
Theatre Arts on London’s Stage
The Take-Aways
Real-World Experience
Experience the Theatre Arts as a creator, performer, and audience member. Build confidence as a playwright, meet professionals in the field, and come home with the skills to put on a show.
Credentials for Your Future
Topics for your college essays, experience to inform your future career, and a Performance Portfolio to document your increasing artistic literacy and showcase your accomplishments.
Life Skills and New Friendships
Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and improved communication skills. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.
45
Hours of Expert Instruction
3
Weeks Pursuing Your Passion
1
Life-Changing Experience
The Destination
Welcome to London and its legendary theatre scene with 300 performance venues in the city limits.
Often called the “cultural capital of the world,” London offers a dizzying number of options for people interested in fine art, dance, music, poetry, literature, plays, and musical theatre. There are over 170 museums, 800 bookstores, 850 art galleries, and more than 17,000 music performances a year. London is especially renowned for its theatre quarter. The West End, or Theatreland as it’s called, attracts huge numbers of visitors to sell-out musical productions and plays in its 40 theatres.
With a diverse population of over 9 million, London is a major global city where you’ll never get bored. There’s so much to soak in—the magnificent cityscape from the London eye; the many green spaces like Kew Gardens, one of London’s four World Heritage sites; the bridges, old and new, across the Thames; music, art, and markets in the streets; famous landmarks: Big Ben, the Tower of London, Parliament to name a few. And don’t forget the world-renowned museums—there’s one for every interest, especially yours!
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in London.
Weekly Learning Goals
Settle into your new community, embark on the journey of taking a written script through to performance, and critically evaluate plays you’ll see at world-renowned theatres. Start collaborating with group members on your own play.
Through working on scripts from different genres and time periods, learn to interpret, analyze, and synthesize ideas for presentation and evaluation.
Continue to enjoy and analyze theatre performances and put your new skills into practice as you finalize your theatre piece in groups. Stage your final performance.
Program Blogs
Royal Albert Hall
Yesterday the students got a behind the scene tour of a very prestigious and historic landmark, the Royal Albert Hall. The students learned the history behind the building and the... keep reading
Matilda in London!!
Ever wonder what happens when a bunch of theater kids go to London and see a musical? Why they sing along like all “revolting children” would! On Wednesday, we had... keep reading
Seeing London’s Sights!!
I have finally been able to be a true London tourist!! Yesterday, after a relaxed day of classes, we had our tour of all the well known London sights! After... keep reading
Sample Activities

Just Imagine All the Fun You’ll Have!
- Go behind the scenes at Shakespeare’s Globe, a reconstructed Elizabethan theatre, and discover how plays were staged in Shakespeare's day.
- Make your way through Old Spitalfields Market in the hip East End. Check out the vintage shops and multicultural kitchens.
- Take a river boat to Greenwich and walk the decks of the Cutty Sark, a restored 19th-century clipper ship. Nearby, at the Royal Observatory, find the Prime Meridian that divides the western and eastern hemispheres at longitude 0°.
- Feel like royalty when you visit Hampton Court Palace, once the home to Henry VIII. Explore Tudor kitchens, rooms used by kings and queens, and get lost in the famous Hampton Court Maze.
- Visit the stunning Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest museum of applied art with over 4.5 million objects, including a fashion collection that spans five centuries.
Please note activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.
Dates & Fees
Eligibility
Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Program Summer Session I 2024 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $6,950 | |
Program Summer Session II 2024 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $6,950 |
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)