London

I've been in London since Thursday, staying at the Anglican Communion office in Westbourne Park. Thursday and Friday much of the day was spent at the British Library doing some research, and in the evenings I went to a number of plays Everything is very expensive in London, with the exception of theatre, which you can see at a reasonable price.





Thursday night was a new version of Noel Coward's 'Brief Encounter,' a rather successful integration of elements of film with stage. The actors provided the spoken parts and singing, but also playing instruments for accompaniment. Other parts of the play were projected on a screen, in the style of the original movie.





Six Characters in Search of an Author is about six characters from an unfinished novel who appear to a different writer, wanting her to finish the book so they can be 'complete.' This version, based on Pirandello's orginal, blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. "So many layers it would give an onion an inferiority complex!" was one review. Instead of being an author, this one is a video producer doing a documentary about a euthanasia clinic. The broadcaster doesn't think it's 'authentic' enough, so they hire actors to impersonate the original family. That's when the six lost characters come in.





My last night in London I went to see "French & Saunders: The Final Farewell Tour." If you don't know them, it's the comedy duo of Dawn French (well-known for Vicar of Dibley) and Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous). They're hugely popular in the UK, and I was lucky to get a single ticket at Theatre Royal Drury Lane (or as they say, Dreary Lane). It's one of the biggest theatres in London, and it was all-but-sold-out.