Despite it being past the worst of rush hour, it was horribly packed - yuck. Particularly annoying was the American-sounding lady with the prominent backpack, who very obviously had no idea of Tube etiquette, making no effort to stand to the side, complaining loudly when anyone pushed against her..! When someone asked his elderly companion whether he was ok, she answered that she was fine. Hmm. At least she got a seat after a while, which got her out of the way.
So, it was with relief that I disembarked at Baker Street. Google Maps directed me to the right, out of the station - I decided to follow the station sign, which pointed left to the Open Air Theatre. Bad idea.. I just ended up coming around the same way! Ah well - even Sherlock Holmes was in a summery mood:
It was a gorgeous walk - I was so glad I'd come. A perfect day for it:
Once you do get to the park, the theatre is quite well-signposted. By the time I got there, I was regretting my coat.. but it gets so cold in the evenings. Our organiser had messaged us that she'd nabbed a table - handily, right beside where I was due to enter. And shortly after I took a seat, I felt like a wine - it being a nice, summery evening. Wouldn't you know it, the card readers in the bar were broken, I didn't have cash (as usual!), so I had to go down to the grill to get wine. Where they only sell by the bottle - happily, a couple of folks were happy to share it with me.
A pretty decent seat, and they're comfortable here:
As it started, it occurred to me that I'd seen the film version of this! A narrator tells the tale of a terribly ordinary New Hampshire town, in the early - and innocent - years of the 20th century, before the Great War came along and spoiled it all. People go about their business, it's very sweet - if very much from an era that has passed. Mind you, the second half, after the interval - which the narrator does warn the audience about - packs much more of a punch.
Overall, I have to say that our group didn't much care for it. They found the narrator annoying, the continuity confusing - the fourth wall doesn't exist here, with the actors stepping in and out of character to tell the story, at the narrator's polite request. Snippets of scene move the story along. The first half is undoubtedly slow - nothing much happens. But then, that's the point..
I did find the second half very moving. But I have to say, I could have skipped the performance as a whole - the best part of the evening was, as I say, the chance to get out in the park, on one of the nicest days of the year so far! Also great to see folks.
Tonight, back at last with London Literary Walks - whom I've been shamefully neglecting - for "The Second Westminster Walk". I'll have to run home first, drop off my laptop.
Tomorrow and on Friday, I booked with UITCS. Tomorrow, it was for The Starry Messenger, at Wyndham's, starring Matthew Broderick. I waited the longest time to book this, because I have theatre tokens, earned from posting photos to Seatplan, and every time I thought of booking it, I was either away from where my tokens were, or it was out of office hours - and they have to be booked by phone, generally. Well, I was to be glad I waited - they finally released really cheap front row seats in the stalls! (Restricted view, it's a tall stage.) And I was within arms' reach of my tokens, mid-afternoon. After being kept forever on hold, I was put through to someone who had to have everything spelled out for her, and emitted a big sigh when I told her I had a theatre token. So she had to log into that site. But it was all worth it, to get a ticket for that price.. Of course, I knew something would go wrong: and then the office social was scheduled for that very day. Ah well - curry night it was then, venue TBD. Anyway, I sold my ticket to another of the group. And then yesterday, I found out that there's something else on that night that most people are going to (honestly, they couldn't organise an escape from a paper bag) - so I ended up booking another seat to The Starry Messenger! in the same row. Just as well - I can pick them both up myself now, and they are supposed to be collected by the person that made the booking. Technically.
On Friday, I'm off, with UITCS, to Jude, at Hampstead Theatre.
And on Saturday, back - for the first time in a ridiculously long time - with London Dramatic Arts! We're at King Hedley II, with Lenny Henry, at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. As usual, she closed RSVPs too early, but I asked, and she reopened them. Be good to see them again!
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