Week Fifteen

This last Wednesday-Thursday, I had a major spout of sleeplessness and ended up staying awake through the night into the next morning. Rather than sitting in my room, restless and bored, I decided to head out; at 4 a.m. I ate breakfast, got dressed, and started walking towards the Thames. I wanted to take advantage of my unfortunate sleepless situation and watch the sunrise. After I left my room, I ended up racing the sun as I made my way to the river. It was such a beautiful morning and I got to see the city almost completely empty. I found myself on the pedestrian bridge looking towards the Northern skyline. It really was breathtaking. Once the sun broke the horizon, I walked some of the South bank and explored parts of the city I had never seen. I came across some old ruins, the real ship of Sir Francis Drake, an old cathedral, the tunnel under the London Bridge, and the Tower Bridge. At around 10 a.m. my energy was completely gone and all I could think about was going back to get some sleep.

The rest of the week consisted of some book shopping, days at the National Gallery, and writing; an ideal week for me. On Saturday, I was on my way back for the night while talking to Marky on the phone. I was telling him how I had no plans for the evening so while browsing for some options, he was able to quickly find a single ticket available for a production of Hamlet. Ironically, I had looked into buying a ticket for this exact production a few days earlier but they were completely sold out. Some one must have returned their ticket, giving me to the opportunity to attend the play for an incredibly inexpensive price. I have always been a fan of Shakespeare and Hamlet is one of my all-time favorites. The venue was an intimate setting without many audience seats, which made the performance much more personal. Another reason I was so excited to see this production was because it was starring Andrew Scott; the actor who plays Moriarty in the show Sherlock. If you have seen Sherlock, you know how brilliant, and a little mad, Andrew Scott is; a perfect combination for the character of Hamlet. If you have not seen the show, you must. Now, Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s longest plays, but I forgot this fact and expected it to be around two hours long. I was wrong. It was actually 4 hours long with two intermissions. The acting, the stage props, and everything in between had me enthralled the entire time. I was mesmerized and hooked on every word that was spoken. This has to be one of my favorite experiences at a show, ever. I would see it again and again if tickets were not so rare to find. After the show, I noticed that a line had began to form outside the theater entrance. I knew it had to be a version of a stage door, where the actors leave the theater. I decided to join the line and stood there with my program in hand hoping I would have an opportunity to see Andrew Scott in person. Well, I was lucky enough. After 30-40 minutes of standing there he came out and greeted everyone. I was about fourth in line and had the chance for him to sign my program and to take a quick picture with me. He was lovely to meet and very kind but imaginably overwhelmed by the number of people standing in line behind me. I am so, so grateful that Mark was able to find that ticket for me. Thinking back to all of the experiences I have had while in London, makes me incredibly thankful and giddy. I cannot wait for more opportunities to come my way.

Ta ta,

~Kaitlin