I love scrappy theatre. I love low budget theatre. I love a theater where a group of individuals take a script and make something out of so very little. Don’t get me wrong, I love the glitz and glamor and awe of a high budget show as well. But there’s just something magical about having to create something with nothing. Making the script and the acting speak for itself. Having to reach a new level of creativity due to the budget or space you’re working with. So needless to say I was really excited to see some Fringe theatre in London.

I had the opportunity to see two Fringe shows in London, The Mad Ones and Plied and Prejudice. I have been trying to hunt down a production of The Mad Ones for a very long time. In 2015 I discovered the first iteration of the show which was then titled The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown. I heard a song “Run Away With Me” from the show that Aaron Tveit had sung in his 54 Below concert. I loved it, fell down the rabbit hole and found Kerrigan and Lowdermilk’s incredible story of friendship and loss. I lost a very dear friend when I was in middle school and the story became unbelievably healing for me. The story in both iterations revolves around Samantha Brown on the morning she is supposed to set off for college, but she finds herself stuck. She can’t decide if she wants to go to college at all, or if she wants to spend some time finding herself or what the hell she wants to do with her life. But she’s frozen in her driveway, until the ghost of her recently deceased friend, Kelly shows up. Kelly takes Sam back through her senior year to process the hurt, grief, and loss that she’s struggling with to help her find her next steps in life. From beyond the grave Kelly wills Samantha to carve her own path, to follow her own intuition and to build a life that she wants for herself, not what her parents or her boyfriend want for her. In 2018 Kerrigan and Lowdermilk workshopped the musical again and renamed it The Mad Ones. It isn’t much different, minor changes such as Sam and Kelly being in the same grade, in Unauthorized Kelly was a year older and had already left Sam behind for college. In the first iteration there was a 5 person cast, Sam, Kelly, Sam’s boyfriend Adam, Sam’s mom, and her dad. In the latest iteration it is a four hander, cutting Sam’s dad out of the musical completely.

When the opportunity to see The Mad Ones at The Other Palace Theater came up, I was nervous to see it. Not only because of the subject matter being so personal to me, but also because a script and story I loved so much, with music that sometimes feels like it was written just for me, but also putting that precious experience of seeing it onstage for the first time in the hands of a theater company I knew nothing about. Would they take care of the story? Would it be as exquisite and cathartic and necessary as the first time I ever listened to the cast recording? It’s a lot of pressure to put on a group of strangers for sure.

When we got to theater, we were led down three flights of stairs into their basement studio space. The space was tiny, the rows of chairs were so closely packed to each other that to move through a row you had to move the chairs out of the way. A triangular shaped stage thrust into the audience, with nothing but the front half of a car sitting a top it. The back wall of the stage was shattered glass, knowing the script already I knew it emulated the windshield of the car that hit and killed Kelly. It was haunting, but strange to know the secret as everyone in the audience speculated about the interesting design choice.

As far as the acting and singing go, the performance was immaculate. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I was a wreck the entirety of act 2. It was this massively cathartic experience that I didn’t know that I needed until this show gifted it to me. The way the actors used the music to heighten their storytelling had me taking notes in my phone for my upcoming directorial musical debut. The only complaint I had, was the lighting. Dear god was it dark. At climax of songs we would have characters in the absolute dark belting their faces off. It wasn’t as if the actor had just gone rogue and was standing outside of their light, the light was just simply not there. There were a few moments I had to fight to stay invested in the story and the world of the play because the lack of lighting kept trying to take me out. What is also true, is in those moments the actors always brought me back in. Even if the lighting was working against them, they were strong enough storytellers that they were always able to reel me back in.

I’ve been thinking about this show since we saw it on May 25th. It has healed me in places that I didn’t realize were so hurt. Losing a friend at a young age and facing your own mortality when the rest of your peers are reveling in childhood invincibility is one of the hardest things I have done in my life. Having a show like The Mad Ones made me feel seen and understood in ways I don’t often feel when I think about that time in my life. At one point in the show I heard Taylor’s laughter in my head urging me forward, letting me know that she was loving watching me go on, and that I never moved on without her. She’s just in the other room waiting for me to knock on her door when it’s my time.

Strolling through the gorgeous and historic church, Westminster abbey was a glorious sight to see. While making our way through the vast interior, I came across a few burials and monuments dedicated to people whom are worth writing and learning about.

