london english literature trip header nst

London Literature English, Drama & Performing Arts School Trips & Tours

For an English school trip that focuses on works of literature and how they can be adapted for stage and screen, you won't be disappointed with NST's London literature study tour.

From Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, to Harry Potter and even the Royal Courts of Justice, the choice is yours on your English trip! We work closely with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and can offer fantastic group prices on tickets for curriculum-linked Shakespeare performances during your trip to London. Make sure you take advantage of our priority booking too to enjoy these fantastic English educational visits!

 

Prices start from£169pp

Price Shown includes

  • 1 night’s B&B accommodation
  • Executive coach transport from and to school and throughout your stay
  • Group travel insurance
  • 1 in 8 free place ratio

Price shown is based on 40 paying passengers departing from selected departure points and is subject to availability.


On-tour support

On-tour support includes...

  • Pre-booked meals at great group prices
  • Pre-booked and pre-paid London Underground tickets
  • A choice of packed lunches for your group throughout your stay

Accommodation

Popular options in London


Top shows & productions in London

Mean Girls

From 5th June 2024 meet The Plastics – Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They rule North Shore High and will burn anyone who gets in their way. Home-schooled Cady Heron may think she knows a thing or two about survival of the fittest thanks to her zoologist parents, but high school is a whole new level of savage. When Cady devises a plan to end Regina's reign, she learns the hard way that you can't cross a queen bee without getting stung.

Show at: Savoy Theatre
Times: Tuesday - Saturday 7.30pm, Friday & Saturday Matinees 2.30pm & Sunday 3pm
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval.  
Age Recommendation: 12 and over.

The Lion King

Disney’s award-winning musical combines dazzling staging and wildly creative costumes, masks and puppets. The result is a theatrical experience like no other, which is guaranteed to capture the imaginations of your students and to teach them about the wonderful world of live theatre. 

On show at: The Lyceum Theatre
Times: Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2.30pm 
Running time: 2hrs 30mins 
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evenings, Wednesday matinees.

Educational packs available.

Matilda the Musical

Following a sensational sell-out season at The Courtyard Theatre, the RSC’s production of Matilda the Musical has now opened in London to extraordinary critical acclaim. Roald Dahl’s much-loved story bursts into life on stage. Your group will be delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination. 

On show at: Cambridge Theatre 
Times: Tuesday at 7.00pm, Wednesday - Saturday at 7.30pm. Matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm and Sunday at 3.00pm 
Running time: 2hrs 35mins 
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evenings and Wednesday matinees.

Educational packs available.

Matilda the Musical School Workshops are available and are designed to introduce your group to the story of Matilda, the key characters and the creative process of bringing it to life on stage. Led by RSC practitioners, these active 90-minute sessions can be tailored to meet the needs of students of all ages. Available Wednesdays at 10.30am. Groups are advised to book early.

Les Misérables

Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary production is indisputably the world’s most popular musical seen by over 70 million people worldwide. This spectacular adaptation of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece continues to thrill audiences night after night. 

On show at: Sondheim Theatre 
Times: Monday - Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm 
Running time: 2hrs 50mins 
School prices available: Monday - Thursday evenings, Thursday matinees

Educational packs available.

The Mousetrap

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play – don’t just see it, solve it!

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a stately countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst! One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve the mystery before another “mouse” goes SNAP?

On show at: St Martin’s Theatre
Times: Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Thursday - Saturday at 3.00pm, Sunday at 2.00pm & 6.00pm.
Running time: 2hrs 20mins 
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evenings, Thursday matinees.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Performance


Located on the bank of the River Thames in Bankside's Cultural Quarter, Shakespeare's Globe welcomes groups to experience world renowned productions of Shakespeare every day.
We have worked closely with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for many years and are an official ‘Friend of the Globe’. We offer fantastic group prices on tickets for strongly curriculum-linked Shakespeare performances. 
Furthermore, as there is a requirement in the new curriculum for students to study two Shakespeare plays, this is a perfect opportunity to introduce your group to various texts with out Shakespeare's Globe Theatre school trips

 

Wicked

Wicked tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz. The spectacular production and incredible story inspires discussion about propaganda, tolerance, bullying and friendship. 

