Today, as usual, I followed Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week was the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS. Mind you, I left it late enough to start watching that I could probably have watched it with them! but I couldn't guarantee that, and their attendance list was full anyway.
It quickly became evident that this was something we've all seen before. Hands up, anyone who hasn't seen a hospital drama - harassed staff, impracticable workloads, impossible social lives, worried patients. Mix in a few life-or-death stories, a bit of workplace bullying, a staff health scare, some romance - yep, I've seen countless dramas quite the same. Film, tv film, hour-long tv programmes, half-hour tv programmes (one of the characters even unwinds by watching Doctors!) - now we have the play. Based on a book, it seems. Ho-hum.
Having said that, there's a reason why we keep seeing them - it makes for terrific drama. You can concoct the most tense storylines from completely believable scenarios - a staff member with a strange lump, another whose relative comes in as a patient, a newbie that's completely overwhelmed in the chaos of A&E! Life and death at the drop of a hat - and then take a breath, and on to the next one. The only problem with the format is that it never allows you time to process what's happened, or to empathise with the characters.
But then, that kind of reflects the reality, doesn't it? And to the credit of this play, towards the end, the stories become bigger, and we focus more on a couple that allow us to see another side of a few characters. I did find enough to keep me interested. Now finished, I'm afraid - but hey, there's always something medical on telly..
Tomorrow, London Literary Walks scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them! He's now rescheduled that to next week, but I'm not yet sure whether that means a lull in the questions.
On Saturday, behold, London Social Detours has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me. Must figure out what I'm doing by way of a character image, or fake background..
Next Sunday, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..
Sunday 26 April 2020
Saturday 25 April 2020
Quiz & Musical: Love Never Dies
This afternoon, London Social Detours (LSD) had a quiz - in the afternoon, on Zoom, so I signed up. We had to be on camera, and write down our answers - and it was interesting, the questions based on London in the main. Happily, there was a royal section, which - of course - I got full marks on. Joint fourth overall, out of 37 - with 20 questions right out of 30; the winner got 24. Not bad, then! Only minor technical quibbles - whenever I turned on my mic, I got static when the others were speaking - so I left it off, mainly. And I got kicked out at one point. Of course, as she's not yet registered, we have a 40-minute limit on meetings - so we have to log in every 40 minutes. And someone still had trouble getting audio! Ah well, it was fun.
I said I'd also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). I suppose I could have watched it with them - except that they limit the numbers, for technical reasons, and fill up quickly. Anyway, it would've been tight, after the quiz - even though nobody felt like hanging around after it was finished.
Television was unusually good tonight - so it was very, very late by the time I got around to this: but I was in the mood. And it had already been an evening marked by musical offerings. Continuing in that vein, Love Never Dies is a continuation of Phantom, set 10 years later, in Coney Island - Christine, now married with a son, has been invited to sing there, and with her husband's debts, they need the money. But a surprise awaits her - she has unfinished business, and a desperate choice to make..
Fabulously Gothic in set design and plot, with Christine playing, again, the classic, pale Gothic heroine with blood-red lips, it's a breathtaking production. The music, to be honest, doesn't pack quite the punch of Phantom - but that would be hard to top. I liked the music best when it reprised the tunes from the original. And I see that feedback from the group was mixed - for that reason, in general. Me - I loved it. Even though it doesn't match the original Phantom - but it is terrific in its own right - and surprisingly moving.. Available for the next 13 hours or so, from time of writing. Do see! (And Man with the Hat, if you happen to be reading this, that recommendation applies especially to you - you'd love it. This sort of production always reminds me of you..)
Tomorrow, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
Next Saturday, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me. Must figure out what I'm doing by way of a character image, or fake background..
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..
I said I'd also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). I suppose I could have watched it with them - except that they limit the numbers, for technical reasons, and fill up quickly. Anyway, it would've been tight, after the quiz - even though nobody felt like hanging around after it was finished.
Television was unusually good tonight - so it was very, very late by the time I got around to this: but I was in the mood. And it had already been an evening marked by musical offerings. Continuing in that vein, Love Never Dies is a continuation of Phantom, set 10 years later, in Coney Island - Christine, now married with a son, has been invited to sing there, and with her husband's debts, they need the money. But a surprise awaits her - she has unfinished business, and a desperate choice to make..
Fabulously Gothic in set design and plot, with Christine playing, again, the classic, pale Gothic heroine with blood-red lips, it's a breathtaking production. The music, to be honest, doesn't pack quite the punch of Phantom - but that would be hard to top. I liked the music best when it reprised the tunes from the original. And I see that feedback from the group was mixed - for that reason, in general. Me - I loved it. Even though it doesn't match the original Phantom - but it is terrific in its own right - and surprisingly moving.. Available for the next 13 hours or so, from time of writing. Do see! (And Man with the Hat, if you happen to be reading this, that recommendation applies especially to you - you'd love it. This sort of production always reminds me of you..)
Tomorrow, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
Next Saturday, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me. Must figure out what I'm doing by way of a character image, or fake background..
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..
Friday 24 April 2020
Musical: Rent
So, a lull in decent tv tonight provided me with a window to do something a la Meetup. And my eye was caught by a performance of Rent, streamed free on YouTube, and watched earlier tonight by Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). About time I saw it, I figured - I'd heard so much about it.
Caveat: It's long, and for me, it felt it. The set design is good, and the camera performed all sorts of contortions in getting all the angles. And the songs are lyrically good, and undeniably catchy. I spent some time figuring out why I wasn't getting into it. Ultimately decided that, particularly in the first half, it's just SO in your face as to be annoying, and prevented me from caring much about the rest of the show. People in the audience going ape for no good reason didn't help. It improves when it calms down a bit. Oh, and I wasn't imaging it - seems it is based on La Boheme (except - spoiler - they cop out and give them a happy ending). Set in the East Village of Manhattan in 1991 / 2, it also focuses on the AIDS epidemic - appropriately enough for these times, I guess. So you'd think that, with all that misery around them, you could have had something a bit more downbeat. Hmm.. not my favourite of all time, I have to say. But you know, if you have 2 and a quarter hours to spare..
