Yesterday and today, it's Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again. Last night, we went to Rosmersholm, by Ibsen, at the Duke of York's Theatre. Just across from the Coliseum - we were remarking on it on Wednesday night!
One of those you have to pick up your ticket for - sure enough, at the theatre, the long queue was for the box office. Pick-up was easy, and then - despite some of us sitting in the stalls - the group met in the Upper Circle Bar, since most were sitting up there. Happily, with the Dress Circle at entrance level, we were halfway there already, with not much further to climb! As usual, we took over most of the bar, which isn't that large.
My seat was in the very back row of the stalls - my view much improved by the lack of anyone sitting in front of me, thank goodness!
An ominous play this, written over 100 years ago.. with a gorgeous, evocative set. The action takes place in two rooms of the great house of Rosmersholm - mostly in a drawing room that's hardly used, following the death of the wife of the pastor, who is the last scion of the great Rosmer family. There is one scene in the pastor's bedroom - I have to commend them on the set change there, which I didn't even notice! Perhaps my attention was directed elsewhere.
They've perfectly captured the sense of a house - and a family - once grand and now decaying. The walls are patchy, with signs of damp - the paintings, once their dustcloths are removed, are gloomy. The light that passes through the side windows gives a fantastic lift to the scenes, shafts of light from the outside beaming hopefully in. But nothing seems able to penetrate the gloom of these rooms, which has its own effect on the people within.
This play has everything - political upheaval, with an election on the horizon: and social change, with questions about the rights of the common folk, and indeed of women, mixed up with challenges to established religion and moral standards. Each of the characters finds their most deeply held beliefs threatened over the course of the play, and as the sands shift under their feet, the whole thing is rendered yet more disturbing by the sounds of a storm outside, and the housekeeper's insistence that she's seen the "family ghost" - the white horse of Rosmersholm, which foretells a death in the family.
It's absolutely marvellous. Not only the set, but the acting is spot-on, in what is a great production. I found the pastor a bit whiny - but I think he's supposed to be, a man who should represent the greatness of his family, but instead seems to dither, politically and personally, never coming down properly on one side or another. His brother-in-law is suitably annoying, representing the rigid morals of the past, and the young lady who acts as the protagonist gives an impassioned performance as she tries to bring something of light and life into the place - as hinted at by her white dress, in the midst of all these dark colours, in the first act.
Go see, go see - this is worth it. And as someone remarked, quite as relevant today. Runs till the 20th July.
Tonight, it's Our Town at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, with some folks from last night. Happily, the weather seems to be obliging, with no rain promised, decent temperatures, and indeed sunshine - for now!
Tomorrow, back at last with London Literary Walks - whom I'm shamefully neglecting - for "The Second Westminster Walk".
On Thursday and Friday, I booked with UITCS. On Thursday, it was for The Starry Messenger, at Wyndham's, starring Matthew Broderick. I waited the longest time to book this, because I have theatre tokens, earned from posting photos to Seatplan, and every time I thought of booking it, I was either away from where my tokens were, or it was out of office hours - and they have to be booked by phone, generally. Well, I was to be glad I waited - they finally released really cheap front row seats in the stalls! (Restricted view, it's a tall stage.) And I was within arms' reach of my tokens, mid-afternoon. After being kept forever on hold, I was put through to someone who had to have everything spelled out for her, and emitted a big sigh when I told her I had a theatre token. So she had to log into that site. But it was all worth it, to get a ticket for £2.25.. Of course, I knew something would go wrong: and now the office social is scheduled for that very day. Ah well - curry night it is then, venue TBD.
On Friday, I'm off, with UITCS, to Jude, at Hampstead Theatre.
And on Saturday, back - for the first time in a ridiculously long time - with London Dramatic Arts! We're at King Hedley II, with Lenny Henry, at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. As usual, she closed RSVPs too early, but I asked, and she reopened them. Be good to see them again!
Yesterday, I was booked with The London Jazz Meetup, for Janet's Jazz Night with Richie Garrison & Grazina Pukaite, at Jazz Cafe Posk. But you know what? By the time I needed to leave, I was on a roll with work, and really didn't feel like traipsing all the way out past Hammersmith. For something that, to be honest, odds are I'd only be indifferent about anyway. So I cancelled. In fact, realising that I tend to feel that way about this group's Meetups in general, I've now left the group entirely. I don't like going to stuff I'm indifferent about, you know? especially when I have to travel so far for it. Anyway, I got a ton of work done, so am feeling very smug.
