In proper preparation for seeing Othello, before our 7:30 showtime, we explored the Banqueting Hall. Constructed by Charles I, this ornate display of wealth was used for, well, banquety type stuff. Performances of plays showing off impressive scenery, used only once, and costumes of beautiful detail, filled that large room. Some of the most malevolent and controversial productions took place here. Much of its appeal came from its private location and indoor theatre access, much unlike many of the outdoor spaces used for theatre performances of the time period. While it is not to its complete rehabilitation because of fire damage (it seems as though almost every damn building in England has burned down in a fire at some point), the gorgeous, original ceiling paintings of Peter Paul Reuben remain.
One of the most astonishingly offensive shows I've ever learned of, The Masque of Blackness, was performed in the Banquet Hall in complete blackface for belligerent, drunk monarchs and their wealthy friends. In fact, King James I and his wife Anne enjoyed these productions so much that they even requested to be written into the shows, often performing with the actors "in costume." The plays premise followed a black woman who was searching for this undiscovered island where she could be made beautiful (so aka white...that's some messed up shit). The king thought himself so profoundly God-like that he ends up being the one to alter the beauty of the woman in the plays second act. As those in the British community would say: what a wanker. Oh, God, you're right, that was bad. I read that and physically cringed.
Unbeknownst to me during our Banqueting House visit, Othello's first documented performance was there! Crazy! I wonder if Shakespeare chose to perform Othello in the Banqueting House because of its indoor accessibility or if he was told to perform it there by superiors?
An ironically cruel tidbit; Charles I was later executed (the only British monarch to have ever been executed) right inside his own Banqueting House. They just built a chopping block right in the very room we stood. AND there happen to be loads of portraits of Charles I hanging around inside the Banqueting House. I mean, he did commission them but... you get my point.
Apart from the racist and graphic things to occur there, the building was later used as a war museum under the reign of Queen Victoria I. So, that's nice. Don't get me wrong, the place is quite gorgeous, but in an overwhelming manner that's almost sickening. The thought of the ridiculous ways kings chose to show off their unimaginable wealth is strange to comprehend.
With the beanbags the museum now has in the main room, we all got a lay back and stare at the ceiling until our eyes went dizzy from too many details to count. Fortunately for us, there also happened to be a kids section that we took immediate advantage of, using the kids costumes to have an excuse to hop around like giddy fools, taking pictures as our professor watched. It's difficult to tell whether it was humiliation or humor displayed on his face, but we all like to think of it as admiration.
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