Play: King Lear @ UCLA Royce Hall - October 19, 2007

Sir Ian McKellen as King Lear & Sylvester McCoy as Lear's Fool

After finding out about this great line up of plays running at UCLA, how could I NOT go to this one??? I'm so glad I saw Black Watch, and I wish I could see it again, but why not see another top-notch play?

Yes, I mostly wanted to see this to see Sir Ian McKellen perform live on stage.. but who wouldn't? This was the first professional Shakespearean play I've seen, and I've probably started out with the best! The Royal Shakespeare Company has come to LA for I think their last stop of their world tour.

Since I was up in the balcony towards the back, it was hard for me to understand a lot of the things the actors said in the play. At first I didn't know what was going on because of this. I admittedly never read this particular play. However, I moved to some empty seats where I could see and hear much better. It was surreal to see the legendary actor perform live. It was also a surprise to see Sylvester McCoy in the role of the clown. I was like, "Is that the seventh Doctor?!?" :P

The whole cast was so good. The set was beautiful, and the production was of very high quality. It's amazing how these actors can remember their long monologues and act their butts off. It's also pretty amazing that they can project their voices without any microphones in a big theater after they're out of breath after a sword fight or something. Quality performances as I should have expected from the RSC.

Sir Ian was awesome. I enjoyed his performance along with the whole cast. It was funny to see some audience members jump up and raise their hands in front of their faces in shock when King Lear pulls down his trousers. I saw the sign outside of the theater that said there was brief nudity, so I was expecting it. I don't want to show off and say I'm more mature.. but I just did. XP

Anyway, it was special to see some famous actors such as Sir Ian, Sylvester McCoy, and William Gaunt performing live. After the show, I walked past Jamie Lee Curtis and Warren Beatty as everyone was leaving the theater too. ;D

-Photo by Manuel Harlan

Play: Black Watch @ UCLA Freud Playhouse - October 12 & 14, 2007

I found out about this play at the last minute. I'm so glad I caught it before its last weekend here in LA. I'm glad I'm at UCLA. :P

Black Watch is a Scottish play brought to life by the National Theatre of Scotland. Their run in LA was the first stop on tour outside of Scotland! Now they are headed off to New York. If you can catch them, go watch this play!

Just the fact that it is a Scottish play was enough to make me want to see it. I also heard it was an excellent play. I didn't really know what it's about other than that it's about Scottish soldiers in Iraq.

I hadn't a clue what to expect of this play. I was in for a thrill ride with its stylistic production and setup. It is technically as well as artistically brilliant. I enjoyed all the effects and the music. The singing and dance choreography were my favorite parts.

All of the actors are marvelous and Paul Rattray, who portrays Cammy, is likable with his modest/humble demeanor. He also reminded me of Pippin from Lord of the Rings. XD Everyone in the cast gave a strong performance. They had to have a lot of stamina for such a physical performance with fights like dances. This was amazingly theatrical. The part about the history of the regiment was one of my favorites in the play. Cammy changes clothes through the times, and it flows so smoothly from one war/era to the next.

It is a riveting, dramatic, and beautiful play despite the gritty content. It is a powerful piece of entertainment that grabs you and shakes you to the core, making you feel a connection to these soldiers and their humanity.

I met a few of the actors after the show. They are quite nice and as awesome as you can expect Scots to be (like Travis). ;D I was all shy and embarrassed around them, but I'm glad that I did get to meet them. Even though it was very brief, it was still cool to talk with some Scottish actors. ^_^

I loved this play so much after I saw it the first time that I saw it again only two days later for their last show. I just wanted to see it one last time before they left. I wish I could see it again somehow, or at least listen to that radio play that aired over the summer.. Anyone know how I could listen to it now, or watch the television broadcast of the play? XP

I highly recommend this play for its entertainment and artistic value!

*****/*****

-Photo by Manuel Harlan

Watch the trailer for the play!