Today, I booked - for the first time in ages - with London Social Detours, who had a Plagues, Pestilence, & Pathology Trail. And afterwards, to The George, which is always good. However, this morning, she cancelled, owing to the adverse weather! (To be fair, it is very windy, although the rain has pretty much held off.) Now, she had a plan B, where she was gonna take us to museums and charge us £3 for the privilege. Sorry love, I can go to the museums myself - I cancelled that as well. Payment was supposed to be on the day, so I didn't lose out.
Having a look around for what else was on, I came across Up in the Cheap Seats, who were headed to Home, I'm Darling, in the Duke of York's Theatre. Well, I had some fun trying to find a decently priced ticket - the venue didn't have any, so I trawled through the resellers. I finally came good with Encore Tickets, with a seat in the very back row! Well, cool - I booked. (By the look of it when I got there, it was completely sold out.) And as it was on a bit later than I'd have had to meet London Social Detours, I went back to bed for a little.
Stopping by the office first - as usual - I microwaved brunch. Which was very nice, except they were testing the blasted fire alarms! So I had that to listen to while I was eating. Never mind, I was on my way out - and that helped me to hurry on my way. Nearly got blown sideways crossing the road, but I made it safely to the theatre, where most of us met in the bar. And I was so glad I'd come - it was great to see people!
My seat was a bit of a clamber, once I got into the Upper Circle:
Mmm yes, fantastic view it was not! although the tall lady sitting in front of me swapped seats with someone shorter at the interval, so it improved. And I have to say, legroom is ok. Now, this is a show about a couple who decide to live by 50s ideals - she quits her job and becomes a stay-at-home housewife, keeping the silverware and taps shining, having his slippers and paper ready for him when he comes home, before his dinner is presented to him. And the stage reflects this idealistic lifestyle, looking like a life-size doll's house, all bright colours and 50s mod-cons. The excellent Katherine Parkinson even opens the front at the beginning, so we can see into the interior! What a shame that people in the back two rows can hardly see anything of the upper floor.. and I heard at the interval that people in the group who were sitting to the left had trouble seeing into the kitchen, where most of the action takes place - especially in the first half. Motto - be careful with sightlines for this play.
Well now, this is a good play! You might predict pretty easily that the 50s ideal isn't going to last - and you'd be right. Sure, she learns to cook, and takes positive pleasure in "cleaning behind things". There's a terrific 50s soundtrack throughout, BTW, and you can see the attraction. (Well, I can't really, because I hate housework.) But the world outside the front door is living quite happily in the present day - and they can't keep it out forever. There's her friend, who doesn't want to do the same, although her husband is keen for her to do so. There's her mother, who is a die-hard feminist herself, and positively ashamed of her daughter! and who has plenty of first-hand horror stories of the 50s to tell her. And there's the question of the mortgage - as we know, you really can't finance a mortgage on just one income, these days.
I can't honestly think of an issue that isn't mentioned in the course of the play, although some are dealt with more thoroughly than others. The contrasts between the 50s and the modern world are constantly explored - hey, in this house, they don't even eat pizza! Feminist themes abound, of course, and it's really interesting to see a young character choose what most feminists would see as a retrograde step. In fact, the first scene of the second half shows how they came to this point - but it is in the second half, of course, that the 50s facade really starts to crumble. Never too serious though, this is excellently played, and I really enjoyed it. Recommended. Running till the 13th.
Afterwards, a small group of us repaired to the Cafe in the Crypt of St. Martin in the Fields! where a few of us had desserts - my chocolate mousse was very nice. And the wine is cheaper - and less insipid - than what I'd had in the theatre. And we chatted while we ate and drank. A lovely time was had by all, in fact!
And tomorrow - which is Paddy's Day - for the first time since I came to London, I'm hitting the London Irish Centre! Their Big Gig is headlined by Kila, who are excellent.
This week sees not much action with Meetup - well, there wasn't when I was looking - and booking! Still quiet for January, I guess. Still, I'm excited about what I am doing - tonight, I was headed to Mary Stuart, at the Duke of York's Theatre. I'd heard so much about this - they toss a coin beforehand to decide which plays which role, Elizabeth or Mary!
I had plenty of time, when I left - but wasn't going to get much more work done; I was just out of a meeting, and was tired. So, I just left - could get either bus at the nearest stop, and the one that came was the #243. The fellow beside me on the bus happened to be reading Fire and Fury, the new tell-all Trump book - so was someone on the plane, yesterday; as I mentioned to someone today, I considered getting a copy myself, but then considered whether I really want to be reading so much about him..?
