Play: Orphans

Cool.. another day, another play, courtesy of the Man with the Hat. Let's Do London - for less! were off to Orphans yesterday, in Southwark Playhouse. And so I booked.

I worked from home, so left in good time - the 344 bus would take me directly there, and I caught the one before the one I needed to catch. And off we went, and I was nice and relaxed. Until I realised the damn thing was on diversion.. of course, they never tell you WHERE they're diverting to, so there I was, checking on my phone where exactly we were, as we diverted. Well, I can tell you for sure that we found traffic.. popular diversion, this. Which seemed to consist of toddling off to the end of the road, turning around and coming back. I can only conclude there was a right turn they couldn't take. Anyway, this little diversion cost 15 minutes - just as well I was early.

Also just as well my phone battery lasted - it was nearly out. Anyway, my concern as I got off wasn't that I'd be late - I was in decent time: it was more that, by now, I really needed the toilet (what can I say, when last I bought wine, one of my favourites was on sale, and I'd just finished the bottle..). Trotted up the road, trotted into the theatre, scurried to the back, located the Man, got the ticket, made my excuses, scarpered to the loo. Phew. Made it back in time to sit and turn off my phone, and we made our way in.

It's in the "Little" of the two theatres here, and as you walk in, you see that it's as snug as ever. You have to cross the stage to get to the seats. I grabbed a seat in the second row, near the middle (unassigned, as ever) and as I sat, noticed the fellow staring at a tv in the far corner of the stage. It occurred to me to wonder what exactly he watches, before every show, and whether he varies it..

It's obvious that this is Philip, the younger of the orphaned brothers that are the centre of the plot. When we're introduced to his volatile older brother ("Treat"), the play picks up a notch. Treat is unpredictable, he has a temper, and if you want to feel immersed in the action, the front rows are the place to be when he sparks off. Treat is obviously the boss here, telling his little brother what to do, and shielding him from the Big Bad World. The final character, Harold, is introduced when Treat kidnaps a guy that he figures will fetch a fine ransom. But as the first act closes, we're left wondering who's really in control.. has Treat met his match?

Southwark Playhouse always throws something interesting out there, and I don't think any of us predicted how this would pan out. A constantly evolving story, with strong, engaging characters - this was a hell of a yarn. I'd have loved to know what happened to the characters next.. Recommended. Runs until Saturday week.

I had another wine at the interval, and just couldn't resist one of the chocolate bars they so thoughtfully place right at the end. And we all chatted about how much we were enjoying it - everyone has to leave the auditorium so they can re-dress the stage. Sadly, it does end a wee bit late, and most of our group scarpered afterwards, it being a school night. Interestingly, despite protests from those that remained, they did end up staying for a bit. And we all got to meet Treat! who came out after a bit, and was happy to chat about the play, and the venue. And that is another great thing about this place - the cast generally do hang around the bar for a bit.

A short walk got me to the bus stop, where I had a bloody freezing wait for my bus! Kudos to the Americans who asked whether that was their stop - turned out they wanted the same bus, and they timed it perfectly; the bus arrived shortly after they did. Too late to blog last night - it was already past my bedtime when I got home, given I'm in Guildford today.
Tonight, the Crick Crack Club scheduled another storytelling session, in The Forge - and next thing I knew, The London European Club were coming too! I'd already booked my ticket (they always sell out) - so now I've signed up with both groups. Looking forward to it.. and it'll be nice to have the LEC there, I'll know some people; the Crick Crack Club don't put much emphasis on meeting. Tomorrow, I'm back with London Dramatic Arts, with whom I'd booked a ticket to Battlefield, at the Young Vic, before all the trouble with them started. It's based on the Mahabharata, apparently. Is Battlefield an appropriate name for how the evening will go? We shall see.. Back to Ireland at the weekend, then on Monday of next week I'm back with Let's Do London - for less!, who are off to Soho Theatre for What I Learned From Johnny Bevan.