So off I schlepped, stopping on the way to get cash from from the handily located ATM on Short's Gardens - Top Secret charge for card payments under a certain amount. As I turned into Drury Lane, I gave a small start - with no scaffolding around the entrance any more, I hardly recognised Top Secret! Anyway, got my hand stamped - the poor guy on reception seemed new, and it took him a moment to locate the list of Meetup participants - got my drink, had a wee chat with the Man with the Hat, got a seat in the third row.
Oh my God, it was good to be with friendly faces again! I missed them, y'know.. Anyway, the place really filled up for this first show, with Luisa Omeilan - as the MC was careful to point out in his introduction, we were the placenta (!) for the embryo of her show for Edinburgh. I've never seen her for such an extended show before - and whoo, it's exhausting! Now, the girl is hilarious - and clever - but it's actually dizzying to see her in action. This new show is to be based on politics - if she can figure out a way to make it funny. Jeez, I'd love to see the finished article - and hope she manages it, that would be a great combo! She passed around a jug for donations at the end, but it didn't come my way, or I'd have given..
And so into the show proper - there wasn't much space for latecomers, and I believe they opened the area upstairs as well. Paul Sweeney was first up - an odd fish, but he grew on me. Followed by Heidi Regan, an Aussie who read us a poem. First break saw everyone around me disappear to the bar, and stay there for the duration.. I should do that in future, apparently it's much quieter back there. Not that I'm dissing the soundtrack, which is excellent - just quite loud. Louder still as they replaced one of the speakers to the side, and were trying to adjust the volume..
Second section - and Luisa was back! I guess she figured her preview stint hadn't gone so well, so she reprised it in a shorter version for us now, as high-speed as ever. George Lewis finished that bit, and we had another break. And for the final section, we had Grainne (pronounced Grawnye) Maguire - really, really nervous, and maybe trying a bit hard - whose material was good, if a bit hastily delivered. The show ended with Tom Lucy. Never seen him before - and I don't know what it is, but there is something very funny about this guy. Nothing particularly striking about his material - it's all in the delivery, and it was compelling. Would love to see him again.
Afterwards, a small group of us headed up the road to the White Hart (tricky to assemble, given that they don't allow crowds to gather outside Top Secret any more) and after the Man with the Hat had performed his shepherding duties, he joined us. Where he started singing the praises of Tom Lucy.. who turned out be sitting at the table next to us! :-) And a good old chat was had, following which I strolled home.
Tonight, the Man with the Hat is back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less! This'll be the last night for a while I can walk to the venue - last night scheduled with him this month!
Tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..
Saturday, 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 (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). 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!
Next 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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