All went well until we got to Holborn, where the traffic came to a grinding halt. At which point, the driver got some kind of message from HQ to say that he couldn't go down Kingsway. Something about diverting via Whitehall - mind you, the poor driver didn't know the route! Well, that didn't suit me at all - or, apparently, several of the passengers around me, who pestered him until he confirmed that there'd been an accident. He then obligingly opened the doors, and out several of us got - didn't look like we'd be moving for a while. So, seeing that Google Maps estimated a 17-minute walk from there to the theatre, that's what I did - I had time. And so I got to go through Seven Dials, which I used to be so familiar with.. wonder when I'll wander through it again?!
Passed the Noel Coward Theatre - the Duke of York is just past it from this direction, and both had queues outside, waiting to collect or show their tickets. I had my Print at Home ticket - and was paranoid about it, reading the confirmation email that was VERY clear that THOU SHALT NOT PRESENT THIS ON A MOBILE DEVICE! Well, all right then. I see this is an Almeida transfer - it says as much on the sign. Nuts, had it still been there, I could've walked, and probably paid less for the ticket.. Inside, I needed the loo - and yes, ladies' are only off the lobby, gents' only off the Terrace Bar, upstairs. Pokey little toilets they are, too - barely room for the long queue, and for people squeezing past. And then it was up to the Upper Circle for me.
Decent legroom, not much space to the sides. Well, there was to my left, until one guy in the row in front decided to give them some more space, and moved into the seat beside me! Whereupon the guys towards the end of the row moved in as well. And as you can see, my view of the stage was pretty decent - as long as people in front of me didn't lean forward, and as long as the action didn't happen right to front of stage: which was when we all leaned forward!
So - a simple, round stage. They all come out at the start, and I counted 14 actors - mostly men, for a play about two women: but that was the tenor of the time, the corridors of power were almost exclusively male. Two screens, one either side of the stage, are positioned at Royal Circle level - one below me. At the start, they portray a kind of yellow background with a disc in the centre. Well, wouldn't you know it, that's the famous coin for the famous coin toss! Has a kind of Elizabethan head on it. Anyway, with the others behind, the two ladies approach the centre - identically dressed at this point in black velvet trouser suits, white blouses. One called heads, and a man we would later identify as Leicester spun the coin, which displayed a head on landing. The last real act of male power in the play, this decides which is to be Elizabeth; all bow to her, following which, they seize the other - Mary - and strip her of her jacket and shoes, bundling her roughly offstage. Apparently, both have learned both roles!
A clever device, this, to show how similar the two characters were, and how easily each could have found herself in the other's shoes. They were cousins - both descendants of the first Tudor king, and both queens in their day. As has been pointed out, Elizabeth actually started out as a prisoner - daughter of a disgraced mother (who was executed when she was three years old!), she was declared a bastard, and her life was actually in danger when her half-sister was on the throne. Mary I, you see, had married the uber-Catholic King of Spain, who wanted to restore England to Catholicism, and didn't at all like the idea of the Protestant Elizabeth being heir to the throne! He'd happily have chopped off her head. Elizabeth was 25 by the time she took power, and could relax. Slightly.
In complete contrast, Mary Stuart became Queen of Scots at just six days old, when her father met an early death. She spent her entire childhood being pampered and adored; she was five when she was shipped to the French court, for safety - Scotland was always fractious - and she was duly married to the Dauphin, who became King of France the following year. And then was killed in an accident, the year after that. Her mother, who had been acting as her regent, died the same year, and she returned to Scotland, an attractive 18-year-old-widow. (Busy, huh?!)
..And then their fortunes turned. While Elizabeth prospered, Mary made a succession of unwise decisions. Naw, actually really silly ones. She married her cousin, the marriage was a complete disaster, and whatever the sequence of events that happened next, it seems that he was murdered and she married the murderer. Er, what? Yep, I agree. Well anyway, she was imprisoned for conspiracy to murder, and managed to escape, only to find herself holed up in an English prison for the rest of her life.
Not, I think, that Elizabeth cared much about the murder - no, she was more concerned with the fact that Mary was her closest relative, and heir to her throne! unless she had children, which seemed unlikely, given her extreme reluctance to get married. Which is another story. (Rumour has it that she was madly in love with Leicester, and might have married him, but for that he was married already - and when his wife was found dead at the foot of the stairs at home, well, she was no Mary, and wasn't going to repeat her mistakes.. Mind you, the guy beside me got very irritated by all the gyrations that are meant to suggest a relationship between them. And I can't blame him - it is very OTT.) Anyway, point was, Mary was a Catholic, and Elizabeth knew well that there was a whole Catholic lobby (including her half-sister's widower, the King of Spain) that would happily have had her killed, in favour of Mary. She was keeping Mary under close guard.
