Program Description

London is the ideal location for a short-term study abroad course featuring live theatre during the winter semester break. Few cities in the world enjoy London’s reputation for theatrical tradition, and the city boasts over a hundred theatres which offer both mainstream and fringe productions to audiences of thousands each year. This three-week course will allow students to attend the best theatre London has to offer during the winter intersession.

Students have the opportunity to see a variety of plays which vary each year depending on what is in production at the time. The productions represent a wide range of drama from various genres that cover several centuries. In previous years, students have attended plays such as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Comedy of Errors, Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, the holiday panto Aladdin starring Sir Ian McKellan, Billy Elliot: the Musical, and numerous others. Typically, students see one Shakespearean or classical production and a revival of a major work, with the overall emphasis on modern drama.

Academics

The class will meet throughout the week for lecture and discussion, while attending three theatre performances each week. The class discussions will be used to read and discuss the productions seen, enriching the experience of seeing the live performances. Unlike drama courses taught on the UW-Madison campus, the London Theatre Program allows students to actually see all of the plays that they study. The course is taught by a faculty member from UW-Madison who serves as the Resident Director for the program. Students will have most afternoons free for exploring London.

Given the rapid pace of this course, students will be required to attend all class meetings, performances, and scheduled group activities, including tours. Students will be graded on the basis of class discussion and group participation, two written theater reviews for oral presentation, and a two-hour final essay examination.

Participants earn three credits of upper level course work, and can choose whether the class is recorded as English 508 or Theatre and Drama 538. All theatre tickets are included in the program fee, guaranteeing that students will have seats for some of the best theatre London has to offer.

Housing

Housing is also included in the program fee, and students live in the Kensington area within walking distance of the program center. Housing facilities will have a bathroom, kitchen, and living area provided. Grocery stores and restaurants are conveniently located nearby.

Excursions and Activities

Students will have the opportunity to go on backstage tours of the Globe Theatre and the National Theatre (which houses the Olivier, the Lyttleton, and the Cottlesloe Theatres all under one roof). Public transportation is easy to use in London, providing students with ample time to tour the city. In London, students will attend orientation sessions designed to introduce them to London as well as a local tour of their London neighborhood.