Heh. You know those plans not to drink last night? Well.. fortunately, I felt better by evening, and by the time da boss invited the UI team to join us. And considering the amount of food he was considerate enough to bring, that's just as well! You couldn't say no. This man knows how to throw a shindig. Now, this was the second day in a row for him, which he finds hard - so we didn't stay as late as usual. Not quite, anyway..
So, I again didn't get enough sleep, and was wrecked all day. Pity, because tonight, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for the opening night of Don Quixote - the ballet this time - at the Royal Opera House. Olé! Anything Spanish is always a winner with me. I hadn't been there in months - I was really lucky to get a reasonably priced ticket, though! London Box Office saved the day - and on this occasion, I was at the same level as everyone else in the group, which was easier than on Monday.
Just made the bus, what with a short jog. An impressively observant driver saw what was going on, when on each of two separate occasions a man entered by the centre doors, then made no effort to come to the front for payment. Until he called them on the tannoy. Nice one.
Well, I see they've finished the work on the Opera House, at last! Impressive new entrance on Bow Street, just south of the existing one there - unfortunately, to get to the box office to collect my ticket, I had to backtrack through a bag check, so I ended up getting checked twice. Never mind. I see they've also now enclosed the balcony, making it more weatherproof - and space in the amphitheatre bar has been greatly improved by opening access to the restaurant at the back. A new cloakroom, beside the bar, serves much better than the rail they had before. And they have a display of Swan Lake costumes!
The group met, and chatted until really loud music signalled our cue to go in. And I was quite impressed with my seat - the most central view I've had in a long time! And an aisle seat, giving me that bit extra space. In the upper amphitheatre, there are no armrests - except on the aisle, so that was nice too!
Beforehand, we expressed the hope that tonight would be better than Monday - which had the same organiser. As I remarked, it could hardly have been much worse! Well, I am delighted to say that this was as good as Monday's was bad - tonight was stunning. A few of our group were later to remark that it was not groundbreaking.. fine by me. Some ground is good to leave unbroken.
A long one tonight - three hours, including two intervals. The first act is particularly long, at 50 minutes. But it didn't feel it.. I was, predictably, entranced by the Spanish melodies. The sightings of Dulcinea, Don Quixote's imaginary lover, are suitably ethereal. The sets are beautiful. And the whole ballet is enthralling - look out, in particular, for the matadors, and the dreamlike second act, where they hang out with flamenco-playing gypsies, and there's a wonderful dream sequence, best viewed from above, as we did. Several comic moments, as you'd expect, with some great, comical choreography. Oh, I can see why this is selling so fast.. runs till the 4th of April, with - at time of writing - all shows sold out on the official website, except for the 1st and 3rd of April. Remaining tickets start at £85. Or you could do as I did, and try the resellers!
Tomorrow, we have our official monthly team social - heading back to Little Georgia for this. I daresay da boss will have recovered.
On Friday, delighted to be headed off with the London European Club, since I cancelled them on Thursday - this time, I'm a bit more determined to go to the Scottish Ceilidh. Dancing this time, rather than watching, eh?
On Saturday, film - I'm finally going to Gully Boy, which has been on my radar for a while. A rap film set in Mumbai - so, the Indian equivalent of 8 Mile! Closest showing is in Vue Westfield Stratford City. Well, I have all day.
On Sunday, back with Chronicles for his Border London walk! Excellent - for me, this'll be the third of the four he currently offers. I'm sure I'll make the last one at some stage - he's excellent, both knowledgeable and entertaining. Even though it's supposed to rain, bah!
On Monday, back at last with Crick Crack Club storytelling! This one is Dog Almighty, by Emily Hennessy, at Soho Theatre. Unusually, not sold out yet. I accidentally booked a ticket for Waitress for the same night - any takers? :-)
On Tuesday, I'm back with UITCS for A Hundred Words for Snow at Trafalgar Studios. I cancelled the last two I'd booked with this organiser, for drinks at the office, though - d'you think I'll manage to get to this one?! We shall see.
Next Wednesday, more Crick Crack! Back to their Archetypes series - taking place at Rich Mix, Lovers & Addicts is a stellar lineup of performers, including my favourite, Clare Murphy, Daniel Morden, and TUUP! Highly recommended - again, tickets are still available.
On the 7th, I had booked with UITCS - that poor organiser I keep cancelling - to see Shipwreck, at the Almeida. But it seems my coworker saw it on Monday - and from her description, it sounds a lot less attractive to me than before. Sod it, the company social is the same night - I can do my drinking with da boss in a bar for a change! So I cancelled the play. Anyone want a ticket..? Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.
