It's months since I've been here, and I'd forgotten how each section has a separate entrance! After a moment, I found the doors that said "box office" - then had to go out again for the entrance to the gallery and upper circle! A bag check at the door, then bare wooden stairs for a while: quite a lot of stairs, with a ticket check at the top before they let you into the Upper Circle Bar, where we were to meet (most of our group were sitting at that level). Lordy, what a nightmareishly narrow bar.. we didn't really all have room, but said hi as best we could, and before long it was time to go in anyway.
Oh hell, I thought when I saw the stairs. (I was in the stalls, last time I was here.) The upper circle has no handrails, once you're in the seating area proper.. and it's steep enough and high enough to cause me real problems. I managed to clamber my way down, holding onto seatbacks and armrests.. and once I was in my seat in the front row, all was fine! Lovely comfy seat actually - decent legroom, and I was on the aisle to boot. As for the view - described as restricted, and indeed the thick upper circle rail does obscure just a smidgeon of the stage. But honestly, the action was well back from the edge of the stage, so rarely was more obscured than, say, the tip of someone's shoe.
And, as someone was to remark afterwards, it's great to be in the high seats, and get a better view of the ceiling:
This, as it says in the advertising, is the story of a little girl who went to visit her granny - but never came home. Three main actors - the mother, the kidnapper, and a psychologist with a rather fragile personality of her own. All, apparently, famous from tv - but not being a frequent tv-watcher, I wouldn't know much about that.
It is, as you might expect, quite dark - never more so than when the kidnapper is onstage, frequently accompanied by faint, ominous music. He plays a blinder, I have to say, presenting himself as one of the most thoroughly unpleasant characters I've ever seen. Unusual, to get the psycho's perspective.. but all the characters are well-rounded, and beautifully played. As the play progresses, it becomes a study of how the different characters deal with loss. ("Frozen", BTW, refers to the state of mind of the characters - not the weather; it's not set in Scandinavia!) It's an original plot, taking the audience in some unexpected directions, and I loved the production - some of the imagery, such as the mother walking into light at the end, is a bit obvious: but I thought it came across very well.
As one of our number remarked, a very slick production. Highly recommended - quite memorable. Runs until the 5th of May - booking recommended, it was pretty full tonight.
We'd met in the Upper Circle Bar again at the interval - except for one of the group who was sat in the level below, and was told that she'd never make it up and back in time! Perhaps not, if she had to go outside.. We did all meet outside the theatre afterwards, when we could find each other in the crowd.. and after some serious shivering, some of us decided to head for a drink, somewhere. One of our number knew of somewhere "just down there and down an alleyway to the left"; following those directions, we came upon Pall Mall Wine, a cosy little wine bar with table service, French-sounding staff, a wide selection, and a very palatable house white. They also do food, although probably not this late! Not the cheapest, particularly with an added service charge - but the atmosphere is lovely, and I'd happily come back. And as someone said, not expensive at all for the area..
I finally have something for tomorrow! Now, London Social Detours are on a tour of the Suffragette Exhibition at the Museum of London - which seemed the most interesting thing on Meetup. (Must check out that museum - it's walking distance from me now, and they do seem to have a lot of interesting stuff.) Anyway, thing is, despite the exhibitions being free, London Social Detours is charging £3. I understand they have costs.. but since the Man with the Hat retired, few groups in Meetup seem to me to be worth paying extra for, and not this group. So my rough plan was to go on my own, and avoid them. Until.. I got an Eventbrite email yesterday, advertising a Mary Poppins walk! Only one in London, apparently, run by an American lady who seems to run some fun tours.. I couldn't resist, so I'm doing that. We meet at St. Paul's.. Feed the birds, tuppence a bag.. and wouldn't you know it, she sent an email this evening to say I'm the only booking so far! That'd be the second time that's happened with me on a walk..
On Sunday, I'm doing another chocolate tour - different one from before - with Funzing, courtesy of Walking in London.
On Monday, I'm back to Showstopper! at the Lyric. (Durnit, another I could've walked to, last year!) No problem seeing this more than once, they base every night's show on audience suggestions (roughly), so it is a different show every night..
On Tuesday, I'm back with North London Friends for A Passage to India, at the Park. Last time I was with them, someone asked me whether I was coming to this, and I said no.. it's hard to keep track, though!
On Wednesday, Up in the Cheap Seats is headed to Picnic at Hanging Rock - nice and close, in the Barbican. I remember this as quite a disturbing film - will be interested to see the stage version.
On Thursday, Up in the Cheap Seats again, for Beats on Pointe. Unfortunately, this is in the Peacock, rather than the closer Sadler's Wells. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 26th, I'm off to see Jake Bugg at the Palladium (yes, another that used to be walking distance..) Honestly, I'd never heard of him, but he sounded ok on YouTube.
On the 27th, an opera in Sanskrit..! without subtitles. Satyagraha is at the Coliseum, and is about Gandhi. So I should figure it out. Gosh, it's ages since I've been there..
On the 28th, Summer and Smoke (Tennessee Williams) at the Almeida. Does include actual cigarette smoke, and a gunshot. North London Friends are going, but charging extra, so I'm going solo. Performance sold out now..
On the 1st, back with Up in the Cheap Seats at the Bridge Theatre, for what I hear is a stunning performance of Julius Caesar. You get the choice of being part of the crowd - I'm not. Modern setting.
On the 2nd, back with North London Friends, at Hampstead Theatre, for Acceptance.
And on the 3rd, Up in the Cheap Seats, and Beginning, at the Ambassadors Theatre. For once, not an official ticket for this - got better value with What's on Stage!
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