Play: Romeo & Juliet

And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain..

Oh wow, the final Man with the Hat event finally, inevitably, rolled around. Family commitments beckon, and he's closing down the groups as of tomorrow. Doesn't know when, or whether, he'll be back.. a sad, sad day indeed.

Let me pop up that screenshot again of my Meetup activity, with the groups with which I've been most active:

Yup, there go the two groups at the top of my list. :'-(

I had a late meeting, but it did finish a bit early, and I decided to walk, in the end - it's not much quicker to take public transport to the Globe. Mercifully, it had warmed up quite a bit - the cold weather having done its damage to me! And what a lovely surprise - a group member who hadn't got a ticket had dropped by anyway, just to say goodbye! Chats with the Man with the Hat pre-event had to be taken in snatches - he was fielding phone calls from people who were lost, dealing with sporadic people coming up to him to collect their tickets. He did have 46 coming, after all..

It's impossible to be sad around this man. There's more than one reason that he has such a loyal following - he has a sunny personality that smashes through the gloom. Anyway, I hung out there until it was nearly time to go, shepherding a member of London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) who was finding herself at the Globe for the first time, and was uncertain where to go. And for my part, I was comfortably snuggled at the back, which suited - I didn't want a breeze making my still-sniffly cold any worse. Having said that, it had warmed up so much that I actually took my coat off for most of the first act!

Now, this production of Romeo and Juliet has attracted mixed reviews. The Man with the Hat did mention, mind you, that it was supposed to be very popular with the kids - sure enough, the place was packed with school groups. To give credit to the girls' school filling my section, they were extremely well-behaved - and I think they performed the best rendition in YMCA of anyone in the theatre!

Yes, you're right - I don't remember YMCA popping up in the original version either. That's the Globe for you. Neither do I remember the actors being in clown face paint.. and wow, the fight sequences are something else, with strobe lighting, streamers that shot out and wrapped themselves fetchingly around a support wire, MTV-style music.. I'm actually not trendy enough to have the vocabulary to describe the opening scene of this production, which is kind of mind-blowing..

Happily, it calms down a bit after that. And I've gotta say, it's a brilliant idea - we don't know what age Romeo is supposed to be, but Juliet is only 13 in the play, and I'd guess him a little older. So, teenagers then. And what appeals to modern teenagers..? Exactly. They play their parts perfectly, a bit of teen gawkiness adding to the charm, and the MTV-style posturing fits perfectly with the brashness that we often see with teenagers. They keep the original text, just the odd interjection added - and oh, the music! The music is absolutely perfect, going from slightly insane at the party at the start of the play, to a sudden shift to a much softer tune as they see each other and fall in love. Complete change of mood - perfectly chosen, as ever!

I loved it. Purists will hate it - well, don't come to the Globe then. But for everyone else, I really recommend this. Runs on selected dates until 9 July, better availability the earlier you book - many dates are sold out already. And as for their warning on the site, about guns - don't worry; although there are guns, they're not fired. The characters just say "Bang!". And, further to that review I read, the dinosaur is quite sensibly woven into the production - and I saw no sign of the submarine they mentioned! Unless they were referring to the torpedo that's been suspended over the stage for weeks now.

Afterwards, we met with the Man - who'd already hung up his Hat! He'd checked, and there was space in the Swan, so in we went - in fact, it was quite deserted, and we took over the alcove at the end. Didn't stop it taking forever for me to be served, though, as usual.. and hey, another of our members, who lives nearby, had dropped by for drinks! Awesome.. and a really great night was had, a fitting end to the group - with the Man with the Hat staying to the bitter end, as he used to. Farewells had the potential to be teary, but we survived. Hey, who knows we shall meet again as a group.. but I look forward to that day.

By now, it was after midnight - I had great fun trying to find somewhere quiet to ring my mother and pretend I was at home! Blasted busker, under that bridge.. and as I paced up and down in the rain, this would be the night that my mother decided to have a nice, long chat. Afterwards, across the same bridge - and with a choice of two buses, it wasn't long before one came and I could get home at last. (Wise of me to bring my Oyster card - I'd have walked if it had been early enough, but at this time I just wanted to get to bed.)

