So, the last two days were Man with the Hat days. And on Tuesday, he took both his groups - London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to Soho Theatre, to see a play called Underneath. Borderline ticket price, you see, at £10. Well now, Man with the Hat.. Soho Theatre.. no decisions required, I booked. It was only afterwards that I noticed it was a Fishamble production - well, I've seen them several times, and they're always excellent.
It was only on Tuesday itself that I realised what a problem it would've been, had I still been working in Guildford - it was a 7 o'clock start, and Soho Theatre ain't that quick to get to. Fortunately, I'm unlikely ever to go to Guildford again, and I set out in decent time from home. Took the bus(es), even! Arrived at the theatre at just gone 6.20, when he'd said he'd arrive. Of course, there was already a crowd at the tables he'd booked, and the poor man had to vacate his seat to give me one..
And they kept flooding in - I seem to recall he said he had 60 coming to this. Anyhoo, I got a drink, and the chat was good. And just before we headed up, a charming fellow came over and, beaming, asked whether one of us wouldn't mind putting our hand between our legs.. (!) and retrieving his mobile phone charger. I'd wondered whose phone that was.. hey, only in Soho, eh?
Climbed all the stairs, and filed in. I spotted a pile of free leaflets by the door - you could also buy something that looked bulky enough to be a playtext. I didn't bother. The place was already pretty full, but we found seats together, middle-ish, certainly not in the front row, where we'd been warned there might be interaction. And as I looked at what I'd picked up, I thought the actor looked familiar.. sure enough, he was in a play here called Silent, which we saw last year. Writer and actor for both, and both produced by Fishamble.. now, this augured well, as I remembered good things about it.
An ornately decorated stage, gold fabrics draped round about. Otherwise jet black. One of our group asked about the single "reserved" sign on a seat in the row in front of us - turned out it was for someone who'd already got another seat, so our man could sit there: as we were told by the woman who was to sign the whole performance, stood over the side with a spotlight on her.
Pat Kinevane, the writer/actor, was actually already hiding on stage, dressed in black, visible parts painted black as well. Sneaky fellow. Always surprising - I remember the audience interaction from the last show, which was gentle - chatty rather than confrontational. Ah sure, what else would you expect from a fellow from Cobh? Talk the hind legs off a donkey, those Corkonians. Caveat, anyone who wants to sit in the front row.. and God help you if you arrive late, as one Veronica discovered! Or if your phone should go off.. you have been warned.
So this time, he was portraying a dead woman. Eh, fine so. Started out all gossipy - very Cré na Cille. (S)he paid due attention to the lady signing over the side, whom (s)he called "Helicopter Mary" for the way her hands were flying around. And as the play progressed, she gradually told us her own story, culminating in how she came to be there - a sad tale, but one absolutely crammed with sharply honed (and hilarious) observations about society around her. I particularly liked the bit where she described how she collected RTÉ Guides, keeping them in a pile that she used to sit on: as she said, "RTÉ - supporting my arse".
Terrific stuff, an engrossing, 90-minute tour de force. No interval - we were a bit numb after spending that long on the folding chairs. Runs until a week on Saturday - as highly recommended as I always will for this actor/writer, and this theatre company. Go, be surprised.
Now, the Man with the Hat had presented us with a few possibilities for the pub afterwards. Bless, he's (quite naturally) struggling with December crowds. We usually meet in the lobby bar to decide, but on Tuesday it was crammed, and with no sign of anyone we knew, we moved outside. Just in time to see him dispatch a small group - to the "local pub" where he'd reserved a couple of tables. For the rest of us, he started zipping around Dean Street, just to check on the crowds - finally, he dispatched us to the nearby Soho Hotel.
Very pretty - sorry, my phone was off and I don't have any pictures. Anyway, Man with Hat had told us to ask at the desk, and we were duly shown into the Library. Where sofas and chairs were gathered around a square table. And everything was quite white. So there he left us, and we chatted for a bit. And wondered where the service was. Someone suggested we move to the bar, and there was a general consensus - however, when we started to get up, most decided they'd rather just leave, and that's what they did. Just as the guy finally arrived with menus. And when we saw the prices in the bar, we left too..
So finally, it was just down to me and Mary, wandering the streets of Soho. (I feel a song coming on.) Handy the weather's turned milder! Anyway, we fancied a drink, but everywhere was packed.. she mentioned a pub she'd been in, which was good, and was nearby, and we finally meandered over that way. So it was that we came to Waxy O' Connor's - an Irish pub, one I haven't been in (well, I don't make a habit of checking them out..)
London's biggest Irish bar, they claim on the website - and I am inclined to believe them. Four floors that I could see - one upstairs, the ground floor, mezzanine, and basement. And a massive tree in the middle - although that's not the only quirk in this labyrinthine place:
The wine glasses are small, but reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is good. We found a quiet corner (!) and chatted away for a bit before wending our way home. I couldn't blog though, as I had to be up next morning for an interview in Kingston..
Well, I won't go into the particulars, except to say that I didn't have time for breakfast beforehand and after being grilled most of the morning, I was starved! Sadly, Kingston isn't terribly well served for restaurants - there was a Jamie's Italian (never again!), a Zizzi's (ditto), a Pizza Express (didn't really feel like pizza) and a few ethnic restaurants. I was figuring I'd have to go home to find food, when I came across The Rotunda, just across from the station. It had eateries, and I said I'd have a look.
