Play: Marys Seacole & Roman London Walk

Yesterday, headed to Marys Seacole, at Donmar Warehouse. Based on a true story. I'd heard mixed reviews. They were good enough to email me a link to my account, where I could access my ticket.

Where to eat beforehand..? Friday night in the West End isn't easy. I had a look at nearby restaurants, and figured I'd have a go with Mon Plaisir - French, naturellement (apparently the oldest French restaurant in London), and right around the corner from the theatre. I booked, for safety, although I think I'd have been OK - careful though, they charge a £20 cancellation fee for no-shows or cancellations within 24 hours of the reservation, or a £10 charge per person for a last-minute change of numbers! They have a 20-minute grace period in which you can arrive after your allotted time, which I think is quite generous. Anyway, duly warned, I made sure to leave in time, and arrived early, Found the restaurant without much difficulty - I'd specified I wanted to eat inside, although there were people at the outdoor tables.

And.. then I couldn't open the door! So, it turns out there are two doors, but only the one on the right can be used for entry! This isn't indicated. The other is (usually) locked. Made my way to the entrance, where a couple were enquiring whether there was a free table.. a little consultation, and there was no problem. When I gave my name and explained I had a reservation, the lady asked whether I was going to a show, and what time I needed to leave. V pragmatic. And then I was led down the back.. through the kitchen (mind the step, and your head on the low doorway!), past the bar, and back into the section of the restaurant with the locked door! Well I never.. anyway, seating is on chairs and comfortable banquettes, plenty of cushions.

I was sat at a table with two settings, and the lady in charge - who sounded French - thought I was waiting for someone. I had to alert her that I was ready to order - whereupon the extra setting was removed, and I did. I enjoyed browsing the menu, with dishes listed in French with English translations - I didn't fancy a starter, just asked for a bread basket. For main, I had seen coq au vin on the menu online when choosing this place, but when I saw duck with honey sauce on the specials, I just couldn't resist. It comes with sauteed potatoes. And of course, a glass of wine - they're all French.

It was fun, listening to the banter of the girls working at the bar - they're definitely English. The bread basket is nothing special, just a sliced white baguette with a little pot of butter: but I was hungry, and it filled a spot. Food arrives in a dumb waiter, and I was halfway though the basket when my duck came. Mesdames et Messieurs, that is definitely a honey sauce! And plenty of it - I was in heaven, scoffing the lot in no time. Dessert after, and they had what in some places is called a Coupe Colonel, and here Le Colonel - lemon sorbet in vodka. So that is what I had too. It comes in two sizes.. and being well early for my play, I had the larger. Which was lovely - but I might go smaller in future, vodka in large quantities doesn't agree with me..

When I was ready to leave, I asked the waiter which way I should go, and he said it didn't matter: in which case, I said, I'll take that door! which he unlocked for me. Well, it was closer.

My phone had no reception in the restaurant, so I was glad to have it restored outside. And so to the theatre, where I was in the Circle - and they advertise a bar on each level, but the Circle bar was closed. Mind you, for once I passed - I was feeling a little the worse for wear after the vodka. Nice, central seat - I did have to lean forward from time to time, to see the action at the front of the stage:

The show starts to tribal drumming, and we are introduced to Mary Seacole herself, in Victorian garb, telling us how she grew up in Jamaica and learned to be a healer. And then - she steps out of the dress, to reveal a modern nurse's uniform, and we are treated to a modern hospital scene, an old lady with dementia being visited by her daughter and granddaughter, until she soils herself, they exit stage left, and the nurses are left to clean it up!

?

So, I guess this is meant to hammer home to us the caring nature of the nurse's profession. And before we know it, we're catapulted back into Mary Seacole's life, and then back into modern times, everyone wondering what is going on. This next bit seems to be to emphasise how annoying Americans can be (she lived in Central America for a while). And then back to Mary, now helping out in the Crimean war, and at loggerheads with Florence Nightingale. And lo, we're back to the present day, for a bewildering segment about people acting injured, so trainee nurses can learn triage. And then it all sort of gets mashed together..

Now, the modern segments are quite funny. But what you could not call this play is coherent, and by the end, when they're all gathered on stage, yelling apparently random bits of dialogue from different parts of the play, it's just chaos. Might suit some, didn't suit me - and I have a high tolerance for weirdness. Had I been at the end of the row, I'd have walked out. Anyway, should you be curious, it's on until the 4th.

Didn't have time to blog last night, because - well Lordy, I booked for the Roman London Walk, with Walk About London (also advertised on Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts - both linked to London Guided Walks). Which was on early. Now, I missed the last two I was booked on with this company - third time lucky? Got reminders a few days beforehand.

Under 15 minutes to walk there from where I currently live. Handy.. but when I got to the exit of Tower Hill Station, there were a couple of groups in the plaza outside. I couldn't see any obvious signs of where I was to go - I checked, and yes, I was in the right place. I was looking for a guide wearing an orange lanyard, and a sign - nope, couldn't see them. I did see a large orange umbrella - turned out to belong to a Spanish tour group. Finally narrowing it down to that group and another, I peered at the various members of the group, and finally spotted the most discreet guide I've ever seen, lanyard mostly hidden by his jacket, sign securely tucked under his elbow. I joined the circle, and when a couple of Americans asked me whether this was the group, I said, "I think so!" whereupon we all queued to check in.

He had a mic - just as well, given our proximity to the others, at least at this point. And over the next 90 minutes+, he was like a walking history textbook. We knew we were in the presence of someone with an in-depth knowledge of the subject, and there were some serious history buffs in the group who were delighted. We started, of course, with that large section of Roman wall just near the station:

Can you see the horizontal lines of red running through the wall, on the lower half? That's brick, and it was used by the Romans to strengthen walls. The reason the bit above it doesn't have this feature is because it dates from mediaeval times! Also, ignore that statue - although, as he says, tour guides always cheat and use it in their promotional photos.. this is Trajan, and he had absolutely nothing to do with Londinium.

