I was a bit worried when the tube strikes were announced, but they weren't as severe as feared, and in the event, tonight's was called off anyway. I left in plenty of time to catch a Tube to Leicester Square, the nearest for both restaurant and theatre. I knew, from Google Maps Streetview, where Ruby Blue was - basically, turn right at the Haagen-Dazs place. Same street as the Prince Charles cinema, actually. I was early (what a luxury!), so mooched around for a while, reading the Standard I picked up upon exiting the Tube station.
I headed over at about 10 to 6 - my booking was for 6. The nice chap at the door, with the headphones, simply asked whether I wanted the bar or restaurant. You go upstairs for both - turn left for the bar, straight ahead for the restaurant. It's not hard to tell them apart - even at that hour, the bar was pulsing with psychedelic multi-coloured light beams.
This place is entirely too cool for what it is. Well, I suppose there are those who like that. Not to my taste, really. Now, it's fine, I just think it goes a bit overboard. Anyway, the waiter was really friendly, chatty, personable. I don't know how many times over the next hour and a half he called me "darling". I even got a "doll-face" at the end! Well now, I don't mind that at all.
The restaurant was nearly empty when I arrived - I took a table at the far end of the long room, so I could get a look at the place. Décor was nice, lighting subdued. I was sat beside a white baby grand piano, which, mercifully, didn't have anyone playing it at the time. As he checked for my name on the way in, I saw a whole load of lastminute.com bookings - he mentioned there were some toptable ones as well. I think they constituted the whole of the early evening's takings. Anyway, the lastminute.com menu is a reduced one, from which I chose garlic bread as a starter. The mains were restricted to four - vegetarian curry, burger, ribs, or chicken fajitas. I had the burger. Good wine list, and he informed me that it was Happy Hour! so 40% off wines. Except champagne.
The wine was nice. Of the garlic bread, I got two pieces, one of which lacked any garlic, by the taste (non-existent). The other was quite nice. The burger was ho-hum - with way too much onion - but the chips were perfect. It still wasn't even 7, and the show didn't even start until 8, so I thought I'd have a dessert, and ordered a brownie. Now, the lastminute.com deal only covers two courses, so I had to pay for this - but fair enough. (Wine isn't covered either.) I got to choose off the full menu this time, which has much more choice. I thought it was taking a long time - sure enough, he had to come back and take my order again, whatever he did with the first.. It arrived shortly after - two pieces of piping hot brownie, quite delicious, with a (small) scoop of what tasted like Haagen-Dazs. I swear, I thought I'd never get through it! Give them that, they don't skimp on portions.
And off I headed, at 7.20, for the Arts Theatre. It's a short walk from Leicester Square - just head back towards the Tube, cross the road (past the rickshaw driver honking for attention), straight ahead and first left. And I entered a crammed lobby, the whole place decorated in horror style, all black and red, with police tape. I pushed my way to the box office and collected my ticket from a couple of ladies wearing black t-shirts with "Ghost Stories" logos in red. This show is big on merchandising - there's a list of goods and prices on the way down to the auditorium / toilets. Now, lastminute.com doesn't give out seat numbers in advance, it's up to the venue - but I have always had excellent seats from them, and this was no exception. I was in E10 in the stalls, five rows from the front, which is about right, and right bang slap in the middle.
With time to kill, I decided to go to the toilet. Now, I really have to recommend, if you're seeing this show, that you go to the toilet beforehand. No, it has nothing to do with any frights you might get - but the toilets are right beside the auditorium, and the backing track that's played before the show is piped in there as well. That's something I haven't come across before - going to the loo to a soundtrack of moans, drips, clanking, and that weird bass they play for horror films. It really enlivens the experience. Pity about the non-functioning hand dryers, though..
When the doors opened, I was one of the first in. And then I sat. O Lordy, they need to improve their seating stock! Those springs gave an awful creak as I settled in, and there's no lower back support. Anyway, it was fine.
Now, despite the name, this is not one of London's posher theatres. Tonight, it was even scruffier than I remembered, although that probably had much to do with the production. The show itself takes the form of a lecture, by a professor of parapsychology, on the phenomenon of ghost stories, why we want to believe in them, and alternative explanations. No, don't get bored.. it's very interesting, and peppered with photos of supernatural phenomena. Or are they? (I found the wedding photo really interesting. The whole audience, including me, gasped at something the "professor" pointed out. Go see the show to see what I mean.)
He goes on to describe three ghost stories that were told to him by the people that experienced them. Or rather, the subjects themselves act out the story. These contain a large element of humour, but they're very well done. The special effects are excellent.
And then there's a fourth. And I have to say that this one really sent a shiver down my spine, and developed in me a sense of unease that persisted all the way home. And part of it was trickery, and I can define exactly why they managed to unnerve me (but I won't) - but part of it was just excellently scripted horror, the best I've seen on stage, and better than much I've seen on screen. Terrifically acted, brilliantly directed. And for that fourth story, I say - if you like to be scared, go see this.
As they take their bows, just like in The Mousetrap, an actor comes to the front to ask the audience not to reveal the secret. And I won't. But what was really nice was, this being the first night, the writers were waiting in the lobby as we left, handing out special badges to us all!
Now, you can buy Ghost Stories badges at other performances, but they won't be special Opening Night badges. So there! Oh, I had a terrific night.. one of my best since I moved here. Hey, and on the Tube home, the lady sitting opposite me had exactly the same boots on that I did! Fancy - I've never seen them on anyone else.
So, back to Ireland tomorrow. And power has been restored to my mother's house, so I might have a relaxing weekend after all! Monday, so far, is looking like a film, and more specifically, Her, which is rating very highly on IMDB. Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his OS, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Also stars Amy Adams and Rooney Mara. And then I'm in Guildford again on Tuesday..
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