Today started with a tube ride to South Kensington, bound for Kensington Palace.
When we arrived to Kensington Palace, we were able to see the Dress Codes exhibition, which showcased some royal attire. After that we saw the Queen and King's State Apartments which were stunning, and Queen Victoria's childhood exhibition that gave us a fascinating glimpse into her early years. Some people even dressed up in period costumes for a quick photo op—definitely a highlight!
Outside, we visited the Diana Memorial, a touching tribute to the princess. After soaking in the history, we headed to The Orangery for high tea. The tea itself was great, and it also made for some fun memories, like the amazing tea manager, and Dan spilling his tea all over the table.
Next, we endured a long tube ride to Scissorhands, a jukebox parody musical based the movie Edward Scissorhands. The music included hits like Dream On by Aerosmith, Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts, and Creep by Radiohead. The performance was absolutely hilarious, and the post-show talkback with the cast was so much fun. Hearing how the production came to life added a whole new layer of appreciation for the production.
Our journey continued with a rather sketchy tube ride. After this, we all had some time to walk around Carnaby street. The most popular stores people went to were Brandy Melville and Crumbs & Doilies.
After that, we headed to the Monopoly Lifesized experience, which was an absolute blast! We were put into three teams of 6 or 7, and there was one team for the teachers. As a team, we had to play the iconic board game, each team having a token representing them. We had to complete fun challenges to gain property, build houses & hotels, and get changes to sabotage other teams. The teachers ended up winning, but not without some serious competition—they got so intense about it! Our teams had some iconic names: Two Twos, Kick Butts (the winners), Shirley Temples, The Girls and the Dan.
We wrapped up the night with pizza for dinner- a highlight was Somni taking off all the cheese from their pizza while trying to get rid of the pepperoni, and Vicky eating her whole pie all at once without cutting it into slices. We also had a talkback with Louis Hartshorn, a West End and immersive theatre producer, which gave us some cool insights into producing in general.
From royal residences to competitive board games, it was a day packed with adventure, laughter, and unforgettable memories!
Always happy to update,
Ariela Rozentul