Day 22
I went down to London today, luckily the tube strike had been suspended the night before. Not all the lines were running, but everything I needed was OK.
I met Evelyn at Liverpool St. and we took a bus to Westminster Abbey. It's...old. Very old. I saw the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. I'd post pictures, but you aren't allowed to take any inside the church. We also went to the lesser known Catholic counterpart, Westminster Cathedral. You can go up in the tower and see the whole of London, so that was really cool. I didn't take any pictures inside as I don't really like doing that in churches where people are praying in stuff (there wasn't anyone in St. Michael's and St. Joseph's on the day I took those other pictures). We ended up staying for evening prayers (which I haven't done in AGES!) and the 5:30 service. There was no music or anything, so a bit boring for Evelyn as she's not Catholic, but I enjoyed it. Nearly dropped the host when I went to put it in my mouth. The priest actually did drop one, which he had to pick up (it's good I know the protocol now, cause that almost happened to me once).
Some of the pictures from Westminster Cathedral's tower: Brompton Oratory (the dome in the center, they still do daily Latin masses!), Victoria Station, St. Paul's (you can see the dome through the buildings, you can also see the top of the London Eye), back of Westminster Cathedral, some random street, the skyline (I quite liked the way the rays of the sun showed up in this one). I was gonna take a picture of the Theatre Royal with the huge Last Confession sign, but I forgot.
Afterwards we took a bus up to Leicester Square and walked to Haymarket to the Theatre Royal to see The Last Confession. I have to say that it was absolutely brilliant. David Suchet, whom you may know as Inspector Poirot, was magnificent and nothing short of that. I'm not kidding, I went from laughing out loud to on the verge of tears within the space of 20 minutes. It was intense. Suchet was so believable and so committed to this role (along with the rest of the superb cast) that you were really drawn into the action (even if I was sitting in the upper circle). I also have to point out Richard O'Callaghan, who played Pope John Paul I, he was so sweet I just wanted to bring him home with me! Really endearing, but he could be quite frightening when angry. There was also another older cardinal, I have no idea what the character's name was or the actor's, but he was hilarious! I know he was supposed to be over 80, but he would just blurt out the greatest things. He would be blunt and straight to the point while everyone else was diplomatic. There was one exchange that I must type out here, cause I think it got the biggest laugh all evening:
Cardinal Felici: Don't talk to people like that! Popes don't talk to gardeners.
Pope John Paul I: My father was a brick layer.
Cardinal Felici: (shrugs as if his point has been proven) Ah, well, there you go.
And my God, the moment at which Villot (Bernard Lloyd) breaks when Benelli (Suchet) is interrogating him about his involvement in John Paul I's death is absolutely heartbreaking. He just breaks down crying, I wasn't that close so I couldn't actually see if he was, but it felt like he was, you know what I mean? It felt like he was truly sorry for everything, not like he was trying to get out of punishment. It was when he fell back into his chair and had to turn away from the audience that really clenched the moment for me. Just amazingly intense acting. I really could go on about this for ages. It's a shame it's closing down next week, cause I am mightily tempted to try and go again and get better seats. I've heard, though, that because it's been so popular that they're looking for another theater to open it in. Bring it on, cause I am so there. Here's a review that explains things a little better than I have: The Stage.
So, all in all, it was an entire day of men in cassocks, which, if you ask me, is a pretty good goddamn way to spend an day. (I am so going to hell for that one.)
Well, I think that about wraps it up. Which is good cause I gotta go make another cup of tea.
I met Evelyn at Liverpool St. and we took a bus to Westminster Abbey. It's...old. Very old. I saw the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. I'd post pictures, but you aren't allowed to take any inside the church. We also went to the lesser known Catholic counterpart, Westminster Cathedral. You can go up in the tower and see the whole of London, so that was really cool. I didn't take any pictures inside as I don't really like doing that in churches where people are praying in stuff (there wasn't anyone in St. Michael's and St. Joseph's on the day I took those other pictures). We ended up staying for evening prayers (which I haven't done in AGES!) and the 5:30 service. There was no music or anything, so a bit boring for Evelyn as she's not Catholic, but I enjoyed it. Nearly dropped the host when I went to put it in my mouth. The priest actually did drop one, which he had to pick up (it's good I know the protocol now, cause that almost happened to me once).
Some of the pictures from Westminster Cathedral's tower: Brompton Oratory (the dome in the center, they still do daily Latin masses!), Victoria Station, St. Paul's (you can see the dome through the buildings, you can also see the top of the London Eye), back of Westminster Cathedral, some random street, the skyline (I quite liked the way the rays of the sun showed up in this one). I was gonna take a picture of the Theatre Royal with the huge Last Confession sign, but I forgot.
Afterwards we took a bus up to Leicester Square and walked to Haymarket to the Theatre Royal to see The Last Confession. I have to say that it was absolutely brilliant. David Suchet, whom you may know as Inspector Poirot, was magnificent and nothing short of that. I'm not kidding, I went from laughing out loud to on the verge of tears within the space of 20 minutes. It was intense. Suchet was so believable and so committed to this role (along with the rest of the superb cast) that you were really drawn into the action (even if I was sitting in the upper circle). I also have to point out Richard O'Callaghan, who played Pope John Paul I, he was so sweet I just wanted to bring him home with me! Really endearing, but he could be quite frightening when angry. There was also another older cardinal, I have no idea what the character's name was or the actor's, but he was hilarious! I know he was supposed to be over 80, but he would just blurt out the greatest things. He would be blunt and straight to the point while everyone else was diplomatic. There was one exchange that I must type out here, cause I think it got the biggest laugh all evening:
Cardinal Felici: Don't talk to people like that! Popes don't talk to gardeners.
Pope John Paul I: My father was a brick layer.
Cardinal Felici: (shrugs as if his point has been proven) Ah, well, there you go.
And my God, the moment at which Villot (Bernard Lloyd) breaks when Benelli (Suchet) is interrogating him about his involvement in John Paul I's death is absolutely heartbreaking. He just breaks down crying, I wasn't that close so I couldn't actually see if he was, but it felt like he was, you know what I mean? It felt like he was truly sorry for everything, not like he was trying to get out of punishment. It was when he fell back into his chair and had to turn away from the audience that really clenched the moment for me. Just amazingly intense acting. I really could go on about this for ages. It's a shame it's closing down next week, cause I am mightily tempted to try and go again and get better seats. I've heard, though, that because it's been so popular that they're looking for another theater to open it in. Bring it on, cause I am so there. Here's a review that explains things a little better than I have: The Stage.
So, all in all, it was an entire day of men in cassocks, which, if you ask me, is a pretty good goddamn way to spend an day. (I am so going to hell for that one.)
Well, I think that about wraps it up. Which is good cause I gotta go make another cup of tea.