Note: This is the tenth part in an on-going series chronicling my study abroad trip in Brighton, England. I am joined on this trip by my classmates and friends Cassie Jenkins, Claire Robertson, Vy Nguyen, Jhocelyn Alvarado, Morgan Collier, Abigail Pennington and Susan Salvo, led by director of student publications, Andy Coughlan.
Day 10 — June 21
After spending 10 days diving deep into the culture of Brighton and spending each day at one of its many attractions, London was a bit disappointing.
There’s so much to do that there’s no way you can do everything in one day. Hell, you might not even be able to finish one thing in one day.
But if you do ever find yourself in London, I highly recommend going to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
No, it is not the original Globe, but it’s pretty darn close.
American actor and director Sam Wanamaker spent the latter quarter of the 20th century reconstructing Shakespeare’s Globe, more than 300 years after its demolition.
Unfortunately, Wanamaker died four years before its completion in 1997.
My knowledge of Shakespeare extends to what I was taught in high school upon being introduced to Romeo & Juliet and to be quite honest, his plays never lit a spark in me. But I knew that a tour of The Globe was something that I couldn’t miss. I had to see it at least once.
We were gifted with the wonderful Gerard Gilroy as our tour guide, an actor who made the experience interactive and actually left me wanting more information about Shakespeare’s history.
I was especially interested to learn that the Globe is the only building in the entirety of London with a thatched roof and is constantly being restored as to prevent fires or other damages.
This tour is fun and interesting even for someone who may not be interested in Shakespeare. It’s incredible to be able to see a such a grand piece of history — even if it is recreated.
Olivia Malick 