The clock was made to stick out like this so that it could be seen from Fish Street Hill! This was originally a Roman road, leading north from the original London Bridge.

Round by other Roman sites, such as the bathhouse, and the Temple of Mithras. As we wound our way through the City, we came ever closer to my home - and so into Leadenhall Market, which I've hardly ever been into. Used to be the Roman forum - and housed the largest basilica north of the Alps, which stretched from the centre of Leadenhall Market.. to Moorgate! Crikey, that's nearly 3/4 of a mile!

And so, eventually, with the poor guide losing his voice (apparently he's allergic to plane trees), to the Guildhall, where the tour finished, looking at the outline of the Roman amphitheatre. And a round of applause was well-earned. Definitely the tour to go on if you really want to learn about Roman London. As ever, £3 off with the code MEETUP3 - which covers the booking fee.

Me, I wanted food - and the nearest place (open at weekends) turned out to be The Globe: which turned out to be a pub I have passed so often! but never gone into. I headed in and asked for a white wine - gave the poor guy a headache by asking whether they had anything from New Zealand. He thought they didn't - then pulled out a bottle of Oyster Bay! which I love. And had to go to the cellar for another bottle to top it up, since I wanted a large. For food, I had the garlic chicken schnitzel - which was gorgeous, with a scrumptious garlic mayo dip. Oh man, another heavenly meal, and with friendly service too.. I sure am eating well these days! And a lovely, summery day it's been..

And so home. For a while, because I had an appointment with City Rooms, later in the afternoon. Now, he didn't have anything that enthused me - but that doesn't really bother me right now. Because he did assure me that, should I choose something that's not quite right, they have a relocation service whereby I can change to another room in their portfolio! Jeez, I'd forgotten that. And more to the point (not that I told him), I have a viewing tomorrow, for something at least as good as what he was showing me..

Later tomorrow, London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG) have a late-advertised event, at the Barbican: the BBC Symphony Orchestra is playing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6. Oh man, it is so long since I last met this group! Something has just always gotten in the way..

On Monday, I have yet another viewing. Now, this is an interesting one - I'd asked to see the room ages ago, he didn't get back to me - then got back to me yesterday and said the room was available again, and did I want to view?! Ooh, yes please - and unless something unexpected crops up during the viewing, I'm taking it on the spot - it's big enough, I think, it has a good big wardrobe, it's walking distance to work. The only one of those on the horizon. And it has its own balcony! Watch this space.. so I'll be leaving tomorrow's landlady dangling until this viewing..

That evening, I'm at an online talk - Anglo-Saxon Surrey - with the Surrey History Meetup.

On Tuesday, woo! back at Shakespeare's Globe - for Henry VIII, which I've never seen. And it's years since I was last here..

On Wednesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Bonnie and Clyde, at the Arts Theatre. Now, most of the group going booked this ages ago - I just booked recently. And I noticed that all the cheapest seats were bench seating, which didn't sound terribly comfortable. But for under £2 more, so £25, I managed to get a ticket in the next band up - in the rear stalls - from Todaytix! See, they have this great £25 ticket offer until the 29th. Whatever about the show, the offer is highly recommended!

On Thursday, back with LCMTG - this time, we're at the Royal Festival Hall, where the Philharmonia is playing Mozart and Bruckner. Which makes this my best week for Meetup since lockdown, the only non-Meetup day being Tuesday!

And then back to Ireland for the weekend.

Sweeney Todd Tour

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 on Wednesday, a Sweeney Todd tour for this evening was advertised with Walk About London - and I booked. Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts was also involved.

We were to meet outside Temple Tube Station at 6:20, for a 6:30 start - I set off from the office about 6, and made it just after 6:20. No sign of the usual guide, Helen - but I read the event page more closely and discovered our guide for tonight was Jenny, whom I didn't know. It did say that she'd be brandishing a sign saying "Sweeney Todd" - but nowhere was any such sign - or Meetup sign - to be seen. Well, I wandered up and down - left a message on the event page, which was never responded to - as the time edged towards half past, groups started to form, but I had no idea whether any of them was mine! Finally, I plumped for the group right outside the station entrance, where a woman was handing out fliers - yes, that was the one. I refrained from asking her where her sign was.

As the tour began, I also remarked to myself that she'd have done well to copy Helen's example and use a mic - although she was an entertaining speaker, she was pretty much completely drowned out, the couple of times she stopped on a busy road. Hey-ho, that was my last complaint.. she did follow Helen's example of finding really interesting snippets of history, woven amongst the historical facts we know so well. We spent much of the early part of the walk exploring the gorgeous old Temple district, which I'm always happy to do..

More pictures here. We even got a concise history of the Knights Templar! Well researched, there. And as we passed the darkened Temple Church (pictured above), we could hear an organ playing inside. As she pondered, who would play an organ in the dark?! A ghost, perhaps..?

On to Fleet Street, where we saw the plaques commemorating the sites of foundation of various newspapers - and to the Samuel Johnson House museum, where I've never been, imagine! Not forgetting the statue of his cat, on this, World Cat Day..

At a stop on Fleet Street, we had competition from the Ghostbus, stopped right beside us, emitting various shrieking noises.. One stop, beside St. Bride's Church, was interesting in a curious way - of all the varied guided tours in London, I swear I've never before seen a jogging tour. Lordy me. Four ladies, there were, all wearing "Jogging Tour of London" t-shirts (or such) - they jogged up to the church, stopped briefly while she told them about it, jogged back past us again, stopped again briefly for another bit of info, and jogged off.. Well, I never.

