Since I have been eating breakfast at the same time for almost a week now, I have gotten to know a few of the people who also eat breakfast at this time. Yesterday morning, I was chatting with Silke (from Germany) about how are plans to go Shakespeare's Globe did not seem possible because of the rainy English weather. I have started wonder how the Elizabethans ever had the opportunity to attend the theatre since it rains almost every day at some inconvenient time. Maybe that explains Lear's raging at the weather on the heath. We both realized that we should have gone on Monday, when it was forecasted to rain, because it did not in fact rain and everyone would have been watching the football game. Silke mentioned that Ye-Yon (who was sitting at the next table) was thinking about going to see Henry IV tonight. I said I would like go too, and we all agreed to meet in the lobby if Ye-Yon was able to get tickets.

When I returned to the centre after my day at the BL, I checked my pigeon hole and happily there was a note from Ye-Yon saying that was able to get standings for us all. Standing tickets are exactly what they sound like - tickets to stand. The ticket entitles you to stand and watch the show, usually in the back. While this may not sound like that great of an idea, they are very cheap ($15) and, because they are only available day of, you can get into shows that are sold out (as this one was - even on a Tuesday). I quickly at my dinner and made my lunch for the following day, knowing I wouldn't want to do it when I got back. I met Silke in the lobby and she said Ye-Yon had to go early and that we would meet her there. Silke suggested taking a bus, and we went and got be a Bus Saver packet (6 tickets for £4.5). It had already started raining, and I was quite happy to take the bus to Leicester Square with someone to tell me the right stop to get off at and everything. When we got on the bus, I didn't know I was supposed to give the driver one half of my ticket, so I had to go back to the front to give it to him. I'm sure everyone on the bus thought I was a dumb tourist, but at least I'll know what do next time.

When we got off the bus, we were in Covent Garden. It's a very glitzy and stylish area, with the bright lights of the theatres and very high-end shopping everywhere. At that time of night, the theatres were just opening their doors to the evening crowds and everyone is rushing to get their shows. Silke got a little lost, and we stopped to ask a wine merchant where the theatre was. He, of course, knew exactly where it was and even told us that the show was very good when he saw it. I have this theory that wine shops are great places to ask for information because the people that work there usually know what's going in the area and they're generally pleasant because of the wine. We got to the Donmar theatre just a few minutes before curtain, but couldn't find Ye-Yon. Just as we went to ask the Will-Call folks if she had left the tickets for us, we heard Ye-Yon calling to us from upstairs. We hurried up and took our places in the back of the balcony/ circle. The Donmar theatre is a fairly small space, with a thrust stage - image a tall rectangular box. Because it's rather narrow, we could see very well from behind the balcony seats. I wasn't sure about how I felt about standing whole time, but it turned out to only be mildly annoying.

The play was Henry IV, but not Shakespeare's Henry IV. This Henry IV was by Pirandello and adapted by Tom Stoppard (of _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead_ fame) - actually, it was the world premiere run of the adaptation. The whole idea of the play is that this Italian nobleman in the twentieth-century falls off his horse during a historical pageant and afterwards believes himself to be Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire. There's great joke about the folks thinking it's the other Henry at the beginning that was really very smart. Most of the play is concerned the nature of reality and the self - the second act has a plot twist that really makes the play. Although that sounds quite serious, the play has that constant self-reflecting humor that makes much of the play a comedy and sets you up for the more dramatic moments. I thought the acting and the play itself were both fabulous. Such a good introduction to the London stage - hopefully everything will be that good. After the play, we walked back to the centre. Although it was bit a chilly and still raining a bit, I enjoyed the walk and felt very cosmopolitan walking home in London after an evening at the theatre.

I'm trying convince myself to follow the schedule I set up for myself of doing some work and some sightseeing every week, but it's hard to leave the research after one gets really into it. I suppose, though, that I'll get completely burned out if I don't take a couple of days off to do fun things. There's such an intensity of study at the BL - everyone's trying to get as much done as soon as possible (rushing here and there), that it's hard to remind myself that I have the time not to be so hurried in my research. Well, at any rate, the library's closed from the 26-29 for computer upgrades (which I'm sure will completely mess everything up), so I'll have take a break then.

P.S. The guy sitting next to me is playing a very cheesy electronic cricket game