1. Stephen Hawking

Between the graves of celebrated scientists, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, the ashes of Stephen Hawking were buried to honor him as one of Britain’s greatest scientists. The grave stone’s inscription is an English translation of a phrase which appears in Latin on Newton’s gravestone: Here lies what was mortal of Stephen Hawking. I found that this phrase serves as a lovely testament to his life work and is meant to represent the notion of his soul being other worldly. His grave stone depicts an engraved image of a series of rings, surrounding a darker central ellipse. The ten characters of Hawking’s equation express his idea that black holes in the universe are not entirely black but emit a glow, that would become known as Hawking radiation.

Stephen Hawking attended Oxford and Cambridge. In his 20s he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given only two years to live. He married Jane Wilde and their children were Robert, Lucy and Timothy. “Hawking became a research fellow at Cambridge and won the Adams Prize and began his work on black holes. He was elected to the Royal Society when he was just 32, and in 1979 became Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, a post also held by Newton. His best known work is A brief history of time. He set up the Stephen Hawking Foundation to help continue his scientific work and research into the universe and motor neurone disease. He died on 14th March 2018 aged 76.”

Over his entire profound career, Hawking reshaped scientific thinking of the universe, especially black holes and their illusive properties. His discoveries, such as Hawking radiation, unified concepts from multiple fields including quantum mechanics, cosmology, thermodynamics and informatics.
“The intellectual legacy Hawking leaves with us is eclipsed only by the imagination and wonder he inspired throughout his life,” said Michael Moloney, CEO of the American Institute of Physics. “Even his earliest theoretical frameworks remain at the core of discoveries in cosmology, mathematics and physics being made today. Though we have lost a truly remarkable mind, and he will be missed greatly, Hawking’s genius will remain with us through the science he revealed and the public he inspired.”

He inspired millions throughout the world to go after their dreams and search for the answers to the questions that itched at them. No matter his physical challenges, he strived to answer the big questions, he refused to give up on his life and continued to thrive in his scientific journey.

2. Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, the celebrated novelist took great pride in his accomplishments, having written in his will, “‘that my name be inscribed in plain English letters on my tomb… I rest my claims to the remembrance of my country upon my published works…”’ His grave is located in the Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey. Charles grew up with seven siblings. At a very young age he had to pause his education to work in a shoe-polish (blacking) factory when his father was arrested for debt in 1824. “Later he became a legal clerk and then a reporter in the House of Commons. His first writings appeared under the signature his brothers pet name, ’Boz.’ The Pickwick Papers was his first major success and Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby soon followed.”

Charles Dickens was more than just a talented writer, he was a social critic. He wasn’t afraid to comment on higher powers and their unjust treatment towards the lower class. The saw flaws within the system’s infrastructure and he unapologetically pointed them out repeatedly. In early 19th century Britain his voice in fact helped inspire reforms and charitable organizations take place. “His works were widely read by the rich and the poor and what he wrote and said had impact on society. Dickens presented the reader with the humanity of the ill, the deformed and the disabled. One cannot but be empathetic to characters such as Tiny Tim. These people were not to be shunned but to be accepted and helped” (National Library of Medicine).

“He was a keen observer and his character descriptions were so accurate that among his many ‘medical’ achievements he described many of the clinical features of sleep breathing disorders at least 120 years before medical science started to recognize such sleep disorders… He was instrumental in facilitating the development of homeless shelters for women, the first pediatric hospital in the United Kingdom, and the development of orthopedics” (National Library of Medicine).

Dickens was an amazing figure that contributed not only to classic American literature but to the advancements of the modern world.

3. Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton, Constant Lambert, & Margot Fonteyn

The fine gold lettering of the memorial stone caught my eye. At first, I assumed that the sentiment was dedicated to a singular person with a very long name. But upon further investigation, I came to find out that the memorial is dedicated to the first four founders of The Royal Ballet. The fine, spacial design of the letters themselves were meant to represent movement to commemorate the founder’s works.

Dame Ninette de Valois was a professional dancer and choreographer who went on many tours during the Second World War and became director of the Royal Ballet School, being made a Dame of the British Empire in 1951. She also ran her own private school in several theaters while continuing her dance career. Sir Frederick Ashton was also a dancer and choreographer whom faced a trouble some coming of age marked with his father’s suicide. However, he was able to preserver the tragedy and become an extremely accomplished dancer and individual. After serving in the Royal Air Force intelligence department during the Second World War he created ballets for Margot Fonteyn (coming up soon) and many other works. In 1962 he was knighted.

