Musical: Dear Evan Hansen

Tonight.. I booked for Dear Evan Hansen, at the Noel Coward Theatre! Finally - I'd booked for this before lockdown, and of course it got cancelled. Cheapest tickets from the official site. I needed to eat, and noticing that it's just up the road from a Cote, I decided to eat there. Being a Tuesday, I could get a booking - the earliest was at 6. With the show at 7.30, and so close, I figured that was fine.

The bus was early. Which was just fine, because so was I! And just as well, considering how long we were delayed at roadworks, at the junction of New Change and St. Paul's Churchyard. In fact, I ended up just getting off the bus at almost the time my booking was for. I then had to fight my way through crowds on Strand, and arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes late. No problem, they keep reservations for 15 minutes, and showed me to a table immediately. And it was just as well I booked, because the place was buzzing!

Predictably, things moved a little slowly - but I have to say, the staff did their best. I knew straight away what I wanted, so when she came for my order, I was straight in there with the mushroom soup, the steak frites, the large chardonnay. And to be fair, the delays weren't huge - I've had much worse. Unfortunately, the standard of the food wasn't what I'd expect from a Cote. It wasn't terrible, just.. lacking. The soup, to begin with, wasn't as hot as I'm used to. You couldn't call it lukewarm, but it wasn't really hot - I figured it'd been left waiting somewhere with inadequate heating. And the steak was - chewier than I'm used to. Undercooked. Honestly, each mouthful was a task, and I didn't finish it. There wasn't really time for a dessert. Nope, this experience didn't put me off Cote - just off this one. At least at this time of day, with people crowding in for food before the theatre and the kitchens overrun.

I left rather gratefully, and seeing all the different doors at the theatre, consulted with the guy standing next to me with a mic. He explained that the same queue handled all the doors, and that mine would be the last. There was a cursory bag check, a ticket check at the door, and up we went - all the way up the winding back stairs to the highest levels. I passed the bar en route, but couldn't really be bothered, and just headed straight to my seat, in the front row of the Balcony, the highest level. Damn steep stairs down to that row, but I had a handrail, so was fine. I did wonder what the weird noise was, though.

Now, the problem with this seat isn't the rail - there were plenty of ways I could tilt my head to get a better view: and, to be honest, hardly any seats were occupied to the sides of the Balcony, so there was nobody behind me to object! No, the main problem was that there is no space under the seats. It's a hard block - so you can't swing your legs underneath, which bothered me more than I'd have thought! Legroom isn't a huge issue - that's why I got a seat on the aisle, although I found it handier to sit, like a woman a few seats down, with my feet resting on the ledge in front. At the interval, being on the end of the row meant I had a lot of people wanting to pass - I found it more convenient just to take myself to the unoccupied seat on the other side of the aisle for the interval. And the empty seat beside mine was dead handy to leave my stuff on.

This show, I have to say, is a lot better than it has a right to be (as the saying goes). That weird noise has something to do with social media notifications, because this is a show about a teenage boy - the eponymous Evan Hansen - who is so socially inept that he's in therapy, and who, when a schoolmate kills himself, through a series of strange occurrences, gets involved with the dead boy's family (he always fancied the sister, anyway). They get the idea that he and the dead boy were best friends. He, motivated mainly by his obsession with the sister, persuades his one friend to manufacture a backstory in emails, another person who knew the dead boy sees the opportunity for a social media campaign, and we're off. The story, however, grows legs, and he duly finds himself out of his depth..

It has a lot to say about social media - how stories can be fabricated, how and why they can be spread, the reactions people have to them, and possible consequences. I have to say, it rings very true - and the prevalence of social media is well represented on stage, with constantly scrolling internet feeds covering the floor and backdrops. The songs are really beautiful, deep and well performed. The characters have depth, and the second act in particular hits quite hard. My only quibble with the entire thing was that I couldn't hear all the dialogue - the younger characters, especially, tend to speak very quickly, and frankly sometimes the speech wasn't loud enough. Perhaps because I was so high up. Anyway, currently booking until the 22nd of October - recommended! Go, be pleasantly surprised.

