So, I walked there, arriving at about the time specified. We met in the lobby - it was a bit cold to stand outside. One had arrived early, and availed of the upstairs bar.. the rest arrived a bit late, but everybody got their tickets in good time to take their seats. Which were really excellently positioned, four rows from the stage - and I was dead centre.
Running for about 100 minutes, without interval, the play opens on a well-appointed living room, where a black woman is preparing her mother's birthday dinner. (It's relevant that she's black.) During this first section, we meet her husband, sister, and daughter, and it's very sitcom-ish. Everybody's nice, everybody's ambitious, everybody's well-dressed. Their problems are minor, in the grand scheme of things. Characters who are mentioned, but whom we don't meet in this first section, are the mother, the brother - who's having trouble with his last-minute flight - and the daughter's schoolfriend, of whom her mother disapproves. And all is pretty calm and collected (and a bit dull, but with great furnishings) - until the cake gets burnt, and the lady trying to organise everything faints with the stress. The curtain closes.
..and we open on a well-appointed living room, where a black woman is preparing her mother's birthday dinner. Only now the soundtrack has changed. And I'm not going to be able to tell you any more, because, well, that'd be telling. I will say that this was my favourite bit of the play, which I thought was very cleverly done. I haven't seen anything like this staging before - none of us had. After a bit, mind, it gets truly surreal, and I think it loses the plot a bit - their final act of stagecraft, while striking, we didn't think struck the mark. BTW, I found bits amusing, but hardly hilarious. Won this year's Pulitzer - I'm guessing that was a political decision, really, since it's about race. And while we all thought we got the deeper meaning - well, it was mainly confused. Runs till the 18th of next month - but honestly, I can't recommend it. However, I would love to see some of that staging in a better thought-out play!
Afterwards, some of us repaired to The Ring - a boxing-themed pub, down the road. Where we shared a bottle of wine - typically, I'd forgotten to bring cash, so couldn't contribute! Ah well.. Good to see them! I don't go enough with this group, but then, I have so much else on..
And so, to the bus for me. And wouldn't you know it, the nearest stop was closed (like half the stops in town!), so I traipsed on to the next, where I shivered a bit until my bus arrived. As we crossed London Bridge, it occurred to me that this was my first time on it since the last attack.. the police still have it cordoned off, presumably to preserve evidence.
Anyway, it ran too late to blog last night, since I had to be in for a meeting this morning. Which, as usual, didn't happen - so he rescheduled it to the afternoon. Which didn't happen. He grabbed me for a few minutes after his other meeting finished - it had overrun. And no, I didn't have time to finish the blog before I was out again..
Tonight, back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) for a night I was really looking forward to - Ben Haggarty and Jan Blake again, combined with my favourite, Clare Murphy, and Jordan Campbell, treated 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. Unfortunately, Ivan, who would've loved this, is out of town again. But never mind, he's just got a new job, which won't take him out of town as much.
So, I left in decent time to catch the bus. And I see they've finally turned on the lights on the Christmas tree outside our office - lovely! The lower branches are festooned with tags that you can take with you - they have details about the City of London Police's Give a Gift campaign for children in need. And this was a big affair - the mayoress turned them on, apparently, and they had - of all things - angels on stilts. Who, as someone remarked, must have been frozen in what they were wearing..
As I waited to board, it occurred to me that this was where that sea of people boarded on Monday! Thankfully, there were fewer tonight. On the bus, we were held up briefly by a police escort, sirens screaming. We figured it was one of the NATO leaders still in town.. Anyway, we made the venue in good time, and it was such a treat not to be dashing in the door panting, as I usually am. And I got a front-row seat - mind you, by start time, the place was only about half full! It did subsequently fill a bit more.
As seen in the audience - TUUP, Nell Phoenix, Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and Laura Sampson. A night of friends - indeed, the lady sitting beside me turned out to be well-acquainted with Jordan Campbell. Martin Shaw was handing out paper crowns at the door - I chose royal red, to match my outfit. He wore his over his hat. They had a throne - needed one for Jan, anyway, who's still using a crutch, as the last time I saw her! and came on wearing sunglasses, although she took them off for the performance. Mind you, as was mentioned during the performance, Napoleon remarked that a throne was nothing but a chair with a piece of red velvet thrown over it.
