The Park was always a trek for me until I moved into the centre - tonight, it was a fairly easy bus journey. Later in the evening, I was checking when I was last there.. my goodness, it was in February of last year! How much has changed in that time.. my job, accommodation (again), the sad demise of two of the very best Meetup groups around.. certainly my favourites, and those of many others. And with the very best of organisers. Whom we miss. Anyway, tonight only the #29 would do, despite the #38s that came in the meantime! While I was waiting, it rained on me.. cheek of it, it wasn't supposed to do that! Happily, mine was about the third bus along.
I was to be glad I'd got on there - by the time we got to Camden, we were stuffed to the gills and couldn't take any more. And there was I, sitting pretty in a seat. (Someone mentioned there was trouble with the Victoria Line). A short walk thereafter to the theatre - and the very first time I'd taken the bus there; it was always too far, before. They'd said they'd be in the first-floor bar - I found them on the mezzanine in between levels. Which happens to be at the same level as the Circle, where I was seated - they'd all got seats in the front row of the stalls. Hey-ho, that meant I had less far to walk..
So, we chatted before going in - me regaling them with my tales of flight woes, earlier in the week - and when I went to find my seat - armed with my e-ticket, on my phone - there wasn't even an usher to check it! We'd stayed quite late chatting, and lo, my entire row was seated when I arrived. Which was unfortunate, because I was right at the end of the row! And these seats are for two, so when people are standing, a pair have to stand together. And the back row, where I was, is so very snug.. I managed to squeeze past most people without a problem, but there was one guy I seriously wondered whether I'd be able to pass..
Suffice to say, I got in.
This is a farce, over 50 years old, about a young pair of ne'er-do-wells who rob a bank, and lacking somewhere to stash the titular loot.. well, the mother of one of them has just died, and a coffin is a nice big space. And one of them is the undertaker, which is quite handy. That's about the entire plot. It's adorably silly, with an Irish nurse (with a slightly weird accent, I may say, although identifiably Irish) - employed to care for the deceased, and now with her eyes on the grieving widower - and a bumbling detective. Personally, I loved it.. just thought the final scene a little dated. I mean, this is set in an era when the Church was much more powerful, insulting authority much more daring, and the idea of combining a pair of homosexuals (spoiler!) with a prostitute (spoiler!) was much more shocking. But hey, you couldn't fail to find a laugh or several in there, and much praise must be heaped on the actual corpse. Who is an actual person, and did the best job of playing dead that I have ever seen! Seriously, the amount that they knock her around.. I couldn't fault her dead performance, honestly. Justifiably, she got the loudest round of applause.
Runs until the 24th, but as I say, completely sold out as I speak. Do check for returns - this is a great way to pass the evening. On the way back, my companions were worried about avoiding the crowd from the Arsenal match, especially given the violence that broke out there (usually, for UK football matches, in my opinion) - but I think they were ok. Me, I had a faster bus ride back than I'd had there. And was ever so glad when the bus finally came - seems winter has arrived (it was freezing!). I was so, so sorry for the homeless guy I passed on the way home. God help them, in weather like this.
Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again. On Monday, I was 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! But you'll never guess - the Crick Crack Club finally announced their autumn schedule recently, and now, that night, I'm off to Eaten Father, Eaten Mother by Ben Haggerty. In Soho Theatre, first time in ages. Finally advertised by their Meetup group, jeez!
On Tuesday, I was back with the Scarlet Ladies, for a talk entitled 100 Women - Their Breasts, Their Stories. No longer, of course - now I'm joining London Science Talks and Museums Meetup for a talk at the Alan Turing Institute about the future of data in public life. Most pertinent, given the talk I was at recently.
Wednesday was Funzing (London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night, as usual) 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! How and ever, London Literary Walks are off on The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Walk that night. And since that's on even closer to me - and I feel bad about missing the last two - well, I couldn't refuse, now could I?
Next Thursday, it was free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, and DiscoverLDN.UK. But yay, I have my alternative at last! Going to some comedy I have to pay for, which will probably be better. Mae Martin is at Soho Theatre. Advertised by a group called Moxie Ladies.. good luck to them, but as they charge extra, I'm going solo.
And on the 22nd, it was the same free comedy - with DiscoverLDN.UK. But, d'you know, it was only today I remembered they'd actually cancelled it! I'm now off to Proof, at The Courtyard.. with the club that charges £3.60.
On the 23rd,, I was to do the same comedy, 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 the other day, 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, I was 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! But then TunedIn advertised flamenco at Sands Films.. irresistible really. So I've booked that instead. And just now RSVPed with the World Music Meetup, who finally got around to advertising it. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 2nd October, I had booked at Hampstead Theatre, for No One Will Tell Me How to Start a Revolution. North London Friends are attending - and charging extra, so I was going it alone! But now it turns out I'm spending the week in the Stockholm office - back on the 8th.
On the 3rd October, it was free comedy in Hammersmith - nominally. With Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich. So, that was easy to cancel, for Stockholm!
On the 4th October was 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! So, four things in all I had to cancel, without refund.. what the hey, I'll doubtless be saving money in Stockholm! Expenses paid, after all.
On the 9th October, I'm finally going to see the show so many people have asked me whether I'm seeing. Ink is showing at the Duke of York's Theatre.
On the 10th October, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Ballet Boyz at Sadler's Wells.
On the 11th October, back with Funzing for a talk on Revolution in Iran: Girl with a Gun. This will be an interview with a female Kurdish revolutionary.. on the Battersea Barge, which I believe can get choppy. Never mind. This is one I got for free, for completing a loyalty card with three talks.
On the 12th October, Let's Do This are back to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where London Concertante is performing Bach Violin Concertos. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
And on the 16th October, back at Southwark Playhouse with Up in the Cheap Seats - this time, it's for A Day By the Sea.
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