Last night, I had my usual placeholder of free comedy in Hammersmith - courtesy of Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Of course - much like Funzing - I usually end up cancelling these, when something better comes up. And lo and behold, it did - Walking Victorian London was off to see Six Islington Squares. Did sound better, so I cancelled the comedy - the walk cost £12, but I wasn't charged on RSVPing. So, when I later got an email from ShowFilmFirst, advertising £2 tickets to a concert - Nancy & Beth - at the Royal Festival Hall.. well, that sounded better again, so I booked that. Stars Megan Mullally, from Will & Grace.
Wow, it's a long time since I booked anything with ShowFilmFirst - but, as I say, Meetup is really quiet these days, and there just wasn't anything great on it. Plus, ShowFilmFirst has been good, on past occasions, for getting to things cheap or for free.. unlike a couple of other groups I'm a member of, which offer cheap tickets, they don't object to being mentioned on social media. So off I schlepped, yesterday evening. I knew I could walk there, but would probably be taking the bus back - it's just a little bit far.
It was a pleasant walk - made much longer by the crowds I had to push through, almost the whole way. And wow, it's a long time since I climbed onto the Golden Jubilee bridge - phew! Lotta steps. Anyway, ShowFilmFirst would like me to arrive by 7, they said, and it was nearly that - I made my way to the box office to pick up my ticket. Now, they'd also said that I should go to the ShowFilmFirst desk at the box office - I couldn't see it initially, but it turned out to be just behind a pillar. With a huge, but fast-moving queue. I soon had my ticket - for the green side. But you know, I just had to head over to the blue side briefly, to see whether the singing lift (the glass one) is still there. Joy, it is..! And when I got off at Level 4, I discovered that I couldn't change back to other other side at that level, and had to go down a level and up again.. but it was worth it.
The house was pretty full, although some near me left during the first half, and some more during the interval. Perhaps they didn't anticipate the musical comedy element. Probably they also didn't care much, if they'd only paid £2. Me, I thought it was really good - not spectacular, but a great way to spend an evening, particularly for what I'd paid. I don't think the full price, minimum of around £30, would have been worth it.
There were some issues with hearing all the words of many of the numbers. Perhaps it was their diction, perhaps it was the mics, perhaps it was just that I was sat in the back of the house - but it did impact on my enjoyment of a show that really depends on catching the words. Still, it was a good show, pleasantly entertaining, and with frequent comedy breaks. This is a funny pair, and worth catching - if you can get a deal on the tickets. This was, they told us, the biggest venue they've played - and, as I say, they got a good crowd. I do wonder, however, how much they got in takings - how many came with ShowFilmFirst, who got free tickets? (The £2 was an admin fee.)
Afterwards, I might have walked, but came out of the building on the wrong side, and decided it was as well to take the bus. Which nearly zoomed on past the stop, and then mounted a kerb while turning a corner in Trafalgar Square - inexperienced driver, or just in a hurry? Anyway, I made it safely, and although the traffic was so bad that I'd have been faster walking, I did have a comfier trip, and it gave me time to check my mails.
I'd also booked comedy tonight, but cancelled it yesterday in favour of going to the cinema (spent all Wednesday doing the list). Friday is always a bad day for arthouse - I'm guessing they figure that Friday night audiences prefer populist stuff. So, would you believe, I deleted the top 40-odd films from my list, because they're not showing today! Top of the list, having jumped to 7.5, is Raw - that's terrific for a horror film rating, and I do feel I have a duty to see this. The newspaper review on Friday described it as something the audience could only watch through their fingers, but said that, for all the gore, they never lost sight of what is a clever plot. Showing only in the Rio tonight, at 6.
Tomorrow, I'm off to see the Naked House Cleaner! Venue to be revealed today.. ooh! And I see it's byob - well, if you insist!
On Sunday, I'm on a walk of Hampstead Village Highlights, with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. Be good exercise, leading up to my own sponsored walk in September, in aid of Cats Protection.. Helen and I are going as Dick Whittington and his cat. She's the cat.
On Monday, a summery treat! The Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players will regale us with Shakespeare-inspired improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long. Better savour this trip - he only has four more events scheduled, three of which I'm going to, with no word on whether he'll continue longterm. And if he doesn't (Heaven forbid!), that'll leave a huge, hat-shaped hole in my life. Plenty of other stuff to go to, but hardly anything I'll look forward to as much as his events.
On Tuesday, London European Club (LEC) - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.
On Wednesday, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger.
On Thursday, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!
Instead, for 1 May, I've booked The Ferryman, with London Dramatic Arts (LDAM), at the Royal Court.
On 2 May, London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction?
On 3 May, London Literary Walks is off around Gloucester Road.
On 4 May, Let's Do London - for less! is off on its last scheduled trip to the opera house - the occasion is Mayerling, my favourite ballet, and is sold out by now, I see. We have tickets in both slips and amphitheatre, as usual.
On 5 May, I'd bought a ticket to Nell Gwynn, at the Globe - then it turned out that LDAM is going on the same night! (Buy Your Own Ticket.) As the organiser said, it must be fate.. it'll certainly be nice to have company. Odd venue for them, though - I know the organiser doesn't like it.
And on 6 May, I'm joining the LEC for a classical concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Oh joy, they're playing Beethoven's 9th..
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