So, I had a lovely, relaxed day - washed my hair, ate, even had time for a nap before I set out. And it was a lovely day for it - warm and sunny. I headed out in good time, caught an early bus, which dropped me just down the road from the theatre, walked around the corner - passing Thyme and Lemon on the way. And although I was about five minutes earlier than she'd said she'd be, for once, there she was - to be fair, she had been with whoever else went to the restaurant, of course, and they hardly had far to come! And I got a nice surprise when she gave me my ticket - the "rear stalls" had suddenly become the "front side stalls". Much better! I see she charged a £4 markup on face value - but as I recall, this performance was completely sold out when I checked, so I'm fine with that.
Wasn't long before we went in. Now, neither of the group members I was sitting with were any more clued-up on what this was about than was I, in advance. The set opens with something that looks like a forensics tent, people in anti-contamination suits and masks coming and going, the front of the stage cordoned off by a police tape. In front of the stage is a small table, with flowers, teddy bears, a lit candle - the sort of thing you leave in memoriam. Shortly, a tv is wheeled on, showing news footage of a school shooting. So that explains that.
Enter Ben Whishaw. A helpful surtitle screen keeps flashing up the different locations, and we meet him in a "rocket factory", where he's having an intense conversation with a woman who works with him. We learn that he's a multimillionaire inventor and scientist - think Bill Gates. He tells her he's been getting messages from God, and the upshot is, he is to "go where there's violence". The rest of the play concerns his mission to go to places where dreadful things have happened, and try to heal the communities. He starts a website, tries to foster communication. Oh, and a watch that wasn't working suddenly starts to work around him! So far, so messianic. (And I bet, if you try to guess what happens to him in the end, you won't be far off - I got it in one.)
But don't worry, it's not all happy-clappy preaching. It's much cleverer than that - and left us all agreeing at the end that the Almeida is, as ever, a source of seriously good drama. After all, not everyone is convinced; there are people with their own agendas, and he's forced to examine his conscience, and consider different kinds of violence. Is he to deal with prejudice as a form of violence? Is he to attack capitalism as a form of violence against low-paid workers? A brilliant performance from a college professor has us questioning the left-wing liberal agenda, and there's a very snide dig at a certain company that has a bad reputation for mistreating its workers - why, the company logo in the play is even reminiscent of theirs! (And both names have geographical origins!)
What a breath of fresh air, to find something so original. I was fascinated, and Ben Whishaw plays a blinder. No first-night glitches, apart from a couple of souls who were having an intimate moment in one scene, then in a too-fast scene change, found themselves unable to locate quite all their clothes in the dark, one having to do up his shoelaces in the next scene while making it look as natural as possible! :-) Runs till the end of next month - definitely recommended. Booking probably advisable, as word spreads - it's sold out for this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
We hung around chatting afterwards - lovely to see old faces again. And an excitable crowd of youngsters spent forever waiting outside, one girl beaming as she stared through the window, hopping up and down, brandishing a large poster of the play, and a pen. Bless, I don't think he ever did come out.. probably made his escape around the back! Me, I headed for the bus stop, which turned out to be right across the road from the King's Head, soon to expand next door.
No actual plans to go with them again, for the foreseeable future - either I'm unavailable, or they're just too expensive. Tomorrow, I'd booked with Carpe Diem, who are doing a Cockney Walk. But then, Eventbrite sent me an email of upcoming attractions, and the same day, they're doing a walk on Shakespeare's Southwark, which I find more interesting. I hadn't had to pay for the other one, so I cancelled and booked this instead. Happily, the weather is supposed to be good.
On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats: just a single play this time, Dark Room, at the Etcetera Theatre.
On Tuesday, back with Funzing: LDN Talks @Night and London Speaks Sessions have a talk called Z List - Dead List! So, a comedian is to regale us with tales of nefarious dead people, and we are to decide who deserves to become a celebrity forever! I got a 30% discount with the code WELLBEING30. Shoreditch, as usual - this one is in the Loves Company Cocktail Bar.
On Wednesday, another Camden Fringe double bill with Up in the Cheap Seats: Ego, in The Lion and Unicorn, and The Trial of Le Singe, in The Water Rats.
On Thursday, I'm headed to a rather interesting talk on Bodysnatching in Southwark! Mary, too.. and it's a funny thing, all the tickets were gone when I first saw it, but then I checked again on spec, and more were available! Lucky. As advertised by Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts - but they're not running it, tickets are available on Eventbrite, and are free. I see London Social Detours are going too. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 21st, I'm off to see Jesus Christ Superstar, finally! At the open-air theatre in Regent's Park - again, I hope it doesn't rain.
On the 22nd, my first talk with Scarlet Ladies UK (!). Their stated aim is to abolish the stigma of talking about sex.. so they have a load of talks. This one is about the history of slut-shaming.
On the 23rd, back with Jennifer Rees (and the same two Meetup Funzing groups again), for a talk about the Psychology of Serial Killers. This is at least the third instance of this talk - I was booked for one last month, but had to cancel - it clashed with the trip to the Icebar. The next was sold out - and then I saw this one and booked, at last! It's on the Battersea Barge, of all places! Just a 10% discount this time - I see the latest code for that is crazy_fun.
On the 24th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, a musical about the life of Billie Holiday. Nice and close to me, at Wyndham's. Passed it the other evening, in fact.
On the 25th, back with the same group (!) for yet another Camden Fringe double bill: Boris - the Musical! at the Cockpit again (the London European Club - LEC - are also going to this), and Make Advena Great Again, at Camden People's Theatre. Goodness, that's only a short walk from home..
