Hi guys! Today is a hard post to make because it’s our last day in the UK. I can’t believe just how quickly the time has passed, and how much I enjoyed my time here. I will reminisce on my London thoughts later in this post, so for now let’s just talk about my day.

We started off with a lovely full English breakfast at the Linhill House. Our English breakfast consisted of ham, egg, mushrooms, sausage, and beans. I’m glad I got the English breakfast at least once, and I’m especially glad I got it here because the portions were manageable! I think what made it extra worth it was the sweet old man in an apron that cooked it all for us. It was a very cozy and nice start to my day!

After breakfast, our group met up outside and we talked about the game plan for traveling to the airport tomorrow. It was recommended we get to the airport 4 hours before our plane leaves due to staff shortages; however, there are no coaches that could pick us up any earlier than 9 am. To get to the airport, it is a two hour drive, and then my flight is at 1:40. I am one of the lucky ones that will be able to have 2 hours and 40 minutes to get to my flight; however, some leave before me, and I am anxious on their behalves. If we don’t make it, I guess there will be a “London Day 28” blog!

Once we talked about the flight situation, we made our way over to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Anne Hathaway’s cottage was a lot like Shakespeare’s birthplace, which was very quaint and full of gardens. I think I liked the cottage more than his birthplace only because it was more spacious, and it seemed like a place I would live in myself! While I was there, I got to hang out with Brendan and Hailey in the gardens, and as we were talking, a slug fell out of a tree and right onto Brendan’s jacket- how cool!

We walked from the cottage to the Holy Trinity Church that houses Shakespeare’s burial. The church was small and had beautiful stained glass everywhere. It felt like the whole community of this church were very close since there were side conversations happening between members everywhere, and there were some sweet older ladies selling homemade desserts to help support the church.

We were able to do things on our own after the church, so all of us headed to Nando’s for food, and then a majority of our group went to a cat cafe. The cat cafe was named Shakespaw, and it was awesome! The cats were very sweet and sociable which is rare in a cat cafe, and I even had my last cream tea while I was there. I think my favorite cat was one of the long haired ones with a very smushed in face. He looked like a gremlin, and for some reason I felt like his name should’ve been Sweet Baby Ray’s… if that makes sense.

I also got to go to a market where I bought an adorable and inexpensive pearl bracelet. The food at the market smelled so good, I almost wish I didn’t get Nando’s (heavy on the almost). The market was also filled with dogs, which made me miss my family dog, Hurricane. I’m happy I get to see her soon!

When I got back to the Linhill House, I bought some things for my small business to get a head start on packaging, and I took another nap. I slept until it was time for dinner at The Dirty Duck. This was our last hoorah as a group, and the food was fabulous! I got tomato soup as a starter, a beef and ale pie as my main entree, and an apple & blackberry crumble for dessert. The food was surprisingly really good! I am not the biggest fan of British cuisine, so I was not expecting to like the food as much as I did.

Once we finished our hearty meals, we went back to the hotel to pack and write our final blogs. I have heavily enjoyed my time in Stratford. Even though we were robbed of our King Lear experience (by the fault of no one!), I got my Shakespeare fix while in Stratford Upon Avon. It was interesting to see where he and his wife lived, because these places were the origins of what turned the quiet town of Stratford Upon Avon into a beautiful, yet slightly touristy, destination. Since Stratford Upon Avon is a far removed town from the more populous London, it gives you a sense of how popular Shakespeare’s manuscripts really were. The plays were able to travel quite a distance, and they even had the Globe Theatre dedicated to them in London! This town also gave me the overarching feeling of “humble beginnings”, and I am more than thrilled that I got to explore what it had to offer.

