Drury Lane Theatre -- and other events

Sunday night I didn't sleep well and wound up waking up at 5:30 am or so, before getting up at 7 am to get ready for classes. For all its bad start, however, it was a lovely day, which just goes to show that the girl in the old fairy tale, Catherine and her Destiny was right. It is better to have an unhappy "youth" and a happy old age then a happy youth and a miserable old age. It is better to have the good things ahead of you. 

Ahem. Anyways. The day started out with psychology class, which was on interviews and c.vs . . . (what we Americans know as resumes) it was weird, but I like the professor (yes, I know I said that it wasn't common for them to be called that, but the woman has a doctorate, so I'm calling her a professor, ok??) so it was alright. After that we had the lab section in which I got to talk to some very nice students (labs themselves are a tad boring) and then I was headed to my London Stage class. On the way there, for my lunch, I snagged a Cornish Steak Pastry. When I bit into it, I was not impressed. It tasted very dry. I took another bite. It tasted better. I took a third. It was amazing. After that, I finished it in minutes. *That* is definitely something I would like to learn to cook! 

But the best was yet to come. I arrived early on Hollins' London "campus", which was lucky, because we were going on an outing for our class and I arrived just in time (the head of the program had emailed us that morning but I'd been sleep deprived enough that I hadn't thought to read them) and then we were whisked off to Drury Lane Theatre. They're currently playing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. At first, I thought we were going to see the show! But, sadly, no. However, we got one better -- a backstage tour! The company is the oldest in the world -- in that they've been putting on shows consistently the longest. They also had the second female actress in the world. 

The tour was nothing short of amazing and I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone who is curious. 

I did, of course, take photos.

Entrance. Lots of Statues. 

King's Drawing Room. Apparently Her Majesty still uses this way!

Chandelier from actual good crystal. 

One of the two guides. They were in costume the whole time. And in character! They were very funny. 

Part of the theater. We couldn't take pictures of the auditorium because there was a rehearsal going on but we got to go and see it -- it was gorgeous -- and the bit we got to see of the show was amazing! 

There are apparently a lot of ghost stories in this theater  -- over 500 ghosts apparently! 

The main tunnel where a lot of them are supposed  to happen. They dimmed the lights of course, spooky. 

A blurry shot of the two, very talented, tour guides. 

After the tour, I headed back home. Before I got there, though, while we were leaving the west end, my flatmate grabbed my -- and the girl on the other side of her who is also in the class -- her eyes went wide. Apparently Tom Hiddleston had just past us. I was nonplussed. I don't understand the shine of famous people. Well. Actor famous people, anyways. I realized the people I admire are either writers, my family and friends, or dead. Mostly the latter. Haha. It's harder to fall off that horse when you're dead. I actually had to look up this Tom guy though. Apparently he's very famous. I knew the name. I've just actually never seen any of his movies  . . . 

Anyways. Lovely day and I loved the whole tour bit.

More later --

~ E