Play: P' yong Yang

I'd got my own ticket for P' yong Yang tonight, but the organiser of the London Dramatic Arts Meetup group kindly added me to the RSVP list for her group. It was great to meet her again, and the play - about North Korea - certainly sounded interesting. It was a plus that it wasn't a very long journey - indeed, it's walking distance from my last flat; my destination was the Finborough Theatre.

It was so quick to get there that, after getting home, I had to force myself to delay. Eventually, I made for the station in time to catch the 6.45 Overground to West Brompton - I got there at about 6.55, and it was really only about a five-minute walk to the theatre. As I approached, I did wonder - I thought there was a sign to indicate that this is where the theatre is, but I could see none, just one for the "Finborough Arms". Still, I knew where I was going, and went in.

I met her at the ticket desk, just to the right of the entrance. Got my ticket, and a (very reasonably priced) glass of wine at the bar - in a plastic container, so I could take it upstairs to the theatre - and sat with her and another down the back. The other was waiting for his companion, and it turned out they'd been too late to get tickets for this now sold-out show, and were given raffle tickets instead, for a waitlist. That's the problem - not only does this theatre stage good shows, but in a very small venue, so you have to keep an eye on what's selling out.

When the bell rang at 7.25 (five minutes to go), those of us with tickets (now numbering three) went upstairs, leaving him there alone, sadly. In fact, he was never to join us - despite there being some remaining spaces in the theatre, and the fact that they started five minutes late. His companion mustn't have arrived by then. So, we passed through the awkward triple-door access system to the stairs, and took our seats on upholstered benches to the side of the stage - seating here is unreserved. We had a choice of front row, or the one behind - after some dithering, we chose to be right at the edge of the stage, in the front row.

The stage consists of a grey wall, with a kind of ledge / seating area, and dominated by an enormous portrait of Kim Il-Sung. And the play begins with a rendition of what I think is the national anthem of North Korea, heartily sung by the four actors, fists raised in patriotic salute. We're quickly dropped into the story, which follows two fresh-faced teenagers, who bond over their shared love of film, both hoping to get into film school, and make their way to P' yong Yang. Unfortunately, their future doesn't pan out as they would have hoped: and as their paths diverge, and they become aware of harsh realities, they must modify their dreams.

I've said it before, and it bears repeating - what you see in fringe theatres like this one is streets ahead of your average West End fare. It's more original, more challenging - and perhaps the performers are more invested. Whatever the cause, we were treated to an hour and forty minutes (without interval) of impassioned acting. Apart from our star-crossed lovers, there are two other actors - each of whom plays multiple parts.

The play, set in a variety of locations over a span of years, is cleverly written and intense, and the actors brilliantly portray getting older. It was interesting to watch the change in their dynamic over time. Also interesting was the constant drip feed of facts about North Korea - the famine, the gulags, the fact that North Koreans need a visa for P' yong Yang, and perhaps most surprising, the division of North Korean society into three different classes, depending on one's loyalty to the state, as personified by the "Great Leader".

Not a place I'd like to visit, then. But I can heartily recommend this play about it! Runs until the 30th - some dates sold out, booking absolutely advised. Unless you want to take your chances with that lottery! Afterwards, we didn't feel like a drink, but did spend the better part of an hour in the bar, discussing this and that, before returning to West Brompton, where our ways parted. And was I glad to get in from the bitter cold..

Tomorrow, I got in nice and early for one of those Crick Crack Club meetings that are always selling out. Fairytales for Grownups: Solomon and Sheba takes place in The Forge. And I don't have to pass through Waterloo (yippee!). On Thursday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less!, who are off on a cheery outing to This Will End Badly, at Southwark Playhouse. Which is closer to my new place. On Friday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup for a concert I'm very much looking forward to - Sufi Chants from Andalusia. On Saturday I'm attending what I think will be my very first Meetup with the Spooky London group, who are running a convivial evening chat about vampires. And on Sunday, I'm with London's Secrets, Tales and Legends, for an enticing walk in Highgate, entitled The Village of the Damned: Ghosts, Drugs and Legends. It's looking like a very good week.