Leonard Constant Lambert was a musical composer and conductor. The Russian Diaghilev ballet company commissioned a ballet from him and he later composed songs, piano and orchestral works. While touring in Holland he narrowly escaped capture by the Nazis when they invaded. Dame Margot Fonteyn was named to be the greatest ballerina of her generation. She was made a Dame in 1956. Her exceptional talent and dedication quickly propelled her to the prestigious role of prima ballerina – a position she held for an unprecedented 23 years.

Although highly successful, Ms. Fonteyn faced severe strife in 1964. Fonteyn’s husband, Panamanian politician Roberto Arias, was shot during an assassination attempt and became a quadriplegic (paralyzed of all four limbs), requiring constant care for the remainder of his life. In 1979, she was announced to be a supreme dancer of the utmost category and talent at England’s Royal Ballet company. She retired at age 60 to Panama. Unfortunately, she acquired ovarian cancer but her days were well spent doing what she pleased. She took time to write books, raise cattle, and care for her husband.
These 4 founders were remarkable people who’s work and dedication set an example for each generation to come next. They remind me to put my all in my passions, for if I am able to do that, I will always take pride in what I do and be accomplished no matter what.

The London Markets – a true staple of the city and something that people come from far and wide to see. They have not disappointed! The markets in London have been a highlight of the trip and are home to some of my favorite memories so far – like eating yummy food with friends, finding my new favorite matcha place at Spitalfields Market, shopping endlessly for trinkets and clothes, and meandering around and people watching for hours on end.

My favorite market though, was definitely Spitalfields Market. This market was unmatched in its food options, shopping galore, and amazing location. I loved the day the we went here! They had a great mix of name brand stores and also tons and tons of trinket stands and smaller businesses. The food was amazing, I got a caprese sandwich on foccacia, which are two things I have had before separately, but never together! It was delicious and something I really want to try to replicate myself at home!

At other markets, I noticed that foods like Thai and Indian were available at every other stand – and I loveeee both!! I got my fair share of Thai food in London for sure. I loved seeing the different ways that the markets would prepare a dish that I consistently got, which was pad thai. Most places used a big, deep pan, and swirled the noodles aorund in the sauce, and some used tongs to get all the ingredients combined. It was amazing to see the relationships between the people working the stands too, and it seemed like a lot of them were either close friends or even family!

Overall, the markets have added so much to this trip – theyve been something so different than I have ever seen in America, and are so “Essentialy England”. I will yearn for the day I can come back to london just to visit the markets again! (And get more 8 pound chocolate strawberries – sorry Shawn, had to!!)

xo, jo

Our visit to Westminster Abbey was fascinating. It would have been worth it just to see Britain’s oldest door, but the abbey held so much more. One of those things was the people, specifically the many historical figures interred in the abbey. I walked by the coffins of so many monarchs, but it wasn’t just royalty there. Many of the people were in an area called the Poet’s Corner, where, as the name suggests, poets and other creative figures important to British history and culture are laid to rest or at least memorialized. The amounts of people I recognized honestly astounded me.

One of those figures was Laurence Olivier, a person I had already heard much about during my time in London. It is impossible to acknowledge British theatre without talking about him. He was a massive presence on the English stage during the twentieth century, most famously for his Shakespearean roles. He also founded the National Theatre, one of London’s largest theatres, and an extremely influential institution in the world of theatre. He also had an extensive film career, including works such as Wuthering Heights and many film adaptations of plays.

Another figure relevant to theatre is memorialized here, although one more infamous. This would be T.S. Eliot, whose book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats inspired Andrew Lloyd Webbers Cats, which unfortunately led to a 2019 movie that we would all be better off forgetting. Unfortunately, Cats is not the worst part of T.S. Eliot. While he may be a seminal figure in English poetry, many of his works featured antisemitic themes. Despite this there can be no doubt about his influence, and so it makes sense to me that, while not being buried in Westminster Abbey, he is remembered among other writers.

