Could've slept longer today, I was up so late with the film list and the blog! Never mind, I did drag myself out of bed - and although I cut it a bit fine, it's wonderfully quick to get to the BFI from Clapham Junction! (if you know what you're doing). Because, of course, that's where I was headed, for the 2:30 Oscar-nominated documentary program, featuring Chau, Beyond the Lines and A Girl in the River: the Price of Forgiveness.
As I entered Clapham Junction station, I checked the board for London departures - all were to Waterloo, which was what I wanted, but there was a whole host of departures too soon.. "1 min" was displayed all down the board. I finally came down to the "5 min" notice, and took myself over to Platform 10 for it (it took about 2 mins to get there). A 10-minute train trip whisked us to Waterloo - cheaper than the Tube, too, and more reliable, with all these planned strikes.
And for once, I knew exactly what I was doing when I got there - the joy! Walk to the far end of the concourse, but DO NOT take the South Bank exit; I really don't think it goes anywhere useful. Instead, take the big, original exit (I think it's Exit 5) to the side of that. Down the steps, down the hill, straight down Sutton Walk. That brings you out at the back of the Southbank Centre - turn right for the BFI, don't bother with the steps. Take the next alleyway and you're there. Not a handy place to drive to - onstreet parking is limited, and the car park costs £8 for two hours - I paid £4.40 return on the train.
Booking hadn't been heavy, and I hadn't booked - no problem in getting a ticket. I asked him for something central, and soon I had my ticket and was off to NFT1, the largest screen. Picked up programme notes as I entered - and oh, what a lovely way to start a Sunday! I keep forgetting how relaxing the place is, with the subdued lighting and the soft, red curtains covering the screen. I found my seat and relaxed into the red plushness. All you need is a high enough headrest, and you could have a nap!
I had time to read the programme notes, which told us a snippet about each film, and a bit more about the people who made them. As the first started, the fellow at the end of my row had a novel way of dealing with the people behind me who were talking - instead of saying something to them, he clicked his fingers loudly a couple of times. That shushed them. Some folks arrived a little late - the BFI tends to allow you to arrive up to 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
The first film was Chau, Beyond the Lines - the story of Chau, a Vietnamese boy whose mother, when pregnant with him, drank some water contaminated with Agent Orange. So he was born deformed, and at a very young age, was shipped to a "camp" catering to such children. I believe they had to pay the people running it, though. Substantially. Well, it was shocking to see all these children, with limbs deformed or missing, facial features sometimes deformed. A terrible legacy of the Vietnam War. This chap, however, is indefatigable - despite not being able to use his legs or hands properly, and having very weak arms, he's determined to make it as an artist, and when the nurses were dubious, he went home. When he discovered that his parents were pocketing the government subsidy being sent for him, he determined to make it on his own in the city. And as the film ends, you get a sense that very little will stop this guy..
More dramatic still was the second documentary - A Girl in the River: the Price of Forgiveness. Now, this is the story of a girl in Pakistan, subject to an attempted honour killing. A beautiful girl, her marriage was all arranged, and she and her fiancé were very much in love. Then it occurred to her uncle that her fiancé's family weren't good enough - not rich or well-enough connected. So they found her another bridegroom. Undaunted, she arranged with her original fiancé's family to sneak out and marry him in secret. She moved in with her in-laws.. after a while, her own family got in touch, swearing on the Quran not to harm her, but asking her to return home to satisfy their honour. Sure enough, on the drive home, her father and uncle bundled her out of the car, took her down to the river, shot her in the face (they were going for the head, but she managed to turn in time), shoved her in a bag and threw her in the river.
It's amazing that she survived at all, and wonderful to see how the doctors repaired her face. We had several people explaining to us that this is unlawful in Pakistan, and how it's important that she make a case. We also had interviews with several of her family members, all completely unrepentant, saying that she brought it on herself. Thing is, although she now holds nothing but hatred for her father and uncle, in Pakistan a crime can be pardoned if the victim formally forgives it.. and what is she to do, with everyone living in each other's pockets as they do, in this crowded neighbourhood, she living just a few doors away from her family home? What is she to do for the sake of peace? Compelling stuff.
It's great to have seen a couple of the nominated documentaries. Coming out, I was so glad not to have gone on that walk - the wind is bitter, and I was frozen by the time I got in! Tomorrow, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club, who are headed to Soho Theatre again, for an evening called Shifter. Sounds intriguing..
On Tuesday, I'm back with LDAM (and my own ticket, from lastminute.com) for Hand to God, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Even with the West End half-price parking validation at the theatre box office, it'd work out more expensive to park than to take public transport, so I'll leave the car at home again.
On Wednesday, I'm joining the London European Club for Light, an interesting play at Battersea Arts Centre - that's nice, as it's close enough for me to walk. I see the show is completely sold out now.. On Thursday, I'm supposed to be joining them again, for a talk entitled The Global Refugee Crisis: a Challenge to Our Common Humanity. If I go to Guildford though, time will be tight - I'll see what happens.
Eschewing all the Valentiney things I could be doing in London, I'm back to Ireland for Valentine's weekend. The following week starts with not one, but two, outings with the Man with the Hat - on the 15th, London for Less Than a Tenner is going to a show called Free Admission (confusion always a risk with that name..) at Soho Theatre. And on the 16th, he's off to another classical concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. And I'm schlepping along to both.
On the 17th & 18th, I'm back with LDAM - the 17th for The End of Longing, starring - and written by - Matthew Perry, at the Playhouse Theatre. His playwriting debut. I got my ticket through London Box Office. On the 18th, we're headed to The Patriotic Traitor, at Park Theatre. Tom Conti stars as Philippe Pétain, the title character, a good friend of De Gaulle, who nonetheless has him tried for treason as a Nazi collaborator.
On the 19th, as of today, I've got another cheap ticket to the Circus Show at The Aeronaut - it'll be interesting to see how much the lineup changes! On the 20th, I'm back with the London European Club, for Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, at Sadler's Wells. Part of their Flamenco Festival. Olé! And on the 21st, I'm finally heading to one of those famous free gigs at the Finsbury - there are actually two Meetup groups heading there, I've signed up with both! - specifically, the World Music Meetup and London Gigs and Alternative Events.. 6 currently going to each, I see, but not the same 6, by the look of it..
Sunday, 7 February 2016
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Circus Show, Film: The Lobster, & Play: The Rolling Stone
Gee, it's not so often I have so many things to cram into one post.. well, this story started yesterday (Friday), with a cheap ticket to the circus show, back at The Aeronaut. I do love circus, and it's a cool venue. Plus, it didn't start till 9, which have me plenty of time to get back from Guildford, and just enough time to get something to eat before I left.
I knew the basics - Overground to Shepherd's Bush, and a bus from Stop C, right outside. Didn't remember which bus, but I store travel details on my phone, so had them from before - the 207 or the 607, it transpired. Well, I got to the bus stop and didn't have to wait long for one of them to arrive - as it happened, the 207, like last time. I had to sit upstairs this time, it was so packed. Now, the 207 drivers are notoriously uncooperative, it seems - which might be why, despite both me, and the other lady exiting at Denehurst Gardens, pressing the stop buttons several times, and me making sure to be standing at the exit door as we approached the stop, and her coming down the stairs at that point.. the driver still sailed past it. Pot luck, really, whether a driver will let you off where you want. As I remarked to her, "Maybe we're being kidnapped". We were let off at the next one - at least the walk back was downhill.
They had the main entrance to the performance section of the pub open on this occasion, and a table set up, where I said to the lady that I had a ticket, and she immediately asked me what group I was with. Anyway, when she found my name she crossed it off, and a fellow stamped my wrist - insisted on that, rather than my hand - with a miniscule "Aeronaut" stamp, so I could come and go. Then she showed me to a seat on a bench - right by the end of the stage, which was now much larger than when I was there for Laugh Train Home, at the expense of some rows of seats. Most of the seating was on benches, mind - except for tables at the side, which were bookable. And indeed, booking is recommended - the place was crammed.
