After a decent drinking session in the office, I just left myself with enough time to get there. The 14 bus would take me to South Kensington, and I could walk from there. It'd be quite tight to catch it though - and as I left the building, YES! There it was, arriving at the stop across the road, and me with no way to cross in busy traffic. Having missed it, I figured I'd better play it safe and take the Tube to S Ken instead.
Got there about half an hour before the show's start time, and with a projected 10-minute walk, I figured I'd make it easily. However, with not even GPS working on my phone.. and turned in completely the wrong direction by the map outside the station.. I headed off down the wrong road. Just as well I know the area from having lived there - I made the venue with minutes to spare. And as I trawled the streets, it struck me how very different is the area I'm living in now. Crikey, this part of West London is all massive, expensive-looking, porticoed white houses, and busy roads - I can't remember when I last had to wait so often for the lights to change so I could cross. So many cars, so little life - oh, give me Soho, where the crowds are of pedestrians, there's less pollution (ironically), roads are easier to cross - and where the shops aren't confined to estate agencies and restaurants!
At least, when I did get to the Drayton Ams, I knew to go straight up the stairs to the side, where the guy asked for my name and gave me a seat number - back row, as it happened, right at the top of the steps. So, a good view and great legroom. Pity about the friggin' play.. Oh my God, what unmitigated rubbish. So, this is a remake of Twelfth Night, which starts in a room where they're watching the American presidential election. A cardboard cutout of Trump is made fun of throughout - no apparent connection to the play, but what the hey.
Now, there were those that enjoyed it. However, this is definitely of the Seth Rogen school of playwriting - I'm not a fan, but if beer pong, fart jokes and snickering at sexy girls are your thing, then off you go. Not only that, but heaven help us, they kept the original language - my, how THAT didn't gel. They gabbled most of it - because they didn't understand it, or because it didn't fit.. although I had to chuckle when the guy said he enjoyed masques and revels.. and from his backpack, produced a Venetian mask and - a pack of Revels..
It didn't help that it was way too hot, and I was oh, so relieved when they announced an interval. I legged it out of there pretty sharpish, and found my way back to S Ken much more easily. And just in time for a bus, too! Traffic on the way back was like treacle, but I mused that I'd much rather be stuck on a bus than back in that theatre. Runs until 1 April - you have been warned.
Tomorrow, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!
Sunday.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..
Monday, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less. Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand.. can cancel that far in advance without penalty.
Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..
Wednesday, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!
Got there about half an hour before the show's start time, and with a projected 10-minute walk, I figured I'd make it easily. However, with not even GPS working on my phone.. and turned in completely the wrong direction by the map outside the station.. I headed off down the wrong road. Just as well I know the area from having lived there - I made the venue with minutes to spare. And as I trawled the streets, it struck me how very different is the area I'm living in now. Crikey, this part of West London is all massive, expensive-looking, porticoed white houses, and busy roads - I can't remember when I last had to wait so often for the lights to change so I could cross. So many cars, so little life - oh, give me Soho, where the crowds are of pedestrians, there's less pollution (ironically), roads are easier to cross - and where the shops aren't confined to estate agencies and restaurants!
At least, when I did get to the Drayton Ams, I knew to go straight up the stairs to the side, where the guy asked for my name and gave me a seat number - back row, as it happened, right at the top of the steps. So, a good view and great legroom. Pity about the friggin' play.. Oh my God, what unmitigated rubbish. So, this is a remake of Twelfth Night, which starts in a room where they're watching the American presidential election. A cardboard cutout of Trump is made fun of throughout - no apparent connection to the play, but what the hey.
Now, there were those that enjoyed it. However, this is definitely of the Seth Rogen school of playwriting - I'm not a fan, but if beer pong, fart jokes and snickering at sexy girls are your thing, then off you go. Not only that, but heaven help us, they kept the original language - my, how THAT didn't gel. They gabbled most of it - because they didn't understand it, or because it didn't fit.. although I had to chuckle when the guy said he enjoyed masques and revels.. and from his backpack, produced a Venetian mask and - a pack of Revels..
It didn't help that it was way too hot, and I was oh, so relieved when they announced an interval. I legged it out of there pretty sharpish, and found my way back to S Ken much more easily. And just in time for a bus, too! Traffic on the way back was like treacle, but I mused that I'd much rather be stuck on a bus than back in that theatre. Runs until 1 April - you have been warned.
Tomorrow, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!
Sunday.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..
Monday, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less. Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand.. can cancel that far in advance without penalty.
Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..
Wednesday, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!
Thursday was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And then, wouldn't you know it, Henning from the LEC advertised.. Hypnosis - Altering Consciousness! With Pint of Science. (What is it about that day and hypnosis?!) Anyway, I do enjoy events with Henning, and as I say, I can cancel Funzing up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. So I did, and booked the other instead. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..
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