Play: Rudy's Rare Records

Tonight, I had booked for Rudy's Rare Records. Mind you, given that it's all the way over in Hackney, and with my disastrous experience last night, had I got a better offer, I'd have taken it. I didn't though, so off I went.

Now, when I go to Hackney, I take the Overground - it's cheaper, and direct. However, it's also intensely crowded at rush hour - mind you, so is the Tube. To alleviate the discomfort of the journey, I decided to leave straight from work, so as to catch the earliest train possible - it might be a bit less busy. On the walk to the station, I encountered not one, but two jet-black cats! 'Tis the season, I guess..

The train was busy, but not so much that you couldn't get on. A seat was out of the question, of course. A lot of Irish accents, as usual on this line. And the journey became much more interesting when three women and three small children got on, accompanied by a pram and a buggy. Well of course, the pram and buggy took up a lot of room. People were generally understanding, but one was annoyed when trying to squeeze on. The little people in the party were unconcerned, but one of the mothers was heard to exclaim what fools they were to travel with kids at rush hour, and how she's never, ever doing it again! Meantime, one of the babies was doing his best to pickpocket the person standing next to his buggy..

I hadn't had a chance to pick up a paper - not that I'd have had room to read it on the train, anyway. I picked one up on the way out of Hackney Central though. Had to laugh when I saw the lead story - overcrowding on trains! The Hackney Empire is a short walk down the road to the right, and I collected my ticket and waited, with the others, for the doors to open - the downside to being early! When the doors finally did open, I discovered that I had to go around the side door - when I was here before I was in the stalls, but this time I was in the Upper Circle - second highest level - and it turns out that the entrances to the highest levels are around the side.

After climbing a fairly substantial set of stairs, I arrived at the Upper Circle. My row was second from the back, and I had the aisle seat (F1). It was literally the cheapest ticket left when I booked. The first thing I noticed was the substantial overhang from the gallery, upstairs. It didn't provide an obstruction when seated, though. The second thing I noticed was that a corner of the stage was obscured by the side wing of the Upper Circle. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the corner where much of the action happened. The third thing I noticed was when more people started to arrive, and were coming down the centre steps - I'd come down the side, where there's a railing; in the middle, there's none. Many were having difficulty with the steps, and as I watched, I realised that each had quite a drop to the next! Had I been sat in the middle, I'd never have managed. A stroke of luck there.

The house ultimately filled completely - this show is very popular. When it did, I became glad of my aisle seat. I hadn't noticed it before someone sat in the seat next to me, but legroom is way too tight - when there was nobody beside me, I splayed my legs. When someone sat beside me, I didn't have that option, and swiftly discovered that it was really uncomfortable to sit with legs pointed straight ahead - I was bruising my knees on the hard backs of the seats in front of me! So I spent the vast majority of the show twisted sideways - which allowed me to stretch my legs, but did nothing for my back.

This show is another comedy. The difference between it and Breeders is - this one is good. It stars Lenny Henry as the son of the Rudy in the title, who's an irascible old man who refuses to sell his treasured record shop, despite all the pressures on him to do so. The last thing I saw Lenny Henry in was a serious role, but here he's back to his irrepressible best, larking around, and even getting to indulge in singing and dancing. Which he does very well.

The show is best when it concentrates on the music. It's reggae all the way - there's even a plot point to explain why there's a band at the back of the stage for most of the show; they're rehearsing in the record shop's tiny studio! By the second act, the show has turned into something of a reggae concert (fundraiser to keep the shop open, is the story) - the band has moved to the upper level of the stage, and Lenny Henry leads the audience in a sing-song. I like reggae - it's kind of a requirement for this show - but I wasn't that familiar with the songs. My word, but the crowd was though, and it was lovely to hear everyone join in the singing, clapping, finger-clicking.. there was a fantastic atmosphere.

On the negative side, I found myself going, "What?!" all the time. The thick Jamaican accents didn't help, but it was actually hard enough to hear them, as far up as I was, and they didn't have mics. I was queueing for an ice cream at the interval, and the couple in front of me in the queue actually complained to the ice cream seller that they thought the show was probably very good, but they couldn't hear it. Not just me, then! Still, what they expected that guy to do about it, I can't say. Nobody's likely to change the setup, this late in the run anyway - it finishes on Sunday. (Oh, the ice cream was delicious, BTW, and while still overpriced, it cost less than half what you'd pay in the West End.)

As the show rolled on, I was delighted I'd come, and reluctant to leave - but also somewhat worried about the time of my last train. I needn't have worried - it finished (with a well deserved standing ovation) well in time for me to make the second-last train. Which was crammed - but I did get a seat after a few stops. This train was the one that leaves me with a 20-minute wait at Willesden Junction - thankfully, it's not that cold yet. I highly recommend the show - if you can get a seat in the stalls or the next level up.

Tomorrow, mercifully, I can have a lie-in! For a bit anyway - I'm off to the matinee of Sequence 8 at Sadler's Wells. The very last day of it.. I'm glad to have caught it. Rear stalls, this time.