So, I was up close to the action - but kind of behind for some of it, particularly the mc / magician's tricks, which were mostly performed with his back to me. His was also the act for which a spotlight was trained directly on the stage - and right in my eyes. Really, there were better seats. Ah well, he was entertaining enough, with a good line of patter to keep things going.
The real stars were the circus performers, though - and from first to last, it really struck me how great it is to be this close - I never have been before, for circus. They run circus acts on Fridays and Saturdays, but the lineup changes every night - last night, all acts in the first section were female; there was a girl who played with hoops, an extremely elegant sword-swallower, and a fire eater / juggler. That was fun - feeling the heat, up-close as we were. All were terrific, all owned the stage. And in the second half, when they catered to the ladies.. well, it was especially nice to be up-close, with two male acrobats - one after the other - both of whom obliged by taking their tops off. Also fascinating, just to watch their muscles straining as they exerted themselves. So yes, an enjoyable time for all! It's a great, atmospheric venue, and this show is good enough that it reminded me why I come out to stuff in London - it can get tiring, but every now and again you come across gems like this.
There was a dj after, and a late licence, but I headed home. Naturally, as I approached the stop, a 207 sailed past, just like last time. Not even any point in running for it. And there was a howling wind - I was glad the stop was enclosed. At least this time, I only had to wait about five minutes for another bus..
I should've had time to blog, except that the night before, I'd got an email invitation from ShowFilmFirst, to free showings of The Lobster in various locations. Tomorrow's showings were all outside London though, which meant it had to be today - the closest was in Clapham Picturehouse, and all were at 11am. So, no blog last night.
I had to look up the directions to the cinema as well - it's been a while. Easy to remember, though - the 35 or the 345 from Stop G (Clapham Juction) to Clapham Common, and it's across the road - turn down past the Londis. I'm not having much luck with buses just now - one sailed past as I was making for the stop, having rushed to get out on time. Hate that! So I stood at the stop, morose, convinced that I'd miss my screening - but another happened along about five minutes later, and I did make it on time after all. And I soon saw why that street is pedestrianised on weekends - there's a market! Not that I bought anything.
In the lobby, I extracted my printed ticket - this is one of the few occasions when you need one, they don't accept them on phones. It was in the large screen, and there were plenty of seats to the side - so I got a slightly side-on view, but decently far forward. And despite what it said on the ticket about not having ads beforehand - yes, there was a full complement. I wasn't the only person looking at my watch.
So, I finally got to see The Lobster! It's been recommended to me, it's been on my list for a while. Cool. It's a dystopian vision of the future, where people are forced to live as couples. It did occur to me to wonder when the screening of singletons starts - children are probably exempt, but it wasn't specified. Our hero, Colin Farrell - with a paunch - is a recently separated, middle-aged man, who finds himself suddenly not part of a couple when his wife leaves him for someone else. So he's transported to The Hotel, where he has 45 days, as I recall, to find himself a mate, or be transformed into an animal of his choosing. He chooses a lobster - hence the title. This is praised by the Hotel Manager, who remarks that too many people choose to become dogs - which is why there are so many dogs in the world - and not enough choose unusual creatures, which is why they're endangered.
You may be getting a sense of the ever-present, black humour of the film. It's relentless - kudos to the filmmakers, they've created a consistent society, with a whole set of barmy rules. It's bureaucracy gone mad. They have to surrender their clothes on arrival, and from then on everyone wears exactly the same - normal clothes, not a uniform, but exactly the same as everyone else. The ladies all wear the same floral, halter-neck dress for the dinner dance, for instance.
They have to spend the first 24 hours with one hand shackled behind their backs - to remind them how things work better in pairs. They're subjected to inane presentations on the same theme, and absolutely cringeworthy dating scenarios, forced to try and pick a mate in a hot-house environment. John C. Reilly shows up as another Hotel resident / prisoner, looking for someone with a lisp to match his, and Ben Whishaw is yet another hapless resident, looking for someone with a matching limp..
It's not a huge spoiler to reveal that our hero finally escapes, and runs across the Loners, led by Léa Seydoux - outcasts, they live as a group in the forest, and live by polar opposite rules to those in The Hotel, and The City. They still have rules though, and this group utterly forbids relationships at any level. So naturally, this is where he finds love - with Rachel Weisz. Ah me, will things ever work out for him?!
A very quirky film, with a wonderfully deadpan sense of humour. Check it out - hardly a date movie, it would be a perfect antidote to Valentine's Day, what with its acrid take on dating norms and expectations.
Next, I had to hightail it to Richmond, where I'd booked for the matinee of The Rolling Stone, at the Orange Tree. Last night's wind had gotten worse, if anything, and it was hard to cross the road without being blown sideways. The 35 or 37 would take me back to Clapham Junction Station, and one happened along right after I arrived. Once at the station, I couldn't see any trains with Richmond as a destination, but checked the timetable and saw that the next train should leave at 1:43. I identified the train, passed through the barrier, and consulted the very handy sign that tells you which platforms have trains to particular destinations. Richmond-bound trains leave from Platforms 5 and 6, it seems, and sure enough, the 1:43 was leaving from Platform 5, and that's the one I caught.
There are some nonstop trains, but on mine it was the sixth stop. Still, I arrived in Richmond just before 2 - and, stomach growling, brunch was a ham and cheese croissant - ubiquitous to London train stations. A sign as you leave the station points to Richmond Theatre, to the left - don't get confused, that's not the one you want. The Orange Tree is actually visible as you leave the station, just down the road on your right. I ate my croissant as I made my slow way down - not easy, in the wind.
So it was after 2 when I arrived at the box office and collected my ticket. Now, I'd booked my own ticket, but was to be meeting the London Dramatic Arts Meetup group, and the organiser was supposed to be there by that time. No sign of anyone I knew, however. Undaunted, I figured someone would show shortly, and treated myself to a glass of wine - as recommended by the barman. He was dubious that I'd get a large glass finished before we had to go in, and said if I didn't, they'd hold it for me for the interval - in fact, the house opened just as I was paying for it! Heh, he doesn't know me. ;-) I had 20 minutes - polished it off in 10. Could've done it faster, but I was killing time.
I duly made my way in - I was in the front row for this performance in the round. The acting takes place on and around a raised platform in the middle, and with the actors so up-close, it's very intense. The play starts with gospel singing, as the actors enter from the sides, and rise from seats in the front row. It's set in Uganda, focussing on a young man whose father has just died, whose brother has just become a pastor, and who finds himself in love with a male Irish doctor working there. From Derry, according to the play - my companions did show up eventually, and were asking me in the interval whether he was really Irish; as I said, he did sound it! "The Rolling Stone" of the title was a real-life tabloid newspaper in Uganda, copies of which are printed up for the play - and they must go through lots, what with ripping it up as they do at one point!
So, this was a day of rules and restrictions on love. First, I had a futuristic view of a society that either demands you be in a relationship, or forbids it altogether. Now I was at a play - actually, that did exactly the same, depending on whether you were talking about heterosexual or homosexual relationships - the latter outlawed in Uganda. The play was impassioned, the acting phenomenal, as this poor young man faces an impossible choice - the worst of the choices that face each member of his family. I was happy to join the standing ovation at the end. Recommended - runs until the 20th. (And we snuck out a bit of torn newspaper at the end, as a souvenir..)
I caught a nonstop train back home, and was in before the worst of tonight's storm struck. Still late posting this, though.. I was meant to be going on a walk tomorrow, with Ken's Events. But then I decided I'd rather go to a film, which meant redoing the film list, ranked in order of IMDB ratings - top is a documentary double-bill at the BFI (ooh, it's ages since I've been there!) They're screening the Oscar-nominated documentaries, you see.. I'm going to head to see Chau, Beyond the Lines, and A Girl in the River: the Price of Forgiveness. It's in the large screen and booking isn't heavy yet, so I haven't bothered. Start time isn't until 2:30, so I get a bit of a lie-in.
The rest of the week - and most of the rest of the month! - is already booked up. The rest of this week (and most of next) is devoted to Meetups - on Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club, who are headed to Soho Theatre again, for an evening called Shifter. Sounds intriguing..
