Stratford Festival Trip - London Assurance, September 19, 2024

	London Assurance
	What: to see the hilarious comedy London Assurance, make new friends and renew old friendships.
	Where: Festival Theatre, Stratford Ontario.
	When: September 19, 2024, 2:00 p.m. matinee performance.
	Who: Everyone is welcome to join us.
	Why: Why watch modern sitcoms when you can see where all their jokes originally came from?
	About the play: “LOVE! WHY, THE VERY WORD IS A BREATHING SATIRE UPON MAN'S REASON…” Sir Harcourt Courtly is an over-the-hill London fop. Arriving at Oak Hall to claim his wealthy and scandalously young bride, Courtly’s plan for a get-rich-quick weekend in the country is scuttled by his dissolute son, Charles, and a cast of Victorian eccentrics that includes the unforgettable Lady Gay Spanker and her husband, “Dolly.” Celebrated as one of the great British stage comedies, London Assurance is a brilliant precursor to the works of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, full of liveliness, fun and comically relatable stories of family and friendships. “This play is filled with unbridled joy.” —Director Antoni Cimolino Is London Assurance a funny play? Read this review about the last time this play was presented in Stratford in 2006.
	Information for Those Who Are Attending "London Assurance".
	Buffet Dinner in the Paul D. Fleck Marquee Room, Stratford Theatre includes: Tomato Bisque, Garden Salad, Orzo Salad, Herb Roasted Chicken Thigh, Vegan Tikka Masala, Mini Potato, Roasted Vegetable, Sliced Fruit, Assorted Cookies, Coffee & Tea. Cash bar is available. (Paul D. Fleck Marquee Room overlooking the Avon River provides the venue for the buffet dinner following the play.) Brian Taylor, Professor Emeritus from the School of Dramatic Art, University of Windsor will offer insights about the play London Assurance. Antoni Cimolino (Stratford Festival Artistic Director and Director of London Assurance) and Andrew Iles (Valentine in Twelfth Night, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and appears in London Assurance) both of whom are UWindsor graduates will be joining us briefly after the play. Itinerary. This is subject to change at a moments notice because things could change at a moments notice. But here's how the day may take shape: 8:00 a.m. gather at our departure site (Silver City Theatre see below for details). You will be given your theatre tickets when you board the bus. 8:30 a.m. SHARP! SHARP! SHARP! The bus leaves Windsor. Did I mention "It leaves at 8:30 a.m. SHARP!" 12:00 noon "ish" Arrival at the Festival Theatre in Stratford Ontario 12:00 noon until 1:45 p.m. Enjoy the Festival grounds/gardens, grab a bite to eat in the Festival Theatre Cafe, shop at the Festival Theatre gift shop. You might also consider bringing along your own picnic lunch and enjoy it on the Festival gardens. 1:45 p.m. Take your seat for the play! 2:00 p.m. The play begins Runtime: Two hours and 34 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission* Please note that all run times are approximate 4:30 p.m. "ish" The play ends 4:30 p.m. Assemble at the Paul D. Fleck Marquee Room in the Festival Theatre 4:45 p.m. Meet with Antoni Cimolino and Andrew Iles 5:00 p.m. Buffet dinner 6:00 p.m. Board bus for the trip back to Windsor 9:30 p.m. Arrive in Windsor Departure and Travel Information for people who take the chartered bus service.* the bus is provided by Badder Bus Lines and are staffed by licensed, professional drivers. participants should assemble at the Silver City Theatre on Walker Road at Provincial Road near Chuck's Roadhouse and Taka Sushi at 8:00 a.m. on September 19, 2024. The bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. sharp. See map. Mikhail Holdings Ltd. have given us very kind permission to park our cars for free at the Silver City parking lot. at least one rest stop can be made on the trips to and from Stratford. the bus does have a restroom. We should arrive at the Festival Theater in Stratford by around noon. Food and drinks are available for purchase in the Festival Theater lobby if you'd like something to eat before the play. Otherwise you are free to enjoy the Festival Theater gardens and their gift shop before the play begins at 2:00 p.m. We will be leaving Stratford immediately after the buffet dinner is over. The trip back to Windsor is expected to take three hours. For People Travelling to Stratford By Other Means The Stratford Festival provides a direct bus service to and from Toronto on a daily basis through the Festival season. The cost for a round-trip ticket is $38.42 which includes HST. Seats are limited so book early. More information is available on their site. Parking at the Festival Theatre is available. The rate is $25 and the lot opens two hours before the start of the play. Deadlines, Payments and Refunds: IMPORTANT! Theatre tickets from our reserved block of tickets have been purchased. The trip is on! Theatre tickets are now subject to the refund/exchange policy in place from the Stratford Festival. Other Information (from the Stratford Festival website): The Stratford Festival Theatre provides accessibility support services. Please visit their website for more information. Guests are welcome to bring bottled water or beverages in our lidded theatre cups into the auditorium – but, please, no other food or drinks. We encourage a scent-free environment; please refrain from wearing perfume, cologne and other scented products when visiting our theatres. Please turn off all mobile devices once you’re seated so that no one will be disturbed during the performance. Photographs may not be taken and recordings are not permitted at any time during the performance. Please refer to our Visiting FAQ on our website for more information. And just a little more information: We are excited to have Brian Taylor, Professor Emeritus from the School of Dramatic Art, University of Windsor join us on the bus. Brian will give a presentation offering insights about the play we'll be seeing. On the return trip, he will lead a discussion about the play, sharing his thoughts and engaging us in conversation about what we experienced. We are also expecting to be joined by the Director of London Assurance, Antoni Cimolino and Andrew Iles a graduate of the University of Windsor School of Dramatic Arts who is in his seventh season at Stratford. All information provided on this website is subject to change at any time. WURA and its representatives cannot be held responsible for any issues arising from this offering. The Stratford Festival Theatre Questions? Send e-mail to wura@uwindsor.ca.
	YouTube Videos About the Play and The Place We Will Visit. Four stages, four unique experiences at the Stratford Festival: the Festival Theatre stage, the Avon Theatre, the Tom Patterson Theatre and the Studio Theatre. The Tanya Stage in its early years (circa 1953) under canvas. "Two planks and a passion". Antoni Cimolino provides a passionate description about "the platform that supports the actor". The Tanya Stage, named for its designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch, is the centre piece of the Festival Theatre. Watch Marissa Orjalo (Grace Harkaway), Geraint Wyn Davies (Sir Harcourt Courtly) and Austin Eckert (Charles Courtly) draw portraits of one another. The Stratford Festival produces many informative YouTube videos that are fun to watch and learn. Take a moment and check them out.

	You Can Still Join Us! There's room on the bus for a few more people. You can join the group, travel to and from Stratford in comfort and enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at the Festival Theatre Marquee Room after the show. Contact wura@uwindsor.ca for more information.