The original idea for last night was to join Henning, from the London European Club, at one of those early-evening talks, on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts was headed to The Mountaintop, at The Young Vic. So I booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
Arrived in good time - the show was at 7:45, and she'd arranged to meet us at the upstairs bar from 7. I arrived a bit before that, and ordered a glass of wine - without a table, I didn't feel comfortable ordering food, although, being in Guildford that day, I hadn't eaten, and was hungry. Happily, someone else from the group spotted me, and we managed to bag a table - whereupon I hastened to the bar, deciding that tapas was the best option. They have an offer of £4 each, or five for £16.50. I chose five that I liked the sound of, and resumed my seat - where we were eventually joined by the organiser. About 20 minutes late. Gosh, and I'd thought she'd reformed her ways, after having been early the past couple of times. Huh. Anyway, there were a few more, and when the food arrived, I shared it around; there was a general consensus that, of what I'd ordered, the winners were the calamari, and the sausage pieces in tomato sauce.
They waited for me to finish - this was my dinner, after all - and we headed downstairs. This show isn't in the main space, but you'd think I'd have noticed the sign for it, painted on the wall - well, I did eventually, and we were led into a really small venue, where - with unassigned seating - a couple of us got the front row, and the rest headed a bit further back. This isn't a large theatre though, and the view is just fine from everywhere. Comfy bench seating, too.
You're faced with a hotel room from the 60s - a couple of beds, a curtain suggesting a window, a simple dresser and side table, as from the 60s. In due course, a weary Martin Luther King enters, kicking off his shoes after a hard day, and remarking at his smelly feet. Complains he doesn't have a decent cigarette, orders room service - with some difficulty - to deliver him a cup of coffee. Cue the only other character in the play, the sassy black maid who brings the coffee. And much more than that..
It'd be a sin, surely, to give the rest of the plot away. Suffice to say that the Olivier award that this play won was well deserved. The writing is gorgeous, both characters delivering stunning speeches, when roused. The casting is absolutely perfect, King's character in particular being quite believable. And the plot.. has quite a twist. The night before, the play I was at wasn't so great - this was, and I was delighted I'd caught it. Utterly entertaining, utterly engrossing. 90 minutes without interval - which gives you back your evening. And watch out for the stream-of-consciousness at the end, where we see a "flash-forward" of black American history, up to the present day. Recommended! Runs until 29th.
Afterwards, we nabbed the same table in the upstairs bar, and ordered more tapas - more of the good stuff, this time. And the conversation flowed freely, so that we stayed far too late - certainly for the likes of me, who had the misfortune to be in Guildford again today. I tell you, I'll be glad to quit that place. Ugh.
Tonight, Henning was at it again! There was a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Mind you, I was worried about getting there on time, and anyway, decided I'd prefer a film. My plans changed completely, though, when the World Music Meetup advertised, at the last minute, a concert by a Palestinian artist at a new venue to me - The Tabernacle. I had a listen on YouTube, she sounded good - I booked. The place was going to be awkward to get to, mind, needing two buses.. well, I got home in time to manage that, and took the 344 to Battersea Medical Centre. Traffic had been slow, and as I got off to catch another bus, I saw an accident across the road, the public kept away by official police tape. Cars, buses - looked to have been major. Anyway, I was glad I hadn't had to stay on the bus through it - but gee, my second bus never arrived at all, and when my maps app said I'd be about another hour getting there, on the bus which was supposed to be approaching but wasn't - well, I said sod it, I can be doing stuff at home. Like eating. And blogging. And getting an early night, for once. Honestly, I need a rest!
Tomorrow, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups - Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner - to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
And on Saturday, I was supposed to be going on another of those ghost walks - this time, it's London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks. However, up popped LDAM with a last-minute ticket to The Man of Good Hope, at the Young Vic again. Sounds interesting, all about a man that hikes through Africa - and goodness knows, I can go on a ghost walk any time..
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