Now for my thoughts on London as a whole… what more is there to say other than that I loved every moment of it? I loved the sights, the people, the greenery, the wildlife, the experiences, and especially the knowledge I gained from it. There is so much to learn from the melting pot that is London, and there is also so much fun to be had. I haven’t even scratched the surface of what there is to be done here. I never expected to love this trip to the extent that I did, as I am not used to being in a foreign country away from home for so long. This ended up being the PERFECT city to test my limits, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to do so. I also would like to thank my fellowship for making a lot of this financially possible for me, and I likely would not have had this amazing and life changing journey without it. That being said, one day I hope to be back, and I will strive to be a London pro.

Until then, London!

(P.S. Happy Father’s Day to the best dad, mine!)

June 19

After a couple weeks in the big city of London, we have now adventured into the quiet town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Notable for being the birth town of William Shakespeare, Stratford-Upon-Avon is a market town just north of London. In comparison, Stratford-Upon-Avon is significantly quieter and quaint. While here we got to tour Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, New Place, and the Trinity Church. It is quite fascinating to see the town where Shakespeare lived, as most of the buildings in town look as if they have remained the same for decades. Being someone who has read and performed many of Shakespeare’s plays, it is interesting to see his hometown, potential spots he may have written in, and how the modern era of people living in Stratford-Upon-Avon have used his legacy in their community culture.

The town as a whole is very different from the bustling city. For starters, the air is breathable and less filled with smoke, pollution, and odd smells of vinegar. And I do understand from traveling to New York and Chicago that those are simply city things, it doesn’t discredit the love I have for fresh air and beautiful trees. The town is also different in the fact that everything shuts down very early. In London, you can pretty easily find a bite to eat up into the late hours of the night. Not the same for Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

Staying here in Stratford-Upon-Avon was a great way to end my study abroad here in England. The comfort of staying in a cute little townhome, mixed with the fresh air and large abundance of adorable dogs and cats have made this the perfect way to relax and prepare myself to the transition back into real life. I have learned so much while abroad and truly can’t believe it is coming to a close. 

Blog Post: Stratford-upon-Avon

By Isaac Overman

June 19 2022

I come from a small town, a much smaller town than Stratford. In fact, I do not even live inside that city but five miles outside its limits. Nevertheless, I cannot help but have my heart pulled by this city. The immense history alone is astounding but more than this is the sense of home. On this trip, I have been to three cities in England: London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath. Each of these had certain charms and were vastly different from each other. However, I find myself most at home in places like Stratford. It just reminds me of home. People are friendlier and the community is closer together. I love London, and someday I hope to live there and work at the best restaurants in the world. I want to master my art and hone my craft alongside the greatest chefs to ever hold a knife. To be able to make the people I love smile. To make my parents proud. But after all that is said and done and the world begins to pass me by—as it does to all—I will return home. To a place like Stratford. Where my world has always began and ended. Back to the people I love. I firmly believe now that people need to go to places like London. Not to find oneself—I hate that phrase because people should know who they are before making life altering decisions—but to build oneself into what you could be. Stratford and London are both necessary parts of who I am. Shakespeare also expresses this by going to London, makes himself a fortune while blessing the world and then retires to the city that he grew up in to live out his golden years with his family. That is the kind of life I want to lead. In a way I want to try and mimic what he did. Stratford, to me, is the natural conclusion to a trip that took place largely in the big city. After all, It’s the most like home. This trip has taught me something very important—I want to conquer the world but I will always long to be home in my hundred acre wood where the sky is blue and the corn is green.

Stratford-upon-Avon is my favorite place that we have been to so far. The town is very small and quaint and absolutely beautiful at that. One of the things that I immediately noticed when I got here was how crisp and clean the air was compared to London. Not only is the air cleaner, but it also smells a lot better. London on the other hand has a very New York dirty smell to it.

While we were visiting the birthplace and home of Shakespeare, the entire experience felt very surreal to me.  I think the reason that I find it so hard to believe that Shakespeare was real (yes, I know he was an actual person) is that there is not really anyone that I can think of today that has had such an impact on the world. Stratford-upon-Avon’s thing is that Shakespeare was from here and most things are Shakespeare related from that. Being able to walk into his home was crazy and surreal in its own way.

