Summer in London’s West End

Angus Stevens is a high school student from Nova Scotia, Canada, who attended PAA’s High School West End Musical Theatre Training in London over the summer of 2017. The high school program is for PAA Travelers ages 16 and 17. There is a similar training for PAA Travelers over the age of 18. 

There’s lots I can say for people considering doing this program because well, it was just a lot of fun. I was in a smaller group so we got to know each other really well. We spent most of our time in classes from 9am-4pm every day and then after classes we usually met up with our group leader and decided what to do with the rest of the day. We went around sightseeing and one day we went to the aquarium down by the London Eye, and I got to see five shows on the West End (that’s quite a few shows for only being there 7 days, but I sort of lucked out). Everyone I met at the program was very helpful and very professional so the experience was truly phenomenal. Even though we had classes every day, it didn’t really feel like classes; it was just things I wanted to do, like stage combat and dancing.

Everything to do with the PAA program was professional and smooth, I have no complaints at all with anything that happened over the course of my registration or departure or being in London with the coordinators. I recommend doing this program not only because you learn lots from the classes and seeing the West End shows, but the city itself is spectacular and there’s lots to see and do.

For anyone wondering what shows I saw; 42nd Street (I got to go backstage after the show cause one of our teachers was in the show), Wicked, The Play That Goes Wrong (Definitely the funniest show I’ve ever seen, highly recommend), Half a Sixpence and The Book of Mormon (I said I got lucky earlier, well me and another person in the program won the ticket lottery and got front row seats).