Pilot Troupe in the UK

THIS SUMMER, TEN theater students and graduates performed a production of 10 short plays—some written by UP students, faculty, and alums—in several locations across the UK. The trip was the culmination of the British Theater Experience class co-created by professors Gregory Pulver and Bryan Wills. And it was all made possible by the generous support of longtime collaborators of Pulver’s from Oxfordshire, in South East England. The UP students and alums directed and performed A Hand Full of Change: A Collection of Short Plays in the couple’s 1640 barn house, which they’ve converted into an intimate performance space. “You feel that you walk back into history when you go there,” said Pulver. 

The UP troupe also offered workshops at a high school and middle school and worked with a young actor’s ensemble from Mill Performance Center in Banbury. “You had to learn how to hold attention, how to lead a group,” said Branna Sundy ’26, a directing and performance major. “It was a great learning experience.” 

During a session with a peer ensemble at Banbury College, the students chatted about Taylor Swift and other pop culture, but most of the conversation focused on trends in American and British theater. 

“It was an excellent experience to take the reins and learn by doing theater with each other,” said Sundy. “We really developed a sense of who we are and what we want to do and to figure out how do I want to make art and who do I want to make it with?” 

“There was tons of enthusiasm,” said Pulver, who was proud of the ways the group reveled in the cultural exchange. And he took great pride in their performances. “They really brought it.” Other highlights of the experience were a visit to some special collections in Oxford and a tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company costume shop. “We geeked out over the costumes,” said Sundy. And they also attended a riveting, immersive production of Cabaret in London.