Thankfully, we have progressed to the motorized vehicle and use that for a majority of our travel. Those traveling from London to SUA were not so lucky and probably had to go by horse or carriage. The roads of the time were either cobblestone or dirt so the ride to and fro would be incredibly uncomfortable.

On the first day, some of us went and sat on benches by the Ferris wheel and water admiring how stunning this little town is. While sitting, we realized this is the most at home any of us have felt. The park felt like we were sitting at home, and it was the most peaceful I have been on this trip.  I have been lucky enough to find a group that I can call my family and I know that we will still be in contact and have each other’s back no matter how far we are. I cannot thank Shawn and study abroad enough for giving me this chance to make my dreams a reality and make unbreakable bonds while doing so.

Here is a final goodbye from the A of the ABCD’S better known as Abby, Ben, Cass, Dru, and Shiloh aka the Scrumps.

June 19th, 2022

My time in Stratford-Upon-Avon has been nothing short of picturesque. Walking down the streets and alleyways where Shakespeare spent parts of his life has been rewarding in and of itself. The town differs from London dramatically, and while I love London for being the great vibrant city it is, I definitely appreciate the quiet nature that Stratford-Upon-Avon has to offer. Aside from the majority of the town going to sleep at a whopping 6pm, I really have enjoyed exploring the city, its shops, and its ghost adventures. 

One of my favorite parts of being in Stratford-Upon-Avon the past few days was exploring Shakespeare’s place of birth. I honestly probably took too many pictures, as the future teacher in me will bore my students by showing them the pictures I took of the home. (I already have a plan in my head to make a powerpoint with these pictures for if and when we go through a Shakespeare unit.) I hope that through these experiences, I will encourage my students to study and explore the life of Shakespeare, along with potential plays of his that we read in the classroom. I believe that learning an author’s background is just as important as studying the work itself, so hopefully I will be able to give them a different and unique perspective about his life having been in Stratford-Upon-Avon myself. 

Wrapping up the trip, I am very appreciative of all of the sights I have gotten the chance to see. I have always wanted to study abroad, as I remember being in high school imagining where I would end up studying. With the pandemic, I thought this idea would only stay a dream, but I am so glad that this opportunity was given to me. Living in England for four weeks has been wonderful (aside from not having cheese dip but that is another story). 

Reflecting on this trip, I have thought long and hard about what has been the most memorable thing I did, what has made me laugh, what has made me feel most alive. However, with this study abroad experience, there is not a single moment that stands out amongst them all. There are so many memories that will stay with me, all of which I will hold dear and appreciate. From looking at the London skyline at the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, reaching the top of Primrose Hill, trying Bao from Chinatown, and watching Mamma Mia the musical -of course- there are so many memories I will look back on fondly. Each day of this trip has given me a reason to laugh, to smile, and to appreciate the little things in everyday life. England, it has been a pleasure. Until next time.

-Maggie Martin

A guide to eating in London

By Isaac Overman

June 18 2022

Table of Contents

A. Best 25 list

B. Best cheap eats

C. Best individual items

D. Best markets

E. Tips to maximize eating in London

Introduction: Food is personal for me. It is one of the main reasons that I chose this trip. I love every bite, every savory note, every sting of acid, every rush of sugar and every meal that I have. Not all food is created equal but it all seeks the same goal of making us whole again. My advice for eating in London is to just go out and have great food. It is tempting to spend all your time and money on theatre but I urge you to take the time and have a truly special meal. I promise that you will not regret it.

