Meet in the hostel lobby at 5:00 to travel to Parnell Park.

Course materials

#UKinMay assignment: • Post an image that captures the essence of spectatorship at a sporting event, or the essence of watching hurling in Ireland.

EARLY MORNING, Friends. We will leave the hotel no later than 7:50, so please meet outside with your luggage at 7:45 to leave for Paddington Station, where we will travel to Euston Station. Know upfront…it’s a bit awkward to travel as a group with luggage on sidewalks and in the tube….we are likely to annoy morning commuters, but that’s not for us to worry about. Stay with the group, and hold the space you need.

Once we arrive at Euston (approx. 8:30), stay close by as we locate a place to buy sandwiches (like an M&S foods); Grab the sandwich of your choice and throw it in our basket. Just a sandwich; we will have other items (chips, fruit) to pass out on the train. Stay close again, as we wait for our track number to be posted. Don’t wander off and get stuck in a line for coffee, for example. When the track is posted, we need to get to the train, find our carriage, store our luggage, and find our seats. Have patience with Dr. Ibbs and I until we have a final count of everyone on the train.

Train leaves at 9:00 and the trip to Holyhead will take 3 hours and 45 minutes, barring any delays. Even if we arrive at 12:45, we will head directly to the ferry for boarding. Passengers must be boarded 60 minutes before departure, and we’re scheduled for departure at 2:40. The ferry is called the Dublin Swift, and should have us to Dublin in two hours. We will find an area where we can gather and have a class discussion. Afterwards, you are free to explore the cafe, shops, etc.

Once we dock at the Dublin Ferry Terminal, we will board the #53 bus to Mabbot St., which will take us almost to the doorstep of Jacob’s Inn.

Today is a two show day, so take the morning to yourself, and we will see you at the venue.

Kilburn is a vibrant neighborhood; consider arriving early for lunch; the Kiln also has a cafe. The show begins at 2:30, so arrive by 2:15.

Alternatively, you might consider a late lunch/early dinner after The Ballad of Hattie and James in Kilburn; the restaurants in the neighborhood around the Royal Court Theatre are likely to be more expensive. However, the Royal Court also has it’s own cafe, so you could journey there, arrive early, eat, explore, etc. Your choice.

Today’s post: •Reflect on the difference between spectators who attend new plays at Fringe theatres from those who attend plays on the West End or at the National Theatre. Take and post a photograph (not in the auditorium of either venue; this isn’t allowed) that expresses this difference.

Today’s Instagram Posts (Choose 2 out of 3)

1. Post a photo of a place, person, or thing, that represents what tourists may recognize as “British.”

2. Take a photo from the afternoon tea and write a short reflection on Instagram reflecting about the event as a performance.

3. Record and upload a video of you and one of your peers about 2 minutes in length. Discuss Les Misérables addressing what came through as British versus French. This can connect to dialects, themes, storytelling, etc. You can also discuss your favorite moments of the production.

11:00 am, Meet outside the hotel lobby, and we will travel to Leicester Square to begin our “Theatreland” walking tour with Sir Ian McKellen.

• Download the Voicemap app and podcast before leaving the hotel wifi

• Wear comfortable shoes for walking. and bring your earbuds or earphones.

• Keep an eye on your watch; if you are moving slowly, you can skip the end to get to tea for our reservation time.

2:00 pm, Meet back in Leicester Square at The Londoner (38 Leicester Square) for afternoon tea.

• Read “Culture as Tourism” course materials before tea.

• During tea, use the following questions to quide your table’s conversation:

  • What was the most interesting thing you learned on the walking tour?

  • How does the city feel different when experiencing its past in the present?

  • How might we consider afternoon tea a performance? Who are the spectators?

  • What is the role of the server? What gestures, langue, behaviors are they performing to produce a ‘quintessential’ British afternoon tea?

  • How does holding a teacup and saucer or eating a finger sandwich position your body or affect your behavior? Do you feel elegant? Do you feel silly? Do you feel like you are performing?

• After tea, you can continue to explore the area; we are only 4 minutes away from Shaftsbury Theatre, but feel free to roam as long as you are back at the theatre in time . Aim to be in your seat by 7:15 to observe spectatorship.

7:30 pm, Curtain for Les Misérables at the Shaftsbury Theatre.

As a reminder, we will be picking you up at the airport and taking you to the Days Inn London Hyde Park; be sure we have your flight information. Some rooms may not be available until the afternoon, so we’ll have your drop your bags and grab lunch until they are ready. Once you are checked in, I recommend taking a short nap…no more than 3 hours. To help with that, we will be having a first night dinner to celebrate our arrival.

Meet in the lobby at 5:30; we will walk to The Swan for dinner at 6:00.

After dinner, you are free to crash. Set your alarms for breakfast and plan to be ready to leave the hotel tomorrow at 9:00 am sharp for Buckingham Palace.