Tonight, it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday and Tuesday, I'm off to Pint of Science - following a theme, given my background, I'm headed to a talk on Small Is Beautiful (quantum physics) on Monday and one on Across the Universe (cosmology) on Tuesday. Both now sold out. Rock on..

On Wednesday, London Literary Walks is off to Highbury. And so am I.

On Thursday, I'm booked for free comedy in Hammersmith, with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon & Greenwich, Random London, and London Live Comedy. Something, frankly, that I usually cancel, but you never know - nothing better has yet come up for this night!

Next Friday, I saw that London Social Detours (a side-shoot of Ken's Events) were charging £3 to go to the free jazz concert at the Royal Academy. So I was going to go on my own. Free. But then the London European Club (LEC) advertised a Norwegian Dixieland concert at Jamboree.. well, that sounded like more fun, so now I'm going to that instead.

On the 20th, I'm doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less.

The 21st, LDAM is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting.

On the 22nd, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.

On the 23rd, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.

The 24th was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So now I'm going to Urban Legends of London. 

The 25th, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!

On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.

On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.

On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and I forgot to mention, the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!

Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!

The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!


And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.

The Comedy Store Players

I considered yesterday a summery treat - the Man with the Hat took both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players regaled us with their unique brand of improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long.

Now, I always associate the Globe with summer - but to describe yesterday as "summery" might have been a step too far. The day was gloomy, the afternoon rainy, and in general it was freezing. Anyway, I decided to walk - it'd just take a little longer than the bus, I'd get some exercise, and I could get cash on the way. My evening took a severe downturn when I got cash, though - after being paid on Friday, my available balance was just £30! So I took out £20 - and it was right at that moment that a nearby homeless man decided to accost me. Expecting to get the £20, doubtless, when it was literally all I had of disposable income - he wasn't at all impressed with the spare change I offered him, and when he started to insult me, I turned on my heel and kept my change to myself. It wasn't a fun walk down, though, imagining having been ripped off again (as happened in December), and to top it all off, it rained quite heavily upon me.

Hey-ho, I joined a few other early birds at the arranged meeting point - we beat the Man with the Hat to it, by a few minutes. Got our tickets, made our way into the piazza outside the Globe building - the building wasn't open just yet - and hung around chatting. For all that I'd specifically got out cash so as to be able to buy stuff from the wandering vendors, I didn't feel like it, now that I was once again impoverished.. Well, I wasn't hungry or thirsty anyway.

When the doors opened, we made our way in.

I had a comfy, back row seat, where I could lean against the wall. And get a good vantage point of everyone else! And as the rows in front of me filled - if there were spare seats, I didn't see any - I had a windbreak, too; damn, it was cold!

(Massive crack in that pillar - I can see why they have bands around it, to hold it together.)

A line of chairs on stage awaited the arrival of the Comedy Store performers - and my, this evening was worth coming out for! Various games required them to improvise on the spot, and I haven't seen better. Rapid-fire, really funny - highlights included an operation where they had to switch from horror style, to musical, to Bollywood.. They started with a game where one was sent outside, while the audience came up with outlandish suggestions he had to guess when he came back, and - given the venue - they finished off with a Shakespearian-inspired play ("Julius Caesar Salad"). Honestly though, the highlight of the night for me had to be the Tale of the Haunted Carrot, in the style of a musical. And kudos to whoever helpfully threw a couple of carrots on-stage as props for that one!

Fabulous stuff, and the Comedy Store deserves its reputation. Great, too, to be back at the Globe - even if we nearly froze in our places. One night it might have been more comfortable to be standing - I wished I'd rented a blanket. At least I had gloves. Afterwards, we repaired to The Swan, as usual - shuffling all the way back to the meeting point in the freezing cold, just to be directed back in again. Could just have gone straight in - it's just across the piazza from the Globe! Never mind, it was great to be indoors.

Toilet first - I needed to go, and figured this would give the bar time to calm down - service tends to be busy, here. Struggled with a weak flush - apologies to whoever next used that cubicle - and, sure enough, by the time I came out the bar was manageable. Ordered a large wine - they have three prices on the menu, for a medium glass, carafe, and bottle, but rest assured, large is also available. And sat, and we had a convivial chat. For once, I thought to bring my sponsorship form with me - for that sponsored walk that Helen and I are doing in September, for Cats Protection. And lo, I got a good few new sponsors! Many thanks, all.