Tomorrow, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! Must remember to make myself respectable. However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..
Caveat: It's long, and for me, it felt it. The set design is good, and the camera performed all sorts of contortions in getting all the angles. And the songs are lyrically good, and undeniably catchy. I spent some time figuring out why I wasn't getting into it. Ultimately decided that, particularly in the first half, it's just SO in your face as to be annoying, and prevented me from caring much about the rest of the show. People in the audience going ape for no good reason didn't help. It improves when it calms down a bit. Oh, and I wasn't imaging it - seems it is based on La Boheme (except - spoiler - they cop out and give them a happy ending). Set in the East Village of Manhattan in 1991 / 2, it also focuses on the AIDS epidemic - appropriately enough for these times, I guess. So you'd think that, with all that misery around them, you could have had something a bit more downbeat. Hmm.. not my favourite of all time, I have to say. But you know, if you have 2 and a quarter hours to spare..
Tomorrow, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! Must remember to make myself respectable. However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..
Wednesday 22 April 2020
Concert: Taim Sahel
Tonight - sick of the same, well-meaning diet of wellbeing, good wishes to the NHS, and speculation about when lockdown would be over, finally - I checked out Meetup again. First thing to catch my eye was an event by Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), who were watching an archive recording by Curve Theatre - What the Butler Saw.
I was pre-warned that the recording isn't the best - the view is from the back of the auditorium, which is ok, but it does mean that you pick up all the audience noise. And the dialogue from the stage is so inaudible that they provide subtitles. But that would all have been fine - if not for the content itself! To be fair, I'd been pre-warned about that too, but thought I'd give it a shot. It wasn't long before I decided that it was far too puerile and offensive (dated both in terms of what was classed as being funny, and what was classed as being acceptable) to spend my time on. Very glad I didn't pay for it.
So, that left me free to check out the World Music Meetup. Eleanor, from TunedIn.London, is now apparently the organiser - and they'd organised a concert, livestreamed on YouTube this evening, by a Syrian artist, Taim Sahel, performing to an empty room at Sands Film Studios. So, here's your chance to see the theatre at Sands Films! Music starts at about 9 minutes in - and it's truly lovely. Such a contrast to what I started out watching! Highly recommended - I'm delighted to see them take part in the online offerings.
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
I was pre-warned that the recording isn't the best - the view is from the back of the auditorium, which is ok, but it does mean that you pick up all the audience noise. And the dialogue from the stage is so inaudible that they provide subtitles. But that would all have been fine - if not for the content itself! To be fair, I'd been pre-warned about that too, but thought I'd give it a shot. It wasn't long before I decided that it was far too puerile and offensive (dated both in terms of what was classed as being funny, and what was classed as being acceptable) to spend my time on. Very glad I didn't pay for it.
So, that left me free to check out the World Music Meetup. Eleanor, from TunedIn.London, is now apparently the organiser - and they'd organised a concert, livestreamed on YouTube this evening, by a Syrian artist, Taim Sahel, performing to an empty room at Sands Film Studios. So, here's your chance to see the theatre at Sands Films! Music starts at about 9 minutes in - and it's truly lovely. Such a contrast to what I started out watching! Highly recommended - I'm delighted to see them take part in the online offerings.
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
Tuesday 21 April 2020
Play: Bubble
It's becoming quite a habit, this underwhelming television schedule. So, again, I came to bed early, and checked to see what Meetup had been up to. And as usual, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) had something of interest.. so I watched Bubble, by Theatre Uncut. Billing themselves as a political theatre, they quite coincidentally hit the zeitgeist perfectly, producing an online play, acted by people who've never met to rehearse, and released at the start of the lockdown!
It's completely set on Facebook, and the participants are the students and staff of an unspecified university. With a couple having Scottish accents, I'm guessing it was supposed to be somewhere there. Anyway.. in short, a controversy blows up about something that happened on campus, more and more people weigh in on it, and it blows completely out of proportion.
And wow, is it good. It starts with an absolute flurry of participants - and as you try to process the several responses to a rapidly digressing conversation, the constant stream of emojis is massively distracting. Almost a 101 course on social media, the play demonstrates quite effectively how strident people can be (and how hurtful), particularly online, how far the conversation can stray from the original discussion, and how nobody is safe in what can be a vicious exchange. Watch your own reactions too - I found myself yelling at the screen (one advantage of watching from home) in favour of one person or another, then turning away from that person completely in later chats, as they revealed more of their character and beliefs.
So true to life. It's a salutary lesson to take care what you say, in social media as in life - and to remember that the picture that you get of people online can be quite one-dimensional. And such a range of issues is raised as to spark any number of after-show discussions.. I cannot recommend this highly enough. 10/10, and far and away the best thing I've watched so far during lockdown. And less than an hour long! Only available till Thursday..
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
It's completely set on Facebook, and the participants are the students and staff of an unspecified university. With a couple having Scottish accents, I'm guessing it was supposed to be somewhere there. Anyway.. in short, a controversy blows up about something that happened on campus, more and more people weigh in on it, and it blows completely out of proportion.
And wow, is it good. It starts with an absolute flurry of participants - and as you try to process the several responses to a rapidly digressing conversation, the constant stream of emojis is massively distracting. Almost a 101 course on social media, the play demonstrates quite effectively how strident people can be (and how hurtful), particularly online, how far the conversation can stray from the original discussion, and how nobody is safe in what can be a vicious exchange. Watch your own reactions too - I found myself yelling at the screen (one advantage of watching from home) in favour of one person or another, then turning away from that person completely in later chats, as they revealed more of their character and beliefs.