And on the 11th, back with UITCS for Blood Knot at the Orange Tree. Assuming I make it, given that I cancelled the last one I'd booked here, as well..!
Last night, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! Missed their last performance - this time though, it was the final performance of Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I was in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they were the cheapest seats, and I got to avoid all those stairs, for once. Well, except that the group was meeting all the way upstairs.
No drinks before I left the office, this time. And I needed the exercise, so was glad of the walk up the hill. Decided to treat myself to the lift upstairs to meet the others though, so as not to spoil the advantage of being in the stalls and avoiding the climb. The lift, confusingly, told me I was on the first circle level - although the button for the second was lit, and the sign when I peeked outside said the same. So I got off - and pretty quickly found our organiser. Not hard, as I was the first other person to show. In the end, a couple more came - it was good to see them, and I was glad I'd made the trek upstairs. In due course, we headed for our seats - and could I find the lift?! Ended up taking the stairs back down..
For this show, the overhang wasn't actually a problem. And I had a decently central seat. You can see people on stage in this shot - the cast were milling about before the start. In fact, one came to the front to advise us that we couldn't film or photograph - and was quite amusing. Spoken word was mixed into the whole show, as it turned out.
Well, the half that I saw. Dear God, it was dreadful. "Self-indulgent, juvenile drivel", as described by another in my group. The soundtrack was good, the staging clever, with interlocking sets - the show itself, however, was a series of vignettes that might, or might not, have been related. Most dealt with death - I was happier with those than with the woman in the pink nightie that ran shrieking across the stage, for some reason. If not for the spoken bits, we wouldn't have had a clue what was going on. In fact, "surreal" seems a good word to describe the whole, 3.5-hour performance. The first half was just over 1.5 hours, and I felt every painful minute. People around me kept checking the time on their phones - I had my head in my hands for most of it, desperate for the interval to come. The disadvantage of a central seat.
Interval! OMG. Almost the entire row put on their coats as they got up - I wonder how many were leaving at that point. Certainly, I couldn't wait to get out of there. The only thing I regretted about leaving was that I wouldn't get to see how empty the theatre was for the second half. Funnily enough, as I was heading back to the office, a message came through from the group organiser to say that they were all leaving as well, and thanks for coming, and apologies for having to endure what we'd had to for 90 minutes. First time I've seen an entire group walk out! Back at the office, and da boss was still there.. so the rest of the night was spent drinking. V late. Hence the delay in blogging.
I had a presentation this morning, would you believe.. And made it in for it. Da boss arrived considerably later. Tonight - as if we weren't drinking enough - the UI team has arranged drinks with us! Well, with da boss - I assume I'll be invited if I'm around. However, I'm wrecked - more lack of sleep than surfeit of alcohol. Think I'll try and grab a meeting room for an hour's nap. And I doubt very much I'll be drinking anything alcoholic today.
Tomorrow, back with UITCS for the opening night of Don Quixote - the ballet this time - at the Royal Opera House. Olé! Expecting a lovely, spirited, Spanish evening. I haven't been there in months - I was really lucky to get a reasonably priced ticket, though! London Box Office saved the day - and on this occasion, I'm at the same level as everyone else in the group, which should be easier.
On Thursday, we have our official monthly team social - heading back to Little Georgia for this.
And on Friday, delighted to be headed off with the London European Club, since I cancelled them on Thursday - this time, I'm a bit more determined to go to the Scottish Ceilidh. Dancing this time, rather than watching, eh?
I'm currently back to Ireland for the weekend again. We don't get to the Abbey Tavern so regularly any more - my mother isn't up to it. But every now and again we do - in particular, there's a particular guy that delivers stuff to her, and she's not available to pay him, so he goes away without. But he goes to this pub, so she takes an envelope of cash there and leaves it behind the bar.
Parking can be a problem - luckily, we got a space not too far away. And although there was a christening (there often is a function here), they either weren't eating, or had finished, and the dining area was pretty empty. We got a table no problem. And as ever, the atmosphere was great, the staff was friendly, and service was quick - important, as we were headed to Mass afterwards.
Garlic bread for a starter, as usual - somewhat burnt, unfortunately, but otherwise tasty. My mother had the salmon, as usual, and had no complaints. Me though, I decided to go for one of the daily specials - and had we not gone, I'd planned to have a curry: so when I saw a chicken Madras on the menu, I decided to go for that. Comes with boiled white rice.
Gorgeous. If you see it here, do take it - it's so, so tasty. Should really come with a spoon though, so you can mix the sauce and rice - there was no easy way to get the rice into the bowl, or the sauce onto the plate - the bowl had no spout, and was so hot that I kept burning my fingers! Managed it, only making a slight mess, and had the loveliest meal in a while. Decent portions, too. Yum. Gorgeous Chardonnay to go with it. Ah, this place is terrific at its best..
