Literary Tour of London and Into the Woods
On Wednesday 18 March, A Level English pupils started off with a literary walk around London for 90 minutes and I must say that the part of the literary walk that stayed with me the most was visiting Shakespeare鈥檚 Globe Theatre. It wasn鈥檛 just interesting because of its connection to William Shakespeare, but because of the story behind its reconstruction. I found it genuinely moving that Sam Wanamaker dedicated so much of his life to rebuilding the theatre yet died before seeing it fully complete. There鈥檚 something almost poetic about that; it feels like a reminder that literature and art often outlive the people who create or restore them.
Later that evening, we saw Into the Woods at The Bridge Theatre, which completely shifted the tone from historical reflection to something much more playful yet surprisingly dark. In brief, the plot follows several fairy tale characters: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, and Rapunzel- whose stories intertwine through a baker and his wife鈥檚 quest to lift a curse placed on them by a witch. What starts as a familiar set of fairy tale journeys becomes more complicated in the second half, showing the consequences of their wishes and actions. What I found especially interesting was how the musical compared to The Bloody Chamber. Both texts play with traditional fairy tales, but while Carter鈥檚 stories are darker and more overtly subversive, Into the Woods uses humour and music to explore similar themes. Both challenge the idea of 鈥渉appily ever after,鈥� showing that endings are rarely simple. However, Carter鈥檚 work feels more intense and symbolic, whereas the musical balances seriousness with entertainment, making its message more accessible but still thought-provoking. I loved the moral ambiguity of the characters like the witch which made them feel very human.
The musical also cleverly played with the original fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. At first, the stories follow familiar paths where Cinderella attends the ball, Jack climbs the beanstalk but then they鈥檙e twisted. Characters face consequences that are often ignored in the originals, and their desires don鈥檛 always lead to happiness. This made the stories feel more realistic, almost like a commentary on the dangers of blindly chasing wishes. Finally, the set design was phenomenal, it was dynamic and immersive- making the woods feel both magical and unpredictable.
Overall, the trip to London made me realise how stories can be experienced in completely different ways – through history, place, and performance. The trip made me feel like I wasn鈥檛 just learning about literature but stepping inside it.
By Milli D in Lower Sixth
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