On our last trip to London, we went to The Savoy for afternoon tea then attended The Play that Goes Wrong. It was a night that could have gone very wrong since I booked everything online. I worried about the location and if tea and finger sandwiches would be enough to sustain us through the length of the play. The tickets had been reasonable so I hoped it was decent. You never know. I crossed my fingers and toes.
A month later, my husband, Danny and I stood in the impressive entry of the Thames Foyer inside this famous hotel. A man played piano inside a wrought iron gazebo under a stained glass ceiling. The light scent of bakery floated through the air. Then a cheerful waitress led us to our table where the fabulous feast began. I was swept away.
The waitress insisted we each order a selection of sandwiches or desserts, although I figured it would be way too much food. Danny ordered savory and I ordered sweet. No surprise there.
Why did I worry? Our shared meal could have fed a very hungry family of four.
I watched a young man at a nearby table with awe. Major awe. Well taught in Manners 101-1001, this kid picked up his knife and fork while eating biscuits. He set down the aforementioned silverware between each bite and dabbed his cupid’s bow lips with the corner of his napkin. Nothing like eating in the States where everyone is in a hurry and most don’t give manners a second thought. Go America.
Without a place to store the savory leftovers, I made off with the sweet treats. Yum. I couldn’t resist.
I would recommend afternoon tea at The Savoy as an option before seeing a show. Be prepared to buy too much food. It’s worth the price of admission in this grand hotel. You won’t be disappointed by the quality or service. I felt like a queen!
And now for a bit of Quirky History
Speaking of royalty, the land between the Strand and the River Thames was originally gifted to Count Peter of Savoy by King Henry III. The Count built the Savoy Palace in 1263. He gifted it to the Congregation of Cannons of the Great Saint Bernard and it became a hospital, but not for long. Queen Eleanor bought the place and it became a castle once again. In 1381, the Peasant’s Revolted and burned it to the ground. It wasn’t until 1505 when Henry the VII willed money to renovate the ruins that it became a hospital once again.
But low and behold yet another fire destroyed the property in 1864. Richard Carte bought the property to build a the Savoy Theater for performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, which he produced. Ha! But after extensive research, he decided to build an opulent hotel instead. It was the first of its kind with electricity and elevators. Most rooms had their own bathrooms. Imagine.
In a few years, The Savoy bled money. He hired Cesar Ritz (of Ritz hotel fame, much later) to help him. Ritz was fired for stealing wine and spirits and for being a layabout. He probably spent his time working on his own hotel plans.
Yada yada and years go by until 2007 when the hotel is closed for major renovation costing over 220 million pounds. It reopened in 2010 with the addition of the Thames Foyer and the Beaufort Bar among many other improvements.
The Savoy is considered one of finest hotels in London today. Click to make a reservation.
Watching our time, we headed into the fresh air and took a quick sprint to The Play that Goes Wrong. It was located at the Duchess Theater only two blocks away. We arrived in plenty of time.
Loved the vibe in this comfortable and cozy theater and was very happy with our seats.
The play started while we sat waiting for it to start and not because we were late. Wait. What? The humorous antics in the pre-show set the tone for an escalating romp. The play amps up what goes wrong as the minutes race by.
By the second act the death defying acts of the cast had my heart pumping like I was on a high wire act in the circus. Thank the Lord, I sat a safe distance away from the frightening foibles being hoisted and dropped in a precise and unpredictable series of super scary feats.
Yes. I would recommend The Play that Goes Wrong. I double dog dare you to yawn during the second act.
If you’re in London, click here to buy tickets in advance. I picked mine up at Will Call before the play. Easy peasy.
It’s also touring the United States. I included the dates and locations below. Click here to purchase tickets.
Detroit, MI – Now through Feb. 24th, 2019
Tulsa, OK – Feb. 26 – March 3rd
Denver, CO – March 5 – 17
Tempe, AZ – March 19 – 24
Houston, TX – March 26 – 31
Kansas City, MO – April 2 – 7
Columbus, OH – April 9 – 14
Las Vegas, NV – April 18 – 24
Appleton, WI – April 30 – May 5
Minneapolis, MN – May 7 – 12
Baltimore, MD – June 4 – 9
Dallas, TX – June 11 – 16
San Antonio, TX – June 18 – 23
They will be adding more tour dates to this list. I hope it Goes Very Wrong and comes to your part of the world. It’s fun and takes prat falls to the next level.
