Seeing shows on the West End have been big and outstanding performances that I knew were going to knock my socks off but having one of our assignments being to see a fringe show, which is more of an “off-off-West End” show, I could experience a more intimate and experimental performance. During our Stratford-upon-Avon three day stay, a small group of us who had yet to see their fringe show looked and discovered one playing at a community theatre that was only a five-minute walk from where we were staying. We got some of the last tickets that were on sale and had our final show of the trip booked on our first night in Shakespeare’s old village.

                  We walked over together to see the show, which was titled, The Lady in the Van. We found out that this play was also a movie that starred Maggie Smith, who I love as an actress, so I was very interested. This show also came with a program which was a pleasant surprise as none of the show we had seen on the West End would give them to you for free. The program listed several songs in the play that I loved and got excited to hear including songs by the Beatles as well as classical piano songs.

                  This play takes place over the course of several years covering a homeless woman who lived out of her van and became friends with the man who she lived across from. The man was played by two men one of whom lived in the present and one who was writing this story down and narrating how he felt in the past by these events and even sometimes communicating with himself as a sort of inner voice. I thought the actors did a great job, although some of the choices made by the director I was a little puzzled by like the actors, when changing scenes, would freeze in a pose until the transition song was gone, which made it confusing for the audience as to why wouldn’t they just wait entirely to start the scene. I thought the story was very touching and sweet as well as inspiring.

I had no idea what to expect out of a fringe show. Of course I had heard, mainly from Shawn, what the typical fringe show was supposed to look and feel like, yet I still had some doubts. Was it going to be some dimly lit, bad view, cramped pub theatre that I was supposed to see some great theatre in? It sounded a bit questionable to me, but I now know all my previous assumptions were wrong.

Reese, Jill, and I all went to see Glengarry Glen Ross, a show all about men and masculinity. What intrigued me about the show, however, was when Reese mentioned the entire cast would be female. Going into the show, I had no idea how they were going to pull off an all female cast, or even how that would come across to the audience. As the show started, I immediately picked up certain “quirks” that characters would portray to make the audience feel as though they were more masculine than they looked. I say this partially because of the costumes, which were all very different from one another. One character was wearing a pencil skirt, a blazer, and heels, another wearing a full suit and loafers, and yet another wearing slacks and a button up shirt. It was very interesting, to say the least. I thought the all female cast made the show more intriguing than it would’ve been if the show had been all male, like it was written as. 

I will say that I absolutely loved the acting. I loved how each character embodied a very distinct personality trait and stuck to that for the entirety of the show; it made me feel as though I really knew the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the Fringe show, and I would definitely recommend seeing one to anybody who hasn’t, especially in London.

-Emmy

This trip has been full of love, laughter, theatre, and FOOD! Throughout the course of the trip the whole group has traveled to several markets, and smaller groups have traveled to even more. For this post we are tasked with the assignment of writing about our market experiences and the different things we saw and foods we ate. While this may be a basic take, my favorite market of the trip has been Borough Market. Borough Market is probably London’s most famous market, but there is a reason that it gets so much attention. When you walk into the market, you are immediately surrounded by crowds of people exploring the plethora of options that fill the space. With over 100 vendors there, you can get such a wide variety of cuisine. On top of restaurants, there are also shops with raw meats, cheeses, and produce, and also shops with trinkets and other fun items to buy. I went three times in London and was very pleased with my experiences. 

The first time that I went I had to try the famous sandwich from “The Black Pig”. This sandwich has pork, truffle mayo, fennel slaw, peperoncini, salsa verde, and parmesan. It was truly one of the best sandwiches that I’ve ever had, and quite possibly my favorite thing that I ate in London. It had a unique sweetness from the fennel apple slaw that wasn’t expected, but much appreciated. After this I tried the viral chocolate covered strawberries. They are around 9 pounds per cup. While this is definitely overpriced, the strawberries are very fresh and the chocolate is smooth and rich. Wouldn’t get again, but worth a try. The first time that I went to the market was the busiest I saw it. The market was full of people, and they had employees whose job was just to direct the traffic. It was so busy that there was really no seating available. At Borough Market the seating options are several tables in one location, and then a giant set of steps in another. All of these were full, so we ended up having to find a spot on the side of the road. I didn’t see any performers at Borough Market which was surprising, but Jocelyn almost getting pooped on by a bird was entertainment enough,

The second time I went I got a salt beef sandwich from a stand that I am blanking on the name of. This was the most fun service experience. While making my sandwich, the guy behind the counter kept cracking jokes and saying why his stand was better than the others. At the end he pulled out a mustard bottle and pointed it at me. It ended up being a gag bottle that he uses as a joke. The full show before the meal was worth it on its own, but the food was very good too. The salt was cooked very well, and I really liked how strong the mustard was. It had a very aggressive kick that really made the sandwich pop.

