St Edmund's
La La Land – Day 2
After a late breakfast we set off to Griffith Park and the Observatory. The huge ‘Hollywood’ sign, set deep into the Hollywood hillside, provided countless photo opportunities and it was a real treat to walk around the Observatory platforms, looking out at the views of this enormous, sprawling Metropolis, soaking up the LA sunshine. From there, we boarded the coach for the Geffen Playhouse to see Michael Frayn’s record breaking farce, ‘Noises off’. Now, bearing in mind that yesterday’s theatre visit was less than brilliant, we warned the pupils that we didn’t know what to expect and that maybe it was true what they say, that Los Angeles is known for its film, not its theatre. How wrong we were. This was a small but beautifully formed theatre, a classy and intimate space – and the company that were putting on the show were no less than the brilliant Steppenwolf – arguably the best theatre troupe in the States. And what a treat it was. For a start, Frayn has written what has understandably gone down as one of the best farces ever written. The sheer brilliance of the dialogue, the inventive, groundbreaking structure and the comic, fully developed characters came together in an afternoon of non-stop laughter. It was Frayn’s 1982 play that provided the inspiration for Mischief’s ‘Goes Wrong’ brand, all those years later – and it was quite clear to see. We all left the theatre, our jaws on the floor with what a terrific, brilliantly-written show we had just seen, with first rate performances. We loved it – and it hasn’t dated a jot.
From there we drove through Beverley Hills, full of house-envy to the Original Farmer’s Market, a sprawling historic market featuring a range of cool shops, restaurants and groceries. A bit of free time and the kids came back an hour and a half later with full stomachs, shopping bags and photos of famous ‘Tick-Tickors’ they’d managed to accost. I think it’s time for a cold shower and an early night…Golly, we’re having a good time.
Howard Sykes
Assistant Director of Drama
