It is not all fun and games... but all work and no play makes Rachel a dull girl. So as a reward for working so diligently this week, I went to go see a Shakespeare play at the Kirkstall Abbey. Maddy, Marian and I arrived early for a picnic on the grounds surrounding the Abbey. Sunshine, Shakespeare, what is better?
Here we are in our seats waiting for the performance to commence. It is the 14Th Annual Shakespeare Festival and this year the British Shakespeare Company are performing Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing. I have seen Midsummer Night's Dream performed before, but Much Ado About Nothing is my all time favorite Shakespeare comedy! I had never yet seen it live...definitely worth taking a break from my thesis to go and have an exciting night out.
This is a shot of the set during a scene with Dogberry and the other watchman. It was a great performance. I felt the cast really picked up momentum as the evening progressed, and built up to a dramatic and happy ending. The dynamic between Beatrice and Benedict was particuarly well played, but it was all really good. Watching Shakespeare, outdoors, with the sun setting in a beautiful Abbey... was an excellent Friday evening.After the play, we few, we happy few, went to the Pub just down the street for a pint. Who should happen to walk in? Only almost the entire company from the performance we had enjoyed only minutes prior! It was a star-studded night!
Saturday night we enjoyed some good ol' flatmate bonding time. Making cookies, drinking tea and laughing.
This is Maddy and Julie Ann. Julie Ann is my new flatmate. She is from Ireland and teaches English as a Second Language in Barcelona. She came to Leeds for a six weeks to teach the incoming ESL students at the University of Leeds.Above, they look as if they are doing some fun math game I might have used with my students back in Auburn. But no. Trying to decide whether to go buy beer before the shops closed, Julie Ann flipped a coin. When the coin did not land on tails (the yes to beer! side) after a few attempts, Maddy had the good idea of dumping all the coins on the table and counting the heads and tails accordingly. This time tales won, and we all enjoyed a beer with our cookies. :)
1 comment:
Oooh, Rach, that's so exciting! Despite my aversion to all things Shakespeare, I do have a weak spot for English accents and incredibly old, beautiful settings. I'm so glad you are having all of these delicious experiences on the Isles. You, my dear, are becoming quite the cosmopolitan! Just don't forget to come home sometimes ;).
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