On Tuesday, I'm back with LDAM (and my own ticket, from lastminute.com) for Hand to God, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Even with the West End half-price parking validation at the theatre box office, it'd work out more expensive to park than to take public transport, so I'll leave the car at home again.
On Wednesday, I'm joining the London European Club for Light, an interesting play at Battersea Arts Centre - that's nice, as it's close enough for me to walk. I see the show is completely sold out now.. On Thursday, I'm supposed to be joining them again, for a talk entitled The Global Refugee Crisis: a Challenge to Our Common Humanity. If I go to Guildford though, time will be tight - I'll see what happens.
Eschewing all the Valentiney things I could be doing in London, I'm back to Ireland for Valentine's weekend. The following week starts with not one, but two, outings with the Man with the Hat - on the 15th, London for Less Than a Tenner is going to a show called Free Admission (confusion always a risk with that name..) at Soho Theatre. And on the 16th, he's off to another classical concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. And I'm schlepping along to both.
On the 17th & 18th, I'm back with LDAM - the 17th for The End of Longing, starring - and written by - Matthew Perry, at the Playhouse Theatre. His playwriting debut. I got my ticket through London Box Office. On the 18th, we're headed to The Patriotic Traitor, at Park Theatre. Tom Conti stars as Philippe Pétain, the title character, a good friend of De Gaulle, who nonetheless has him tried for treason as a Nazi collaborator.
You know something? I'm VERY glad that Meetup provides a calendar view, with the days on which you've booked Meetups marked in red.. it's exhausting, keeping track!
I knew the basics - Overground to Shepherd's Bush, and a bus from Stop C, right outside. Didn't remember which bus, but I store travel details on my phone, so had them from before - the 207 or the 607, it transpired. Well, I got to the bus stop and didn't have to wait long for one of them to arrive - as it happened, the 207, like last time. I had to sit upstairs this time, it was so packed. Now, the 207 drivers are notoriously uncooperative, it seems - which might be why, despite both me, and the other lady exiting at Denehurst Gardens, pressing the stop buttons several times, and me making sure to be standing at the exit door as we approached the stop, and her coming down the stairs at that point.. the driver still sailed past it. Pot luck, really, whether a driver will let you off where you want. As I remarked to her, "Maybe we're being kidnapped". We were let off at the next one - at least the walk back was downhill.
They had the main entrance to the performance section of the pub open on this occasion, and a table set up, where I said to the lady that I had a ticket, and she immediately asked me what group I was with. Anyway, when she found my name she crossed it off, and a fellow stamped my wrist - insisted on that, rather than my hand - with a miniscule "Aeronaut" stamp, so I could come and go. Then she showed me to a seat on a bench - right by the end of the stage, which was now much larger than when I was there for Laugh Train Home, at the expense of some rows of seats. Most of the seating was on benches, mind - except for tables at the side, which were bookable. And indeed, booking is recommended - the place was crammed.
So, I was up close to the action - but kind of behind for some of it, particularly the mc / magician's tricks, which were mostly performed with his back to me. His was also the act for which a spotlight was trained directly on the stage - and right in my eyes. Really, there were better seats. Ah well, he was entertaining enough, with a good line of patter to keep things going.
The real stars were the circus performers, though - and from first to last, it really struck me how great it is to be this close - I never have been before, for circus. They run circus acts on Fridays and Saturdays, but the lineup changes every night - last night, all acts in the first section were female; there was a girl who played with hoops, an extremely elegant sword-swallower, and a fire eater / juggler. That was fun - feeling the heat, up-close as we were. All were terrific, all owned the stage. And in the second half, when they catered to the ladies.. well, it was especially nice to be up-close, with two male acrobats - one after the other - both of whom obliged by taking their tops off. Also fascinating, just to watch their muscles straining as they exerted themselves. So yes, an enjoyable time for all! It's a great, atmospheric venue, and this show is good enough that it reminded me why I come out to stuff in London - it can get tiring, but every now and again you come across gems like this.
There was a dj after, and a late licence, but I headed home. Naturally, as I approached the stop, a 207 sailed past, just like last time. Not even any point in running for it. And there was a howling wind - I was glad the stop was enclosed. At least this time, I only had to wait about five minutes for another bus..
I should've had time to blog, except that the night before, I'd got an email invitation from ShowFilmFirst, to free showings of The Lobster in various locations. Tomorrow's showings were all outside London though, which meant it had to be today - the closest was in Clapham Picturehouse, and all were at 11am. So, no blog last night.
I had to look up the directions to the cinema as well - it's been a while. Easy to remember, though - the 35 or the 345 from Stop G (Clapham Juction) to Clapham Common, and it's across the road - turn down past the Londis. I'm not having much luck with buses just now - one sailed past as I was making for the stop, having rushed to get out on time. Hate that! So I stood at the stop, morose, convinced that I'd miss my screening - but another happened along about five minutes later, and I did make it on time after all. And I soon saw why that street is pedestrianised on weekends - there's a market! Not that I bought anything.
In the lobby, I extracted my printed ticket - this is one of the few occasions when you need one, they don't accept them on phones. It was in the large screen, and there were plenty of seats to the side - so I got a slightly side-on view, but decently far forward. And despite what it said on the ticket about not having ads beforehand - yes, there was a full complement. I wasn't the only person looking at my watch.
So, I finally got to see The Lobster! It's been recommended to me, it's been on my list for a while. Cool. It's a dystopian vision of the future, where people are forced to live as couples. It did occur to me to wonder when the screening of singletons starts - children are probably exempt, but it wasn't specified. Our hero, Colin Farrell - with a paunch - is a recently separated, middle-aged man, who finds himself suddenly not part of a couple when his wife leaves him for someone else. So he's transported to The Hotel, where he has 45 days, as I recall, to find himself a mate, or be transformed into an animal of his choosing. He chooses a lobster - hence the title. This is praised by the Hotel Manager, who remarks that too many people choose to become dogs - which is why there are so many dogs in the world - and not enough choose unusual creatures, which is why they're endangered.
You may be getting a sense of the ever-present, black humour of the film. It's relentless - kudos to the filmmakers, they've created a consistent society, with a whole set of barmy rules. It's bureaucracy gone mad. They have to surrender their clothes on arrival, and from then on everyone wears exactly the same - normal clothes, not a uniform, but exactly the same as everyone else. The ladies all wear the same floral, halter-neck dress for the dinner dance, for instance.
They have to spend the first 24 hours with one hand shackled behind their backs - to remind them how things work better in pairs. They're subjected to inane presentations on the same theme, and absolutely cringeworthy dating scenarios, forced to try and pick a mate in a hot-house environment. John C. Reilly shows up as another Hotel resident / prisoner, looking for someone with a lisp to match his, and Ben Whishaw is yet another hapless resident, looking for someone with a matching limp..
It's not a huge spoiler to reveal that our hero finally escapes, and runs across the Loners, led by Léa Seydoux - outcasts, they live as a group in the forest, and live by polar opposite rules to those in The Hotel, and The City. They still have rules though, and this group utterly forbids relationships at any level. So naturally, this is where he finds love - with Rachel Weisz. Ah me, will things ever work out for him?!
A very quirky film, with a wonderfully deadpan sense of humour. Check it out - hardly a date movie, it would be a perfect antidote to Valentine's Day, what with its acrid take on dating norms and expectations.
Next, I had to hightail it to Richmond, where I'd booked for the matinee of The Rolling Stone, at the Orange Tree. Last night's wind had gotten worse, if anything, and it was hard to cross the road without being blown sideways. The 35 or 37 would take me back to Clapham Junction Station, and one happened along right after I arrived. Once at the station, I couldn't see any trains with Richmond as a destination, but checked the timetable and saw that the next train should leave at 1:43. I identified the train, passed through the barrier, and consulted the very handy sign that tells you which platforms have trains to particular destinations. Richmond-bound trains leave from Platforms 5 and 6, it seems, and sure enough, the 1:43 was leaving from Platform 5, and that's the one I caught.
