London has been the destination for this theater trip for the past 10 years, always in January..
This years trip is led again by Giles Ramsey, who arranges for all our shows and behind the scenes
tours and conversations. We are a group of 16, mostly from the Northern Stage area. Our new Executive Director, Russell Maitland was with us, as well as Peter Saccio. Peter is a retired professor of theater and Shakespeare specialist at Dartmouth College. He gave us quite a bit of background, and
contributed richly to a number of our post performance discussions. We had two hotels to choose from: The Grange Whitehall, and the Montague Hotel. They are located across the street from each other in the Bloomsbury area, just around the corner from the British Museum.
First day I arrived was Saturday, Jan . 12th. Rested most of the day and visited the British Museum around the corner from our hotel for lunch. Lovely restaurant up top there with even a mouse in the house!
Sunday, the 13th, the entire group took in a wonderful piano trio at Wigmore Hall. It was the Cassard/Grimal/Gastinel Trio. Works by Faure and Ravel.
Sherry and coffee after. Our bus took us on to a long lunch in a private room at restaurant "Les Deux
Salons" in Covent Garden. My favorite part was dessert... a luscious berry tartlike cake. We returned to the hotel at about 4:30... time to rest a while and enjoy life at the Montague Hotel .....
Here are the plays we saw: "Uncle Vanya"by Chekov.....at the Vaudeville Theatre, the Strand.
"Kiss me Kate" at the Old Vic! A Wonderful Cole Porter musical based on the Taming of the Shrew.
David Hare's "The Judas Kiss" starring Rupert Everett, about events in the life of Oscar Wilde, and a new play, "In the Republic of Happiness" by Martin Crimp. Also,
"The Magistrate" at the Olivier Theater at the National. A farce from the late 1800s, Victorian era, by Arthur Wing Pinero.....Starring John Lithgow and Josh McGuire. What a treat being at the National, the amazing sets and a few dazzling moments in the performances. Nice Jazz in the lobby topped it off.
We have had some really interesting talks with Steve Richards, Political journalist for the Independent...
Sam West, who played Astrov in Uncle Vanya, Sir Trevor NUNN, famous British Director WOW! formerly of the RSC, The National Theater, and now the Artistic Director at the Theater Royal, Haymarket... and Josh McGuire, who played the young character in Magistrate. Very young and getting a great start to his career! The group also met with the lead actress from Kiss Me Kate ( Hannah Waddington) and with Kate Bassett, a theatre critic. I missed the last two as I was off running around London with Ray.
Lunch on Thursday at "Latium" on Berners Street ( very good Italian) with Norwood and Joannah Long and Barbara Jones. Then we went down to the Tate Modern and saw some of the actual
Mark Rothko paintings that were the subject of the play "Red" from last season at Northern Stage.
Tonight ( Friday) will be "The Judas Kiss" by DAvid Hare at the Duke of York Theater. Today Ray joined me and we went to lunch At "Galvin at Windows " Restaurant in the London Hilton Hotel Park Lane.
Wonderful food and VIEWS on a SNOWY London afternoon.... they had a nice prix fixe lunch with 2 courses for 25 pounds and coffee after in a Great Bar!!
The DAvid Hare play, "The Judas Kiss" was a really excellent drama about two major events in the life of Oscar Wilde..... when he was arrested for "indecent acts" and after his imprisonment when he rejoined his lover "Bosie" ( Sir Alfred Douglas) in Naples..... highly recommended!
Saturday was our last Day in London. Ray and I went on a great guided tour of the Houses of Parliament ( just amazing and highly recommended), then to Joel Robuchon's "Atelier" restaurant (yum my!) Then we joined the group for a new play at the Royal Court Theatre called "In the Republic of Happiness" by Martin Crimp.
It was very modern and a bit bizarre and hard to follow....But lots of modern issues addressed.
Our group Farewell Dinner took place at the London Naval and Military Club on St James Place.
We drank, dined, and discussed our experiences over the past week. Good closure! Bravo to Giles Ramsey for planning and leading an excellent, and very rewarding week of theater !
Did I mention the weather? cold, snowy, slushy, messy! January is a terrible time to be in London.
After London, Ray and I flew to Malta to stay in Mdina at the Xara ( Shara) Palace hotel.
Church in Mdina
Traditional houses in Cathedral Square , Mdina
The Mdina Cathedral
Rocky Grotto at the edge of Malta
Town Square: Lorraine ( our guide) lives here
A tranquil moment at Fort St Michael, Malta
Old Stone walls of Malta
The Co Cathedral of St. John in Valetta, Malta
Hallway in the Castle of the Knights Templar, circa 13th century
The Ancient walled city called Mdina.... our hotel, Xara Palace, was in here
Home on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd!