One of these writers actually buried there, even more influential than Eliot, is Charles Dickens, probably most famously known for A Christmas Carol. Many of his works, just like A Christmas Carol, have been adapted for the stage, including Oliver Twist, which I have seen many advertisements for here in London. Interestingly, through my research I learned that Dickens did not ask to be buried at Westminster Abbey and instead wanted to be laid to rest at Rochester Cathedral “in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner”. Obviously, his wish was not fulfilled, as to be honest, I can hardly imagine a more ostentatious and less private resting place than Westminster Abbey.

There were so many other writers buried or memorialized here that I recognized. It was so intriguing to me to look at the final resting place of people whose words I have read and even performed, along with countless others I didn’t recognize. Despite being many being forever remembered there, for every Dickens or Eliot, there was another author or actor largely forgotten to most. At one point they were famous and influential enough to be laid to rest among kings and queens yet fell into obscurity. Who else buried there that I recognized will be more obscure to future generations? An uncomfortable question that I couldn’t help but ask myself.

There is so much more I could write about Westminster Abbey, but I will finish this blog post talking about what I started it with, Britain’s oldest door. Dating back almost a thousand years, it still stands strong, and I think there’s something inspiring about that, and I hope it gets to stand for a thousand years more. -Jack Duncan

Listen up everybody. I LOVE FOOD. I LOVE TO EAT!!!!!! So, of course, one thing I started looking at when planning to go back to London was all the food I should eat at the markets we were going to visit. Unfortunately…I have gluten intolerance. And the Brits LOVE frying food (seriously, why is everything beige here?). This has made my food journey a little difficult, but I persist! Plus, gluten free guides to any market in the city are easy to find.

On the first day will the whole group, we went to Seven Dials Market. Based on the other markets we went to, this more just seemed like a food mall to me. The only gluten free option I could’ve gotten was pad thai, but I also happen to have a shellfish allergy (far more dangerous than the gluten thing) and couldn’t eat there because of the cross contamination with their prawn pad thai. So, I went with the least gluten I could find and got some yummy bun thing.

The first real market we visited was Spitalfields, where I got some DELICIOUS butter chicken and garlic naan. YES NAAN IS BREAD AND IT HAS GLUTEN! LEAVE ME ALONE! As long as my intolerance just causes tummy problems occasionally, I will eat my naan with my butter chicken. That’s the only food I got in Spitalfields, but it has stuck in my mind because of how much I love Indian food.

The next market we visited was Camden Market, where I split some Masala fries from the famous funky chips with Tucker. THESE WERE SO GOOD. And worth the hype! If I had ever gone back, I would’ve gotten a small for myself and made it my only meal there. I saw on a gluten free guide that there was poke in Camden market, which is my favorite food. About an hour after the chips my blood sugar started to drop and everyone had to trail a very grumpy me till I found the poke. Spoiler: poke made by British people is mid. It had to do for the time being though, lest I bite someones head off.

The last market we visited that I got food from was Borough Market. We went there twice. The first time I got some cheesy potatoes that were so good and super filling. The second time I got this sandwich recommended by Shawn, which was honestly pretty good. As a lover of pepperoncinis, I wish I could’ve tasted them more. The highlight of this Borough Market visit for me, though, was the notorious chocolate covered strawberries. I really didn’t care if anyone said they’re overpriced or not worth it. Y’all just don’t care about chocolate covered strawberries like me. Could I recreate this at home? Yes. Will I? Yes. Does that mean buying them wasn’t worth it? NO! Chocolate covered strawberries are always worth it.

I’ve had a lot of other food here, from fish and chips (both gluten free and non gluten free), Dishoom (best meal I ate in London btw), and my beloved sticky toffee pudding (never gluten free). The markets definitely offer a unique experience to go along with your meal that you can’t get in a restaurant. One thing will always be certain for me, though. My tummy is gonna hurt.

This entire trip has beeen about one thing, and one thing only: food. Yes, we watched some theatre and toured a few historic places, but the food is what is really important. All jokes aside, this trip was more food-focused than I ever would have imagined. I mean, it’s Britain. They aren’t exactly known for flavorful food. I came into this trip assuming that everything would be bland and I would be served beans on toast at every turn. However, much to my delight, I was quickly proven wrong!

