Mind you, despite the garden leave, I had something of a rush to make it on time! Actual flat viewing today, you see. Yes, a real live flat - in an excellent location. I'd have liked a bit more space - will probably end up dumping some stuff, unless I can get really creative with storage - but the soundproofing is excellent, and I just couldn't lose the opportunity; these places go like hot cakes. I've already paid the required amount - so much less than was asked for my current place. Same rent, too.
Sadly, I can't move in till the 11th. Anyway, by the time I'd grabbed a bite to eat - and with the horrendously complicated application form, which I only got half finished by the time I decided I really had to leave - I was rushing a bit. Still, I made it with 10 minutes to spare, and managed a front-row seat.
(Photo taken at the start of the Q+A afterwards.) The newbie for the evening (Lonan Jenkins) kicked us off, with his mad hair and his interesting, carpet-style coat. From Ulster himself, he had a couple of Ulster legends for us over the course of the evening - Cú Chulainn and Macha.
Hugh Lupton - predictably - started with a ballad of Robin Hood. In the second half though, he regaled us with the fascinating story of Thomas Paine, the great revolutionary thinker and writer - linked to his first offering by the fact that Thomas' bones were, apparently, disinterred and reburied under Robin Hood's oak, in Sherwood Forest! Or so he claims. ;-)
For my money, it was the ladies that had it tonight, though. Nell Phoenix was up to tell us a fantastic couple of tales; the first, I found particularly striking, being the story of an old man with three daughters. Being called out to military service, he complains that he can't, being too old, and bemoans the fact that he has no sons. So the first daughter tries to go instead, then the second - neither is up to the task. The youngest is the one to manage it. And the kicker of the story is when she returns, and he's all excited to hear whether she won, and what she got up to. "Yes," she says, "I won" - and goes on to tell him that what she accomplished was to remove the curse, as he had described, of being a woman.
Her second story, after the interval, was the apparently true tale of a troupe of actors who performed a revolutionary play to a group of farmers. During the interval, the audience almost all vanished - as one who remained explained to the puzzled actors, they'd gone to get their guns and start a revolution! as urged in the play. The actors were so embarrassed to admit that that wasn't what they were actually trying to do, that they just packed up and left. And never again performed anything preaching a revolution that they weren't involved in.
Jan Blake, meanwhile, performed an African story about keeping warm by the light on an adjacent hilltop, and a Caribbean one about Ti Jean, the clever son of a slave-owner and one of his slaves. And gave us a beautiful rendition - urging us to join in - of Redemption Song.
The Q+A afterwards was the most passionate I've yet seen, with arguments among storytellers, and between them and the audience - about the nature of rebels and heroes, the differences between them, the difference between archetype and stereotype.. Fantastic stuff, and I was thrilled to be a part of it. I always miss them as they take a break over the summer - which isn't that far away now, amazingly. And as ever, on the way out it was interesting to hear the take on it from people who had come for the first time..
Also interesting was my walk home. As I'm moving soon, I might not be walking this way again!
And although I missed a London Literary Walk for this, hey, I found a plaque of my own..!
Tomorrow, we were to have yet another set of drinks to celebrate our recent redundancies - one of our number was on holiday for the last lot! So we'd be back at The Draft House. But that isn't happening now - so I'm going back to my original plan, of joining the Spooky London Paranormal Pub Meetup at the Viaduct. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend.
On Tuesday, I'm treating myself to a trip back to the Globe! It's been so long.. Henry IV, Part I is the occasion. Hope the weather's warmed up a bit, or I might be renting one of their cosy blankets.. Funnily enough, the Globe thinks I've already been, and is offering me a special offer on Part II!
The next three days are all with Up in the Cheap Seats. Next Wednesday, we're at the Royal Opera House for a mixed programme by the Royal Ballet.
On the 9th, we're back to Sadler's Wells for the opening night of Yang Liping's Rite of Spring.
And on the 10th - for something completely different - we're off to the Park Theatre for The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson! Brexit, of course, should feature strongly..
On the 11th, mention was made on Monday of Ivan playing piano, at some bar or other. But as a venue wasn't specified, I doubt it'll happen..
No comments:
Post a Comment