So, the path to this evening's event was a story in itself! I saw this talk advertised by the Crick Crack Storytelling Club on Meetup, thought it sounded the most interesting thing this evening, and joined both club and event. Went through the whole weekend thinking I had tonight sorted, and didn't check the site again until last night.. when I discovered a link I'd seen but forgotten; I should have booked a ticket! And now they were sold out! Nooo!!
Well, I cancelled my attendance and posted an explanation, then went about organising something else - and booked myself a ticket for the free section of the show at the Top Secret Comedy Club. The first bit, with Russell Hicks, who was the only good thing about it when I went before. And then, out of the blue (as I was reminding myself of the directions to the Top Secret Comedy Club), I got an email from the organiser of the Storytelling Club's event tonight, to say she had a spare ticket and to let her know if I wanted it. Eh, yes please! So Cinderella got to go to the ball after all!
And I then had to remind myself of the directions to the storytelling event, which it turns out isn't that far from the Top Secret Comedy Club. And so it was that, on a blustery but sunny evening, I hopped on a packed Tube to Holborn. She said to meet her at the entrance to the hall between 6.30 & 6.45 - the train pulled in to Holborn at abt 6.35, so perfect timing. I eventually got to the surface, trailing behind enormous crowds, and mentally thanked the makers of Streetview, for making my journey from there so much less confusing.
Streetview had shown me to head across the road, where there'd be a cross road with a Sainsbury's opposite a red brick building. There it was, immediately visible once I exited the station and looked around. Then, I had to carry on along that road until I passed a Nationwide building on the right, and head straight up the alley beside that. Bingo! It'd be further along that street. Now, I hadn't been to Swedenborg House before, but figured that the entrance (as seen on Streetview) would be the one with the sign for the Hall overhead.
Yup, right again. There was no-one at the door, but there was a woman standing inside with a list, and this was my benefactor. Whom I had to pay for my ticket, but that was fine. She gave me a red ribbon to attach to myself - I guess to certify that I had a ticket, because I think this was an entirely Meetup affair. And I went in and got a seat, and a very welcome glass of water, when I figured out they were on offer.
It's a grand room, but not excessively decadent. There's a bust of Mr. Swedenborg over the side - but apart from the rows of chairs, the only furniture in the room were the tables at the back with glasses and jugs of water, and a table at the front, adorned with sundry bits - a hand tambourine, a book with a piece of paper as a bookmark, and something that looked similar to a bodhrán.
The place nearly filled up, but not completely. And in due course (slightly late), we were greeted by a dapper gent all in black, who led us in an audience participation thing. Good grief! This club was only founded a month ago, and they already have a chant! He shouted "Crick!" and we shouted "Crack!" (Well, I didn't, because I wasn't familiar with it.) He shouted something like "E-crick!" and we shouted "E-crack!" (I was getting into the swing of it now.) And he finally introduced the evening's guest, Dr. Martin Shaw.
He was nearly as dapper, with a long scarf of a flimsy nature, draped around his shoulders. And he spent something over an hour, I think, regaling us with stories - about tricksters, but not the sort you'd think of primarily (I have no idea where the talk title comes from, though!). A more accomplished storyteller you shall not meet. The musical instruments on the table were well used to provide atmosphere, and yes, the thing that looked like a bodhrán was played pretty much like one, although it had no hand support and was played with a kind of brush, rather than the stick generally used with a bodhrán - thus producing a softer sound.
Now, all of this is well and good, but we were also told that, while having our wine after the talk, we'd be supplied with a "conversation list". And we were to divide into groups to discuss it, and formulate questions to put to the good doctor afterwards. Hmm. And then there was the point during the talk where he quoted from a scholarly treatise on the difference between black comedy and trickster humour. And it started to feel like a class - one I hadn't studied the prerequisite course to do. I was a bit at sea.. and also hungry. So I felt neither like a glass of wine, nor like standing around to discuss the theory of storytelling - and after the talk, I just plain left. I'd be happy to go again, but I don't fancy becoming a student of storytelling..
Tomorrow is looking like a film, and top of the list is The Man Who Saved the World - a documentary at the Curzon Bloomsbury (might get there this time!) about a Soviet officer who was placed in the position, in 1983, of having to press the red button, which would have started a nuclear war. He didn't, the world was saved - but he suffered a terrible personal price.
Finally, on Friday, Hard Façade is back! Playing Surya again. And I live in hope of meeting the guy who works in our office and sells cheap advance tickets!
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