A. These are the best 25 restaurants that I had in London and Bath

1. Da Terra: Brazilian and Italian. Best of the best. I hope to make food like this someday. Simply the best I have ever had. Amazing service and ambiance. No frills just amazing food. Tasting menu style. Michelin two stars. Price paid: $400
   1. Rating 11/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Expression of Chicken
   1. You will need a reservation, book weeks in advance
   1. Time dining: three hours
   1. Location: 8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF
2. Seven Park Place by William Drabble: French. Second best for a reason. Amazing service and ambiance. Tasting menu style. Michelin one star. Price paid: $280
   1. Rating 10/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Foie Gras with ginger done three ways
   1. You will need a reservation, book weeks in advance
   1. Time dining: three hours
   1. Location: 7-8 Park Pl, St. James’s, London SW1A 1LS
3. The Ninth: French. This was the hardest and most contested spot on the list as it beats out the number 4 spot. Good service and ambiance. Three course menu style. Michelin one star. Price paid: $70
   1. Rating 9.5/10
   1. Stand-out dish: The Sea Bass Carpaccio with Salsa Verde
   1. You will need a reservation, book days in advance
   1. Time dining: hour and a half
   1. Location: 22 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NB
4. Sketch the Lecture Room and Library. Modern European. Good food but it struggles next to the extravagance of the service and the environment. If this list was based on experience rather than taste this would be over the Ninth but it ultimately just did not taste as good to me. The best service and ambiance possible. Tasting menu style. Michelin three star. Price paid: $550
   1. Rating 9/10
   1. Stand-out dish: the Grand Desert
   1. You will need a reservation, book months in advance
   1. Time dining: three hours
   1. Location: 9 Conduit St, London W1S 2XG
5. Gymkhana: Indian. Stunning food. A bit dark but great environment. A great meal to save for. Tasting menu and course styles. Michelin one star. Price paid: $130 but can be done for $50 comfortably.
   1. Rating 9/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Chicken Tikka Masala
   1. You will need a reservation, book a week in advance
   1. Time dining: two hours
   1. Location: 42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH
6. Bancone: Italian. One of the best bang for your buck meals out there. An amazing option for a nicer lunch. Great environment. Course meal style. Bib Gourmand Michelin rating (just under a star). Price paid: $30
   1. Rating 9/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Mushroom Ravioli
   1. You do not have to have a reservation but it is advised
   1. Time dining: an hour
   1. Location: 39 William IV St, London WC2N 4DD
7. The Elder: Country-side. Very traditional food done very well. Felt like I was in a hunting lodge. Course meal style. Michelin recommended (the lowest of the five levels). Price paid: $50
   1. Rating 8.8/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Venison (deer meat)
   1. You do not have to have a reservation but it is advised
   1. Time dining: an hour
   1. Location: 2-8 S Parade, Bath BA2 4AB
8. Hoa Sen: Vietnamese. The best Pho I have ever had. Small but pleasant restaurant. Great food for a budget dinner. Super filling. Kind staff. Menu style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $18
   1. Rating 8.7/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Saigon Sate Pho
   1. You do not have to have a reservation
   1. Time dining: hour and a half
   1. Location: 22 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5RH
9. Bun House: Cantonese. Bao Buns need no further explanation. Small but pleasant. Menu style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $12
   1. Rating 8.7/10
   1. Stand-out dish: Lamb Bao Bun
   1. You do not have to have a reservation but arrive early as this is a popular spot
   1. Time dining: hour and a half
   1. Location: 26-27 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BA
10. Pataka SOHO Bar and Kitchen: Indian. Cool environment and close to the West-End. Menu style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $20
    1. Rating 8.7/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Biryani
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 53 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LB
11. Hiba Street Food: Lebanese. Cramped by worth it. One of the best bang for your buck Menu style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $15
    1. Rating 8.7/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Spicy Humus
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: an hour
    1. Location: 10 Tottenham St, London W1T 4RD
12. North Sea Fish: British. Pick-up or sit down. The best Fish and Chips that I had in London. Close to the Royal National Hotel. Just a great piece of fish. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $14
    1. Rating 8.6/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Cod and Chips
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 7-8 Leigh St, London WC1H 9EW
