Note: This is a cross-posting from Paul Holmquist’s “Neverwhat?” blog, chronicling his research for directing our spring MainStage production of Neverwhere.
Where Old Bailey revives the Marquis de Carabas
I walked along the south bank of the Thames and caught up with the HMS Belfast to check it out before moving on to take a tour of the Tower of London. I really was curious to see what Old Bailey had to deal with, going to the Floating Market to barter for the body of the ex-marquis and get it to the wall surrounding the Tower to perform a bit of unholy magic and bring him back to life.
I had the fortune of a gorgeous day, one passing light rain surrounded by sun and blue skies. Imagining the setting at night makes it all even more impressive a view. First, the HMS Belfast is HUGE. You can hopefully catch some of the scale here by seeing some people on deck from the shore. The HMS Belfast is a retired World War II and Korean War battleship, used now as a museum and occasionally for reenactments.
Nearby Tower Bridge connects me to the north bank where the Tower of London sits, as it has in various forms for almost 1000 years. I took the tour and would so again. The Yeoman Warder who gave our tour was particularly interested in defensive architecture and had an enjoyable enthusiasm for describing the horrid condition of the moat, the tales of prisoners and executions at the Tower, the description of what happened in the dungeons and how some executions up on Tower Hill didn’t always go so cleanly. He set a perfect stage for the macabre scene of the marquis’s resurrection. The arches here and gargoyles and original Roman walls and banded doors also provided some juicy inspiration.
I ended with a shot of the wall most accessible to the river and the view of the ship from there just to tie it all back together. Enjoy.