FOUNTAIN HILLS THEATER ANNOUNCES

LONDON THEATER TRIP 2012!

WHAT:            LONDON THEATER TRIP  2012

WHEN:            April 7 through April 15, 2012

                                    WHERE:           Fountain Hills Theater

                                                           11445 N Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ

                                    HOW:              Reservations: (480) 837-9661 Visa/MC/Amex/Discover

                                    PRICE:             $2995.00

Fountain Hills Theater is pleased to announce that it is now taking reservations for the annual theater trip.  This year’s trip is to Merry Olde England! The excursion is April 7^th through April 15^th, 2012 and the trip includes non-stop round-trip airfare, London area airport transfers, 7 nights hotel accommodations at the beautiful and conveniently located, Strand Palace Hotel, tickets to 4 West End plays, and even includes 2 meals each day for only $2995.00! An optional day trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon with tickets to a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company is also available for an additional fee.

Reservations must be made before November 18^th 2011.  A $750.00 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking, with the balance to be paid no later than March 9, 2012.  Travel insurance is strongly recommended as there are no refunds. Prices subject to change based on fluctuations in the British pound.

Reservations can be made at the Theater Box Office at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd. or by calling (480) 837-9661.  Box Office hours are 10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Saturday.  FHT accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

For additional information not contained in this press release please call Fountain Hills Theater Artistic Director Peter J. Hill at (480) 837-9661 ext. 7.

EXTENDED PRESS RELEASE:

London in the spring.  A crisp chill still crackles.  Even the occasional snow flurry can be seen in the country side. This is exactly what travelers in years past have experienced on Fountain Hills Theater’s trip to Merry Olde England. 

Fountain Hills Theater London trip is in a class by itself.  Travelers meet at Sky Harbor International Airport to fly non-stop by British Air to London.  A restful flight, good food and – look out the window – aren’t those icebergs floating by?  We land at Gatwick (Sometimes Heathrow) airport and are taken by private van to our hotel.  This year we’ll be staying at the Strand Palace in the heart of the West End, just steps from the beautiful river Thames.

Each day in London starts with a full English breakfast, included for our guests.  Bangers and mash anyone?

Nice leisurely day tours to our hearts content reveal just how beautiful London can be in the spring.  A visit to the sprawling flower shops of Covent Garden is a must, but watch out for the traffic – they drive on the wrong side here you know!  Good thing it’s painted right there on the sidewalks - look right!

Many of our guests use their free time to visit the many historical sights – the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, Hampton Court - the home of Henry VIII or any number of other famous sites.  History buffs go wild.  In Arizona if a building is 200 years old, it’s ancient.  In London, it’s still a convenience store!  Some guests even take an afternoon to shop that most historic of all places - Harrods!  And, it’s so easy to get about the city by bus and tube (subway) with a week’s visitors pass that allows unlimited trips for a full seven days.

Each night after exploring the city and the countryside, the group meets for dinner, also included for our guests.  Whether dinner is Yorkshire pudding and spotted dick at the White Swan or fish and chips at the Red Lion Pub, the meals are always delicious.  Who said the English can’t cook?

Of course, being a theater crowd, our trip also includes tickets to four West End shows.  The West End is London’s ‘Broadway’ and the plays and musicals are nothing short of spectacular.  In the past guests have seen ‘The Full Monty’, ‘Noises Off’, ‘Whistle Down The Wind’, ‘Lady In The Van’ and even the longest running play in the world ‘The Mousetrap’.

On nights when guests are on their own, they’ve been known to gather local color at the neighborhood pubs (and no the beer isn’t warm), or even take the infamous ‘Ripper Walk’ that traces the steps of the bloody Jack the Ripper.

One day is allotted for the optional day trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.  It’s a delightful two-hour trip by chartered bus through the English countryside to the quaint town on the Avon River.  There you can stroll the market town amid the Tudor style homes, tour Shakespeare’s ancestral home and visit his burial place that is engraved with a remarkable curse.  Stratford is also home to the Royal Shakespeare Company and a visit would not be complete without catching one of their brilliant performances.  One recent group was delighted to get to see the first-ever RSC production of the controversial Edward III. 

After a week, guests hop on their non-stop flight back to Sky Harbor with souvenirs, new friends, and a lifetime’s worth of memories.