On the 26th, I'm back to the Proms for the first time in years! Funnily enough, it was inspired by a Meetup group - Gothic Requiem London (!). This is the "Gothic Prom", you see - all the composers are Czech (Bohemian). Now, I'm no Goth - but the Proms sound like a great idea.
On the 27th, I'm off on a day trip to Bath, with Carpe Diem: booked while I was in Barcelona, recently.
On the 28th, the organiser of Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts promised Helen and me free tickets to a treasure hunt she was organising that day - in recompense for that treasure hunt, not run by her but advertised by her, where the organisers never showed, and instead marked us as no-shows. However, the event on the 28th still hasn't been advertised, and what with severe engineering works at Waterloo for the whole month, Helen's not sure she can make it at all. We shall see.
On the 29th, I'm off to see Five Guys Named Moe, at the Marble Arch Theatre - a pop-up, it seems! From the Box Office provided the best deal on this occasion.
On the 30th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, at the Apollo (although booking is with the Young Vic), with Sienna Miller, Colm Meaney, and nudity. Cheapest tickets this time were with LoveTheatre.
On the 31st, back with those two Funzing groups. This time, the talk is entitled "Can You Trust the Media?", and is given by Annie Machon, who gave an interesting talk last month on Russian Hacking. Another 30% discount. I just wish she'd use some visual aids.. At the Lighthouse again, terrific. :-/ Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 4th September, I'm finally going to see Dreamgirls, at the Savoy. Amazon Tickets, again.
On the 5th September, back with the Scarlet Ladies for a talk on Generation Sex.
On the 6th September, I'm with another new group - North London Friends - for an interview with Michael Palin, at the Knowledge Centre Theatre at the British Library. I was really torn, though - the LEC is off to an early music concert the same night, and I do love that - but had already booked this, and it is Michael Palin. Hey-ho..
On the 7th September, back with North London Friends, and another talk on Fake News - different speaker, mind! This is the Fulbright Commission annual lecture, at the British Library.
On the 8th September, until the other day I was still technically booked for free comedy in Hammersmith with DiscoverLDN.UK. But, as I say - good atmosphere, but the comedy is usually pretty bad. I was saved - again - by Up in the Cheap Seats, who are off to see Doubt, a Parable, in Southwark Playhouse. Aww.. it's so long since I was there, and I have so many good memories of it from my time with the Man with the Hat!
On the 9th September, Helen and I have our 25km sponsored walk, in aid of Haslemere's Cat Protection Society. We're going as Dick Whittington and his cat, respectively, and the route is the Thames Bridges Trek. You can donate here..
Which will tire me out nicely, just in time for my flight to Prague the next morning! I'm at a conference there, Sunday to Tuesday. (What a nice company I work for!) Gee, but I love Prague - most beautiful city I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. They're putting me up at a nice hotel too, just down the road.
So, I fly back on the 12th September, and on the 13th I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Sadler's Wells, for the Hofesh Schechter Company grand finale.
On the 14th September, I'm at another talk with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts - this one, at Southwark Cathedral, is about the River Effra, South London's Secret Spine. Another free Eventbrite event, this is to publicise a book about the subject, and the talk is again given by the author. Another thing that had no tickets, then it did! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 18th September, I'm off to Showstopper! at the Lyric. Ticket courtesy of From the Box Office again. I have actually seen this before - but, being an improvised musical, it literally is different every time!
On the 19th September, back with the Scarlet Ladies, for a talk entitled 100 Women - Their Breasts, Their Stories.
On the 20th September, Funzing (same two groups) and Jennifer Rees again - this time, a fun talk about the Psychology of Batman Villains! The first of hers for which I managed to get a 30% discount.. and it's on nice and close to me again. Seems to be a feature of her talks!
On the 21st September, technically, free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, and DiscoverLDN.UK. And on the 22nd September, the same - with DiscoverLDN.UK. I rather doubt it though - don't you?
On the 23rd September, I was to do the same, but am now headed to the launch of Rob Luft's new album, Riser, at King's Place. As advertised by The London Jazz Meetup. I finally ended up paying their membership fee after booking an event with them yesterday, for November, which someone is attending that I know. So I figured it was wiser!
I had booked the same free comedy, with the same group, on the 24th September, but was again saved - this time, by the World Music Meetup! They're off to see Kefaya, in Nell's Jazz and Blues bar, back in my old stomping ground of North End Road! Happy days, when I was working there..
On the 25th September, a group called Theatre and Stuff is off to see Prism, at Hampstead Theatre. They're charging extra to go with them, though - so I happily bought my own ticket. What the hey, odds are I won't know any of them anyway.
On the 26th September, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats - to see Wings, at The Young Vic. Accidentally booked standing, I think.. :-/
On the 27th September, with Up in the Cheap Seats again - for Jekyll & Hyde, presented by the National Youth Theatre, at the Ambassadors Theatre.
On the 28th September, with another new group: London, Surrey and Beyond.. for an event called "A Unique Experience. Olde Pub, Gerry's Private Club, 2 'i's Famous Fish 'n' Chips". Which says it all, really! Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 2nd October, back at Hampstead Theatre, for No One Will Tell Me How to Start a Revolution. North London Friends are attending - and charging extra, so I'm going it alone!
On the 3rd October, free comedy in Hammersmith - nominally. With Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich. Or not!
On the 4th October, Up in the Cheap Seats and Labour of Love, with Martin Freeman, at the Noel Coward Theatre. Cheapest tickets from the venue, for once!
On the 5th October, same group - headed to see the Company Wayne McGregor, at Sadler's Wells.
And finally! on the 6th October, headed to see Chekhov's The Seagull, at the Lyric. Third night in a row for that group - almost as busy a group as I am a person!
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