The place that I tried on my last visit served Paella. The reason I went to this spot was because it had a really long line. At that moment I decided to trust the crowd and hope for the best. The only problem with this stand was that the prices were not clearly visible until you got up to the counter. I ended up paying 24 pounds for it, but it was quite good. It came with a lot of seafood, and the rice was very flavorful. This is another situation where I wouldn’t do it again, but I did enjoy the experience.

Cheers,

Thatcher

When you see me go viral on Tiktok do not be surprised as I made a food review to the Borough Market chocolate strawberries. I am just kidding by the way, I have like 4 fans on that platform. Anyways! When I went to Borough Market I had to get the viral chocolate covered strawberries for the plot, and I’ll be honest it was one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. It is so simple too, literally just an assembly line of workers cutting the tips off strawberries after washing them and putting them in cups, and putting hot drizzly milk chocolate. Regardless of simplicity, it is remarkable and so good that I went back to get it twice. I know that is a very American thing to try, so onto different foods that I can’t have in America.

When at the Old Spitalfields Market, I got a hash brown covered in mac and cheese, truffle mayo, freshly grated parmesan, and crispy onions. I cannot explain to you how good this meal is, you seriously cannot get this in America. In my opinion, this is a very British dish as I have seen nothing like this back home as it was new to me. Since being here I have had truffle butter or mayo on everything and anything I can get it on. This being said, it is super unhealthy and bad for you but I do not care. I know this because while watching it being made they literally deep fried my hashbrowns, put on a giant slab of mac and cheese, crispy fried onions, buttery truffle mayo, and a giant heaping portion of grated parmesan. #worthit

The vibes of both the Spitalfields and Borough Market were fun with various shops and places to eat, but they were different in atmosphere. Borough no matter what day you go is going to be packed with lines and is super loud, while Spitalfields is a lot more lowkey and the traffic was low. It started to pick up here at about 12:30 pm, but not nearly as crowded as Borough. Both markets did have lots of options of different types of cuisines including lots of Indian food places which makes sense as England’s national dish is now chicken tikka masala. However, I do miss the old tradition of their old national dish fish and chips.

Visiting all these markets was seriously so cool and I think that the US needs to implement them all around. We have food courts, but nothing compares to the lively atmosphere, outdoor seating and air, different genres of food, and overall just the better food and options here in England.

  First off I just want to say WE NEED MORE FOOD MARKETS IN AMERICAAAA!!! I absolutely am obsessed with food markets, they are the best!!! You have so many options and you can bring all your friends and all eat different things. I also want to state that I tried to be as adventurous as possible when I went but I am also extremely picky so these foods might seem like a big deal to other people. I had so much amazing food from mac and cheese, to donuts, to mushroom risotto, and soo much more. I tried to get inspiration from TikTok which really helped but the best eats were actually the less talked about ones.

   Controversial opinion but Seven Dials might be my favorite market that we went to, that place was so yummy and the options were fun and affordable! The atmosphere was great and when Jocelyn and I went after Matilda there was live music and everyone was dancing and singing along! Overall, Seven Dials is such a great place to be social and have fun. 

   Ordering is pretty typical to ordering at any fast food place in America, just usually a lot more packed and they get that food in and out extremely fast. The most amazing food I had was at Seven Dials and it was at Yum Bum. THOSE SEAWEED FRIESSSS with the mayo dip (I know crazyyy) was absolutely amazing, I have been singing their praises for daysss!! I will say the only downside was that it honestly took a long time to get them, not very typical to other market foods. When I did finally get the fries they were extremely fresh and warm and absolutely delicious. They prepared it behind the counter so sadly I didn’t get how it was made.

After The Mousetrap became such a hit in my book, I was excited for the opportunity to experience another Agatha Christie play. This play, Witness for the Prosecution, immediately intrigued me, especially because of its courtroom setting, and I was curious to see how that would unfold. The setting of a stage is one of the most important elements of a production. There are so many types of performance spaces, with different mechanics, limits, and needs. Setting a play in a courtroom gives unique challenges, but also proposes a more immersive experience for the audience, which I truly enjoyed! 

