Theatre in London U of A

Travel Blog One – A Stormy Start and the Tube

We did not have an easy beginning to our trip. Despite changing our flight to one two hours earlier, our plane to Dallas was delayed by the Monday storms. Why we couldn’t just leave during a tornado I don’t know, but by the time we made it to Fort Worth our plane to London had already departed. Despite lots of panic and uncertainty, we were able to get a hotel for the night in Texas and arrange for different flights to take us. Finally, almost twenty-four hours after we were supposed to arrive in London, we made it.

Of course, after all that we had been through I wasn’t super keen to immediately get back on a form of transportation, however, the Tube was a pleasant surprise. After my experience trying to navigate the New York subway last summer, I was wary about using it, but my fears were unfounded. To access the Tube we had to use something called an “Oyster Card”. I looked up why it was called that and apparently its because of the “metaphorical implications of security and value in the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl” and “its association with London through Thames Estuary oyster beds and the major relevance of the popular idiom ‘the world is your oyster’” which seems a bit contrived to me, but what do I know?

Since I was part of a group, I had no worries about getting lost, but I was more concerned about getting separated. One would think how big the elevator down to the platform was there would be plenty of room for us, but we struggled to all get on. The train itself was similarly crowded, with us having to squeeze together to all fit. Luckily the ride itself was very quick, and we were off the train quicker than it had taken us to get to the Tube. The entire process was so painless, and I was so tired, that a lot of it just didn’t stick with me.

The ride back was also very painless. Despite being half-asleep, I made it back safely with the rest of the group, and wisely chose not to go up the over one-hundred steps, and instead rode the elevator, and made it back to the hotel where I was able to get some well needed rest for the first time since the trip began.

The next day in the morning we took the Tube as a group, but on the way back I had to go by myself. This time I was much more anxious about going, since if I made a mistake, there would be no one there to correct me. Luckily, it was simple enough, and I remembered enough from last time despite being so tired the last time I took the Tube back, that I was able to make it back without any issues.

If one thing is certain, experiencing the Tube definitely makes me wish we had this type of public transportation back in America. I can’t help but think that if we had been able to take a train to Dallas before leaving, we might have made it to London on time, and the experience might have been much more pleasant. Anyways, this has been the first of my travel blogs, goodnight, morning, or afternoon, and I hope you’ll read the next one.

-Jack Duncan

Underneath London

One hotel, two days, three flights (separate security for each), and about forty hours later, the Baltimore 11 finally made it to London! Although things did not go quite according to plan—thank you, Arkansas weather—we arrived just in time to get a quick nap and shower in before our plans for the evening with the rest of the Theatre in London group. We rode the tube to Piccadilly Circus, where we grabbed dinner at the Seven Dials Market. There were so many options inside that it was hard to choose just one, but hopefully we will go back so I can try everything. I even missed a whole section that had pasta, mac and cheese, and more, according to my more observant classmates. In the end, I got a slice of margherita pizza from Bad Boys Pizza and a cherry lychee tea from the neighboring bun place (pictured below). Afterward, a couple of us walked down the road to Anita Gelato because we “nita” some gelato (also pictured below). I ordered strawberry and dark chocolate—yum!

We ended our evening by seeing the longest-running play in history, Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”. I won’t spoil the long-kept secret of who may or may not have murdered whom, but the show was enthralling. I can see why it has lasted so long; it is understandable and entertaining to people of all ages, education levels, and backgrounds. Young children can laugh at the jokes and gasp at the drama, and older people can attempt to solve the mystery while also laughing at the jokes and gasping at the drama. It can also be adapted to fit a variety of settings or locations without losing its key parts.

Through all of our adventures so far, one thing has remained constant: the tube. The core of London’s transportation, the “tube” or “underground” is similar to American subways, such as those in New York or Chicago. However, the Tube in London has a check-in, check-out system where you scan your Oyster card, ticket, or Apple Pay when you enter the station, and then again when you exit. This is to ensure that you pay the proper amount for the length of your journey rather than a standard amount for simply using the tube. Additionally, the stations in London are generally smaller and cleaner than subway stations in America. No matter where you are, it is a maze to figure out.