On Monday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! Missed their last performance - this time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once. Well, except that the group is meeting all the way upstairs. Ugh. We shall see.
On Tuesday - as if we weren't drinking enough - the UI team has arranged drinks with us! Well, with da boss - I assume I'll be invited if I'm around. And you know, these drinks are worth going to. So I'll be around. Long live better office relations!
On Wednesday, back with UITCS for the opening night of Don Quixote - the ballet this time - at the Royal Opera House. Olé! Expecting a lovely, spirited, Spanish evening. I haven't been there in months - I was really lucky to get a reasonably priced ticket, though! London Box Office saved the day - and on this occasion, I'm at the same level as everyone else in the group, which should be easier.
On Thursday, we have our official monthly team social - heading back to Little Georgia for this.
And on Friday, delighted to be headed off with the London European Club, since I cancelled them on Thursday - this time, I'm a bit more determined to go to the Scottish Ceilidh. Dancing this time, rather than watching, eh?
Last night was supposed to be a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre. With Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again, and the organiser was there on Monday. Ah.. but da boss was back from holiday yesterday.. and I'd ordered a case of wine for the office, which had finally arrived (late).. so that was that.
Tonight, I was back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand. This one, I wasn't going to miss - for one thing, only two of us had signed up! Plus, these meals are always enjoyable - the host is an excellent one. So I told my boss as much - and indeed, after last night's session, he was in no mood for a repeat performance so soon! So I headed off.
By virtue of trotting a short distance, I made a bus early enough that I got to The George first of any of us. Was just queueing at the bar - and lo, in walks our host! Now there's timing. Well, he took a look at the scrum for the bar - and had an idea. He led me to the outside bar - see, there's one bar where they serve you through the window. And gee, there was hardly any queue. He very kindly bought me a drink, and we repaired back inside, grabbing one side of an under-occupied table. Which was where our companion found us. And we had a convivial chat until it was time for us to leave.
Tas is just down the road, and after a scarifying crossing, we got there slightly early. They wanted to put us in the deserted cellar - but our host had, apparently, asked specifically to be seated upstairs, and so we took a seat on the comfy sofa at reception, and they soon had one for us. I was starving after my session last night, and wolfed down the bread that was brought - and a lot of the second bowl that replaced it.
We all ate from the special price menu, all had meze to start, and indeed, they were all different! And lovely. I particularly recommend the mantar (mushrooms with various toppings). For main course, I decided on lamb "patties" - which didn't have a patty shape, but were good - ever so slightly spicy. And we all cleared our plates. The ladies had desserts - my chocolate cake finished me off nicely, with a nice salted dusting of cocoa powder. And one of my companions had gorgeous-smelling mint tea.
We'd been asked to bring cash, for convenience - unfortunately, the cash machine en route to work had been broken when I'd passed, and I'd forgotten to get any cash later. Never mind, it all worked out ok - and very reasonably priced. I also managed a couple of glasses of wine - well, at least this time it was mixed with food! A lovely evening, and lovely to see this pair again. May it not be long till the next time.
Tomorrow, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the London European Club is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! But now I've cancelled, as da boss is planning another drinking session. To be fair, these are stressful times at work, and after a difficult day of meetings, he'll probably need it. And while I'd be interested in the concert, I'm not familiar with the venue, and a frightful number of people have signed up for it - it could be very crowded. Plus it's all the way across town. I have no qualms about skipping it, especially as it's free.
Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again. And on Monday, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
The next two days, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Tonight was Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National. Arrived in good time, and spotted our organiser in the queue to collect tickets at the box office. She headed off, and was out of sight by the time I got mine - name only required as proof of purchase. And could I find her after that.. anyway, met up with another of the group, and we figured it out eventually. It's a complicated building!
Some lovely, Baroque choral music plays as you enter. Well, the original was written at around that time. And the madcap nature of the production is prefaced by actors roaming in front of the stage, just before the show - expect Tartuffe himself to come and give you daffodils, if you're a lady in the front stalls! And a nice opening sequence depicts a scene of debauchery, with scenes of revellers projected on the stage curtain, and a naked man dashing across - again, right in front of the front row..
The story concerns a religious man called Tartuffe - a Rasputin-like character, who has enthralled a rich man and inserted himself into his house. His family aren't so impressed, seeing his drinking and flirting. Question is - how far will the man of the house go to prove his loyalty to Tartuffe?