Back on our more sedate tour - well, she was just about finished by that stage. She told us pretty much all there was to tell about Sweeney Todd, but in between wove in plenty of unusual stories about the Knights Templar, about Fleet Street, and about how Charles Dickens used the Cheshire Cheese pub as his office for a bit. Awkward place to try to give a history though, in the alleyway beside it, with everyone that passed having a comment to make..

Yes, another good tour, well worth going on. Recommended - it takes a good guide to travel well worn paths and find new stories. Seems that whatever guide runs these walks, you're guaranteed a good evening. Jenny's own company - as advertised on her fliers - is called Jack the Ripper Walks, and good luck to her.

Tomorrow, after lunch with the other 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.

Walks: Victorian Covent Garden & Heretics and Horrors, and Concert: An Arab Christmas

Uhh.. not sure whether I AM still alive. In case that's what you were wondering. I blog, therefore I am..?

Anyhoo, you may remember that, what seems an age ago now, I nagged the letting agent into giving me the keys to my new place on Saturday. First though, I had a walk to go to.. arranged to meet the letting agent at the property afterwards. The walk was at lunchtime - Victorian Covent Garden, hosted by the excellent Hazel of London Guided Walks. After doing her Christmas lights walk, I was keen to go on another - she's entertaining, but also has a wealth of knowledge! Has two Meetup groups - Walk About London, and Walks Talks & Treasure Hunts, which I'd signed up with that day.

Late night - as usual - so, scuttled off to meet her at midday. Fast route required - train to Waterloo, Tube to Charing Cross - we were to meet her outside Paul, outside Charing Cross Station. Naturally, I exited on the wrong side of the road - but they were easy to spot, just across the way. And when the rain that hadn't been forecast materialised, we shuffled sideways to shelter under cover, while we waited for the last of the group to arrive.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect on this walk, but she's full of fascinating facts - most of which I, at least, had no idea of. Mind you, when she stopped to show us the ornate Victorian cash register in the window of the Charing Cross Theatre, I was bemused that she seemed to assume that we wouldn't know what a cash register was. Goodness, they're not quite that rare! Yet..

So, off we meandered through backstreets, in sporadic drizzle, as she told us all sorts of interesting tales of Victorians. And we found out lots we hadn't known before. By the time we got to Covent Garden itself, where she finally left us, we truly had a new appreciation of the history of this area, shaped by people with a great zeal for improvement.

..and off I rushed, arriving slightly late to collect my keys, as she'd run over slightly. Home then for dinner, and had to rush straight off again to make the Arab Christmas concert that London European Club had organised, at Rich Mix. We were to meet at Casa Blue beforehand, and it was a good job I'd already looked up how to get there, because - in my flustered state - I'd forgotten my phone. Which led to a rather boring journey. Which made it not a great surprise that I was nearly asleep by the time I got off.

So, an easy walk from Shoreditch High Street - past Rich Mix itself and on to Casa Blue, at the corner of Brick Lane. It's not huge, and I found them after a few seconds - in a corner at the front, the Meetup sign a bit droopy on the table. So first, I went to get a drink - only to find that this is one of those places that has conditions on card use. In this establishment, the minimum spend is £10, and a large glass of wine is only £6.. What can I buy for £4? I asked her. She stared at me. Someone suggested I buy two large glasses, and I normally would have, except that it was now 10 minutes to 7, and I was afraid we might be leaving at 7. A small glass turned out to be £5, so I bought one of those (not as good value, but never mind).

We stayed quite late in the pub, as it happened - we were only just up the road from the venue, after all. When we finally made our way there, it was a bit chaotic - there was no proper queueing system, people clustered around the lobby and door - they hadn't opened the concert space yet. They were asking for booking reference numbers, but of course I didn't have my phone, and hadn't printed it out. Still, they found my booking in the end - once they figured out that Caroline was spelt with a C.. Eventually, they decided the lobby was getting too crowded, and I was asked to join the queue that had begun to form along the side of the building. Our organiser cannily spotted someone he knew at the head of the queue, and stayed there, so got in among the first.

When we did shuffle in, finally, he was easy to spot - one of the taller people in the room. And bless if he hadn't found us spaces in the very front row! So there we joined him. It took ages for the concert proper to start - I'd thought it was starting half an hour earlier than it was, and at that they were late. So, the first half saw a singer and an oud player, and we were into the interval. 

Now, the first half was good, but I've heard more impressive - and indeed, a couple of our number decided they had had enough at this point, and left. The interval saw Christmassy biscuits handed around, which our German organiser identified as definitely German Christmas fare. And I was to be sorry in the second half for those that had left, as it was a great improvement - not for a moment doubting the ability of those in the first half, but the arrangements were better in the second. We had the elegant Merit Ariane Stephanos, and a priest - Abouna Shafiq Abouzayd - with the most powerful voice, and an obvious passion for the history behind the songs, and the development of the language - some of which he explained to us. John Banks accompanied on the side - generally instrumental, but when he did sing, he proved to have a fine voice. It was a haunting performance.. Merit got us all singing along to the chorus for the last one, and we were still singing as we trotted down the road after.


The pub we'd had in mind was closed for a private function, and the next was too crowded - we headed instead to Boxpark, the pop-up facility just above Shoreditch Station (how handy!). This whole set of pop-ups is a collection of shipping containers, used for various purposes - we climbed the stairs, and passing through the plastic sheeting, found ourselves in a large open space, filled with long wooden tables and benches, with various stalls at the side, selling things that could be consumed at the tables. We had some drinks there, and our organiser passed around some German goodies, warmed by high, standing heaters. It was cool, but they did close early - we were shooed out before 11.