So true to life. It's a salutary lesson to take care what you say, in social media as in life - and to remember that the picture that you get of people online can be quite one-dimensional. And such a range of issues is raised as to spark any number of after-show discussions.. I cannot recommend this highly enough. 10/10, and far and away the best thing I've watched so far during lockdown. And less than an hour long! Only available till Thursday..
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up. She's requiring us to write down all our answers - dunno whether she's considered that she'll only be able to read them backwards! However, I'll also try to catch this week's offering from The Shows Must Go On!, where Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are streamed for free for 48 hours - this week, it's Love Never Dies, a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. As advertised by UITCS.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On Monday, London Literary Walks has scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them!
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
Monday 20 April 2020
Documentary: Planet Earth (Episode 6 - Ice Worlds)
Again, a lack of decent programmes tonight - so I decided to watch another episode of Planet Earth. Next highly rated episode is Episode 6 (Ice Worlds) - and again, I found a serialised version on YouTube. Good quality recordings - it's just a shame that they never seem to have all the bits! (They're broken into chunks lasting roughly 2.5 minutes each, and some are blocked.) In this case, happily, I got all but three out of 21 - the last had no sound, but it is mostly closing credits, anyway.
Again, magnificent sweeping shots over incredible scenery. Again, unbelievable closeups of wildlife - from furry penguins at the South Pole to furry polar bears at the North. Mind you, I'm the last person to be watching documentaries about creatures surviving in extremes - I absolutely dissolve whenever they start to talk about penguin chicks freezing to death, or polar bears starving because the ice shelves are breaking up earlier, which makes it harder for them to catch their prey. Oh but lordy, then there's another cute picture of a chick or a cub, and I'm oohing and aahing again..
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
Again, magnificent sweeping shots over incredible scenery. Again, unbelievable closeups of wildlife - from furry penguins at the South Pole to furry polar bears at the North. Mind you, I'm the last person to be watching documentaries about creatures surviving in extremes - I absolutely dissolve whenever they start to talk about penguin chicks freezing to death, or polar bears starving because the ice shelves are breaking up earlier, which makes it harder for them to catch their prey. Oh but lordy, then there's another cute picture of a chick or a cub, and I'm oohing and aahing again..
On Saturday, London Social Detours (LSD) has a quiz - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
On Sunday, as usual, I'm following Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
Sunday 19 April 2020
Play: Drawing the Line
Today, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) is watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering on its last day, again - and so am I, a bit earlier. This week, it's Drawing the Line. The subject is the post-war partition of the Indian subcontinent - predictably highly charged.
It's beautifully acted, attractively staged, with an ornate screen providing backdrop to the Indian scenes that provide most of the setting. And we get to see all sides of the unfolding drama - Andrew Havill plays Dickie Mountbatten, Viceroy of India: but it's the late Tom Beard, as the unfortunate Cyril Radcliffe, tasked with drawing the map, that has the most to do.
Of course, the mission was doomed from the start. Britain shouldn't have been there in the first place, and shouldn't have been the ones to partition a place that shouldn't have been partitioned. How could you split a region along religious / ethnic lines, when all groups were mixed up with each other? The arguments fly back and forth, between the Hindu / Indian side, under Nehru, and the Muslim / Pakistani side, under Jinnah, about which parts of disputed areas should end up in which country.
Enter the unfortunate Radcliffe - a legal man, but untravelled, and with no interest even in maps, he was thrown in with a five-week deadline. An obvious scapegoat for an impossible task, he didn't make things easier for himself when, in the interests of fairness, he asked for submissions from all interested parties. Heh. Add to that a nasty bout of Delhi belly.. you can't help but pity the man.
So, a potted history of the events of 1947 then. Light relief is supplied - apart from Radcliffe's frequent dashes to the loo - by the affair between Nehru and Mountbatten's wife, Edwina: guessed at in real life, and attested to by her daughter. We don't know for sure, but it's certain they were close. And indeed, not all the British come out of this badly - Radcliffe refused his salary when he saw the mayhem caused by the partition. According to the play, he also wanted to refuse his knighthood, but was told he couldn't - it would look bad. And Edwina, in real life, organised the massive relief efforts needed after partition. Sometimes it's the ones you wouldn't expect that do the most good..
Hugely recommended. Only available for the next few hours.
Tomorrow, the end of entries for this week's London Literary Walks quiz, and the start of another - I'm currently leading the individual rankings, yay!
On Saturday, speaking of quizzes, London Social Detours (LSD) has one - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
Next Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which that week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've just been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
It's beautifully acted, attractively staged, with an ornate screen providing backdrop to the Indian scenes that provide most of the setting. And we get to see all sides of the unfolding drama - Andrew Havill plays Dickie Mountbatten, Viceroy of India: but it's the late Tom Beard, as the unfortunate Cyril Radcliffe, tasked with drawing the map, that has the most to do.
Of course, the mission was doomed from the start. Britain shouldn't have been there in the first place, and shouldn't have been the ones to partition a place that shouldn't have been partitioned. How could you split a region along religious / ethnic lines, when all groups were mixed up with each other? The arguments fly back and forth, between the Hindu / Indian side, under Nehru, and the Muslim / Pakistani side, under Jinnah, about which parts of disputed areas should end up in which country.
Enter the unfortunate Radcliffe - a legal man, but untravelled, and with no interest even in maps, he was thrown in with a five-week deadline. An obvious scapegoat for an impossible task, he didn't make things easier for himself when, in the interests of fairness, he asked for submissions from all interested parties. Heh. Add to that a nasty bout of Delhi belly.. you can't help but pity the man.
