I don't recall rain on the weather forecast yesterday - but by the time we left the office, it was pissing down. And the traffic was pretty heavy, unexpectedly for this week of half-term. I was in time to get the bus - #87, same as the night before - but then we heard on the radio that there was a broken-down car in Parliament Square, and traffic delays.. now, the 87 takes that route, and for it to make it to the radio news, it'd have to be bad. So to Plan B - Google Maps said to get a train to Waterloo, then the Tube: but when I mentioned this to my passenger, he pointed out that it was close enough to walk from Waterloo to the Playhouse Theatre, right across the bridge.
When I got to Clapham Junction station, behold and lo, there was a train due to depart in two minutes, and for once at a nearby platform! I made the platform just before the train did. Mind you, it was as well I was early - I've never been on a train that stopped so much. At stations, yes, but also for minutes at a time, for no reason. Outside Waterloo, we seemed to have to stop to wait for every other train in the vicinity to take a place at the platforms, before we were allowed in!
Nonetheless, we were in time for me to walk to the theatre. And I knew the way - look for the grand old exit, head down the street to the left, and up the steps at the end. Now, the Playhouse Theatre is to the left of the bridge as you cross over, so with no interchange between the two sides, I needed to cross on the left. Which meant passing under the bridge, down the ramp, up the steps, across, and down on the other side - right at the theatre door. Unfortunately, all this was accomplished in the pouring rain, which I hadn't anticipated, which was why I was wearing boots that leak a bit..
Queueing for the box office, I found myself briefly positioned right under a heavy drip. Finally I was in and collected my ticket - had a quick scout around for anyone I knew, but there wasn't anyone, so I made my way up. The bag search was so cursory that they missed me entirely. And so I climbed - and climbed - and climbed - I have rarely seen so many stairs to a theatre level! The Upper Circle turned out to be very steep, but fortunately there was a railing down the middle of each flight of stairs. Unfortunately, it was unbroken, which meant that I had to go right back to the end when I discovered the usher had sent me down the wrong side..
I was pretty central, with a good view:
Legroom - which I'd been worried about - was fine really, although something of a problem if you were carrying a lot of stuff - like the lady in front of me, who had to keep her backpack on her lap the whole time. I couldn't see the group, who were supposed to be in the front row of the stalls, and going down at the interval was out of the question, with all those stairs! I said I'd meet them afterwards, downstairs. We started late, of course, and as the lights went down, it became apparent that the audience members around me had absolutely no intention of turning off their phones - they spent the whole show checking texts.
There were a lot of foreign-speaking people near me, and the lady in front (with the backpack) was evidently a big Matthew Perry fan, and cooed with delight when he took centre stage in the first scene. Well, I'm glad she enjoyed it - and she definitely wasn't the only one. I didn't enjoy it so much - although the first act was entertaining enough, reminding me of an extended episode of Friends, the show that made Matthew Perry famous. Write about what you know, they say, and it seems that's exactly what he did - the scene changes are as fast as on television, and the cast speak in one-liners. I guess this is what the Evening Standard was referring to, in its unflattering review of the play, last week, with its mention of characters that "declare their feelings rather than revealing them".
Why was I paying theatre prices to watch television, I mused to myself as the interval came. The (Italian) lady beside me came back with a tub (!) of crisps, of all things. Well, at least she got them finished in time for the second half.. and had this really been television, this would've been when I turned it off! It was dire. Losing its comic touch, the play lost its direction as it became more serious, although the "darkness" alluded to in the aforementioned review didn't feel that dark to me. It felt completely cliched and predictable. Oh gee, problems arise in what was, up to now, a rom-com. Oh gee, it takes a real-life crisis to make them realise what's important. Yawn. Really, I think he ran out of ideas here and just rattled off something that would pass muster. I did appreciate one scene, near the end, when his alcoholic character took centre stage for a monologue that seemed truly heartfelt, and I joined in the separate round of applause for that. He can act, I think - but PLEASE let him stop writing..
Recommended if you're a massive fan of Matthew Perry. Otherwise, there's plenty of better stuff to go to.
Outside, afterwards, I waited for the group, who duly appeared, and we discussed the play briefly - but it was still raining, and we decided not to go for a drink on this school night. As some of us headed towards Trafalgar Square for buses (I figured the traffic would've cleared by now), we passed some of those fans, at the stage door..
Poor driver, trying to get the car through that lot to pick up his star passenger! Anyway, same bus stop as the night before, same bus as the night before, and after the same brief but chilly wait as the night before, I was whisked home. But it still went too late to blog.
Tonight, the same group is 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.
Tomorrow, I've got another cheap ticket to the Circus Show at The Aeronaut - it'll be interesting to see how much the lineup changes from last time! and whether the bus driver lets me off when I press the button.. On Saturday, I'm back with the London European Club, for Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, at Sadler's Wells. Sold out now. Part of their Flamenco Festival. Olé! And on Sunday, 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..
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