Play: A Report to an Academy

We've got a colleague visiting from abroad today and tomorrow, so I left these days free, although I'm keeping an eye on what's on, in case she's interested. Mercifully, it's a lot cooler today. Well, despite me having a late meeting, it didn't run on very long, and I was out before my colleagues left. I know, because I saw them leave.. walking right past me, nary a glance in my direction. Charitably, I'm assuming they hadn't noticed I was there, packing up.

Well, that was me at a loose end, then.. happily, I'm very good at dealing with that. Nothing on Meetup, predictably, but my £3.60 club had a few things, and I decided on a Kafka play, A Report to an Academy, which was on in Baron's Court Theatre. Handily, since I'd left it so late to book, they were giving the tickets away for free! They are for tomorrow night as well, already. Time was, I'd have been walking distance from there.. Now, though, buses would take too long, so I Tubed it, there and back. Many thanks, too, to the lady who tapped me insistently to let my know I'd dropped my Oyster card on the way in, and hand it back to me - I'd never have found it, in that crush!

Oh, the smell in King's Cross, where I had to change.. I don't miss taking the Tube regularly. At least it was easy to get a seat on the Piccadilly Line, this far east. I finally disembarked at Baron's Court station, from where it's a short walk to the theatre. Oh, I miss living out here, when I worked in a friendlier office. Anyway, turns out the theatre is in The Curtain's Up! Used to be one of our local pubs, in that office. Well, unusually, here the theatre is downstairs - the box office is actually in the theatre, and unless the theatre door is open, the house isn't. I found this out the hard way, walking in on a last-minute rehearsal. Never mind, she was sweet about it!

So I went back upstairs, had a glass of wine. Careful with that, by the way - the wine list is quite large, and you could end up ordering something much more expensive by mistake. They do food, but I couldn't see anything quick. I'd finished my wine by five minutes before showtime, and as I headed down again, they were just opening up. The nice man checked off my name, and I took a seat - open, cinema-style seating. A perky young lady loitered around the place, sporting a top hat.

It's a cast of two - turned out to be half the size of the audience, so I was glad I'd come, to swell the numbers. The story concerns an ape that was captured, and figured out its best route forward was to act as human as possible - and the finale comes with a presentation by said ape to us "an academy". They swap the top hat between them - whichever has it is the teacher, the other the ape. The moral of the story seems to be the point that the ape doesn't remember anything about being an ape, and has reinvented itself to suit its new reality - you could apply this analogy to any group of people who adapt to new circumstances, forgetting their former selves in the process.

It's really well performed, quite engaging. Minimal, friendly audience interaction. I think the reason for the poor attendance might be the price - I'm glad I got it for free, considering that full price is £12! which would be fine, except that the performance only lasts half an hour. For goodness' sake, I've been to hour-long performances that only cost £10. They need to drop the price on this considerably. Anyway, runs till Sunday. And so home, with the nearest supermarket being Marks & Spencer, five minutes from closing. No wonder they're not doing good business - they're one of the earliest-closing supermarkets I know! And there are several in the vicinity, to provide an alternative.

I'd booked with London Literary Walks on Wednesday, for another Sculpture in the City walk. But wouldn't you know it, he just realised that the display only starts later in the month! He's postponed it to next month. Which leaves me free to head back to Sands Films, where Eleanor, courtesy of TunedIn London, and advertised via the London European Club, is hosting a blues concert by Errol Linton. Lovely!

Thursday is the company's monthly social - this month, it's in Junkyard Golf Club. Well, it beats feckin' ping pong - I might even have a go! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

Next Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for the first time in weeks! Another performance of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical - different every night. At the Lyric again.

On the 12th, another Funzing talk, courtesy of London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night - Inside North Korea. I see the code crazy_fun is still getting a 10% discount.

On the 13th, London Literary Walks is taking us to A Circus School and Shakespeare's Dark Lady.

On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - at the Bridge Theatre this time, for My Name is Lucy Barton, starring Laura Linney. I got the very last £15 seat!

On the 15th, would you credit it, I'm back with London Dramatic Arts! to see Monogamy, at the Park Theatre. Well, it sounds interesting - and they've sold their allocation for this showing, so we're free to buy our own (gee). My good God, it's August since I was last with them..

On the 16th, Funzing is advertising an ice skating display in aid of the victims of Grenfell. Via Funzing UK. The usual 10% discount applies.

On the 17th, Let's Do This is headed to the World Illustration Awards exhibition at Somerset House.

On the 18th, I'm headed to storytelling by Crick Crack again, finally.. I haven't been able to make any of their more recent ones. It's in Soho Theatre, and it's Sally Pomme Clayton, with Crow. Blood. Snow. Oh my God, it's been ages. Naturally, you'd never know from their Meetup group that it's happening at all. Our boss is in London that week, so I'm leaving the rest of the week free, for now - he'll just have to do without me on Monday evening. Then it's Ireland again at the weekend.

On the 25th, I'm indulging myself with a premium seat to see Andrew Scott perform the one-man show, Seawall, written especially for him. It's at the Old Vic, two weeks only.

And on the 26th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Sadler's Wells, again for the first time in ages. Presumably my leg can manage the stairs by then! It's the Nederlands Dans Theater again - I remember good things about them from before.