So, a potted history of the events of 1947 then. Light relief is supplied - apart from Radcliffe's frequent dashes to the loo - by the affair between Nehru and Mountbatten's wife, Edwina: guessed at in real life, and attested to by her daughter. We don't know for sure, but it's certain they were close. And indeed, not all the British come out of this badly - Radcliffe refused his salary when he saw the mayhem caused by the partition. According to the play, he also wanted to refuse his knighthood, but was told he couldn't - it would look bad. And Edwina, in real life, organised the massive relief efforts needed after partition. Sometimes it's the ones you wouldn't expect that do the most good..
Hugely recommended. Only available for the next few hours.
Tomorrow, the end of entries for this week's London Literary Walks quiz, and the start of another - I'm currently leading the individual rankings, yay!
On Saturday, speaking of quizzes, London Social Detours (LSD) has one - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
Next Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which that week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've just been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.
On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..
Saturday 18 April 2020
Films: Sideways & Jakob the Liar, & Documentary: Planet Earth (Episode 3: Fresh Water)
So, RTÉ wasn't bad again today for film - well, tonight at least. First up was Sideways, which I had never seen, but had heard lots about. So I watched it. Turned out to be a leisurely trawl through California's wine country, with two old college friends on a last hurrah before one gets married. The other one, Paul Giamatti, is the more sensible of the two - an English teacher with a passion for wine, whose idea the trip probably was (I missed the beginning). Not only an excuse to give his friend a send-off, it's also an exorcism for him - he's still getting over his divorce, and he can't seem to get his manuscript published. His actor friend, who's on the verge of marriage, is a much more feckless sort, carrying on with just about every woman he meets! He spends much of the film in the company of Sandra Oh.
One for wine buffs, this, the surroundings giving Paul Giamatti's character the chance to indulge his hobby at every turn. And I loved the laid-back tone of the film, punctuated at regular intervals by panicked episodes caused by his friend's shenanigans. It's also a great opportunity to see how much things have changed since its release, in 2004 (which really doesn't seem that long ago). Not only the cars are older - but they have payphones, for goodness' sake, and the actor's mobile phone is a real throwback! A flip phone, with the dinky feature of having a one-line display visible when the phone is closed, to show you who's calling. Ah, I remember those, and the ringtone. Oh, and no-one seems bothered about them driving drunk.. mind you, Paul Giamatti doesn't seem to have the tolerance for alcohol that I do. I mean, I wouldn't be weaving all over the road while trying to walk, even after two bottles of wine! Especially since he had a nap between bottles. And him supposed to be a seasoned wine drinker, tsk. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
A little later, we had Jakob the Liar. The late Robin Williams plays the title character, inhabitant of a Polish ghetto during the Nazi occupation. Other inhabitants include Alan Arkin and Liev Schreiber. And the whole thing kicks off when Jakob gives news of the war - which they don't believe, so he tries to insist that it's true, he heard it on the radio. He tells Liev Schreiber - who challenges him, as radios are one of many things forbidden in the ghetto. So he tries to explain that he overheard the radio in the commandant's office. Liev's character isn't the brightest spark, and concludes that no-one comes out of that office alive, so Jakob is either an informant.. or he's lying, and somehow has his own radio! Word duly spreads through the ghetto like wildfire - everyone is desperate for news, and Jakob is forced to perpetuate the fantasy that he has a radio, and provide (positive) fake news to keep everyone's morale up.
A really touching film, it's also packed with humour.. while still managing to convey the sheer daily stress of living in the ghetto. Not only were people summarily packed off there, forced to leave their homes with only what they could carry, piled on top of each other in slum conditions - but they were fenced in, subject to curfew, short of food and medical supplies, forced to wear yellow stars on their clothes to identify themselves as Jews.. and living under the constant threat of being packed into cattle trucks for transport by train, and never heard from again. As one character pointed out, since Jakob announced he had a radio, there hadn't been a single suicide in the ghetto! A memorable film.
To end the night, I finally watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water! The link isn't the best - the actual programme is concentrated in one corner of the screen, and the quality of the recording isn't great - jumpy, blurry in parts, and with quite low volume. But the programme itself is excellent. Not just another nature documentary: this quotes amazing statistics, while displaying the series' usual, stunning cinematography - from sweeping aerial shots to incredible closeups of wild creatures. Entertaining narrative tells stories that accompany innnovative editing - and a bonus for me, who didn't get the whole of Episode 1! You see, it turns out that each episode ends with a short documentary about the filming of the episode.. this time, they showed how difficult it had been to film the piranhas. Mainly because they proved so elusive! Worked out well in the end, of course..
Tomorrow, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) is watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering on its last day, again - and so am I, a bit earlier. This week, it's Drawing the Line. The subject is the post-war partition of the Indian subcontinent - should be highly charged.
On Monday, the end of entries for this week's London Literary Walks quiz, and the start of another - I'm currently leading the individual rankings, yay!
Next Saturday, speaking of quizzes, London Social Detours (LSD) has one - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
On the 26th, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which that week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems..
And on the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
One for wine buffs, this, the surroundings giving Paul Giamatti's character the chance to indulge his hobby at every turn. And I loved the laid-back tone of the film, punctuated at regular intervals by panicked episodes caused by his friend's shenanigans. It's also a great opportunity to see how much things have changed since its release, in 2004 (which really doesn't seem that long ago). Not only the cars are older - but they have payphones, for goodness' sake, and the actor's mobile phone is a real throwback! A flip phone, with the dinky feature of having a one-line display visible when the phone is closed, to show you who's calling. Ah, I remember those, and the ringtone. Oh, and no-one seems bothered about them driving drunk.. mind you, Paul Giamatti doesn't seem to have the tolerance for alcohol that I do. I mean, I wouldn't be weaving all over the road while trying to walk, even after two bottles of wine! Especially since he had a nap between bottles. And him supposed to be a seasoned wine drinker, tsk. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
A little later, we had Jakob the Liar. The late Robin Williams plays the title character, inhabitant of a Polish ghetto during the Nazi occupation. Other inhabitants include Alan Arkin and Liev Schreiber. And the whole thing kicks off when Jakob gives news of the war - which they don't believe, so he tries to insist that it's true, he heard it on the radio. He tells Liev Schreiber - who challenges him, as radios are one of many things forbidden in the ghetto. So he tries to explain that he overheard the radio in the commandant's office. Liev's character isn't the brightest spark, and concludes that no-one comes out of that office alive, so Jakob is either an informant.. or he's lying, and somehow has his own radio! Word duly spreads through the ghetto like wildfire - everyone is desperate for news, and Jakob is forced to perpetuate the fantasy that he has a radio, and provide (positive) fake news to keep everyone's morale up.
