Curtain Up!

The tour starts at 4.00pm on Monday 9 September, at The Morgan Hotel, Dublin.

The tour ends after breakfast on Sunday 22 September, at The Bloomsbury Hotel, London.

We meet tour leader Kate Foy and tour manager Paula Booth this afternoon before heading out for an orientation walking tour. Under the backdrop of the Dublin Fringe Festival, the city will be transformed into a tapestry of creativity, where every street corner, historic building, and unconventional space becomes a stage for artistic expression. Dublin is known as one of the friendliest cities in Europe and this evening we experience hospitality Dublin-style with an early dinner in a traditional local pub. Overnight Dublin (D)

This morning, after a lecture in our hotel introducing us to Irish theatre and plays, we make our way to Trinity College, Ireland’s oldest University founded by Queen Elisabeth I in 1592. A masterpiece of architecture, we tour the collection of elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings on campus before viewing the barrel-vaulted Long Room in the Old Library and the Book of Kells, a beautifully illuminated Gospel manuscript that dates back to the 9th-century. We then make a short walk over the River Liffey to Abbey Theatre, founded as a national theatre for Ireland by William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory in 1904, under the generous patronage of Miss Annie Horniman – heiress to a tea fortune, theatre impresario and proto feminist. Here we enjoy a backstage tour followed by free time to explore the city. We meet again early this evening for our welcome dinner before our first Fringe Festival performance. Overnight Dublin (B, D)

Performance I
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

The birthplace of Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, and William Butler Yeats, Dublin was declared a UNESCO City of Literature in 2010 and its creative roots run deep. Our walking tour this morning takes us through the city’s history in the footsteps of literary figures both real and imagined from Oscar Wilde to Joyce’s Leopold Bloom, Maeve Binchy, Seamus Heany and so many others, while enjoying the beautiful Georgian architecture of the city. After a pre-show discussion and a chance to enjoy a pint in the home of the black stuff, we take in our second Fringe Festival performance this afternoon. Tonight you might like to join the tour leader and experience some traditional Irish folk music in a nearby pub. Overnight Dublin (B)

Performance II
Venue: To be advised
Program: To be advised

An early departure from our hotel this morning with a coach transfer to the airport where we join our flight to Birmingham. From here we make our way to Stratford-upon-Avon by coach. Arriving in the early afternoon there is time for a late lunch before we head off on our orientation walking tour. Our stroll takes us from our hotel, along the River Avon to the Holy Trinity Church where we have our first encounter with The Bard as it is here that William Shakespeare was baptised, married and where he is buried, near his wife Anne. This evening we enjoy dinner at the Black Swan, also known as the Dirty Duck, a pub which dates back to the 15th century and whose proximity to the RSC theatres makes it a popular destination for actors and theatre goers. Overnight Stratford-upon-Avon (B, D)

This morning, after a lecture in our hotel introducing tonight’s performance, we’ll discover more about the man who put Stratford on the map, beginning with a visit to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. This half-timbered 16th-century house was purchased through a public campaign supported by Charles Dickens in 1847. Fully restored, it is now a comprehensive museum dedicated to Shakespeare’s life and times. We also visit the Guild Chapel, decorated with extraordinary medieval wall paintings, and the King Edward VI Grammar School, where Shakespeare was reputedly a student. After free time for lunch, we then make our way to the beautiful cottage and gardens which were home to Anne Hathaway, who was to become Shakespeare’s wife. Returning to our hotel there is time to relax before we head to the Swan Theatre for Shakespeare’s nautical tale of a wandering prince, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Award-winning actor Alfred Enoch plays in the title role. Overnight Stratford-upon-Avon (B)

Performance III
Venue: Venue: Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Program: Shakespeare’s Play, Pericles

Following a relaxed morning with a lecture in our hotel, we depart Statford for London today. Our journey takes us through the charming English countryside, stopping enroute for refreshments. Arriving in London’s West End in the afternoon, we check-in to our hotel with free time to get acquainted with the surrounding area. This evening sees us take the tube to Soho’s Palladium theatre for the first West End staging of Hello, Dolly! since 1984. In this iconic musical featuring Jerry Herman’s timeless score, BAFTA award-winning Imelda Staunton re-unites with Director Dominic Cooke following their critically acclaimed production of Follies at the National Theatre. Overnight London (B)

Performance IV
Venue: The London Palladium
Program: Musical, Hello, Dolly!

