With my own graduation literally a week and a half away, here’s a recap of how I spent when of my penultimate weeks as an undergrad.
May 6: We started our first full week in London at a running pace. We arrived at the historic Globe theatre by ferry, just as Shakespeare would have done it. After a lecture on All’s Well That Ends Well, we got to see the production in Gujarati at the Globe. We broke for lunch briefly, before getting to see a more modernly staged version of King Lear at the National Theatre.
May 7: After the whirlwind of the previous day, we started the next day with a walking tour of the sites of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatres. Then it was time for one of my most anticipated performances: Titus Andronicus. Not only did I get to stand right in front of the stage for the whole show (I even got bleed on), but the class was treated to a Q&A session with two of the actors afterwards.
May 8: The day was welcomed with a gloriously free morning, which meant a chance to catch up on my sleep. Once the class was all roused and corralled, we had an acting/movement workshop at the Globe. We were then supposed to have an alumni event, but it ended up getting cancelled, unknown to us. Whoops.
May 9: Free day at Hampton Court Palace. Highlights from the palace include chilling with Henry VIII (casual), playing Marco Polo in the garden maze, and WEARING A CAPE!! Afterwards was lunch at the Mute Swan, wear I discovered my new favorite cider, making it a successful day all around, even before the class gathered together for a potluck dinner.
May 10: We welcomed the rainy weekend with a trip out to the Tower of London, which has some of the most awkward cobblestones I’ve seen in all of the UK (which is saying a lot). Besides all the super cool history inherit in exploring the tower, we also got to see the Crown Jewels (the sparkly one)!
May 11: After a beautiful and gorgeous morning that I was allowed to sleep through, I got to spend the afternoon exploring the British Library. Highlights include original manuscripts by Austen, Dickens, and Carroll, original lyric drafts from the Beatles, tones of obnoxiously pretty books, and an exhibit on comic books.
May 12: The class had one of its earliest mornings yet, having to be across town at nine, which meant more tube fun for everyone. Once we were all assembled (with our all-important coffee), we were treated to a tour of the Globe and a Q&A session about said theatre. Once that was completed, we had a brief break for lunch and exhibition wandering, and then another walking tour of some Shakespeare sites. Since the train ride back to our flats took us through King’s Cross, it was the perfect chance to snag the obligatory pictures at Platform 9 ¾. #SlytherinPride