A really touching film, it's also packed with humour.. while still managing to convey the sheer daily stress of living in the ghetto. Not only were people summarily packed off there, forced to leave their homes with only what they could carry, piled on top of each other in slum conditions - but they were fenced in, subject to curfew, short of food and medical supplies, forced to wear yellow stars on their clothes to identify themselves as Jews.. and living under the constant threat of being packed into cattle trucks for transport by train, and never heard from again. As one character pointed out, since Jakob announced he had a radio, there hadn't been a single suicide in the ghetto! A memorable film.
To end the night, I finally watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water! The link isn't the best - the actual programme is concentrated in one corner of the screen, and the quality of the recording isn't great - jumpy, blurry in parts, and with quite low volume. But the programme itself is excellent. Not just another nature documentary: this quotes amazing statistics, while displaying the series' usual, stunning cinematography - from sweeping aerial shots to incredible closeups of wild creatures. Entertaining narrative tells stories that accompany innnovative editing - and a bonus for me, who didn't get the whole of Episode 1! You see, it turns out that each episode ends with a short documentary about the filming of the episode.. this time, they showed how difficult it had been to film the piranhas. Mainly because they proved so elusive! Worked out well in the end, of course..
Tomorrow, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) is watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering on its last day, again - and so am I, a bit earlier. This week, it's Drawing the Line. The subject is the post-war partition of the Indian subcontinent - should be highly charged.
On Monday, the end of entries for this week's London Literary Walks quiz, and the start of another - I'm currently leading the individual rankings, yay!
Next Saturday, speaking of quizzes, London Social Detours (LSD) has one - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.
On the 26th, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which that week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.
On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems..
And on the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.
Friday 17 April 2020
Dance: The Metamorphoisis
Again, a gap without decent programmes on telly. Again, I turned to Meetup for inspiration. And again, Up in the Cheap Seats turned up trumps - not that I could make the actual Meetup, but I happily watched later. And this time, it was a Royal Opera House contemporary dance version of The Metamorphosis, by Kafka. Seems that, every Friday evening, they're streaming a new production - available for 30 days, I think. Mind you, you can also watch it on YouTube, like I did - or, apparently, on Facebook. Now, that's what I call advertising..
So - the story concerns a responsible young man, the sole breadwinner for his family. Every day follows the same dull routine, and the only spark of life comes from his little sister, whom he indulges and buys presents. But one morning - he awakes to find that.. he's turned into an insect.
A weirder, more grotesque transformation you will not find in a dancer. He contorts himself into all sorts of angular, insect-like shapes, and they spew black ink all over him to emphasise the difference, the mess he makes as he writhes around contrasting sharply with the all-white set. His parents, predictably, are perplexed, disturbed, uncomprehending. The cleaner has a helluva job to do, which she doesn't appreciate. His little sister is the only one sympathetic to him, as she tries to understand what's happened, initially tries to get him back to normal, and when she can't, tries to make him as comfortable as possible. But you know things can't go on like this..
Terrific, imaginative production, with an eerie score that I actually found quite soporific! Not good, as I was watching it late at night - and would have been tempted to leave it, except that I was enjoying it. Unsettling, mind - sort of a horror story. So I loved it! And again I have to say, there's so much free stuff available online now that no-one with an interest in the arts should be bored! Certainly beats what was available on telly.
I'm thinking film for tomorrow, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
So - the story concerns a responsible young man, the sole breadwinner for his family. Every day follows the same dull routine, and the only spark of life comes from his little sister, whom he indulges and buys presents. But one morning - he awakes to find that.. he's turned into an insect.
A weirder, more grotesque transformation you will not find in a dancer. He contorts himself into all sorts of angular, insect-like shapes, and they spew black ink all over him to emphasise the difference, the mess he makes as he writhes around contrasting sharply with the all-white set. His parents, predictably, are perplexed, disturbed, uncomprehending. The cleaner has a helluva job to do, which she doesn't appreciate. His little sister is the only one sympathetic to him, as she tries to understand what's happened, initially tries to get him back to normal, and when she can't, tries to make him as comfortable as possible. But you know things can't go on like this..
Terrific, imaginative production, with an eerie score that I actually found quite soporific! Not good, as I was watching it late at night - and would have been tempted to leave it, except that I was enjoying it. Unsettling, mind - sort of a horror story. So I loved it! And again I have to say, there's so much free stuff available online now that no-one with an interest in the arts should be bored! Certainly beats what was available on telly.
I'm thinking film for tomorrow, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Wednesday 15 April 2020
Opera: The Bartered Bride
Another underwhelming night for telly. As for Meetup, Up in the Cheap Seats was running two events - neither of which I could make at the time, but either of which I could make later! I started off with a modern dance performance from Sadler's Wells, called Rain - but found about 10 minutes of it to be enough (it's quite repetitive), and switched to their other event - an opera called The Bartered Bride, by Smetana.
I don't know a lot of Smetana - but I do like what I've heard, and sure enough, the score for this opera is very pleasant. And the story is charming - your standard romantic comedy of errors, where a young woman is in love with someone, but about to be married off to someone else, to settle a debt. However, her boyfriend has a cunning plan.. but there'll be some reversals of fortune before they skip happily off into the sunset. I passed a pleasant enough couple of hours watching this - only thing is, it does drag on..! Also, it's rather curious to see an opera sung in what I presume is Czech, but set in what appears to be England in the 50s.. it's just that one scene, in the typical English pub, picture of the Queen on the wall, that jars..!