There are some nonstop trains, but on mine it was the sixth stop. Still, I arrived in Richmond just before 2 - and, stomach growling, brunch was a ham and cheese croissant - ubiquitous to London train stations. A sign as you leave the station points to Richmond Theatre, to the left - don't get confused, that's not the one you want. The Orange Tree is actually visible as you leave the station, just down the road on your right. I ate my croissant as I made my slow way down - not easy, in the wind.
So it was after 2 when I arrived at the box office and collected my ticket. Now, I'd booked my own ticket, but was to be meeting the London Dramatic Arts Meetup group, and the organiser was supposed to be there by that time. No sign of anyone I knew, however. Undaunted, I figured someone would show shortly, and treated myself to a glass of wine - as recommended by the barman. He was dubious that I'd get a large glass finished before we had to go in, and said if I didn't, they'd hold it for me for the interval - in fact, the house opened just as I was paying for it! Heh, he doesn't know me. ;-) I had 20 minutes - polished it off in 10. Could've done it faster, but I was killing time.
I duly made my way in - I was in the front row for this performance in the round. The acting takes place on and around a raised platform in the middle, and with the actors so up-close, it's very intense. The play starts with gospel singing, as the actors enter from the sides, and rise from seats in the front row. It's set in Uganda, focussing on a young man whose father has just died, whose brother has just become a pastor, and who finds himself in love with a male Irish doctor working there. From Derry, according to the play - my companions did show up eventually, and were asking me in the interval whether he was really Irish; as I said, he did sound it! "The Rolling Stone" of the title was a real-life tabloid newspaper in Uganda, copies of which are printed up for the play - and they must go through lots, what with ripping it up as they do at one point!
So, this was a day of rules and restrictions on love. First, I had a futuristic view of a society that either demands you be in a relationship, or forbids it altogether. Now I was at a play - actually, that did exactly the same, depending on whether you were talking about heterosexual or homosexual relationships - the latter outlawed in Uganda. The play was impassioned, the acting phenomenal, as this poor young man faces an impossible choice - the worst of the choices that face each member of his family. I was happy to join the standing ovation at the end. Recommended - runs until the 20th. (And we snuck out a bit of torn newspaper at the end, as a souvenir..)
I caught a nonstop train back home, and was in before the worst of tonight's storm struck. Still late posting this, though.. I was meant to be going on a walk tomorrow, with Ken's Events. But then I decided I'd rather go to a film, which meant redoing the film list, ranked in order of IMDB ratings - top is a documentary double-bill at the BFI (ooh, it's ages since I've been there!) They're screening the Oscar-nominated documentaries, you see.. I'm going to head to see Chau, Beyond the Lines, and A Girl in the River: the Price of Forgiveness. It's in the large screen and booking isn't heavy yet, so I haven't bothered. Start time isn't until 2:30, so I get a bit of a lie-in.
The rest of the week - and most of the rest of the month! - is already booked up. The rest of this week (and most of next) is devoted to Meetups - on Monday, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club, who are headed to Soho Theatre again, for an evening called Shifter. Sounds intriguing..
On Tuesday, I'm back with LDAM (and my own ticket, from lastminute.com) for Hand to God, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Even with the West End half-price parking validation at the theatre box office, it'd work out more expensive to park than to take public transport, so I'll leave the car at home again.
On Wednesday, I'm joining the London European Club for Light, an interesting play at Battersea Arts Centre - that's nice, as it's close enough for me to walk. I see the show is completely sold out now.. On Thursday, I'm supposed to be joining them again, for a talk entitled The Global Refugee Crisis: a Challenge to Our Common Humanity. If I go to Guildford though, time will be tight - I'll see what happens.
Eschewing all the Valentiney things I could be doing in London, I'm back to Ireland for Valentine's weekend. The following week starts with not one, but two, outings with the Man with the Hat - on the 15th, London for Less Than a Tenner is going to a show called Free Admission (confusion always a risk with that name..) at Soho Theatre. And on the 16th, he's off to another classical concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. And I'm schlepping along to both.
On the 17th & 18th, I'm back with LDAM - the 17th for The End of Longing, starring - and written by - Matthew Perry, at the Playhouse Theatre. His playwriting debut. I got my ticket through London Box Office. On the 18th, we're headed to The Patriotic Traitor, at Park Theatre. Tom Conti stars as Philippe Pétain, the title character, a good friend of De Gaulle, who nonetheless has him tried for treason as a Nazi collaborator.
You know something? I'm VERY glad that Meetup provides a calendar view, with the days on which you've booked Meetups marked in red.. it's exhausting, keeping track!
Friday, 5 February 2016
Film: Room
Film last night, and Room finally made it to the top of my IMDB-rated list. My closest cinema is Cineworld Wandsworth, where the only evening showing currently is at 6:30. Well, I figured I could make 6:30 - or nearly: and this being a film, I didn't have to hit that time exactly. So I booked - cheaper to book in advance with Cineworld. And I'd decided to drive - I pretty much knew the route from home; I could drop my passenger first and drive back to the cinema, which isn't far off my route to Guildford.
Come evening and my passenger found lots of last-minute stuff to occupy him - so we didn't leave quite as early as I'd have liked. When I told him I was trying to make a 6:30 showing, he suggested I drive straight there - he had to get a bus anyway, and could get one from around there instead. I then realised I didn't know the route from this direction! He was on hand, though, to provide directions from his phone..
I dropped him on the first quiet street - the one leading into the car park. I'd researched my route into the car park, at least.. Found the lift, and got myself to the third floor, where the cinema was. I needed to go to the toilet first, and got into the screen by about 6:50. The ads were still showing, and the film itself didn't actually start until 7 - indeed, the couple beside me didn't arrive until shortly after that; I imagine they were waiting until the free parking started (Cineworld validates your ticket from 7pm).
I was a bit apprehensive about seeing this. It's based on a novel, but the story is, sadly, a familiar one from the news - a young girl, kidnapped and imprisoned for years in a tiny space, used as a sex slave, bearing children to her captor, who are then imprisoned with her. Cheery. The girl in this case is played by Brie Larson, her parents are Joan Allen and William H. Macy. And she has a little boy.
You don't need to worry. The writer is fully aware of the depressing nature of the story. That's not the story she tells. She tells the whole thing from the child's view - a more interesting angle, and also a happier one. The child has never known anything else, and for him, this shed they're imprisoned in is his whole universe. They have a tv, and his ma just tells him that the stuff on tv that's different from what he sees every day is made-up. It's not a spoiler to tell you that they escape - eventually - in an exciting sequence, that's nonetheless tense, despite the fact that you know they do succeed.
From then on, the film is a fantastic story of discovery - all the things that await this little boy, that he never before believed existed. It's a journey of wide-eyed wonder. And it's really sweet, and often quite moving. The acting is first class, of course - and Brie Larson has been Oscar-nominated for her part. As has the writer. And the director. And it's up for Best Picture. Mightn't get all - or indeed any - of them, but it's a lovely film. Recommended.
Afterwards, got my parking ticket validated by punching it in the little blue machine to the left side of the concession stands. I had to pay a bit extra for arriving before 7, but although it's advertised as £1.60 per hour, I only had to pay £1.50 - probably because I was there for less than half that. Lovely! - bus fare would've been £3 return.
Blogging takes a while, and although I was home early enough, with an early start today, I still didn't have time last night. Tonight, I've got a cheap ticket to a Circus Show - apparently a regular feature at the Aeronaut. For tomorrow morning, I just scored a free ticket to The Lobster, in Clapham Picturehouse! Courtesy of ShowFilmFirst - it's absolutely ages since I got a free cinema ticket from them. Then I have to leg it, fairly rapidly, over to Richmond - I'm joining the London Dramatic Arts Meetup at the Orange Tree, for a matinee performance of The Rolling Stone. Anyway, apparently there are fast trains from Clapham Junction - I think parking for both of tomorrow's venues would be too complicated for me to drive. Got my own ticket for the play, but the organiser is fine with that!
