Play: Cyprus Avenue

For today - Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) organised a virtual communal watching of Cyprus Avenue, with Stephen Rea, which ran at the Royal Court: who are currently screening it for free on their YouTube channel. Posted on Friday, apparently, and available for 30 days. It's a bit late in the day for me - and their Meetup is full anyway; they restrict the numbers so as not to compromise bandwidth. But hey, I remember being unable to get a ticket when it was running, and was dead keen to see this - so I decided to watch it, a bit earlier in the day!

And now I have, and - unusually - can turn straight around and review it, without having to wait to get home. I see it was played in the round - and this being the very first prerecorded play I've watched, I can honestly say the video production is fantastic. I wasn't expecting the multiple cameras and closeups - not to mention the outtakes, where scenes are shot in the open to illustrate the story. Really adds to the experience.

A simple set - white, with seats - forms the backdrop to the action. Stephen Rea plays a dyed-in-the-wool Unionist, of a certain age, who's of the opinion that time has passed him by, and the world has gone to pot. When we meet him, he's telling his story to a psychologist - young, female, black - who seems to embody everything that he feels threatened by. And boy, is she amused when he reveals to her the shocking truth - that his newborn granddaughter (somehow) is the personification of none other than.. Gerry Adams..

Ulster Unionists get short shrift here. The incredulous face of the psychologist gives us permission to titter at the daft theories spouted by this Orangeman. As do the increasingly exasperated faces of his wife and daughter, played in the flashbacks that tell the story. And it becomes absolutely hilarious, as he exposes himself to every kind of ridicule, and reveals himself to be bigoted in pretty much every way. While remaining a mild-mannered chap. Stephen Rea plays a blinder - malleable as modelling clay, he effortlessly switches from mad and ranting to quiet and self-deprecating. Which is what makes the ending so shocking..

I loved it - I laughed, I gasped along with the audience. No laughter left, by the end. A keen observation of contemporary culture in Northern Ireland. Strongly recommended - runs for 30 days from last Friday, I believe. And for free! I tell you, as the saying goes, it's an ill wind blows no-one any good.

Tomorrow, the organiser of London Literary Walks is to release the answers to the quiz he posted us last week. Well, he already has.. just in random order.. which helped me to some of the answers.. and he's already told me I'll probably win, as I was - as of earlier, at least - the only one to answer!

On Saturday, UITCS is hosting another virtual meetup - this time, of a half-hour rock concert at the Albert Hall! Actually snippets of different concerts, all broadcast for free by the venue. Again, the communal experience is a bit late for me - but the Meetup is full anyway, and there's nothing to stop me watching it earlier.

And next Sunday, Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group is heading on a virtual tour of Mount Everest, on Google Maps! So I'll tag along.