I have only 18 minutes left on this computer to type a blog. Please pardon the shorthand and lists but it is the best way to get the most amount of information out in the smallest amount of time.
I am having a fantastic time! I appreciate all of the comments that ya'll are sending me too! They brighten my email inbox when I get around to checking it!
I have seen so many places and so many plays so far!
Plays seen so far:
The Rose Tattoo in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre
My Child in the Writers Theatre at the Royal Court Theatre
Vernon God Little at the Young Vic Theatre
Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre (seeing this tonight at 8pm with just a few people as a side play just for fun-not for class)
We have received the list of plays that we are seeing as a group but I will save that to keep you interested in the blog! Let's just say that I am most excited about seeing...Daniel Ratcliffe act on stage!!!!!!!
Places I have been so far:
Buckingham Palace - We saw the QUEEN OF ENGLAND HERE!! We saw a car being escorted by police outside of the palace and peopel screaming and waving so we ran after it (like crazy Americans) and saw the QUEEN looking right at us! We did not get pictures but we took some reenactment pics so we would remember forever.
Houses of Parliament - a bit dry but still cool to see that they still wear the silly white powder wigs!
Cabinet War Rooms/Churchill Museum - absolutely fascinating!
Tower of London - the crown jewels are spectacular! I have officially seen the largest diamond in the world!
Imperial War Museum - we only saw the top two floors because they kicked us out at 6pm when they closed - still very interesting
British Museum - i saw the Rosetta Stone which is quite cool from a Linguistics perspective! I cant imagine stumbling upon such an incredible piece of history.
Piccadilly Circus - went to this last night just to see the lights and glory (and because the announcer on the tube sounds funny when she says it - crazy British accents!)
THE MIDLANDS
Oxford - interesting to see a different type of education system in a foreigh country that is so highly regarded (they also film a lot of the Harry Potter films there)
Blenheim Palace - beautiful gardens with cool paintings inside (very long winded tour guides though!)
Churchills grave - very neat since I had been to his museum the day before! What a great man.
Coventry - good hotel (Britannia Hotel) and very close to the cathedral that was bombed during World War 2. I loved sitting in the cathedral on Sunday morning during church time and hearing the hymns.
Warwick Castle - huge! Very neat to see a real castle though!!
Stratford-Upon-Avon - i love Shakespeare!!!! Basically speechless the rest of the day after seeing his house, his grave, and Anne Hathaway's house.
********3 minutes left on the internet!!
Drove through the Cotswolds - beautiful countryside!
We have officially booked our two weekends to Ireland (this weekend) and Paris (the following weekend).
The weather here was great this past weekend in the Midlands and has been beautiful today. A bit rainy yesterday, but eventually cleared up. Umbrellas and rainjackets are very important!!
I hope everyone is doing well. MIND THE GAP PLEASE
5 comments:
I cannot believe that you saw the Queen of England after only a couple of days, and I've been wanting to see her for 58 Years! I've come close on two occasions but to no avail! Sorry she didn't wave at you. I don't think she meant it personally! (Smile) I am so glad that you enjoyed the Billy Shakespeare country. My college professor would bring in a birthday on his birthday in April for us to celebrate!! Love, Auntie K
I left out the word "cake" in the above comment!!! This will help it to make it sense, I hope. K
Mom is testing.....
Miss,
We're just so thrilled that you are having a wonderful time. Thanks for keeping us so informed of your activities.
Apolo Anton and Julianne won Dancing with the Stars. Joey & Kym were second and Laila and Maks third. It was a good show.
Idol tonight comes down to Blake and Jordin. Blake has the teeny bopper support and will probably win.
We're all fine. Headed to Jazzercise...Love, MOM
Melissa, I am so thrilled you are enjoying my favorite place in the world! Oh, England ...
The summer after my freshman year, I studied Victorian Lit in a 6-week program at Oxford under the tutorial system. SO intensive, but SO fun! Then last summer, I did the Duke in London Drama program, where we literally saw a show a day, and sometimes two a day! This summer, I'm going back for independent research on Jane Austen, July - August! I wish we overlapped by a few days!
London really is the best place in the world for theater. (I'm in NY right now, and I *still* say that London is the best in the world, haha.) So here are a few extra show recommendations!
Anything at the National Theatre - As you've probably discovered by now, this is the best place for new, innovative works. There's nothing like it here in the US!
Billy Elliot - From one dancer to another, you HAVE to see this show! I have seen it 3 times now, once with each of the original Billys!
Cabaret - My theater advisor has been absolutely RAVING about this production of it!
Equus - Well, just because I'm very curious, haha ... I know you said this one is on your class's list, so I can't wait to hear all about it! Sadly, it will have already closed by the time I arrive!
The Last Confession - I read this really controversial new play for a class this semester. My theater producer friend Manny Azenberg might be bringing it to Broadway soon; he really enjoyed this production of it, which he saw at the Chichester Theatre Festival a couple weeks ago.
Lord of the Rings - Well, because I'm a Tolkien dork, but also because I'm curious how they could compact so many hours worth of material into a 3-hour musical ... and how they'll do all the special effects!
Mary Poppins - Some people like it, some don't. I personally thought the show was quite magical. And the choreography is stunning!
Side by Side by Sondheim - Anything Sondheim = automatic genius. Company, Into the Woods, and especially Sunday in the Park with George ... gah, I wish the production of Sunday in the Park were still running there! I saw that one 4 times last summer!
I guess The History Boys just finished its run up there too ... sadness! That would have been a top recommendation for sure!
Okay, now for other recommendations of things to do in London. Walk all over the city - there's no better way to get to know it! Shop at H&M and Topshop ... a lot. Visit Harrods ... and just look. (Too expensive to actually buy anything!) Get afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream as frequently as possible, because you just can't get those foods anywhere else! (I highly recommend the Orangery at Kensington Palace.) Visit the costume exhibits at the V&A museum. Visit all the museums - they're free, after all! Take a day trip to Bath to see the Jane Austen Museum, the Costume Museum, and the Roman Baths. Take a day trip to Windsor Castle and have tea at the Crooked Tea House, where the king used to keep his mistresses. (The tea shop is connected to the castle by an underground tunnel so they could come to him at night, haha.) If you're a Janeite like me, take a day trip to visit Austen's house at Chawton!
Oh, I'm so excited to keep reading your blog! Continue having a wonderful time, Melissa - and take advantage of every opportunity while you're there!
Much love,
Your fellow GSW Dancer, Sarah
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