Open Air Shakespeare - Othello played by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (but oh the commute!)


This was definitely a Tuesday when we came close to burning the candle at both ends. I had been concerned that we would not make this on time but, in no small part, to recently retired friends organising everything - camping chairs, excellent picnic, pickup and drop off at a convenient (for us) station - all was well.  


The Lord Chamberlain’s Men were performing Othello in the park at Hylands House, Chelmsford.  Very well attended event.  As my friend put it from the queue while we were still on route “……not seen this many camping chairs since Go Outdoor sale”.


It’s years since I have seen Othello, at the Donmar Warehouse, if I recall correctly, though really it is so long that recollections may well vary.  Either way I needed a brief sight of the programme to be reminded of the story.


The park at Hylands House is a great setting for such a performance and the performance itself really couldn’t be faulted, certainly not by me.  I am not a Shakespeare aficionado by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, an outdoor setting or The Globe is my kind of venue as it always adds something which I find helps with Shakespeare. 


All in all a very enjoyable evening.  We were rather shattered by the time we made the hotel, however.  We had left home at 5.25am and I only just made it to the office for 9am with S getting to his around 9.15am notwithstanding I had dropped him at an earlier station because things were not looking good.  It did not improve.  We had been doing really well until we got onto the M25.  Even then that was not bad on our side for the one junction we have to travel.  The other side was closed due to a couple of lorries having caught fire.  Unfortunately, the closure seemed to have a knock on effect on the already hopelessly chaotic mess that is Gallows Corner and its diversions.  A year since its closure for repairs, which were expected to take 3 months, it is still not fully open and the M25 closure seemed to be funnelling more traffic into an already wholly inadequate diversion system.  Chuck in some temporary traffic lights for some supposed road works and everything was pretty well stalled.  Nose to tail traffic (so much for improving air quality in residential areas with ulez) with the usual huge SUVs coming out of side roads and sitting horizontally across the traffic (‘cos that is always helpful).  Lorries were driving along pavements on a route that had school kids walking to school.  It was an exhausting commute, for which all we hear is “to the Mayor of London and TfL every journey matters”.  Maybe that is why they have increased journey times in Greater London quite so significantly, they think we enjoy it!

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