One of the early scenes has the head of the household explaining his infatuation to his brother-in-law. Nobody in our group liked this scene, finding it long-drawn-out, and not being impressed with, in particular, the acting of the man obsessed with Tartuffe. However, I'm delighted to say that isn't at all indicative of the rest of the play - it's very funny throughout, with Tartuffe himself playing an OTT character that actually reminds me of a friend of mine! The last scene, notably, is completely played in rhyming couplets - apparently this is done at the end of each of the previous scenes as well, though I hadn't noticed. Reminiscent of the original, this. The one thing we did have trouble with in the second half was the slightly awkward, pointedly socialist ending.
But hey, on the whole it works! Recommended. Runs to the end of April, sold out this Thursday, limited availability on some dates. And it was nice to see these people - I haven't been with this group too often yet, this year!
Tomorrow is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre. With this group again, and the organiser was there tonight.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
On Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the London European Club is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
And next Monday, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
Tonight was Roda de Choro with Alvorada, back at The London Jukebox with the World Music Meetup. The Meetup group couldn't seem to agree with the venue on how long the gig was.. I figured I'd stick to the same times as before. But arrive a bit later, as I found the wait very long on Friday.
During the day, behold if I didn't hear from someone from the Man with the Hat's old groups! He was thinking of coming tonight, and asking how the venue was and whether the group would be meeting. I could tell him all about the venue, but said that sadly this group organiser wasn't into the social element. Anyway, we made a rough arrangement to meet there.
There were a couple of guys with guitar cases on the bus - speaking in what sounded like Spanish or Portuguese. Gee, I thought, I wonder.. sure enough, they got off with me, and entered the venue ahead of me, where they explained to the lady at the door that they weren't officially with the band, but had come to play.. that's the kind of thing this was, you see, and it was this place's first time hosting it, apparently. They just kind of attract musicians, who join in a massive jamboree..
Well, as I was giving my name, there the chap appeared, having spotted me, and told me he'd managed to reserve a table down the back! Now there's organisation. He'd found the organiser - who turns out to be the restaurant manager - and cajoled her into squeezing us in. Lovely - and this time, he ordered food, and I ordered a little - although I'd eaten before coming out. And I must say, it was very nice - crispy garlic bread, and I had a bit of his curry, which, as he pointed out, had a most unusual taste. Which was very pleasant.
For most of the night, we were the only two at the table, although the manager came over and told us that another of the group was around the other side, and she'd told her where we were. And of course, the chat turned to the Man with the Hat, and how we haven't seen his like since. And group recommendations. That third person did meander in our direction eventually - as my companion remarked, he supposed we ought to have had a sign for the table! She chatted for a bit, but was sat on the other side from me, and with all the noise, I could hardly hear what she was saying. When my companion left us briefly, she took herself off again - as I remarked to my companion on his return, when you're in a group that doesn't make a habit of socialising, you come not to expect it.
The music, BTW, was excellent. That kind of music that you can kind of keep going forever - like Irish trad, in that respect. They'd set up a table in the stage area, which, when I came in, was laid with the most spectacular range of musical instruments. And as people started to join in, they just - used the instruments! or their own. And in the limited space available, the audience salsa'ed. Short video here.
So, excellent, laid-back vibe. However, there is only so much you can take of what is essentially a set of very similar tunes, and none of us stayed to the end. Still, highly recommended. And many thanks to my companion for paying for my food and second drink! Hope our paths cross again. The next two days, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Tomorrow is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.
Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
On Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the London European Club is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
And on the 25th, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
Today was to be Mario Bakuna and Edmundo Carneiro in The London Jukebox - fully seated, this time. But yesterday, ShowFilmFirst, who send me periodic emails with ultra-cheap offers, sent me an offer for £2 tickets to a flamenco show, tonight in the Jazz Cafe. Well hey, I love flamenco, so that was that!
I left in decent time for the bus - but it was delayed for some reason, and while I'd still have made it, it would have left me tight. Especially when I had to pick up my ticket. So I took the Tube. Happily, the Jazz Cafe is very well located, right beside that major junction in Camden, so either was good to get me there. There seems to have been some altercation at the station just before I arrived - the exit I took was exit-only, and swarming with police. Happily, they didn't stop me getting across the road - I guessed, correctly, that I was headed for the large building with "London's Famous Jazz Venue" emblazoned in neon across the top. I had to queue between crash barriers to get in - was greeted straight away by a woman with a checklist, who stamped my wrist (with ink so non-permanent that it was illegible by the time the main act came on). Shortly after, a guy checked my bag before I even got near the door. Another, polite doorman held the door for me to enter. Staff seem nice here.
