Learning about and loving the West End

USAC London Metropolitan student Sloane Vuckovic shares her experience with theatre while abroad.

History, curiosity and shopping are what originally brought me to London, but the West End is what kept me connected. As someone with little experience in the theatre world, I decided to take a Theatre in London course at the London Metropolitan University during my time abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). I was led to this option after I expressed my interest in taking a London-specific course, and I was able to see six different shows throughout the semester.

Discussions and group presentations

As a biology major, I usually spend my time studying and doing schoolwork independently. The collaborative nature of the class was definitely a nice change of pace! By taking this class, I felt as though I was able to expand upon my collaborative and communication skills.

On the first day of class, students were randomly assigned to a group of five to six students who we would work with for the entire semester. We did mini projects throughout the semester and gave a presentation at the end of the semester for our final. Each presentation was required to focus on different elements of the playthat we had watched, ranging from the director’s background to the importance of stage lighting and how that affects the mood.

Going out on the town

Every other week, as part of our course, the class would take a field trip to a different theatre to watch a show. For some of the more well-known productions — like “Animal Farm” — we were able to have more context for what the show was about before we watched it.

But for some of the more niche shows, such as “Dear England,” we had no previous knowledge about the production. Watching live-action performances of familiar stories created a new perspective on it and brought those images to life. Students were encouraged to take notes, pick themes, and notice the unique intricacies of their assigned show to take back and discuss with their groups.

Who this class is best meant for

While some students in the class were already acquainted with all things theatre, truly, this course is meant for anyone. As a novice, I was slightly intimidated at first. The class was full of theatre majors and those who had a prior interest in the subject. But, I was able to enjoy the shows and understand the uniqueness of each play.

To be frank, as someone who had zero exposure to this world beforehand, I had a completely different perspective than those who had exposure. I would recommend this class to anyone — I was able to gain a deeper appreciation for those who have devoted so much time to this special art!

My interests now

After having found inspiration from this class, I decided to go to a few shows on my own in London. TodayTix became my new best friend, and I would frequentlysearch for shows. TodayTix is London’s primary search engine to find shows. This app showed all shows playing, with the cheapest prices on the calendar.

It was so fun to explore the different options of big ticket shows and small productions. When all was said and done, I had attended almost a dozen shows and would not have discovered this interest had it not been for this class. I have yet to attend productions in the U.S., but I cannot wait to go back into the theatre!

Sloane Vuckovic is a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) studying Biology and Political Science. When she’s not studying, she spends her time thrifting, going to Pilates, or playing card games. In the future, she hopes to become a pediatric dentist and travel around the world!

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Author

Melissa Beals