US Theater Students Travel to England for Performance at the Sidcot School

A small but intrepid band of MMFS thespians traveled to England as part of a trip that included a performance and exchange with the Sidcot School, an independent Quaker School in the South West of England (near Bristol).

Eight US theater students embarked on what Juleen Murray Shaw, Upper School Head Theatre Teacher, took to calling the “We’re so good we’re going on tour!” trip. The London portion of the trip was jampacked.  Accompanied by Juleen, Assistant Theatre Director (and US Ed Tech) Isabelle Pisini, Senior School Nurse Linda Natoli, and Associate Head Of School Beth Schneider, the troupe went sightseeing and soaked in the culture and history of London, taking in a few shows, and generally getting the benefit of international travel that is such an important part of the MMFS curriculum.

The group visited the Victoria and Albert Museum; took a tour bus around London; visited Buckingham Palace and the British Museum; took a backstage tour of the Globe Theatre; and saw productions of Othello, Heathers, the Musical, and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Tucked into the itinerary was a wonderful opportunity to meet with Bert Fink, a good friend of Beth’s, who knows everybody and everything about theater, thanks to his years as a top executive at the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and now as the Chief Creative Officer, Professional Licensing, of Music Theatre International.

The trip concluded with four days at the Sidcot School, which has a strong theater program. Students stayed in dorms with their Sidcot hosts sharing conversation, laughs, meals, a marshmallow roast, and deep dives into puppetry, theater, and Quakerism. The troupe’s performance of The Complete History of Theatre was a big hit! We look forward to hosting the Sidcot students in February.

Click here to see the album of pictures.