Come evening and my passenger found lots of last-minute stuff to occupy him - so we didn't leave quite as early as I'd have liked. When I told him I was trying to make a 6:30 showing, he suggested I drive straight there - he had to get a bus anyway, and could get one from around there instead. I then realised I didn't know the route from this direction! He was on hand, though, to provide directions from his phone..
I dropped him on the first quiet street - the one leading into the car park. I'd researched my route into the car park, at least.. Found the lift, and got myself to the third floor, where the cinema was. I needed to go to the toilet first, and got into the screen by about 6:50. The ads were still showing, and the film itself didn't actually start until 7 - indeed, the couple beside me didn't arrive until shortly after that; I imagine they were waiting until the free parking started (Cineworld validates your ticket from 7pm).
I was a bit apprehensive about seeing this. It's based on a novel, but the story is, sadly, a familiar one from the news - a young girl, kidnapped and imprisoned for years in a tiny space, used as a sex slave, bearing children to her captor, who are then imprisoned with her. Cheery. The girl in this case is played by Brie Larson, her parents are Joan Allen and William H. Macy. And she has a little boy.
You don't need to worry. The writer is fully aware of the depressing nature of the story. That's not the story she tells. She tells the whole thing from the child's view - a more interesting angle, and also a happier one. The child has never known anything else, and for him, this shed they're imprisoned in is his whole universe. They have a tv, and his ma just tells him that the stuff on tv that's different from what he sees every day is made-up. It's not a spoiler to tell you that they escape - eventually - in an exciting sequence, that's nonetheless tense, despite the fact that you know they do succeed.
From then on, the film is a fantastic story of discovery - all the things that await this little boy, that he never before believed existed. It's a journey of wide-eyed wonder. And it's really sweet, and often quite moving. The acting is first class, of course - and Brie Larson has been Oscar-nominated for her part. As has the writer. And the director. And it's up for Best Picture. Mightn't get all - or indeed any - of them, but it's a lovely film. Recommended.
Afterwards, got my parking ticket validated by punching it in the little blue machine to the left side of the concession stands. I had to pay a bit extra for arriving before 7, but although it's advertised as £1.60 per hour, I only had to pay £1.50 - probably because I was there for less than half that. Lovely! - bus fare would've been £3 return.
Blogging takes a while, and although I was home early enough, with an early start today, I still didn't have time last night. Tonight, I've got a cheap ticket to a Circus Show - apparently a regular feature at the Aeronaut. For tomorrow morning, I just scored a free ticket to The Lobster, in Clapham Picturehouse! Courtesy of ShowFilmFirst - it's absolutely ages since I got a free cinema ticket from them. Then I have to leg it, fairly rapidly, over to Richmond - I'm joining the London Dramatic Arts Meetup at the Orange Tree, for a matinee performance of The Rolling Stone. Anyway, apparently there are fast trains from Clapham Junction - I think parking for both of tomorrow's venues would be too complicated for me to drive. Got my own ticket for the play, but the organiser is fine with that!
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Comedy: Billy Connolly
It was ages ago that I booked for Billy Connolly. I've always loved him, it wasn't a hard decision to make - Eventim, who sell the tickets, posted mine to me a few weeks ago. I popped it in the safest place I could think of in my chaotic room - on top of the chest of drawers. Now, that's not flush with the wall - turns out there's a socket behind it! So it came to pass that, last week, the ticket went flump! and disappeared. Behind the chest of drawers, obviously.
Well, I put off the rescue of it as long as possible, natch, and finally went about it yesterday afternoon (this working from home is handy). Moved all the stuff from in front of it - fortunately, the chest of drawers itself is on castors. The ticket was duly rescued. For the Hammersmith Apollo, Google Maps gave me the option of train, followed by bus, or I could just take the #295 bus straight there. Easiest, cheapest, and I had the time - it was, of course, the longest option.
They had me leaving for the bus stop at 7:14 - I left at about 7, and caught a bus at 7:08, probably the one before the recommended. Always a good idea, if you can manage it. I arrived at Hammersmith Broadway at abt 7:40 for an 8 o' clock show - perfect. Just walked ahead and around the corner, to the left. Gasped at the size of the queue at the entrance, but I was in quickly, and even managed to nip past without getting my bag checked - they were distracted by someone who'd brought a suitcase. :-) Might've been down from Scotland for the night - I wouldn't be surprised, I detected a good few Scottish accents round about.
Upstairs to the circle, and soon found my seat - not too far back, but somewhat to the side. Still, a decent view, and as long as he didn't spend a lot of time to the rear right of the stage, I was ok. I had time to play a bit of solitaire on my phone, and just after 8, he started..
He shuffled on. He's been very ill, you know, and still is, and at times like this you notice it. The only stage prop was a small table, with a jug of water on it, and a glass - he spent the entire thing just standing by the table, sometimes leaning on it. At one point, he highlighted his Parkinson's - his arm had started to shake, apparently, although I didn't notice from where I was. Not that he's in any way sensitive about it - he had plenty to say about that, and about his successful treatment for prostate cancer. He's also absentminded, although apparently doesn't have Alzheimer's, as reported - he did temporarily forget the ending to one story, but went off on a tangent, and returned to finish the story some minutes later.
The man might be feeble, but not feeble-minded; he's hilarious! His set consists generally of long, rambling stories, told in his inimitable way. We learned what happens during a prostate exam, we learned about the 10 most famous Scottish people. We found out about the armourer and the cat. And all in a Scottish burr that you wouldn't mind listening to at length - although the lady beside me had to have her husband translate some of it for her, and the Indian-looking people in front of me frequently looked a bit nonplussed. We roared with laughter though - he's never lost it - and when he finally ran out of things to say, he'd been talking for nearly two hours, without interval. A well-deserved standing ovation followed. He has two more shows, tomorrow and Saturday - highly recommended, if you ever enjoyed his stuff. Still tickets for tomorrow on the Eventim site.
Back too late to blog, as ever when I'm going to Guildford next day. For me, tonight is a film, so required research - the upshot of which is, I'm going to see Room, at Cineworld Wandsworth. And I'll drive (whee!) - free parking only starts at 7, and the film is at 6:30, but so I have to pay for an hour's parking - £1.60. The return bus fare would be £3! Route should be easy enough - I pass very near there on my way to Guildford. And it'll be good to get another of the serious Oscar contenders seen.
Tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket to a Circus Show, back at the Aeronaut again. Apparently, it's a big thing with them, appropriately with that tent ceiling. And on Saturday, my last Meetup for the week is with the London Dramatic Arts Meetup, who are off to a play called The Rolling Stone, in the Orange Tree. I think that'll be easier to get to from where I am now. Mustn't forget it's the matinee.. I did get my own ticket, rather than one of theirs, but the organiser is absolutely fine with that, and it'll be great to meet them again.
Well, I put off the rescue of it as long as possible, natch, and finally went about it yesterday afternoon (this working from home is handy). Moved all the stuff from in front of it - fortunately, the chest of drawers itself is on castors. The ticket was duly rescued. For the Hammersmith Apollo, Google Maps gave me the option of train, followed by bus, or I could just take the #295 bus straight there. Easiest, cheapest, and I had the time - it was, of course, the longest option.
They had me leaving for the bus stop at 7:14 - I left at about 7, and caught a bus at 7:08, probably the one before the recommended. Always a good idea, if you can manage it. I arrived at Hammersmith Broadway at abt 7:40 for an 8 o' clock show - perfect. Just walked ahead and around the corner, to the left. Gasped at the size of the queue at the entrance, but I was in quickly, and even managed to nip past without getting my bag checked - they were distracted by someone who'd brought a suitcase. :-) Might've been down from Scotland for the night - I wouldn't be surprised, I detected a good few Scottish accents round about.
Upstairs to the circle, and soon found my seat - not too far back, but somewhat to the side. Still, a decent view, and as long as he didn't spend a lot of time to the rear right of the stage, I was ok. I had time to play a bit of solitaire on my phone, and just after 8, he started..