You do need a smattering of all this history to understand the situation fully. In real life, they never did meet, despite Mary's entreaties. Indeed, when they do, in this play, it's very satisfying - how would Mary react, having to pretend subservience when she obviously thought more highly of herself than of Elizabeth? Much is made of the idea that Elizabeth is just as much a prisoner as Mary - she gets dolled up in period garb, at the end, when her acting is done: and no-one in history had a more elaborate daily outfit! It is pretty accurate - and restrictive isn't the word. The play is very obviously sympathetic to Mary - which is pretty typical. So, you know, she flies free at the end (spoiler - she gets herself executed..)
Quite long, this - three hours, including interval, and no interval until 90 minutes. Latecomers, apparently, have to wait for the 40-minute mark! I was so glad to stretch my legs at the interval - had a glass of very insipid house white, and a bag of very moreish mini chocolate buttons, which come in a variety of flavours. Could have done without the display of artworks about Princess Diana, scattered around the bar..
The play is very wordy, of course. I liked it - made me nostalgic for the Globe (roll on the summer, and more evenings there!). The complicated politics and side-switching of the courtiers are very well-played. The performance of the leading ladies is outstanding - even if, as my neighbour thought, a bit overwrought at times. And I found the ending very clever. Recommended, for lovers of the period - runs until the 28th. Booking recommended - it was pretty full tonight, on a Monday.
The reliable #4 whisked me home - no traffic problems. Tomorrow, my annual trip to Cirque du Soleil at the Albert Hall! The show this year is Ovo - cheapest tickets for the date coming in at just under £50, but they're worth it! So, back through that subway again..
On Wednesday, more comedy - Sara Pascoe, at Wyndham's.
On Thursday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - my first Meetup in a week will be Lady Windermere's Fan, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Stars Jennifer Saunders.
Finally, I have something for Friday! Jeez, that took a while - well, with Meetup resolutely providing practically nothing that day, I'm with one of my groups whose names I can't mention. I hadn't checked for a while, and when I did, over the weekend, the "£3.60" club had tickets for Bunny, at the Tristan Bates Theatre. So I'm going to that.
On Saturday, Happy New Year to Helen and her husband! We're all off to see Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution, which is showing in County Hall - should be fun.
On Sunday, I'm going to the matinée of Barnum, in the Menier Chocolate Factory. And then, wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats advertised a trip to the Lumiere Festival that evening! It's the last day. So I said I'd tag along, after my show - as the organiser said, it could be a problem finding each other, but what the hey! I see London Social Detours is doing the same thing - and charging £3. So I'll stick to Up in the Cheap Seats.
Next Monday, I'm finally off to see Everybody's Talking About Jamie, at the Apollo - I rescheduled from the date I'd booked for last year.
On the 23rd, I'm going to Yous Two, at Hampstead Theatre - my first Meetup with North London Friends, finally! I think they might have been the only outlet for tickets, when I booked - I haven't tended to book with them, as they charge a fee.
On the 24th, I'm finally going to Rita, Sue, and Bob Too! at the Royal Court, with Up in the Cheap Seats. Interesting one, this - we'd booked before, but then the whole run was cancelled after the co-director thought that the subject matter, about the exploitation of teenage girls, was too controversial in the wake of the Weinstein controversy. The artistic director subsequently reversed the decision.
On the 25th, I'm going to The Birthday Party, in the Harold Pinter Theatre. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 29th, back to the Orange Tree in Richmond for Out of Love, with Up in the Cheap Seats. Have to rush for that one - it's another evening I have a late meeting! Should make it, though.
On the 30th, finally back with Funzing! LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions are talking about the Seven Wonders of the Solar System, at Cafe 1001. Yeuch - can't stand the place: hipster central. Still, at least I can walk there from work..
On the 31st, I had RSVPed with London Science Talks and Museums Meetup, for a Science Museum late. But hey, it's free - so I had no problem cancelling when Let's Do This advertised a meal the same evening. Turkish, I believe, with a drink at the George Inn beforehand.
And I start February with two from Up in the Cheap Seats. On the 1st, I'm at John in the National. And on the 2nd, my now-nearby venue, finally - I'm at Sadler's Wells Sampled.