On show at: The Apollo Victoria Theatre 
Times: Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2.30pm 
Running time: 2hrs 45mins 
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evenings, Wednesday matinees.

Educational packs and workshops available. For more information on the show's educational programme, for more information please contact us.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne. It is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.  The critically acclaimed production is the most awarded new play in theatre history, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has won 24 major theatre awards in the UK and is the most awarded play in the history of the Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards including Best New Play. 

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is one play presented in two Parts, which are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening).

Educational resources available.

On show at: Palace Theatre
School rates available:
Wednesday - Part One 2:00pm & Part Two 7:00pm
Friday - Part One 2:00pm & Part Two 7:00pm

For more information on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, click here

Back to the Future The Musical

Welcome to Hill Valley! Take an electrifying ride back in time as the 1985 blockbuster film and pop culture phenomenon arrives in London's West End as a groundbreaking new musical adventure!


When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself... back to the future.


Adapting this iconic story for the stage are the movie’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump). The production features original music by multi-Grammy winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror), alongside hit songs from the movie including The Power of Love, Johnny B Goode, Earth Angel and Back in Time.
Tony Award-winning director John Rando leads the Tony and Olivier Award-winning creative team.
Strap yourself in for a thrilling theatrical experience! 


When BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL hits 88mph, you’re gonna see some serious… entertainment. Book your tickets yesterday!

Adelphi Theatre, London 

 

 

Frozen the Musical

This brand new West End musical celebrates the extraordinary story of two sisters that melted hearts across the world. 

With ground-breaking sets and special effects, incredible costumes and innovative stagecraft combine to stunning effect in this magical experience that will delight your pupils and sweep you away to the world of Arendelle with all its heart, humour and powerful storytelling.

Your favourite songs from the film combine with a brand new score from Grammy® and Academy-Award®-winning 'Let It Go' songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The set design, special effects and costumes come together in a breathtaking wonderland experience, the likes of which you've come to expect from the producers of such other Disney stage productions as The Lion King and Aladdin.

On show at: London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane 
School rate available

CLOSING - 8th September 2024

Six

Critically-acclaimed across the UK, Six tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII presented as a pop concert.

The six wives take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. Our school groups simply love this lively and uplifting show. 

On show at: Vaudeville Theatre
Times: Tues – Fri at 8pm, Sat at 4pm and 8pm, Sun at 3pm and 7pm
Running time: 1 hr 20 mins (no interval)

 

My Neighbour Totoro

A landmark new adaption of Studio Ghibli's classic coming-of-age film, My Neighbour Totoro explores the magical world of childhood and the power of imagination. The story follows an extraordinary summer in the lives of two sisters as they are transported to a long-forgotten realm of sprite, spirits and natural wonder. A must-see for anime fans!

On show at: Barbican Theatre
Times: 21st November 2023 - 23rd March 2024. Evening performances Monday - Saturday at 7pm. Matinee performances Thursday & Saturday at 2pm.
Running time: To be confirmed.
 

Mrs Doubtfire

Direct from a sensational run up in Manchester — where it played to sold-out crowds and standing ovations — the new comedy musical MRS. DOUBTFIRE is ready to dazzle and delight the West End from 12 May 2023!


Out-of-work actor Daniel will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.


MRS. DOUBTFIRE has been created by a transatlantic team of award-winning artists, with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, original music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick (the Tony Award-nominated team behind Something Rotten!, along with O’Farrell), direction by 4-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks (Hello, Dolly!), scenic design by David Korins (Hamilton), choreography by Lorin Latarro (Waitress), and music supervision by Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical).

 

 

Moulin Rouge

Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular spectacular… Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical!

Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. A theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and — above all — love, Moulin Rouge! is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.
Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris at the turn of the century, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a tale of romance that weaves musicals & popular music to delight the audience.