He shuffled on. He's been very ill, you know, and still is, and at times like this you notice it. The only stage prop was a small table, with a jug of water on it, and a glass - he spent the entire thing just standing by the table, sometimes leaning on it. At one point, he highlighted his Parkinson's - his arm had started to shake, apparently, although I didn't notice from where I was. Not that he's in any way sensitive about it - he had plenty to say about that, and about his successful treatment for prostate cancer. He's also absentminded, although apparently doesn't have Alzheimer's, as reported - he did temporarily forget the ending to one story, but went off on a tangent, and returned to finish the story some minutes later.
The man might be feeble, but not feeble-minded; he's hilarious! His set consists generally of long, rambling stories, told in his inimitable way. We learned what happens during a prostate exam, we learned about the 10 most famous Scottish people. We found out about the armourer and the cat. And all in a Scottish burr that you wouldn't mind listening to at length - although the lady beside me had to have her husband translate some of it for her, and the Indian-looking people in front of me frequently looked a bit nonplussed. We roared with laughter though - he's never lost it - and when he finally ran out of things to say, he'd been talking for nearly two hours, without interval. A well-deserved standing ovation followed. He has two more shows, tomorrow and Saturday - highly recommended, if you ever enjoyed his stuff. Still tickets for tomorrow on the Eventim site.
Back too late to blog, as ever when I'm going to Guildford next day. For me, tonight is a film, so required research - the upshot of which is, I'm going to see Room, at Cineworld Wandsworth. And I'll drive (whee!) - free parking only starts at 7, and the film is at 6:30, but so I have to pay for an hour's parking - £1.60. The return bus fare would be £3! Route should be easy enough - I pass very near there on my way to Guildford. And it'll be good to get another of the serious Oscar contenders seen.
Tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket to a Circus Show, back at the Aeronaut again. Apparently, it's a big thing with them, appropriately with that tent ceiling. And on Saturday, my last Meetup for the week is with the London Dramatic Arts Meetup, who are off to a play called The Rolling Stone, in the Orange Tree. I think that'll be easier to get to from where I am now. Mustn't forget it's the matinee.. I did get my own ticket, rather than one of theirs, but the organiser is absolutely fine with that, and it'll be great to meet them again.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Play: Kite
A windy day, for a play called Kite! The Man With the Hat was taking the London for Less Than a Tenner group there - so, you know, I booked. Love the group, love the venue and pretty much everything they show there (I do have some traumatic memories of Dr. Brown, but let that pass).
It's in Soho Theatre, which I've been to so many times before - but, you know, not since I moved! And so back to Google Maps. I restricted myself to public transport - wouldn't take a car up there, it'd be madness any night of the week: congested, impossible to park. Google helpfully suggested a train to Victoria, then the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus and walk from there. Okedoke.
Naturally, on the London Departures board at Clapham Junction, the next train to Victoria was departing in 1 minute. From the other end of the station. Huh. They didn't mention any more, so I took myself down the corridor to find out where trains to Victoria normally depart from. The sign said platforms 12 & 14. Ok. So I carried on to 12, where I saw, on the departure board for that platform, one was due in 5 minutes. Figured that was as good as I'd get, and up the steps I went.
I might've made the other one - I saw it leave from Platform 14 as I waited on 12 - but probably not. The train I did take was a minute late, and was I glad to get in from the cold... non-stop to Victoria, and of course, when we arrived, it did take about five minutes to weave through the crowd, all the way over to the Underground. When I got there, o sweet Christ, I really thought I'd never make it, and cursed myself for not leaving earlier (which I could've - I was working from home today, and ready to go about 15 minutes before I eventually did! I'd thought I'd be too early). It was like those pictures they put in the papers, to highlight overcrowding on the Tube. It was like a sea of refugees, seeking to gain entrance to the Promised Land.
What the problem was, see, was there was a large flight of steps down to the Underground - the crush was at the top of the steps, and not at all helped by the iron grille they'd pulled across to block off two-thirds of it. Compounding this were a couple of ladies, with large cases, who seemed to be having some disagreement with the station staff, and were having it at the top of the stairs, so we all had to step around them. Things went a bit more smoothly after that.
I didn't bother with a seat on the Tube, although I could've got one - it was only two stops. I even found the right exit onto Oxford Street! I oriented myself by shops, of course - had never heard of the stores I'd be passing between, so instead I marked where I was supposed to be relative to H&M. And that's where I found myself. Proceeded down the road, and was soon to find that it's every bit as bad trying to make progress on this road (dodging shoppers and tourists) as on the roughly parallel Shaftesbury Avenue (dodging theatre-goers and tourists). Dean Street was just past the hoarding - as depicted on Streetview; I was glad I'd checked it there though, and knew where to expect it, or I'd have overshot - the hoarding has expanded since the Streetview shot was taken, and Dean Street is now accessed through a passageway in the middle of it..
I made the theatre at about 6:45, just when the house was supposed to be opening. A quick scan of the bar found the Man With the Hat (and tickets), but I still had to squeeze through a crowd in the foyer (I hadn't come directly into the bar), and around some tables and hop over some bags to get to his free side. And just as I did, he saw me and whipped out a ticket. Good stuff! (Aside: someone later brought up the question of what would happen if you hadn't met him before, and there were several men with black hats.. it's an interesting thought for an idle moment.) He also helpfully pointed out that I could take in a drink, if I got it in a plastic container. So I did, and still made it onto the end of the queue, which snaked halfway down the stairs. And I was far from the last person in!
He'd recommended where to sit (seating is unassigned). Heh. Maybe if you were in early enough. Me, I ended up near the back - well, that was fine. Latecomers, I noticed, were snuck into the balconies on either side - I've been there, on occasion! Our row also proved popular.. particularly the far end of our row, what with all the people asking us to stand so they could edge their way over there..
And so, on with the show! This is advertised as a show without words - immediately appeals. I've loved wordless drama since I first really noticed it, in the film Lost in Translation, with that long, expressive, silent section at the end. It forces the story to tell itself in a different way. Actually, the first part of this reminded me more of ballet - or perhaps contemporary dance - with its telling of the story through the actors' movements. In short, the story is of a young girl, forced by circumstance to move from her (seaside, from the sound effects) home to noisy, crowded London to live with her gran. And I had to chuckle, when they had to take the train, then Tube, then press through crowds.. and indeed, deal with London traffic (I think they took a taxi). Pretty realistic, including the only words uttered in the piece - "Mind the Gap!".
Of course, this is about a kite, and there is some indoor kite-flying as the story progresses. And as the kite takes off, they turn to puppets to tell the story in large-scale; as someone later remarked, these are pretty realistic - one for the girl, one for her gran. It only runs for about an hour, but this is an engaging, frequently enchanting, and quite moving story. Loved it! Only runs till Saturday, too.. booking definitely recommended, tonight's showing was packed. 7pm each night, with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday.
Afterwards, with the theatre bar too crowded, we popped off down the road for drinks, the Man With the Hat telling everyone to Follow Me! (That's me, not him..) I admire his faith in me, but frankly had only the vaguest notion where we were off to - I couldn't really remember, and when we came to the Nellie Dean I thought maybe, but wasn't sure, it'd been too long - by the time I'd texted him, he appeared and led us all upstairs. Well hey, I got them to the building..
I see they've (probably wisely) made it a policy for people to order downstairs now. And a good night was had, although not a terribly late one - he's got a couple of Valentine-themed events coming up, for the month that's in it, and the conversation was dominated by things of that nature. So, tales were told of internet dating mishaps, and zombie-themed weddings.. On the way home, I just made a train departing imminently for Clapham Junction. And it transpired we had one of those drivers with a sense of humour, who told us as we approached that we were coming into the craziness that is Clapham Junction. Where we could get connections to lots of interesting places that start with "W" - Wandsworth, Woking, etc. As well as other places..
Tomorrow, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - and I'm leaving the rescue of my ticket from behind the chest of drawers to tomorrow! What fun..
It's in Soho Theatre, which I've been to so many times before - but, you know, not since I moved! And so back to Google Maps. I restricted myself to public transport - wouldn't take a car up there, it'd be madness any night of the week: congested, impossible to park. Google helpfully suggested a train to Victoria, then the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus and walk from there. Okedoke.
