Visit the Home of Snow White’s NIE

Cambridge, United Kingdom

This summer, we’ve been taking you on a trip around the world by highlighting four of the nine countries where our 2019-20 shows reside. The third stop on our journey is the home of Snow White’s New International Encounter (NIE)—Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. No, we didn’t repeat ourselves—Cambridge is their hometown and Cambridgeshire is one of the 48 ceremonial counties of England!

You may remember this company from last year’s hilarious hit Beauty and the Beast. This season, they’re making the seven-hour journey back to the New Victory to put their own special spin on another beloved classic. First, say hello to Artistic Director Alex Byrne in the Explore Video below. Then, learn more about Cambridge!

Did You Know

While you can probably guess that the national language of England is English, you might not know some of the other languages that residents speak. In Cambridge, the most popular are Welsh, Polish, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati and Punjabi. Try to talk the talk and test out the following bits of slang from across the pond.

• Know your onions—A compliment meaning that you’re smart and quick.
• Scrummy—Short for scrumptious.

In the video above, you’ll notice that Alex mentions three places—the University of Cambridge, King’s College Chapel and Cambridge Junction.

• University of Cambridge
  • It’s one of the most illustrious universities in the world, dating all the way back to 1209.
  • Sir Issac Newton attended the University of Cambridge.

• King’s College Chapel
  • King’s College Chapel was built in phases by a series of British monarchs from 1446 to 1515. Do those dates sound familiar? This was during the Wars of the Roses.
  • Although this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cambridge, it’s still an active place of worship and home to the King’s College Choir.
• Cambridge Junction
  • The home of NIE, Cambridge Junction is a cutting-edge entertainment venue that features live music, comedy and theater.

What to See

Here are just a few places where families can go to spend quality time together.

How to Travel

It will take the cast of Snow White about seven or eight hours to reach New York City. Their journey will begin with a ride down the M11 or A505 highway, depending on the airport. They will fly out of London from Stansted Airport, Luton Airport, the London City Airport, London Gatwick or the London Heathrow Airport.

While the city of Cambridge has a robust bus system, walking is highly recommended. Biking is also common, but watch out—the British drive on the left side of the road. Some believe that this habit began as far back as the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans, when riders would travel on the left to keep their sword arm free. The British Government introduced the General Highways Act to encourage people to drive on the left in 1773. By 1835, it became law of the land with the Highway Act.

How to Chow

Bite into the local fare with the following delicacies from the United Kingdom!

• Eve’s Pudding
  • There aren’t any evil stepmothers around, so don’t be scared to try this traditional British apple dessert. This simple recipe calls for a cake-like topping, baked on top of apples.

Bangers and Mash

• This traditional British dish consists of sausage with onion gravy and mashed potatoes. Does that sound delicious? It’s easy to make at home.

Devils on Horseback

• This U.K. appetizer is simply prunes stuffed with smoked almonds, wrapped in bacon and cooked.

Fish and Chips

• Probably one of the most famous dishes in the U.K., it’s easy to find just about anywhere there.
• For the top list of tourist favorites, check out this list from TripAdvisor.
• Although cut pieces of potato are called french fries in the United States, they are called chips in the U.K. What Americans think of as chips are known as crisps across the pond.

Try out these simply scrummy Cambridge specialties!

Cambridge Pudding

• This began as a student snack at Cambridge University. Made of steamed suet (similar to lard) with dried fruit, dates, spices, milk, eggs, breadcrumbs and flour, it’s served hot and steaming with a pudding sauce.
• The recipe for this pudding was first published in a cookbook in 1617!
• A British pudding is a savory or sweet dish that’s steamed or boiled in a dish, a cloth or sometimes even an animal intestine. What Americans think of as pudding is closer to a British custard.

Burnt Cream

• While more commonly known by its French name, crème brûlée, the first written reference to this dessert can be found in François Massialot’s Le cuisinier royal et bourgeois of 1691. There, it was referred to as crème à l’Angloise or “English cream.”
• This baked vanilla custard is topped with a sugar crust caramelized under a very high heat. The caramelization is achieved by broiling or using a culinary blowtorch.
• It has been associated with Cambridge’s Trinity College since the 19th century, where the school’s logo is customarily branded on top of the burnt crust.

Cambridge Milk Punch (Adults Only!)

• It’s all in the name! Milk punch is warm milk with lemon, sugar, a whole egg, rum and brandy.

What to Jam To

Check out this playlist on YouTube, filled with contemporary and classic pop hits from British artists.

In Your Own Backyard

A trip to Cambridge might not be feasible in the near future, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy British culture in New York City!

• To See
  • Visit the Met Cloisters to satisfy your castle cravings.
  • Choose a book to whisk you away at the New York Public Library’s European Library.
  • Have a cuppa at one of these tea-mendous spots.
• To Eat
  • Kings’ Carriage House
  • The Shakespeare
  • Bluebird London NYC
  • The Winslow
  • The Churchill, make sure to join them for a British classic—the Sunday roast!
  • Myers of Keswick
  • The Spotted Pig

Now that you’ve learned about Cambridge, join us for NIE’s Snow White this season! In the meantime, stay tuned for next week’s New Victory Travel Guide.