sample itinerary

costume design

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theatre studies

“Costume designers are the unsung heroes.  They give you a second skin, a world to live in.” - Tom Hiddleston

The work of costume designers is part art, part fashion design, part history, and part drama. It's about capturing someone's essence, representing life in a particular time or place, and making a statement about performers that inspires fantasy and distinguishes them from the crowd. This program explores the thriving theatrical design community in London.

Program Highlights

Hotel Stay: 6 Nights

Meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 dinners

Accomodations

100 Years of Theatre Tour, Angels Costumiers, Globe Theatre, Brighton Fashion Tour, National Theatre Costume House.

Sightseeing & Seminars

Airport-hotel transfers

Hotel and local taxes

Touring by deluxe private motorcoach, services of a professional tour manager.

Also Included

Sample Itinerary

Day One

Depart U.S.

Overnight flight from US to London.  Select secures the best group fares on multiple airlines.  Land only pricing is also available.

DAY two
Arrive in London

Morning arrival at Heathrow. Meet your Select Travel Service study tour manager. Departing the airport we make the journey into central London. En route to the hotel we embark upon a panoramic tour of the both the City and West End. See such sights as Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and Regents Street. Plenty of photo stops are planned along the way. 

Early afternoon hotel check in and unpack. Gather together again for an early dinner before retiring for the night.

Day Three

Setting the Scene

Enjoy a Theatreland Walking Tour on the theme of "100 Years of London Theatre". Trace theatreland's history from Edwardian Music Hall and Suffragette Drama via revues, musicals, theatre clubs and battles with the censor, to subsidy, and the fringe. Learn about personalities who have shaped theatre in the past 100 years from Charles Wyndham and Herbert Beerbohm Tree to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh.

This afternoon we visit one of the London costumiers such as Angels. Angels has been dressing the entertainment industry for nearly 170 years. Others include The Costume Studio and Academy Costumes. These are some of the largest collections of costumes and accessories anywhere in the world, all of which are available for productions large and small, from epic to art-house.

Tonight we will attend a performance at one of London's famous West End theatres.

Day Four

The South Bank

Morning visit to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on London's South Bank. Tour the magnificent reconstruction of this 16th century theatre and enjoy a costume and design workshop on a subject of your choice. Tonight we will attend a performance at the Globe, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse or National Theatre.

Day Five

City of Brighton

Enjoy a full day excursion to Brighton by train. We catch the train to Brighton located 90 minutes to the south of London.

Morning visit to the Costume & Textiles Collection at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.  It features an extensive selection of 18th-21st century fashion designs and accessories.   Then we visit the adjacent Royal Pavilion, the exotic 19th century palace built for King George IV with its wonderful collection of Chinoiserie interiors including the well known music room.

With time for lunch, the afternoon is free to wander this elegant seaside town including Brighton Pier, the seafront walk and the history Lanes, known for its jewelry, antiques and vintage fashion shops.

Late afternoon return train to London.

Day Six

National Theatre &
the V&A Museum

Today we spend at the National Theatre's costume department, and the Victoria and Albert Museum Theatre Collection. An NT tour takes you behind-the scenes to see three auditoriums, front-of-house, scenic workshops and backstage areas, all in the company of well-informed, enthusiastic guides. A workshop is included with members of their costume department. 

Alternative visit available to the Royal Opera House.

The Victoria and Albert Museum's Theatre Collections hold the UK's national collection of material about live performance in the UK. It also house some magnificent historical costume collections which will be seen in the company of one of the museum's expert Curators.

Day Seven

Fashion Walk

Morning guided walking tour of London’s East End, now the hub of the city’s fashion and garment district. We will explore the latest trends and merchandising tricks as well as visit an up and coming design studio.

Alternative visit can also be made to the Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design with a series of talks on fashion image making, fashion and costume trends and the world of Vogue.

Afternoon available for personal retail therapy and research! 

Evening farewell dinner at fashionable West End restaurant.  This can be early if neeeded to accommodate evening theatre productions.

Day Eight

Return Home

Regrettably this morning we bid farewell to England and journey to Heathrow for our return flight home.