In the meantime, slow down when you eat. Think of that young man with his delicate grace and style in savoring to remember the meal for years to come. I’ll definitely remember High Tea at the Savoy.
Have you ever experienced high afternoon tea? Are you a tea or coffee drinker? Do you like to go to plays?
Related posts:
A Day in London with Charles Dickens: Photo Essay
A Secret Garden In the Heart of London
London and Edinburgh and Why I Am Heading Back
Tea for me. And how brave of you to attend a play titled The Play that Goes Wrong!
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Hahaha! Right? And the tickets were so reasonable compared to Kinky Boots. It was a lot of fun!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Audrey!
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your presentation gets the appetite working, lucky you, blessings, amen
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Thanks so much, BW! It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
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long may it continue, blessings, keep up the travel, you say it well, blessings
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That’s the plan! LOL! Thanks again. 🙂
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How incredibly civilised of you, the Savoy is a really special place. Good manners are everything here in England so I’m right behind the young fella and his slow eating ways. Excellent. Oh and by the way it was Henry III I think that gave the land to Count Peter of Savoy. He was more than 200 years before Henry Vii.
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Right? I really enjoyed the tea experience. Americans need to slow the heck down…
Thanks for the catch! I fixed it. LOL.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Jonno!!!
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Your blog was written with the Information That Goes Wrong! The page you linked said it was Henry the THIRD, not the Eighth that gifted the land the Savoy is on.
Which makes a whole heck of a lot more sense when you consider H8 wasn’t born until 1491. 😛
Be thou of history a little more careful–especially when I’m sure I’m not the only regular reader who’s a Tudor buff!
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Look again Daya.
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I love afternoon tea but have not had the pleasure if having it at the Savoy. My favourite place to have afternoon tea is at The Empress Hotel in Victoria. Divine! The play sounds great too. A local theatre group is going to perform it soon and I plan to attend.
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That’s fantastic, Darlene! The play is one Wild Ride. LOL!
I’ll have to check out the Empress when I go to Victoria someday! Thanks for the tip.
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What a terrific adventure, and isn’t it great when everything goes to plan or better? the pictures made me hungry as well – my wife and I recently saw Betty Buckley in the touring edition of “Hello Dolly” at the classic Pantages Theater in Hollywood – a great night!
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I saw “Hello Dolly” advertised when I visited last weekend. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Anything in LA has got to be top notch. 🙂
Thanks so much, John!
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The Savoy looks delightful, so refined. I could enjoy afternoon tea there, perhaps with a martini on the side. I like to go to stage plays that don’t take themselves too seriously– and London is definitely the place to do that. As usual, your adventure looks like fun.
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Thanks so much, Ally! It was a fun night. Yes, this was the opposite of serious, but seriously dangerous! LOL!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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We had high tea at a B&B in Stratford – no where near as fancy as the Savoy but it was fun.
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I love afternoon and high tea! That sounds like a wonderful location. Shakespeare’s stomping ground. I’m all about snack time. LOL!
Thanks and Happy Valentine’s Day, Jan!
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Oh I do love a good ol’ Afternoon Tea. Recently when we were in New Zealand, one of the hotels we were staying at was hosting a “Mary Poppins” High Tea in launch with the recent movie “Mary Poppins Returns” Unfortunately we were checking out and missed out on that one! It looked divine though.
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Looked great.. I do love a nice high tea..:)
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It’s impossible for the things to go wrong with Susie around! The account has been written with your characteristic mix of anticipation, elegance and history. That is a shining photograph of the entrance overlooking the gazebo under the beautiful glass dome.
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Thanks so much, Uma! It was a relief. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we always expected everything to turn out wonderful? It would free up a lot of extra time from the worry category. LOL!
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Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of having afternoon tea at The Savoy. On my 50th birthday, we also dined at The Savoy Grill after having some drinks in The Savoy. It was a lovely surprise organised by my partner. Glad you enjoyed the experience, Susie. I’d certainly go back if somebody took me.
The play sounds terrific, although it’s not one I’ve heard of. Looks great fun, though. I rather like the ‘unexpected.’
Did you go into The Savoy Theatre? It’s a beautiful example of art deco. I was whizzed back to 1920s and 1930s just by going in and taking a look around. Deep underground, the theatre was used as an air raid shelter during the blitz.