And all that walking I did yesterday will help with that. Walked back to the office afterwards, to check my account..

And wouldn't you know it, it was all a storm in a teacup. It was past midnight by the time I logged in to my account, and my monthly salary had just been paid in. Phew! Blasted banks, and their unnecessary delays.

Tonight, London European Club (LEC) - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.

Tomorrow, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger. Rain forecast, and the organiser has offered to redo the walk next month - but consensus among those of us there last night was that we'd risk tomorrow.

On Thursday, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Handily, I have no meetings scheduled for that day, so we have time to eat beforehand. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!

Instead, for Monday, I've booked The Ferryman, with London Dramatic Arts (LDAM), at the Royal Court.

Next Tuesday, London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction? One I'm unlikely to cancel.

On 3 May, London Literary Walks is off around Gloucester Road.

On 4 May, Let's Do London - for less! is off on its last scheduled trip to the opera house - the occasion is Mayerling, my favourite ballet, and is sold out by now, I see. We have tickets in both slips and amphitheatre, as usual. The clock is counting down on remaining Meetups for this most excellent group - we're already feeling the pinch of its events being scheduled less frequently.

On 5 May, I'd bought a ticket to Nell Gwynn, at the Globe - then it turned out that LDAM is going on the same night! (Buy Your Own Ticket.) As the organiser said, it must be fate.. it'll certainly be nice to have company. Odd venue for them, though - I know the organiser doesn't like it.

And on 6 May, I'm joining the LEC for a classical concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Oh joy, they're playing Beethoven's 9th..

Dinner: Bistro1 & Ballet: Jewels

Last night, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) was off to see The Goat - or Who Is Sylvia? with Damian Lewis, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. I managed to get a cheaper ticket - however, our team member was visiting from Stockholm, and it was her last night.. and you know, I wasn't that pushed about that play anyway, and trying to avoid those LDAM people who object to members buying their own tickets.. So I hung around the office. Drinks, sensibly, were in the office, which is well stocked - and finally, some of us decided we were hungry, and headed for dinner with no firm idea of where we were going.

Meandering through Soho, we finally lit on Bistro1. Crowded on ground level, but they offered us a table in the basement, which was just fine. Décor is enhanced by these ornate, stained-glass mosaic lights:

We skipped starters. Our visitor and I had beef bourguignon - sadly, I can't remember what the guys had, I was so intent on my own! Besides, I was more than a bit tipsy - I'd imbibed heavily in the office, and we shared a bottle here as well - and for some reason the bottles in the cooler looked rather large to me, I do remember saying that! As I ended up finishing this bottle as well, I decided I'd better order a dessert to absorb it, even though I was the only one having one. And do you know, it was all excellent - the beef bourguignon was tasty and filling, the lemon sorbet I had for dessert really lemony. Fantastic value for central London, for £20 a head including tip! Must remember it for the future.

Today, April started with the Man with the Hat (long time no see!). Both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! went to see the ballet Jewels at the Royal Opera House. He's not scheduling so many things lately, and this was something of a rare treat. Anyway, some of us arrived before him - but after directing some to the best lifts to take, I was left to my own devices. Got a glass of wine, took my seat in the slips.

Well, I had planned to dress appropriate to the theme, in something like a jewel colour; how fortunate that the colour I picked was one they also had (I hadn't checked). First up was a ballet called "Emeralds", to the music of Fauré, to be followed by a sassier piece called "Rubies", to the trains of Stravinsky, and finishing off the evening was a piece called diamonds, set to an extravagant score by Tchaikovsky. And despite the lack of story - which did bother some - the whole affair was gorgeous to look at (as you might expect). The dancers for each piece, of course, wore sparkling costumes of the appropriate colour, the sparse stage lined with backdrops of the same colour. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and the final extravaganza sent us away dazzled.

To The Sun Tavern afterwards, where we'd booked most of the first floor, as usual - and unusually, we took up most of it, too! I grabbed a seat at the end, ordered food - tried the onion rings for the first time, they were quite good. Wine was courtesy of the Man with the Hat, who was to be seen measuring out lines of glasses of it at the bar, before taking himself off. The rest of us had an enlightening chat.. Watch this space.