Ground floor, what should I come across but The Hungry Horse. Never seen one before, but it seemed to fit the bill, and I went in and found a table - I could see people ordering food at the bar. Perused the menu - fantastic value! Portions were advertised as large (they have smaller ones for those that want), and I chose and went up to order - somehow, between deciding and ordering, the chicken I'd decided to have turned into a sirloin. Anyway, the thing comes with chips, peas, onion rings, a flat mushroom, and half a tomato - and still she asked whether I wanted sides..! I did order a sauce, at £1.49 extra - but with the sirloin only costing £11.99 on top of that, I figured I could spare it. When I ordered a large glass of house wine, she mentioned that it would cost £3.19, whereas the whole bottle only cost £5. Eh, ok then.. and it mightn't have been the best vintage, but it was perfectly good - screwtop, so I could bring home what I didn't drink.
I really liked this place - easy and unpretentious, with various sports playing on screens dotted about. Including smaller ones in some of the booths. Service was quick and friendly, and the food was tasty. Just a shame I didn't have room for dessert. Popping the mostly empty wine bottle in my bag, I staggered over to the station and home, where I managed to get it in the fridge before collapsing on the bed, where I immediately fell asleep, for most of the afternoon. Tiring work, this interviewing.
When I woke, it was past 6. O hell, I had to get ready - the Man with the Hat was taking London for Less Than a Tenner to the Pop-Up Cinema in Hackney.. and I didn't even know where, exactly. Changed, looked up directions - ooh err, regardless how I went it was going to take me over an hour. Best option seemed the Overground to Dalston Junction (a trek in itself), then a 15-minute walk. And now it was looking like the 7 o' clock Overground..
I made it, after a bit of a gallop - with Overgrounds only about every 15 minutes, I'd probably have been late if I'd had to wait for the next one! (The film started at 8.30.) Walked a long way down before I got a seat - but I was going to be travelling the whole length of the route, and a seat was important. Thus began a long, long trip.. during which I was checking my journey details. Naturally, when I finally got off, the first thing I did was get lost coming out of the station - although I needed Kingsland Road, taking the exit for it wasn't the best idea.
Got cash on the way - I'd have got it at home, but hadn't had time, and I was afraid the venue bar mightn't take cards. Anyway, my trusty maps app made sure I didn't get lost from then on, and I eventually made my way to Hackney Downs Studios. Where, thankfully, a big red sign advertised "Cinema in the Snow". And our trusty organiser had given us good directions for the venue itself - through the car park, doors on the left with "Welcome" over them. Gave my name to the people at the door, who crossed me off the list - and it looked like mine was the last name. It was about 8.20, now.
Made for the bar, where I ran into one of the group, who told me he'd spent 45 minutes looking for the place! Well, as Mary was to say later, we were in foreign territory now.. back to my perusal of the list, and specifically the hot chocolate options: "Naked" (just hot chocolate), "Fun" (with cream and a Flake), "Frolicking" (with a shot), and "Fun & Frolicking" (with all of the above). Good value, in comparison with Winter Wonderland on Monday - the shot was only 50p extra, and only £4 for the whole shebang! Whiskey, I had in it this time again. And you know what? Piping hot, and much better than the one I got on Monday. Was sampling it when the Man in the (Christmassy) Hat found me, and directed me aright..
First time you go in to the Cinema in the Snow, you're directed to the side.. where you enter through a wardrobe! I, of course, was trying not to get my overfilled hot chocolate and cream on anything - and my bag caught. But my, it was wonderful, stepping out the back into a snowy wonderland, snow falling on the trees. Got some in my hot chocolate, but I think it melted. And when you passed through into the screening room, the floor was ankle-deep in snow, white material decorating the ceiling too. Ahh, it's all just lovely.. I located the others and sat with them, immediately making a couple of them jealous, and off they popped to the bar again.
The film in question - which started slightly late - was Elf. Which I'd never seen, as it happens. So, it opens with Bob Newhart narrating, as "Papa Elf". Who adopts a human baby that makes his way to the North Pole, and grows up to be Will Ferrell. Only he's a bit taller than the other elves, and not fitting in, so eventually he must be told the truth, and makes his way to New York to meet his father (James Caan), now married to Mary Steenburgen. He falls in love with Zooey Deschanel, and saves the day for Santa (Ed Asner).
And it's lovely. Will Ferrell plays a convincing elf, if that's Zooey Deschanel's real voice then she can really sing, and it's just lovely and festive, and heartwarming. Perfect Christmas fare, and I was delighted I came - would've come before, and would again, but my schedule wouldn't permit..
Afterwards, drinks were on the cards. The Man in the (festive) Hat waved us up the road.. which we waited at the top of, in confusion. Turns out that building beside us was a pub, which was where he'd been directing us. Called the Hand of Glory, of all things. Inside, the décor is as distinctive as the name:
Apparently, it's all to do with British folklore, and wicca. My, what they get up to in the wilds of Hackney.. nice, though, that they take cards. Very obviously - the one time I had cash, and she kept thrusting a card machine at me. A couple of my companions were very impressed with the old-style glass tankards they were served in..
Afterwards, took the bus with Mary back to Waterloo, and then another home. Had to go straight to bed, for another flipping job-related phone call this morning! And so no blog. Ironically, as I was looking up the website for this job, I discovered the damn thing is based in Surrey - however I missed it. So that was a short phone call then.
Nothing much on Meetup today, and I'm headed to the pictures. Top of the list is actually a Turkish film called The Mountain II, which is an army thing. And, to be fair, the trailer looks quite good - but it's only on in the Odeon Lee Valley, and it doesn't look good enough to be traipsing all the way out there! No, instead I'll head to One More Time with Feeling, a documentary about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Picturehouse Central, much handier.
After a day off today, the Man with the Hat is back on duty tomorrow - taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Opera House for Manon Lescaut. Rumours of a Top Hat seem to have been premature..
On Saturday, I'm busily avoiding London Dramatic Arts, at a production of Art at the Old Vic. Got myself a carefully chosen, cheap ticket upstairs, y'see. And they don't like people doing that, y'see.
And on Sunday, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see!
No comments:
Post a Comment