“What is it like to ride the Tube?” you ask. Well, I will gladly tell you. We are walking along the sidewalk when a fire station appears out of thin air, indented into the building in front of us. Upon further inspection, it is not in fact a fire station but the subway station. As we enter the small dent in the building, we see 5 or so gates with an LED sign showing either a green check or a red X. People funnel into lines at the gates, taking turns scanning their card, ticket, or phone to get through. Once on the other side, not much roomier than outside the gates, we wait for an elevator to take us down to the same level as the platform. Exiting the unusually large yet extremely crowded elevator, strangers in a rush shuffle us quickly down narrow corridors until we reach the platform to wait for our tube. There are no beggars, rats, or that familiar sewer smell, just people going from place to place and the polite screeching of the tube coming down the railway to greet us.

Below, you can see a chronological photographic account of our London experience so far:

Before it all…
Optomistic! But wrong
Leaving DFW for a hotel 😦
British flag at BWI
Dinner on a plane! With a side of Dead Poets Society
FINALLY made it to London
Seven Dials
Seven Dials Market bathroom 😋
More Gelato photos
Selfie!!
73 years is a long time!
Chinatown on day 2! 我们都太可爱!

London has been a refreshing change of pace, to say the least, with its beautiful sights, peaceful sound, and inspirational air. The few locals I have interacted with have been some of the most well-mannered and compassionate people I have ever met—and the squirrels are quite considerate as well. I am ecstatic to be here, and I can’t wait to see what adventures await us in the future!

– Hadley Ayers ❤

Ilaria’s Pub: The Tube

“THUD THUD THUD”, the resounding sound of my luggage hitting against each tile stair echoed throughout the underground tunnels. We had just completed our 9 hour plane ride and left the London airport. At baggage claim we then debated on whether taking a coach to take us to the hotel or on taking the tube. In actuality, I had never taken the tube before and felt intimidated at the idea of taking it without my professors. Therefore, I sided with wanting to order a coach yet when we compared the prices side by side, the right choice became extremely clear. Coach= 60 euros Tube= 6 euros

The fast spaced environment was exciting yet a bit stressful at first. However, although I didn’t expect to ride the tube with my suitcases, looking back, I don’t regret it in the slightest. I sat down and prepared for our 45 minute ride to the Royal National Hotel in Bloomsbury. Then, it took off. As I heard the screeching of the pained, corroded rails underneath us, I got my first glimpse of London as we exited the tunnel.

It exceeded all my expectations. All my exhaustion quickly vanished when I saw the vibrant, historic narrow streets and town houses. The utter character, charm, and cultural diversity of London struck me completely. That first ride through the tube has left an everlasting impression engraved in my mind ever since. It made me feel excited and motivated to get to know more about the city’s distinct boroughs’ and their unique history.

Once we walked through a tube system demonstration with everyone, I felt more comfortable and at ease having a slight bit of previous experience with the tube. Learning that the colored stripes on the underground tunnels’ walls represent the direction of different railways was fascinating. Overall, the tube is an effective, quick, and affordable method for transport. I feel extremely lucky to have such a great system to relay on for comfortably while exploring London.

The First Hours

We’ve been in London for just over 48 hours and it feels like a week. In the best way possible, of course! We had a bit of a bumpy start, as over half of our study abroad group was not able to arrive until a day later than planned due to weather and flight issues, leaving 8 of us to navigate London without the guidance of either of our professors. Fortunately, when we all met up at the airport after arriving, we were able to quickly navigate the tube system and get ourselves to our hotel.

When we got into the tube, we had about an hour-long ride and quite a bit of it was above ground so we got to see the outer parts of London flash by us as we rode past. After a long day of travel, it was a nice moment of calm to watch the world go by. Our stop was Russel Square, which had a short staircase we all had to drag out very heavy (and very many) bags up, to finally reach a lift to take us the rest of the way. There isn’t an escalator in Russel Square, so the only other option is taking 175 stairs up to the street, which was not an option without extra weight. Still, I am determined to do it at some point before we leave despite everyone telling me it is a stupid idea and infinitely harder than it looks. That aside, we conquered the tube ride and arrived at the hotel safely, with Sarah getting us checked in and guiding us to our rooms.