Tonight, I finally got to see the show so many people have asked me whether I was seeing. Ink is showing at the Duke of York's Theatre. And I got my ticket through LastMinute.com. Even though it was hardly last minute, as such - I booked over two months ago!
Now, the forecast said it wouldn't rain.. so I didn't bring a hood.. and so spent the whole day rather dubiously looking at an enormous black cloud hanging over the city. Still, the rain held off, and I set off in good time. Hard not to really - it's under 10 minutes' walk from the office! Lordy, I'll miss that when we move - we have to quit the building by the end of the year, the landlord is having it demolished. Probably turning it into flats, hey-ho. Shoreditch will be rather less handy for the West End - ah well, it was too good to last.
So, into the pretty heart of the West End I went - an easy enough trip, from Seven Dials I had to take Monmouth Street, then just straight ahead, until it appeared on my right.
Chaotic outside, 15 minutes before start time - I followed the folks in front of me, who also had to pick up their tickets. For the cheapest band of tickets, I was in the Upper Circle - Row C, so quite far forward, but to the side:
Comfy enough seat, legroom just slightly cramped - I do believe the gallery isn't used for seating any more, it seemed to be full of rigging: so this is the highest level. Not bad at all.. and they have coin-operated binoculars. Also that "ordertorium" service I came across in the Savoy, where you can order at the interval and have stuff brought to your seat. Mind you, with all the people I had to stand to let past me, I don't think they were aware of it - still, stretching one's legs is popular anyway. The people behind me were Irish - I swear, we're everywhere! Forgot to mention, but as I was leaving the Vasa Museum in Stockholm on Saturday, walking out into the grey drizzle, I overheard an Irish girl remark what a very Irish day it was..
Well, this play is based on Rupert Murdoch's takeover of The Sun, which he turned into a tabloid. It's a real tale of once-upon-a-time.. when there were typewriters, and print rooms, and computers were a rarity. When people actually paid - in large numbers - for newspapers. And I have to say - whatever you think of the trash that The Sun and its ilk have become, as this play portrays it, Murdoch and his newspaper, led by Larry Lamb as editor, were real trend-setters.
Apparently it was their idea to put in horoscopes - and the weather on Page 2 - and, of course, those enormous headlines. And you know, I seem to remember The Sun being a fun, reasonably respectable - if downmarket - paper when I was a kid. The infamous Page 3 girls came a few years later, and the play closes with that, and with the management of the paper showing a whiff of distaste for how things were going. Still, readership skyrocketed - and has remained high ever since.
This is actually fascinating. And the play really puts forward the idea that The Sun was breaking new ground, challenging the stuffy establishment - there's a remark about the liberal lefties trying to subvert the democratic will of the people that made me chuckle, thinking of the political fracas of last year! As one review remarked - as sharp as a paper cut; it's quick and it's clever, like Murdoch himself, and a show to see. Runs until the 6th January - shop around for tickets.
Tomorrow, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Ballet Boyz at Sadler's Wells.
On Wednesday, back with Funzing (London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night) for a talk on Revolution in Iran: Girl with a Gun. This will be an interview with a female Kurdish revolutionary.. on the Battersea Barge, which I believe can get choppy. Never mind. This is one I got for free, for completing a loyalty card with three talks. Or work have a Latino night, some corporate VIP being in town on a visit. I'll see how I feel on the night.
On Thursday, Let's Do This are back to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where London Concertante is performing Bach Violin Concertos. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
And next Monday, back at Southwark Playhouse with Up in the Cheap Seats - this time, it's for A Day By the Sea.
London Dramatic Arts was originally supposed to go to Dr. Faustus on the 16th April - the trip had to be rescheduled, and I'm very glad it was, because it gave me a chance to go with the Man with the Hat, who was taking his groups to The Passion of Lady Vendredi the same night. Not only that, but we got a discount on the tickets for the rescheduled date, which more than paid for the extra show.
So, this evening, off I schlepped to the Duke of York's Theatre, rather glad to be going with a group again - first time since Thursday. Google Maps wanted me to take a train to Waterloo, then the Tube; I figured I could walk from Waterloo, and that's what I did. The weather wasn't great - grey skies, blustery wind, and light rain; but it wasn't too bad: and I was early, so had time to kill. We were to meet at Brown's beforehand - just up the road from the theatre, and a lovely refuge from the weather, all dark wood and brass.