And so to a show of two halves, each storyteller taking the stage in each half. Ben started us off, with an excerpt from Gilgamesh, which I've heard before from him, and which he's reprising next month. A superbly theatrical performance wafted me away, and was followed by Jan, who from her throne managed to get us to join in, at one point - during her second story - making us imitate a creaky door! Clare had a couple of Irish legends for us - and when Jordan took the stage (first time I'd heard him), I suddenly noticed something of Ben's style in the way he tells his stories. Now, has he been attending Ben's storytelling workshops..?
Stories were told, all of which concerned royalty, who rarely came out well from it. Greedy kings, presumptuous kings - a cruel princess, who met a grisly end! Not the Disney version. Clare got the best reaction of the night, when she passed a remark about having to live with the rules made by the people in power.. then threw a glance at the audience and quipped "I bet you know something about that!". The audience roared with laughter. Jordan scored a first for me, with a story about Montezuma. And in the Q+A at the end, fascinating questions were raised about the nature of power - and sovereignty - its definition, its necessity. As one man pointed out, someone has to take the tough decisions. As someone else remarked, what were we doing, telling stories about sovereigns in the week before an election?! Another excellent night from the CCC - and I do hope they continue with this idea of the Alternative Tarot, complete with Q+A. It's a winner.
Nearly froze on the walk home. And it was lucky I was passing a Tesco, because I'd gotten hungry again - unusually. Must be the cold. Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (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.
I was thinking about film next week - but what was on outside of that appealed more. So, on Monday, I'm off to a London Docklands Christmas concert at The Space, as hosted by London European Club. Only recently advertised - they're lucky I was free!
Tuesday is our office Christmas party - we're at the Montague Ski Lodge, and only have it booked till 5; it'll be interesting to see how motivated they are to continue the evening, as we start at midday. I don't have high hopes. Lo, to tempt people into the office next day, they're serving breakfast! And as part of the Magic Breakfast initiative, for everyone who has breakfast at the office, they're donating a breakfast to a child in need. Aww.
Next Wednesday, back with UITCS for Cyrano de Bergerac, at the Playhouse. Stars James McAvoy.
On the 12th and 13th, Meetup has given me ideas, which I'm using to do things outside of Meetup. On the 12th, London Social Detours is charging £3 to go to a talk about Oscar Wilde's London. I booked myself - for free - on Eventbrite; I don't find her group that friendly, to be honest, but the talk sounds interesting.
On the 13th, Ken's Walks and Social Events (and its sister group, London Art, Comedy & Walks) are on a Christmas lights tour. Now, after past experience with the walks organised by this group, I'll never darken their doors again. However, a Christmas lights walk sounded good - and I didn't get to one at all last year! So I had a browse - and came up with a pay-what-you-want walk by Free Tours by Foot London. Starts in Covent Garden - and the handy thing is, we're to clear our stuff out of our old office that day, and hand in our passes before the receptionist goes home. Which means we have been told to finish at 4! Excellent - that gives me loads of time. Ivan is coming to this one - which means it'll probably be a late night.
On the 14th, headed with UITCS to the Orange Tree, for Candida, by Shaw. Unless I get sidetracked.
On the 15th, my last visit of the year to the CCC - Emily Hennessy is telling the Ramayana at the British Museum. Oh, and I'd completely forgotten that was on when I booked with NLF for a carol concert at St. James' Muswell Hill, followed by drinks at the John Baird. Sounds lovely - but I doubt I'll make both. We shall see. Then I fly back to Ireland for Christmas on the 16th.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
..and I'm off again next month, flying back to London on the 5th. On the 6th of next month, I shall start as I mean to go on, with UITCS at the Almeida for the Duchess of Malfi.
On the 7th of next month, I'm off to the Opera House, for the Royal Ballet's production of Coppélia - one I've never seen.
And on the 8th of next month, the RSC's production of Measure for Measure, at the Barbican. Set in decadent 1900s Vienna.
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