Bought my ticket on the spot.. now, I was delayed a bit because I had to collect the bag I'd unusually checked in, but still, I shouldn't have had to wait as long for a bus as I did. The Airport Express stops (13 & 14) are just past the National Express ones as you come from the terminal. And - what with the cheaper tickets and all - the queue for them was as long as that for the National Express. Of course, this was a heavy night for bus traffic. Anyway, the Airport Express obviously isn't used to that level of demand, and couldn't decide whether to merge the two routes (Victoria and Liverpool Street) or put on separate coaches for each.
So, we started off with one huge queue.. then someone authoritative decided there should be separate coaches, and split the queues (which was when I managed to get near the head of my queue). Mind you, all this was news to the driver who arrived bearing a destination sign that said "Victoria via Liverpool Street" - and started by pulling into our (Liverpool Street) bay before being told to head into the other one, and nearly causing a riot as certain excitable youngsters in our queue - obviously not used to the chaos of Stansted - tried to jump into the other queue. Irate passengers were starting rows about all sorts - queue jumping, one woman delaying people by arguing with the driver that she wanted to take her case on-board.. but then, the buses were few and far between, and it didn't help, firstly, that timetables were unavailable on the website, and secondly, that most of the staff were overwhelmed and clueless. No, in future I think I'll stick to the National Express - with more frequent and predictable buses, there's a lot less trouble, for not much more money. And they drop you in roughly the same place.
Tonight, I started as I mean to go on, with Up in the Cheap Seats at the Almeida for the Duchess of Malfi. Well, having said that, it's actually my only Meetup this week - they just hadn't arranged much when I started to book! And it's just as well I started to book when I did - tonight's performance, for example, was sold out. Our new office (for which my new pass still doesn't work!) has the advantage of being a little closer to things in this direction - or certainly to the #4 bus route, which took me there. The stop is right around the corner, and it wasn't hardly long in coming - kudos to Google Maps, they finally seem to agree with TFL on expected bus times! I might hardly need a separate bus app any more. Our poor driver gave every single embarking passenger a spiel about how he wasn't going to Finsbury Park, he was carrying up along Holloway Road. Probably to do with this evening's match, people in the group surmised..
At the theatre, it was as crammed as ever - so it was a good thing that I recognised people in the group, and knew which direction to squeeze myself over to. Good to see folks, first time in the New Year! Much of the talk centred on the striking photo, a publicity photo for the play, that dominated the lobby:
I quite like side seats - you get to see things from an unusual angle. And that pillar didn't get in the way too much - there aren't usually too many people on the stage at once, so it's easy to lean one way or the other to get everyone in view. Mind you, it took some time to get to my seat - there were two of us to be sat in that row, which was completely full when we arrived! A group had taken most of the seats, and just blithely sat where they pleased, apparently oblivious to the concept of seat numbers. Took forever to persuade them to move - I think they were part of a school group. In the end, I had to climb over a bit of the stage for my seat - and had a handy, empty space in front of me, both to stretch my legs, and to leave my bags.
Speaking of school groups, as I mentioned to a couple of people at the interval, wasn't it so much better (assuming this was on the curriculum) to see this production than just to read it? It had occurred to me, during the first half, how very much drier it'd have been in text. As it is, I loved the staging, which saw a very slick, modern-looking stage (shiny black floor, lots of glass), intense acting, and a kind of fish-tank (yes, a box with glass on the front) that was moved forward and back throughout, with actors in it. This was used for a variety of purposes - as a changing room, a preview of the next scene, or perhaps as background, giving a fuller description of the story than the text could.
Of course, with publicity photos like the above, this is not going to be a happy tale - emphasised by the consistently ominous background music. Basically the story of an aristocratic woman who marries "beneath her", and whose brothers object, you just know it's going to end badly. And bloodily (or inkily). But this is a woman of our times, with a mind of her own, determined to fight as best she can - which makes for a compelling battle. (Based on a real-life character!) And the sheer intensity that the actors put into it (well, mainly the title character) is what lends this production so much more than the text does alone. I loved it. My one quibble was the vicarious carnage at the end - but, as I say, to be expected with dramas of this period. I loved, loved, loved it - after three weeks in the wilderness, the poetic script was like blood to my veins.
Gotta say however, I was one of the ones who thought the most of it - most of the group seemed to be negative about it, finding it wordy and boring. What the hey, I had a great night! Good to be back. And someone had cake at the interval - although I didn't end up having any. Just as well I got chatting at the interval - afterwards, I really needed the loo, and when I came out, they'd all scarpered! Damn cold night it was too, as I made my way home. Runs till the 25th, but currently only limited availability this Wednesday and on the 22nd. Highly recommended - by me, at least!
Tomorrow, I'm off to the Opera House, for the Royal Ballet's production of Coppélia - one I've never seen. Another one I was wise to book for - apparently, the whole run is now sold out.
And on Wednesday, the RSC's production of Measure for Measure, at the Barbican. Set in decadent 1900s Vienna.
No comments:
Post a Comment