The organiser wasn't there yet, of course - but I was early. They hadn't any record of her booking, either. Didn't see anyone else I knew, and my phone chose that precise moment to die - so I took a seat at the bar and waited, in view of the door. Time ticked by. I waited. Time ticked by. I waited. Time to meet arrived. No sign. Five minutes passed. No sign. Well, she's always late.. I trotted into the brasserie to see whether I could see anyone I knew. Nope. Ordered a drink - perfect timing, when I turned around there she was, looking frazzled. Twenty minutes late - about standard for her. Really, if she can't even be on time on a bank holiday.. (and no, she hadn't messaged me to let me know, as I discovered when I got my phone to charge).
We took a booth further in, and gathered together all the menus - I was starving, so was she. The others who'd arrived so far (they'd been there while I was waiting, but I hadn't known them) weren't so hungry, and stuck to drinks. There was a bar snacks menu, an a la carte, a specials menu. I chose the chicken, and went to the bar to order - there is a separate brasserie, but you can eat in the bar too. The guy taking my order was unsure which chicken I wanted, and called over - I think it was one of the brasserie staff, to check. She asked where we were sitting, and was adamant that we couldn't eat there, we'd have to be reseated. When I went back and told our organiser, she fetched a maitre-d', who assured me that we could eat anywhere in the establishment, and chaperoned me back to the bar to order and pay.
Others in the group arrived in spurts, and ordered different dishes - but I was to be glad for what I'd ordered, firstly because they'd run out of so many dishes, and secondly because the staff had no idea which those were. Not to mention they had no apparent retention - give them a drinks order containing three items, and they will literally bring them one at a time, and have to be reminded each time that there's something else. At least the food was good, as was the conversation - I had two glasses of wine while I was there (choices B & C - they were out of my preferred choice), and would recommend neither. Insipid, is how I would describe them.
We left in good time for the theatre - I'd had a choice, as she had spare tickets, of either the very, very front row, or a bit further back. What the hey, I told her it didn't matter, and sat right up front with a couple more. She reassured us that a review had said the front row wasn't a disadvantage for this production - although you miss some views of the actors' feet, you don't miss anything of note. As we waited for the production to start, we noted the modern set, and a couple of actors came on to do innocuous things - a lady busied herself with cleaning, and Kit Harington (famous from Game of Thrones, which I don't watch) sat himself on the bed, drooling. Visibly.
You knew it had started when beings started to appear from the walls. Now, Dr. Faustus is a chap who sells his soul to the Devil, and from this production it appears as though he didn't have much of a choice - they were all around him before ever he signed a blood pact. And an eerier bunch of demonic figures I have not seen. Pale, intense - some looked morose, some grinned manically. All had dark eye makeup, making their eyes look hollow. None wore very much, and at the start, two (a man and a woman) were completely naked.
I did notice that after that scene, they slipped into some flimsy underwear - but all the demons' underwear was either white or nude, and barely-there, with something of a habit of slipping off. Or to the side. And yes, we did get a flash of Kit Harington's ass - eventually. For the moment, we contented ourselves with demons, who groped each other as occasion demanded.
They were always there, lending the play a discomfiting air. I found the fellow who played Lucifer particularly disturbing, possibly because of his near-constant grin, smeared with - ink, or treacle, or whatever they were using. They greatly outnumbered the human characters at each point, and were there to demonstrate what Hell was like, and what the hapless Dr. Faustus could expect. Frankly, had they been there to convince me, I'd never have signed the thing..
And what does Dr. Faustus want from all this? To be a magician, it seems, with the cachet of a rock star. Funnily enough, at the interval, the music was all along demonic lines - Sympathy for the Devil played as I queued at the bar for a severely overpriced drink. Dunno where the group vanished to - I searched for them, with the person I was sat beside, but to no avail. Hey-ho, we returned to our seats - and were entertained by the Mephistopheles character, who led us in a sing-song of more demonic songs before the second act (Bat out of Hell, anyone?).
I loved this. I've heard it's had some terrible reviews - I've also heard it described as being aimed at a younger audience - lots of nudity, simulated sex, in-your-face stuff. Plenty of modern references, e.g. politics. Yep, you definitely need an open mind. Also contains strobe lighting. In fact, the warning list posted as you enter the theatre is so long, I wished my phone was working so I could take a photo. But you know something? The man signs a deal with the Devil. What happens to him is supposed to be horrifying - frankly, I think they're just being realistic. What, do you want your demons polite..? And as for accusations of having lost the story - I think we get the gist. Deals with the Devil - not a good idea.
Worked for me. But you do need a strong stomach. Currently booking till 25 June.
