Second Star to the Right: R&J at Canary Wharf

Today in class (special Friday

edition) we talked about plays and theatre. Surprise! I was really excited because I have not been able to stop thinking about Waiting for Godot. Talking with the other students, it is interesting to see all the different takes that we had on the production. We argued over whether there was really symbolism to God, or the origins of Godot. Was it a piece talking about hope or was it a piece saying that we are all damned in the end? And the thing that is amazing is that it can be any of these things. That's one of the reasons that a play like this still is performed today. I'm still so baffled about the complete turnaround I have had concerning this play. I started off not liking it at all, but after seeing the great performance (picture up there next to my words), I really came to enjoy it. George and his wife Leslie shared their thoughts during class, and brought wonderful insights about hope and our own gospel. George shared the scripture from 2 Nephi 2, where we are taught about how there is opposition in all things. It is necessary to have this opposition, and this play, along with others that we have seen, have shown us the darkness that is out there. Leslie was so overcome with emotion talking about how hopeless she felt while watching this show, and could only imagine the thoughts that the playwright had while writing it. Imagine how different something like this could be if he had the gospel. Class today was wonderful and full of the spirit. It's times like this that I am so glad that I attend BYU, because we are able to incorporate gospel principles into these lessons.

Brett's class took a different turn as we discussed Antony and Cleopatra. We talked about Cleopatra and whether or not she was a victim or a villain, and it was fascinating to see the different perspectives offered. I, personally, was nervous to share my own ideas, since I am one of three guys in a sea of very vocal and passionate women. Yeah, I'll pick and choose my battles (mostly joking...).

The afternoon consisted mostly of me wandering off by myself. One of my favorite parts about London is that there is so much to look at, and sometimes you really just need to take time to explore the city by yourself. I took the tube over to Notting Hill Gate where I walked over to the BYU London Center to say hello! I just stood outside the door and smiled up at that building. Maybe someday I might knock on the door and see if they would let me see inside! I then went to Queensway, home of many of the old stores that I went to the first journey to London land. It was really fun seeing how much has changed in such a short time. For dinner I went to Nandos, which is always quite delicious. It was a great day and the weather was perfect, cloudy with a slight breeze.

The show that we went to this evening was even smaller than the last. We journeyed out to a part of London called Canary Wharf. It's just down the river and is one of the more business-like parts of London. I had never been before and really enjoyed the new sort of atmosphere that was there. There were a lot of tall business buildings nestled up right next to the Thames. George said that it has a very similar feel to Chicago. I've never been to Chicago, but I'll go along with it. The buildings were beautiful and the sun was just beginning to set when we got there, so it was reflecting off all the glass windows and the water. It was gorgeous! We went to a theater called The Space where we saw a production of Romeo and Juliet. The theatre was quite cozy, and our group took up nearly all the seats. The performance was brilliantly done, and I think it is the best production of Romeo and Juliet that I have seen. It was actually one of the first times that I found myself rooting for the lovestruck couple, because usually I just find myself frustrated with their teenage antics. The actors were great and made some very delightful character choices. Juliet was often seen reading (won me over) and Romeo paid so much attention to each of his scenes that you could seem him bursting with joy whenever he saw Juliet. They also did something interesting by turning Benvolio into a woman. With this, they made Benvolia, a she had been renamed, a love interest for Mercutio. It was interesting to see how they played with Shakespeare's original lines and the banter between these two characters, and it made Mercutio's death even more tragic. I was very pleased with the whole thing, despite minor flaws that sometimes occur in smaller theaters like this. There was a struggle with a certain blood packet that had a delayed eruption on Mercutio's stomach that comes to mind. Also.....Juliet was quite attractive.

Standing outside 27 Palace Court again aka BYU London