Tonight, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This (LDT) finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours (LSD) later advertised the same thing (and charged more, as usual) - the leader of the latter group thinks she discovered the place first, and has prior claim to the floorspace. She had 36 (ultimately reduced to 31) attendees to our five. More fool them - I find her quite snippy, myself. Meantime, I never did get a taker for Macbeth.
I managed to leave in good time - we were conscious of the fact that it'd be crowded, and we'd like a table. Well, I got there at 5.25 - and was literally the first customer in the bar! "I see I missed the rush!", I remarked to the bar staff - I'm croaking less now, and can more easily make myself understood. With two tables at the front, I nabbed the larger - and managed to hold onto it until a couple of others arrived, 50 minutes later! At last - I was feeling self-conscious.
It wasn't unless we looked around that we were to realise how full the bar was, considering that most people were standing behind us. And the Shirt Tail Stompers were their usual, stompingly catchy selves - no 50s outfits in the crowd tonight, and no dancing, sadly. But hey, they're always worth a look..
(Sorry, there was also a guitarist to the left, but the crowd increased after the interval, and my view was impaired.) Videos here and here. It was funny to see a couple of ladies in the alley outside, who looked surprised to see them there! I'd been coughing intermittently all evening - and sure enough, during the second half was when it decided to rear its head properly. Mercifully, the music was loud enough that it didn't cause much of a disturbance. And afterwards, we outlasted LSD, as we stayed on in the bar to talk about this and that. Always a friendly group, ours.
Tomorrow, we were to have our monthly team outing - just the two of us. But today, my boss suggested that we postpone it until our new starter arrives, next week. TBD when she can manage it, as she's supposed to be keen on going out, too. For tomorrow, I booked with London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night for Space & Time: What Is a Supermassive Black Hole? And it being a Funzing event (like all of theirs), I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Funnily enough, the Meetup groups seem to disagree with Funzing on where it's on - Funzing says it's BBB, while Meetup thinks it's in Rich Mix. I tend to believe Funzing. Same street, at least.
On Wednesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On Thursday, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London, so Funzing, again. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
Next Monday, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at a recent event! I've actually asked whether they're now defunct - we'll see whether I ever get a response. None yet.
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
On the 6th, Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. Whether this event happens is anyone's guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way. But then Henning, with the London European Club, advertised a Happy Xmaths evening at Imperial College, the same night! Festive fun for maths geeks. Plus it's free - you just have to register with Eventbrite. I thought it'd be great to get back with this group. And since I booked the walk with Funzing, I've cancelled and will get a full refund. And I feel no sadness at missing an evening with Hazel, after what's been happening. But gee, this evening is proving to be one of the more popular- now a colleague has booked it for his leaving do. So I'm now going to that instead. Nibbles arranged at The Enterprise.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
On the 11th, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
The 12th of next month is our office Christmas party, but LDT has now advertised a Christmas dinner- which sounds a more attractive prospect. So I'm doing that instead.
On the 13th, I'm thrilled to be going to Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, at Sadler's Wells, with UITCS. He's a fantastic choreographer, but I've never before gotten around to seeing this all-male version. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
And on the 17th of next month, the Crick Crack Club is performing Gilgamesh, at Soho Theatre. With Ben Haggerty in the spotlight, this will be a treat!
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