Just as well really - I made my first run of stuff to the new place after I got home, packing as much as possible into the car, and with the awesome assistance of Waze. Which meant it was quite late when I got to bed - I was glad the next day's walk was to start an hour earlier! Fast route again, of course, train and Tube - and we met outside St. Paul's Tube Station. Also outside Caffe Nero.. now, I hadn't had time for breakfast, and I knew they do good hot chocolate. So that was what I decided to do. When I told Hazel, she recommended the Chocolate Milano - a bit more expensive, but worth it for really good chocolate. And you know, with thick hot chocolate, and of course the cream on top - she was dead right. An absolute must for chocoholics!

This walk was Heretics and Horrors.. basically, a tour through bits of London that suffered from the Great Plague, the Great Fire, the blitz.. we started around St. Paul's, which covered the fire and the blitz, of course:

Naturally, the "heretics" part of the tour was covered in the area around Smithfield, talking about Bloody Mary's execution of Protestants. And her father, Henry VIII, got a mention too:

For me, one of the most interesting parts of the walk was when we visited the "Queens' Church". Now, a couple of queens are buried here - hence the nickname. And it features on many walks - in particular, I've already been on two ghost walks that stopped off here. What's interesting about all this is that both ghost walks claimed quite definitely that one of them was Queen Isabella (the "She-Wolf of France"). The second of these, in particular, was quite interesting - the guide on that occasion, although he knew many things, patently didn't know his stuff about her, and looked quite scared when, in response to his question about whether any of us had heard of her, I said "yes". Well, I kept quiet, but honestly, the story was rubbish.. he mixed up his kings and queens, the family relationships.. I suspect he got mixed up because he had some inkling of the true story. Hazel was able, quite competently, to tell us on Sunday that the queens buried there were as follows: one was not Isabella, the wife of Edward II, but rather Margaret, wife of Edward I. And the other was her mother-in-law. So now you know.

With a lot of information to cover, we finished a bit late again, and I spent the rest of the day moving. Jeez, I knew I had a lot of stuff, but not quite how much - the plan was to get it finished that day (yeah, right). So I did my best.. but not a hope. As this became apparent, I revised my plans for the week.


On Monday, I was supposed to be with Kensington Classical Music, at Pushkin House, for a piano recital. Just up the road from the new place, it would've been ideal. Sadly, this was one of the things that got axed.

On Tuesday, London European Club had a very interesting evening planned - "Beat the January Blues and Discover the Curse of the Green Fairy". Basically, a lecture about absinthe, with tasting afterwards. Tragically, all tickets were sold out by the time I heard about it.. What the hey, I probably wouldn't like the taste anyway. With the free comedy in Hammersmith cancelled again, I was supposed to be with TNT Comedy again that night. Nope, it was another nightmare night of moving, including being locked out, and discovering that the lock-out number they STILL give doesn't work. Well, I pretty much finished moving my stuff that night, although I still have to clean the old place.

On Wednesday, the Man with the Hat took London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret - inaugural visit of the year. And walkable from office and home! This was one I was determined not to miss. And I didn't - feels weird, including past events in the preview; I'd have included it in this post, but honestly, the reason I stopped where I did is that there's a limit on the number of characters you can include in the labels that are attached to the post. I didn't want to leave any out, so this will follow in another post. 

Yesterday, again nothing on Meetup - instead, I went to the opening night of Amaluna, Cirque du Soleil's latest show, at the Albert Hall! Cheapest tickets from the venue website, as long as you don't mind a slightly restricted view - for my money, a handrail in my sightline wasn't too much of an obstacle. To be included in the post with Top Secret. Today, it's back to Ireland for the weekend, and something of a rest - although I have to TRY to finish cleaning the old place on Sunday night.

On Monday, I've booked for Festival of the Spoken Nerd, at Soho Theatre. Yes, it's a comedy.

On Tuesday, I had signed up for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and London Live Comedy. But.. then I saw that Funzing UK had advertised Rising Stars: East England Burlesque Festival 2017. So I booked that instead - hey, I can get straight there on the Central Line! And I love burlesque. After booking, I got an email from them to point out that there are two events there that night, and that to avoid confusion, the name of mine has been changed to "Star Watch"..

On Wednesday, I've signed up with London Speaks Sessions, London for a Tenner or Less (as usual, NOT to be confused with the Man with the Hat), and LDN Talks @Night (or more particularly with Funzing) for a talk on The Science of Psychedelics.

On Thursday, free comedy in Hammersmith.. same two groups as above.

Next Friday, I'm finally headed to The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, at the Criterion Theatre. Same team that did The Play That Goes Wrong - which is excellent - so I'm looking forward to this. Best value tickets from the venue.

Saturday 21st, I'm out with the Man with the Hat again - this time, it's Woolf Works, a Wayne McGregor triptych, inspired by the works of Virginia Woolf and showing at the Royal Opera House. Both his groups are going: London for Less Than a Tenner, and Let's Do London - for less! As usual, I have a cheap seat.


Sunday 22nd, the ever-busy Man with the Hat is headed (with Let's Do London - for less!) to a dance production - at Sadler's Wells, unusually for him. The Red Shoes, choreographed by Matthew Bourne, is completely sold out for its whole run. Our Man with the Hat has tickets, though.. but he held them back (under his hat, as you might say), with sales starting at 11am on New Year's Day. They sold out in 15 minutes - I checked. That's the speed of U2's ticket sales.. of course, being a seasoned purchaser of U2 tickets, I managed to get one. All he needs now are a stetson and some glasses.. (speaking of which, U2 are touring, and I have tickets. Purchasing still in progress. Watch this space..)