13. Half Cup: Breakfast. Long wait time but worth it. Best breakfast I found. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $18
    1. Rating 8.6/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict.
    1. You do not have to have a reservation but show up as early as you can. Expect to wait
    1. Time dining: an hour
    1. Location: 100-102 Judd St, London WC1H 9NT
14. The Lemon Tree: Thai-Pub fusion. Great Drink and Food. Bizarre combo works so well.  Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $12
    1. Rating 8.5/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Soya Noodles
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 4 Bedfordbury, London WC2N 4BP
15. Busaba: Thai. Good for larger groups. Good Thai just not as good as The Lemon Tree. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $30
    1. Rating 8.5/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Street Noodles
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 106-110 Wardour St, London W1F 0TR
16. Box: Middle-eastern. Food truck with great shawarma. One of the best dirt cheap meals. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $8
    1. Rating 8.4/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Shawarma
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: half hour
    1. Location: CM34+7R, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9EU
17. Taste of Chongqing: Chinese. Solid choice and right under the hotel. Nobody speaks English, but if you know that there should be little problem. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $20
    1. Rating 8.3/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Braised Beef Noodle Soup.
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 40-42 Woburn Pl, London WC1H 0JR
18. Café TPT: Cantonese. Good but could be better. Beware of bones in the meat, it is common to cut chicken through the bone and this can be a hazard but unless careless should not be a problem. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $15
    1. Rating 8.2/10
    1. Chicken Rice
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 21 Wardour St, London W1D 6PN
19. Roti King: Eastern Asia. Good food but you have to wait for a long time to eat. And that sets it back on my list. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $20
    1. Rating 8.1/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Roti
    1. You do not have to have a reservation but arrive early as this is a popular spot.
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 40 Doric Way, London NW1 1LH
20. TrattoriaVerdi: Italian. Solid and cheap. Open till 1am. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $8
    1. Rating 8/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Pizza
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 110 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4BL
21. Prima Saporid’Italia: Italian. Less good version of Trattoria Verte. Decent ambiance. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $15
    1. Rating 8/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Pesto Pasta
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: Jubilee Market Hall, 1-13 Tavistock St, London WC2E 8BE
22. Bala Baya: Israeli. Arguably the biggest disappointment. It was so expensive to eat here for what was average food at best. The only reason it is here is because the food was 8/10 but it cost so much and took three to four mains to become even mildly full it lands here.  Loud music and little warning about the menu. Small Plate Menu Style. Michelin Recommended. Price paid: $60   
    1. Experience Rating 6/10, Food Rating 8/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Humus.
    1. It is not required but is a good idea to book the day of
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: Arch 25, Old union yard arches, 229 Union St, London SE1 0LR
23. 28-50 Oxford Circus: British. I had a great time here because I had a bunch of people go with me but had that not been the case there were a few glaring weaknesses in the food. It was also extremely loud and about $40 too pricy. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $70
    1. Rating 7.5/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Burrata
    1. You do not have to have a reservation but it helps
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 4 Great Portland St, London W1W 8QJ
24. Street Easy: It says Caribbean but basically Americana. Average in every sense of the word. It is a little pricy but inflation will do that to a place. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $20
    1. Rating 7.5/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Birra Tacos
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 55-57 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL
25. Nonos Kings Cross: Mediterranean. Good food for the price of great food. They messed up one of my favorite foods—moussaka which in my mind is pretty unforgivable. But still okay if that is all you have. Menu Style. No Michelin rating. Price paid: $30
    1. Rating 7/10
    1. Stand-out dish: Drink menu
    1. You do not have to have a reservation
    1. Time dining: hour and a half
    1. Location: 112 Judd St, London WC1H 9NT