That night we celebrated Merrit’s birthday with dinner at the pub downstairs called “The London Pub” (how did they ever think of that name?!), and then Claire, Reece, and I went to Waitrose to get a couple of bits and bobs.

The next morning I woke up quite early so I went to the lobby to work on my computer for a while, and then Reece, Ilaria, and I went to the complementary breakfast in the hotel. The rest of our group was arriving at 11, so after breakfast Reece and I went to Oxford Street because it had both Waterstones and Boots in the same area. Those things have nothing to do with each other other than I really wanted to look at books and Reece needed face wash, so why not get both of those things done and do our first touristy thing at the same time!

After our Oxford Street adventure, we went back to our hotel and rested until 4, while the group that arrived was able to unpack and sleep for a few hours. After that, we all met up in the lobby, said hi to our friends we hadn’t seen since class, got out oyster cards, and went to Seven Dials market for dinner. I got a tomato pasta, then walked around for a while until we all met up to head to our first show, Mousetrap!

This show was so much fun. I loved how simple it was. It wasn’t necessarily my favorite show I have ever seen, but I think it was a good one to start off this study abroad with. I didn’t feel super satisfied at the end of the show because the switch was so fast that I couldn’t process it. That’s all I will say so I don’t give too much away!

Our second day was wonderful and we got to see Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, and Chinatown! We had a wonderful meal in Chinatown, and then went to Fortnum & Mason and Waterstones. We closed the day by seeing The Great Gatspy, which was more than great. I couldn’t have asked for more from a second day!

London: Only one tornado, three planes, four airports, and forty hours away!

Currently listening to: “American Boy” by Estelle (ft. Kanye West)

After a quick trip (I say not at all sarcastically) I have finally arrived in London! This city is like no other I have ever experienced. It’s what I imagine New York to be like… if New York had nicer people and less trash. Though I have not been here very long, I’ve already had so many new experiences: first time eating local food, seeing a West End show, and (most importantly for this assignment) riding the tube.

Before this, my closest experience to taking the tube was riding in the UARK shuttle from the Union to Lot 56, so I was really nervous. Surprisingly, it was not very difficult. Quick tip for readers who have never taken the tube though: move as fast as possible, or you will be left. I am extremely directionally challenged, so I have no intention of going in there alone, but the experience is great (as long as someone else can tell me when to get on and off). Plus, especially after my walking tour, I have really come to love the tube, since I’ve only been here for one entire day and I’ve already walked about 18 miles.

So far, my favorite experience was Les Miserables. We took the tube to Piccadilly Circus (and did not get lost yayyy). It was the most incredible show I have ever seen, to be fair I have not seen many. However, I have seen the movie, and seeing it live made me emotional in a way that I did not expect. By the end of the show, I was fully in tears with makeup running down my face. It was such an amazing way to end my first full day! I can’t wait for what tomorrow brings!

Enjoy some pictures!!!

Guys…we’re in London.

‘Ello everybody! I’m in London! But you already knew that. A little less than half of us arrived here on the originally scheduled flight and had to take the tube to the hotel. I’ve been to London before, but I had partially forgotten certain things about the tube. I remembered to tap in and tap out, to wait for people to get off the train before you got on, but I had forgotten most of the different stops and changing stations. Thankfully, Jade is basically a Londoner and was able to lead everyone. Thanks Jade! I know that being on the tube with all our luggage was probably an interesting first tube experience for those who had never been on it before, but if you can conquer the tube under those circumstances, you can conquer anything.

Once we finally got to the hotel, we all rested up before heading down to the pub attached to the hotel for dinner. We happened to get to London on my birthday (20 on the 20th!), and everyone was so sweet to me and made it an enjoyable birthday, even far from home. After dinner, Tucker and Ilaria and I took a little walk where I got to get my favorite candy mix that I can only find in the UK. Haribo Tangfastics, look it up. Once I got back to the hotel and took a shower, I totally conked out and slept through most of the night with my phone still in my hand.

