Tag Archives: London

Coprophilia Passport

In 1979 I spent three months at a college in London while I student taught at a primary school. I became friends with a group of other students who’d formed a pseudo-club and called itself the United Free State of Coprophilia. I became a member (under the alias of Gladys Hipps) and was issued this passport.

I’ve got a suspicion that the founders thought coprophilia was love of death and not love of shit.

I have no idea what the distinguishing feature comment was all about. (It says “Quick temper, easily flared when confronted by black jacketed idiots. So there.”)

Playbill from A Chorus Line, Drury Theatre, London 1979

I student taught in London the spring term of 1979. I can’t say that I learned much about teaching during those few months, but I sure had a blast in London.

One night a bunch of us, mostly — perhaps all — American students, went to Theatre Royal Drury Lane to see the musical A Chorus Line. I loved the musical (and still have the LP I bought after getting back to the States). Music from that show brings back such vivid memories of sights and sounds and even smells of my time in London. On the way back from the show we danced, linked arms and kicking, chorus-line-style through the streets of London, down the steps of the Underground, and back to Southlands College.

Good memories. I don’t need to keep this. Is there a market for vintage playbills?