I went on the London Theatre Tour by myself. Because no one I know wanted to see seven shows in seven days. It turned out to be nine shows in eight days. Even better. And now I know 34 other people like me. 

We’re the ones who get it. We know that Art, with a capital A, in a very meaningful way, is the basis of human expression. Through Art, we attempt to understand our place in the world. We articulate our joy and our sorrow. We celebrate victories and mourn losses. It touches us all and reminds us who we are.

A quote attributed to Winston Churchill says it succinctly. During the war, as England was desperately trying to hold on, an advisor suggested that they take money designated for the Arts to aid in the war effort.  Churchill reportedly replied, “Without the Arts, what are we fighting for?”

For me, theatre combines all of the arts, including music, dance, storytelling, ritual, color, spectacle, costume and poetry, into one exquisite experience. Nothing can compare to the thrall of live theatre. What makes it so special is the “liveliness” of it. We are in the room where the art happens, and are therefore part of its creation.  Every performance is different because every audience is different.

Our itinerary included a 2000 year old play, Oedipus Rex, with a modern twist: the “plague” the town suffers is climate change. The newest play, Dear England, details England’s perennially losing football team, and gets updated every few months with England’s latest loss.

Operation Mincement, a true story about a plot to fool Hitler by planting fake top-secret documents on a corpse (it worked!) is done, incredibly, as a musical comedy, and in a way that no other art form can match. Five actors play six or seven characters each, with lightning speed changes, adding to the enjoyment and cleverness of it all.

Two Shakespeare plays, Richard II and Much Ado About Nothing, highlight the continuing relevance of this genius.

We also saw a timely play about an immigrant tailor, and a play about two families on opposite sides of the criminal justice system, demonstrating the power of restorative justice.

In addition to attending performances, the tour arranged for a couple of actors to meet with our group after their shows to answer our questions.

One morning, we had a wonderfully informative and enlightening talk about the origins of theatre by a renowned lecturer and producer.

Every evening after the show, we gathered in the hotel bar to share our thoughts and questions. This was a rare treat for me.

Total immersion did not mean no time for other pursuits. We had plenty of free time, and so visited museums, rode on double decker buses, and indulged in typical British cuisine: tea and scones, fish and chips, Guinness, and even a curry.

So, I would say that this is an item to cross off my bucket list, but the truth is, I want to do it again!