B. Best cheap eats

1. Hoa Sen: great Vietnamese food. It is easy to do a meal here for $15 and be stuffed. The Pho and fresh rolls are to die for.

2. Bun House: If you want great Bao this is the place. For 11 pounds you get four extremely large Bao Buns that would fill a giant up.

3. Hiba Street Food: killer food for the value. I had to waddle home after this one and all for the low price of $15. It is hard to beat that.

4. North Sea Fish: when in London have Fish and Chips. This place offers a massive portion for under $15 that I could not even finish. It is fresh fish, beer battered and fried to perfection.

5. Roti King: really tasty Roti which is not the most common thing in America, so it can offer new flavors and a break from the monotony of Tesco’s.

C. Best Items

1. Fish and Chips – North Sea Fish

2. Best Pub food – Hung, Drawn and Quartered

3. Eastern Asain – Hoa Sen

4. Indian – Gymkhana

5. Main course – Da Terra’s Expression of Chicken

6. Starter – Hiba’s Humus

7. Dessert – The Ninth’s Carbonated Rhubarb Cheesecake

8. Cream Tea – British museum

D. Best Markets

1. Borough Market: this was my favorite and the best for anyone who loves food. The options are crazy here from fresh fish to exotic chesses to homemade olive oils. Some of the best things to look for is the fried rice that they make with different proteins. The sheer quantity of food here makes it impossible to sample everything but hold yourself back if you do not have to have something because I promise you there is enough food that you will have to have to fill you up. Plus they have the best spice shop I have ever seen.

2. Camden Market: Another foodie paradise but there is much more here than street food. The thrift scene is very strong and there are more clothing stores than food stalls. Some of the highs are fresh orange juice. It is expensive but trust me it is totally worth it. Camden has one of the largest selection of middle-eastern food, so try and get spiced lamb and some different kinds of wraps. There are a few famous stalls in Camden that are world renowned for their innovative flavors. But those are for you to find.

3. Spitalfields Market: Number three on the list but definitely not because it is not great just because your food options are more limited. More of the usual food carts are restaurants which makes the area feel more cramped which can be a hindrance when it comes to just trying to get some good food. This is an awesome place to thrift and is an excellent place to pick up unique and personalized gifts for family and friends back home.

E. Tips and Tricks when Eating in London

1. Have a plan. Know what you want before you start to look. This seems simple enough but having a basic idea of what you want and home much you are looking to spend can be a major help when searching for what you want.

2. If you can book a reservation—do it. This one is a must. You do not live here and you do not know how busy certain places will be. My rule of thumb is if it is over $25 I try and book it. This ties into tip one by having a good plan—you can book ahead and make your life so much easier.

3. Read reviews. I do not mean you need to read all thousand reviews but try and look at the most recent two or three and compare it to the overall. This helps me narrow down my choices.

4. Try not to eat a lot in one sitting. This is only for markets but when you are at a market think quality over quantity. You want to sample rather than get just one place. When I went to Borough, I had four or five small portions and was able to try whatever I wanted as long as I did not eat more than a small portion of whatever I got.

5. Tesco is your friend. Budgeting is crucial to your trip. I ate the complementary breakfast at the hotel most days and had Tesco’s for one of the remaining two meals. This helps save money for a nicer lunch or dinner.

This has been my guide to eating in London.

Stratford-upon-Avon has had an air of familiarity since we arrived. There is a tone and atmosphere which reminds me of small-town America in some ways. If it weren’t for the historic tudor architecture everywhere, you could probably convince me that I was tucked into a small river town in Michigan, rather than just a few hours outside of London.

My first evening was filled with a good deal of exploring. Thus far, I’ve been surprised at how much of this already-tiny town is dedicated to green recreation space. The riverfront in the center of town is sandwiched between two wonderful parks, one with benches and fountains and the other a sprawling lawn with willows lining the waterfront. It’s such a picturesque scene, it’s difficult not to romanticize as the swans flock to each bank hoping for morsels. It seems that the people of Stratford are no strangers to leaning into the weekend, Friday evening at the park was full of picnics, drinking, and general shenanigans from the locals. I found myself climbing a tree with Ben, probably the first time I had shimmied up one since I started college. From the top, it was possible to look down the river to the footbridge and see the new Ferris Wheel towering over the park.

