On Wednesday the 1^st of October, the S6 and S7 theatre class, joined by Mrs Santos, Mrs Thomson and Mrs Maguire, flew to London for a trip full of incredible performances, inspiring acting, and a joyful atmosphere. The trip was a total of 4 days of sightseeing, theatre, and immersion into London culture.

On the 1^st of October after landing at Stansted, taking the tube to the Hotel in Ealing, and preparing for the evening, we made our way into London. While walking towards the restaurant in Soho, we passed the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” theatre. We had Syrian wraps at the restaurant, which proved very tasty. Once dinner was over, we headed to Phoenix Theatre to see a performance of “Stranger Things.” This production was remarkable. The actors were phenomenal, bringing the prequel to the “Stranger Things” TV show to life with their thrilling, emotional, funny, and chilling portrayal of every character. The special effects left everybody speechless, and the use of audience interaction, crafting of every scene and storytelling made this a truly unforgettable performance. Not one of us was less than astonished – this production was truly the favorite performance of most of the students on the trip.

On Thursday, after breakfast, we took the tube to Paddington, walked through Hyde Park until eventually reaching our destination for the morning: The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). The V&A has beautiful pieces of art, whether it be sculptures, paintings, stained glass, or iconic parts of theatre. The focus of the V&A, for our group, was the Film and Theatre exhibit. This exhibit was truly inspiring. It highlighted costumes, scripts, set pieces, iconic characters from films, theatre, ballet, concerts, and more. It also included costumes that visitors could try on… which of course we took full advantage of. This exhibit truly displayed the work and behind the scenes aspects of producing any performance and made producing performances like the ones displayed seem realistic.

After the V&A, we walked past Harrods, Buckingham Palace, and crossed Westminster bridge to reach the London Eye. We rode the London Eye and were able to view all of London from above – something that everybody should try at least once. Then we walked to Soho, were able to spend some time exploring in groups, and had dinner at Pizzeria Marco Blanco.

Afterwards, it was time for “Mamma Mia” at the Novello Theatre in London. This was a true test of restraint as singing was not allowed until the finale. However, “Mamma Mia” was a heartwarming, comforting musical. Every actor made the story feel real and embodied their character, bringing the story to life. The mother, Donna, and her two friends were personal favourites – they infused life and joy into the production. Once the finale came around, everybody was singing along.

On our final day of sightseeing and exploring London, we finally experienced the traditional rain and clouds, without which no trip to the UK would be complete. After breakfast we took the tube to Tottenham Court Road and then walked to the National Portrait Gallery. We then split up into groups of three or more and were allowed to look around by ourselves and view all the portraits there, including many Monarchs from the past, for example, King Henry the VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Charles II.

Afterwards, the groups moved around London alone, buying their own lunch and discovering what London is like, admiring the architecture of different places, and going into shops. The class met up again two and a half hours later at Westminster Pier to go on a river cruise from the pier to Tower Bridge where one of the crew members gave us a funny commentary on the buildings and landmarks around us. We then walked back towards Honest Burger in the rain. The autumn colours surrounding us romanticised the rain that was being hurled at us from the sky, so much so that we barely noticed how drenched we were by the end of walk.

After eating our gourmet burgers, we went into the National Theatre to watch Hamlet, a Shakespearian tragedy with a modern twist (think tracksuits and pistols). Although this play might not have been as popular with our class as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Mamma Mia’ due to the Shakespearean language and complicated plot, the level of acting in this play was exquisite.  The emotion that was being conveyed by the performers was overwhelming, and the set and lighting effects were bold and impressive.

The trip home – involving cancelled trains following a storm, expensive taxis and a mad dash to the gate – was not without drama, but then again, what would you expect from a theatre trip?

Written by Milly Wood and Isabella Renz, 6E