Stranger Things

Brand New for 2024 from the much loved Netflix TV series.

BEFORE THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN…
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.

Show at: Phoenix Theatre
Times: Tuesday - Saturday 7pm, Friday & Saturday Matinees 1pm & Sunday 3pm
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including an interval
Age Recommendation: 12 and over.
School prices available: Tuesday - Thursday evening and Friday matinee


Top visits in London

Charles Dickens Museum & Workshop

Charles Dickens lived in this house - now museum - from 1837 until 1839 and wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby whilst living here. This museum offers students the chance to experience what Dickens’ home would have been like, as well as learn more about the life and works of the great novelist and social commentator. Here, you will find one of the most important collections of his artefacts in the world. 

Workshops available:

A Christmas Carol: Creating Scrooge
Using copies of original draft manuscripts from our archival collection, students will look at why Dickens’s celebrated and ever popular Christmas story has secured such an enduring place in the English speaking world’s literary consciousness, with a myriad adaptations on stage, screen and print.

Dickens’s social conscience: Oliver Twist and poverty in Victorian Britain 
Whilst living here at 48 Doughty Street, Dickens wrote one of his most famous novels - Oliver Twist. In this session students will explore this celebrated book as well as excerpts from his non-fiction writing, in order to explore poverty in the Victorian era and Dickens’s life and work as a social reformer.
 
Crime & Punishment: Exploring Victorian Justice through Dickens’s Eyes 
In this engaging session, students look at a variety of archival resources and ephemera from our collection at Doughty Street to build up a picture of justice, crime and punishment in Victorian Britain through the eyes of man committed to social justice and reform.

Great Expectations: Miss Havisham revisited
Great Expectations is one of Dickens’s best loved and critically acclaimed works. Using the text, objects and documents from our own archival collection, students will explore aspects of Dicken’s own life and experiences that may have influenced this work. In particular they will focus on one of Dickens’s more notorious and memorable characters – Miss Havisham; looking again at whether the common perceptions about her are justified…or not!
 
Exploring A Christmas Carol in the social context of Victorian Britain
Through a consideration of the text and archival material held here at Doughty Street, students will extend their knowledge of A Christmas Carol, by considering how Dickens used the story’s themes and characters to highlight what he saw as some of the most pressing social problems and issues in the Victorian Britain of his day.

National Theatre Backstage Tour

On our London theatre trips for schools, you students will get the opportunity to go backstage at Britain’s largest theatre complex to discover the secrets behind bringing productions to the stage. Your group will get exclusive access to unseen parts of the building, including the workshops where sets and props are created, on a tour led by an experienced and enthusiastic guide.

Shakespeare’s Globe Live Demonstrations

If you’re planning on visiting the Shakespeare’s Globe, why not add on an interesting live demonstration for your group. Options include: 

  • Stage Fighting - Watch an exciting demonstration of Elizabethan stage combat techniques. This includes an explanation of how stage fighting was used by Shakespeare and his contemporaries in Early Modern plays. Demonstration includes a Q&A session.
  • Elizabethan Dressing - Using clothes from the theatre wardrobe, your tour guide will dress a member of your group as a character from a Shakespeare play and explain the intricacies of dressing. Demonstration includes a Q&A session. 

Shakespeare’s Globe Lively Action Workshop

This 90-minute session, led by a Globe Education Practitioner, includes: 

  • A 30-minute guided visit to the theatre 
  • A one hour workshop based on a Shakespeare play of your choice. Through practical exploration, students will be encouraged to develop an understanding of Shakespeare’s characters and stories, and to engage with the text as a script for performance. Different dramatic techniques are used to explore Shakespeare’s plays and deepen your group’s critical understanding. Alternatively, students at a higher level may concentrate their workshop time on the performance conditions at the Globe, by exploring how this shapes playing style and language and by making connections between time and literary traditions.