Right then! Tomorrow is just filled with comedy shows - and for once, I found one that didn't turn me off. We Are Funny Putney has some acts that look quite good - mind you, most of them were acts I couldn't find on YouTube. Free London Events and Talks are off there - and as a plus, it's decently close to me. Although I had to Google it to find out it's in the Star and Garter.. would help if they put that on the Meetup page! Can probably drive..
Ah, another day, another trip to Leicester Square! Three days in a row - this is becoming quite the habit. Anyway, the London Dramatic Arts group were headed to Hay Fever at the Duke of York's Theatre tonight, which looked like about the best thing on, from a quick scan of my Meetup groups. However, they're keen on sitting as close to the stage as possible, whereas I'm keen on getting the cheapest (reasonable) seat possible, so when I managed a ticket in the rear stalls, from LoveTheatre, at a 47% discount, I took it! (They have a special offer until Friday.) The group organiser was good enough to put me on their list, though.
By the time I was finished at work, there wasn't any point in going home, if I were to meet the group in the theatre bar for drinks beforehand. So I made straight for Earl's Court, where I effectively caught a cattle train to Leicester Square. Truly, I haven't seen such a combination of crowded platform and crowded train at this station before. The first train was too jammed to get on, but I managed to get on the second one. (As usual, being at the very end - back or front - helps.) It wasn't until we got to Leicester Square that the announcer explained that the congestion was due to delay caused by a faulty train down the track.
I turned down St. Martin's Court again, heading for St. Martin's Lane, like on Monday. Passed a fascinating map showing the location of West End theatres. As I passed the Noel Coward Theatre, this time, the homeless guy was further down, rather than on the corner.. When I arrived at the theatre, the ushers who saw my printed ticket thought it was just a booking confirmation, and sent me in the direction of the box office. Which was a good thing, because that's where the organiser was, collecting the tickets for the rest of her group! When she'd collected them - and herself - we headed upstairs to the bar, where she'd reserved a table.
I'd thought I hadn't been to this theatre before - how handy this blog is for checking! It so happens that I've been twice before, but both times back in 2013, and I'd forgotten. Interestingly, both times, I'd also bought my ticket from third-party sellers, and for the rear stalls - once before from LoveTheatre, in Row R, like tonight. Well, well.. I definitely hadn't been in the bar before though, those were the days before I got myself organised to arrive early.
The bar is lovely - plush seating, comfortably upholstered, with rich curtains. There's also a terrace, which gives its name to the bar and overlooks the street - this would be pleasant on a sunny day. It wasn't so sunny or warm today though, and we sat inside, at the table that had been reserved for us in a side room. There were twice as many of us as the last time I joined this group, and we chatted convivially for an hour or so before the show. Cocktails were two for £10, and most had one - but I didn't fancy any and stuck to wine. I must recommend the crisps, though - they were delicious!
When showtime came, the announcement said we only had three minutes. Fibber - we had six! Anyway, we made our ways down, and parted - them to the front stalls, me to the rear. Where I had a comfortable seat at the edge of Row R, as much legroom as I wanted because of the staggered rows, and an unimpeded view of the stage - especially since no-one was sitting in front of me for the next couple of rows. Indeed, there was no-one beside me either, and it would've been easy to move to a better seat - but I decided I was fine where I was, and there I stayed.
This is a typical Noel Coward comedy, with a beautiful set that represents the drawing room of a large country house. It started rather slow, I'm afraid, with two characters who didn't sound at all natural speaking their lines. They did sound rather forced, I thought. Matters improved with Felicity Kendal, who sounded much more at home, as did many of the others - and as the stage filled with characters, the play came into its own, I think - and I found the second half quite hilarious. This run ends on Saturday, and it's definitely worth a look if you like Noel Coward.
The main interval came unusually fast, to allow the actors to change into evening wear, and I headed upstairs to the bar again - where I encountered exactly one of our group! Seems the others weren't so inclined. It was worse again after the performance, when everyone just vanished - not much inclination to discuss the performance, it seems. Never mind, it gave me time to head to Tesco to grab something for dinner. The busker in Piccadilly Circus on the way home offered a rendition of a version of Halleluja that I haven't heard before, and I'm not sure was in English. In the final event of the night, our train was delayed in Earl's Court, and the driver said it was to "even out the gaps in the service". And apologised for the inconvenience. Huh. Yeah, right.