Christmas Lights Walk

What a palaver it's been just to sort out today! So, I was signed up for the proverbial free comedy in Hammersmith - with the usual suspects: Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, London Live Comedy, and London for a Tenner or Less (one of the Funzing Meetup groups, although I see Funzing now have their own Meetup group!). Then I saw that Walk About London was doing a Christmas Lights Walk (aww!). Never actually done one of these - and this turned out to be the only date I could make! Well now, wouldn't miss that. Booked through Eventbrite, with a discount if you mention Meetup. Then I got an email reminder - for Once in a Lifetime, at the Young Vic, which I apparently booked for today. Whyever did I book that, I wonder? I have no memory of it. Sod it, I went on the walk.

Researched the bus route, then realised I'd be heading through one of the busiest parts of town at rush hour. Although.. if I left early.. so that's exactly what I did, thanking my lucky stars I never, ever again have to go to Guildford. Shivered, waiting around for the 44 - but I'd learned my lesson: long johns and my furrily-lined Canadian coat. We made very good time to Victoria, where I shivered some more waiting for the 24. It was on the 24 that we ran into the really heavy traffic - but my strategy of leaving early paid off, and when I got off at Leicester Square, it was only about 6.20.. it'd taken me about 1hr 10minutes altogether. So I was at Covent Garden by about 6.30.

Cold, cold, cold.. it was freezing if you stopped moving. The organiser/guide, Hazel, arrived before she'd said she would, and started brandishing her sign. I went and said hi, and wow, she recognised me from my profile picture! Nice one. So she crossed me off the list, and suggested I go get a hot drink, pointing me in the direction of some places - as she said, she wouldn't be leaving till seven anyway.

On the way, I passed Marks & Spencer, and said I'd try there. Queued, counted out my change - only to discover, would you believe, they'd sold out of hot chocolate! I ended up paying 20p more for one in Costa - what the hey, it was warming. Strolled around for a bit, came back and something of a crowd had gathered - she was handing out glow sticks for people to attach to themselves or their bags.

We started, of course, in Covent Garden:

(Full range of photos here.)

There was a family with the group, with two small boys - they didn't last the pace very long though. Fair enough - it was brisk, there were bits without lights, necessarily, as we passed from one area of interest to another: and anyway, I don't think many small boys could sustain their interest in Christmas lights for the 90 minutes this tour lasted.

The rest of us were enchanted. I've always wanted to do a proper Christmas lights tour, and this was it. Not only did she take us around some of the best bits, but her sassy commentary was peppered with local knowledge, born of having been a local resident for years. As for what we saw.. we saw Santa's workshop, made out of Lego. We meandered down side streets and shopping streets, and saw gorgeous decorations.

We saw more, secreted in shopping arcades:

And when she led us down Bond Street, well, I'm afraid she damn near lost us, as we scattered in all directions, not knowing where to look first for all the twinkly decorations!

That street alone was as pretty a Christmas street as I've seen in all my travels. The only place we lucked out was on Jermyn Street, where they didn't actually switch on the lights until about half an hour after we passed through. Despite a woman standing there, her finger actually on a massive button. Boo.

Terrific walk.. highly recommended! Guaranteed to awaken that Christmas feeling. I know she has two more dates advertised - check them out on the Eventbrite link above.

Not changing what I'm booked for tomorrow - back with the Man with the Hat (it'll have been two whole weeks!). With tickets exactly on the £10 border, he's taking both his groups (London for Less Than a Tenner - not to be confused with the one mentioned above - and Let's Do London - for less!) to Southwark Playhouse, where we're going to see Licensed to Ill - a musical about The Beastie Boys (woo-hoo!). The title is taken from their first album, apparently. Could be interesting timing on that - I have a phone interview with California the same evening. Well, I'll do my best to fit in both.

On Thursday, I'm back with Kensington Classical Music, for a concert at the 1901 Arts Club, to start off December. New venue for me, but nice and near Waterloo, so should be easy for me to get to.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend - flights booked up to February at this stage, but I'm not booking any more for now until I know what I'm doing long-term - and on Saturday, we're off to the UL Orchestra's Christmas concert.

Walk: 800th Year of Magna Carta, Pret a Manger, & Soho House

It's been quite a day of Meetups! There were a couple of walks on, but I decided to go with Walk About London's 800th Year of Magna Carta - I know the guide is a good one. And, like yesterday, it turned out to be a gorgeous day! So I dragged myself out of bed - unusually early for me, on a Sunday - and got myself into town. Despite the indication board at West Brompton telling me that the next train was headed my way, sure enough, when it came, it wasn't, and I had to change at Earl's Court. Which would have been easier, if not for the elderly couple who couldn't decide whether to get on, and held the doors twice..

After that, it was a straight run through to Blackfriars, where I exited the station to find the guide standing right in front of the entrance, a circle of people around him. We waited until 5 past for stragglers, then the tour began. He promised to finish around 1, but really this free tour lasted until about 1.30, as he led us up steps and down passageways, through the City. I still haven't gotten around to getting a new camera charger, but did shoot a few photos with my phone until the battery died.

We started with Temple, a district I love. This secluded part of town is home to the legal fraternity, and is a real haven amidst the hustle and bustle. We stopped periodically for him to talk to us, and after the first time, in the blazing sunshine (where it was quite hot), we stopped in the shade. Where, interestingly, it could be quite cold, especially when the breeze blew. Really, the day didn't know what it was doing.

It's tricky to talk about Magna Carta - you either say too much or too little. On the one hand, it's a charter of rights signed by King John, which he was forced into, and which formed the basis for later declarations of human rights. Story told. On the other hand, there's a real soap opera behind the king's life, which you can use to embellish the story - and it was interesting to see our guide pick his way through a maze of facts, focussing on the gossip-worthy bits.

We passed by Temple Church, where there's an exhibition on Magna Carta, but it wasn't open, so he just talked to us outside. Sometime after, as I was taking a picture with my phone, I noticed I had a new email - and, on checking it, discovered that it was the organiser of Film Nite, offering me a free ticket this evening to a documentary on Orson Welles! If he could source one. I thought about it, and replied in the affirmative, asking him to let me know if he got one.