It is a cool venue, all coloured lights. The ground floor is standing only - for an extra £5, you can book a table upstairs, overlooking the stage below. It's smaller than you might think from photos. The bar, as I went in, was horrendously crowded - but lo, there is one at the other end too! So I bought a glass of house white - which I must say was quite watery - and took a position at the side of the stage, where I could lean on the wall beside the mixing desk. Not like last night, when the sound engineer was positioned beside me, controlling the mix with her tablet!
A huge number of Spaniards in the audience. In fact, there was a group of four between me and the stage - two couples - whose conversation throughout the evening, while we were waiting for the main attraction, certainly made me feel as though I was back in Spain. Lo echo mucho.. I miss Spain.. Great fun ensued when a stagehand asked them to move their drinks from the stage before the main act came on. She said they could put them at the front instead. Ok, no problem - they just swapped them for their coats, which they put where the drinks had been. So then she had to come along and tell them to move those, too..!
The first act was a guitar player, a drummer, and someone on the oud. And they were excellent - a nice flamenco beat, and accompanied by an enthusiastic chap at the front, doing the traditional flamenco clap. Another couple near him swayed gently in the limited space available, in time to the music.
We had to wait for what seemed like an age for the main act, Diego Guerrero. And oh, what a disappointment.. (I noticed that the enthusiastic folks at the front of the stage for the opening act had disappeared now, too.) I stayed for just a couple of songs - maybe he'd have improved, but honestly, I didn't think it was worth my trouble. As I stood there, squeezed into a teeny space by the people around me, I reflected on what he sounded like. And I decided it was kind of like generic 80s pop. A bit too fusion for me. Think Gloria Estefan - but less catchy, and with a beard and a much worse singing voice. Well hey, what I paid was good value - for the opening act!
I managed to squeeze out - I wasn't the only one. And this time, I got the bus back. (What a relief to sit!) With the usual road works at King's Cross, it took forever - but that was ok, I took the opportunity to finish my book. Tomorrow is Roda de Choro with Alvorada, back at The London Jukebox with the World Music Meetup. Now the Meetup group can't seem to agree with the venue on how long the gig is..
Monday and Tuesday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Monday is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.
Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
On Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the London European Club is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
And on the 25th, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
I was thinking of film for the rest of the week, too - but the offerings at the top of the list weren't that attractive. Instead, the World Music Meetup came to my rescue with three gigs in a row at The London Jukebox, not so far away. Having been to a gig with this organiser before, I didn't expect to meet anyone - but the music sounded good to me. Tonight was Rum Buffalo.
The ticket (Eventbrite) said 6pm, the Meetup group said 7. I arrived just before 7, and the place was almost deserted. It turns out to be an Indian restaurant, and you take a seat by default - a sign at the door asks you to wait to be seated. The lady beside it checked my name off a list, and told me where to take a table - nearer the stage if you haven't booked a meal, it seems. Not that you can't eat anyway - they give you menus just in case, and I ordered a glass of extremely good house white.
It's a long and narrow place, stage in the middle. 8pm came and went, and no sign of any music. The other attendees of my group did come though, and ironically sat right beside me. We chatted briefly, but predictably there was no sign of the organiser. And seeing that they wanted to chat between themselves, I left them to it. The place didn't start to fill till well past 8 - and sure enough the band didn't come on till after 9. I'll know in future. Just as well I had my phone to keep me company!
The band, happily, were well worth it - and despite being so close to the stage, I didn't really find it too loud. They have a rocking vibe with a slightly unusual twist.. I was toe-tapping all night, and the area in front of the stage was soon full of gyrating bodies. Turns out this was their last gig for a while - they're off to record their first album! Mind you, they did have a carrier bag of £5 cds if you wanted - I didn't have any cash anyway. I guess they played just about everything of theirs that you can find on YouTube. And good luck to them! They're exceedingly good.
Got away without paying for the wine - although food was still being served after the band came on (and is nominally served till 11), it tails off pretty sharply once the music starts, the menus being removed from the tables. And I think the restaurant staff go home. With a crowded bar, and my glass already removed, no-one was looking for payment from me. (I'd have had another glass if they'd asked when removing that glass, but they didn't.) Anyway, I'd go back - and have recommended it to my team for a future social.
Tomorrow was Mario Bakuna and Edmundo Carneiro in the same venue - fully seated, this time. But today, ShowFilmFirst, who send me periodic emails with ultra-cheap offers, sent me an offer for £2 tickets to a flamenco show, tomorrow in the Jazz Cafe. Well hey, I love flamenco, so that was that!
Sunday is Roda de Choro with Alvorada, back at The London Jukebox. Now the Meetup group can't seem to agree with the venue on how long the gig is..