 

Shakespeare’s Globe Guided Tour and Experience

Open all year round, the Globe guided tour gives you an opportunity to learn more about this unique building and its most famous playwright, Shakespeare. 

The new Globe Experience combines an interactive look at theatre-craft, the unique story of Shakespeare's Globe. Discover how the magic of stories are brought to life in a newly interpreted space beneath Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre! With help from experts, you’ll immerse yourself in the world of Shakespeare’s storytelling, from the creation of his works to the way they are interpreted today. Explore how different elements of stagecraft are combined to bring these stories to life in the beautiful and unique ‘Wooden O’ and candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

GCSE Study Day at Shakespeare's Globe

Tailored to complement the KS4 English requirements these study days offer an introduction to your chosen play at GCSE on our Shakespeare's Globe Theatre School Trips. This study day provides a practical introduction to the play and the performance conditions at the Globe, exploring how this shapes playing style and language. Students will learn about the social, historical and cultural context of the play, explore aspects of plot and characterisation, identify key themes and analyse language.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter

Step onto authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter™ film series. Tread the original stone floor of the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall, encounter animatronic creatures and wander down Diagon Alley. Located at the Studios where all eight films were produced.

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS:

A programme of educational lessons has been created to complement the Studio Tour. These lessons are delivered in purpose-built classrooms by qualified teachers and use the Harry Potter™ film series as an example of the wider context and theories surrounding filmmaking and design. You’ll even get access to free downloadable pre and post-visit resource packs to use in the classroom.

Lesson options include:

  • Screenplay Stories 
  • Costume Characterisation 
  • Costume Distressing 
  • Pitching 
  • Instructional Writing 
  • Movie Graphic Design 
  • Careers in the Creative Industry
  • Script to Screen 
  • Camera Choices 
  • Set Design 
  • Movie Business 
  • Movie Marketing

 

Harry Potter London Walking Tour

Take a Harry Potter Walking Tour into the magical world of wizardry in London! Learn about London’s rich muggle and wizarding history, amazing facts about the books and films and see many of the Harry Potter film locations used in London, including the Ministry of Magic and the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. The tour features familiar Harry Potter film locations as well as iconic London landmarks and attractions including St Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, Borough and Leadenhall Markets and Monument.

Dr Johnson’s House & Workshop

Dr Johnson’s House is a charming 300-year-old townhouse, nestled amongst a maze of courts and alleys in the historic city of London. Samuel Johnson, the writer and wit, lived and worked here in the middle of the 18th century, compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language in the garret.

Johnson’s Dictionary & Language Change 
This KS5 workshop will put Johnson, his Dictionary and the language of the period into context for your pupils and will introduce them to Johnson’s Dictionary, its predecessors and its long-term impact. The curator-led workshop is structured around a tour of Johnson’s former home which is interspersed with language activities.

Literary Walking Tours

These walking tours will give your students an inspirational insight into the life and times of writers across the ages. Options include:

Bloomsbury Artists, Writers & Philanthropists Walk – See where the famous Bloomsbury Group lived, loved and worked. Learn about Virginia & Leonard Woolf, the Bells, Strachey, Grant, Fry, Keynes and Forster, as well as Dickens, Yeats, the Shelleys, William Morris, Rossetti and Hughes & Plath. 

Dickens London Walk – Visit places where Dickens lived and worked, and locations nearby which he used in his books, such as Fagin’s Den, the Thieves’ Kitchen and Mr Tulkinghorn’s house. See where he had a fateful meeting with his first illustrator, the spot where he was given his first break, as well as other literary points of interest.

Creative Media Skills Institute Workshops

A specialised workshop at the Creative Media Skills Institute is a great way to introduce your group to a number of techniques and applications used in the media industry.

Choose from: Costume Breakdown, Drafting, FX Makeup, Prosthetics Makeup, Period Hair Styling, Intro into Film Directing, Intro into Set Dressing and Props Making.