For tomorrow, I booked a guided walk through Islington - Between the Wars - with London for a Tenner or Less. Funzing, so I could cancel, provided I did it in time - and then I decided I'd rather go to a film. Top of the list are a couple of documentaries, and the one I'm more interested in is Tickling Giants, about a comedian and chat show host in Cairo who's always sticking two fingers up to the authorities, and getting in trouble for it. (I've been particularly interested in Egypt since I visited, back in 2000.) It's showing, that day only, in the Curzon Bloomsbury - walking distance from me, nice! Seeing that it was starting to fill up, I booked, and cancelled Funzing. Again - I have a litany of cancelled Funzing events, these days!

On Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club - at Soho Theatre this time, for an evening of Greek mythology entitled Atalanta, brought to us by the able Ben Haggerty. You know, now that I'm a Westminster resident, I have a Westminster card, which - among other things - entitles me to £1 off at this theatre! Pity I didn't yet have it when I booked this..

On Tuesday, Let's Do London - for less! is back at the Opera House, for Madama Butterfly. I'm in the slips, as usual. Was telling this to one of my colleagues - he's seen it, apparently, and was very impressed.

Wednesday - why, it must be summer! Welcome back, London Literary Walks - good to see you. We're on The Composers' Walk - apparently a repeat. And yay, we're meeting in Caffe Nero - I can have a chocolate Milano.

On Thursday, I'm with the World Music Meetup, for a free concert of Iranian music at the Brunei Gallery. It's been a while for me, with both group and venue.. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again, and a meeting with my birth and adoptive mothers on the 8th. That's assuming we can agree on a venue - we had decided on Greene's, but there's no parking, my mother can't walk any distance, and while she had agreed to take a taxi, she's now gone and changed her mind. I've asked whether the venue can be changed - no word yet; it's more awkward, as we're still communicating through a social worker.

On the 10th, I'm back at the Wanamaker Playhouse - always a favourite - for The White Devil, a Jacobean tale.

On the 11th, I got a cheap ticket to the Caine and Kane comedy show, in Brixton.

On the 12th, I'm with LDAM to see Don Juan in Soho, with David Tennant, in Wyndham's. Just down Charing Cross Road - nice!

Then I'm back to Ireland for Easter - on Good Friday, my (adoptive) mother and I are off to La Bohème, at the University Concert Hall.

On the 18th, back in London, and back with Funzing - London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less, for a talk on the Science of Paranormal Activity. Unless I get a better offer, in time - it'd have to be a good one, I'm interested in this!

On the 19th, London Literary Walks is off down Brick Lane - and so am I.

On the 20th, I have my usual placeholder of free comedy in Hammersmith - courtesy of Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Of course - much like Funzing - I usually end up cancelling these, when something better comes up.

Ditto the 21st - or I may go to the cinema that day. As usual, watch this space..!

On the 22nd, I'm off to see the Naked House Cleaner! Venue to be revealed just the day before.. ooh!

On the 23rd, I'm on a walk of Hampstead Village Highlights, with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. Be good exercise, leading up to my own sponsored walk in September, in aid of Cats Protection.. Helen and I are going as Dick Whittington and his cat. She's the cat.

The 24th, another summery treat! The Man with the Hat is taking both groups to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players will regale us with Shakespeare-inspired improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long.

The 25th, London European Club again - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.

The 26th, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger.

The 27th, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!

Instead, for 1 May, I've booked The Ferryman, with LDAM, at the Royal Court.

And 2 May, those same three Funzing groups have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction?

Ballet: Mixed Bill

Ah, the last Man with the Hat event for the month (for me, anyway - he is repeating it next Friday). Yesterday, he took both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Opera House, to see a mixed bill of ballet.

Had the usual dilemma beforehand of whether to take the evening bag - the fact that it fitted my keys without argument sealed the matter, and it came. And I spent the rest of the night struggling to get it closed, and keep it closed. Life is hard. But not for the coach that was turning from Endell Street into Short's Gardens just as I was doing the opposite; this one was a reasonable size, and hadn't half the trouble - nor did it provide half the entertainment - of the 60-seater I saw trying to do the same, recently..