This years trip is led again by Giles Ramsey, who arranges for all our shows and behind the scenes
tours and conversations. We are a group of 16, mostly from the Northern Stage area. Our new Executive Director, Russell Maitland was with us, as well as Peter Saccio. Peter is a retired professor of theater and Shakespeare specialist at Dartmouth College. He gave us quite a bit of background, and
contributed richly to a number of our post performance discussions. We had two hotels to choose from: The Grange Whitehall, and the Montague Hotel. They are located across the street from each other in the Bloomsbury area, just around the corner from the British Museum.
First day I arrived was Saturday, Jan . 12th. Rested most of the day and visited the British Museum around the corner from our hotel for lunch. Lovely restaurant up top there with even a mouse in the house!
Sunday, the 13th, the entire group took in a wonderful piano trio at Wigmore Hall. It was the Cassard/Grimal/Gastinel Trio. Works by Faure and Ravel.
Sherry and coffee after. Our bus took us on to a long lunch in a private room at restaurant "Les Deux
Salons" in Covent Garden. My favorite part was dessert... a luscious berry tartlike cake. We returned to the hotel at about 4:30... time to rest a while and enjoy life at the Montague Hotel .....
Trafalgar Square in the Snow, with Big Ben in the fog.
"Kiss me Kate" at the Old Vic! A Wonderful Cole Porter musical based on the Taming of the Shrew.
David Hare's "The Judas Kiss" starring Rupert Everett, about events in the life of Oscar Wilde, and a new play, "In the Republic of Happiness" by Martin Crimp. Also,
"The Magistrate" at the Olivier Theater at the National. A farce from the late 1800s, Victorian era, by Arthur Wing Pinero.....Starring John Lithgow and Josh McGuire. What a treat being at the National, the amazing sets and a few dazzling moments in the performances. Nice Jazz in the lobby topped it off.
We have had some really interesting talks with Steve Richards, Political journalist for the Independent...
Sam West, who played Astrov in Uncle Vanya, Sir Trevor NUNN, famous British Director WOW! formerly of the RSC, The National Theater, and now the Artistic Director at the Theater Royal, Haymarket... and Josh McGuire, who played the young character in Magistrate. Very young and getting a great start to his career! The group also met with the lead actress from Kiss Me Kate ( Hannah Waddington) and with Kate Bassett, a theatre critic. I missed the last two as I was off running around London with Ray.
Lunch on Thursday at "Latium" on Berners Street ( very good Italian) with Norwood and Joannah Long and Barbara Jones. Then we went down to the Tate Modern and saw some of the actual
Mark Rothko paintings that were the subject of the play "Red" from last season at Northern Stage.
Tonight ( Friday) will be "The Judas Kiss" by DAvid Hare at the Duke of York Theater. Today Ray joined me and we went to lunch At "Galvin at Windows " Restaurant in the London Hilton Hotel Park Lane.
Wonderful food and VIEWS on a SNOWY London afternoon.... they had a nice prix fixe lunch with 2 courses for 25 pounds and coffee after in a Great Bar!!
The DAvid Hare play, "The Judas Kiss" was a really excellent drama about two major events in the life of Oscar Wilde..... when he was arrested for "indecent acts" and after his imprisonment when he rejoined his lover "Bosie" ( Sir Alfred Douglas) in Naples..... highly recommended!
Big Ben with the Eye in view... This was shot the day we visited Houses of Parliament.
Saturday was our last Day in London. Ray and I went on a great guided tour of the Houses of Parliament ( just amazing and highly recommended), then to Joel Robuchon's "Atelier" restaurant (yum my!) Then we joined the group for a new play at the Royal Court Theatre called "In the Republic of Happiness" by Martin Crimp.
Ray and Cyn at Atelier for Lunch
It was very modern and a bit bizarre and hard to follow....But lots of modern issues addressed.
Our group Farewell Dinner took place at the London Naval and Military Club on St James Place.
We drank, dined, and discussed our experiences over the past week. Good closure! Bravo to Giles Ramsey for planning and leading an excellent, and very rewarding week of theater !
Did I mention the weather? cold, snowy, slushy, messy! January is a terrible time to be in London.
After London, Ray and I flew to Malta to stay in Mdina at the Xara ( Shara) Palace hotel.
visited the South side of the island and the ancient temple there, then to the capital of Valletta with its Cathedral, harbor, museums and the hospital founded by the Knights of St John during the middle ages.
Church in Mdina
Traditional houses in Cathedral Square , Mdina
The Mdina Cathedral
Classic Fishing Village, Marsaxlokk
Rocky Grotto at the edge of Malta
Town Square: Lorraine ( our guide) lives here
Old Stone walls of Malta
The Co Cathedral of St. John in Valetta, Malta
Hallway in the Castle of the Knights Templar, circa 13th century
The Ancient walled city called Mdina.... our hotel, Xara Palace, was in here
Home on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd!
