On Thursday Thatcher asked me to go see a show with him at Southwark Playhouse. He told me to choose between a play about the end of the world or a new musical about two gay men in the 1750’s. I chose the gay one, obviously, and that night we walked (damned tube strike) to the Playhouse to see Redcliffe. The theater was much smaller than either of us expected: a black box with no more than 200 seats and a tiny thrust stage in the center. The show started beautifully: the ensemble humming  and swaying like the sea in Bristol where the show is set. The first act left me excited, though a bit skeptical. I thought the leading actor was incredible, his voice was just beautiful and he had a raw passion that was so fun to watch. However, I didn’t love some of the music. The sound was that of a typical modern musical and the lyrics were incredibly on the nose at times. But after doing some light research at intermission, Thatcher and I learned that the leading actor, Jordan Luke Gage, is also the writer, composer and producer of this show and this is the first week it’s open. This information made me see the musical in a whole new light and I was able to have a much deeper appreciation for this work. Act two had a beautiful start with one of my favorite songs in the show, but it was a bit slow until the end. The finale was perfect: the staging, music, and performances were incredible and I was absolutely sobbing until I left the theater. Although this musical definitely needs some polishing and workshopping, it has such a beautiful story and a wonderfully talented creator. I can totally see this show going to the West End in the coming years and I urge anyone who has the chance to see Redcliffe to GO SEE IT!!!!!

I chose this picture of Harry Styles from the 2020 issue of US Vogue because I remember when this came out, and this outfit was extremely controversial. People saw that he was wearing a dress and he started getting comments about being gay. People were even saying, “There’s no society without a strong man,” or that it was an attack. Harry said, “There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something.” Things like this annoy me because I think it’s admirable for men to be in touch with her feminine side or for them to just be fashionable. I hate when people just say something’s gay because it’s different or not “normal.” In this picture, if you didn’t know anything about Harry Styles, you probably would think he was more feminine or gay. Aside from the dress, his hair is a bit more grown out than his typical style, and his face is looking very model-esque. If you look closely, you’ll notice he’s wearing a lot of rings, but he actually wears those regularly. 

I love the whole vibe and atmosphere of this photo. The blue/grey color of the dress almost perfectly matches the color of the sky. I’m not sure if it was naturally that way or if it was edited to be the same, but either way it’s very pleasing to the eye. Then the way the grass is there to break the two up works so well. I love the warm lighting of the sun that hits his face just right. It’s not too bright, and it doesn’t create weird shadows on him. 

I feel like if I stepped into this portrait, I would honestly see a moderately small group of people who are working on the issue. I would hear laughter and talking, especially coming from Harry, because that’s how his personality is. I believe I would feel comfortable in the environment because although I don’t know him at all, I’m a huge fan and feel like I have a good idea of how he is. He’s a celebrity that likes people to feel seen and valued. 

This was one of my favorite portraits in the museum, and I was so honored to be able to see it in person!

Westminster Abbey was a beautiful place. To be honest, I’ve always heard the name of it, but I never knew what it was. It was actually the only place I got the headphones and guided tour, and I honestly really enjoyed it. I didn’t know how many names in there I would recognize. 

I saw Charles Dickens, and I know he wrote Great Expectations. Granted, I’ve never read it myself; however, I’m a huge Outsiders fan, and that’s the book Ponyboy is reading in it. Things are always easier for me to connect to when I can relate them to something else. He’s obviously an amazing writer to be in here because there are so many other legends. 

I also saw Jane Austen’s, which was so cool because she is just wonderful. She writes about women empowerment and their lives. She’s famous for Little Women, Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and so many more! I love her work so much, so seeing her plaque was probably the one I was most excited about. 

One that I was not expecting to see was Stephen Hawking. He was an author who revolutionized our understanding of black holes, a theoretical physicist, and an English cosmologist. He helped prove the big bang theory and renewed public interest in the universe. 

Overall seeing all of this stuff was really cool but really unexpected to me. I’m glad I got to walk through it and see what it actually is!

Stratford is SO much different than where we were before in London. It was definitely cool to see all of the Shakespeare stuff, but I was honestly missing London the whole time. I will say the atmosphere and architecture of Stratford were more what I thought London was going to look like, so it was definitely cool walking around there. The cobblestone streets and walkways to the short little cottage-looking buildings. Side note: I did not realize London was going to have tall and fancy glass buildings. 

I think it’s great that Stratford has Shakespeare tied to it because that’s about all that town consists of. It was super cute, don’t get me wrong, and honestly had great food, but 3 days was more than enough there. I couldn’t imagine living there… I think I would go stir-crazy from boredom. 

