Well, today was one of those rare days when I got on top of things, and wasn't delayed. I can't say the same for my bus, however - fortunately, I had an alternative, and made it to the theatre at around the time we were due to meet. In the lobby, I collected my ticket, then joined them - beside the desk where the lady was standing, her arm permanently raised and brandishing programmes for purchase. Poor girl's hand must have gone numb..
They'd booked seats together, but I hadn't been in time for that, and ended up in the same row, but on the other side of the stairs. I was at the end of the row - luckily, because the large ladies in my row took up so much space that the one beside me ended up sitting half on my seat, so I was forced half into the aisle! Which was fine, except there's a hard edge to the seat. I'm not sure she even understood the concept of trying not to sit on someone else's seat! Perhaps she's never been able to fit into a regular size seat.. by the end, it was a relief to stand. I was in Row A, but that's second from the front in this production.
The play was written and set in 1960 - and you'll realise that eventually, what with the reference to rationing (when they were younger), the outfits - and the very outspoken script. They hadn't invented Political Correctness yet, you see. Which makes this a refreshingly honest play. In fact, the play opens with the lead actor in full teacher mode, telling his class - aka the audience - to pipe down, in no uncertain terms! They're not allowed to treat students like that any more.. worked well on the audience, though!
The story centres on him and his wife, struggling in their marriage while they try to care as best they can for their "spastic" teenage daughter. And while I don't usually advocate buying programmes, this one might be worth it - one of our group did, and from it we learned that the play is semi-autobiographical, the playwright (who died earlier this year) having had a disabled daughter himself. Apparently, it wasn't performed for a long time, between the 60s and the current century. It's had something of a revival since.
It's a revelation. Everybody knows that it's difficult to care for someone who doesn't have the normal capacity to do things for themselves - and this play doesn't shy away from that at all, with the daughter being played by someone who really is confined to a wheelchair. There's real tragedy here - and remember that, back in the day, there wasn't the same technology, either to treat some conditions, or to deal with the day-to-day practicalities of living with them. The second half contains some truly shocking and sad moments.
..And the play is mostly great fun! Toby Stephens is hilarious as the husband, pushed to breaking point by trying to care for a daughter that can't even communicate. His wife, Claire Skinner, does a perfect job of playing the woman who treats him as - as he puts it - one of the zoo, because she loves everything: animals, their daughter, him - equally. He has to take his turn. He deals with it by cracking jokes - constantly; you can see how he might be accused of being childish and insensitive. Patricia Hodge has one terrific scene as his mother, sparking off her daughter-in-law, who accuses her of spoiling him.
They collect for charity at the end. Runs till Saturday - highly recommended. And I'm delighted they revived it. Catching the bus home after - from the same stop as last night - I noted that, yet again, a Co-Op lorry was parked at the stop. I guess that's a perpetual problem, with a Co-Op right alongside. Another recurring problem, as the bus squeezed down Old Broad Street, half closed with roadworks for weeks now, was the MPV parked to the side - a taxi, of course - which had to move before we could be on our way.
Tomorrow, our ex-company's social group's Christmas meeting. We had a tiff about the venue - the organiser decided on Thai Square, which I think is overpriced and underwhelming. So he started to grumble about the difficulty of getting somewhere before Christmas - which will take a group, and doesn't cost the earth. Still though, he came up with an alternative - we've decided on the Warwick Castle pub in Little Venice. Lovely area, the pub sounds nice - with a Christmassy open fire, and a room we can book - and hey, it's a pub, which won't throw us out as quickly! They have a wine deal.. 10% off if you order at least £150 worth. And gee, he's had us choosing what we want off the menu. I also asked for the wine list - asked for suggestions from the group, but as no-one could be bothered getting back to me, sod it, I couldn't be bothered ordering so much wine for people that don't want to decide whether they want wine at all. A "whine about wine", as someone described it.
On Friday, potentially having Christmas drinks with an old friend who's very hard to pin down! We'll figure it out. Hopefully.
On Saturday, I'm headed to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. They have half hourly time slots for entry throughout the day, and have been sending repeated emails warning not to arrive before the scheduled time on the ticket, because of overcrowding! I booked a nice late one, at 6pm.
On Sunday, I arranged to have lunch with Helen - she's squeezing in a trip to London before the infamous strikes start, next day! We arranged to eat at Bistro1, and booked a table. Now, when I went to book, they advertised a Groupon voucher for a meal for two - great, except when I phoned, I was told it wasn't valid in December! Never said anything about that on the voucher. So I've got a refund on the voucher, and they said they'd inform the restaurant that it was no longer valid. Meantime, poor Ivan is out of town this week for work and missing all the fun - and so, the other day, on the train back from a stay with the family, he floated the idea of an all-day social, some weekend. Starting Sunday. I explained to him that I was seeing Helen on Sunday - "Bring her!" sez he. Helen was ok with them joining us, so now he and another are joining us for lunch on Sunday. The start of a fun day, methinks.
On Monday, ironically, I'm on another Groupon deal - this one seems to be valid, though. I'm headed to & Juliet, a very non-Shakespearian take on the classic heroine, including a pop soundtrack, with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Running at Shaftesbury Theatre.
On Tuesday, back with NLF for Fairview, at the Young Vic.
Next Wednesday, back with the Crick Crack Club for a night I'm really looking forward to - Ben Haggarty and Jan Blake again, combined with my favourite, Clare Murphy, and Jordan Campbell, will treat us to a night on the theme Sovereign, at Rich Mix. It's the last in their series called the "alternative tarot", where four storytellers take turns to expand on variations on an archetypal theme, and hold a Q+A after. And I do hope Ivan can make this, because he's a great fan of Jan's, and I do think this is right up his alley.
On the 5th, back with UITCS for Three Sisters, at the National. Also signed up with Love London Arts, Theatre, Music & Stuff for this - the last time I tried to integrate the two, it didn't really work! It'll be interesting to see how it goes this time. I'll try to gravitate more towards them this time, as I missed them completely the last time. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, again.
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