Well, the walk wound on, through Magpie Alley, decorated with tiles depicting the development of printing in England, and past a highly decorated Youth Hostel that used to be the school for choirboys of St. Paul's. Wouldn't you know it, it was just as we reached St. Paul's that my battery died, and that was it for photos for today. We had a bit of time in St. Paul's churchyard, then wound our way to the Guildhall (with a slight detour to see some Roman ruins). Our tour finished in the museum under the Guildhall, where we saw a copy of Magna Carta, as well as a view of London's only Roman amphitheatre. This museum is free, and somewhere I'd like to come back to - there was more to be seen.

Afterwards, we searched for somewhere to have something to eat and drink and a chat, but this being the City on a Sunday, that wasn't easy. We fancied a pub, but the first was closed and the second didn't really have room. Instead, we ended up in the Pret a Manger at Cannon Street Station, where the five of us that remained spent a deal of time sitting, chatting, and reviving ourselves. I had an excellent brownie. Someone else had a cucumber seltzer that she wasn't keen on - altogether too much cucumber, it seems. The guide was never entirely off duty; upon hearing that the adjoining street concealed one of London's subterranean rivers, the American who'd lasted that long exclaimed, "Is there any part of London that's not cool?!" Quite. Another excellent tour by this guide - I'd love to go on more, he just has to schedule them at times and on days I can manage!

Well, with my battery dead, my only way of finding out whether I had a ticket for this film was to go home, which I did. Put my phone on to charge and booted up my laptop, to discover yes! he'd got me a ticket, and could I be at Soho House's new address by 4.30? Eh, yes, roughly.. I'd had a busy day already and it was now nearly four! I did my best, cramming myself onto a packed Piccadilly Line, and made it just 10 minutes late.

I knew the address, and had also looked it up on Streetview - the organiser had said to ring the bell and say I was his guest. Sure enough, I rang, was immediately buzzed in, and told the smiling lady on reception whose guest I was - whereupon she directed me downstairs to the basement cinema, and to turn right. It's newly refurbished, and noticeably less scruffy than the old place. I joined my fellow group members in a plush sitting room, where the widescreen tv was showing the football. I'd been considering going to the bar to order a drink, but didn't have to, because a waiter came around after a while. Just as well I hadn't - you have to be a member to buy anything, of course! Our organiser turned out to have a membership card, so the bill for two of us went to him, and he graciously paid it.

The cinema itself was though another door, and after having a look, I remarked to him on its similarity to the Electric Cinema - he explained that they were run by the same company. Ah, the luxury - plush armchair seats, with a side table (you can take in your drink), and an ottoman you can put your feet on. All cinema should, indeed, be like this!

The documentary - whose name I missed - turned out to be excellent. You think you know someone, but this highlighted many aspects of his life I hadn't been aware of. It was utterly fascinating. Also interesting was the roll call of so many of his films whose names I recognised - A Touch of Evil, The Magnificent Ambersons, and many others - which are currently showing in London: obviously to celebrate the centenary of his birth. This is a man it's worth getting to know more about.

On our way back, he advised us to pop our heads round the door of the Criterion restaurant, just to see the décor. Just a tad expensive, but wow! the décor is indeed worth a look - you'd never guess, from the street. A cover story about being supposed to meet someone there got us inside, and after confusing the waiter, we agreed to wait for our companion outside. The companion who'd already gone home, of course.

Tomorrow, we're going to a play - Frank Sent Me - that his old drama teacher wrote, and which is performing at the King's Head. On Tuesday, I'm headed to a play set in Sheffield during the Blitz. Operation Crucible is showing in the Finborough, nice and close to me. They bumped the time to half an hour earlier, but were good enough to both email and phone me, just to make sure I knew, and to let me know to contact them if I needed to cancel. On Wednesday, I'm with Let's Do London - for less! yet again, when they're off to the Globe to see As You Like It. Next Thursday, I'm off to the Spiegeltent - on my own - to see House of Burlesque. Time Out offer. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and we're headed to the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, at the University Concert Hall.

The following Monday, I'm finally going to see Memphis: the Musical, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And the next two days, I'm headed to the Guildford office - first for a meeting, then the Sports Day. Coincides nicely with the next Tube strikes, assuming the current talks don't help.. that Thursday, I've bitten the bullet and booked a ticket to see the comedian Iliza Schlesinger at the Soho Theatre - she was sold out for Monday, so I said maybe I'd better. And that Friday, I'm headed to the Boat Show. Those should both be interesting to get to and from, if the strikes go ahead!

The following Saturday, I'm back with the London Dramatic Arts group, for Oresteia at Trafalgar Studios - its West End transfer. On the Sunday, I'm headed to the Scoop, for their double bill of classical plays. Technically, I'm accompanying the Free London Events and Talks group, but with 100 of us going, I doubt I'll be much bothered with actually meeting anyone. Unless I see someone I know.

That Monday, I'm finishing off the month by going to the Proms, and on the 1st September I'm going to What's It All About? Bacharach, at the Menier Chocolate Factory. And then I'm planning on collapsing with exhaustion..

Play: Silent & tourist weekend!

Yes, I know I've been quiet.. yes, I'm still alive! and blogging. Belatedly. Y'see, I had visitors, who just left today, and only now am I getting the chance to tell you all abt it!

