This is my travel journal from my study abroad trip to the UK and France. The names of my teachers and classmates have been changed for privacy reasons.
DAY 18- June 6
               Today started out with a quick trip to Leichster Square so everybody could get theatre tickets. I asked Liz and Rebecca if they'd like to see Much Ado with me, but they wanted to know the ticket prices. So I went over to the theatre to ask at the box office. Regular seats were too expensive, (and too sold out) but standing room was ₤16. I went back to tell them, and they told me to ask if I could reserve any for tomorrow.

               So I went back to the box office, but SRO tickets were only sold the day of the performance. And I then proceeded to go back and forth between box office and friends an absurd amount of times to ask questions, until they decided to skip the show. Even worse, Jacklyn and Linda, who are also Doctor Who fans and had agreed to go, suddenly decided that ₤16 was too expensive.

               I refused to not see this show. I'd sneak out of the dorm if I had to. But in a last-resort measure, I asked Dr. Owens if he'd go with me...and I found out that apparently, we're allowed to do things like go see plays on our own, even if we take the underground by ourselves. The hell!? I could have gone to the theatre in Scotland if I'd known that earlier! I wanted to, but I couldn't get anyone to go with me because the theatre virgins were saving it for the West End!

               And actually, I now have a list of things I wanted to do in Scotland but didn't get to because I couldn't get anyone to go with me or somebody went and did it and I missed them. And I went through so much stress because I seriously thought my only options were go shoe shopping with the girls or be stuck in my room the whole time. Why the hell didn't I ask about that earlier!?

               We were about to leave Leichster, but Dr. Owens said he'd hang back and wait for me to go get my ticket. I skipped merrily back to the box office.

               Me: One for standing room, please!
               Man: What about your friends?
               Me: If they want to see this show, then they can walk their butts in here themselves.

               I also took a little brochure from the box office. Rebecca saw it and asked why I didn't tell her that "The Doctor Who Guy" would be in the show. *facepalm*...I had told her David Tennant would be in it, and it was very hard to miss his picture on the theatre...

               Then we moseyed on over to Westminster Abby. I've been there before. The audio tour confused me, but fortunately I was able to take it again and clear a few things up. It's narrated by Jeremy Irons, you know. Yeah, that's right. I had Scar from The Lion King in my ear telling me stuff.

               Love the Abby. It's one of those big buildings with the mind-bogglingly high vaulted ceilings. You have to tilt your head way, way back just to look at them. Then gravity kicks in and you're on your back, taking in the scenery, assuring bystanders that you're fine. And they've got all these little complicated decorations everywhere that took ages to make, and all these random memorials and such. The place is packed with memorials and dead people. I wonder if those people are really buried in the church. Do they just stuff them in anywhere there's space? I got separated from the group pretty much as soon as I got in line to get into this place.

               At about 2:30, I went over to the House of Lords. I waited in the queue for about an hour. At first, it's not so bad. You go into this vast empty hall and over in the corner you see a row of benches that are halfway full. Oh, not so bad. So we sat. And sat. But at least when the queue moved, it moved a lot at a time. Once we got up the steps, we got to sit on more benches and look at the gift shop. And scoot on down...until we're in another queue! And the ceilings are still very tall!

               It wasn't all boring, though. There was a man sitting next to me from Spain with his wife who was French, and on the other side was a Chinese man from Oregon with his wife and family. (Cutest little grandson!) And we all had a nice conversation. In case I haven't mentioned it, I like striking up conversations with total strangers.

               Finally, we went up a few flights of red-carpeted stairs to the Stranger's Gallery. Oh, and everything I've seen today, from the Abby to the House, it's got this sort of dull splendor. Like the church from yesterday. It's like...it's all grand and impressive, but not shiny. You know? Sort of a very old sophistication...or something. It's interesting.

               Okay, so I finally made it to the Stranger's Gallery, and this is where I found Dr. Thompson. I had no idea what was going on, but it looked important. After about ten minutes of pretending I knew what they were doing, I left. It was about four now, and I needed time to eat and time to change clothes before the show. Yes, I'm one of those people who thinks everyone should dress up for the theatre. Not too fancy, but something nicer than jeans and a t-shirt. Think casual church-nice. I left at six for the theatre.

               I was about forty minutes early, and I puttered around in the shops. Jacque and Laurie, it turns out, had come to their senses and joined me. I had walked around the theatre twice and found the stage door. They had railings. They had little signs about the rules for autographs. This was a good thing.

               It was a really pretty theatre. Nobody was allowed to take pictures of it, though. We stood by the wall laughing at the people who got caught because they left the flash on. The ushers were really calling everyone out on it. They made them delete the photos and everything. It was a much smaller space than I'd expected, and it was very pale blue. Old, worn blues and golds. And stripes.

               As it turns out, standing room isn't that bad. We stood in the back on the house left wall and had an almost completely unobstructed view of the stage. (Just had to shift around a little because of the overhang, but not a lot of action took place near the catwalk.) I loved the part where I wasn't stuck behind some tall guy with big hair and perfect posture who just happens to lean the same way I do at any given point. Even in the front row, he'll be there. Once, I was the only person in the audience and there was STILL a guy in front of me!

               We had to stand the whole time, even during house, because we were standing in a fire exit. That's what the lady told us. I noticed we'd walked into a Mitch Hedberg joke. "If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. Unless you are a table."

               The show was awesome! The set was mainly a rotating platform that looked like a tile floor with four tall pillars on it, and the pillars moved! The back walls were shutters which could open up and become doors and windows. And there was something about the set and the lights that made the whole thing look like a painting in the museums we keep visiting.

               I love it when people perform Shakespeare this way. Normally, I have trouble following the dialogue, but the way they delivered it made it easy to understand. Also, most of the cast was unknown to me, but now I have more people to add to the list of actors I like. They were really good! I wanted to say hi to them all and tell them good show, but professional companies don't do meet and greet like at our school.

               Things I've never seen happen in Shakespeare until now: Tricked-out golf cart, lap dances, a rave, and several dance numbers. Freakin' epic. The whole cast took three curtain calls, during which Jacque, Laurie and I snuck out to go around back.

               I was beyond excited, but I gave myself a talking-to. I know how excited I get around people who are important to me. I know that my "shut-up" filter barely works. And I know that a few of my friends have told me that when they first met me, it was a bit like being tackled by an aggressively affectionate Labrador. So I made sure to plan out everything that I would say and do tonight, because I'd much rather leave little to no impression on my two favorite actors than have them walk away thinking "God, that girl was creepy. Good thing there was a railing."

               There were already a lot of people there. A man came out and laid out some ground rules, such as if people start pushing and shoving too much, everything will stop and nobody gets any autographs.

               And then I met Catherine Tate! (Does it actually count as meeting someone when you're about to be crushed by a mob and they're in a hurry to avoid that?) I encountered her! I got her autograph and a picture. I missed David Tennant, though. Somehow, in the crowd, I managed to get wedged several inches off the ground and I was too small to push my way out.

               When I got back I found the picture was a little blurry. Not completely, just enough to make it look weird. Linda and Jacklyn and I are going back tomorrow night so I can get David's autograph and they can get pictures. It was too crowded for me to get his tonight. (I fucking said "Hi" to Catherine Tate! :D)

               It felt great, though! Sure, it was tough as hell to fight through the crowd, and we weren't even up front! But I got Catherine to sign my program, and I got a picture with her, and I think that's officially the coolest thing I've ever done on this trip. Or ever. It was just so awesome! And back at the dorm, I followed up this amazing coolness by poking myself in the eye, slipping in the shower, and accidentally locking myself in the bathroom.