Monday and Tuesday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Monday is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.
Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
On Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the London European Club is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
And on the 25th, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
Tonight, I might have gone with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to Sadler's Wells, for Since She by Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch - they were excellent before. Unfortunately, they were completely sold out by the time I got around to thinking of it. And the London European Club (LEC) was off to an interesting-sounding talk called Refugia: Solving the Problem of Mass Displacement at the LSE - but you know, it was on early, first come first served, and I have so much to do.. I couldn't be bothered rushing. Instead, I thought film again - and the candidate was an interesting-sounding documentary called Three Identical Strangers, about triplets, separated at birth, who met by chance in later life. Only showing at the Curzon Bloomsbury.
Turned out to be a very good thing that I didn't commit myself to something early - we had an all-hands, and then an emergency meeting about the all-hands, all on foot of some dramatic news at work. Basically, we're selling off part of the business. Works out well for the London office - certainly for my department, which can now concentrate on one product instead of two. Anyway, it was also good to get some more work done before I left.
Heading for the bus, I saw one at the stop. I didn't run, though - I figured I'd never get there in time, plus there was something suspicious about the recovery vehicle parked behind it, with flashing lights. Sure enough, turned out it was broken down - but another was along quickly, and I just made the cinema in time, arriving during the trailers. Yay, again I didn't have to push past anyone - and yay, I'd forgotten the Pullman seats, which recline automatically when you sit down. Lovely.
Of all the doc trailers I've seen recently, this surely looked the most entertaining. And so it proves - the story of triplets who find each other as adults is truly remarkable. We learn early on that one has committed suicide by now - the other two are entertaining to listen to. Interviewed separately to begin with, when they combine towards the end of the film, they display a touching closeness. As one of them describes, however, the same wasn't true of their birth mother, whom they traced but didn't really feel a connection with.
How they met is a phenomenal story. And seeing the tv footage, I'm sure I remember some of it from back in the day. Funny to see how they embraced fame - they had a cameo in Desperately Seeking Susan! They subsequently opened a restaurant - Triplets - which they ran themselves. Closed now. But their story, as told by the surviving brothers and the wives of all three, as well as a couple of friends, is compelling. Less successful is the description of the clinical study that was the reason for their separation in the first place! Yes, they were placed with three separate families of different socioeconomic groups, to see whether they'd develop differently. An experiment in nature vs nurture.. during the film, we learn how the organisation responsible was reluctant to let them see their records, but relented on foot of this film. Results, however, were inconclusive - and when it was explained to the brothers what the experiment was for, one of them said he felt like a lab rat. Seems the experiment died a death when they accidentally met.
Really interesting film, with a great soundtrack from the 70s and 80s - go see. And although it started a lot later, it was also a lot shorter than last night's - so I got back a lot earlier. Oh and yes, the broken-down bus was still there. I was thinking of film for the rest of the week, too - but the offerings at the top of the list weren't that attractive. Instead, the World Music Meetup is coming to my rescue with three gigs in a row at The London Jukebox, not so far away. Having been to a gig with this organiser before, I'm not expecting to meet anyone - but the music sounds good to me. Tomorrow is Rum Buffalo.
Saturday is Mario Bakuna and Edmundo Carneiro - and is seated, happily.
Sunday is Roda de Choro with Alvorada.
Monday and Tuesday, I'm back with UITCS. Monday is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.
Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
Next Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the LEC is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
And on the 25th, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.
Tonight, I thought of catching up with Burning. You know, the film I missed last week because we were sampling the office wine? Anyway, not showing in the Vue Islington anymore - I had to head down to the BFI for it. Not overbooked at first, but I said I'd keep an eye on it.
Sure enough, during the afternoon it showed as mostly sold, so I booked. Glad to see they have e-tickets at last - it's been such a nightmare, arriving in the nick of time at the BFI and having to queue at an always-busy box office. Heading out, I again made the bus by virtue of running for it - a bit less cardiac-threatening than last time. And for a driver that seemed in a dreadful hurry when I got on - I thought I'd fall, he took off at such a pace - as soon as he got closer to the centre of town, he slowed practically to a crawl. Must've been ahead of schedule. Safely seated by this stage, I was tutting and checking the time constantly - but we still made great time, and I arrived with about five minutes to spare, entering by the river entrance, which is closer to NFT2, where I was headed.
I see they have a red neon sign now, that reads "Box Office & Cinemas". Informative, but not very decorative. Made my way straight to the screen and took my seat - I was on the inside of the row, and delighted to see that nobody had arrived before me, so I didn't have to push my way in. And then I realised that I'd forgotten to pick up a factsheet - the BFI provides them for all the films it shows, and this was no exception. By the time I got back, there was someone on the end of the row - but you know, for a row that showed online as fully booked outside of me, the seats remained mostly empty! Perhaps they arrived late - the BFI won't let you in if you arrive more than 15 minutes after the advertised start time.
