Arriving at Clapham Junction station, I saw the next train to Waterloo was in 1 minute - impossible, I wouldn't make that unless I were already on the platform! The next was in 3 minutes - from Platform 3, which was right beside me. Great - I went there. As that train pulled in, however, so did a nonstop one on the adjacent platform - so that was the one I took. Exiting the station, turn right and you can already see the Old Vic at the crossroads.
A few road crossings later, and I was in the chaotic lobby. Now, the Meetup instruction had said that, after 6:50, our tickets would be left at the box office, under our names, if we hadn't collected them. It was after 7:00 by now, so - not seeing the organiser - I went straight there. Queued, only to be told that no tickets had been handed in, and to come back at 20 past (the play was to start at half past) if I still hadn't got my ticket. Texted the organiser, rather perplexed (good job my failing phone battery held out) - she texted me back to say she was by the stairs (which ones?! There were three sets).
I couldn't see her - finally, she saw me and gave me my ticket. She told me our seats were on different levels, and two others had gone to the downstairs bar - I decided to go upstairs, since that was where my seat was, and she said she'd head that way too - after she'd left the tickets at the box office. Well, I didn't see her again - I went upstairs, got myself a drink, and was eventually joined by another of the group. After we chatted briefly, he went off for a drink, and I took my seat.
Gotta say, it was a good seat - fine view, comfy too. The rear seating is a bit far from the stage, but all in all, recommendable. What you can see on stage is meant to represent a rooftop, which slides up once the play starts - rather like that of a doll's house - to display an attic room within. Almost as messy as mine (but with more space!), this room provides the scene for the whole play.
Timothy Spall plays a homeless man, brought in by the kindly soul that lives in this room. And he does an excellent turn, too - very watchable. Unfortunately, he was the only thing I found watchable about this production. From the start, for me, it just.. dragged. And dragged. I wasn't the only one - the couple beside me left at the first interval (of two). I was dubious myself by this time, but since a new character had just been introduced, I decided to stay and see how it panned out.
I didn't see anyone I knew at the interval, so spent most of it in my seat - entertained for a while by peeking over the shoulder of the woman in front of me, who was sketching the set. Wish I could draw.. The second act revealed the new character to be plainly nasty.. during the second interval, by which stage I was even less enthralled than before, I checked online (miraculously, my phone was still working) to see what the ending of the play would be - funnily enough, it said that the best way to approach this play was not to take it too seriously, but to mix the serious elements with the funny ones. Therein lay my problem, I think - I simply didn't find one funny thing in this play. And one of the more annoying things in life is when you simply don't find something funny, but those around you do - well, those behind me were laughing at everything! Interestingly, those in front of me - like me - weren't laughing at all. Maybe the further away you sat, the funnier it was..?
I didn't think I'd enjoy the end of the play, so I cut my losses and left - after posting an explanatory message on the Meetup page. Runs until 14 May, if you're interested. Made my way back to Waterloo, where the main departure board said the next train to Clapham Junction was from Platform 11, at 21:45. Touched in, went onto the platform.. the departure board on the platform, which I hadn't been able to see from the concourse, said the first stop was Woking! Well, I didn't want to risk going all the way out there, and the train was on the verge of departure - so I touched out again to check the main departure board. Now the next departure to Clapham Junction was a different train - this one's platform departure board agreed that it stopped there, and I got home eventually.
Bet my Oyster card's been double-charged, though - I was checking it just now, and saw no fewer than two "incomplete" journeys that I had no idea there was a quibble over! My card wasn't properly read. And I've been denied a refund on one of them - system error, they should see from my journey details that I didn't travel through Zone 1, so should be charged less - now I have to go to the trouble of ringing them to point this out. Need to keep an eye on these people..
Meanwhile, I posted a review on the Meetup page - the one I'm not allowed to link to this blog from. I explained why I'd left early - and got a reply from the scatty organiser, to say how that had solved the mystery of why they couldn't find me at the end! Huh - missed my message, I suppose.
Bah humbug. Well, I have higher hopes for tomorrow.. I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! (yay..) for The Fifth Column, at Southwark Playhouse. Love the group, love the venue, love Hemingway - and when Helen heard, she was tempted enough to come too. So that'll be a fun day out.. she'll come early, and the weather's promised nice. We have vague plans to get lunch, then head to an exhibition at 2 Temple Place, before heading to the play. Which, by the way, has had bad reviews - most notably in the Standard, on Wednesday. But what they hey, I couldn't possibly dislike it more than tonight's!
I'm quite organised with my films for once, and on Sunday I'm finally heading to see Spotlight - the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the child sex abuse scandal in the local diocese. Stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber. Mind you, literally the only showing that day in London is in a place called Olympic Studios: a first for me. Hey, at least it's on my side of town!
On Monday, I'm off to see War of the Worlds, at the Dominion Theatre - got a Timeout offer for a restricted view seat, which looks ok. Stars Liam Neeson - on a screen. Should be fun..
On Tuesday, I got a cheap ticket to Orpheus Sonfonia Principals - a concert at Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair. Another new venue for me..
On Wednesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup - another concert at Sands Film Studios. Great venue, diverse artists - this time, it's a Zambian performer called Namvula. Great, too, that it's so much handier to get there from where I am now!
On Thursday, my second film of the week is gonna be 10 Cloverfield Lane - in my local Cineworld, so already booked, 'coz that's cheaper. Sounds interesting - SciFi thriller, in which a woman wakes from a car crash to find herself in an underground bunker, with two men (one being John Goodman) who say they can't leave, because there's been some kind of apocalypse. Produced by JJ Abrams, so bound to be entertaining - and, of course, highly rated to come at the top of my film list. I booked the later showing, for the free car parking (after 7) - which is just as well, as it turns out I have to stay late in Guildford that day.
I can afford to be out a bit later than usual, since I'll be working from home next Friday - flying back to Ireland for a long weekend, actually: for cheaper flights, again. That Saturday, my mother and I are off to see the Three Tenors, at the University Concert Hall - she's a big fan. Not flying back until the Monday - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.
I am with the London European Club on the next day, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting.
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