Throughout our time in London, we visited (in order of first appearance) Seven Dials Market, Covent Garden, Old Spitalfields Market, Camden Market, and Borough Market as well as several areas of London with unique restaurants and cafés. When it comes to food, my favorite market has to be Borough Market. Though Seven Dials Market had some good eats, nothing can beat the chocolate covered strawberries at Borough Market. Also, Borough Market was all about food. All of the other markets had a mixture of food and trinkets/clothes/etc, yet all of the markets, including Borough, were about the same size.

The day we visited Borough Market, I had a plan. I knew wanted to get the famed chocolate covered strawberries, but first I needed to get some real food to eat. Shawn recommended we get a pork sandwich from the renowned Black Pig. Anything with protein sounded amazing to me after eating nothing but pizza, pasta, and Tesco meal deals for the last couple days, so I made a beeline for the stand. The sandwiches other patrons were enjoying on the way to the line looked so good it made my mouth water and my stomach grumble. The chefs quickly ushered me through the process: choose, order, pay, wait… So I waited. And I waited. Until suddenly I hear the voice of an angel, “Adley.” What an odd thing for an angel to say. I look around for the “Adley” they were calling for before I decided it was my sandwich and I went up to grab it. Not only did it look good, it also smelled good and it felt good to hold. It was the perfect weight to lift up to my mouth and sink my teeth into. The crispy ciabatta bun squished under the force of my teeth and broke away, allowing the juicy and savory pulled pork to meet my taste buds. Instant fireworks! As I continued to chew I could taste the soft, tangy parmesan piled on like snow. There was technically an apple coleslaw on the sandwich, but I pulled most of it off. The sandwich tasted like heaven with or without the crunchy, sour apple slaw.

I fairly familiar with pork sandwiches from my life before London, but this sandwich revolutionized my taste buds and, subsequently, my mind. We did not get strawberries that day. One life-altering meal was enough for one day. The strawberries would have to wait. Little did I know, I was the one who was waiting. Waiting for the moment I would break through the strawberry’s flesh and into it’s juicy center as the chocolate coating migrated from its temporary home to my delighted mouth. Waiting for the moment I realized the chocolate was hardening as it cooled, and that made it taste exponentially better. Future me looked back with bated breath as I lived through the next three days without an inkling of how my life was about to change. Once I ate the magical chocolate strawberries, there was no going back. It would set off a course of events, eventually leading to another adventure to Borough Market on the tail end of our trip for the sole purpose of buying more strawberries.

Not all of my food experiences were life-altering, and some were objectively bad. Also at the Borough Market, there is a donut shop that is very popular online. Their big thing is the crème brûlée donut that they broil with a flat, heated piece of metal. In my ignorance, I ordered the less-popular Salted Caramel and Honey Comb donut. It looked creamy, moist, and delicious. It was not. There was a piece of honey comb on top of the donut which was absolutely scrumptious! The rest of the donut, though… It was filled with a creme that tasted like something burnt. I tried really hard to convince myself it tasted like caramel or honey comb or a weird combination, but all I could taste was a burnt donut.

In all of my food adventures, good and bad, I documented the food and/or beverage for your viewing pleasure. Scroll on to enjoy a few highlights from the various markets!

P.S. I did not document it, but every morning at the Royal National Hotel I would eat at least three or four small chocolate croissants with my breakfast. They were delicious.

7 Dials

Coven(en)t Garden

Spitalfields Market

Camden Market

Borough Market

TESCOOOO

A moment for the drinks…

– (H)Adley ❤

I am so unbelievably lucky to be able to say that by the end of this trip, (which is coming so soon and I’m very sad about it) I will have seen 25 shows. I have seen everything from immersive musicals like the recent revival of Cabaret, to big smashing spectacles like Wicked and The Great Gatsby, to smaller shows, Fringe Shows, as they are called. I have been lucky enough to get to get to see three Fringe Shows. I saw The Mad Ones at The Other Palace Theatre, This Is My Family at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, and most recently, Miss Myrtle’s Garden at Bush Theatre. For this post, I would like to, if you’ll let me, take a moment about just how much of an impact Miss Myrtle’s Garden had on me as an artist and as a human being.

            Miss Myrtle’s Garden is a play written by Danny James King and directed by Taio Lawson currently running at the Bush Theatre. The play follows Miss Myrtle, an old woman living with Dementia. When her grandson needs a place to stay, she offers up her place and he and his boyfriend move into Miss Myrtle’s house. However, Miss Myrtle’s grandson Rudy is not out to his grandmother, and therefore his relationship must remain closeted within the walls of the home. This of course causes tension with Rudy’s relationship to his boyfriend, as well as puts strain on his relationship with his grandmother, as he struggles to come out to her as she is rapidly declining.