This is a Korean film - mostly takes place in a city called Paju, very close to the border. In fact, the story's main character lives in a place where he can sit outside and listen to the North Korean daily political broadcasts, made on loudspeakers! He's just graduated with a qualification in creative writing, and is working on his first novel and taking casual jobs, when he runs into someone who claims to have grown up with him - she's apparently had plastic surgery, so he doesn't recognise her. But what the hey - she's a winsome lass, and indeed a pleasure to watch onscreen - a bit ditsy, but very attractive and very sweet. They hook up briefly - which is enough to persuade him to look after her cat while she's away.
When she comes back, however, she has company - a slick operator, with a Porsche and a swish apartment in Gangnam. (Damn, that's a place!) Turns out to be a very upmarket area of Seoul. Cooks, listens to classical music, and affects an air of superiority. And now she seems to be into him, instead. Ooh, jealous.. Things take a twist, however, when she vanishes, and her landlady says she doesn't allow pets, so there couldn't have been one there in the first place. What will this aspiring novelist make of all this..?
It's a long film, which would put some people off - but it's a damn good one, and I never once felt it was too long. The frequent silent scenes are used to great effect. And with great emphasis on the three principal characters, as our rather clueless protagonist is wrong-footed by the city slicker and the girl flits between them, we really start to care. There's a sense of unreality about the whole thing, as we're never quite sure what the facts are - about her background, for instance, as much as her disappearance! Terrific atmosphere, quite compelling. Highly recommended.
The bus home was full of loud people talking on their phones. Tomorrow, I might have gone with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to Sadler's Wells, for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch - they were excellent before. Unfortunately, they were completely sold out by the time I got around to thinking of it. And the London European Club (LEC) is off to an interesting-sounding talk called Refugia: Solving the Problem of Mass Displacement at the LSE - but you know, it's on early, first come first served, and I have so much to do.. I couldn't be bothered rushing. Instead, I'm thinking film again - and the candidate is an interesting-sounding documentary called Three Identical Strangers, about triplets, separated at birth, who met by chance in later life. Only showing at the Curzon Bloomsbury.
I was thinking of film for the rest of the week, too - but the offerings at the top of the list weren't that attractive. Instead, the World Music Meetup is coming to my rescue with three gigs in a row at The London Jukebox, not so far away. Having been to a gig with this organiser before, I'm not expecting to meet anyone - but the music sounds good to me. Friday is Rum Buffalo.
Saturday is Mario Bakuna and Edmundo Carneiro - and is seated, happily.
Sunday is Roda de Choro with Alvorada.
Monday and Tuesday, I'm back with UITCS. Monday is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.
Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.
Next Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.
On the 21st, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the LEC is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! And then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.
Tonight, Let's Do This was off to Tango Fire at the Peacock. They booked a box, so had a very limited number of seats, and I wasn't in time for theirs - but I got my own ticket, and would meet them for a drink afterwards in the Princess Louise.
The row in front of me actually remained completely empty until some time after the show started. It wasn't to last - after the interval, both that row and the rest of mine had vanished! Whether they got seats further down - like the girls on the outside of my row - or just left, I cannot say. But if it was on foot of the first half - well, I have to take exception. Their loss, actually..
The first half was a blizzard of highly kicked legs, half of which wore high heels as well.. and afterwards we wondered how they managed to escape uninjured. Terrific coordination between the ladies in the jewel-coloured dresses, and the besuited men. And I, for one, felt terribly inadequate.
But it was the second half that shone - good grief, the oohs and ahhs and gasps from the crowd would alert you to what was happening! The gents were flinging the ladies around - spinning them around their heads, rolling them across the floor - if they weren't bruised, they should have been! This, you might call tango Xtreme - acrobatic, passionate, violent performances throughout, well deserving of the standing ovation at the end. A truly spectacular show - and as the group organiser remarked afterwards, how on earth were the seats not all filled? Well, you have now been told, if not before. Runs till Saturday, with a matinee on the last day - go buy! You shall not regret it.
And so to the highly ornate pub, where a most convivial time was had - complete with rather decent house white, and some rather good crisps. 'Tis the difference between Meetup groups, you know, the social element - and I have to say that this is among the best. Met new faces tonight, and felt as much at home as ever.
