School for Scandal

Due to scheduling conflicts between my two courses, I ended up going to see School for Scandal alone at the Barbican Center. Aside from getting terribly lost trying to get there, I really didn’t mind being on my own. I’ve mastered the underground system and its pretty much common knowledge that I don’t play well in groups, so I enjoyed the opportunity to slip into the London population without an AMERICA sticker on my forehead.

Luckily I gave myself plenty of time to find the place and I arrived just in time for the doors to open.

The Barbican Center is the largest multi-arts venue in Europe, composed of a theater, a cinema, a gallery, an exhibition hall and several restaurants. The actual venue is mostly underground, which is surprising considering how enormous it seems. The Barbican is funded largely by the City of London as part of London’s arts promotion initiatives. So far, I’m a major fan of the focus England has on the arts, though I don’t pay the taxes that pay for them. I just reap the benefits.

Anyways, I got to my seat about 15 minutes before the real show started and thoroughly enjoyed the pre-show entertainment. Before the show started, the actors were all running around the stage, changing costumes and waving signs that stated lines from the show. At one point they actually came out into the audience and sat in empty seats. One of the actors came to sit next to me and we talked about Texas. It was only after he told me he was disappointed with my southern accent that I realized it was the actor who plays Dudley in the Harry Potter movies! I spent the rest of the play a bit star struck and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. School for Scandal was written in 1777 about a group of upper class people who spend their time gossiping and sneering at others. Despite its age, the play echoes some contemporary issues. The director highlighted this by mixing period appropriate costumes and sets with modern pieces, flashy lighting techniques and contemporary music.

Overall, much better than last week’s play. We’ll see what the rest of the class thinks when they go to see it tomorrow.