            I know, it sounds like a super uplifting way to spend a Saturday night. But please believe me when I say, it was maybe one of my favorite things I have seen on this trip. The show was set in the round, and so all of the audience members were faced toward each other with the entirety of the play taking place in the middle. I thought that the pacing of the show was extremely well executed. Yes, the show was 140 minutes, but it truly felt like 30 at the most. The quick-witted humor of Miss Myrtle, paired with the intense, high stakes scenes between the other characters -made for a riveting and thought provoking masterpiece.

            Diveen Henry did an incredible job playing Miss Myrtle. Henry’s slow decline throughout the show was incredibly heart breaking to watch and Henry had me on the edge of my seat the entire show.  The chemistry between Rudy (played by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay) and his boyfriend, Jason (played by Elander Moore) was absolutely astounding. I rooted for them, I cried for them, and then rooted for them again.

            I think the directorial composition of the piece (meaning how the actors moved in the space) was so beautifully crafted. I have really only had experience in Thrust and Proscenium stages, so getting to see a show truly in the round was an eye-opening experience for me. I was appalled by how moved I could be in scenes where at times I could only see one of the actors in the scene.

            The set design also stood out to me as a strong point. The ceiling of the set was this glowing, orb…thing that would blend different colors together, but would also give us the time of day. The element used different colors to indicate the sunrise, sunset, or midafternoon. The floor of the set was a patch of turf that served as Miss Myrtle’s Garden. There were beautiful plants that got swapped out at the interval to indicate the changing of the seasons. These plants went from beautiful evergreens to vibrant annuals. The world building in this play was simply masterful and I am so grateful I got to witness this show.

            This show was a world premiere production, and I certainly hope that this is not the last time that I am hearing about Miss Myrtle’s Garden because this production was simply nothing short of wonderful.

-R

My favorite market in London is Camden Market.  This was the first time we stepped foot in there with everyone, and I immediately loved it. There were so many shops and food places that it made me so happy. The place was loud, colorful, and completely full of life from the moment we arrived. Every corner had something new to look at, such as bright shop signs, bold street art, and endless crowds of people surrounding the whole market.

The food there looked so amazing. Because of my food allergies, I can’t really try new things, but I branched out the best I could and ended up getting The Cheese Wheel pasta. It was fun watching them swirl the hot pasta noodles in a giant wheel of cheese. The dish was good; warm, creamy, and definitely a good comfort food, but I did wish it had a bit more flavor. Still, it was a cool thing to try at such a lively spot, especially since I saw all the hype on TikTok.

One of my favorite parts of the market was Umbrella Street. It felt like walking through a colorful field, and of course, I had to stop for photos. The little shops around that area were so unique; everything from handmade jewelry to vintage clothes to quirky gifts. There was so much to see that I knew even before we left I’d be coming back. And I did—a few more times, actually.

Surprisingly, I don’t remember seeing a lot of street performers that day, which I expected in a place like Camden.. We could have come at a quieter time, or I was too distracted by all the shops (very possible! One tip I’d definitely give: bring a friend. The market is super fun, but it’s also really busy and can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when dealing with the street outside the market. Having people with you makes it easier to explore, plus it’s always safer, especially if you’re not familiar with the area. Overall, Camden was a great market experience; full of color, chaos, food, and shops. I am sure going to miss that market. 

Since being little, my trips have of course always been about the experiences, but it has also been centered around food. My family is a massive foodie family, and the food we consume while in a new place, or a place away from home, is a focal point. Even at home, food is always a topic of care and love, and we all enjoy cooking and eating together as a part of our daily routine. London is my personal favorite food city because it is the vegan capital of the world, and I am, in fact, a vegan, so this may be a little biased. Simply due to how much easier it is for me to eat here secures its place at number one. And then on top of that, all the food is phenomenal. The entire time we have been here I have only had two bad meals. One was the gnocchi from borough market, and the second was a bowl of white rice with like three pieces of cabbage and tofu on it, plus zero seasonings. Ever. Other. Meal. has been an absolute hit. 