On the way back, I had a choice of three buses, all leaving from the same stop! The same roadworks held us up, but not as much - of course, it's never as bad a delay when you're not in a hurry.

Tomorrow, back with Civilised London (CL) - back at Le Sacré Coeur, meeting beforehand at The Crown, as usual.

On Thursday, back with TAC for Avocado Presents - Improv, at Etcetera Theatre. Eh, I think it's a jazz concert? 

Failing any information from my new job, have provisionally booked for Friday - Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are off to see Elegant London!

Anyway, then back to Ireland for the weekend again, and on Saturday, now that the listings are finally up, I've booked to go see The Batman at the Omniplex. It's free to book, and handier when you get there. And gee, I've heard great things about this! A very dark take on the story, it seems - has Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Peter Sarsgaard as the DA.

On Monday, going to see Daddy at the Almeida. Having never seen a bad production here, I have high hopes.

Next Tuesday, finally going to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella! I hear good things.. it's playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, which is new to me - Seatplan was invaluable in choosing the best seating option. What's On Stage provided the cheapest price for that seat, though!

On the 30th, back with CL - for a play this time. This is The Fever Syndrome, at Hampstead Theatre.

On the 31st, back with TAC for One Night With Robbie Williams. This is at The Courtyard.

On the 1st, back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) for - The Grand Annual Lying Contest! at Rich Mix.

On the 2nd, I had booked with WTTH for a Regent's Canal Walk. Different guide. But yay, Laurence and the 45+s then advertised another walk for that day, which is pretty much guaranteed to be superior. So I've booked it. This is Scandals, Scriptwriters & Sumptuous Architecture - and of course, it being a London weekend, I can go!

On the 3rd, the CCC again! Emily Hennessey and Sheema Mukherjee are at the British Museum, with Holy Cow! Tales from the River of Life. Unfortunately, the London Landmarks Half Marathon is also that day, so I'll probably be on the Tube, at least getting to the museum. 

On the 4th, I'm back at the Park Theatre for the first time in nearly three years! This is for Clybourne Park, a comedy about a white family moving into a predominantly black neighbourhood.

On the 5th, I'm headed to But I'm a Cheerleader, a musical comedy at the Turbine Theatre.

On the 6th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats at Southwark Playhouse, and another free ticket for me! This time, it's for Anyone Can Whistle, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

On the 7th, Tommy Tiernan is playing at the Hammersmith Apollo! Now, I failed to get a ticket for this the first time around. Then it was rescheduled because of Covid.. and I got a ticket for the rescheduled event! Then that was rescheduled.. third time lucky?! Love Tommy Tiernan. The show is called Tomfoolery. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 11th, I've booked for The 47th, at The Old Vic. Written by Mike Bartlett, this imagines the American presidential elections of 2024. I am really looking forward to this play..

On the 12th, I'm finally going to Six, the Musical! Based around the story of the six wives of Henry VIII (very loosely, I'd say), it's playing at the Vaudeville and I hear good things. Cheapest tickets from Leicester Square Box Office.

On the 13th, back with CL, who are off to the opera at the Southbank Centre. The show in question is The Paradis Files. Next day, I'm back to Ireland for Easter - but left it so late to book, I could only get an afternoon flight, and will have to start my new job (whenever) by asking for that day off work!

Well, my friend got back to me - they're away in the middle of Easter week, back on the 21st, so the most sensible thing to do seemed to be to visit on the 22nd of next month, which I've now arranged with her. Whether I take that week as holiday, or take the laptop there and work from Ireland, remains to be seen. Anyway, I'll fly back to London on the 24th of next month. And on the 25th of next month, I'm off to The Corn is Green, at the National.