Nothing else planned till Saturday - but as usual, watch this space. I'm thinking film for then, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
I don't know a lot of Smetana - but I do like what I've heard, and sure enough, the score for this opera is very pleasant. And the story is charming - your standard romantic comedy of errors, where a young woman is in love with someone, but about to be married off to someone else, to settle a debt. However, her boyfriend has a cunning plan.. but there'll be some reversals of fortune before they skip happily off into the sunset. I passed a pleasant enough couple of hours watching this - only thing is, it does drag on..! Also, it's rather curious to see an opera sung in what I presume is Czech, but set in what appears to be England in the 50s.. it's just that one scene, in the typical English pub, picture of the Queen on the wall, that jars..!
Nothing else planned till Saturday - but as usual, watch this space. I'm thinking film for then, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Tuesday 14 April 2020
Play: It's True, It's True, It's True
Wasn't planning on anything much today - but the selection on telly was pretty poor. I mean honestly - out of the six channels available, a different crime show on each simultaneously?! Pretty indistinguishable, too. So my mother went to bed early. And I decided to see what others had been doing on Meetup.
And wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats was watching It's True, It's True, It's True. Now, I was supposed to see this live - in the Barbican, last month. Until the world shut down, for coronavirus. Well bless them, they're streaming it on their website! for the rest of the month. I was too late to watch with the others - but boy, was I glad I saw it myself.
Staged by three women, interchanging roles, this is a reconstruction of the real-life trial concerning the rape of one Artemisia Gentileschi, an aspiring, 15-year-old painter, born in Rome towards the end of the 16th Century. Wow, she couldn't have picked a better part of the world to be born in, at the time! Not given her chosen profession. It was unusual for respectable young women of the day to have any profession at all, but her father was also a painter, and she was by far the most talented of his children, it seems.
Naturally, the house was frequented by other painters. And one, in particular - Agostino Tassi - seems to have been a really shady character. Now, the acting is generally good in this production - but I have to give a special shout-out to Sophie Steer, who plays him as the most weasly, slimy, unlikeable chancer imaginable. Completely believable, and quite androgynous in this - I had to keep reminding myself she was a woman.
So, long story short, he seized an opportunity when they were alone, and raped her. However, he then seems to have promised to marry her - the only solution for a woman whose honour had been besmirched. And it was only when he reneged on that promise that she and her father took him to court..
True story. The trial lasted for seven months, and was the talk of the town, it seems - the play is formed from the existing transcripts. And wow, is it juicy! Played with passion, it's a real expression of girl power.. but also sensitive to the feelings of the participants, injecting some real-life emotion into what must have been quite dry documents to read.
Notable is how a couple of her early paintings - while depicting biblical themes - are used to illustrate her feelings about what was happening to her at the time. Not an invention of the playwright, it seems - it was already thought that her experiences influenced the content of the paintings. The first, Susanna and the Elders, depicts Susanna, who's come out to bathe in her garden, being leered at by a couple of "respectable" older gents, who've forced their way in - she looks most disturbed. In the second, however, we have Judith and her handmaiden severing the head of a chap called Holofernes - much more assertive women.. And her passionate description of these paintings, and the thought behind them, during the play mightily enriches the experience.
The play is both absorbing and shocking - and it's reassuring to know that, in real life, she became a celebrated painter, married another painter (although it didn't work out) and had a daughter. Tassi? Well, he didn't really get his just desserts. Although he didn't exactly get away scot free. Highly recommended!
Nothing else planned till Saturday - but as usual, watch this space. I'm thinking film for then, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
And wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats was watching It's True, It's True, It's True. Now, I was supposed to see this live - in the Barbican, last month. Until the world shut down, for coronavirus. Well bless them, they're streaming it on their website! for the rest of the month. I was too late to watch with the others - but boy, was I glad I saw it myself.
Staged by three women, interchanging roles, this is a reconstruction of the real-life trial concerning the rape of one Artemisia Gentileschi, an aspiring, 15-year-old painter, born in Rome towards the end of the 16th Century. Wow, she couldn't have picked a better part of the world to be born in, at the time! Not given her chosen profession. It was unusual for respectable young women of the day to have any profession at all, but her father was also a painter, and she was by far the most talented of his children, it seems.
Naturally, the house was frequented by other painters. And one, in particular - Agostino Tassi - seems to have been a really shady character. Now, the acting is generally good in this production - but I have to give a special shout-out to Sophie Steer, who plays him as the most weasly, slimy, unlikeable chancer imaginable. Completely believable, and quite androgynous in this - I had to keep reminding myself she was a woman.
So, long story short, he seized an opportunity when they were alone, and raped her. However, he then seems to have promised to marry her - the only solution for a woman whose honour had been besmirched. And it was only when he reneged on that promise that she and her father took him to court..
True story. The trial lasted for seven months, and was the talk of the town, it seems - the play is formed from the existing transcripts. And wow, is it juicy! Played with passion, it's a real expression of girl power.. but also sensitive to the feelings of the participants, injecting some real-life emotion into what must have been quite dry documents to read.
Notable is how a couple of her early paintings - while depicting biblical themes - are used to illustrate her feelings about what was happening to her at the time. Not an invention of the playwright, it seems - it was already thought that her experiences influenced the content of the paintings. The first, Susanna and the Elders, depicts Susanna, who's come out to bathe in her garden, being leered at by a couple of "respectable" older gents, who've forced their way in - she looks most disturbed. In the second, however, we have Judith and her handmaiden severing the head of a chap called Holofernes - much more assertive women.. And her passionate description of these paintings, and the thought behind them, during the play mightily enriches the experience.