Naturally, on the London Departures board at Clapham Junction, the next train to Victoria was departing in 1 minute. From the other end of the station. Huh. They didn't mention any more, so I took myself down the corridor to find out where trains to Victoria normally depart from. The sign said platforms 12 & 14. Ok. So I carried on to 12, where I saw, on the departure board for that platform, one was due in 5 minutes. Figured that was as good as I'd get, and up the steps I went.
I might've made the other one - I saw it leave from Platform 14 as I waited on 12 - but probably not. The train I did take was a minute late, and was I glad to get in from the cold... non-stop to Victoria, and of course, when we arrived, it did take about five minutes to weave through the crowd, all the way over to the Underground. When I got there, o sweet Christ, I really thought I'd never make it, and cursed myself for not leaving earlier (which I could've - I was working from home today, and ready to go about 15 minutes before I eventually did! I'd thought I'd be too early). It was like those pictures they put in the papers, to highlight overcrowding on the Tube. It was like a sea of refugees, seeking to gain entrance to the Promised Land.
What the problem was, see, was there was a large flight of steps down to the Underground - the crush was at the top of the steps, and not at all helped by the iron grille they'd pulled across to block off two-thirds of it. Compounding this were a couple of ladies, with large cases, who seemed to be having some disagreement with the station staff, and were having it at the top of the stairs, so we all had to step around them. Things went a bit more smoothly after that.
I didn't bother with a seat on the Tube, although I could've got one - it was only two stops. I even found the right exit onto Oxford Street! I oriented myself by shops, of course - had never heard of the stores I'd be passing between, so instead I marked where I was supposed to be relative to H&M. And that's where I found myself. Proceeded down the road, and was soon to find that it's every bit as bad trying to make progress on this road (dodging shoppers and tourists) as on the roughly parallel Shaftesbury Avenue (dodging theatre-goers and tourists). Dean Street was just past the hoarding - as depicted on Streetview; I was glad I'd checked it there though, and knew where to expect it, or I'd have overshot - the hoarding has expanded since the Streetview shot was taken, and Dean Street is now accessed through a passageway in the middle of it..
I made the theatre at about 6:45, just when the house was supposed to be opening. A quick scan of the bar found the Man With the Hat (and tickets), but I still had to squeeze through a crowd in the foyer (I hadn't come directly into the bar), and around some tables and hop over some bags to get to his free side. And just as I did, he saw me and whipped out a ticket. Good stuff! (Aside: someone later brought up the question of what would happen if you hadn't met him before, and there were several men with black hats.. it's an interesting thought for an idle moment.) He also helpfully pointed out that I could take in a drink, if I got it in a plastic container. So I did, and still made it onto the end of the queue, which snaked halfway down the stairs. And I was far from the last person in!
He'd recommended where to sit (seating is unassigned). Heh. Maybe if you were in early enough. Me, I ended up near the back - well, that was fine. Latecomers, I noticed, were snuck into the balconies on either side - I've been there, on occasion! Our row also proved popular.. particularly the far end of our row, what with all the people asking us to stand so they could edge their way over there..
And so, on with the show! This is advertised as a show without words - immediately appeals. I've loved wordless drama since I first really noticed it, in the film Lost in Translation, with that long, expressive, silent section at the end. It forces the story to tell itself in a different way. Actually, the first part of this reminded me more of ballet - or perhaps contemporary dance - with its telling of the story through the actors' movements. In short, the story is of a young girl, forced by circumstance to move from her (seaside, from the sound effects) home to noisy, crowded London to live with her gran. And I had to chuckle, when they had to take the train, then Tube, then press through crowds.. and indeed, deal with London traffic (I think they took a taxi). Pretty realistic, including the only words uttered in the piece - "Mind the Gap!".
Of course, this is about a kite, and there is some indoor kite-flying as the story progresses. And as the kite takes off, they turn to puppets to tell the story in large-scale; as someone later remarked, these are pretty realistic - one for the girl, one for her gran. It only runs for about an hour, but this is an engaging, frequently enchanting, and quite moving story. Loved it! Only runs till Saturday, too.. booking definitely recommended, tonight's showing was packed. 7pm each night, with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday.
Afterwards, with the theatre bar too crowded, we popped off down the road for drinks, the Man With the Hat telling everyone to Follow Me! (That's me, not him..) I admire his faith in me, but frankly had only the vaguest notion where we were off to - I couldn't really remember, and when we came to the Nellie Dean I thought maybe, but wasn't sure, it'd been too long - by the time I'd texted him, he appeared and led us all upstairs. Well hey, I got them to the building..
I see they've (probably wisely) made it a policy for people to order downstairs now. And a good night was had, although not a terribly late one - he's got a couple of Valentine-themed events coming up, for the month that's in it, and the conversation was dominated by things of that nature. So, tales were told of internet dating mishaps, and zombie-themed weddings.. On the way home, I just made a train departing imminently for Clapham Junction. And it transpired we had one of those drivers with a sense of humour, who told us as we approached that we were coming into the craziness that is Clapham Junction. Where we could get connections to lots of interesting places that start with "W" - Wandsworth, Woking, etc. As well as other places..
Tomorrow, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - and I'm leaving the rescue of my ticket from behind the chest of drawers to tomorrow! What fun..
Monday, 1 February 2016
Film: Airlift
So. Tonight was to be a film, and the film was Airlift. It was top (by IMDB ratings) of my list last week too, but not on at a convenient time. Well, this week it was still top. About time I saw it, eh? You know, I'm burning the proverbial candle at both ends these days, but not as tired, now that I'm driving. Even with the stress of fast-moving traffic, and trying to remember routes I've only just learned. Helen pointed out that I don't have to rush to make a timetable - yes, but I also don't have to carry my bag very far, plus I get a comfy seat, rather than having to squash in amongst a crowd in the carriage. Or stand.. Imagine, and with all this extra comfort, even if I didn't have passengers to help with petrol money, I'd still only be paying half what I would for the train!
Anyway. Airlift is a Bollywood film, and I've had some trouble with those before. They also tend to be over-rated. But the trailer for this looked ok, the subject matter was certainly interesting, and I said I'd give it a go. It's showing in Cineworld Wandsworth, but not late enough that I could make it - so the next closest, and showing later, was the Vue Shepherd's Bush. Ages since I'd been there..
So I took myself off on the Overground, quite early as it happened. Well, I wouldn't have had time to eat anyway - with a growling tummy, I picked up a bag of Crunchie Rocks as I was waiting. Ticket in hand, I was to find that the cinema hadn't finished being cleaned yet - nor did the usher have the faintest idea when it would be. I did need to go to the loo, but the lobby ones were closed - so I ate the entire bag of Crunchie, then wandered off past the (now-unattended) entrance, and went to one past there. Where the first cubicle had a toilet with an obviously non-working flush, and the same hand dryer not working that wasn't working the last time I was here!
There weren't many at this screening - but it has been out a week. And it was a Monday. When the trailers started, I was treated to a host of ads for popular films - rare for me, to be honest, and enjoyable - not that all the films looked good, mind. Then we were into the main feature.
This is based on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. In particular, it focuses on the evacuation of about 170, 000 Indians who were working there at the time. The main character, who organises pretty much the whole thing, is apparently an amalgam of a number of real-life characters. And his wife is a dead ringer for Catherine Zeta-Jones..
We get a tantalising glimpse of this tycoon's life in Kuwait before the invasion. The outfits! The houses! The parties! Already an enjoyable film. But just you wait.. the whole tone changes when the invasion crashes down on them. And this description of the largest mass movement of people in history becomes surprisingly moving. Believe me, the airlift itself ain't half the story.. the sheer logistics are staggering, and the desert shots as they convey them to the collection location - are stunning. A very interesting film, and worth a look. Even with an interval, in what is only a 2hr20min film.
And the thought occurred to me, as they desperately tried to escape - God help all refugees. There but for the grace of God go we ALL.