I was headed to the cinema tomorrow - but only because I couldn't get a ticket for Measure For Measure, which the Let's Do London - for less! group is heading to, in The Globe. Everywhere was sold out, including the group. Well gee, guess what I discovered when I opened the Meetup page to get links for this very post - a couple of the group's tickets had come available! so I booked, quick as I could. Excellent - I enjoy the group and I love The Globe. And the tickets, as always with them, are discounted. And for Friday night, my luck continues - the London Dramatic Arts Meetup, whom I joined tonight, are headed to The Motherf**cker With the Hat in the National, and behold, they had sold out too - but a ticket came available just this evening! so I've booked that as well. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket, eh?
I like having an excuse to get dressed up on occasion, and this was one such. I went to see Perfect Nonsense, a Jeeves and Wooster farce, at the Duke of York's theatre. The official box office had sold out, but third-party sellers had tickets, and the cheapest were with www.lovetheatre.com.
So, having changed frenziedly after work, I scurried into town and made it as they were giving the three-minute call. I'd booked the rear stalls (row R), because they were cheaper but not advertised as having restricted view. In fact, I'd found an online review of the seat two in from mine, which said that, although at times it felt a bit far from the action, the view was fine and the overhang (which is pronounced) doesn't impact most productions. Indeed, from where I was sitting I could see the overhead lights on stage. I think that's high enough for most people's purposes! Legroom also fine, as you'd expect from the stalls. I noticed that some seats were left empty - I guess they'd been bought up by third-party vendors and not sold on. I think that's a real shame - some venues buy them back and resell them on the evening, which gives theatregoers a chance to see a show they might otherwise not.
Well, I love Jeeves and Wooster. Always have. And I enjoyed this as much as I expected to. Jolly good, I say! Comedy is subjective, and this won't be to everyone's taste, but I found the farce gentle, and just nicely silly enough. Matthew Macfadyen is perfect as Jeeves, the long-suffering "gentleman's gentleman". Sadly, Stephen Mangan was "indisposed", and someone else stood in as Bertie Wooster, the hapless aristocrat - I would have preferred Stephen Mangan, I think he's more naturally funny. But it was a fun evening, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Jeeves and Wooster stories.
Guildford tomorrow, so perhaps nothing tomorrow night, I'll see how I feel. And then on Wednesday, it's off to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..
My journey into town tonight was enlivened by running into Liam and Mashrur (hi guys!), who were heading into another part of town for dinner and a movie. No, not like that.. a whole bunch of them were going to see Star Trek - Into Darkness, in 3D. Hope you all enjoyed it..
I headed off to Theatreland for Passion Play, in the Duke of York's Theatre. It's a while since I booked it, so I'd forgotten that I got quite a good deal on this - a seat 2/3 of the way back in the stalls, for 1/3 off, with LondonBoxOffice. Mind you, I see the theatre now has a similar offer on their own website, with 1/3 off top price tickets until the end of June. Also, from a conversation I heard behind me, I think there were upgrades - this isn't selling as well as it should.
Zoe Wanamaker stars. I must admit, I was dubious. I've been to so many ho-hum shows in the West End, with big-name stars and overpriced tickets, about which you could say, at best, "Well, yes, it was watchable". But you know, this is an extremely clever play. It centres on a middle-aged couple, where the husband begins an affair with a younger woman. It's very stylish, and Zoe is a delight to watch, but it really takes shape when their alter-egos/inner selves appear as actors dressed like them and resembling them physically, who vocalise their inner thoughts and imagined conversations. This device is used to powerful effect in the second half, in particular. And at stages throughout, we're treated to the most marvellous choral classical music (Zoe's character is supposed to be a professional chorister).
Actually, it reminded me a bit of Gone Girl, the latest thriller by Gillian Flynn, in the sense of being an examination of a marriage from the inside, where we are privy to each person's inner thoughts. It's a really excellent book, and would make a great companion piece to this.
Passion Play is booking to the 3rd of August, and really deserves more people to go and see it. It's head and shoulders above most of the stuff that gets shuffled around the West End. And yes, there is nudity - some behind screens, some more explicit, but all very tasteful. The last image, in particular, is stunning and the standing ovation was well deserved!
And tomorrow, for variety, we have The Play That Goes Wrong, at Trafalgar Studios. I hear good things. The run was extended, and although I was under the impression that tomorrow was the last day, apparently it's booking right through next year! I guess it's not having any trouble with ticket sales, then.. I also guess it'll be a long time, in that case, before I come to this theatre again, having already seen it. That's the thing with these long-running plays; by the time a new production finally opens, you've forgotten where the theatre is!
