Harlaxton 2017: Shakespeare, Free Time and the Globe Theatre

By: Emily Guernsey

We woke up bright and early this morning, all feeling a bit tired from our jam-packed day yesterday, but ready to hit the ground running. After breakfast (with a group of young ballerinas), we headed to the classroom. It was now time for our quiz. Today’s topic: William Shakespeare and his comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Following the quiz, we brushed up on our Shakespearean history, then began to discuss Much Ado About Nothing. Professor Rutledge shared some interesting insights about the title of this play and engaged the class in a conversation about different aspects of the plot. It was really interesting to see how each of us interpreted things. At 12 o’clock, we were released from class- off to free time! The 50 of us scattered across London for the afternoon.

My friends and I decided to explore Chinatown and SoHo. After a quick tube ride, we scouted out a Chinese restaurant. We had a nice meal and followed it with some bubble tea; we tried lots of flavors, from Lychee to Butterfly Lemonade. Then it was time for shopping! We popped into lots of stores, especially those we can’t easily find back in Kentucky, like Zara and Primark. Some purchases were made and we began the trek back to the Nutford House. We made a quick stop at a pastry shop for a snack and then got ready for our evening at the Globe Theatre.

Dressed in our nice attire, we rode the tube for a few stops, then walked across Millennium Bridge to the other side of the River Thames. We entered the Globe and some of us (at Professor Rutledge’s recommendation) rented seat cushions, as we would be sitting on wooden benches for the next two hours. The theatre was packed with students and adults alike. The theatre, built as a replica of the original Globe in 1997, had three tiers of seating in a semicircle around the stage, as well as standing room on all sides. It was absolutely packed! The show began, and at first, we were all a bit confused- the play was set in Mexico, rather than in Italy as originally written. This turned out to be a great adaptation; there were colorful decorations, wire horses, fabulous dancing, and even an American police officer. The play ended around 10:30 and we headed back towards the Nutford House, making a quick stop at McDonald’s on the way.

Today was full of great new experiences! I’m sure we will all sleep soundly after running around the city all day and will wake up looking forward to the adventures to come.