Based in the heart of Pinewood Studios and surrounded by its original three stages, CMSI bring existing and working film crew directly off the set to lead their courses. After coming through studio security students will walk down Goldfinger Avenue and past the iconic 007 stage to reach the state of the art CMSI studio. Students will be introduced to Pinewood Studios, the media industry as a whole and will hear what working in the industry is really like and the many career opportunities available. Each workshop is run by an instructor who is a specialist in their field and includes a live demo and a practical session.

The Royal Courts of Justice - Motion To Appeal

Suitable for KS3-5, this exciting visit to the historic Royal Courts of Justice will have your group talking for weeks! You can choose from a wide range of quality learning experiences. 

This two-hour session takes place in a working court room and around the courts.

Students will:

  • Be introduced to the Royal Courts of Justice and what happens there
  • Prepare for and debate an appeal case which has been heard at the Royal
  • Courts of Justice (this can be a broader debate or one that focuses on a particular point of law)
  • Explore roles in a court room and meet a legal professional, where possible

The Royal Courts of Justice - Court In Session

Suitable for KS3-5, this exciting visit to the historic Royal Courts of Justice will have your group talking for weeks! You can choose from a wide range of quality learning experiences. 

This two-hour session takes place in a working court room and around the courts. 

Students will:

  • Be introduced to the Royal Courts of Justice and what happens there
  • Prepare and enact a trial based on an ex-offender’s experiences
  • Explore roles in a court room and meet a legal professional where possible
  • Discuss and debate real sentencing options

Royal Opera House Backstage Tour

Visit the backstage and the front-of-house areas as the Royal Opera House prepares to open its doors for an evening performance. Your group will enjoy an introduction to the colourful history of this theatre, its magnificent backstage technology and redevelopment.

Mary Poppins Educational Workshops

Sing, dance and perform scenes from the magical Mary Poppins production during these exciting hands-on, 90-minute education workshops! Plus to get the most from your workshop, supporting teaching resources are available at www.marypoppinsonstage.co.uk 

Options include:

Movement and Music Workshop is a general musical theatre workshop, adapted for all ages and ability levels, and suitable for primary school or secondary school.
The content is very upbeat, celebratory and focuses on rhythm and ensemble movement.

PERFECT FOR:
- All group types, mixed group experience levels and ages
- Groups looking to explore musical theatre and build on performance skills
- Ages 7 and up

Spotlight On Acting Workshop is an excellent session for drama students or group producing their own musical. Recommended for Ages 9 and up, participants should be confident readers as they will be working with script extracts from the show and asked to read their parts aloud to the group. Teachers should be on hand to give extra support to these within the group that need extra help with reading.

PERFECT FOR:
- Groups looking to hone their acting skills
- They are not expected to memorise lines, just read the script
- Group focus on characterisation, voice and moment, objective and intention, comedy and more

Stage School Theatre Workshop – West End 101

A popular and versatile interactive workshop designed to enhance the participants’ night in the West End. In a fun and relaxed environment, students are taught skills and techniques used by professional actors inspired by the themes of the show they see. 

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Theatre Workshop – Step by Step

A fun, interactive session that will immerse your group in the music and movement of the show. It will provide them with new knowledge and skills plus some serious moves that they can perform again and again.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Theatre Workshop – Stage Combat

Your group will learn about the relationship between acting and fight choreography. Discover how fights are choreographed and hone your collaboration skills whilst creating your own combat.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Theatre Workshop – Note by Note

Learn singing techniques and how to act through song with a West End musical director. Share all you have learnt in a performance for a cast member from the show you are seeing. You can suggest a song of your choice or one can be picked for you - it’s up to you!

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Theatre Workshop – Production

Considering a career in production? Learn about technical skills and how they're applied to production jobs in the creative industry.

Stage School workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your requirements.

Stage School Theatre Workshop – Stage Management

Learn about the diverse role of a Stage Manager; how they work with the cast and crew to create theatre productions.

Stage School workshops are delivered by qualifies teching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your requirements.

