Got to sleep in this morning because there was nothing scheduled for the morning. Around noon we got to meet up with Desmond Barrit, who played Hector in last night’s performance. It was also nice to find out that he has directed at Cornell before. He started off by relaying his rise in theater to us. It was a very interesting story – basically he bet a

Desmond Barrit in "The History Boys." photo credit click here

friend while he was drunk that he could land a part in a play. The next morning he found a part to audition for and got it. His early acting days were spent in children’s theater, he played Snoopy in “Charlie Brown,” and as he found that he enjoyed acting he quit his job as an accountant. As an actor he earned an eighth of what he was previously earning. He never had any formal acting experience, and is now a very accomplished actor. He also discussed working with directors and writers, working with a group of actors much younger than him, and how much personal interpretation was allowed by an actor – not much according to him. The most interesting part of our talk though was the discussion over the reception that “The History Boys” will receive in America. It was pretty consensual that American audiences

A modern-day St. Paul's cathedral, at the center of the hustle and bustle of London's nightlife. photo courtesy of click here.

are not ready for a show that deals with this subject matter. There is a lot to be said here about how conservative America is compared to European countries. It is hard to remember this sometimes coming from such a liberal campus. Personally I believe that bringing these issues to light through a medium like theater is a step towards stopping or fixing something that is a problem. If we can’t address inappropriate student-teacher relationships, then how will we be able to stop them? Hopefully audiences will be hospitable.

After our chat with Mr. Barrit I headed out with a group of people to visit St. Paul’s cathedral, a beautiful church in the heart of London. The architectural style was quite different from the other cathedrals on the trip – more modern. St. Paul’s really is stunning; I think I am more partial to the later architecture. I only peeked inside because I wanted to explore the neighborhood surrounding the church, and I was too poor to pay the ten pound admission fee. On the way out I recognized a famous photo of the church from World War II. The picture depicts St. Paul’s rising above the smoke from a German bomb run with a Winston Churchill quote – “At all costs St. Paul’s must be saved.” The church is obviously a vital part of the London landscape.

"At all costs St. Paul's must be saved." - Winston Churchill. photo courtesy of click here

After this, the plan was to head down towards the Thames, but an underground malfunction forced us to return to the Tavistock. After a good rest I got ready to go see “Coram Boy” at the Olivier Theatre. The production was very good – a lot of technical feats. For example, there was a hanging on the stage right before intermission and a very cool underwater scene done with some sort of translucent rubber sheet. I thought that at some times the technical marvels (revolving stage) overshadowed the

"Coram Boy" poster. photo courtesy click here.

storyline. The acting was alright, could have been better on all accounts, but thought the girls playing the younger boys was really the right way to go. The young roles were too important to cast prepubescent boys in. In the end, I really enjoyed the story and the technical aspects made this play one of the more enjoyable ones.

After the play I headed back towards the Tavistock and had a few drinks at the bar with some classmates. Seems like everyone enjoyed the play. Not much of a crazy night, but got to get some sleep for the weekend.

Journaled by Matthew D. Barnes

London Underground, the preferred mode of travel to anywhere and everywhere in the city. photo credit click here.