Before seeing Legally Blonde in Regent’s Park
Author: Shiloh Bemis | Major: Architecture
My first impressions of London were from the perspective of a very ill and jet-lagged traveler. Among those who know me, it’s well documented that I do not travel well internationally, but this was far and away the worst adjustment period I have had. Luckily though, this couldn’t keep me from perceiving as much of what London had to offer as possible. From the first day, this faculty-led program was rewarding and engaging, maintaining an excellent balance of firsthand theatre experiences and unstructured free days, meaning that it was the ideal program for a student that likes to tailor their study abroad experience to their own interests. This worked excellently for me, as I had hoped to spend my free moments enjoying the extremely diverse architecture of London, which did not disappoint.
Our trip itinerary held a full range of theatre experiences: from full-fledged West End shows to the fringe-theatre wares of the Southwark Playhouse. I felt that experiencing all manners of theatre that London had to offer was an important component of the trip that wasn’t necessarily an early selling point for me, but that in retrospect may have been the most educational part. I think it really opened my eyes to the wealth of opportunity that is out there for those that want to pursue theatre, even outside of what one could consider a “big break.” There are so many layers to the theatre community below Broadway and the West End that rely on and give platforms to actors, designers, and directors that are truly eager to engage audiences in whatever way they can, and often are doing it better and more honestly than those at the top.
A unique facet of this study abroad experience was that most of the structured discussion was done in the week before we departed, in four marathon class periods the week before we left. Once we arrived, the only required attendance was to scheduled group outings, most of which were shows. As a result, my biggest learning experiences came from theater visits. House of Shades at the Almeida Theater, and The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theater in Central London. The Almeida Theater is a borderline fringe venue which has offered well-known actors their on-stage starts. House of Shades featured some of the best writing, acting, and partner work that I’ve seen on stage. I walked out of that show feeling disgusted, moved and validated all at the same time, which is a testament to how well it handled the complicated and layered themes of family, death, and politics. This surprisingly poignant experience came out of essentially nowhere, as I held no expectations going into it. A totally opposite experience was offered when I went to see The Glass Menagerie, starring Amy Adams, one of my favorite actors, and was let down by the entire production, which was clearly relying on her star power to sell tickets to an under-designed, poorly conceived staging of one of Tennessee Williams’s best plays. These two shows proved to be endcaps of a full spectrum of polarizing theatre experiences which ranged from entirely disappointing and even angering, to overwhelmingly positive, life-changing productions.
One amazing facet of London which I was totally blind to entering this period of travel was its culinary diversity. It makes total sense given England’s history of widespread colonialism and London’s extremely diverse demographics. I benefitted from having a roommate who was planning on attending culinary school in London and was an expert in all things food, so two weeks into the trip I found myself sitting down in the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana, just around the corner from the Ritz Hotel, about to have my best and most unique dining experience to date. I ordered from the A La Carte menu, getting a starter of Punjabi Samosa and a main course of Lamb Shank, while also sampling from my roommate’s tasting menu as the sample plates continued to emerge from the kitchen. I felt that I expanded my palate here, and although it was expensive, this was an extracurricular highlight to this trip.
My month in London held too many experiences, to elaborate on here, which is precisely why I would recommend this trip to anyone. The variety of activities, all unique, that the group engaged in the context of a theatre-centric study abroad program made this trip a good fit for anyone.