Play: The Welkin

Tonight, I've had it in mind for the longest time to accompany Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to see The Welkin at the National. But you see, I had a Seatplan theatre token that I wanted to use - and the bind is that they still haven't introduced web bookings for those, and so I had to ring. During office hours. And whenever I thought of doing it was outside of office hours. Until last week.. and in the meantime, of the £47 tickets that had sold out, three more became available - in the back row of the stalls. So I booked one of those, getting a discount for my voucher. And despite the dire warning from the automated voice, that I'd be charged an extra £3 for booking this way.. well, she obviously completely forgot about that, because I wasn't. Handily, they sent me an e-ticket. Which took some time to find in my email.

I walked there - and only realised how freezing cold my face was when I got into the - in comparison - extreme warmth of the lobby! Where we chatted until it was time to go in. Most of us were in the stalls - one upstairs, who changed at the interval. The stalls were pretty packed, but there were some free seats. Interestingly, although my ticket was for seat 22 of the back row, I had to go in the side that said Seats 1-18.. the sound booth was over to the side, meaning I couldn't have entered that way! I was, actually, about dead centre - and the overhang isn't a problem at all. Handily enough, there was one free seat to my left - and the couple beside me duly moved over one, giving us all a bit of room!

The welkin translates as "sky" - and this story takes place around the time of an apparition of Halley's Comet, in 1759. Told in six chapters - only one of which takes place after the interval - it has a striking production; at the start, a group of women appears, one silhouetted in each of a dozen outlined squares, stacked on top of each other. Each woman is performing a different household task. The message is clear - this is the lot of ordinary women at this time.

Next, we see quite a darkened scene, where a bloodstained woman returns to her husband, having been missing for some months. He's about to beat her when she tells him she's carrying a child - that isn't his. He is devastated.

A much brighter scene greets us as we meet the local midwife - a fount of common sense, as it transpires - who's busily making butter, among what appear to be sheets hug out to dry, when the local bailiff comes to fetch her to appear at the assizes, where the woman of the previous scene has been found guilty of murder and would be hanged, except that she's claiming to be pregnant. Well, with medical knowledge not as great as that of the present day, they've decided that they need a jury of twelve matrons (mature women) to make the judgement as to whether she's telling the truth - she doesn't look pregnant, but they can't hang her if she is. Reluctantly, the midwife heads off.

There's one scene where we're introduced to the characters - as the judge solemnly intones the oath they have to swear with their hand on the bible, they give us a potted biography of themselves: number of children and what their husbands do. Well, what else would they say? (Oh, and there's one who doesn't speak at all - hasn't for years, since the birth of her son, it seems.) The bailiff is then set off with his instructions - he's to confine them in a room in the courthouse until they come to a decision, not permit them food, drink, or fire, and not speak to them except to ask whether they've reached a verdict. And that room is where the rest of the play takes place.

The whole thing is claustrophobic - like their lives. And the first half of what is a very long play does drag a bit - with so much exposition, not much happens. But straight away, I took to it - the characters are beautifully drawn, and regardless of what they have to say for themselves while taking the oath, it's in the jury room that their true characters are revealed. The interactions are fascinating. Then, of course, the prisoner is introduced to the mix - she has to be there, for them to perform whatever examinations they see fit.

The midwife remains the pillar of sense, and later makes a very good point - in a world where both gender and class divisions work against them, this room is a rare opportunity for them to exercise some real power. But how will they use it - bickering? Gossiping? Praying for guidance? Or making fun of the hapless bailiff, who has to stay in the room while his prisoner is there, but isn't allowed to say a word..

With so much energy passing among them, and so much discussion from the different personalities, it comes as quite a shock when a male presence is introduced, near the end - the change in the group dynamic is startling. As is the conclusion - the second half is much pacier than the first, as the issues get resolved and the truth will out. Several truths, as it happens. Highly recommended - very thought-provoking, as we agreed afterwards. But you need to book - as I say, tonight was pretty full. Runs till the 23rd of May.

On the bus home afterwards (and boy was that more comfortable than walking), I have to give due credit to the driver, who wouldn't let a passenger away with not paying. He made an announcement to the man sitting upstairs who hadn't paid, repeated it, and then sat there and wouldn't move until the guy came down, made some show of looking for a payment card, and then just disembarked. Don't see that very often, so kudos.

Tomorrow, I had film in mind at first. But top of the film list - when I had time to look at it - was Outside the City, a documentary about trappist monks, whose numbers are dwindling, and whose members are ageing, so they can no longer run the farm, and have taken to brewing beer instead. Yeah.. I'm sure it's very good, very interesting - but I'm not that enthused. I'm not even a beer drinker.

Instead, I noted that UITCS are off to see Leopoldstadt, which I found much more interesting. 'Tis the season for Holocaust memorials, indeed.. well, it's the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the majority of the camps. Anyway, it seems to be popular - when I checked the official website for Wyndham's, only three premium tickets remained in the whole theatre! However, checking the event page, I noted that someone was trying to sell a ticket, as he could no longer go, and didn't seem to be having any luck. Well, I got in touch - and it worked out well for both of us, as I'm now going in his place! for a much lower price. The ticket arrived on Monday morning. Oh, and they've extricated that unexploded bomb, so it should be ok to head to the area.

On Friday, Helen is coming to town and we're having lunch - in Byron Burger again. And that evening, I'm off to see Faustus: That Damned Woman, at the Lyric Hammersmith.

On Saturday - why, I finally get to a UITCS social! They have them every now and again, but they're generally sometime I can't make. I go to so much with them, I'm delighted finally to be able to go to a social as well. This is on in the Phoenix Arts Club - ah, memories of happier days, when I worked in the next building over..

And on Sunday, well, initially I was thinking of film again. But wouldn't you know it, that damn film is still showing - that day only, next week! Never mind, UITCS again came to the rescue - and I'm now going with them to an operatic treatment of Alice's Adventures in the Underground, at the Opera House! We would go for a meal as well, but so many are keen that it might be difficult.. ah, the perils of popularity.