39 Steps to Piccadilly Circus

Theatre was never something I had much interest in.  I saw West Side Story when I was younger, and that's about as much experience as I ever had.  I knew coming to London meant new things, and I learned from students who had been in this program previously that theatre was something new I got to enjoy.  Little did I know that going to see "The 39 Steps" was one of the very first things we would be doing.  This was an exciting first step for me to take.  Though I was still a little jet lagged and overwhelmed, I was exhilarated as I began to explore what London had to offer.  As I stepped off the tube for the first time ever, and began to climb the never-ending stairs out of Piccadilly Tube Station, I wondered what this place could be like.  I’d heard about Piccadilly Circus before, people talked about it all the time.  But when I reached the top of the stairs and looked around me, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The dark night sparkled contrasted the appealing bright, shiny lights on the ever-changing billboards and illuminated the statue in the middle of the circle.  There were tons of shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs.  People of all shapes and sizes were walking around, talking, and generally seemed uninterested in what was going on around them.  To me, this was all fascinating.  If I could have imagined what a night out in London would look like, this was ten times better than that  If it were up to me, I could have stayed and watched the scene for a lot longer, but everyone else was starting to make their way towards the Criterion Theatre.  We managed to make our way inside, and searched the building for the correct entrance to our seats.  The theatre was very much how I expected it- a picturesque old-time theatre with velvet seats and two different levels.  I sat down next to some of the people who would become my closest friends, and watched a frenzied comedy- frenzied because it only contained 4 actors acting as many more than one character each.  I really enjoyed the show, and I enjoyed the experience even more so.  It gave me more motivation than I already had to not let one minute go to waste while I’m fortunate enough to be in London.