Coming home, I caught a mainline train rather than the Overground - they ply the same route. And blatantly sat in 1st class, with many others - I didn't think they'd check, and indeed they didn't. We arrived at Platform 17 in Clapham Junction - "Mind the Gap" indeed, the gap at this platform is huge! You really have to stretch, just to get off. The only way out was along the overhead walkway, eerily deserted at this hour.
Tomorrow, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, who are back at the Soho Theatre for a performance of Kite - a show without words, always interesting. Handy I'm working from home - the timing could be tight, otherwise. And on Wednesday, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - still haven't rescued that ticket from behind the chest of drawers!
Anyway. Airlift is a Bollywood film, and I've had some trouble with those before. They also tend to be over-rated. But the trailer for this looked ok, the subject matter was certainly interesting, and I said I'd give it a go. It's showing in Cineworld Wandsworth, but not late enough that I could make it - so the next closest, and showing later, was the Vue Shepherd's Bush. Ages since I'd been there..
So I took myself off on the Overground, quite early as it happened. Well, I wouldn't have had time to eat anyway - with a growling tummy, I picked up a bag of Crunchie Rocks as I was waiting. Ticket in hand, I was to find that the cinema hadn't finished being cleaned yet - nor did the usher have the faintest idea when it would be. I did need to go to the loo, but the lobby ones were closed - so I ate the entire bag of Crunchie, then wandered off past the (now-unattended) entrance, and went to one past there. Where the first cubicle had a toilet with an obviously non-working flush, and the same hand dryer not working that wasn't working the last time I was here!
There weren't many at this screening - but it has been out a week. And it was a Monday. When the trailers started, I was treated to a host of ads for popular films - rare for me, to be honest, and enjoyable - not that all the films looked good, mind. Then we were into the main feature.
This is based on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. In particular, it focuses on the evacuation of about 170, 000 Indians who were working there at the time. The main character, who organises pretty much the whole thing, is apparently an amalgam of a number of real-life characters. And his wife is a dead ringer for Catherine Zeta-Jones..
We get a tantalising glimpse of this tycoon's life in Kuwait before the invasion. The outfits! The houses! The parties! Already an enjoyable film. But just you wait.. the whole tone changes when the invasion crashes down on them. And this description of the largest mass movement of people in history becomes surprisingly moving. Believe me, the airlift itself ain't half the story.. the sheer logistics are staggering, and the desert shots as they convey them to the collection location - are stunning. A very interesting film, and worth a look. Even with an interval, in what is only a 2hr20min film.
And the thought occurred to me, as they desperately tried to escape - God help all refugees. There but for the grace of God go we ALL.
Coming home, I caught a mainline train rather than the Overground - they ply the same route. And blatantly sat in 1st class, with many others - I didn't think they'd check, and indeed they didn't. We arrived at Platform 17 in Clapham Junction - "Mind the Gap" indeed, the gap at this platform is huge! You really have to stretch, just to get off. The only way out was along the overhead walkway, eerily deserted at this hour.
Tomorrow, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, who are back at the Soho Theatre for a performance of Kite - a show without words, always interesting. Handy I'm working from home - the timing could be tight, otherwise. And on Wednesday, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - still haven't rescued that ticket from behind the chest of drawers!
A Night at the Musicals
Well, for Saturday we'd booked to go to A Night at the Musicals, an evening of light musical entertainment at the Limetree, staged by a local college.
And then it rained, and when it rained, it poured. And my mother hates rain with a passion. So we didn't go - just as well the tickets were cheap. Mind you, I was having trouble starting the car anyway - the taxi driver who takes me to the airport usually disconnects the battery while I'm away, but must've forgotten this time; I needed a jump start both when I got back on Friday night, and again next day. So leaving it outside a concert venue for a couple of hours wouldn't have been the safest thing..
She did venture out as far as the Abbey Tavern for dinner. Mindful of possibly needing yet another jump start, I backed into the space, to give access to the front of the car. (It was fine this time, though.) The restaurant section was fairly crowded, but we got a table - unfortunately, beside a really loud person, who was having an animated conversation with a kid at another table - about dessert. One of the servers got really pissed off at him - he does that a lot, it seems. Well, but it didn't really spoil dinner - I had turkey and ham, for a change, which was fine, apart from the scarcity of the ham..
Yesterday was a perfect storm of travel problems, travelling back to London. Our flight was delayed by abt 90 minutes (apparently someone had been ill on the inbound flight - use your imagination!) so I joined the long queue at the only decent eatery past security - the bar. Ordered a burger, which comes with fries, a small amount of salad on the plate, and a bun. That's it - nothing else in the bun, no sauce - apart from a jar of tomato ketchup. You can pay for a small choice of toppings. Good idea actually - how many times have I been served burgers that I have to pick things out of? And the burger was large, and very tasty. It was delivered in no time flat, appropriately for an airport, and I ate within view of one of several departure screens, so I could see when they finally wanted us to board..
This post is late because I needed to do this week's film list. Tonight will be a film - unless I feel like staying in, I had a late night and an early start - uhhh.. Top of the list, as with last week, is a film called Airlift - this week, showing at more manageable times. Based on the true story of the Indian tycoon who paid for Air India to evacuate the entire Indian expat community in Kuwait upon the Iraqi invasion, it looks decent. It's showing in my local - Cineworld Wandsworth - but a bit early, and I probably won't be back in time. It's showing a bit later in the Vue Shepherd's Bush - I'll think about it. At least, with the Vue, there's no advantage to booking, as with Cineworld, so I don't have to decide now.
Tomorrow, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, who are back at the Soho Theatre for a performance of Kite - a show without words, always interesting. Handy I'm working from home - the timing could be tight, otherwise. And on Wednesday, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - got the ticket a while ago, and now it's disappeared behind the chest of drawers. Have to go rescue that, soon..
And then it rained, and when it rained, it poured. And my mother hates rain with a passion. So we didn't go - just as well the tickets were cheap. Mind you, I was having trouble starting the car anyway - the taxi driver who takes me to the airport usually disconnects the battery while I'm away, but must've forgotten this time; I needed a jump start both when I got back on Friday night, and again next day. So leaving it outside a concert venue for a couple of hours wouldn't have been the safest thing..
She did venture out as far as the Abbey Tavern for dinner. Mindful of possibly needing yet another jump start, I backed into the space, to give access to the front of the car. (It was fine this time, though.) The restaurant section was fairly crowded, but we got a table - unfortunately, beside a really loud person, who was having an animated conversation with a kid at another table - about dessert. One of the servers got really pissed off at him - he does that a lot, it seems. Well, but it didn't really spoil dinner - I had turkey and ham, for a change, which was fine, apart from the scarcity of the ham..
Yesterday was a perfect storm of travel problems, travelling back to London. Our flight was delayed by abt 90 minutes (apparently someone had been ill on the inbound flight - use your imagination!) so I joined the long queue at the only decent eatery past security - the bar. Ordered a burger, which comes with fries, a small amount of salad on the plate, and a bun. That's it - nothing else in the bun, no sauce - apart from a jar of tomato ketchup. You can pay for a small choice of toppings. Good idea actually - how many times have I been served burgers that I have to pick things out of? And the burger was large, and very tasty. It was delivered in no time flat, appropriately for an airport, and I ate within view of one of several departure screens, so I could see when they finally wanted us to board..
This post is late because I needed to do this week's film list. Tonight will be a film - unless I feel like staying in, I had a late night and an early start - uhhh.. Top of the list, as with last week, is a film called Airlift - this week, showing at more manageable times. Based on the true story of the Indian tycoon who paid for Air India to evacuate the entire Indian expat community in Kuwait upon the Iraqi invasion, it looks decent. It's showing in my local - Cineworld Wandsworth - but a bit early, and I probably won't be back in time. It's showing a bit later in the Vue Shepherd's Bush - I'll think about it. At least, with the Vue, there's no advantage to booking, as with Cineworld, so I don't have to decide now.
Tomorrow, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, who are back at the Soho Theatre for a performance of Kite - a show without words, always interesting. Handy I'm working from home - the timing could be tight, otherwise. And on Wednesday, I'm off to see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - got the ticket a while ago, and now it's disappeared behind the chest of drawers. Have to go rescue that, soon..
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