Approaching the Opera House, I saw one Man, one Hat, one guest. Not hard to spot. Got my ticket, and when a group of newbies had arrived, off I was dispatched to lead them upstairs. The first couple, mind, took off at a gallop, and I pretty much lost them while the security guard was trying to peer into my teeny bag to see whether it contained anything of danger. Last I saw of them was when they were heading determinedly for the lifts, so I left them to it. I went up instead with a very nice lady - we got a drink and hung out on the balcony for a while before heading in. I was sat beside Mary - good to see her, she hadn't been able to make the night before.

This is a triple bill. First up, The Human Seasons apparently describes the cycle of life, and is inspired by Keats. Very pretty, very elegant - but we didn't really feel moved by it. Much more successful were the latter two. The second - After the Rain - is mesmerising, with haunting music (Spiegel im Spiegel) I've heard before.. somewhere. And finally was the world premiere of Flight Pattern - starting with sombre bass, dramatic staging sees a host of people in grey shuffling onto a dark stage, moving in unison, like flocks of birds in flight. Until two break away..

Particularly the second and third pieces are absolutely stunning - I can't recommend them highly enough. Go see - runs until next Friday (which means the Man with the Hat will have been to the first and last performances..). Were I available that day, I'd be seriously tempted to go again.

Afterwards, with The Sun apparently booked for a private function, a small group of us ended up in The Covent Garden - upstairs, which had more space. And had a most convivial chat, including about this sponsored walk I'm going on in September. Sceptics can go take a long walk off a short bridge.. and last night, predictably, the ladies outlasted the gents, whose stamina gave out long before ours.

Today? Lá le Pádraig shona daoibh! Not doing anything particularly Irish.. well, not after I leave the office, anyway!

Tonight, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Tomorrow, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand.. can cancel that far in advance without penalty.

Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Wednesday, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Next Thursday was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And then, wouldn't you know it, Henning from the LEC advertised.. Hypnosis - Altering Consciousness! With Pint of Science. (What is it about that day and hypnosis?!) Anyway, I do enjoy events with Henning, and as I say, I can cancel Funzing up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. So I did, and booked the other instead. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..

Top Secret Comedy Club

Ah now, it was great to be back last night with the Man with the Hat - truly, the rock on which I build my social life.. and Top Secret always turns out a good night. Shortly before the event, he contacted London for Less than a Tenner to say that there was an early, free show at 7, as well, which hadn't been previously scheduled - ah cool, as I remarked, easier to get to the bar at that time!

So off I schlepped, stopping on the way to get cash from from the handily located ATM on Short's Gardens - Top Secret charge for card payments under a certain amount. As I turned into Drury Lane, I gave a small start - with no scaffolding around the entrance any more, I hardly recognised Top Secret! Anyway, got my hand stamped - the poor guy on reception seemed new, and it took him a moment to locate the list of Meetup participants - got my drink, had a wee chat with the Man with the Hat, got a seat in the third row.

Oh my God, it was good to be with friendly faces again! I missed them, y'know.. Anyway, the place really filled up for this first show, with Luisa Omeilan - as the MC was careful to point out in his introduction, we were the placenta (!) for the embryo of her show for Edinburgh. I've never seen her for such an extended show before - and whoo, it's exhausting! Now, the girl is hilarious - and clever - but it's actually dizzying to see her in action. This new show is to be based on politics - if she can figure out a way to make it funny. Jeez, I'd love to see the finished article - and hope she manages it, that would be a great combo! She passed around a jug for donations at the end, but it didn't come my way, or I'd have given..

And so into the show proper - there wasn't much space for latecomers, and I believe they opened the area upstairs as well. Paul Sweeney was first up - an odd fish, but he grew on me. Followed by Heidi Regan, an Aussie who read us a poem. First break saw everyone around me disappear to the bar, and stay there for the duration.. I should do that in future, apparently it's much quieter back there. Not that I'm dissing the soundtrack, which is excellent - just quite loud. Louder still as they replaced one of the speakers to the side, and were trying to adjust the volume..