Seeing all of the Shakespearean things was super cool and educational, though. I was cracking up at how everyone thought we were going to see present-day Anne Hathaway’s house.🤣 It’s crazy to me how so much of it has been preserved for so long. I will say her house seemed nicer to me than what I had imagined. Maybe that’s because it’s had to be preserved, but it seemed relatively nice for the time period. Learning about the family living and sleeping situations was so interesting. In Shakespeare’s home, one of the tour guides told us about how the dining table had many uses, being a game table and obviously being used to cook and eat on. She also told us how women used to make beer and sell it out of their homes. That would go crazy for some people today. I do wonder if everyone was really short back then or something because I’m average height for a girl and i was having to duck in almost every doorway. 

This whole trip has just been absolutely incredible, and I could not have asked for a better study abroad experience. Getting to see so much theater was just crazy, and I feel so lucky to have been able to do that. Everything was so much fun, but it wouldn’t have been half the trip without the people I spent it with. I have thought so many times about how different the trip would be if I went another year, and it just wouldn’t be the same. I hope to be friends with these people forever!! So, so grateful for everything!!!

I have never heard the term “fringe theater” before, but … I wanted to see Witness for the Prosecution so bad because I love stuff like that, but by the time I went to get tickets, they were either 80 pounds or the rush tickets had sold out. A group of us still needed to see a fringe play, so we went to see The Lady in the Van in Stratford-upon-Avon. We paid around 10 pounds for the tickets, and to be honest, the show just wasn’t great. Granted it’s the end of the trip, and everyone’s so tired and doesn’t have much of an attention span left, but this just wasn’t interesting.

The theater had probably 100 people in it at most, and all of the audience was 70 years old or older except for us. The story itself was extremely hard to follow and kept jumping back and forth so much. The blocking was not good, so choppy, and did not make sense. Before they would start a scene, they would be in some theatrical pose, and then it wouldn’t even make sense with the scene they did next, and they let a millennial pause slip every time. It was truthfully just cheesy and corny but in a boring way, not even a comical way. Basically, I was fighting off sleep the entire play.

We ended up leaving at intermission because we just couldn’t do it anymore. I hate to do that, but it just wasn’t worth it to stay, unfortunately. I will give the play a few compliments, though! The costumes were actually really accurate to the time period and put together well enough to see everyone’s wealth and lifestyle. The colors throughout the play were really fun and groovy, which was a lot like how it would’ve been in the time period this play was set. The actors playing the older and younger versions of the main character were actually pretty good actors, but the actor playing the lady in the van was sooo bad!!!

I am currently sitting at my gate waiting for my plane to take off as I write this. I am so emotional. I have no words to describe this trip. It is everything I hoped for and more. The experiences had and the relationships forged are things I will forever be grateful for. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am so glad I got to share it with not only wonderful peers but also wonderful professors as well. Shawn and Susan, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I really enjoyed my time in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was so much quieter than London. After a month of hustle and bustle, it was refreshing to stay in a quaint town, especially one with so much history. I loved staying in the bed and breakfast. Even though I had to move halfway through, thanks a lot, Jazz., I had a great time. I did not have a roommate back in the flats, so it was nice to share space with my friends for a few days!

The town felt historic everywhere you walked, even though there were commercialized places, which I thought was very interesting. I do not know how the town managed to do that, but I applaud them for it. I think they kept the layout pretty similar to how it would have been in Shakespeare’s time, which is why it still felt historic. My favorite part was the walk to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. It felt like I was walking the path that a person back then would have walked.

This trip has taught me so many things about myself. For one, I didn’t realize how obsessed I would become with pistachio- flavored things. The obsession got so bad that I bought a pistachio Jelly Cat dupe in Stratford-upon-Avon. I also learned that I really hate standing up for a prolonged period of time. Thank you, Shakespeare. Your Globe Theatre will be in my nightmares.

The friendships I made on this trip are what I will value most. Switching my major to theatre in the second semester of my sophomore year was one of the scariest things I have ever done. After switching, I was terrified I wasn’t going to be able to make friends. I know, stupid to be scared of the community that welcomes everyone, but I was. This trip helped me come out of my shell and completely be myself. The people in the theatre department and the experiences that we shared truly changed my view on theatre culture. I can confidently say that I am no longer terrified of them, but a friend and forever cheerleader.

I would not want to share this experience with any other group of strangers turned friends. Thank you all. I love you!

Harry Styles was the only obvious choice for this assignment. He is an icon, a legend, and he is the moment. Harry Styles is actually not who I expected to see as soon as I walked into the National Portrait Gallery, but I am glad I did. It was very cool to see a celebrity that I love and admire so much in such a famous gallery. I was surprised by other celebrities as well. The one that stood out to me most, besides Harry Styles, was Anna Wintour.