It is clear that the town is proud of its claim-to-fame as the birthplace of Shakespeare. It’s difficult to walk a block in town without finding a reference to him somewhere. I enjoyed seeing the house that he was born in, and also thought the visit to the site of his home later in life, where he eventually died, was worthwhile. Of course, it is easy to wish that such a significant site had never been torn down in the first place, but the gardens that occupy the site now give a great opportunity to contemplate Shakespeare’s contributions to the world.

I’m happy that this is where we’re wrapping up the trip. It feels like a soft close after a month of constant activity in London.

At the beginning of the Theatre and Performance section of the Victoria and Albert Museum, you’re greeted with two rooms that contain quiet relics related to ballet dance. It surprised me, honestly, that so much of the exhibit was dedicated to the study of ballet because it’s not something that I immediately associate with theatre, or at least, not as a thesis statement for a theatre exhibit. However, when walking through halls of dance costumes, I was struck by the tension of how small and fragile these dresses appear compared to the strength required of the dancers. Charts of exercises and photos of dancers in training line the walls as testaments to the years of work required to perform in this field. 

            As I approached a photo of Adeline Genée in The Dryad, I couldn’t help but think of Laura Wingfield. Genée stands on pointe looking back at the photographer as she lifts a tree branch towards the sky. The wall text explains that The Dryad is “the story of a nymph trapped in an oak tree and only released once every ten years…she falls in love with a shepherd and is in despair when, a decade later, she finds he has been unfaithful” (Adeline Genée in The Dryad-1915). Every ten years the nymph is set free from the home that has become her cage, but ten years is a long time to wait. If you’re confined by illness, anxiety, or fear for ten years, you miss out on a lot of life. For me, this is the essence of who Laura Wingfield is: her mental and physical disabilities paralyzed her for so long that she struggles to catch up with her peers and enter the world of the living. 

            Yet, seeing these costumes on display made me realize why I disliked the take on Laura that we saw at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Lizzie Annis’s rendition of Laura was much more childlike than I expected her to be, and maybe this choice was the director’s interpretation of Laura’s mental illness. However, I think what we missed from Annis’s performance was Laura’s strength. Despite the ways in which her disorder, and her inability to receive help for that disorder, slowly make her world smaller, we see glimmers of the person that she could be rise to the surface. She acts as a peacemaker between Tom and Amanda, she “notices things” like Tom’s sadness (Williams, Act I, Scene IV) and takes them to heart, and of course, she very briefly begins to open up to Jim. Her illness may make her appear fragile like the glass menagerie that she treasures, but these glimpses of happiness show us how easily Laura could come alive again, if, like working a muscle or rehearsing a dance, she was to edge into the outside world more often. 

            In a similar sense, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s display of Margot Fonetyn’s costume in Les Sylphides appears small and unassuming at first glance. A gauzy, white tutu with a pink flower crown and the smallest, most delicate wings sits inside a glass case near the corner of the room. It’s almost hard to believe that something so small and ethereal housed a person as strong and capable as a world class ballerina. This blend of strength and fragility is, I think, what I wanted to see from a character like Laura. Yet, Annis’s take seemed to leave little room for hope for Laura Wingfield. 

After Jim kisses Laura in the Duke of York Theatre production that we saw, Annis’s Laura looked dazed and goofily happy, and the audience laughed at her naivete. A similar tone occurred as Laura argues with Amanda about opening the door for Jim and Tom. Annis shrugged as if trying to win over the audience, and again, there was a moment where they laughed at how avoidant she was. Maybe I’m being overtly critical, but I just didn’t understand the character in this way. Leaving room for a kind of pitying laughter implies that Laura exists so far away from the outside world that she’s an oddity that can never be comfortable in reality. In short, I wanted to believe that someday, even if it took another ten years after her encounter with Jim, Laura might gather enough courage to try and live again. I wanted to believe that Laura would grow to leave the apartment like Genée’s nymph continually breaks out of her tree. Jeremy Herrin’s production didn’t convince me of this. However, the Victoria and Albert museum made me realize just how possible it would have been to communicate Laura’s quiet strength even through something like costume design. 

