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rambling
So, yesterday I rand away to London and met up with 2 groups of somewhat overlapping LJ friends, the bunch of folk who had tickets to see Hamlet at the RSC (I had just scraped in) and an impromptu gathering of Usual Suspects plus ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jonem and patsyrant. We were slightly wrongfooted by the discovery that All Bar One on Dean St. has very recently become a Mexican restaurant, but eventually we found an incredibly pleasant pub with lots of seats.
Was a very laid back and amusing gathering and I felt all warm and fuzzy towards all these internet folk who cross over into being living, breathing and usually laughing beings. You are lovely, oh f-list.
Anyway. Got to the RSC, slightly downcast because of Tennant's absence, and the manager came on, as the lights went down, to announce that the part of Hamlet would be be played tonight by ...David Tennant!!
\0/ \o/ \0/
He was marvellous. I, er, had never seen Hamlet before or indeed studied it in English Lit, so apart from the very famous speeches and cursory knowledge of the plot, it was all entirely new to me. That Ophelia's a bit of a damp sqib, isn't she?
(I felt a bit like the ultra-competitive English Lit professor in David Lodge's campus novel who plays a parlour game called 'Humiliation' where you win by naming a really famous piece of literature that you've never read. OMG! I just checked this and he wins by naming 'Hamlet'...but then loses his job).
It's probably unfashionable to say this but I found it really exhausting to watch - I had to strain so much to listen to the language and understand what was going on; but the players - and David Tennant in particular - did a wonderful job of making the words fly.
I generally fail at being a proper LJ type though. Various people yesterday asked me what books/films/TV I was into, and there's really not much; and all the lively chat about fantasy novels or the most recent series of Merlin/True Blood/whatever soars right over my head. I can't catch up (there's a lifetime of stuff) or indeed keep up (there's more stuff all the time). I'm more or less reconciled to that, but it's odd. I'm used to being the most bookish person of my acquaintance and in many of your terms, I'm not really off the starting blocks. Still. I have a rich inner life. Heh.
jonem and patsyrant. We were slightly wrongfooted by the discovery that All Bar One on Dean St. has very recently become a Mexican restaurant, but eventually we found an incredibly pleasant pub with lots of seats.Was a very laid back and amusing gathering and I felt all warm and fuzzy towards all these internet folk who cross over into being living, breathing and usually laughing beings. You are lovely, oh f-list.
Anyway. Got to the RSC, slightly downcast because of Tennant's absence, and the manager came on, as the lights went down, to announce that the part of Hamlet would be be played tonight by ...David Tennant!!
\0/ \o/ \0/
He was marvellous. I, er, had never seen Hamlet before or indeed studied it in English Lit, so apart from the very famous speeches and cursory knowledge of the plot, it was all entirely new to me. That Ophelia's a bit of a damp sqib, isn't she?
(I felt a bit like the ultra-competitive English Lit professor in David Lodge's campus novel who plays a parlour game called 'Humiliation' where you win by naming a really famous piece of literature that you've never read. OMG! I just checked this and he wins by naming 'Hamlet'...but then loses his job).
It's probably unfashionable to say this but I found it really exhausting to watch - I had to strain so much to listen to the language and understand what was going on; but the players - and David Tennant in particular - did a wonderful job of making the words fly.
I generally fail at being a proper LJ type though. Various people yesterday asked me what books/films/TV I was into, and there's really not much; and all the lively chat about fantasy novels or the most recent series of Merlin/True Blood/whatever soars right over my head. I can't catch up (there's a lifetime of stuff) or indeed keep up (there's more stuff all the time). I'm more or less reconciled to that, but it's odd. I'm used to being the most bookish person of my acquaintance and in many of your terms, I'm not really off the starting blocks. Still. I have a rich inner life. Heh.
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It was great to see you again - next time it will have to be for longer!
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As for Hamlet. I have seen it many times, and taught it many more (when teaching was the kind of thing I was employed to do) and love it dearly, but it is Shakepeare's LONGEST play. If no one cuts any of the dialogue it is usually at least 3 hours long which is an awfully long time to sit and listen to language of a style one is not used to hearing all the time.
I wish I could have seen Tennant's performance, I'm fairly jealous of you there.
As for the rich inner life :) \0/ go you.
HUGS
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I no longer have the disadvantage of recalcitrant children in the house when I return home, just the recalcitrant husband :) - and it does make you tired out (specially for us older types ahem) but it is completely worth it IMHO.
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I did read Hamlet in my teenage years and saw a film version of it (probably cut down: as I remember Gordon Jackson was in it, as Horatio I think), but yes, it's hard to follow sometimes when watched rather than read. Had the same thing watching a King Lear (mind you, that was also in my teenage years).
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I think I'd describe myself as not particularly fannish except where HP is concerned. At least, I'm fannish compared to my RL friends, but yeah, in comparison with other LJ folk, I fail utterly.
That said, I've just finished Notes from an Exhibition, and I think I might be ready to start a Patrick Gale fandom all on my lonesome.
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Patrick Gale's very good. Not all of his stuff has worked for me, but there are some that I found lovely. Hah! You see, not alone at all.
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Also, if there's an award for NOT having read classic or famous literature? I would be up for a knighthood. >.>
*hugs*