Day Fifteen – The Globe Theatre & St Paul’s Cathedral
Today was our last day in London but easily one of our best! We had some incredible weather, traversed the better part of Southbank along the river Thames, got a behind the scenes look at the Globe Theatre, had an incredible acting workshop from world class performers, and trekked all the way to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral! It was a busy day to say the least but definitely one for the books.
Our morning in London started with our tour of the Globe Theatre. While the original theatre burned down back in 1613 while they were performing the play King Henry VIII, the theatre that we were in today was built in 1997 and is nearly identical to the original design. The students were able to stand stage side as the cast of a new play had a rehearsal and were then able to taste of bit of the high life when we toured the balcony seating. In the days of Shakespeare, people would only need to pay one penny to stand in front of the stage and 6-10p for the “rich seats”. Today standing tickets go for around 5 GBP while the balcony seating goes for around 65.
Following our tour of the globe we headed off to the rehearsal and training centre for the real Shakespeare actors and had a workshop with one of the actual performers! It was an incredibly engaging experience that taught the value in Shakespeare’s work in a captivating nature. Following our workshops, we had a lovely picnic in front of the Tate Modern over looking some of the most incredible views of London!
After concluding our lunch, we headed from Southbank over to St. Paul’s Cathedral via the Millennium Bridge. Upon arriving at the Cathedral, students had the option to look around the main gallery/ crypt, or head straight to the top! For those who trekked to the top, we conquered the daunting 528 steps to the top gallery reaching an incredible 85m in the air! The views from the top were certainly worth breaking a sweat for and provided some incredible photo opportunities. Along with some incredible views of the city, at the Cathedral we were able to visit the tomb of Lord Nelson, who we learned about just yesterday at Portsmouth!
After a busy day of sightseeing and exploration, many enjoyed a quick nap on the coach ride back to Cranleigh. We had another incredible meal here on campus and finished out the day with a few voluntary activities! It certainly was a busy day, but definitely one that the students will remember!
Parker
