward VI was also born there, and Jane Seymour died ten days later. Lots of royal people lived here, and it stopped being a royal residence and became a tourist attraction in the 19th century. Again, no photographs can appropriately convey just how huge this place is.
From all the way down the road. (The asphalt is a modern addition.)
A little bit closer.
I can't wait until we get to a time period that isn't obsessed with heraldry. Srsly. I don't know how many people weren't actually aware that the Tudors were Welsh. To be fair, I suppose there are quite a few people that aren't history majors, but. I'm sorry, I'm just such an egotistical bitch that I think if I know something, it should be common knowledge. XD
Great quote that goes with this picture.
"That's actually Lady Margaret Beaufort's sign, the portcullis, and it's being held up by... oh, it's this sort of mythological creature, the yael. It's this sort of vicious goat with swiveling horns - [insert laughter from us] - well, you'd have one too, if you could! Why not?"
This is the first court.
I'm pretty sure that that's the Great Hall. I couldn't take any pictures in the Great Hall because they have to regulate the light, but it was magnificent. The ceiling was oak, and tapetries lined the walls that depicted scenes from the life of Abraham.
The entrance from the main courtyard to the clock court (you'll see why it's called that in a moment.
A couple of us with one of the reenactors. I could seriously make a very happy living as a reenactor, I think.
Meat pies, anyone? :D We're in the very extensive kitchens. Talk about the food service industry.
This fire was so warm and toasty after it being cold and rainy outside. See those huge metal racks on either side? They would stick the meat (like, entire animal carcasses practically) on a huge spit, lay it on there and wham. Roasted meat. Which sounds so yummy. Okay, moving on.
Not only does this clock tell you the time, but it also apparently has the date, the tide, the phase of the moon (like the wereolves in my head don't already inform me, ha) and tells a horoscope or something.
[Edit:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lostlikealice informs me that it says what astrological sign that the sun is in. I think a horoscope sounds cooler.]
Just a little classical style decoration from Christopher Wren, who was in charge of renovation on the castle. It's an urn. It was on top of an ionic column.
The gardens. I didn't spend any time at all out here because it was raining and I am still too cheap to invest in an umbrella. It was gorgeous, though, and those trees looked a lot bigger than they do in the picture. o_o
Fountain court, which actually lays between the gardens and clock court, but Sarah was on the move so I couldn't take a picture earlier.
I hope these show up better than I think they're going to, these are the stairs to the king's apartments. It's a painted ceiling and walls and a;fj;oweahgi;owerh beautiful.
The orangery.
This is the Haunted Gallery. So called because when Catherine Howard was arrested at Hampton Court, she got away from her guards and ran down this corridor, demanding to see the king (who would, of course, not see her). Supposedly at night you can still hear her screams...
The clock tower in clock court.
There was also the chapel which was... god, it was so gorgeous, but they didn't allow photographs in there either. Why don't they allow photographs in all the pretty places? It makes me cry a little on the inside.
I hopped on the train a bit earlier than I would have liked to, but I had a bit to do before we went to There Came A Gypsy Riding.
The play? I am too tired to give a thought provoking, in depth review right now, but it was amazing. The plot is based around a family coming together to celebrate the 21st birthday of their youngest member who committed suicide two years previously. I was slightly afraid because grief is such a heavy, unpredictable emotion and in acting it it's far too easy to wallow and get mired down in it, but I didn't see that once for the whole performance. I knew 3/5 of the people in it, which was great. :D Imelda Staunton played the mother (she's Umbridge in HP!), Aidan McArdle was the live son (he was the elf who wanted to be a lawyer in Ella Enchanted) and their cousin, Bridget, was played by Eileen Atkins (she was the older lady in Vanity Fair - damned if I can remember what her name is. She's the one who likes Becky). Apparently it doesn't get to go to America because it got crappy reviews, and comparison to The Seafarer - which, I'm sure you will remember, we also saw. :( Boo. I mean, I liked The Seafarer okay, but I thought this was by far the superior script and acting job.
That's Imelda Staunton up top, and Eileen Atkins. Aidan McArdle was going out the door before I recognized him, so nuts on that one. He was adorable. :D
Anyway, that's all I've got for tonight. x_x
This is the largest remaining part of the Roman Wall. It's just slightly north of where we were for class last week.
This is the Dominion Theatre, which is where We Will Rock You has been playing for the past five years. WWRY has (sadly, because I luff it :D) never caught on in the states, but is a huge hit over here. Ah well, it takes all sorts!