The next day, JoAnna and I woke up and went down for breakfast at the hotel. It was good, but not mind blowing. We went for a walk afterwards with Tucker, stopping at the coffee shop on the corner. Once the Baltimore 11 got here after their long journey, the trip really started to feel real. About every five seconds I would look at the group and either say “this is just like the episodes of Friends when they’re in London” or a simple “guys…we’re actually in London.” For dinner, we got to take the tube again (much less stressful without luggage) to Leicester Square and get dinner at the Seven Dials Market. On the way there, I heard a little British child pass us and say “What a clique they’re in!” After dinner, we hit the gelato place down the street where I had the yummiest, most refreshing gelato in the entire world. Then, we got to go see Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap! It was such a fun show, and I was very proud of myself for guessing the twist before it came. After the show, we got to head back to the hotel, gab with friends, and buy some more tickets for extra shows.

Today, after a little misstep in the morning, we got to take a nice walking tour to the Strand, Piccadilly Circus, back to Leicester Square, and Chinatown. As I write this, my beautiful roomies are getting ready for us to go see Les Miserables, and I will join them soon! So far, I’ve already had a fabulous time in London and can’t wait to experience even more.

The Tube

After a somewhat stressful journey we have finally arrived in London! Already I have noticed some very interesting cultural differences, although some of these may be less about the country and more about the environment of a very large city, which I am not familiar with. One of the big differences I immediately noticed was the prevalence of cigarette smoking. While still common in the states, in the last few years the amount of people I see smoking cigarettes in public has gone down drastically, although some of that comes with a switch to electric cigarettes or vapes. If I had to guess I would say that the anti smoking campaigns that were so prevalent in my childhood were not as widespread here in the U.K. I have also noticed that the cigarettes have a much weaker smell when walking past, but that may be able to be attributed to it getting lost in the wide range of smells in the city

Another thing that struck me about the city was how the layout affected the arrangement and set up of the shops. Because all the buildings are so thin, many have multiple layers and utilize their height and basement access in order to make up for the lack of horizontal space. I noticed that at many shops there was a person at the door in order to stop people from coming in if the space was too crowded, and possibly to stop shoplifters and the layout of the buildings would make it fairly easy for someone to grab something and get out before a shopkeeper could get around to them. This city layout also lends itself greatly to walkability and bike riding, with it seeming faster to walk most places than it would be to drive. Despite this the cars here still definitely make their presence known, and the feelings about pedestrians “always having the right of way” are definitely not the same. Because of the narrow streets and crowded traffic, many of the drivers are very aggressive, and are not willing to wait on anyone too slow for the crosswalk or not paying attention when crossing the road.

There were many interesting and exciting things about that first day, but the most memorable part is a toss up between the amazing show we saw that night, and the burger I had shortly before. We went to seven dials market for dinner and while there were many options there that I am very interested in going back and trying, I was immediately drawn by the signs promoting the so-called best burger in london. I was very cautious initially as the stereotypes had conditioned me to have low expectations about British food, but I was very quickly proven wrong. While I can not say for sure it was the best burger in London, it was definitely one of the best that I’ve had.

While initially intimidated by the thought of riding in the London underground, after my first trip many of my worries have been eliminated. My biggest worry about the underground going into the trip was getting overwhelmed by the noise and the amount of people, but that ended up not really being a problem. While it was very crowded and somewhat noisy, everyone was fairly respectful and left space when possible. The experience was very similar to riding the U of A bus on a busy day. I am still uncertain about my abilities to navigate the tube solo, but with those concerns out of the way I feel confident that I will become more comfortable with the system soon.

My favorite part of the underground system are the tunnels the tube runs through. They are covered in very colorful posters and do a good job at making me excited to see some of the plays that are advertised. There also seems to often be performers in or right outside of these tunnels, with a man dressed in a spiderman costume performing quite extremely on a piano during our first trip back to the hotel.

