Play: Uncle Vanya

So, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) was off to see Uncle Vanya last night - their second trip, apparently. At the Almeida, which always has something good. And I booked - can't remember offhand whether they had the cheapest, or the only tickets; must have been one of those for me to book with them. Does happen sometimes. Afterwards, I was delighted to read a glowing review of the play in the Standard..

The Almeida, sadly, is one of those theatres that has always been hard for me to get to, and still is. Well, I got back delightfully early from Guildford, and decided to take the quick route there - train to either Vauxhall or Victoria, Victoria Line to Highbury & Islington. I also had a careful look at Streetview - the walk from the station is long enough that I always feel as though I'm lost by the time I get there.

When I arrived at Clapham Junction Station, several departures were imminent to both Vauxhall and Victoria - I decided on the one leaving in three minutes for Victoria. It was from a platform midway along the station, and I got to the platform just as it did - lovely. No major crowd at Victoria, and after an uncomfortably packed Tube journey, I alighted at Highbury & Islington, and, being early, strolled unhurriedly to the theatre. Just hang a right and keep going to Almeida Street.

Having to pick up my ticket from the organiser meant I didn't have to go to the box office, for once. So I went to the loo, where I finally forgot the paper I'd had since Clapham Junction. Figures, I always do it. Hey-ho. It was now time to meet the organiser.. but she was running late. Ah well. I wandered by the bar, where there was absolutely no-one to serve. So I wandered into the café, where there were no spare tables, and there was a queue.. I had a look at the brownies, but didn't fancy them. I wandered back out and to the little cubicle where they book for future performances, and sell programmes and ice cream. Figured I'd get an ice cream. Sadly, just as I got there, the ice cream lady left, and when the other lady got off the phone, she explained that she couldn't sell ice cream, only programmes. And tickets. So I stood there, for quite a long time, until she said she'd go and fetch the ice cream lady back. And so it was that I got a very nice, if overpriced (as usual) mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I also got a seat in the lobby (miraculously - lobby seating is not something the Almeida does well). And ate my ice cream. And wondered when the organiser would show up. Well, she passed me, rushing to the loo, about 15 minutes late - I was still eating my ice cream, which I finished just after she passed again, on her way back to the café. So when I'd done - and left the empty pot on the bar, as they don't do bins either - I followed her into the café, where she thought I'd just arrived, and said she had been thinking I'd arrive early, and she should text me to hold a table. Heh. Firstly, just because I happened to get there early doesn't mean I can be guaranteed to do so - and hold a table? In this place? I'd like my luck.. as it happened, we did spy a couple of spare seats at one table, and eventually, when the others arrived, I think we just intimidated the other inhabitants of the table into leaving. And so we got our own table, chairs snaffled from round the room. The table wasn't cleared of what the previous occupants had been eating, of course - the Almeida doesn't do service very well, although I did manage to grab someone to serve me a large wine.

I had to quaff it pretty quickly to get it down by showtime - I hadn't thought to get it in plastic, so couldn't take it in. An insipid wine called Bantry Bay, it improved halfway through - as they do. Now, this show is a marathon - 3 hours 20 mins, including three 10-minute intervals. We were pretty dubious about staying for the Q&A afterwards, even though I'm working from home today - considering the length of the journey, it didn't sound feasible. One of our group also remarked that they must've added stuff, because she didn't remember the play being this long.. Anyway, my oddly numbered (00, anyone?) two-person bench seat was comfy enough, and legroom was decent; you could drop your feet into the gap behind the seat in front if need be. And we were off! It occurred to me, as I sat there slightly sozzled from having drunk so much wine so quickly on a pretty empty stomach, that this is quite a good state in which to approach three hours of Chekhov..

The play boasted a number of interesting innovations. First thing I noticed was that the stage was - ever so slowly - revolving! It ended up doing a complete revolution (several times) - which is a great idea, I think, allowing everyone a decent view of all the actors and the set. It also provided distraction in what could have been a tedious play, so long and without much action for most of it - especially as the speed of the revolution varied, stopping entirely when someone had to give a soliloquy. The characters were in modern costume, helping us to identify, and possibly the best of all was the addition of modern music, courtesy of one of the characters on guitar and harmonica.

This was an absolute revelation! Far and away the best production of this play that I've ever seen, and head and shoulders above any other play I've seen so far this year. Uncle Vanya can be a dusty and depressing play, you know, and I've seen it done that way - as depressing for the audience as for the characters. This production breathed new life into it - it was like watching a resurrection! Particular praise came, from our group, for Paul Rhys, who played the title role - but I was enthused by most of the performances, despite a slight lack of proper diction that sometimes made some actors hard to understand.. never mind, the performance was captioned, anyway! (although the actors didn't tend to stick exactly to the script!). And despite the lengthy running time, for me it never dragged.

Runs until the 26th - limited availability. Act quickly if you want to see Uncle Vanya as you never have before! A fantastic production, which allows you to appreciate the depth of the work. I'd have loved to stay for the Q&A, but well.. I came back the same way, it being too late for the Overground - but it occurred to me en route that the same Tube would take me to Vauxhall, which is easier to catch a train from than Victoria.. so that's what I did, arriving home just before midnight.

This evening, I'm back with the Man with the Hat and London for Less Than a Tenner for a comedy night for a change, at the Star of Kings. Tomorrow, 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, but by the time she got back to me, I'd found this other event. What the hey, Miss Atomic Bomb didn't sound great anyway.

On Thursday, 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.. we're off to the final night of the Clare Drama Festival on Saturday, in my old school - followed by the Crick Crack Club on Monday, who are back at Soho Theatre for an evening of storytelling entitled UniVerse - as ever with these, booking essential; they always sell out. On Tuesday, I'm with Let's Do London - for Less! (the Man with the Hat's other group) 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.