A2 ENGLISH HEAD TO LONDON FOR KING LEAR AT THE GLOBE
In A2 English Lit/Lang we have been studying Shakespeare’s King Lear. At the beginning of term, we were given the opportunity to go on a trip to London to see the play in the Globe Theatre, where many of his plays would have been performed.
We were also given a tour of the theatre which highlighted the differences between theatres now and back in Shakespeare’s time. There was no roof and we were made to stand up for the whole duration of the three-hour play. This was called the yard where the peasants would have stood. We then attended a work shop, where we re-enacted scenes of the play which enabled us to understand it more in depth.
We were then given free time to explore London. We visited shops on the South Bank such as H&M, Topshop, M&S etc. The lively atmosphere in London came alive when we heard a busker sing Don’t Look Back in Anger and everyone soon joined in. We then walked around finding many Pret A Manger’s covering the city, but we decided to go to McDonalds’s instead. Time flew by, and we soon found ourselves walking back to the theatre, in time for the play.
We walked over the Southwark Bridge and the strong wind drew us to the sweet smell of caramelised nuts that were being sold on the centre pf the bridge. We wanted to be true tourists so we decided to buy some and they were tasty at first, but got sickly, as there were so many.
Arriving back to the Globe Theatre, we grabbed a Starbucks to compliment our snack. We got our tickets and waited to be let in for the play. Our teachers advised us to find a spot to lean on as we’d have to stand for hours, thankfully we were able to. The beginning of the play was educating as it was an original piece. The storm was the most exciting part due to their use of drums, sounds, and flashing lights. Overall, King Lear was very good and seeing the play come to life as Shakespeare's would have intended it, helped us to come away with a much better understanding of the play.
