Common People has been showing, for individual nights, for a while now. It's highly rated on IMDB - 8.5 - so has been high on my list to see for all that time, but I never have managed to see it. It always sold out. So it was with some relief that, just yesterday, I saw there were still tickets for tonight's performance, at Clapham Picturehouse. Six, to be precise. I booked one. Sure enough, they were all gone when I checked today, out of curiosity, and I heard tonight that Sunday's performance is sold out as well. It is showing next Thursday - if anyone wants to see it, I recommend booking in haste!
Looking up how to get there, it became apparent that I'd have to leave straight from work. And the easiest way to get there was Tube and then the 137 bus from Sloane Square. Coming back, from the bus stop I had to use, I had the option of three different buses - two of which went via Clapham Junction, where I could get the Overground - and one of which was the return journey, 137 and then Tube.
We had a work meeting this evening that overran, and I was afraid of not making it, especially given that a bus journey was involved, and considering rush hour traffic. But do you know, my luck was in! The Tube doors were closing as I came down the stairs, but the driver saw me and opened them again. I knew from Google Maps Streetview that, from Sloane Square station, I should go straight ahead and take the next left onto Lower Sloane Street - which was easy - and the stop was just there. And as I approached it, so did my bus! Well now, that's timing. Neither Tube nor bus was crowded, and traffic wasn't too bad. I needn't have worried. (Where had everyone gone?!) And ahh, they light up the Chelsea bridge, just as they do the Hammersmith one! That's nice, I didn't know that - never been on this one before.
I had some excitement when we finally got to Clapham Common, where I was to get off. Somewhere. You see, Google said to get off at Clapham Common stop, and with London buses having this convenient practice of both displaying, on an LED, and announcing, the stop name, all I had to do was pay attention. Just as well I reassured myself that yes, the stop name was exactly that - Clapham Common. Because there was Cedars Road / Clapham Common North Side. Then there was Clapham Common Old Town. Then there was Clapham Common Station! And, had I got off at either of the first two, I'd have had quite a walk.
As it happened, as we were turning towards Clapham Common Station stop, we passed the Alexandra pub. And that gave me a clue, because this was the pub outside which I was to get a bus back - I'd noted it as a landmark. Which meant, from my memory of the map, that we were coming up the wrong side of the common - sure enough, I'd seen diversion signs. I'd better get off, especially since I knew I wasn't far from my destination. So I did, and was glad when I saw that the road we should have come up was closed for roadworks. Nothing about that on Google..
Anyway, I knew from the map to head off with the Alexandra on my right, and I was looking for a Londis to turn left by. Very soon, I came upon it, and the cinema was right around the corner. 10 minutes early, excellent!
There's a bar, but it was crowded and I wasn't pushed. Unsurprising, given that the show was sold out. Handily, all four screens are entered from the lobby, and each door has the film name written above it in chalk, so it's easy to find where to go. They were starting to go in, so in I went and took my seat. Interesting seat fabric, kind of fluffy. Very comfortable. I was also impressed to see a big pile of booster cushions, for junior viewers.
I haven't been to a Picturehouse before, so don't know if this is typical, but I imagine it mainly is. I like that you can bring in wine, I like that the ads beforehand, which were mainly for Picturehouse promotions, showed many offers - Silver Screen, for the over-60s, which is free - the Slackers Club, which I've heard of before, which is for students - and many different clubs for kids and their parents. I do believe they've thought about their customer base!
So, this is a low-budget film, with no backing, which is why it's only showing one night at a time. The directors/producers - one of whom also wrote it - appeared beforehand to explain a bit about the film, and how they couldn't do a Q+A, as they had been doing, because it was eating up the cinema's time. But they'd be available in the bar afterwards!
The whole thing was filmed in Tooting Common. Apparently, the co-directors live right beside it, and were inspired, first by a poster for a missing parrot, and then a poster thanking the people who had found her. And they thought - hey, that's unusual. You see lots of missing pet posters, but hardly ever any like that. So they made a film out of it. The parrot is a loose thread that ties together some disparate stories.
The actors are professionals, although not very well known. And sometimes this film is extremely twee. But you know what? It's very sweet. And at times, laugh-out-loud funny. I enjoyed it - you would too. Go see, if you have a chance.
Coming home, I noted that the name of the stop was Clapham Common Station, not Clapham Common, as on Google. And yes, it was the same stop. Anyway, it turned out that the 137 was the next bus to pass by, and so my return journey was a repeat of my outbound, pretty much. With fewer stops.
Tomorrow night - guess what? I got a ticket to something that is not a film! (Drum roll please!) I'm going to Circa + Debussy at the Barbican. Basically, it's an acrobatic performance, to the music of Debussy, performed by a string quartet in the background. Sounds intriguing! Anyway, it ends on Saturday, and there are three price bands, which didn't really correspond to levels - £16, £23, and £30. All the £16 tickets seem to have restricted views, so I went for a £23 ticket. The best without a restricted view was in the Upper Circle, which is third of the four levels. Well, at least I'm not right at the top, as usual. And I'm in the front. Anyway, I'm sure it'll be fine.
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