Arrived a bit after the first people in the group - and sadly, too late to get a seat at their table, this theatre being one without adequate seating in the lobby. Hey-ho, I bought myself a glass of what I considered decent house white and came back to stand with them. Someone else (who had a seat) came back with a toastie, and some beer.. predictably, the one ended up making contact with the other, when someone else knocked over the beer with her bag. I can't say whether it improved the taste of the toastie..
When we were called, we started to make our way in. I was in Gallery 3 - the top level - this time, on a high seat. But I already knew that it's just the same as a barstool, with the advantage of a rail that you can rest your feet on. The seat was comfy, and the views in this theatre are uniformly good:
Now, this is apparently based on a book, which had been on sale at the entrance. And it's a monologue, the titular character telling us how she's been ill, and her mother came to see her in the hospital - Laura Linney does a good job of representing her mother, using a distinct voice. The meeting brings back plenty of old memories, and over the course of the play, the truth of her upbringing is revealed. 90 minutes, straight through.
It got a standing ovation at the end. I didn't participate. Afterwards, the others gushed about how you could tell she was Oscar-nominated, and how great the writing was, and how they must get the book. I.. didn't. Now, I liked it. I particularly liked the projections on the screens to the rear of the stage, and I thought she did a technically excellent job of presenting the material. However.. I hated what background music there was, which I found twee, I thought the first half dragged unmercifully, and I found that her performance lacked pathos. I don't say she should have been weeping and wailing all over the stage, but I thought she played it by rote - intelligently, but lacking in feeling. I was completely unengaged. Anyway, runs until the 23rd.
Afterwards, with an early finish and the bar staying open, we hung on there (me standing, again) for a couple, then I made my way home - too late for the local supermarkets, so I chanced one of the Chinese takeaways near me. Magic Wok & Box was still open, and takes cards, so I had a kung po chicken from there, with egg fried rice. As I was paying by card, they told me the minimum was £10 - so I had a Sprite as well. Still 30p under, but they let me away with it. The food was tasty, but there was way too much rice.. they fill the container completely. So I ended up eating about half of that - there's enough for two. Otherwise, recommended. And by that stage, it was a bit too late to blog.
Crazy busy at work today, so the blog got delayed again. Tonight, would you credit it, I was back with London Dramatic Arts! to see Monogamy, at the Park Theatre. Well, it sounded interesting - and they'd sold their allocation for this showing, so we were free to buy our own (gee). My good God, it's August since I was last with them..
Set off in decent time again, for an advertised meet time of 6:45 (the play starts at 7:30). Two buses again - crammed to the gills, and it was a relief to get a seat on the second, which at its worst had two buggies, side by side in the wheelchair area, and nowhere for me to stand downstairs but squashed in right beside them. Mercifully, half the bus - including one of the buggies - got off at the same stop. And eventually the rest of us did, at the end of the line.
We were supposed to meet in the upstairs bar of the theatre, so I made my way straight up there, where one of the group was sat at a table - and I got a seat, this time! Naturally, everyone else was even later than I was - I'd forgotten that this organiser always is. I'd be the same, I'm sure - but I'd be embarrassed about advertising a start time I was unlikely to make. Pity the poor newbie, trying to figure out whether we were in the group!
Anyway, we all made it eventually, and I must say, I got a lovely reception from the organiser and her husband. I stayed off the drink tonight - my throat was raw (I have the sniffles again, would you believe) so I stuck to the free water provided in jars. Besides, I'd already finished off this week's bottle of wine in the office! (As I say, it was a tough day.)
When we hit the theatre, most of the group were in the back row of the stalls, facing the stage - the newbie and I were front row, to the side, where I had a lovely view of the side of a table, and the backs of some chairs. I did worry about seeing what was going on on the other side of the stage - I needn't have bothered, it was very well staged, my view of the actors hardly ever compromised. And when the others in our row nipped into some free seats they spied around the front, why, the two of us had the row all to ourselves!
So, Janie Dee plays Caroline, a famous tv chef, with her own series and a successful book. In fact, as we meet her, she's filming the last episode to be set in her kitchen - with the kids grown up, they're downsizing, and from now on the show will be filmed in studio. She's married to Patrick Ryecart - at the start of the show, he's out golfing (as usual), but when he does make an appearance, it's with a bang! Their son is Jack Archer, who's just graduated with a First from Cambridge, and for whom Caroline is throwing a celebratory family dinner. We also meet the hunky Jack Sandle, the handyman who's fixing the place up prior to sale, and after a bit, we'll meet Charlie Brooks. So, a few faces you're likely to recognise then.
It's fantastic. The acting is true-to-life - Jack's stress as he tries to tell his distant father something reminded me so much of someone I work with! Someone in the group remarked afterwards that the father reminded her of her own father - or an amalgam of the worst bits of several people she knew. Of course, the play examines the drama of the life behind this picture-perfect, middle-class woman. And, in the best traditions of playwriting, nobody in the play ends up behaving the way you might have thought they would. I'm not giving much away when I say that order descends into chaos, as several characters take to a variety of booze.. in vino veritas, and it's hilarious to watch people becoming more honest as they get more sloshed! The final scene is an absolute riot - no sloppy slapstick here, the comic timing is perfect.
Absolutely cannot recommend this highly enough - it's the best play I've seen in months. Runs until the 7th.
We stayed for a drink after, again in the upstairs bar, where we had to ask them to turn off the freezing aircon. Handily, I was just in time for the #4 bus, which whisked me home in time to get to Tesco, this time..
Tomorrow, Funzing is advertising an ice skating display in aid of the victims of Grenfell. Via Funzing UK. The usual 10% discount applies.
On Sunday, Let's Do This is headed to the World Illustration Awards exhibition at Somerset House.
On Monday, 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 was supposed to be in London that week, so I decided to leave the rest of the week free, for now.
Then he pinged us, last week, to say it'll actually be the week after. Cue me booking things frantically for the week that was now free - happily, I did well. On Tuesday, something very interesting - Up in the Cheap Seats is off to Whist, at Sadler's Wells. Now, turns out that this is an immersive, VR experience! Definitely different.
On Wednesday, London Literary Walks is off on Pop the Weasel, and I'm delighted to be able to accompany them. Local again, I see. Yet another attendee now that Mary's signed up, yay!
On Thursday, back to Sands Films for Fete de la Musique - Belcirque is performing, and they do sound quirky. London European Club, TunedIn London. 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.
On the 26th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Sadler's Wells. It's the Nederlands Dans Theater again - I remember good things about them from before. As I say, the boss is now in the office that week - well, he'll just have to manage without me, those two nights. I'm keeping the rest of the week, and the weekend, free, just in case. Hey, I do have to move that week as well, so could probably do with the time! Just waiting on the contract now, which I have to sign before I can pick up the keys.
And on the 2nd, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at the Gielgud Theatre for Imperium I - Conspirator. The first part of a double-bill, but viewable independently, it is told from the point of view of Cicero's secretary, as he watches how his master's work is used to bring about an end to the Roman Republic. I should probably have booked the second part at the same time - there's a discount for that - but well, my schedule is generally so packed..!
No comments:
Post a Comment