Google Maps predicted I'd need all of 11 minutes to walk there from the office. I left a little extra time, of course, but was still rushing - oh, my poor ankles! And oh, how I cursed the school groups, and the tourists, and the crowds clustered outside pubs, as I wended my way around them and through the maze of streets of the West End. It didn't help that Google Maps was sending me down a non-existent alley - never mind, I made the theatre pretty much on the dot, and of course they always do start late.
Obligatory bag check outside, even though I'd only brought a teeny weeny evening bag - "Oh, what a lovely little bag!", she exclaimed, taking a cursory look inside. Still had to go through the palaver, of course. A quick stop at the box office to get my ticket - they don't mind too much about id checks when you're pushing the limit of punctuality - and up the stairs. Was just looking for the way up to the Grand Circle when an usher hailed me, and told me to come over to him. I was hoping for an upgrade.. yep! One level lower, so fewer steps, yay.. I ended up in the Dress Circle - an aisle seat, although legroom was fine anyway - and I don't know what the official price was on this last night of previews, but as of tomorrow, that seat costs £52. And that level was only half full..
I had time enough to settle myself nicely before we began - no need for applause, it was provided for us! The show opens with a young(-ish) writer receiving an award, named for an older mentor; most of the rest of the story is told as a flashback to when they stayed at the same villa, as part of a mentoring programme, the older writer (F. Murray Abraham) giving guidance to the younger. But in a play about writers (written, of course, by another writer), how can we be sure how much to believe of the story we're being spun..?
Fabulously witty, frequently hilarious. I loved this. A lovely couple of scenes illustrate how both youth and age can be obnoxious, demanding and throwing hissy fits, and a hapless employee is made to dance attendance to the side, patently not part of the great circle of Artists. And as the story progresses, we become unsure what the purpose of the story even is. The twist in the tale..? Absolutely delicious. Yes, definitely recommended - runs until 2 September: but do shop around for tickets.
No interval - love that, although I bet the theatres don't, with less chance to sell us things. Nice and swiftly out, and didn't run into anyone I knew. Some bemusement on the way back, as Google Maps was sending me down non-existent alleys again - but despite still having to steer around crowds of people, it was a more relaxed trip. Still nice and warm out, too.
Tomorrow, I cancelled more free comedy in Hammersmith (Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, London Live Comedy, and Discover LDN.UK) for another Funzing talk - The Psychology of Dreams. As advertised by London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. (As ever, WELLBEING30 was still giving 30% off most talks, last I looked.)
On Wednesday, back with the London European Club, for a concert of Greek music at Sands Films. Looking forward to that - I love the venue, but haven't fancied the last couple of concerts they've had there.
On Thursday, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. And it's that day. For the whole day, they're at it. And last Monday, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I've suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too. Helen has suggested we get last-minute, half-price, day tickets for Death of a Salesman at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on Friday - sounds like a plan!
Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on Saturday and Sunday. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.
Next Monday, nothing had been appealing - until I tried the app again, and came across a Meetup group called, attractively, Let's Do This! Quite new - anyway, they have organised a trip to see La Voix Humaine, a 40-minute solo opera, performed in English by Opera Up Close. It's in King's Place, which I love. I'd already found it by the time the Man with the Hat took us there, but it was with him I went the last two times: so this'll be bittersweet. Lordy if I didn't then discover that it's co-run by a couple of the Man with the Hat's old members! So of course I'm going. Great to see the Man with the Hat has left a classical legacy - there are very few Meetup groups doing this sort of thing. And at a discount, yet!
The 11th started out with yet more free comedy in Hammersmith - the same five groups. But then Funzing (the same two groups) rocked up and saved me, with a talk on Blitzed - Drugs in Nazi Germany. Has to be better, frankly.
The 12th, I'm currently still looking at free comedy in Greenwich, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London.
The 13th, more of the same - in Hammersmith - with the Famous Five (aforementioned) groups - Discover LDN.UK twice, as before. At least the headliner that night is John Hastings, who's guaranteed to be good - and it's a lovely, small venue to see him in. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 17th, more comedy - for £3.60, this time. Tez Ilyas is performing at the Pleasaunce, and I know he's good - saw him in Top Secret once, for free..
The 18th, the U2 tour continues - I fly to Barcelona that day, to see them that night! One of their crazy, one-night-only appearances, on what is a very limited tour. Turns out I'm seeing them at half of all their European concerts for the year!
I fly back on the 19th, and that night am - provisionally - booked for more free comedy (quelle surprise). Greenwich, the above three groups. There are some interesting Funzing talks that night, but I've already seen them.
The 20th, I booked another Funzing talk (the above two groups). This is a talk about serial killers, as given by a forensic psychologist that works with the police, and who also gives terrific talks about psychopaths. Highly recommended! She's a terrifically engaging speaker, and looks far too young to be working in such a murky area. Unfortunately, now I've had to cancel - turns out that the much-anticipated first Meetup of the Man with the Hat's other ex-members' group, Love London for Less, is happening that night, so of course I'm headed to that - we're going to the Icebar, where I've never been. Should be interesting. Just a pity the only other instance of that talk I'm missing is sold out - I've added myself to the watchlist.
Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend - first to Dublin (from London City airport, a first for me), for U2's (one-and-only!) concert there.. then down to see my mother for a couple of days, flying back on Tuesday. On the Wednesday.. and Thursday.. free comedy!! First Greenwich, then Hammersmith - the usual groups, on both occasions.
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