Play: Chicken Shop

I booked a ticket for Chicken Shop tonight, at the Park Theatre. I wouldn't have bothered booking, except that a website, A Younger Theatre, offered a discount code - CHICKEN - to use when booking on the venue website.

There are a couple of problems with going to something on the other side of the city. One is the length of the journey, another is the possibility of mishaps..

Anyhoo, I set off an hour before the play was due to begin (Google Maps predicted a journey time of about 40 mins). I took a Tube from West Brompton - I had a choice thereafter: I could stay on until Victoria and take the Victoria Line to Finsbury Park, or change at Earl's Court and take the Piccadilly Line to Finsbury Park. The platform indicator said that the next train was headed into town, which meant that either option was viable. Of course, the indicator was wrong, as usual - which meant I had to change at the next stop - Earl's Court - and my decision was made for me.

A Piccadilly Line train pulled in just as I got to the platform, which meant I was ahead of schedule. It was pretty crowded - I didn't get a seat until Russell Square, over halfway through my journey. Which is where the trouble started - although I doubt my taking a seat had anything to do with it. But you never know.

We were stopped for five minutes outside Russell Square station. The driver - as usual - had no idea why, except that there was a train on the platform ahead of us, and we needed to let it get out of the way first. Why it took so long to get out of the way remains a mystery. We eventually made it that far, then crawled to the next stop, King's Cross St Pancras.

We had quite a long stop there - but then, there is always a large number of people embarking and disembarking at that station, what with all the different Tube lines that pass through, and people going to and from the train stations. It was when it took us 15 mins to get to the next station, Caledonian Road - again, crawling through the tunnels, and with several people beginning to look irritated - that I realised I wasn't going to make it (to put it in perspective, the same trip between these two stations, in reverse, took 3 mins). There were three stations to go after Caledonian Road, to the one I wanted. Should've taken the Victoria Line, eh?

What the hey, I waited until Finsbury Park, just to see how long it would take. We made it at 7.50 - five minutes after the play started, and fully 65 minutes after I left home. I exited the station for the sake of it, so as not to confuse my Oyster card reading with an "incomplete journey". As I left the station, I watched a quartet of TFL workers push a broken-down bus down the road, to the amusement of the passers-by. Gee, TFL just wasn't having a good evening, eh?

Well, when the fun was over, I touched back in again with my card. It's just a reader on the wall - there are no barriers here. It registered, but I thought it said "EXIT" again, instead of "ENTRANCE". I wasn't sure though, and carried on. Sure enough, when I finally got home (after 45 mins - 20 mins less than the outbound journey), I do believe I was charged maximum fare when I touched out. Which is what happens when there's an incomplete journey. I guess, with me touching out and in again so quickly, it thought I'd tapped twice by accident. Great. As soon as it registers on the website, I'll have to contact them and explain. If I'd gone through the open gate without touching out, I'd have gone for free, and not have to explain anything. Sometimes crime pays..

For tomorrow, the African Music Festival (whose website is very confusing, I might add) is throwing up something interesting. I've never heard of Debra Debs before - but I don't generally move in soul circles. She sounds really good. Only thing is - it's in Shoreditch. And after tonight.. and given that I have an early start the next morning (I'm in Guildford)... Plus, for this kind of music, I don't think it pays to arrive stressed. We'll see, but I just don't think it's gonna fly. Might just stay home instead and listen to her online. Sadly, I'm then in Ireland for the weekend, so I'll miss the rest of the festival..