The print-at-home ticket was literally print-at-home - they stated quite clearly that they weren't accepting tickets on mobile devices, blast it. After some confusion, caused by the fact that my default work printer was still set to one in California, I did get it printed. In glorious technicolour. (Wonder whether they got another copy over there..) So, I set off in decent time - my bus passed as I was waiting to cross the road! (naturally). Well, but I didn't have too long to wait - got off just around the corner from the theatre. And rounded the corner to see an enormous crowd outside! Oh dear. Turned out, for some reason, that the Stalls weren't open yet - they were letting in people for the Circle.
So we queued for about five minutes, outside, in quite a cold breeze. When we finally shuffled to the door, it was to quite a thorough bag check - and we were finally in. Where it was pretty impractical to try to get to the bar, with the crowd - among whom biker jackets seemed popular - so I just took my seat. There is an overhang, but it didn't cause an issue with this production:
A free copy on every seat, of the Obsidian Times! (named for the Dystopian city of the story). As just about visible in the photo, the stage housed the obligatory motorbike, and an arresting visual display, with spinning visuals that morphed, periodically, into the title of the show. Very nice. "Nice", however, isn't the word I'd use to describe the opening number, where I swore I could feel the house shake! What with the loud music and the frequent, flashing lights, this isn't a show I could recommend to everyone.
I will, however, recommend it to anyone who's nostalgic for 80s rock, which it has aplenty. We had a great time, headbanging away (politely) in our seats. And you know, this is probably the perfect vehicle for Meatloaf's stuff, which is most theatrical. They manage to fit in almost every song I'm familiar with, along with several I'm not.. yes, they have to fit it around a crazy story, but it's all redeemed by the soaring strains of the music. Which is why I'm recommending it to fans of 80s music.. you'll have a ball! Terrific singing throughout - perhaps the stand-out performance, for me, was Rob Fowler as Falco (the damsel in distress' tyrannical father); pity we couldn't have had more of him. Currently booking until the 27th of October - and if you still have a denim jacket, I think you're obligated to go..! Standing ovation at the end - unanimous, in the Stalls at least. I'd recommend booking, if you're going at short notice - tonight was pretty full.
I did get a drink at the interval - after I got past the ignorant woman who stepped right in front of me to order, then had the temerity to remark to her companions that they'd better hurry, there was a whole queue behind them! The drink, by the way, was hard to manage when I got back to my seat, given that there are no drink holders.. On the way home, arrived just at exactly the same time as the (very crowded) bus, and was just in time for the supermarket. Nice one!
Tomorrow, I'm headed (finally, it's been so long!) to see the Crick Crack Club perform The Gods and Monsters Show at Rich Mix. (And I can walk, goodee!) Now, I don't know what's with the head of their Meetup group, but she seemed to think it's on two days later - I did comment on the event page to that effect. Just check the venue website, as I then said. Or indeed, the Crick Crack Club's own website. Daft woman only changed it today. Not that it wouldn't have suited me to have it on another day - I'd be missing London Literary Walks' first outing of the year, damnit! But it's for a very good cause..
Then I checked, and wouldn't you know it, he subsequently shifted the walk to Thursday! Seems he now works alternating shifts, so dates can change at short notice. Well, this one worked out great for me. Sadly, I'll be missing North London Friends' trip to the Moors Bar Blues Jam and Drinks - well, you can't have everything. I'd never be up to Crouch End in time after the walk.
On Friday, with nothing much on Meetup, I booked - with my £3.60 club, when they finally put something on - for Banana Crabtree Simon, at the Drayton Arms. A play about dementia, it might be terrible, but I could give it a try. Mind you, most of my recent experiences with them have been terrible, so when Up in the Cheap Seats ultimately advertised a trip to see Bernstein's Mass at the Royal Festival Hall, I booked that instead. Certainly closer than the blasted Drayton Arms..
On Saturday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for The Inheritance, at the Young Vic - both parts, so the whole day! With each part running to about 3.5 hours, I hope it's worth it.. Vanessa Redgrave takes part (only in Part II).
On Sunday, I had booked for London's Grime & Punishment Tour, with Walking in London. However, when I checked Crick Crack's Meetup group.. I discovered I'd forgotten about their story of The Liberty Tree - Robin Hood and Other English Radicals, at the British Museum! What's more, it's hosted by Hugh Lupton, and my second-favourite storyteller, Nick Hennessy. I'd have hated to miss this - thank heaven there were still tickets. Not to mention that I could blithely cancel the walk, as it's Funzing, and it'd already been used to amass a loyalty discount, so I had no penalty at all.
On Monday, back with Let's Do This for Nell & the Hot Mess Muggers, at Wilton's. Now, that should be a good night..
Next Tuesday, the London European Club (LEC) advertised a free classical concert in St. John's, Smith Square. Email musikolondon@gmail.com for tickets, subject to availability.
On the 11th, Up in the Cheap Seats is off to see Pericles, at the Barbican.
On the 12th, the LEC is going to Voices of America, at Sadler's Wells. Goodee, two nights in a row that I can walk! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 16th, tragically, a Crick Crack event that I found out about too late.. Red Bead Woman, with Martin Shaw at Soho Theatre, is sold out. Never mind, he's not one of my favourites anyway. Instead, back with the Funzing talk groups, London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night (until they cancel!), for The Story of Accent and Identity.
On the 17th, (nominally) going with London Science Events for a talk on Gravitational Waves and Beyond, at the Royal Institution. They've given no Meetup details, so I'm not anticipating a social evening.
On the 18th, Funzing again, for The Strangest Feeling: Déjà Vu, at Gabeto, in Camden Market. Presented by Anthony Peake, whom I spent a long time researching to make sure he's not a sceptic, as I have extensive personal experience of precognitive experiences.
On the 19th, back with London Literary Walks - he's only doing them fortnightly now, it seems. Well, he's covered half of London at this rate! And he seems to prefer Thursdays, which are working out better for me so far. This one is called Guitar Bands Are on the Way Out, Mr. Epstein.
On the 20th, I got the very last ticket to The Phlebotomist, downstairs at Hampstead Theatre. I'm going with Up in the Cheap Seats - North London Friends are seeing it in preview, but it was already sold out for that night. For the 20th, one of the group is looking to sell her ticket, if you're interested - I didn't see that until I'd got mine.
On the 21st, I'm back with London Discovery Walks for yet another ghost tour - this one is called Ghosts of the Old City - just like my last walk!
On the 22nd, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for a film music gala at the Albert Hall.
On the 23rd, a Funzing talk - An Introduction to the Dark Net. At Sink.. For which I earned a loyalty discount, on account of all I booked recently!
On the 24th and 25th, back again with Up in the Cheap Seats: the 24th is for An Ideal Husband - part of the Oscar Wilde Season, at the Vaudeville. Stars father and son, Edward and Freddie Fox. And Susan Hampshire. The 25th is for Mood Music, at the Old Vic, with Ben Chaplin.
On the 26th, the LEC is attending a lecture at the LSE, on Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration. Then I'm back to the highly non-Eurosceptic Ireland again, for the weekend.
On the 30th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for A Gym Thing - got a fright when I saw that, but no, it's a play - in the Pleasaunce.
On the 1st, I am back with North London Friends - to the Theatre Royal, Stratford East for Our Country's Good.
On the 2nd, Up in the Cheap Seats is off to The Writer, at the Almeida.
And on the 3rd of next month, London Literary Walks is doing - ahem - Stalin's Doss House. Meeting at Starbucks, naturally!
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