More later,

Kath

Sources

Adeline Genée in The Dryad (1915). Wall text, Theatre and Performance Exhibit, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 

Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New Directions, 1999.  

Eating my way through London

Food Blog Post

By Isaac Overman

June 18 2022

What I am about to say might sound sacrilegious but I am afraid that I must, in the words of Shakespeare, “to myself be true.” The best theatre I saw was not on the West-End or in cramped fringe theatres—it was in the dining room. I see how this might seem offensive. After all this is a theatre trip not a cookery trip. When people think on what is art—things like literature, painting, music and theatre come to mind. However in my world, food is the highest art. This is not because it is the hardest or most beautiful but because it is the only art that is essential to our very existence. Do not get me twisted, plays have the potential to move people to tears or laughter which is precious to all that have attended this trip. But food is necessary for us to survive, and by making delicious food—we stimulate the body and the mind. I preface my food adventure with this because to understand what I ate it is essential to understand why I eat.

My food experiences on this trip are extensive. I have eaten at over thirty different restaurants from fine dining to street vendors. I could easily gush about the food I had at the most prestigious restaurants but I think that would undermine the city of London. This city has the most diverse offerings of food in the world period. And that is made clear from any market that you could visit. Instead, I want to talk about a little restaurant that I found that represents the food culture that I love so dearly. Tabi and I during the first week were trying to conserve some money but still wanted to eat good. This was partially due to the fact that I tend to blow through my weekly allowance in one or two meals. Nevertheless, I found a place that look cheap enough but seemed to be of quality. We entered Hiba Street Food around six. Within a few seconds we were seated at the end of a long, slender hallway in which the whole restaurant was contained. To put into perspective just how small it was, the entire thing was about the size of a hotel room. The smell as we sat eagerly waiting to order was some kind of torture. Hiba specialized in Lebanese cuisine which is similar to Greek and Mediterranean. I ordered some spicy humus, one of my favorites. Our waiter brought out fresh pita and some of the most creamy and salivating humus that I have ever had. I ordered Lahem Meshwi which is a dish of skewered lamb and spiced rice. The lamb was tender and juicy with the just the right amount of spice. The rice was fluffy and sucked up the leftover juices of the lamb which packed each granule with even more umami. We finished our meal with some flakey baklava. The best part is that for a starter, two mains and desert it was only thirty euros. The food was not fancy. There were no frills. Only flavor unadulterated by the accoutrement of modern dining. I will later write a second food blog giveng my food awards and recommendations. Bon Appetit mes amis.  

My favorite part of studying abroad in London has been all the theatre that we have watched. In the three weeks we spent here I have seen 14 plays and each of those in some element have been some of the most impressive shows I have ever seen. Life of Pi had the best use of special effects I had ever seen, Six won a Tony for best costume the night I saw it, and 2:22 created suspense in a way that I had never experienced before in a theatre. All of these were incredible but at the end of the trip, one of my favorite acting performances belonged to someone performing off of West End, David Walmsley as Agamemnon in Girl on an Alter. Girl on an Alter was performed at the Kiln Theatre and was one of the only fringe shows I saw while in London. Despite our theatre group as a whole having mixed opinions about this show, I enjoyed so much, and mostly because of Walmsley. This guy was born for this role and he absolutely dominated every scene he was in. Despite him physically being an absolute unit, this guy perfectly played the role of an alpha male obsessed with his own power and glory while simultaneously allowing his humanity to shine through just enough to keep him redeemable in a story where he murders his own child. As an actor, I could only imagine how much time he spent shaping this character mannerisms. Everything move he made projected power and arrogance right down to the walk and posture and voice that he maintained throughout the whole play. Despite some of the supporting cast performing at a lower level than Walmsley, I took away from the experience that even at a fringe show can you see an actor at the top of their game who can show you a performance like you’ve never witnessed before.