Oh London, how I love you

I actually cannot believe that I am writing my first London blog post. I have been looking forward to this trip for months and I can’t believe I’m finally here. Because of all of the travel debacle of our group getting separated, I became a part of the Dallas Eight, as Shawn has lovingly called us. So we got to the city almost a full day before the rest of our group. The Tube was actually the first thing we experienced. Jade, being our personal London tour guide showed us how to take the Tube from Heathrow to the heart of London. My first impressions of the Tube were fairly positive. I couldn’t help but compare it to the Subway in NYC. The Tube is a tad cleaner than NYC and much easier to understand. Honestly, I much prefer the Tube to the Subway.

After navigating the Tube to our hotel, the Dallas eight had dinner together at the Pub that was connected to our hotel. After that, Jade, who I have lovingly dubbed my personal tour guide, began to explore London. We didn’t take the Tube anymore that day because We had yet to collect our Oyster Cards from Shawn.

The next day, we awaited the arrival of the Baltimore 11 (the rest of our group), and upon their arrival, took the Tube to Seven Dials Market for dinner. It was on this trip in the Tube that I began to comprehend how the Tube system works. I’m sure that by the end of this week I will be a pro-Tuber. Did that sound weird? I think it did. I’m keeping it. We went to Seven Dials Market for dinner where I had some incredibly delicious pasta. Jade and I then walked around the area around the market and popped into a few vintage stores. Then it was time for our first show of the trip: The Mousetrap. I love Agatha Christie. I love a good mystery. I love a good murder. So I was very much looking forward to the show. I really loved the show. I thought it was fun and cute, and a great way to start our journey of exploring British theatre. Was it a life changing experience? No. But did I have a blast? Absolutely yes.

Today, was a very busy day. We did our first walking tour of the day. In total I think I have had 17,000 steps today. My hokas are carrying me through I’ll tell you that much. After the walking tour Jade, Claire, Sarah, Talia, and I all followed Jade around London. We “bee bopped” (as Claire called it and I’m now obsessed) around different shops and stores. Jade took us to the official grocer of the Royal Family??? I felt very out of place in my long sleeve t-shirt and tennis shoes.

But alas, now I must leave you sweet blog to see our second show of the trip: The Great Gatsby. So much love from London!

-R

My Time in the Tube

My introduction to the tube was not what we originally intended. Due to storms in Fayetteville Sarah and I (the grad students) along with 6 undergrad students were the only ones who made it to Heathrow on the originally scheduled flight. The rest of our crew had 40 hours of additional travel that they fought through. However, due to the fact that there was no longer a coach meeting us at the airport, Sarah and I were tasked with getting us, the undergrads, and all of our luggage from Heathrow to the Royal National Hotel via the tube. To say I was stressed was a bit of an understatement. Although Sarah was heading the group as the Mother Duck rounding up all the ducklings, I saw myself as her right hand… duck. We both shared concerns about all of our luggage and navigating our way through. We were incredibly lucky that Jade was one of the undergrads that was able to get to London on time as she has extensive knowledge of the tube and of London in general. With complete trust in Jade we made our way down to the tube and locked in for a 45 minute ride from Heathrow to Russell Square.

I am happy to say that our train ride in was exceptionally uneventful. We were able to get all 8 of us on the train with all of our luggage with very little hassle due to the guidance of Jade and Sarah. I remembered Shawn discussing in class that the etiquette on the tube is much different from the New York Subway. It’s very quiet and people don’t take too kindly to loud, obtrusive visitors. I was a little worried about our group being rowdy and excited, but again it was unfounded. Within the first 10 minutes I saw some of our friends already dozing in their seat. It was a calm ride that led to some excellent people watching. A man got on the tube while taking a phone call quite loudly and I saw more than a couple of people shoot him disgruntled glances. There was a small child maybe 10, 12? Who very calmly got on the tube. She carried a violin case, had noise canceling headphones on, and looked far more comfortable on the tube than I probably ever will. She sat calmly next to me watching TikTok makeup tutorials like it was any other day. I tried to imagine a 10 year old Claire navigating a busy city and the tube system all by herself… she would definitely be having a panic attack and attempting to call her mother frantically but unable to connect due to being underground.