The courtroom was large and daunting, and felt less like entering a theater for a show and more like stepping into an actual court hearing, which, I suppose, was the point! One thing that I noticed immediately, especially from my seating position up in the highest stalls, was that I would be able to see the audience’s reaction just as well, if not better, than the actors themselves, which posed quite an interesting sight considering this play held so many unexpected twists and turns. 

I went into the show completely blind, knowing nothing beyond the title and the playwright. Because of that, I’ll admit it was a bit difficult to follow at first. My seating arrangement may have also contributed to this, as my view was indeed obstructed by an enormous pillar directly in my line of sight…

Additionally, the male actor playing the man on trial spoke quite quickly and didn’t always fully enunciate his words, which made parts of the dialogue harder to understand. This was all in the first act, though, as in the second one, another woman and I, in a similar position, moved to the two empty seats in the dead center of our stalls with no obstruction and possibly one of the best views in all the theater! 

This made for quite a difference in my experience for the second act, also because this is when the story really picked up. The acting was impeccable (besides the fast-talker), and the storyline was gripping. Although most of the play did take place in the courtroom during the “trial,” there were also scenes set in other locations, such as a lounge room, a street by a river, and a house, and I thought those transitions were handled very well. There was even a moment when a character came barging in and shouted from the very stalls where I was sitting, making the experience feel startlingly real. In that moment, it felt less like I was watching a play and more like I was witnessing an actual trial as a spectator. (Also worth mentioning, the “jury” was also audience members sitting in special seats!) This choice also made the play’s themes and commentary even more effective, raising questions about how we perceive people, whether those judgments are truly accurate, and what the cost can be when they are not. We were faced with the same questions as the characters. 

The entire second half kept me on the edge of my seat, and by the end, my jaw was practically on the floor. Without spoiling anything, I can honestly say I did not see the ending coming. The way the show unfolded proved not only how incredible the actors were, but also how often we encounter “actors” in everyday life.

To have a great story is one thing, but to bring it to life in such a powerful place and with such talented individuals makes it something quite special. I think that Agatha Christie would be quite proud of this performance, and I enjoyed it very much! 

Best,

Siena

Okay, so a pleasant surprise! Glengarry Glen Ross is traditionally a play about masculinity, self-worth, and male gender roles, so it was quite intriguing to me that they decided to have an all-female cast. It could’ve really gone poorly, just distorted the message of the play or not really added anything thematically. But overall, I think it worked on several levels. Every line that included a reference to “being a man,” “manning up,” “having the balls,” etc. had a different ring to it than before. I started to question if those sentences really sounded different, coming from women, and what it might suggest if they did. Things that referred to stereotypes of women or their prescribed behaviors also felt more backward, or at least more notable. And the American accents were pretty on par (sorry, War Horse, but your accent game wasn’t exactly up to snuff). I didn’t like the actress who played Moss as much, either; she seemed kind of mechanical and one-note (but I have no acting training, so don’t take it from me). 

And the costumes! It was so interesting how they decided to combine masculine and feminine aspects of dress for each character. If the actress wore a skirt, she probably had tennis shoes on, but if there were pants, it was likely she had heels on. For other characters, there were more indicators too: Shelly had a pixie, but Moss had long hair, and George had a sort of in between cut. It almost seems an attempt to universalize the play’s message, that being stuck in the past and prioritizing work to define success are problems all professionals of all backgrounds face at some point. And the Ricky character, played by the fantastic Rosa Salazar, had his (her?) own thing going on, black and white most of the time with a trench coat, white collared shirt, black shoes, etc. She was quite androgynous, dramatically more so than the other characters. I wonder if this is because the Ricky character was the most conventionally “successful” of the salesmen, and the designers wanted to imply that all individuals have the chance to achieve those standards, regardless of sex. I’m not sure if that’s right, but I am sure that Salazar was incredible. 

The design of the theatre itself was quite beautiful. I love a good ceiling, whether it be a cathedral or a museum, and I discovered a new joy in this theatre’s ceiling. The Old Vic has been around for over 200 years, so it makes sense that the ceiling itself it would be a work of art. I really enjoyed the plush red seats, too. I don’t know if the stage is always the way it was for our show, but I thought the way it was oriented was really interesting. Members of the audience in the front row were level with the stage, and I wonder if that was done to ground the work and communicate the familiarity of it in the modern world. I also found myself searching for backstage, as the seats and entrances surrounded the stage in four corners. It allowed for more dynamic movement and scene setting, I think, because each exit to backstage could be used as a different off-stage room. Also, desks rose out of the floor of the stage, which was quite impressive, although the stage was never empty as I recall, so I’m not sure about the rising desks’ usefulness. Still, perhaps just an efficient use of space. 

