(104)Oliver Twist in Bolton Theatre

On 20th January 2010, the English Department of Wigan-Leigh College organised a trip for students to watch an opera in Bolton Theatre. The Entry fee was sponsored by college. All together 18 students from Parson Walk campus along with 2 guardian-lecturers travelled by National Rail from Wigan - Wallgate train station to Bolton. It took 20 minutes on the train and the theatre is 10 minutes walking distance from the train station.

When we arrived there it was too early to enter the theatre, therefore we managed to have the chance to visit the Museum, Library and Aquarium, which are across the road from the Theatre. Those are situated in the same big building. Therefore, it would be very convenient for tourists who would like to visit all the three places in a shorter time frame. Fortunately, for us, the weather in Bolton on that day was very pleasant.


Watching the opera was an amazing experience, it started at 2:00pm. The name of the opera was Oliver Twist, and it was quite a sad story of a poor little boy whose mother passed away when she gave birth. He was struggling to survive in an unfavourable three-dimension society, specifically dirty, dangerous and a dull environment. Although it was a sad and sorrowful story, it ended with a happy conclusion. His long lost relatives found him thus he lived happily ever after with his wealthy aunt and great uncle.

Overall, the opera was interesting and I was captivated. The performers put in a great deal of effort in entertaining the audience, and they have strong acting skills. In addition, they also had big voice. In fact, they did not use microphones. However, the audience could hear them clearly.

On that day, I really had a great time together with fellow classmates, students. It was a great opportunity to meet student from other classes and from Leigh Campus.

This extra-curricula activity allowed me to become more involved in my student society. I really enjoyed that day out. At the same time, this activity helped me a lot about learning English by recognizing phrases and expression. It is great opportunity for me to learn knowledge of English culture and entertainment.