So today we took a train (yes, an honest to god train) and went to Hampton Court Palace. For those of you who don't know, Hampton Court Palace was mostly built by Cardinal Wolsey, who was Lord Chaplain and a bunch of other things for Henry VII and, more famously, Henry VIII. Henry VIII confiscated this palace from Wolsey (one of five which he would eventually confiscate from the poor cardinal) when he fell out of favour because he had been trying to anull his marriage from Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boelyn. :D Edward VI was also born there, and Jane Seymour died ten days later. Lots of royal people lived here, and it stopped being a royal residence and became a tourist attraction in the 19th century. Again, no photographs can appropriately convey just how huge this place is.
From all the way down the road. (The asphalt is a modern addition.)
A little bit closer.
I can't wait until we get to a time period that isn't obsessed with heraldry. Srsly. I don't know how many people weren't actually aware that the Tudors were Welsh. To be fair, I suppose there are quite a few people that aren't history majors, but. I'm sorry, I'm just such an egotistical bitch that I think if I know something, it should be common knowledge. XD
Great quote that goes with this picture.
"That's actually Lady Margaret Beaufort's sign, the portcullis, and it's being held up by... oh, it's this sort of mythological creature, the yael. It's this sort of vicious goat with swiveling horns - [insert laughter from us] - well, you'd have one too, if you could! Why not?"
This is the first court.
I'm pretty sure that that's the Great Hall. I couldn't take any pictures in the Great Hall because they have to regulate the light, but it was magnificent. The ceiling was oak, and tapetries lined the walls that depicted scenes from the life of Abraham.
The entrance from the main courtyard to the clock court (you'll see why it's called that in a moment.
A couple of us with one of the reenactors. I could seriously make a very happy living as a reenactor, I think.
Meat pies, anyone? :D We're in the very extensive kitchens. Talk about the food service industry.
This fire was so warm and toasty after it being cold and rainy outside. See those huge metal racks on either side? They would stick the meat (like, entire animal carcasses practically) on a huge spit, lay it on there and wham. Roasted meat. Which sounds so yummy. Okay, moving on.
Not only does this clock tell you the time, but it also apparently has the date, the tide, the phase of the moon (like the wereolves in my head don't already inform me, ha) and tells a horoscope or something.
[Edit:
lostlikealice informs me that it says what astrological sign that the sun is in. I think a horoscope sounds cooler.]Just a little classical style decoration from Christopher Wren, who was in charge of renovation on the castle. It's an urn. It was on top of an ionic column.
The gardens. I didn't spend any time at all out here because it was raining and I am still too cheap to invest in an umbrella. It was gorgeous, though, and those trees looked a lot bigger than they do in the picture. o_o
Fountain court, which actually lays between the gardens and clock court, but Sarah was on the move so I couldn't take a picture earlier.
I hope these show up better than I think they're going to, these are the stairs to the king's apartments. It's a painted ceiling and walls and a;fj;oweahgi;owerh beautiful.
The orangery.
This is the Haunted Gallery. So called because when Catherine Howard was arrested at Hampton Court, she got away from her guards and ran down this corridor, demanding to see the king (who would, of course, not see her). Supposedly at night you can still hear her screams...
The clock tower in clock court.
There was also the chapel which was... god, it was so gorgeous, but they didn't allow photographs in there either. Why don't they allow photographs in all the pretty places? It makes me cry a little on the inside.
I hopped on the train a bit earlier than I would have liked to, but I had a bit to do before we went to There Came A Gypsy Riding.
The play? I am too tired to give a thought provoking, in depth review right now, but it was amazing. The plot is based around a family coming together to celebrate the 21st birthday of their youngest member who committed suicide two years previously. I was slightly afraid because grief is such a heavy, unpredictable emotion and in acting it it's far too easy to wallow and get mired down in it, but I didn't see that once for the whole performance. I knew 3/5 of the people in it, which was great. :D Imelda Staunton played the mother (she's Umbridge in HP!), Aidan McArdle was the live son (he was the elf who wanted to be a lawyer in Ella Enchanted) and their cousin, Bridget, was played by Eileen Atkins (she was the older lady in Vanity Fair - damned if I can remember what her name is. She's the one who likes Becky). Apparently it doesn't get to go to America because it got crappy reviews, and comparison to The Seafarer - which, I'm sure you will remember, we also saw. :( Boo. I mean, I liked The Seafarer okay, but I thought this was by far the superior script and acting job.
That's Imelda Staunton up top, and Eileen Atkins. Aidan McArdle was going out the door before I recognized him, so nuts on that one. He was adorable. :D
Anyway, that's all I've got for tonight. x_x
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So that they can make more money by luring everyone in to see the pretty things for themselves!
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