Ironically, it's a week when, as I say, I have fewer distractions than recently, with my boss away and unable to distract me at the office. And yet I am unbooked. Never fear, I never don't have a plan.. Tomorrow (and for the rest of the week, indeed!) I'm thinking of film. But anyway, for tomorrow I'm thinking of catching up with Burning. You know, the one I missed last week because we were sampling the office wine? Anyway, not showing in the Vue Islington anymore - tomorrow, I'll have to head down to the BFI for it. Not overbooked yet, but I'll keep an eye on it.
On Thursday, I was booked for Aspects of Love, at Southwark Playhouse, with Up in the Cheap Seats. Based on an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. And on the event organiser's recommendation, I bought a subscription to the theatre, which entitles me to five tickets, and has no time limit - used the first for that. Of course.. predictably.. I ended up drinking in the office instead. Well, it was the date of the monthly work social - we just had our own, more exclusive, social.
Then I was back to Ireland for the weekend. Tonight, I was with the same group, for another Arthur Miller play - this time, it was The Price, at Wyndham's, starring David Suchet. A few people from last Wednesday going to that as well. Oh, and for both of these, I could have used my Seatplan vouchers, which arrived recently. If I'd had them with me. Never mind - I hadn't been expecting to book so much so soon, but they don't expire anyway.
Well, da boss is away this week - which means I'm actually likely to make the things I've booked! That's reassuring. I also made an early bus - saw it coming as I was waiting to cross the road, but wouldn't you know it, the traffic lights then turned red! So I legged it, and just made it. Without (quite) having a cardiac arrest.
I knew my way, walking the last bit - used to work just around the corner, after all! Arriving at the theatre nice and early, I managed to slip in without a bag check (well, my bag was suitably small anyway). There was some fun trying to collect my ticket, as the website had - despite my best efforts - retained my old address. Well, I remembered enough of it to satisfy them - and as I turned from the desk, there were a couple of the group, sat waiting in the lobby. They hadn't been letting people upstairs yet, it seemed. Mind you, then another arrived and was upgraded - and when one of the others heard this, she asked, and got the same! Jealous, me.. apparently they were choosing people at random. And (knowing what a large group she was with) he told her she was to be the last. So that was that, then!
Soon after, we asked again and were let upstairs to the Balcony bar, where we were to meet officially. Handy for those several of us who had seats up there - not so much for people who'd been upgraded, and had to head down again at showtime. Never mind. In due course, more of our group arrived, and fairly filled the end of the bar! Much of the chat, mind you, was about last night's BAFTAs - personally, I think the big surprise was the choice of Roma for best picture. Certainly a good film, a memorable film - but the best of the lot? Well, it was an interesting choice. I did approve of the rest of the winners - most of which I've seen by now!
In the midst of all this, I was sat opposite a couple of boxes of Maltesers - it was inevitable that I'd eventually buy one to go with my reasonably priced wine. After all, I'd neglected to eat coming out - we had an early start, as it was press night. My seat was decently placed - the security rail wasn't as intrusive as it looks in the picture, since the seat to my right was free, so I could lean that way. Also very handy for leaving my things on. Mind you, at this level, you do tend to feel as though you're leaning over the stage..
Brendan Coyle is actually the first on stage. He plays a cop, about to retire - the house he grew up in is about to be demolished, and he wants the junk cleared. So he's arranged for an antiques dealer (David Suchet) to come and appraise the stuff, hopefully take it off his hands. Honestly, the only bit of the show that dragged for me was the opening half hour or so, where it's just him reminiscing with his wife, waiting for the dealer's arrival. Dear me, I was beginning to wonder whether I was wise to come! Things developed nicely though once the dealer arrived, with a comical turn of phrase that was very entertaining.
At the interval, the group's opinions were - again - mixed. The second half is less comical, as David Suchet takes a back seat, and we learn the intricacies of the family relationships of these characters, with an explosive climax. As someone remarked at the end, it is very nuanced, our sympathies switching back and forth as characters reveal themselves to be alternately heroes or villains. And we're left at the end with a number of points to ponder - about the price of decisions, and the true value of what's gone before. Rather excellent, I decided - booking till the 27th of April.
Afterwards, we stood on the pavement and - dithered - for a full half hour about whether to cross the road to the Hippodrome for drinks. With many concluding that it was too early in the week - what with all they had booked in the next few days - nobody at all ended up going. Ah well.
Tomorrow, Let's Do This is off to Tango Fire at the Peacock. They booked a box, so had a very limited number of seats, and I wasn't in time for theirs - but I got my own ticket, and will meet them for a drink afterwards in the Princess Louise.
And a double irony - I have less booked for this week than many of those I was speaking to, tonight! And it's a week when, as I say, I have fewer distractions than recently. Never fear, watch this space..
