WESTON
PLAYHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE
8th ANNUAL
LONDON THEATRE TOUR • January 6-15, 2009
PROPOSED
ITINERARY
Note:All events subject to change, owing to performance schedules and availability of guest speakers.
Tuesday 6 January
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We will recommend a Tuesday morning flight from Boston Logan Airport, coinciding with a comparable flight from NY JFK. Steve Stettler will be on this flight. Tour members arriving at other times and from other airports must arrange their own transportation to the hotel. |
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| PM |
Arrive at London Airport. Welcome by Tour Director Giles Ramsay. Transfer by private coach to The Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel, a four-star luxury hotel located in London’s West End, minutes from Oxford Street, Regents Park and the British Museum. Hotel amenities include complimentary high-speed internet, an exercise room and 24-hour room service. All rooms will be available for speedy check-in upon arrival. |
Wednesday 7 January
| AM |
Briefing at the hotel on all aspects of the tour including optional performances, exhibitions and recommended restaurants. Get acquainted and review welcome packets. Following the briefing, our guides will lead a short walking tour of the neighborhood, pointing out the nearest banks/ATM’s, post office, Tube stop, shops and restaurants. |
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Performance One: Perhaps a West End Play, a hit play or musical at one of London’s historic theatres such as The Haymarket, The Gielgud or The Lyric. As London’s West End continues to evolve and build even stronger links with Broadway, this is a chance to enjoy a production of the highest quality available anywhere in the world. |
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| EVE |
We will travel by coach to Mayfair for a traditional London Welcome Dinner in the private boardroom of the Guinea Grill, a favorite from past tours. In a quaint mews just off famed Berkeley Square, this antique pine-paneled dining room sits above a quiet old English pub dating back to 1755. Return to hotel by coach. |
Thursday 8 January
| AM |
The State We Are In. A discussion with a leading Journalist or Political Commentator such as Polly Toynbee of The Guardian or Steve Richards of The Independent on major issues of the day: Government, Europe, UK/US relations.
AFTERNOON FREE – a good time to explore the neighborhood or write those postcards. |
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| EVE |
Performance Two: Either a production at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden or the Almeida Theatre in its smartly renovated home in Islington. Under artistic directors Michael Grandage and Michael Attenborough, these companies are attracting major artists and a hip, vibrant audience to their intimate spaces and offbeat locations.
Optional post-performance drinks and informal discussion at the hotel. Compare notes with your tour mates and guides over your favorite late-night libation. |
Friday 9 January
| AM |
A private visit to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where Olivier, Gielgud, Branah and McKellen were trained, where we will have the rare opportunity to observe a private Acting Master Class with RADA students and one of the academy’s senior tutors. Recently refurbished, RADA is one of the finest drama schools in the world.
AFTERNOON FREE. |
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| EVE |
Performance Three: Perhaps a production at one of London’s up-and-coming fringe companies, such as the Menier Chocolate Factory, a reclaimed 19th century factory near London Bridge where the acclaimed West End revival of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George originated, or the 70-seat Gate Theatre in Notting Hall, where director Stephen Daldry (Billy Eliot) got his start.
Private post-performance discussion with a member of the cast. |
Saturday 10 January
| AM |
Discussion Session with Steve Stettler. A chance to talk with members of the group about the first three productions we have seen. Sharpen your critical skills and compare opinions in a friendly and stimulating atmosphere. |
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Performance Four: Perhaps at the Royal National Theatre, experiencing a renaissance under the directorship of Nicholas Hytner. Based on London’s South Bank, the National offers an unrivalled range of classics, musicals and new plays. With three active stages, several cafes and a fine bookstore, the RNT remains the flagship for British Theatre.
EVENING FREE – perhaps to catch a play of your choice or enjoy a special dinner. |
Sunday 11 January
| AM |
We meet with an art expert who will give us an in-depth introduction to today’s art exhibition. We will then board our private coach to visit a Major Art Exhibition – perhaps at the Royal Academy, Tate Britain or The National Gallery.
AFTERNOON FREE. |
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| EVE |
Optional Event: Attend a Classical Concert at one of London’s leading musical venues such as the recently renovated Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican or Wigmore Hall, or enjoy Choral Evensong at an historic London church. (Details/cost to be announced.) |
Monday 12 January
| AM |
We meet with an actor involved in a show we have seen.
AFTERNOON FREE. |
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| EVE |
Performance Five: Perhaps at The Old Vic, revitalized under actor Kevin Spacey’s committed artistic direction. One of London’s oldest theatres, the Old Vic has seen such immortal productions as Peter O’Toole’s Hamlet, Laurence Olivier’s Othello, and Spacey’s own The Iceman Cometh. |
Tuesday 13 January
| AM |
We meet with a Guest Speaker – a director, artistic director, writer or designer linked to one of the shows we have seen.
AFTERNOON FREE. |
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| EVE |
Performance Six: Perhaps at the smartly renovated Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, where the English Stage Company continues a 50-year tradition as the country’s major focus for new writing. |
Wednesday 14 January
| AM |
Discussion Session with Steve Stettler. A chance to discuss the last three plays we’ve seen, followed by the ever-popular Critical Round-Up, where you can compare your views with one of London’s leading critics, perhaps Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph or Kate Bassett of The Sunday Independent.
AFTERNOON FREE – a last chance to shop, take in a matinee, or begin to pack. |
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| EVE |
Farewell Dinner. We travel by coach to the heart of Marylebone for a final evening of food and fellowship in a private room at Home House. Built as a palace of entertainment for the Countess of Home in the 18th century, Home House is now an exclusive private club with members such as Madonna and Jude Law. It is a venue of astonishing grandeur, with its drawing rooms, superbly preserved neoclassical interiors and fine antique chandeliers. (Jacket and tie recommended.) |
Thursday 15 January
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Departure for US (coaching provided only to coincide with the recommended group flight). Luggage outside rooms for porter pick-up and an early breakfast precede departure by coach for the airport, with check-in assistance from Giles and Steve. |
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ABOUT OUR TOUR GUIDE
Our professional tour guides will again be Giles Ramsay. A former director of London Arts Discovery Tours, Giles runs independent cultural tours for North American non-profit theatres and for the U.S.-based Elderhostel, including lectures on the Queen Mary 2 as it sails from New York to London. Previously Director of Studies for Summer Schools in Drama at the University of Edinburgh, Giles was educated at the universities of London, Cambridge, Durham, and at RADA. The founder of Developing Artists, he is currently working in Mexico, Zimbabwe and Cape Verde. He recently co-wrote and directed a new play which premiered at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe during the Harare International Festival of the Arts, subsequently touring to Edinburgh and London.
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>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE
LONDON TOUR ITINERARY
>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LONDON
TOUR SUMMARY
>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW TERMS
& CONDITIONS
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