The Homestretch-- Wrapping up our time in London!

This experience in London has been nothing short of amazing for these students. We have done quite a bit since our day trip to Oxford and I’m going to catch you up! 

After Oxford, we came back to London where students spent the next afternoon and evening learning how to play the game of netball and ending the day with a barbeque. The students have had a lot of free time to explore Zones 1 and 2 in London– checking things off on their personal London bucket lists. A lot of students have been taking advantage of the free museums and abundance of live shows here!

In between their scheduled free time and class time, we have been busy with tours and shows. Some of our recent tours have been a street art tour, a tour of Shakespeare’s schoolroom and guild hall, the Cutty Sark and National Maritime Museum, and even Royal Albert Hall! William Shakespeare’s school room and guild hall was one of our excursions on our overnight trip to Stratford-upon-Avon– the birthplace of William Shakespeare himself. In fact, he is even buried there today! In the school room, they got to see what it was like to be a student back in Shakespeare’s days. Stratford-upon-Avon was a quaint little town settled on a canal home to swans and geese alike. It was a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Since Oxford, we have seen two more shows as a group with two more coming up! We saw Matilda in London at the Cambridge Theatre and the Merry Wives of Windsor at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The two we have to look forward to before our time here in London comes to a close are My Father’s Fable and The Grapes of Wrath. In their free time, the students have seen shows like Guys and Dolls, Sister Act, Next to Normal, and Mrs. Doubtfire. The wide range of styles of productions here has been incredible for the students to experience! 

While it has been a lot of fun and games, the students are working hard in their classes, as well! They are wrapping up their projects for the session, working in groups to finalize and perfect their very own play ideas. Everything we have done here in London has led up to this final moment and whether it be a live show or a museum providing historical context, these experiences will have shaped their final production in this class. The program leaders are so proud of all they have accomplished in London so far and can’t wait to see these final performances they have worked so hard on!