Second section - and Luisa was back! I guess she figured her preview stint hadn't gone so well, so she reprised it in a shorter version for us now, as high-speed as ever. George Lewis finished that bit, and we had another break. And for the final section, we had Grainne (pronounced Grawnye) Maguire - really, really nervous, and maybe trying a bit hard - whose material was good, if a bit hastily delivered. The show ended with Tom Lucy. Never seen him before - and I don't know what it is, but there is something very funny about this guy. Nothing particularly striking about his material - it's all in the delivery, and it was compelling. Would love to see him again.

Afterwards, a small group of us headed up the road to the White Hart (tricky to assemble, given that they don't allow crowds to gather outside Top Secret any more) and after the Man with the Hat had performed his shepherding duties, he joined us. Where he started singing the praises of Tom Lucy.. who turned out be sitting at the table next to us! :-) And a good old chat was had, following which I strolled home.

Tonight, the Man with the Hat is back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less! This'll be the last night for a while I can walk to the venue - last night scheduled with him this month!

Tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Saturday, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand.. can cancel that far in advance without penalty.

Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Wednesday, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Next Thursday was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And then, wouldn't you know it, Henning from the LEC advertised.. Hypnosis - Altering Consciousness! With Pint of Science. (What is it about that day and hypnosis?!) Anyway, I do enjoy events with Henning, and as I say, I can cancel Funzing up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. So I did, and booked the other instead. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..

Performance: Two Man Show (Take 2)

Our last outing to Two Man Show was a great hit - not a surprise that the Man with the Hat decided to take us again. London for Less Than a Tenner was there against night - and I figured it had been good enough to see again.

A pleasantly short, 7-minute walk from the office got me to Soho Theatre in time to get a seat in the bar, at the reserved tables, before we trekked all the way upstairs. The seating arrangement is the same as last time, but this time I happened to sit over the other side.. and yes, I can confirm that they do favour one side over the other, just a couple of times - sit on the right as you go in to take advantage of this.

Well! I remember being a bit dazed the first time, and was keen to read my report from last September. Several people asked me whether it was the same show as before - well, I think so, although to be honest, so much happens in this show that - especially the first time you see it - it can be hard to figure out what's going on.

I'll say this - I'd forgotten how good Rashdash are! Terrific singers, accomplished musicians, good dancers. Not to mention the creative engine behind a very thought-provoking and audacious performance. And I'll also say that this show definitely merits a second viewing. See, last time I was so much on tenterhooks for whatever unexpected thing was going to happen next that the overall story was kind of lost on me. This time, I was expecting more of it, and had more mental energy to have a think..

Right, so it's all about men, women, and the relationship between them. They start as women, with a quick history of society and the development of patriarchy, which undermined the old, goddess culture. (Phew!) Then they take off their clothes. (Baring their emotions?) Then they take the part of men, specifically two brothers dealing with major life changes, in a most male and emotionally stunted way - to describe the crisis in masculinity. Finally, one reverts to femininity, while the other decides she'd rather stay as the powerful male, and they have a really well-done male-female dialogue.

In between, there's a dazzling and very enjoyable show. Not surprising it's won awards - and we were all impressed. And a bit bemused. Runs until Saturday - definitely one to see.

Across to The Nellie Dean again after, where we had tables reserved. There was bar service upstairs, for once - but the Man with the Hat (obviously conserving his energies for the rest of the week) vanished, once he'd seen us settled. We hung around for a good while, - well, there was a lot to discuss in what we'd just seen - and as usual I was one of the last to leave, following a really interesting chat about music. Grabbed a couple of doughnuts in Tesco on the way home.

Tonight - Round 2 of the week with the Man with the Hat. More traditional this time, presumably - we're off with Let's Do London - for less! to Sleeping Beauty, at the Opera House.

Tomorrow - well lookee that, the same group is off to Roundelay, at Southwark Playhouse. Three in a row for the Man with the Hat. About time we got back to Southwark - we've missed it!

Thursday, I was thinking of free comedy in Hammersmith - this time with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and Random London. But then Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts (and Walking Victorian London) announced a walk called True Spy Stories! So I thought that sounded more interesting, and booked.

Friday, Crick Crack is telling stories - Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing Metamorphoses at Rich Mix. However, the Rich Mix website doesn't seem to have heard of this.. unless you search for that specific day. The independent Crick Crack Club website has a link to buy tickets from Rich Mix though, and at the moment they're being sold at a discounted preview price. And now that the link is available, their Meetup group is advertising it too.

