Student Bloggers

One of the reasons I was so excited to study abroad in London was because the city has such an amazing theatre culture! London has been a hub for theatre since its first playhouse - "The Theatre" - was built in 1576. Fun fact: the first woman actor in England was Margaret Hughes, who played Desdemona in Othello in 1660 (before this, all the female roles were played by young boys). London is famous for its West End, which was officially started in 1663 with the Theatre Royal. For hundreds of years, London has been a cultural hub for theatergoers, and I could not wait to join in! Before coming to London, I made a list of all the shows that I wanted to see while studying abroad. My goal was to see at least one musical, one play, one opera, and one ballet during my time in London. So far, I have seen 12 shows (in counting) that all range from being just downright weird to average to absolutely fabulous. Today, I want to share with you a highlight from each of the four categories of theatre in hopes that you will find a show that appeals to you!

A Musical

For my musical pick, I decided to go for a musical about my favorite era of British history: the Tudor period. Six is a look into the lives of each of Henry VIII's six wives as they attempt to reclaim their identities and rewrite their stories through song. I promise that you do not need to know tons of information about Henry VIII or his wives before attending the show because they do a wonderful job of educating you about each queen's life. So not only are you getting to watch an amazing show but you are also learning about the history of England! Confession time: I have been obsessed with Six since it premiered in 2017, and I was so excited that Arcadia took us to see it in London during Orientation Week! I would say that this musical is almost like a party and a concert rolled into one, with its dazzling costumes, catchy songs, and plenty of confetti. Each cast member brings their own flare and talent to the characters. It is a quick show with a runtime of 80 minutes with no intermission, which makes it a great show for a busy study abroad student. As you listen, you might realize that some of the queens might seem kind of familiar. This was done on purpose by the development team! Each of the queens is modeled after a famous pop star. For example, Catherine of Aragon - Henry VIII's first wife - is modeled after Beyonce. I won't tell you about the other five queen's inspirations, so you will just have to go watch it and figure it out yourself!  

A Play

I argue that there is no better place to see a play in London than the Globe Theatre. Built in 1599, the original Globe was the site where Shakespeare's acting company performed his plays. It completely burned down because of a misfiring of a prop canon from a performance of Henry VIII. The current Globe Theatre was opened in 1997, and it is an accurate replica of the original theatre. I asked my parents to come to London with me a couple of days before the official start of my study abroad program because I wanted to see Antony and Cleopatra at the Globe Theatre. Antony and Cleopatra is about the relationship between the Roman general Antony and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. Their passion changes the course of history and ultimately leads to their downfall. We got to see one of the very last performances before closing night, and I can confidently say that it will be a performance that will stick with me for the rest of my life. This was a bilingual production, with the Roman characters speaking in English and the Egyptian characters communicating with British Sign Language (BSL). The dual languages highlight the very real cultural differences between the two titular characters. It was a beautiful and unique production. Even if you do not love Shakespeare, I still believe that you should see at least one production at the Globe Theatre because Shakespeare designed his plays to be performed, not read! 

An Opera

Before coming to London, I had only seen one opera in my hometown of St. Louis, so I was excited to see another one! As someone who has studied a lot of Gothic literature during her time in university, it might not come as a surprise that I chose a very Gothic opera to attend. It was especially appropriate since I saw it in October, which is the spookiest time of the year! The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess who is hired to watch two orphaned children in a remote English manor. She soon discovers that the children are being haunted by their former governess. The Turn of the Screw is based on an 1898 novella of the same name and was adapted for the stage in 1954. Thankfully, the opera was sung entirely in English and also included subtitles! The cast was extremely talented and made the almost three-hour runtime fly by in the blink of an eye. A large part of the story is about whether or not the ghosts are real or a figment of the governess' imagination. The performance never gives you a straightforward answer, which keeps you invested in the story until the last moment. As someone who is not sure familiar with operas, I believe that it is a perfect opera for newcomers to the genre. There is a common stereotype that going to the opera is an expensive endeavor. However, the English National Opera allows anyone 21 years old and under to go for free! It is perfect for anyone who want to try out an opera in a city that has been performing them since 1656!

A Ballet

As an English major, I am very familiar with the novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I did not know that there was a ballet based on the novel until I saw it in the Royal Ballet & Opera's season announcement! Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tells the story of a young woman named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and enters into a magical world that just so happens to be a reflection of the real world. The best word I can utilize to describe this ballet is fun. From Alice shrinking and growing to fit through different doors to the mysterious Cheshire Cat, it was so entertaining to watch the magic of Wonderland come alive on stage. It reminded me of watching the movie for the first time when I was a child with my grandmother. The ballet takes these characters that are familiar to so many of us and gives them an extra flare. For example, during the Mad Hatter's tea party scene, the Mad Hatter does not dance in the ballet style like every other character. Instead, he tap dances, which adds more meaning to his "mad" persona. I loved getting to see the Cheshire Cat since it was a puppet that was played by several people to give the illusion of the cat appearing and disappearing. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a brilliant ballet that can be enjoyed by everyone, whether young or old. It is a good time no matter what! 

Honorable Mentions

These are shows that were fantastic but I did not have enough room to dedicate an entire paragraph to! 

• Macbeth at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• The Taming of the Shrew at The Globe Theatre
• The Other Place at The National Theatre
• Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall
• Mean Girls at Savoy Theatre
• Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theatre