Overall, it definitely prompted admiration for Mamet’s original play and evoked contemplation about the way we define success and the role of masculinity in that as well. Would see again! 

– Reese

I had been on the hunt for an additional show to go and watch, and I was given a glowing review and recommendation to go see An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde at the Lyric and Hammersmith Theatre. We originally had seats in the upper circle, but due to the closing of that area we were upgraded to the stalls very close to the stage for free. However, this came with us being put in front of a group of loud students on a field trip.

Despite the chatter behind us I quite enjoyed the show. I believe an Oscar Wilde show requires your full attention to gather all the pieces in order to out together the final image. While I lost a lot of those details to distracting sounds, I followed the plot well. I thought the set design was very clever. The moving stair case was beautifully done and so smooth I didn’t catch that it had moved until halfway through the next scene. The stage dressing in Arthur’s house was gorgeous along with the soft lighting. The costume design was phenomenal and very fun. I was thrown off quite a bit by the Arthur’s use of a vape. It made it a little difficult for me to distinguish the time period pires with the costuming and set design.

As for performance, I did feel that there were moments where blocking felt repetitive. However, I thought comedic timing was excellent. The characters were all played very big and I appreciated how funny it made them.

The theatre itself was also simply gorgeous. The ceiling in the house kept me staring for quite a while before the show and during intermission.

All in all I thought the show was very well done. If I could watch it again without loud conversation behind me I believe I would enjoy it even more.

I will say British food is not my favorite but they have amazing sweets! I’ve had these cookies very often and one time I walked an hour to get them. The baked goods have held me together.

The markets are amazing & the best meal I’ve had was salmon with beets🫜 & Chicken tikka masala. The musicians & actors are always the best part of these markets. I remember an opera singer – absolutely incredible.

The portions in London are so small compared to the U.S but I think it’s a perfect size. Always satiated & satisfied & never stuffed. This sandwich below was one of the biggest portion sizes I’ve seen in London. I’m a huge cheese fan and the British love a lot of cheese.

For me the food tends to be bland or simple but if you go try Indian, Caribbean or East Asian food it’s definitely great & has more flavor. Onigiri’s are super good! Mexican food is too expensive so I never tried it here. The juices & smoothies are always incredible, they add Spirulina or other super foods which are great for your health.

Tried Duck 🦆 for the first time. I love buns but wouldn’t eat Duck again, felt wrong !

I love the way they brew Coffee here. Super good & frothy. There’s no milk in this one! The Long Black method is the standard way the British make their Americanos, water first & espresso second. The British drink approximately 98 million cups of coffee a day!!! Although, it’s not as bad as the USA, we drink 507 million cups a day. Do not get the coffee from the tube stations!

I will say you can never go wrong with croissants & coffee! The sandwiches are generally affordable & my favorite are the salmon ones. Pair it with a kombucha.

London is one of the food capitals of the world and during this trip I had the privilege of trying all new and exotic food types. Some of my favorite foods I have had on this trip include Indian buttered chicken, Greek salads, bao buns, Raman noodles, many different pastas and pizzas, Japanese curry, salmon sashimi salad, chicken pad Thai, gourmet mac and cheese, katsu sandwich, traditional British pies, avocado toast, and quite a few gelato flavors. I loved getting to experience so many diverse food selections in one city!

We got to travel to some exquisite markets as a group and had our pick of all the booths that were there. Borough market and Spitalfields market are tied for first in my book with an enormous selection panel of exotic food and shops that were so much fun to take in. I went to Borough market a couple of times and got a Greek marinated chicken salad, gourmet pulled pork mac and cheese, a raspberry filled donut, and chocolate covered strawberries. All these foods were some of the bests I have ever had in my entire life and were all made right in front of the customers! I wish I could go there again and taste every single booth. At Spitalfields market I got the katsu sando and a chocolate iced donut for dessert. I probably circled the market five times because I could not decide what to get because everything looked so delicious! The katsu sando was a great choice I thought and hit the spot for me. I have never had katsu chicken before and having this be my first experience, I would order it again. I think that when I look back on this trip in the future, all the different and delicious foods that I got to try with my friends will be high up on my list of experiences.