Saturday, Let's Do London - for less! is back to see Sleeping Beauty - and so am I. Honestly, this was a mistake on my part - I was booking a lot at the time and forgot I was already going - but hell, I'd rather be doing this anyway than not. Amphitheatre, this time - it's been a while since I was there.

Sunday, London for Less Than a Tenner advertised "Soho: the Roots of the Swinging Sixties - guided walk"! Now, this confused me, before I read deeper.. I do recall the Man With the Hat saying that, while he was interested in guided walks, he wasn't interested in actually guiding them. Turns out someone else is doing the actual guiding.. Anyway, I booked, but it seems not enough of us did, and he's cancelled the event. The walk is still going ahead though - check out Back in the Day Walks for more details. Me? I might just go to a film - we'll see what's on, closer to time.

Monday, I'm off to see Russell Howard at the Albert Hall.

Next Tuesday, jeez, the Man with the Hat is back again! Hard to keep up these days - so I'm going with Let's Do London - for less! to The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse.

Wednesday 8th, I finally get to go to something with the Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - not a book discussion this time, instead they're off to a play called The Machine Stops, at Jacksons Lane Theatre. Suitably post-apocalyptic. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

Monday 13th, I'm with London Dramatic Arts at the Royal Court, for The Kid Stays in the Picture.

That rescheduled talk on Brexit Vs. Trump from a couple of weeks ago is on Tuesday 14th. Unless I decide to go to a film instead - being Funzing, I can get my money back if I cancel at least 48 hours in advance.

On Wednesday 15th, the Man with the Hat is taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret.

Thursday 16th, he's back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less!

Friday 17th, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Saturday 18th, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday 19th.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday 20th, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand..

Tuesday 21st, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this last week, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Wednesday 22nd, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Thursday 23rd, another Funzing Talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. Again, unless I get a better offer in the meantime. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..

Concert: London Concertante

Another of the Man with the Hat's favourite venues last night, and ours too. Nice to get back to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, it's been a while. This time, he only had gallery tickets, for London for Less Than a Tenner. Well now, that's not a problem, eh? Also a no-brainer. I booked.

And it was about a 10-minute walk from the office. We were to meet him in the crypt - yes, there he was, and as soon as he saw me, he made for me, brandishing a ticket and then taking off at a gallop to lead me to the seating area at the back of the cafe where the others were sitting. I started the second table, the first being full.. and it was lovely to see some faces I hadn't seen in an age. Wow though, there were so many newcomers last night, of different kinds - people who'd never been to a classical concert before, people who'd never been with this group before, people who'd been with the group but not at this venue.. And what was really lovely about that was that I knew they'd all have a great experience.

Now, I was in need of food, so helped myself to a large slice of chocolate cake. And a glass of wine. And finishing that meant that I was one of the last to head upstairs - many thanks to those who waited for me. Also, many thanks to the kind soul who took it upon himself to hire me a cushion! Very thoughtful. Anyway, as usual we had unreserved tickets, and scattered ourselves amongst the rows - anywhere but he front row, as we were told. It was very full. And those who hadn't been before were to learn that the Man with the Hat was right in his advice just to sit back and listen to the music, eyes closed or admiring the gorgeous ceiling.

The artists, as usual, were London Concertante, who treated us to the usual jokes. Reassuringly familiar. And the program was peppered with popular classics. We started with  some Bach. Following this with some Purcell, they finished the first half - again, as usual - with some Piazzola. They do make a habit of this - but I have to say, of what I've heard of his work, I think this was the one I liked best. The second half started with some more Bach - not J. S. this time, but his son, C. P. E. - more popular at the time, apparently. And then we were in to the perennial favourites, The Four Seasons - Spring and Summer, specifically. Gooddee, Summer's my favourite. They finished with something a bit different - a selfie with the audience, and an extra piece that they encouraged us to go Facebook Live on, the idea being that they could later splice together all the videos to make a professional-looking one. I couldn't get it to work on my phone, but kudos to those who did, and to Concertante for moving with the times.

Afterwards to Amba, and more impressed people, who hadn't been there before. And I ordered some chips, which constituted my main dinner of the evening - and remarked, as I often have before, on the superiority of English chips. And we had a nice chat, before dispersing to our various destinations.

