Play: What I Learned from Johnny Bevan

Honestly, I had no idea what What I Learned from Johnny Bevan was about when I booked it - I had a brief read of the Soho Theatre's description, it seemed to be about New Labour, and with this venue and Let's Do London - for Less! organising.. yeah, I booked. No-brainer. Love the place, love the group. Frankly, it'd take U2 playing in town to top that combo. Whatever it was..

Back in Ireland, there was a general election last Friday - Labour was in coalition in the outgoing government, and, as is the way with outgoing governments, got a suitable drubbing. No, actually, that was their coalition partners - Labour were massacred. Perhaps people expected more of them; there's a general belief that Labour stands for something more than the general impression of politicians as self-serving, vote-grabbing fat cats. When a government that includes Labour lets them down, then, people take it a bit personally.. how much more so in the UK, where Labour had the chance to go it alone? And take the blame alone..

I was in Guildford today, but bless 'em, my passengers are becoming better trained at leaving on time, and traffic was blissfully light! (And driving is so much cooler now that I'm getting used to the London lanes!) So I got back in plenty of time. Arrived on the platform at Clapham Junction just as a train to Vauxhall was boarding, arrived there to an announcement that the Victoria Line had minor delays. Not too bad, it seemed - although I just missed one, there was another right along. And when I disembarked, I strolled happily to the theatre, confident that - for once - I was in time. Hell, the Man with the Hat even remarked on how early I was..!

I was even in time to chat briefly to my co-attendees.. when did that last happen? Anyhoo, after a bit we made our way (all the way) upstairs, and took seats - I ended up front row centre (seating being unassigned, as usual). All the better to read the large screen, which had the show title projected on it. And there was a stool. And that was it.

It started a few minutes late - is there a show in London that doesn't? And then our star appeared. As previously mentioned, I didn't know what to expect - I didn't expect what I got, for sure. Luke Wright comes on like a hurricane, machine-gunning words at the audience in what seems like stream-of-consciousness, but obviously isn't. And tells us the story of Johnny Bevan, a staunch believer in New Labour, in front of a changing backdrop of images, projected on the screen.

It occurred to me that this is the third thing in a row I've been to that is word-based: first, storytelling, then a performance of Battlefield, which owed more to storytelling than to play writing. Now, a passionate description of shattered hopes, fired at us in verse, practically nonstop for an hour or so. The closest reference I had to it was Lose Yourself.. he was electrifying as he prowled the stage, I couldn't take my eyes from him. And sitting in the front row, you'd better prepare to be shouted over..!

Loved it. Seriously impressed - bought the book, for a tenner, on the way out. Runs till the 12th - go see! Most exciting thing I've seen in a long time.. pretty full, especially for a Monday - booking might be advisable for weekends.

Afterwards, we repaired - as usual - to the upstairs of The Nellie Dean, where we commandeered the sofa in the corner and drank and talked until we were done drinking and talking. Well, it was a Monday, I guess.. we didn't stay very late.

Tomorrow is film again.. the ICA (haven't been there in a while!) is showing the BAFTA-nominated shorts. One of them - Prologue - won the Oscar for best animated short.. was going to go to those, but they sold out some time this afternoon / evening! Ah well.. Instead, I'm heading to Deadpool. My local cinema, and a nice, late showing so I can get free parking. Looks like fun! On Wednesday, I'm headed to the Chinese Lantern festival at Chiswick House.. hope I can find my camera.

Thursday should've been London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) - I actually do have a ticket for Hangmen, at the National, which they're going to. But the organiser went into such a sulk over me getting my own ticket for that - honestly, I must've got the last ticket that was cheaper than what she had - which blossomed into a full-blown row over my blog, and posting links to ticket resellers in it.. So she banned me from linking to my blog on her pages, and frankly, when the Man with the Hat advertised The Young Visiters, at the Tabard (with his other group, London for Less Than a Tenner).. I booked that, and am going to that instead. I'd much rather. Pity my other ticket will go to waste, but what the hey. Only thing is, I'm driving from Guildford again, and have to stay a bit later that day.. pray to the Traffic Gods!

Friday and Saturday are LDAM again. On Friday, I'm going with them to The Mother, starring Gina McKee, at The Tricycle.. and on Saturday, to Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, at the National. For the latter, I didn't get my ticket with them - but that's acceptable to her, since her tickets were sold out at the time. So I'm semi-officially going with them. Ironically, they do now have a ticket available, and a better - and cheaper - one than I have. Ah well.

On Sunday, none of my Meetup groups had anything interesting, so I'm piggybacking on an event of the Russians in London group - I don't really want to join the group, but the balalaika concert at Rossotrudnichestvo in Kensington sounds interesting, so I'm going to that solo. On Monday, I'm back with LDAM, for a performance of Uncle Vanya, at the Almeida - their second trip, and a Q&A after.

On Tuesday of next week, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, for a comedy night for a change, at the Star of Kings. Wednesday of next week, I'm headed to a Trans-Siberian March Band concert at Rich Mix, with the London European Club - again, I was interested in going with LDAM that night, but they're going to the St. James Theatre, whose legroom is a bit tight for me; I did ask whether she had any aisle seats, and she said she'd get back to me, but never did. What the hey, Miss Atomic Bomb didn't sound great anyway.

On Thursday of next week, I'm back at Rich Mix for a concert by Iness Mezel. - I've signed up for that jointly with London European Club and the World Music Meetup. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again, followed by the Crick Crack Club on the 14th, who are back at Soho Theatre for an evening of storytelling entitled UniVerse - as ever with these, booking essential; they always sell out. On the 15th, I'm with Let's Do London - for Less! again, as they head to Cyrano de Bergerac at Southwark Playhouse - another of the Man with the Hat's preferred venues, and another good one.

On the 16th, I got a cheap ticket to a concert by the Coppell High School Band, at the Central Hall, Westminster. A new venue for me! Cool, I do like to keep discovering them. On the 17th, Kensington Classical Music is off to a concert by the Trio Isimsiz - you had to get your own ticket, though, then pay extra to join the group at the concert. Huh. I'll avoid them, and the extra charge - have to be discreet though, I believe it's a small room! It's at the 1901 Arts Club - another first for me.

On the 18th, I'm joining Spooky London for their monthly spooky pub night! Wherever it is. If I actually go. And on the 19th, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club, for an event entitled Seven Princesses - at Rich Mix, which will be my first event there with them.