The play is both absorbing and shocking - and it's reassuring to know that, in real life, she became a celebrated painter, married another painter (although it didn't work out) and had a daughter. Tassi? Well, he didn't really get his just desserts. Although he didn't exactly get away scot free. Highly recommended!
Nothing else planned till Saturday - but as usual, watch this space. I'm thinking film for then, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Monday 13 April 2020
Film: Ocean's Eleven
Tonight's film was courtesy of RTÉ's Irish-language channel, TG4 (which does broadcast English-language films). Funnily enough, I'd never seen Ocean's Eleven - or any sequels. And with such an all-star cast, it merits a look, at least. George Clooney is Danny Ocean, who's planning a major Las Vegas casino heist - part of the decision relating to the fact that his ex-wife, Julia Roberts, for whom he still carries a torch, is now dating the casino manager, Andy Garcia. Ocean's Eleven are the men he hires - including Brad Pitt, Elliott Gould, and pickpocket extraordinaire, Matt Damon. Hey, even Lennox Lewis shows up, in a boxing match attended by Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts, during which the robbery is scheduled..
Another very stylish film, decently complicated plot, entertaining. But - you know, I found it underwhelming. Yes, entertaining - but eminently forgettable. Would I have thought more of it when it was released, nearly 20 years ago? Perhaps - as it was, I found it rather predictable. Surprisingly so, in fact.. I won't be rushing to see any spin-offs. Hey-ho, it was free! and there was nothing better on.
So, another week starts tomorrow, and I have nothing planned till Saturday. When I'm thinking film, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Another very stylish film, decently complicated plot, entertaining. But - you know, I found it underwhelming. Yes, entertaining - but eminently forgettable. Would I have thought more of it when it was released, nearly 20 years ago? Perhaps - as it was, I found it rather predictable. Surprisingly so, in fact.. I won't be rushing to see any spin-offs. Hey-ho, it was free! and there was nothing better on.
So, another week starts tomorrow, and I have nothing planned till Saturday. When I'm thinking film, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Plays: Buried, Graceland, & Nuclear War
This evening, Up in the Cheap Seats has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I could just watch earlier.
Except then I got an email, today, from the Old Red Lion Theatre. Remember I'd booked a show with them, the last night I was in London? Which turned out not to be running? I complained, and they subsequently gave me a credit voucher. But all of a sudden, they've popped that production I was supposed to see, that night, up on YouTube! Available until the 27th! I was keen to see it, so did that instead.
First up is Buried, the true story of the actor's grandfather, who was buried alive during the Second World War. The play was written by the man's son - the actor's father. Very atmospheric - and they turn out to be from Dublin. Now, by this time, Ireland had its independence, and was neutral in the war - but some people decided to sign up, individually. So it's absolutely packed with Dublin banter and anecdotes, as the poor fellow waits to be rescued.. or die.
Graceland is a pretty hilarious piece about a harassed chemistry teacher with a rambunctious class - the audience plays an interactive role as the class, here. Has a very poignant undertone.
Finally, Nuclear War is a poetic piece, which through word and movement explores the realities of dating and desire.
This is a really excellent triptych - highly recommended! Includes explicit content. (Hey, wonder whether my credit voucher is still valid..)
So, another week starts tomorrow, and I have nothing planned till Saturday. When I'm thinking film, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Except then I got an email, today, from the Old Red Lion Theatre. Remember I'd booked a show with them, the last night I was in London? Which turned out not to be running? I complained, and they subsequently gave me a credit voucher. But all of a sudden, they've popped that production I was supposed to see, that night, up on YouTube! Available until the 27th! I was keen to see it, so did that instead.
First up is Buried, the true story of the actor's grandfather, who was buried alive during the Second World War. The play was written by the man's son - the actor's father. Very atmospheric - and they turn out to be from Dublin. Now, by this time, Ireland had its independence, and was neutral in the war - but some people decided to sign up, individually. So it's absolutely packed with Dublin banter and anecdotes, as the poor fellow waits to be rescued.. or die.
Graceland is a pretty hilarious piece about a harassed chemistry teacher with a rambunctious class - the audience plays an interactive role as the class, here. Has a very poignant undertone.
Finally, Nuclear War is a poetic piece, which through word and movement explores the realities of dating and desire.
This is a really excellent triptych - highly recommended! Includes explicit content. (Hey, wonder whether my credit voucher is still valid..)
So, another week starts tomorrow, and I have nothing planned till Saturday. When I'm thinking film, again.. still haven't watched Planet Earth's next-highest rated episode, #3: Fresh Water!
Sunday 12 April 2020
Film: Passengers
Well, RTÉ did me a favour this evening - I never saw Passengers, but was always interested! So, I made sure we stuck to that this evening, despite my mother's dislike of SciFi, which she thinks is silly..
I remember this getting muted reviews at the time of release, but honestly, I thought it was excellent. The story is pretty simple - Chris Pratt (I can never tell them apart, but there are a number of similarly good-looking Chrises, young, buff American actors who take on undemanding roles..) plays a passenger on a colonisation trip to a faraway planet. It takes so long that they're all put into hibernation - unfortunately, his hibernation pod malfunctions and wakens him early. (And yes, I loved the automated message, from the information terminal, that tells him that that never happens.) The ship still has 90 years to go to its destination - and yes, he's the only one awake. Well sheeit, what would you do?!
He spends a year and a bit, all on his own - save for the robot barman. He goes feral - honestly, the mess he makes of the place! He's at the end of his tether - and just at that point, he's wandering through the hibernation bay, and spots Jennifer Lawrence, happily snoozing in her pod. Liking the look of her, he accesses her profile - decides they're soulmates, dithers for a bit, then in what might be described as the ultimate Sleeping Beauty story, he.. wakes her up! Well now, you can imagine her reaction upon finding out that he did it deliberately.. The only other person who appears live is Laurence Fishburne, whose pod malfunction a bit later gives them a crew member to talk to, so they can get access to the bridge and try to keep the ship on course.