 

Stage School Theatre Workshop - Set Design

Working with a professional set designer, explore the requirements necessary to solve practical and atheistic issues of staging.

Stage School Theatre Workshop - Make Up

Learn the fundamentals of theatrical makeup or how to achieve the specific looks creative in West End Shows. It’s all about the powder and paint!

Stage School Performing Arts Workshop – A Song & Dance

Apply singing, dancing and acting! Work with a pianist and cast member from the show your group is seeing and gain insight into a true West End rehearsal. You’ll even have the chance to rehearse a song and create your own choreography.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Performing Arts Workshop – Puppetry Now

A West End show has multiple ways of conveying meaning and communicating different moods and effects. Puppetry is one of those ways; it stimulates your imagination, encourages creative play and is a wonderfully interactive way to introduce narrative. This workshop is highly recommended for groups seeing War Horse.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Performing Arts Workshop – Audition Essentials

Develop your group’s audition techniques by performing material for a West End casting director and watching a West End professional perform. You’ll get to spend an hour with a West End director/casting director and enjoy a 30-minute Q&A session with a West End professional.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School Performing Arts Workshop – In the Spotlight

Take this opportunity to ask questions of a performer from the show your group is seeing. Includes a piano-accompanied private performance from your workshop guest artist.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Sadler’s Wells Dance Experience

Sadler’s Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance presenting a vibrant year-round programme of dance of every kind - from tango to hip hop, ballet to flamenco, Bollywood to cutting-edge contemporary dance - bringing the best of international and British dance to audiences at their three theatres in London. We can also book tickets for your group to see a performance of your choice.

Karen Hardy Studios Dance Experience

Karen Hardy Studios has designed a fun and structured children’s dance programme that teaches a wide range of dance styles and promotes all the important life skills necessary for a child’s development.

Classes are designed to build confidence and raise awareness of health and fitness. Beginner and intermediate routines are designed by experienced teachers personally trained by former Strictly champion, Karen Hardy.

Students will enjoy a fun structured 90-minute workshop, made up of half choreography and half technique to ensure each child leaves having had fun and developed a new life skill.

Stage School Dance Workshop – West End Dance

Exclusive to NST

Whether it’s ballet or ballroom, flamenco or freestyle, tango or tap, there’s a dance class for you! Tell us what dance style your group would like to explore and we’ll do the rest. 

You’ll be provided with a West End studio and a dance instructor who specialises in the style of your choice. 

Learn about the stylistic features of the dance, the development of techniques and its representation in the West End. Guaranteed to get your energy pumping. Workshops can be introductory, intermediate or advanced.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Central School of Speech & Drama – Acting Masterclass

Exclusive to NST

This workshop has been designed specifically for us by this well-known London drama school, and can be tailored to your exact educational requirements. Working with an industry professional, your group will take a practical approach to exploring acting techniques.

Stage School English & Drama Workshop – Making a Scene

Work from a scripted scene from a show or play of your choice. Students will learn how to bring the text to life in a truthful, imaginative way. Explore acting methods, vocal techniques and character development designed to encourage bold and creative acting choices.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School English & Drama Workshop – Theatre Improvisation

Exclusive to NST

This team-orientated collection of non-stop theatre games is perfect for high energy groups. After physical and vocal warm-ups, students stay active through team-building and improvisational games designed to heighten focus, creativity and sensitivity to others.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School English & Drama Workshop – The Director’s Chair

This interactive workshop introduces students to the art of directing theatre. Focusing on textual analysis and stage craft, group members will examine techniques for working with actors and staging scenes too.

Stage School Workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

Stage School English & Drama Workshop – Behind the Mask

Your group will learn the rules of the mask and explore different mask performance techniques through improvisation and non-verbal communication. Content in this workshop is non show-specific.

Stage School workshops are delivered by qualified teaching artists (so you can get involved too) and can be tailored to your chosen show, as well as your curriculum requirements.

The Business of Theatre Talk

Hear from an industry professional and learn about the business of the business! What does it take to finance, staff and promote a theatre production?

