Parliament and Shakespeare

Yesterday I toured the houses of Parliament and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre with my British Life and Culture class. I took the train from Surbiton Station to Waterloo with my good friend Tonya, and there we met up with our friends Kelly and Kelsey and proceeded to take the Tube towards the houses of Parliament. I am incredibly proud of myself for learning the ins and outs of public transportation so quickly. Trains and the underground are much less scary than they were my first time riding them! 

A guide was ready for us when we got into the Parliament building. He took us on a lengthy tour through the procession room, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. I've seen the House of Commons and the House of Lords in videos and photographs, so it was really great to be there in person. They really are small rooms! They are very grand though, the House of Lords especially is beautifully designed. I really enjoyed the neo-gothic architecture and design throughout the building. 

Center view of the stage. Standing in the Yard

What used to be one of the best views of the play

After our meal at Pizza Express, we rejoined our classmates outside Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. This was certainly my favorite part of the day! I've studied quite a bit of Shakespeare's works and read about the Globe. Of course, the particular building I toured isn't the actual Globe theatre; it is just an incredibly detailed replica of the original. Also, it is very very near to the place of the original Globe theatre. On our tour, we got to see the "yard" where commoners would stand to watch the original plays in the Globe's open-air theatre - just hope it doesn't rain! There is also seating available that is protected from rain and harsh sun, but all the benches are wooden, so sitting for a three hour play can get uncomfortable no matter if you are sitting on the benches or standing in the yard. Our guide showed us the special boxes that the rich would sit in directly above the stage. They're not the best for viewing the play, but they are the best for hearing it. Nowadays, seeing is more important, so center seating actually costs the most. Can you believe that in only cost one penny for people to stand in the yard, two pence to sit on the benches, and six whole pence to have a seat above the stage? Now, it costs five pounds to stand in the yard, around 22 pounds for outer bench seats, and close to 35 pounds for center seats. The whole theatre tour was a stunning experience for me. Unfortunately  the plays are done showing due to the open theatre, weather must be permitting. It was still a wonderful experience to stand in the yard and imagine one of Shakespeare's interactive plays taking place just in front of me. Perhaps with a swarm of people around me. The Globe is certainly a place I would like to revisit. In the meantime though, I picked up a few souvenirs to commemorate my experience there. 

Just a few souvenirs. Love Macbeth!