Play: Simpatico

Yesterday was a day full of Meetup comedy, but none of it appealed. So instead, I got myself a cheap ticket to a nice, close venue - the Tabard - to see a play called Simpatico (gee, I can remember the name now, finally, without looking it up!).

Google Maps said it'd take me half an hour, but in the end it was just 20 minutes by Tube. And oh, the nostalgia.. when I first moved to London, I lived down that way. Indeed, my room overlooked the tracks.. way too expensive for that, and a small room too - but you learn. And I duly disembarked at Turnham Green. Lovely area - I'd forgotten. I've been to this theatre before - once - but had to look it up: but it's easy, just turn right upon exiting the station, head around the corner, and you soon come upon the beer garden of the pub on your right.

The theatre itself - a small room above the pub - is accessed via a covered, carpeted, wooden staircase, with the box office on top. The house was open, and I went straight in. They have decently comfortable, theatre-style, upholstered seats that tip.. seating was unassigned, I was quite early, and I chose a seat not too near, not too far. Mind you, someone behind me - when the place started to fill up - did remark to his companions that the legroom was too short.. (I'm 5'6'' and it wasn't a problem for me).. for this nearly three-hour long performance.

Yes, three hours (including a 15-minute interval). So much for going to something close and getting home early. And honestly, with all the running around I've been doing, I was tired and nearly dropped off during the opening scene - despite the natural comic skills of the actor that played Vinnie.

That was the last time though, and I was gripped for the rest of it. It's really, stunningly good. The writing is snappy, the characters beautifully drawn and skilfully played. I've already mentioned Vinnie's comic skills. Even the guy behind me, squashed into a too-short seat, forgot his complaints to murmur about how good Rosie was. And Cecilia got her own special standing ovation from some folks in the audience - friends of hers, I daresay.

It's a comic tale of a couple of chancers in the horseracing world. Plenty of twists, but the main attraction is the gorgeous script and the way it's played. This run ends on Saturday - go see it if you can.. I was massively impressed, and reminded how often you find fantastic shows, fantastic performers, in out-of-the-way venues like this.

Too late to blog again, last night. Today, I was scheduled on a tour of London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks again. I'm a sucker for ghosties as much as for royalty. But it was raining this morning, there's an ominous cloud overhead again.. Nuts, but I daren't risk it. Instead, I'm dragging myself all the way out to Stratford (throws eyes to heaven) to see Morgana, in the Bunker Trilogy. As advertised by the London European Club. And doubtless running into the rugby crowd.. there's a match there tonight. Tomorrow, I'm off to the Boat Show at last. Hopefully! I finally found a comedy line-up that appealed - last month - and booked, only to discover, quite by accident, by clicking on the website the night before, that the show was cancelled! I complained, and secured myself a free ticket to tomorrow's performance (the next night that a line-up appealed). And a free glass of bubbly. Mind you, the organisation seems so ditzy that I'll consider myself lucky to see anything..

On Saturday, Helen and I are headed - finally - to a show booked long ago. We're off to see Dara O' Briain in the Hammersmith Apollo. On Sunday, I'm off on another walk - Transportation in London: Meat, Mortality and Mail, courtesy of London's Secrets, Tales and Legends. I was booked on the morning walk, but when they - conveniently - scheduled another in the afternoon, I changed to that. :-) Well, we'll see what the weather does..