The lastminute.com London Eye

A classroom with a moving view! Standing 135m tall on the South Bank of the River Thames, nothing says iconic like The lastminute.com London Eye.

Since 2000, this world-famous structure has taken over 75 million people on a journey into London’s skyline. Be inspired with our Skyline Workshops. At an additional cost, these enhanced in-pod experiences are delivered by our education hosts and include interactive activities and interesting facts on London's iconic skyline.

Developed in collaboration with education specialists, teachers can book either a KS2/KS3 version.

Madame Tussauds

The world of the Media is a creative and inspiring one, where ideas combine with drama, excitement and humour to keep us entertained and engaged. A fully interactive experience, Madame Tussauds will inspire, enthuse and immerse pupils in celebrity culture and modern media as they walk among the stars!

Thames River Cruise

Take in London’s best-loved sights on this enjoyable cruise. Your students will gain an insight into the many layers of history that have built up along the river, from the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge to the 'lastminute.com' London Eye.

Highlights of London Blue Badge Guided Tour

See the major sights of the city. An expert Blue Badge Guide will join you on your coach and bring the Capital to life for your group. Sights may include Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The View from The Shard

The View from The Shard offers a unique education experience – it is the only place where students can see the entire city at once; both old and new! Two high speed kaleidoscopic lifts will transport your group to the viewing platforms on Level 69 and Level 72 where you can encourage your student’s fascination with the history of London and enjoy the unparalleled 360 degree views.

Educational visits can support learning across both the National and London Curriculum, including History, English, Maths, Geography, and Art and Design.

Wembley Tour

Visit the new stadium and take a 90-minute tour. See England’s changing rooms, the players’ warm-up zone, VIP reception area, the Royal Box, dugouts, the post-match interview area, press conference room, treatment rooms and the Bobby Moore Statue. You can even ‘Lift the Cup’!

 

Educational workshops are also available for Business Studies, English and History.

Explore Covent Garden

A trip to the capital isn’t complete without a little shopping time! We recommend Covent Garden as a suitable area for groups to explore and watch the street performers.

Horizon 22

Horizon 22 is London's highest free viewing platform. Located on Level 58, the viewing platform offers 300-degree views of London, showcasing its most iconic landmarks.


Evening activites

  • Jack the Ripper tour
  • Ice skating
  • Bowling
  • Host a quiz at a function room

 


Educational resources

Free educational resource packs

A number of West End shows produce free educational resource packs that groups can use prior to and after seeing their show of choice. These packs often contain lesson plans and guidance for discussions to explore a show's central themes, characters, story and staging. Combined with a show performance, use of these packs can help to aid understanding and inspire learning too.

 


Transport

Available from any location in the UK, our executive coaches are fitted with seatbelts, toilet facilities, air conditioning, DVD and reclining seats.

Coach

Rail is a convenient travel option for small groups, ideal for connections to Eurostar, major airports and travel to many city destinations.

Train


Giving you full support throughout

Before your tour

  • Your own dedicated NST contact
  • Bespoke tour itineraries
  • Unrivalled local knowledge & expertise
  • Curriculum linked visit programmes
  • Great value for money - no hidden costs
  • Free group leader inspection visits
  • Risk assessment guidance
  • Safety assured, transport, accommodation and visits

Whilst you're away

  • Free educational resources
  • Group-friendly accommodation
  • Exceptional standards of coaching
  • On-tour support from our reps on the ground
  • Support & assistance from our specialists throughout your tour
  • 24/7 support just a call away
  • Extensive group travel insurance

On your return

  • Priority rebooking services
  • Rewarding your loyalty with our reward scheme
  • You say, we listen - we're committed to continuously improving our tours
  • School travel company of choice since 1967

“Our tour to London was excellent. Our group loved the Shakespeare Globe workshop... the Globe put on a great session for us. Our drivers were excellent – punctual, friendly and professional. It was a great tour overall, thanks.” 

Nicola Goodwill, Huntington School