Tonight, I was supposed to go to free comedy in Hammersmith. Courtesy of London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and London Art Comedy and Culture Lovers. But hey, that guide's voice must have recovered - on Wednesday, she advertised a Sweeney Todd tour for this evening with Walk About London - and I booked. Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts also going.

Tomorrow, after lunch with Helen - somewhere around Euston - I'm back with London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) for a production of Hamlet, at the Almeida.

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day. I'd booked to go to a free organ recital, with the London European Club (LEC), at the Methodist Central Hall. Then the Man with the Hat decides that would be the perfect evening to take Let's Do London - for less! to see the Pop-up Opera, with the Barber of Seville, at Charing Cross Theatre! With a 6pm start, I'll have to rush over from Westminster.. have to make my excuses to the LEC. My, what a busy life!

Monday is the only day I have free to use my Wowcher before it expires - it's for the Magic Lantern festival.

Tuesday, unusually, LEC is taking us to some storytelling - up in Cambridge Heath!

Wednesday, I'm headed, with LDAM, to The Cherry Orchard, at the Arcola. And I just caught an interesting conversation in relation to that evening - seems someone who's booked can't go, and posted in case anyone wanted his ticket. Whereupon the organiser was right on to him to explain that that's against the rules. Yes, ok, he doesn't get a refund if the ticket isn't sold on, and he can't sell on the ticket directly - I get that. But me oh my, it seems her anti-blogging page isn't the only page of rules she - or someone she knows - has come up with - take a read of the rules against reselling. I mean seriously - the ticket can't be passed on until the day of the event? And forget about a refund - at best, you can get credit. You have been warned..

Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is back at Crouch End, with The Fate We Bring Ourselves - finally advertised on their Meetup page! Ben Haggerty standing in for Claire Muireann Murphy, who's having a knee operation, it seems. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Monday 27th, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to Two Man Show at Soho Theatre. I've seen it before, but it's worth seeing again. And so is the group!

Tuesday 28th, Let's Do London - for less! is off to Sleeping Beauty, at the Opera House.

Wednesday 1st March - well lookee that, the same group is off to Roundelay, at Southwark Playhouse. Three in a row for the Man with the Hat - we'll have to carry him off on a stretcher. About time we got back to Southwark though - we've missed it!

Thursday 2nd, I was thinking of free comedy in Hammersmith - this time with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and Random London. But then Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts (and Walking Victorian London) announced a walk called True Spy Stories! So I thought that sounded more interesting, and booked.

Friday 3rd, again, Crick Crack is telling stories - Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing Metamorphoses at Rich Mix. However, the Rich Mix website doesn't seem to have heard of this.. The independent Crick Crack Club website now has a link to buy tickets from Rich Mix though, and at the moment they're being sold at a discounted preview price. And now that the link is available, their Meetup group is advertising it too.

Saturday 4th, Let's Do London - for less! is back to see Sleeping Beauty - and so am I. Honestly, this was a mistake on my part - I was booking a lot at the time and forgot I was already going - but hell, I'd rather be doing this anyway than not. Amphiteatre, this time - it's been a while since I was there.

Sunday 5th, London for Less Than a Tenner is advertising "Soho: the Roots of the Swinging Sixties - guided walk"! Now, this confused me, before I read deeper.. I do recall the Man With the Hat saying that, while he was interested in guided walks, he wasn't interested in actually guiding them. Turns out someone else is doing the actual guiding.. Anyway, count me in.

Monday 6th, I'm off to see Russell Howard at the Albert Hall.

Tuesday 7th, jeez, the Man with the Hat is back again! Hard to keep up these days - so I'm going with Let's Do London - for less! to The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse.

Wednesday 8th, I finally get to go to something with the Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - not a book discussion this time, instead they're off to a play called The Machine Stops, at Jacksons Lane Theatre. Suitably post-apocalyptic. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

Monday 13th, I'm with LDAM at the Royal Court, for The Kid Stays in the Picture.

And to complete the tally of a month from now (!), that rescheduled talk on Brexit Vs. Trump from last Tuesday is on Tuesday 14th. Unless I decide to go to a film instead - being Funzing, I can get my money back if I cancel at least 48 hours in advance.