Members of the Cambridge Society of London have been busy exploring London’s theatre districts in a programme of virtual tours led by Blue Badge Tourist Guide Caroline Piper. We started on Thursday 25th February by exploring Bankside and Shakespeare’s London, a vibrant neighbourhood south of the river famous for Borough market the Globe theatre and riverside pubs. As well as exploring the neighbourhood today, we discovered traces of the Bankside Shakespeare would have known c1700, and explored what theatre going in his time was like. Our second tour on Thursday 18th March, picked up the story in the West End, where the theatres relocated with the Restoration of the monarchy. We explored 2 of the oldest theatres, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Royal Opera House, plus loads of smaller theatres and shows with their own contributions to theatre history, including The Mousetrap – the longest running show in the world. In between we enjoyed the gorgeous architecture of Covent Garden piazza and market and the quirky character and layout of Seven Dials, as well as tales of 18th century brothels and debauchery which led to the founding of the Bow Street Runners, London’s first professional police force. Everyone was left inspired with places to visit and enjoy in person as soon as circumstances allow.
Photos include; the reconstructed Globe theatre, the Shakespeare memorial window in Southwark Cathedral, Covent Garden market and the Agatha Christie Memorial in the West End