So - we were up to last Thursday, when I went to see a play called Silent, in the Soho Theatre, with London For Less! Meetup group (who've now changed their name to Let's Do London - For Less). Yes, indeed. Anyway, I booked myself a ticket and met them there. And for once, I was on time! both for this group, with which I haven't had such a good record lately - and for the theatre, which is the single hardest for me to get to on time. Much better since I started continuing to Leicester Square, so I don't have to trek through the crowds on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Well now, the organiser of this group is never hard to find. He's the one with the baseball cap. And he was sat just inside the door of the ground floor bar, with a crowd of people. So I got myself a drink and joined them. Met one other person I knew, met some people for the first time, and had a good chat until it was time to go upstairs. And oh! such luxury, not to have to rush - I'm so used to galloping up those stairs after some kind soul at the box office has radioed upstairs for them to keep the door open. Still a lot of stairs, but quite manageable if you're not trying to run.

The venue was only about half full, and we were asked to sit in the centre section. I sat near the back, with my companion who was suspicious of sitting in the front row. She was right, as it transpired.. this is a one-man show, and highly interactive. I have seen audience members subjected to worse, but be warned if you are averse to being part of the performance.

The show itself is award-winning, and features an Irishman - whom I'm sure I recognise from a similarly interactive show, years ago - whose story is that he's originally from Cobh, now living in Dublin, and homeless. So far, so depressing, right? Nope - this is one of the funniest things I've been to in a while. It's a disturbing concept for a show: spend 90 minutes (without interval - that would spoil the mood) in the company of one of those homeless men you probably avoid on the street.

Well, it's 90 minutes well spent. He's a natural raconteur, and effortlessly spins us from laughter to sympathy. I wasn't the only one to shed a tear. And his comic turns are hilarious. Not to mention his take on characters we all recognise - the people who pass him on the street, the psychiatrist who utterly failed to empathise with his mental condition. Oh, and that risible ad by the HSE - "Look after yourself. Look after your mental health." Best of all are his takes on Corkonians. Oh goodness me, but he knows the type - the snide, middle-class Cork lady who cares more about what the neighbours will think than ever she does about her sons.

Speaking of which, most of my group were a little baffled by the language. :-) Perhaps this show should come with an explanatory booklet, like The Commitments did when it was first released abroad. References to "langer" and Haulbowline (the naval base in Cork) went right over their heads. Theirs maybe, but not over the heads of the Irish people in the audience - of whom there were a disproportionately high number. I know, because he proceeded to chat to them, and they chatted back. Indeed, when he started to sing a song, the whole audience joined in - which just cracked him up.

We had laughter, we had song, we had dance. He gave a human face to homelessness. I can see why it won awards. Sadly, this wasn't true of everyone in the audience - one person walked out in high dudgeon. He was quick with comebacks, though - which was unfortunate for the first person to leave, who was actually from our group and developed a cough, apparently. Better that, though, than the couple at the back who decided that the best way to express their discontent would be to complain under their breaths for the entire performance, thus intruding on the person sitting next to them. Really people, leave or shut it! Anyway, for my part, I joined the standing ovation at the end. Runs until Saturday, and I can highly recommend it.

Afterwards, we had a delightfully late night in the bar (we few hardcore members). I'm quite sure our fearless leader would have taken it to an all-nighter, as he apparently had the night before, but he just didn't get the support. And so we eventually made it to bed.

I took Friday off, to go and meet my friends, who'd flown into Stansted and taken the train to Liverpool Street, as the more comfortable option. We had planned to lunch in an Italian there, but it turned out to be under refurbishment, so we hit Wetherspoon's instead. We were lucky to get a table that had just been vacated, and had a very pleasant lunch, before heading to their hotel - the same as last time, and which they describe as very good value - quiet, old-fashioned décor, friendly, attentive staff, a great breakfast, and a good location.

And then we hit.. Primark. Well, one of us did, because she's a fan. We others decamped to the nearest pub - the City of Quebec, down an alley across the road. Reading the reviews now, I see it's a gay bar - it's also right off Oxford Street, so attracts some weary shoppers. And persons such as ourselves, who could be described as weary waiting-for-shoppers. The place was dark, dingy, and reeking.. there was no way we were drinking inside, so it's lucky one of the outside tables became free and we sat out there. Service was friendly, though. Still, I can't recommend it - unless you're seriously desperate.

When our companion was finished shopping (surprisingly early), we headed for food. On our way back to the hotel, we came across an unassuming Italian - Il Posto - and managed to get a table there after a short wait. Now, this I can recommend. The food was as authentically Italian as the staff, and there was a great atmosphere! I'm glad we cleaned our plates - I got the impression the waiter would've told us off if we hadn't.. excellent find, and if and when they're back, I'm sure we'll be eating there again!

Afterwards, we just had time to dump the bags and freshen up, briefly, before heading out again. I went on a walk with Walk About London some months back, called South Bank by Night, which I thought perfect for them - and when I found out another was scheduled for the very night they arrived, well I immediately booked the three of us on it. With the meeting point at the south end of Westminster Bridge, we could walk from their hotel - and we did, arriving ever so slightly late. But luckily, having been before, I knew that they stop just down the steps for a brief talk, so I joined the group there. And we went through pretty much the same route as last time - except for missing the actual walk onto the Millennium Bridge to get the best view of St. Paul's, which I was disappointed about. Never mind - despite that, and some small errors in the narrative, it's still a fascinating walk, and highly recommended. Free - donate what you want at the end. Photos for the walk, and the rest of the weekend, here.

Afterwards, I took my guests on a trip that I still think should be part of this walk - to see the Scoop, which I've been to many's the time. I suppose it bookends his walk nicely to have it start and finish at a bridge, but this is only a few minutes' walk away, and has a better view of Tower Bridge, as well as the City lights - quite a spectacular view, if you've just been to a show there! Absolutely shattered - the guided walk itself ran over by half an hour - we crawled home.

At least that day, we had the privilege (ever less common, these days) of taking the Tube; since then, we haven't really - the District and Circle lines, which we needed, were closed for engineering works in that section. (Just like the last time they were here!) Not that we needed them that much, as it happened: I'd decided that a boat trip would be just the thing, and yesterday we'd arranged to meet Helen, who said she'd come up for the day, at London Eye pier to take a sightseeing cruise to Greenwich.

