Measure for Measure at the NT
Friday, March 03, 2006
I've just returned from an evening in London at the NT with Isla. It's the first time I've taken her to the theatre (her first Shakespeare, too) and I chose the Complicite production of Measure for Measure deliberately. The play has enough twists and bawdiness to prove Shakespeare is anything but dull and I knew that Simon McBurney's production would make it something uniquely visual as well. I was right.
Isla seemed to enjoy it, even though there were a couple of bawdy scenes that were perhaps a bit too visual for me sitting next to my 13 year old daughter. I'm sounding a bit of a prude here, with my use of 'bawdy'. Basically, we had a simulated blow-job and a lengthy exposure to bare breasts stage front. I think Isla was more concerned about me than feeling any embarrassment herself. There you go.
The evening was made the more poignant because I found out this morning about the death of the daughter of one of the ITC team. Daniel's daughter Elena was six and died very quickly of spinal meningitis. He has written about some of the events since her death on his blog here. The thing that strikes me most about his words is the lack of anger. I can't comprehend how he is not raging against the light in the wake of this and I marvel at his compassion for others and the way he has dealt with it. There is no hint of hiding what he feels or anything: this is a man who feels that continued love is the best way to honour the memory of his little girl.
Tonight, sitting in the thaeatre with my beuatiful little girl, I felt lucky and honoured.
Isla seemed to enjoy it, even though there were a couple of bawdy scenes that were perhaps a bit too visual for me sitting next to my 13 year old daughter. I'm sounding a bit of a prude here, with my use of 'bawdy'. Basically, we had a simulated blow-job and a lengthy exposure to bare breasts stage front. I think Isla was more concerned about me than feeling any embarrassment herself. There you go.
The evening was made the more poignant because I found out this morning about the death of the daughter of one of the ITC team. Daniel's daughter Elena was six and died very quickly of spinal meningitis. He has written about some of the events since her death on his blog here. The thing that strikes me most about his words is the lack of anger. I can't comprehend how he is not raging against the light in the wake of this and I marvel at his compassion for others and the way he has dealt with it. There is no hint of hiding what he feels or anything: this is a man who feels that continued love is the best way to honour the memory of his little girl.
Tonight, sitting in the thaeatre with my beuatiful little girl, I felt lucky and honoured.
