TNT Comedy

Ah, Valentine's Day. Rarely have I had a more unpredictable one - first, I had booked burlesque, but frankly decided that Leytonstone was just too far out - Funzing, so could cancel 48 hours in advance and get my money back. So then I booked a Funzing talk on Brexit Vs. Trump. Then that got booted to next month. Then I booked myself on a guided walk - Walk About London (and Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts) was going on a walk called My Bloody Valentine. But it's all change - over the weekend, both walks were cancelled, as the guide has, apparently, lost her voice! So I swapped my walk for comedy (again!) - I went to TNT Comedy, it's closer to me now than the free comedy in Hammersmith.

A little delayed, but I was still in plenty of time - from the office, the 134 took me to within walking distance of The Vine. Some evidence of Valentine's Day.. one guy on the bus with a bouquet of flowers, one writing a card for "Cathy xx". A puddle of vomit at the bus stop, which I accidentally avoided. A longer walk than I might have expected to the pub, where I ordered a drink.. and got the most fabulous welcome from the organiser! Turned out she was standing right beside me - I hadn't noticed her - and fair play to her for recognising me, it was only my second time, and it's been a while.

Anyway, it was now nearly 8, and I headed straight up. They now have little direction signs to the little room at the end of the hall, which is a good thing. And just as well I went when I did - there were hardly any seats left. Not that that stopped people arriving - the organisers just kept coming with extra chairs and stools, cramming them in wherever, and people squeezed in where they could. We later learned that 18 comedians were scheduled to perform, so if you count them and their friends, that alone would explain much of the audience.

I've gotta say, there's a great atmosphere there, very supportive to the performers, many of whom are obvious newbies. Which is just as well, because I'm afraid the comedy last night was almost universally awful. Fair play to them for making an effort, but oh dear.. of course, I can't even tell you who was on, because the mc had an annoying habit of getting people whooping and cheering before telling us whom we were cheering for. So I usually missed the name. Kudos to the comic who had his printed on his cap - Seemi Ceeda. His set, mind you, was a controversial one, focusing primarily on domestic abuse. Other memorable acts included the middle-aged guy called Andy (something), who mentioned Meetup, and the stand-out act for me for the whole night, the guys who came on at the end of the first half, one carrying the other like a victory parade, then giving us the most surreal set in high-pitched voices. Really hilarious, and the only belly-laughs I had all night.

So anyway, the mc droned on.. I didn't sleep well for the two nights before, and what with the glass of wine, was fairly exhausted, so I stayed in my seat at the interval. The poor organiser remarked, as I was leaving, that she had lost track of me! The second half was more to be endured than enjoyed, the odd flash of funniness breaking through. But hey, as I say, the atmosphere is good, and I'm happy to give it a shot. If I'm otherwise stuck. And the bus home - the C2,this time - saw a couple of couples, the ladies with single flowers, and a conversation between the couple behind me about why he'd bought her a carnation instead of a rose - he swore it wasn't the price..

Finished my excellent book, and had a decent night's sleep, for once. Tonight sees the Man with the Hat back with London for Less Than a Tenner at Top Secret comedy. We have a lot of first-timers tonight - hope some of them fancy a drink after, there's been a shocking lack of that of late. Maybe as the nights get milder - I certainly noticed an improvement in temperatures last night!

Tomorrow, he's taking London for Less Than a Tenner to a concert in St. Martin's, where we have gallery seats. And he's sold out his quota, I see.

Friday, I'm back for free comedy in Hammersmith. Courtesy of London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and London Art Comedy and Culture Lovers.

Saturday, after lunch with Helen - venue TBD - I'm back with London Dramatic Arts for a production of Hamlet, at the Almeida.

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day. I'd booked to go to a free organ recital, with the London European Club, at the Methodist Central Hall. Then the Man with the Hat decides that would be the perfect evening to take Let's Do London - for less! to see the Pop-up Opera, with the Barber of Seville, at Charing Cross Theatre! With a 6pm start, I'll have to rush over from Westminster.. have to make my excuses to the London European Club. My, what a busy life!

Monday is the only day I have free to use my Wowcher before it expires - it's for the Magic Lantern festival.

Tuesday, unusually, London European Club is taking us to some storytelling - up in Cambridge Heath!

Next Wednesday, I'm headed, with LDAM, to The Cherry Orchard, at the Arcola.

Thursday 23, the Crick Crack Club is back at Crouch End, with The Fate We Bring Ourselves - not that you'd know it from their Meetup page! Ben Haggerty standing in for Claire Muireann Murphy, who's having a knee operation, it seems. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Monday 27th, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to Two Man Show at Soho Theatre. I've seen it before, but it's worth seeing again. And so is the group!

Tuesday 28th, Let's Do London - for less! is off to Sleeping Beauty, at the Opera House.

Wednesday 1st March - well lookee that, the same group is off to Roundelay, at Southwark Playhouse. Three in a row for the Man with the Hat - we'll have to carry him off on a stretcher. About time we got back to Southwark though - we've missed it!

Thursday 2nd, I was thinking of free comedy in Hammersmith - this time with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and Random London. But then Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts (and Walking Victorian London) announced a walk called True Spy Stories! So I thought that sounded more interesting, and booked - they're both the same price, this time.

Friday 3rd, again, Crick Crack is telling stories - Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing Metamorphoses at Rich Mix. However, the Rich Mix website doesn't seem to have heard of this.. The independent Crick Crack Club website now has a link to buy tickets from Rich Mix though, and at the moment they're being sold at a discounted preview price. And now that the link is available, their Meetup group is advertising it too.

Saturday 4th, Let's Do London - for less! is back to see Sleeping Beauty - and so am I. Honestly, this was a mistake on my part - I was booking a lot at the time and forgot I was already going - but hell, I'd rather be doing this anyway than not. Amphiteatre, this time - it's been a while since I was there.

Sunday 5th, London for Less Than a Tenner is advertising "Soho: the Roots of the Swinging Sixties - guided walk"! Now, this confused me, before I read deeper.. I do recall the Man With the Hat saying that, while he was interested in guided walks, he wasn't interested in actually guiding them. Turns out someone else is doing the actual guiding.. Anyway, count me in.

Monday 6th, I'm off to see Russell Howard at the Albert Hall.

Tuesday 7th, jeez, the Man with the Hat is back again! Hard to keep up these days - so as of yesterday, I'm going with Let's Do London - for less! to The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse.

Wednesday 8th, I finally get to go to something with the Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - not a book discussion this time, instead they're off to a play called The Machine Stops, at Jacksons Lane Theatre. Suitably post-apocalyptic. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

Monday 13th, I'm with LDAM at the Royal Court, for The Kid Stays in the Picture.

And to complete the tally of a month from now (!), that rescheduled talk from last night is on Tuesday 14th. Unless I decide to go to a film instead - as previously mentioned, I can get my money back if I cancel at least 48 hours in advance.