Well, it was a beautiful day - absolutely perfect for a boat trip. And we walked to the pier, which we'd also done the night before, for the guided walk. This turned out to be a mistake - what with me just missing my bus to the hotel, and awful crowds on the bridge, we ended up missing our boat. Poor Helen was left waiting for us. Well, anyway, it gave us time to get ice cream and water - and the boat we ended up getting was much nicer, by Helen's account.

I had tried to get us a lunch cruise - but they were booked up already. This was obviously one of the boats used for that, with tables and proper, swivel chairs - we sat inside, in this section, what with the upper deck being so full. Helen remarked on the cleanliness of the windows, and she was right - many of the photos linked to above were taken through those windows.

Fascinating commentary accompanied us all the way to Greenwich, where we didn't plan to spend too long - with a show booked for that night, we were under some time pressure. So when we saw a Nando's right on the dock, we decided that would do nicely. We would've liked to eat on the roof terrace, but unsurprisingly, there would have been a wait for that, so we ate very pleasantly downstairs instead, the sun streaming in the window on us - and were well fed. Afterwards, we passed the Cutty Sark on our way to the market, where some time and money were spent. A stroll through the naval college afterwards yielded some interesting views, of Canary Wharf and the O2 across the river, before our trip back.

The boat for our return journey was of a different design, covered fore and aft, with an exposed central section - which, of course, was where we ended up sitting. And was probably where we got sunburnt. We were accompanied for our trip by a wedding party, of all things! The bride got a round of applause, and I think they had reserved a space at the back. They disembarked at Westminster with us - where they were headed, I cannot say. For our part, we needed to eat before the show, but not much - so we decided on afternoon tea, and Helen suggested the National Gallery. Where, unfortunately, official afternoon tea had ended in the restaurant - but we seated ourselves in the self-service café and were much revived by the cake and beverages on offer there. Until they threw us out, too.

It was National Busking Day, as it happened, and the focus was on Trafalgar Square, just outside. Sadly, that too had ended by the time we left the café, but we perched ourselves on the edge of a fountain, and were given timetables for the busking festival that runs for weeks yet! And when a bench came free to the side, we took our places on that and people-watched until it was time to head to the theatre.

We really didn't have far to go. The Coliseum is about a two-minute walk from that end of the square, and I'd booked us seats for a contemporary ballet there - showing for two nights only. The building itself helped to convince me that this was the thing to go to - it's so ornate, I was sure they'd be impressed. Which they were. I'd seen slightly cheaper seats on the official website, but got slightly better ones with Discount Theatre - so I booked those, and things looked up when we were told by one of the ushers that it was ok to move forward to better seats, if we could see them! We ended up with a lovely view, and my companions went out at both intervals to photograph the spectacular décor. I do have to wonder whether those who might have paid extra for similar seats would be miffed at others getting them at a discount! Ah well..

There were three ballets, with an interval between each pair. I didn't get much of the story of the first, but it was beautiful to look at - both athletic and graceful. The second, Tristesse, depicted a group of friends who started amicably - with many a titter from the audience at their antics - dancing to well-known classical pieces, played by a pianist who was on stage with them. Things deteriorated, however. The final piece was a hilarious treatise on the proverbial woman scorned - woe betide the man who jilts his bride at the altar!

Afterwards, Helen left for her train by foot, but we had to take a bus. Fair play to Google Maps, whose directions print very well, which is how we found our bus stop, just as the bus arrived. Mind you, when we disembarked and were trying to find our way back to the hotel, said directions could have been better. We got ever so slightly lost, which wasn't helped by the fact that, unusually, it rained on us (slightly) and of course, it was dark and we were tired after a long day. We managed, but it was a nuisance. On my bus back home, I encountered the most interesting crowd - from the man swigging from a beer bottle, right under the "No alcohol" sign, to the middle-aged ladies who looked like they'd come from a wedding, to the extremely drunk (and, to be fair, extremely good-looking) young man - South African it transpired - who flirted relentlessly with them all the way to the terminus. To the amusement of his girlfriend.

This morning, I ended up taking exactly the same route from my bus stop to the hotel that we'd got lost on the night before. I didn't get lost this time - pity I hadn't had those directions with me the first time! (They were slightly different from those of the night before.) And then we walked back to catch the bus to Liverpool Street, and waited a very long time for the #11. Which, when it deigned to come, turned out to be one of the dreaded Routemasters, predictably - and predictably crowded. My companions stood downstairs - I was on the stairs for a while, then got a seat upstairs. A dubious privilege, what with deficient air conditioning (a feature of Routemasters) and non-opening windows. Apparently, someone from upstairs went down to beg the driver to turn on the aircon, only to be told that it was already on. I've complained about my two recent journeys on them, for all the good it'll do - apparently, complaints have soared, but TFL resolutely refuses to accept there's a problem. Probably waiting for the complaints to die down over winter, when there's less sunshine to bake the passengers.

Alighting gratefully at the station, we had lunch at the Merchant of Bishopsgate, which they'd spotted on the ground floor. And were very well fed, on wooden platters - although I think it was misguided to line mine with a sheet of newspaper, filled with stories related to fish, given that I was having chicken. Never mind - it was very tasty, and the service friendly and efficient. Also a great idea to have "small plates" - for those of small appetite, or in a hurry. I'd go again.

And when I wound my way home (by Tube, blissfully!), I finally got time to blog. Tomorrow, nothing much on Meetup, but I found a cheap ticket to see Paul Sinha in the Arts Theatre tomorrow night. It'll be interesting to see him live, for once.. Apparently, it's a preview of his show for the Edinburgh Festival.