Recommended Theatre Events For the London Autumn

When the weather turns brisk after a wet and none-too-warm summer we Brits well know that now is the time to enjoy London. The winter is too cold and miserable and the summer is generally blighted by hordes of tourists. But the Spring and Autumn are the highlights of the year with the best cultural events and reasonable weather to enjoy them. This Autumn there is heaps to do with theatre a particular highlight.

Recommended London theatre

Right now there are a number of particularly good productions on stage in London. Whether you are interested in musicals or serious theatre there are in excess of 75 plays in production. However, as I know that many visitors in London are after a jolly show I have profiled three musicals below as well as a serious piece theatre which promises to be one of the most talked-about productions of the decade.

The 39 Steps has just past its second birthday at the Criterion and has just announced that its run has been extended yet again. The play is adapted from the novel by nineteenth century novelist John Buchan and the 1935 film of the book by Alfred Hitchcock. The play is a comedic spoof-thriller about Richard Hannay a London gentleman who is drawn into a foreign plot and ends up on the run himself after a woman is found murdered in his flat. I saw the original London show at the Tricycle before it opened at the Criterion and it is heartily recommended. The production won "Best New Comedy" at the Olivier Awards in 2006. A Broadway spin-off won two Tony Awards this year.

Grease. London revival of the 1972 Broadway hit immortalised by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta in the 1978 film. This 2007 revival has been much acclaimed by critics and audiences. It is full of life and energy and will leave you singing the songs and feeling great.

The Donmar Warehouse is known in London for its confronting dramas. It is an intimate theatre around a horseshoe stage with only three rows so you can feel the actor's effort and sweat throughout. The theatre attracts major stars returning to the stage for intellectual refreshment. In its latest production Shakespeare veteran Kenneth Branagh has cast Hollywood heart-throb Jude Law as Hamlet. Will Law succeed in such a cramped domain? Many stars have returned to the stage in London to sold-out runs but critical panning. I think Law is cut above the rest and will enhance his reputation in this performance which is certain to be one of the most talked-about shows of the year.

The Phantom is back. Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic romance has been revived at Her Majesty's theatre. For those who remember the London launch of the musical in the 1980s, relive the magic.

After the show catch a late supper at Gaucho Piccadilly. Gaucho is a chain of Argentinean restaurants which are recognised as having the best steaks in London. Try an Argentinean merlot with your steak; it should have much more spice and body than the typically soft European and Californian versions of the grape.

Getting to the theatre district is easy. On the Central Line you have stations at Holborn, Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Circus. On the Piccadilly Line Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Holborn (again) may all be helpful. In addition there are plenty of buses from all over London.

New Credit Card Laws (2009) And Students

When it comes to debt, credit card companies believe that you're never too young to start accruing it. This is why many of them hand out lines of credit like candy to students, whether they are in high school or college. Two out of three high school students in the United States have credit cards, and have some form of debt, thanks to reckless spending. Start early, spend often, and pay the bank every month, that's the name of the game for many credit card companies.

College Students in Credit Card Debt
However, thanks to the new credit card legislation just recently signed by the president (May 22, 2009), the days of students getting into debt well before they're legally able to earn the money to begin paying it off is over. Or, at the very least, on notice. For students who already have their cards, the legislation will ease the burden the card conveys in return for being able to buy stuff.

However, it is much more important for generations that have yet to sign on the dotted line and collect their plastic key to financial independence.

Late Fees and Interest Spikes
As well as legislation relating to interest fee spikes and late payments (the bane of any credit card owner, no matter their age), there was a clause dealing specifically with student card owners. In short, the clause makes it harder for anyone under the age of twenty-one to get a card. No one under the age of twenty-one can have a credit card unless a parent, legal guardian or spouse is the primary cardholder. Also, the credit limit on such a card cannot be increased without the written permission of said primary cardholder. The only exception to either of these is in the case of a student with proof of their own income.

They can submit proof of regular income earnings and request an exemption to the need for their parents to allow them to have a card.

Before the Law Passed
Before this legislation passed, a student under the age of twenty-one could get their own card without permission, which, of course, invariably led to reckless spending and the growth of debt, especially in the case of freshman college students. Now, a parent or legal guardian can check such before it occurs and keep their student out of trouble. At least until they have some method of paying off their own debts. This should ease the dangers of credit card debt.

Crippling Debt
Keeping credit cards out of the hands of students may seem unfair at first glance, but really, how fair is it to inflict what can rapidly become crippling debt on a student, especially if they have no way pay off credit card debt. In many ways, this is the modern upgrade to the weekly allowance. Credit cards are a way for students to exercise financial independence, but it often results in unpleasant consequences. Now, thanks to the new legislation, parents and legal guardians have a way of curtailing that financial independence without cutting students off from the potential lessons and character building moments entirely.