After a 40 minute train ride to Russell Square we were able to haul ourselves and our luggage off the tube and were met… with a staircase. Up until this point everyone had been in high morale. Our flight had gone smoothly, even for Merritt and Tucker who had sprinted from their connecting flight. We were all happy to be in London and very thankful to have had the smoother journeys than our friends who were still stuck in the states. When we arrived at the bottom of the stairs, with our heavy luggage, only then did we deflate. We took a communal deep breath and started up. When I reached the top of the stairs for a moment I thought I might just decide to spend my whole time in the Russell Square tube station. As I was met with a sign telling me that there were 175 more steps to reach the street level. In a moment of honesty I thought, “yeah just leave me here, I’ll be fine”, but was saved when I looked to my left and saw the lifts. Once up on the street level it was an easy walk to the Royal National Hotel.

When I visit new cities, navigating their public transportation is always very intimidating to me. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, that I’ll be the one to accidentally take the wrong train and end up stuck an hour and a half away from where I’m supposed to be and have no idea how to get back. However after this adventure, I feel very confident in my ability to navigate London for the next month.

Hello, London!

What a whirlwind first couple of days in London! It started with a bit of a fiasco. Over half of our group got stuck stateside due to weather delays, but I was one of the lucky few who made it onto the original flight. Since not everyone had made it across the pond (and neither of our professors were there – eek!), we didn’t have the coach to take us from the airport to the hotel. Instead, we got to have our first tube experience! The group of us and all of our luggage took up almost an entire car to ourselves, but we did our best to be as respectful as possible. There were only one or two annoyed stares shot our way. The first picture below shows the group waiting for our train. I’ve been to London once before, and the tube was much as I remembered it. I’m no stranger to underground rail systems – I’ve used one to navigate both New York and Paris in years past – but this is the only one that reminds you to “mind the gap.” I’m always so tickled by the robotic voices with British accents! Once we got off the tube we had to haul our luggage up a short flight of stairs, but that short flight felt like climbing to the top of the Tower of London. Thankfully there was a lift to take us the rest of the way up, so we didn’t have to walk up all 175(!) steps to the world above. The rest of the evening was lovely and chill. We had dinner as a group at The London Pub which is just outside of our hotel.

The next day started off relaxed as we were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive after the travel day (or, rather, travel 40 hours) from hell. They were all troopers! Claire, Jade, Reece, and I went to lunch at Mowgli and had some delicious Indian food. Then it was back to the tube, this time with the full group! Traveling in a big group on the tube stresses me out a bit. From making sure that everyone gets on the same train, to putting 20 bodies into a car already full of people, to making sure that everyone gets off the train at the right time, it can be a distressing experience. I’m hoping to be able to get more comfortable with this as the trip moves forward. This slightly stressful experience was quickly overshadowed by our meal at Seven Dials Market. Claire and I each got a burger that actually tasted like real beef and a watermelon paloma. My sister, Talia, was able to join us too! She lives stateside, but her work just happened to take her over to Europe and up to London while we’re here. It has been such a treat to share some time with her on this trip! After the market, we went to see The Mousetrap. Was it a life changing show? No. Did I have a good time? Absolutely!

Today (Thursday) has been very good so far. We started with a walking tour. You don’t get to see what’s above ground in the tube, so I’m very grateful to have walking tours as part of this program. After the tour Talia, Claire, Jade, Reece, and I grabbed a meal and walked around the city. We stopped in at Waterstones, which is like the Barnes and Noble of the UK, and spent over an hour browsing the books. Fortnum & Mason was our next stop – which is basically a super fancy department store. Talia and I split a millionaire shortbread that was TO DIE FOR. I’m going to have to exhibit a lot of self control to not eat only millionaire shortbreads for the rest of this trip. We then made our way back to the hotel on the tube (see the second picture below), which has already become almost second nature to navigate. Next stop is Mean Girls with Talia. So excited for the rest of this trip!