London

Literary London: Rogues, Roisterers, & Riots on the London Stage

Program Summary

Get to know the characters who get up to no good, whether that involves violence and crime, partying, or challenging social conventions and upsetting the powers-that-be. Theatre has a long history of both disrupting and upholding social conventions, and it has often been a site of significant cultural shifts in British history.

London is a world-leading theatre city, offering consistently rich and exciting choices in plays, musicals, and unique theatrical experiences that ferociously explore what theatre can be and do. We will attend multiple shows and explore sites like Shakespeare’s Globe, Girton College in Cambridge, the National Theatre, and the Black Cultural Archives to enhance and deepen our understanding of the links between London theatre and British history/culture. Situating these plays within cultural, historical, and performative contexts will help us develop more complex analytical tools to understand drama (and literature more broadly). Writing critically using a wide range of approaches to literary and theatrical analysis will help us strengthen our written expression and critical thinking skills.

This tour will explore it all! Beyond the theatre, we’ll explore neighborhoods, cultural sites, parks, and markets. You will see the sites of London on a first-day tour and are encouraged to explore all that London has to offer. Visit Penn State's Education Abroad page for more detailed trip information.

Course Information

The Education Abroad Office will enroll you in ENGL 499M, Literary London—Rogues, Roisterers, and Riots on the London Stage, 3 credits (honors, writing across the curriculum)

Through reading and class discussion of texts, attending a variety of theatre performances, and critical writing/reflection, you will develop a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of how British history and culture shape and are reflected by the London stage. In class, we will study classic British plays from the Elizabethan period—a golden age for British theatre—up to the present, taking on issues of power/authority, monarchy, gender roles, race, social class, and more. To better understand London's performance traditions, we will see shows ranging from a performance at Shakespeare's Globe to a West End musical, and we will visit cultural sites to provide grounded insight into the backgrounds of the texts we're studying.

For this writing across the curriculum course, students will produce a wide range of critical, creative, and reflective writing through which they'll expand the boundaries of their understanding by pursuing new insights—enacting the original meaning of essay, meaning to try something out. Some of the writing will be traditional analytical and argumentative papers; some will be creative writing work, but all of the writing and class discussions will improve students' knowledge and understanding of British drama, literature, culture, and history.

Estimated Costs

Students can visit the Education Abroad Website for a cost breakdown. The program fee includes lodging (shared apartments), in-country transportation, theatre tickets, all guided theatre and museum visits with entrance fees, and welcome and farewell dinners. Summer tuition is charged at in-state, lower-division rates for all students. Schreyer Scholars will receive a scholarship for the program fee by completing an application in SRS. Additional need-based funding may be available for Schreyer Scholars.

How to Apply

The application is available on the Penn State Education Abroad website and must be submitted by the deadline in January 2027. Check the Education Abroad program page for information on when the decisions will be released and the commitment deadline.

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Funding & Questions

To explore funding options or for questions about this trip, contact Sarah Lyall-Combs.