Gee, we were their first customers! Took a seat at the sofa, and we ordered - both fancying the delicious bbq chicken burger, her with cheesy fries, me with regular. And a bottle of pinot grigio. Which was half gone, half an hour later, when she - who was facing the restaurant - remarked that some people had finished their starters and gotten their mains, and we (who hadn't ordered starters, as the mains are so filling) remained unfed! A quick word with another waiter, who went to check the computer, then called over the one who'd taken our order.. uh-oh, I bet she did something wrong and it didn't go in! Not a mistake she'll repeat, probably. We got our food not long after. And, to be fair, it was worth the wait - indeed, not worth rushing, so I didn't; I wasn't speaking at that meeting anyway. And I still made it back in time for most of it - we didn't have dessert, but the choice isn't huge anyway. And not very appealing if you're not a fan of Oreos!
This evening, I was off to see Faustus: That Damned Woman, at the Lyric Hammersmith. As usual, that far out meant Tube - I could have got there slightly faster by changing lines, but decided on a direct one - and the Hammersmith & City line arrived at the platform just as I did. More spacious than most, and airier - however, I had to stand for a few stops, which was a bit of a nightmare; they don't have horizontal overhead bars to hold onto, and it was a struggle to reach out to the nearest available bar - my back was killing me. Much better when I got a seat - and I just got my paper read by the time I arrived in Hammersmith.
Now, this station is in two separate buildings - and handily enough, this line terminates in the building that's right across the road from the theatre! Not that I got there as quickly as I might have - you forget how terrible the traffic is out this way, much worse than in the centre, and it took forever for the lights to change in my favour - jaywalking is pretty nigh impossible. Inside the theatre at last, I marvelled at the number of stairs to climb - after a long flight up to the bar, you have to climb another couple of flights (festooned with fairy lights) to get to the theatre proper. Just as well I didn't have to climb any further - I was in the stalls.
As was everyone else - indeed, when I went in, about 15 minutes early, I wondered whether anyone was going to be behind me - and I was sitting in the second row! The seats did fill in due course, or a lot of them.. and close to the stage as I was, I thought I could smell something odd.. must've been the sawdust they covered the stage with. Quite a spooky set, too:
Because, of course, this is a take on the story of Faust, the doctor who sold his soul to the devil. Like the original play, it starts in Elizabethan times, and Faust - in return for signing away his (her) soul in blood - gets some time, and the use of the demon Mephistopheles in the interim. At the end of the timespan, Faust's soul is forfeit. Unlike the original, this Faust is a woman, not allowed to be a doctor as the original is (initially, at least) and bargains a much better deal, getting a huge lifespan - and also the ability to zip forward to live in future times. Both, however, do end up feeling that they've frittered away the time allotted to them.
There's a lot to like, here. I adored Mephistopheles, who appears as a fashion-conscious demon - indeed, they have great fun with the demons' costumes, which are an imaginative mish-mash of fashions and ideas, and all in shades of white (referring to Lucifer's identity as a bringer of light). And he does go around with a rather endearing smirk, most of the time. And I have to give kudos to the actor playing Faustus, who throws herself into the performance, and is onstage almost all the time, generally wrestling with inner demons. Lots of angst, lots of shouting.. it's a strenuous performance, I bet.
The treatment of the story is also interesting, taking us through sundry time periods, mainly designed to give us a potted history of women's progress in science. So, you know, Faustus meets pioneering female scientists, and finds herself inspired to study. With an insatiable frenzy, she seems to absorb every fragment of information, and ends up trying to work for the good of humanity with the benefit of her vast knowledge - oh yes, and she doesn't age either. But.. what's going to happen to her in the end? and to her legacy..?
Absorbing, unpredictable, with impressively scary bits - I liked it a lot. Runs till the 22nd, then tours the country for the next couple of months. And taking the Tube back to Liverpool Street was handy, as I got to stop in for some much-needed shoppng.
Tomorrow - why, I finally get to an Up in the Cheap Seats (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.. Seems we can order food from 5, but I'd better eat something beforehand.
On Sunday, well, initially I was thinking of film again. But wouldn't you know it, that damn film, Outside the City, is still showing - that day only, next week! It's 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. 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! With a lot wanting lunch beforehand, we're meeting at Wagamama - they have large, communal tables. And I'll be more careful what I order, this time!
Yet again, I was to be glad I hadn't anything booked for Monday - Civilised London left it late enough, but I'm now going with them to another of those Monday jazz nights at Wilton's! This time, it's the Jim Hammond Duo.
On Tuesday, I tried to get the first meeting of the year going with that group from my last company. Had the idea while I was eating at the Amarcord Museum - I love to advertise good places to people, and this is one! But apart from a couple of people who made their excuses because they're on holiday abroad - and despite the invite having gone out before Christmas - the only taker is Ivan, with no-one else even bothering to respond. Dead in the water, that group, it seems. Well, their loss. We'll have a lovely meal, and then he's booked that recording studio again for later that night. And as they do a special deal for 10 hours.. it'll be an all-nighter! So I'm taking the next day off work.
On Wednesday evening, I'm signed up for my first ever event with The Roads Less Travelled: Ekzotic Adventures Travel Club. Not actually travelling, mind - this is a talk about Myanmar. Specifically about the rubies you can get there, but with plenty of other information about the country as well. And I've never been, so it should be interesting. Takes place in a room above The Iron Duke pub. Unless I don't feel like it, after the night before.
On Thursday, I'm back at Soho Theatre for Jen Brister's show, Under Privilege. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - where I have to sneak a look at my mother's Eir contract. She just changed to a new package, I just got her first bill for it (we've gone paperless, so it gets emailed to me as she doesn't use her email account), and I swear they've overcharged her on the monthly package price. They messed up the email address when I was ordering over the phone, so I never got the confirmation email - will have to check the paper version she got to ensure that what she got was what I agreed on in the first place. No point in asking her to check - she won't know what to look for, and she'll only get hysterical.
And assuming I survive all of that (they are AWFUL to deal with, and I thought her previous internet provider, 3, was bad!), on the 17th I'm back with UITCS for The Haystack at Hampstead Theatre. Another group of them went tonight, and I'm hearing excellent reports..
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