Last night I went on an outing with my boss. (That's not her above.) We were at work a few days ago when one of our co-workers came in talking about the play "To Kill a Mockingbird," now on London's West End. The play is due to close pretty soon, and my boss asked me if I wanted to go. I said "Sure!"
So she got tickets and we went last night. We started first in Chinatown, where we had dinner. That's where this character (above) was wandering around. I had to snap a picture furtively because I didn't have any coins to put in his or her bucket.
The play is written by Aaron Sorkin of "West Wing" fame, and has a different cast from when it opened more than a year ago. Matthew Modine now plays Atticus, and he did a great job. The other actors were good but I detected more than a few British accents among the performers. They don't sound like any Alabamians I know. The sets were beautiful.
The play reimagines, or rather expands on, some of the characters in the book. Calpurnia and Dill both have more significant roles -- we even get a last-minute hint that Dill has a crush on Jem -- while Scout seems less central. Apparently Sorkin sought to treat Atticus less as the saintly figure he had become in modern culture and more as the conflicted southerner depicted in Harper Lee's more recently released "Mockingbird" novel, "Go Set a Watchman." But he's still largely the dignified Atticus.
Afterwards my boss caught the tube at Piccadilly Circus, and I kept walking down Piccadilly to Green Park, where I caught the Jubilee Line home. I was glad I did so I could see the gigantic peacock on the front of Fortnum & Mason.
Oh, and do we now have an extractor fan in our bathroom? No, we do not. I'm not sure what happened yesterday with the contractors who planned to install it, but there was no sign anyone had been here when Dave got home. Plus ça change, as the French say.
That doesn't mean we had peace & quiet around here, though, because...the Russians!
Download your video to youtube then upload it back to yoru blog.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of Go Set a Watchman, I'll have to see if I can track it down. I still have my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and the movie too.
YouTube wouldn't process it! I tried it twice and it worked neither time. In fact the second time the site abandoned it entirely and said it couldn't be processed. Looks like it finally showed up on Blogger though.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering why there was a tall lady in a turquoise dress , leaning forward and striding across the top of the shop windows. It took me a while to see it as a peacock after reading further down!!
ReplyDeleteI am an ex-tractor fan but now I prefer bulldozers.
ReplyDeleteYour neighbors could give Russians a bad rep. I love that Fortnum & Mason facade. I need that peacock.
ReplyDeleteGo Set a Watchman was written before a Mockingbird and was rjected. It was only found/published much later. It does give a very changed picture of Atticus. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteCheers
I'm glad you explained that was a peacock. I thought a striding lady in a billowing dress falling off the building!
ReplyDeleteYou don't sound too surprised at the no show workers wonder why..
I, too, thought that was a lady in a gown strolling across the front of the building. Very cool, either way.
ReplyDeleteare those apartments above the store? the peacock completely covers one of someone's windows? and all the remodeling by the Russians is probably why the former tenants of your flat moved out.
ReplyDeleteI love that peacock so much. It's so delightfully whimsical and magical.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the Russians. Really, Steve. How do you bear that?
Having never had a television for almost half my life thus far, I consider myself very well read compared to just about everyone I have met, with you being an exception, but I have never read To Kill A Mockingbird nor have I seen the movie. I'm not sure why other than it slipped through the cracks and then I moved solely to non-fiction. But I would see the play if it were anywhere near me. I love rural America but one of the things I miss most is proximity to theaters.
ReplyDeleteMy gosh, the hammering is quite loud down at your place. That has to be annoying.
ReplyDeleteI love the photos, especially Fortnum and Mason. I saw "Mockingbird" last year and was impressed by the production. I also remember being surprised by the increased role of Dill. The "Atticus" in our production was played by Richard Thomas.
That peacock is so beautiful. I want one just like it for our house. Well maybe a bit smaller. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the To Kill a Mockingbird story and the play would be great but I'll never see it here.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason my mind saw "Mockingjay" instead of Mockingbird. I was trying to figure out who Atticus was and why there should be Alabama accents before it clicked! I have Go Set a Watchman on my Kindle, but haven't ever read it. The whole business of whether she actually wrote it sidetracked me.
ReplyDeleteThat hammering would drive me crazy! Looks like Olga doesn't like being stalked by the camera, either.
Those night time building fronts look quite dramatic with their shadows and light (see what I did there?) even without the peacock. Inquiring minds want to know the significance of the peacock. It just seems strange to my eye, both from the street and from the inside of the building where that third floor window gets the treat of a giant bird peeking inside.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear your review of the play -- it's coming here to East Lansing on the national tour. I THINK Richard (John-Boy Walton) Thomas is playing Atticus, though not sure. I'm thinking of going, though the ticket prices at Wharton are out of control. The changes sound very interesting.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you showed the Fortnum exterior -- it's beautiful. I love that place. Can't afford much IN it, but I just love being there!
What an excellent outing! I haven't been to a play in SO long. It's rare that workers show up on time or even on the day scheduled. (in my experience)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful building (and peacock) and your place is so bright and airy! Love it. -Kate
ReplyDeleteHow is Olga doing with all of the noise? That would drive me crazy. The peacock is spectacular!
ReplyDeleteWow! I don't think I could put up with that pounding overhead. Seems like the two of you could work out a schedule when you're not home and they can make all the noise they want. But then Olga would be traumatized.
ReplyDeleteCan you ask the bluddy russians how long these renos are going to take? It really is most inconsiderate of them.
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