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That sounds like a perfect way to celebrate your birthday, Hugh! I hadn’t heard of it either. It just closed on Broadway here and relocated “off Broadway.” It’ll get a lot of buzz as it tours the country.
I didn’t know about the theater until I read the history yesterday! I’ll have to check it out next time. It sounds like there’s a museum somewhere too. Lots to explore!
Thanks so much for reading, Hugh and for sharing!
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Hi Susie! We love theater and have our tickets to see The Play That Goes Wrong in Dallas in June. You got me even more excited 😀
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Hey, Clay! So good to see you!
I loved how the play had so many unexpected moments. Let me know what you think.
Any chance high tea will catch on in Dallas? 😂
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It’s always fun to see where you are off to next! I love high tea at the Drake in Chicago…although my manners are, I’m sure very American!!
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I’m lusting after that afternoon tea right now! The Savoy is being added to my list.
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This is so right up your alley
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Tea and theatre – I am so in.
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The play sounds so fun! I see it’ll be over by me in May. I might have to go! Too bad I won’t get the sandwiches and sweets—or maybe I’ll find a Minneapolis version—then teach my son to cut his cookies with a knife and eat them with a fork! That would be a feat indeed.
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It is! It’s a wild romp. I went to a high tea in Denver in December with my book club. It was very nice, but I doubt they used butter in their baking like the Brits. LOL!
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Oh gosh. Good butter (and enough of it) may be one of my favorite joyful sins.
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There was plenty of butter, but I miss the rich taste of European baking!
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I think tea at the Savoy sounds sophisticated and very charming! I would love the opportunity. What? You don’t think American eating habits (and manners) are exemplary? LOL!
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Ha! Even the wait staff thanks each other for everything. When I went to the Bloggers Bash, the waiter came with my coffee. Since I was in the middle of telling a story, I just took the cup from him. The entire group said, “Thank you,” to him for me, in unison. To say I was mortified would be an understatement. LOL!
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I’ve never visited the Savoy although I’ve been to London several times. Will have to make it a point of taking some tea there next time. 😉
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You would love it! Talk about pampered. I could get used to that kind of service!!
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Ha, ha I’m sure I would.
Will be in south-west UK in June, if I ever get my visa and I can leave Italy – might take a side-trip trip to London.
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That’s a great idea! Flights are cheap from Denver to London so we often use it as a jumping off point.
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Wish they were cheap from here…really need to time it as there’s only 2 flights per week during the winter. Unless, I fly from Naples or Rome, then it’s the overnight expense plus travel up to those cities.
Decisions, decisions…
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Oh, man! That’s tough. You should find an adventurous Lyft or Uber driver. Lol!
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Ha, ha I have – my partner but he’s working in the UK at the moment.
I’m hoping my renewed visa arrives by June, otherwise I need a Plan B – 7 months and counting since I submitted my documents.
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That is such s long time to wait!!
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Yeah, I’m ready to give up and flee…
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Are you from the UK? I would think there would be something you could do to expedite the process.
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What a lovely post. My husband and I are going to London in July. I am going to put this on our list of things to do. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks so much!
You’ll love it. Also, check out my last post about the secret garden near The Tower of London. That’s a very special place too!
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Great looking day out! I have been to this play in Dublin- so much fun!
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Oh, wow! I loved how it escalated. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat! 😂
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Me too – mirth overload. Such clever farcical work.
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Sounds amazing. We used to go to the theatre but haven’t in years. Last play I saw was cat’s…. the Savoy sounds amazing. I like tea and coffee, I drink more tea then coffee but do enjoy coffee first thing in the morning. We have never been to the Savoy.
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It’s easy to get out of the habit but there’s something really special about live theater.
I probably drink more tea too but like you, love my cuppa joe to get my motor running! 🏃♀️
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Ha ha, there is nothing like a cup of tea. I have to take a flask of tea to work with me now.. I need it.! Yes live theatre is definitely special.
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Wow! What an exciting day you had.
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And it started at the Tower of London and the secret garden. We know how to pack it in!
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That’s the way to get the most out of a trip. Good for you!
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What a fabulous way to celebrate your anniversary!
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It really was but it didn’t end there. We went to the Witchery in Edinburgh too! 😀
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I’ve heard such good things about the Witchery but I’ve never been!
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You’ll have to go next time. It was everything and more than I imagined!
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Definitely!!
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Loved this.
Tried following and liking your post but unable to 😦
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Weird! You’re logged in so that shouldn’t be a problem. Try again!
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