Just around the corner, and just in time for my bus! It was packed though, and I didn't get a seat until King's Cross - as has happened before. Got off a short walk from the venue - which was a good thing, as it was raining(!). I picked up my ticket first - which was just a large envelope containing fliers advertising other Fringe events - and joined the others at a side table. Having already consumed most of the unusual free bottle of wine in the office, I didn't feel like any now - I just took a seat on a comfy, chenille-covered stool.
When it was time to head upstairs, we wended our way up narrow, twisting stairs to the little room I hadn't been in for more than a year. For once, we weren't in the front row - our group spread itself over the next two. We thought that the theatrical fellow who came in moonwalking was the start of the show - turned out he was just one of us. However, this was to set the tone for the weirdness of the show..
I still can't tell you what it's about. We tried afterwards, really we did, to figure it out - it takes the form of a train carriage (Southern), with six passengers and a conductor. I can also tell you that the role of conductor switches among all the different characters, and that the conductor's duties involve keeping some kind of control over the others. Which some manage better than others. The passengers alternate between sitting obediently on their seats, and devolving into manic creatures.
And gee, all we could determine online afterwards was that it's a juxtaposition of order and chaos, with the train carriage representing the journey through life. Vague doesn't begin to describe it though - nor does there seem to be any particular reason for the successive conductors to read from a soft-porn book called "The Sexy Conductor" - although I'm sure the director was delighted to find it. No character development, no exposition, no explanation, no plot, no conclusion, no moral of the story. No coherent story, at that. Runs till Sunday - and is only half an hour long: but then, it doesn't have much to say!
Afterwards, we two who were continuing to the next show hung on in the pub for a while, as we weren't sure what the setup was at the next venue, or whether there'd be anywhere to put ourselves. The others didn't fancy staying. We spent our time, as I say, trying to find out about what we'd just seen, and just chatting in general. My companion had researched the location of the next venue - just down the road - beforehand, handily; it was particularly good to have a rough idea where it was, as the rain started in earnest at that point!
The Upper Room turns out to be owned by St. Michael's Church, and we followed a group of people right up the stairs to the top floor. Where they were getting us to finish sentences, on narrow strips of paper. Sentences that started with phrases like "Methinks", or the likes. They had plenty of pens. It turns out to be rather tricky to write on such a narrow strip of paper, but once we had, we were free to progress to the room, where our names were checked on the computer. Or we could pay at the door, although I daresay that was cash only.
Free seating, and we ended up in the front row again. Nice, comfy seats they were, most of which were occupied by what I'm guessing were acting students - and probably pals of the performers. Sure enough, the screams of appreciation when they came on were literally ear-splitting. Said performers have a uniform of trousers and a kind of medieval-style unisex smock, in black or white, lacing at the front. So they can be male or female, quite flexibly.
After a brief reccie of the audience to find out what their favourite Shakespearian plays were, where they were from, and where they'd like the play to be set, they settled on "The Wench in the Forest" - or something like that. Speaking of flexibility, what followed was the most madcap, convoluted plot they could come up with, randomly dotted with lines taken from audience suggestions, written on scraps of paper that they pulled from their pockets.
An hour long, it was absolutely hilarious, the performers game for anything, and delivering the maddest lines - verbatim. Special mention must go to the diminutive lady with the Spanish accent, who played a fairy - spectacularly well. And kudos, no matter where it went, they bravely carried on with it. And yes, we did have them climbing over us - sitting in the front row can be an interesting experience. Full of fun, full of energy - sadly, this was their last Fringe show, but they apparently have a regular gig at The Cat's Back. Check them out!
At the end, we left them to convene with their pals at Brewdog, across the road, and we headed our separate ways. Happily, my bus stop was covered from the still-heavy rain, and my bus came soon - and this time, I got a seat. All went well until we got down to St. Pancras.. the traffic was woeful, and I was sitting on the bus, remarking how cold it was outside, how much nicer to be on the bus, and enjoying the vibrating massage I was getting as we made our slow way towards the traffic lights, which kept changing to red.
..until the driver spoke to someone on the radio, and told us there was something up - roadworks or such - and he was dropping us at the next stop! When we finally crawled our way over there, we were deposited in the middle of a crowd of people - it was like an evacuation. Loads of people wanted to get on, and there was an argument with the driver. Well, the departure board said my next bus was due in eight minutes, and seeing how many people wanted it didn't inspire me with confidence. A young woman with a German accent was talking on the phone, explaining how every bus that came told them to get on the next, and how she wasn't finding London friendly at all. I decided I was better off walking.
Down the road a bit, I came to the next stop - far fewer people, and now a choice of two buses. And my alternative arrived just minutes later. Disembarking, and heading up the road home, I saw they were just closing that off too! Cue lots of confusion at the other end, drivers changing their minds at the last minute, going the wrong way down one-way streets.. oh, the streets are crazy tonight!
And tomorrow, I'm back with Walking in London, for yet another ghost tour - this time, it's the London Bridge Ghost Walking Tour! Got my usual 10% discount. Supposed to be cold, but drier than today.
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