Following a mid-morning lecture in our hotel, the day is free to explore London at leisure. Your tour leader and manager will be happy to help with suggestions and handy tips. In the evening we meet again at the hotel and make the short walk to The Ivy for dinner. This restaurant, in the heart of the theatre district, has been serving patrons since 1917, including theatre luminaries such as Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, John Gielgud, and Noël Coward. Overnight London (B, D)

We start our day with a lecture in our hotel on West End’s Theatreland, an area which comprises of dozens of theatre venues old and new within close proximity of one another, before making our way to the Royal Drury Lane in the heart of the district. Here we take an in-depth guided backstage tour of this grand theatre which has operated for more than 350 years and survived tragedy, fire, bankruptcy and even murder! The theatre’s sumptuous foyer and magnificent auditorium have recently been brought back to their former glory by its owner, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Following a break for lunch, we then have a guided tour of the surrounding theatre district. Posters outside the venues will reveal a roll-call of some of the best-known names in theatre. There will be time for a light dinner before tonight’s performance at the National Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames, a venue whose “brutalist” architecture has drawn much comment since it opened in 1976. The National Theatre Company, or NT as it is known, was established under the directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier and continues to create world-class productions of new works and classics. Overnight London (B)

Performance V
Venue: National Theatre, London
Program: To be advised

“A gentleman gets his suit made on Savile Row, and he goes to Jermyn Street for everything else.”

This morning we meet our local guide and embark on a fashion walking tour through the heart of London, beginning with the beautiful shop fronts and luxury retailers in the compelling district of St James. After meeting with a number of sustainably-minded British designers on fashionable Jermyn Street, our tour takes us through Savile Row’s influential boutiques, home to made-to-measure tailors who have served the well-heeled local residents and denizens since the late 18th century. Finishing with the glamour of Mayfair, with everything from high couture to fine jewellery and even Royal designers, we meet with a unique silk designer who makes everything on-demand! This evening, if schedules permit, we hope to enjoy a performance at the atmospheric Wilton’s Music Hall – the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall in the world. Overnight London (B)

Today we are transported back to Shakespeare’s London as we venture to the Globe Theatre, the replica of Shakespeare’s iconic wooden ‘O’, founded by American actor Sam Wanamaker. Here we take a guided tour of this extraordinary open-air theatre, including the brand-new exhibition space. Following our visit, we enjoy a walking tour along the Thames with a local guide, an area which includes the Millenium Bridge – an epic span across the river connecting Bankside with St Paul’s Cathedral. We conclude our tour at the former Bankside Power Station, now repurposed as the striking Tate Modern, where we enjoy lunch together. There is time to relax at our hotel this afternoon before we return to the Globe for Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. This wild comedy about rival cities, long-lost siblings and mistaken identities comes to life as the Globe transforms into a bustling dock – complete with ship masts and piers. Overnight London (B, L)

Performance VII
Venue: Shakespeare’s Globe, London
Program: Shakespeare’s Play, The Comedy of Errors

This morning we begin with a private, before-hours visit to the newly renamed King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, which rose from the ruins of Queen Victoria’s private chapel, destroyed in an air raid in 1940. Totally renovated for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, the gallery displays exciting new exhibitions, along with a beautifully curated, and ever-changing selection of treasures from the Royal Collection. We then take a leisurely stroll through London’s beautiful parks, making our way from Buckingham Palace to St James Park, Green Park, Piccadilly and Soho. After a break for lunch, we continue on to Westminster Abbey for a tour of this fascinating site, a venue for joyful celebrations and poignant commemorations and a resting place for royalty and commoners alike. The later afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight London (B)

Costume design plays its own important role in any theatrical production so today, after a lecture in our hotel, we head to the V&A for a tour of the Museum’s Costume Gallery which houses a magnificent collection of stage costumes and accessories dating from the mid-18th century. After time for lunch, we make our way to the National Portrait Gallery, recently reopened after extensive renovations. As the gallery is home to more than 220,000 works from the 8th century to the present day, we’ll focus our visit on paintings and photographs of the theatre greats. This evening we have our penultimate performance featuring a revival of the Olivier Award-winning play Our Country’s Good, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker. This major revival at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre addresses questions surrounding justice and prison systems under British rule. Overnight London (B)

Performance VIII
Venue: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London
Program: Play, Our Country’s Good

We wrap up our lecture program this morning, then there is free time before we head to Covent Garden’s Fortune Theatre for the final performance of our tour – the critically acclaimed new musical and West End triumph Operation Mincemeat. This fast-paced show by Fringe theatre company SplitLip tells the hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. After the curtains close, we return to our Bloomsbury hotel for a farewell meal in the beautiful Dalloway Terrace. Overnight London (B, D)

Performance IV
Venue: Fortune Theatre, London
Program: Musical, Operation Mincemeat

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. Please consult your individual travel documents for your ongoing journey. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are a comfortable four-star standard.

• Dublin, The Morgan Hotel (3 nights)

• Stratford-Upon-Avon, The Arden Hotel (2 nights)

• London, The Bloomsbury Hotel (8 nights)