Searching for something for tonight, I came across a Meetup group that were going to Traces - The 7 Fingers: a circus act. And I do love my circus! I was too late to get one of their discounted tickets, but upon checking the official website, I discovered the tickets in the rear stalls were cheaper than those discounted ones anyway! so I booked. It's at the Peacock, and I know the rear stalls there are just fine.
The nearest Tube stations to the Peacock are Holborn and Temple; well, Temple is on the District Line and I can get a direct train there, whereas Holborn is on the Piccadilly Line, so I'd have to change. So I went for the District Line - a decision I came to regret (as usual) when we stopped not once, but twice between stations: first to "even out the gaps in the service", the second time because there was congestion ahead of us. So, even though it's not far from Temple to the Peacock, I found myself rushing. As usual.
The roadworks are still in place on Arundel Street, I see - so you're still advised to take the zebra crossing to the left of the station exit. This puts you on the side of the road you need to walk on. At the end of this street, a complicated crossing takes you to Aldwych, which you follow around to the left until you get to Kingsway. Turn right up Kingsway, and you'll soon see the Peacock on the right hand side - the entrance is down the side street here. When I got there, the performance hadn't yet started, but I was in the unenviable position of being behind the crowd - no-one else was making their way in. Anyway, she got my name before I even got to the ticket desk, quickly asked my postcode, and I had my ticket. And made it to my seat and was turning off my phone when the lights went down.
This is an anarchic performance, starting with the safety announcements, which are all wrong. And right after that, you're into the main body of the show, with a thumping (and rather excellent) rock and pop soundtrack. Warning: there's a fair bit of strobe lighting in this. The "7" in the title refers to the seven performers, who take us through an evening with a bit of everything, really. A spectacular acrobat number opens the show, but then it cools down - there are only a few numbers where everyone does something dramatic. These are interspersed with quieter pieces, with only some, or even none, of the performers doing anything acrobatic. Those who are not might be singing, drawing, playing the piano - which it seems most of them can do.
After I'd booked this, it occurred to me that I'd probably seen it before, and I still think I have. However, I was fuzzy on the details. It's a highly varied show - the acrobatic numbers are spectacular, the quieter ones inventive, and very funny. We get the basic details (and some photos as children) of the performers. And it's appropriate that it's held in a dance theatre - this show mixes art very successfully with circus - well, it is based in Montréal, which also gave birth to Cirque du Soleil. Continuing the local tradition, two of the members are Québécois.
As I say, the acrobatics are spectacular, but between the thumping soundtrack and the continuity between pieces, it's easy to forget to applaud at all, and hard to find a moment to do so when you do think of it! Which isn't to say that we didn't, but it kind of felt like an intrusion. But the whole thing was an absolute delight. I also find it interesting to note that, with so many circus acts pushing the limits of their abilities, and the tricks getting more and more complex, it's become more common to see them making mistakes during performances. The norm now seems to be - if this happens, there is scattered applause at the attempt, then they try again and when they do succeed, the applause is thunderous. Very healthy! A standing ovation at the end was well deserved, and enthusiastically given. Runs until the 12th - highly recommended.
Not sure whether the lady beside me enjoyed it, mind - she didn't applaud much, and left at the interval; she might just have sat further down though, there were some free seats. Plenty of latecomers, who were allowed in at suitable moments. And at the interval, I think I spotted that Meetup group - there was a row of adults, further front than I was, most of whom stood at the interval, not leaving the row, and chatted to each other. Very Meetup-ish.
Tomorrow, I'd have loved to go to Don Giovanni at the Opera House - but try as I might, I couldn't find a ticket for tomorrow's performance anywhere. Instead, I'm headed to Sadler's Wells again - this time to their other venue, the Lilian Baylis Studio, for Choreographics, a showcase of choreography created by dancers in the English National Ballet. And on Sunday, I'm headed to West End Live - a showcase of West End shows, running all afternoon in Trafalgar Square. And it's free, too! Should be a good day out, with a low likelihood of rain. Came to my attention via another Meetup group - London Musical Theatre Review. Dunno whether there's a plan to meet at it though - only two of us are listed as going, and it'll be crowded. We'll see. Then on Monday, I'm in Guildford again, for a one-day training course..
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