As you can see in the picture above, Style’s is depicted in a dress. A dress is usually identified as a woman’s piece of clothing, and it is quite unusual to see a straight male wearing one. That is exactly why I love this portrait. He is completely breaking gender norms and is wearing what makes him feel confident. The blazer, which is typically a man’s piece of clothing, open to reveal the dress, is such a statement. It is saying yes, I am a man, but I am also confident and in touch with my feminine side. Harry Styles has continuously broken male style gender norms. I wonder if the last name has anything to do with it. The seriousness of his face makes the outfit stand out that much more. The background being plain does the same. The outfit is the picture. It is the statement. The simplicity of everything just exudes and elevates not only the outfit, but the message.

If I could step into this portrait, I think it would be peaceful. It would be birds chirping, a cool breeze blowing, and a sense of calm. Then of course I would go talk to Harry Styles and ask all of his secrets.

I chose this image because it reminded me of War Horse and many of its themes. To me, this image shows the importance of family but also how even in tough times a pet/animal can bring people so much joy. I’m not for sure if this is a guy passing on a horse and then the two girls came up to pet the horse, or if all the people in the image are related. In general, pets/animals can have such an impact on us that they don’t realize we have as humans do. In War Horse, obviously it was sad for Joey to be separated from Albert, but it was way harder for Albert because Joey was there for him during a time when he needed him most. Throughout the play, we see how Joey brought people together. The soldiers were fighting on opposing sides, Emily, and in the end Albert went back to his family. I feel like that’s what animals do. The location gives me an indication that maybe these people don’t have a bunch of money. I feel like that situation more than anything makes people bond closer together with pets as well. Horses were crucially used in war and have yet remained animals with the sweetest dispositions.

Something that is interesting to me about this picture is the fact that this guy is riding his horse to the store. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in real life because that’s not typically a thing someone would do today. This does show how horses have evolved over time and their importance in our lives. 

The Spitalfields Market was by far my favorite market we visited! They honestly were all great, and going to all of them made me wish we had something like that in Fayetteville so bad!! What I loved so much about the Spitalfields market was how much stuff they had there. There was more shopping than you could imagine. Cailyn and I did our Movement Company Instagram takeover that day, so we were hanging out, and the both of us were like, “Omg, it keeps going??” There was like an entire other side, which was crazy to me. What also makes it so cool is that there are actually clothing stores on the outskirts and then booths in the middle. I bought 9 pieces of jewelry for 9 pounds, which I was super excited about! It was just super cool walking around and looking at all the different booths. This one lady was selling these purses of super cool objects and also just normal purses made out of really nice leather. If I had room and money, I so would’ve bought one.

The next thing that was incredible was the food selection. I actually had the hardest time deciding because everything looked so good! I landed on getting bao buns because they’re one of my absolute favorite things to eat. I didn’t really try anything new because (not to toot my own horn) I eat a lot of different kinds of food always, so everything they had there, I’ve had a variation of before. I do really wish I would’ve tried the soup dumplings because every soup dumpling I’ve ever had has been just okay in my opinion, but hey, maybe next time! After that, we then had to get a donut, obviously. But unfortunately my donut was actually the driest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. At least it was cute, though! 

All around it was just such a fun experience; I could have spent an entire day there. The free cokes were amazing… I had 4! The photo booth was so adorable even though i didn’t even make it into the frame of my own picture😭 If I am ever back in London, I am 100% coming back to Spitalfields Market!

Please don’t tell Mr. Museum manager scary guy, but I did sneak a few pictures at the “grave sites” (where there were remembrance plaques – big whoop) of these famous poets and writers. I was extremely excited to see the one and only (times three) Bronte Sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne’s names on the concrete floor of the museum, but was later only met with disappointment when the guides told me they were not actually buried there. While I was unable to see their grave, the authors of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are buried alongside their brother Branwell, their parents, and the rest of their family in the Bronte “family vault” in their church, the Haworth Parish Church, in West Yorkshire. Sadness for Belle because she did not see their grave and give them all a little love wink, but gratefulness to even have their works at all! And then there was Dickens… Charles Dickens! What a major surprise and gift to see where this legend was buried. Seeing his plaque and knowing that I was standing on top of where he was resting was absolutely unreal. I learned while discovering Poet’s Corner that he actually did not have a big hoopla about his funeral and burial; that it went against his wishes to even have a funeral, but people get what the people want. Not an author but an actor, we say Laurence Olivier’s plaque is displayed in the museum’s corner as well. I thought it was super special to see a director and actor displayed and recognized here, and not just literary legends. While it was hard to find details about him, I want to point out that I was a little disappointed by the poet’s corner. I thought that the idea and preservation is neat, but for how crowded it was, and for there not being a lot of direction or information there, I was overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.