One of the first meals we had while we were here was at Seven Dials market before we saw Mousetrap. I chose a delicious-looking pasta place and had a basic tomato sauce with pasta. There was a little set-up behind the counter where the cook put together our food right in front of us. For my meal, I saw her scoop up pasta and warm it through, and then I saw her ladle some tomato sauce into it. While I think the 8-pound price tag for boxed pasta and tomato sauce was a bit high, it was absolutely amazing. It was quite a small serving, and due to the pasta being precooked, it was a bit soggy when I ate it, but the flavor of the tomato sauce made up for it. 

The other most memorable food I have had also happens to be my favorite food I have had since I have been here and is now in my top five favorite food of all time, and that is the dairy free chocolate cookie ice cream from Anita Gelato. Ok, so I keep calling it ice cream and I need to stop doing that because I do think there is a difference, but because it’s dairy free I am not sure. Not sure if that makes sense, but in my head it does! Anyway, from the moment that gelato/ice cream touched my lips, I was sold. It was super dark chocolate with huge chunks of cookies in it. Basically, it was a dark chocolate cookies and cream, and I have never loved anything more. There was so much gelato pilled into the cone, but I still ate it all despite feeling so sick after because it was that good. I will never not think about and dream about this gelato until the next time I can have it. I would truly try and beg anyone, regardless of how much they like gelato or ice cream to try this place because it was universally agreed that this was the best gelato or ice cream or anything that any one of us had ever had. I will get off my soap box now, but in case I haven’t mentioned it, it was really good. 

I think that food is such an interesting way to get to know a city, and London has such a variety that you can get food from every corner of the Earth in just a few square miles. Obviously, the experiences have been amazing, but the food has been one of the highlights. I will miss the ease of access I have to food here and the variety of delicious and never ending meals. 

In between large scale west end shows, I took the opportunity to see a show called House of Games at a fringe theatre. While its lower budget definitely showed through in some aspects, it gave a good perspective of the different levels of theatre and had some really interesting ideas, especially in regards to set.

The plot revolves around a therapist who while trying to get one of her clients debt erased gets caught up with a team of con men, only to end up being their target. This brought about my first criticism, which was that either the writer does not understand the role of a therapist, or the character is terrible at her job. While her being a bad therapist could have been a purposeful decision, it did not feel backed up by the rest of the story and did not seem to be the objective. Her getting directly involved with the personal life of one of her clients to this degree is extremely unprofessional, and does not even work to address the problem that she has been paid to assist with. I do not understand her objective in trying to help her client with a gambling addiction by simply paying off the debt caused by the addiction.

Outside of the big picture of the story, the character to character interactions also felt very off. I am not sure whether the majority of the blame should go to the script or the acting, but large chunks of the dialogue felt very uncomfortable. This greatly breaks the illusion of chemistry between the two main characters, because the plot is trying to imply a romantic connection that we are clearly not seeing on stage. The love interest is a very charismatic con man, but it doesn’t really work because he is not portrayed charismatically at all. It breaks the suspension of disbelief when I see the character acting somewhat creepy and weird and all the characters around him are acting like he was being suave and cool.

The best part of the play by far in my opinion was the set. It was double layered with the top being the therapists office and the bottom being the seedy bar that is the hideout of the group of con men. The clean and pristine office juxtaposed against the dirty bar shows an interesting contrast between the therapist’s two “worlds”, and both sets are well detailed without being too busy. 

There were also some interesting moments in the plot where the acting worked for me, which was when the cons were actually being played out. While I did not feel like the main love interest was particularly charismatic in a romantic sense, he was good at playing a convincing character which worked well in the cons. The interaction within the team was also very engaging and I feel like it worked best when they were actively in one of their plans. While the ending did feel predictable for the most part, it was still very enjoyable to actually see the big final job play out and see exactly how they pulled it off.

Overall I didn’t hate the play, and I recognize after seeing so many huge west end productions I am probably at my most critical right now. If it was one of the first plays after arriving in London I probably would have been a little less critical, but just coming off of Benjamin Button which is still one of my favorite shows that we have seen, I was already hard pressed to be impressed. While it was not my favorite it was definitely still worth seeing in my opinion for the set alone. I really enjoy seeing creative solutions to showing multiple locations and I feel like it was done well here. Also seeing the occasional rough production just puts into perspective how amazing some of the other shows are.

(I took the photo pre-show so the top portion of the set isn’t visible but trust me it’s there)