Beautiful imagery, as you can expect from any decent SciFi film. The various technological blips provide entertainment along the way, but don't ultimately go anywhere. But I loved the ship design (apart from things not working), the little jibes against corporate culture are well aimed, and it does what all good SciFi does - removes us from conventional society, and places us in a streamlined environment, then asks us a philosophical question. Here, that is simply - what's important in life. Might not be the world's most classic film, but I thought it was very stylish, beautifully shot, and most enjoyable.
Results now out for tomorrow's London Literary Walks quiz. Tomorrow evening, Up in the Cheap Seats has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
I remember this getting muted reviews at the time of release, but honestly, I thought it was excellent. The story is pretty simple - Chris Pratt (I can never tell them apart, but there are a number of similarly good-looking Chrises, young, buff American actors who take on undemanding roles..) plays a passenger on a colonisation trip to a faraway planet. It takes so long that they're all put into hibernation - unfortunately, his hibernation pod malfunctions and wakens him early. (And yes, I loved the automated message, from the information terminal, that tells him that that never happens.) The ship still has 90 years to go to its destination - and yes, he's the only one awake. Well sheeit, what would you do?!
He spends a year and a bit, all on his own - save for the robot barman. He goes feral - honestly, the mess he makes of the place! He's at the end of his tether - and just at that point, he's wandering through the hibernation bay, and spots Jennifer Lawrence, happily snoozing in her pod. Liking the look of her, he accesses her profile - decides they're soulmates, dithers for a bit, then in what might be described as the ultimate Sleeping Beauty story, he.. wakes her up! Well now, you can imagine her reaction upon finding out that he did it deliberately.. The only other person who appears live is Laurence Fishburne, whose pod malfunction a bit later gives them a crew member to talk to, so they can get access to the bridge and try to keep the ship on course.
Beautiful imagery, as you can expect from any decent SciFi film. The various technological blips provide entertainment along the way, but don't ultimately go anywhere. But I loved the ship design (apart from things not working), the little jibes against corporate culture are well aimed, and it does what all good SciFi does - removes us from conventional society, and places us in a streamlined environment, then asks us a philosophical question. Here, that is simply - what's important in life. Might not be the world's most classic film, but I thought it was very stylish, beautifully shot, and most enjoyable.
Results now out for tomorrow's London Literary Walks quiz. Tomorrow evening, Up in the Cheap Seats has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
Play: Wonderland
On Sunday evenings, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) seems to be making a habit of watching the plays streamed on the Hampstead Theatre website - on their last day of availability. Of course, they do it too late in the day for me to attend - so I just watch earlier. This week, it's Wonderland - so that's what I watched today.
The story revolves around the UK miners' strike of the early 1980s. It's atmospheric - from the start, you're plunged into darkness along with the miners, almost the only light coming from the torches on their helmets. Lovely singers they are, too - they treat us to a few working songs from time to time, to set the scene. The camaraderie is undoubted - in fact, my one criticism of the play is the long, long time they spend setting this up. We get to know them well, and this is crucial - but the whole thing is at least half an hour too long.
Contrast their scruffy, but happy existence with the besuited snobbery of the Tories, as we see a Tory minister meet the American head of the Coal Board: who strolls in with his hard-nosed American ideas that there's over-employment, that the miners could be better replaced by machinery, and who poo-poos the notion floated by the minister, that coming down hard will lead to a strike. Nonsense, says he - it'll scare them to see mines close, which will make them work harder to keep their jobs! Yeah, not really.. not with the determined Arthur Scargill as head of the miners' union.
A national strike in progress, the government scrabbling to find alternative energy sources to keep the power on, as no coal is being dug - what's a poor Tory government to do? Wait and see, as they bring out the big guns. I winced at the playing of part of Maggie Thatcher's speech, after she insisted that the conference she was attending, which had just been bombed, should continue. But even without having her on stage, the character that might be representative of her represents the worst of the British establishment. Initially laughed at as a workshy, privileged fop, he reveals himself not only to be as ignorant of the North of the country as of the dark side of the moon (as Tories have always been), but also with a backbone of steel. Watch as he shows the shocked American what hard-nosed business tactics really mean, as the Tories take things farther than he ever would have..
A really powerful piece in the end, worth sticking with. Showing till 10pm tonight. Highly recommended, most educational, and still quite topical.
Tomorrow, again, we get the results of the London Literary Walks weekly quiz. Great idea! Of course, this would be the month that the walks would normally start up again - this will just have to do us for the foreseeable.
And tomorrow evening, UITCS has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
The story revolves around the UK miners' strike of the early 1980s. It's atmospheric - from the start, you're plunged into darkness along with the miners, almost the only light coming from the torches on their helmets. Lovely singers they are, too - they treat us to a few working songs from time to time, to set the scene. The camaraderie is undoubted - in fact, my one criticism of the play is the long, long time they spend setting this up. We get to know them well, and this is crucial - but the whole thing is at least half an hour too long.
Contrast their scruffy, but happy existence with the besuited snobbery of the Tories, as we see a Tory minister meet the American head of the Coal Board: who strolls in with his hard-nosed American ideas that there's over-employment, that the miners could be better replaced by machinery, and who poo-poos the notion floated by the minister, that coming down hard will lead to a strike. Nonsense, says he - it'll scare them to see mines close, which will make them work harder to keep their jobs! Yeah, not really.. not with the determined Arthur Scargill as head of the miners' union.
A national strike in progress, the government scrabbling to find alternative energy sources to keep the power on, as no coal is being dug - what's a poor Tory government to do? Wait and see, as they bring out the big guns. I winced at the playing of part of Maggie Thatcher's speech, after she insisted that the conference she was attending, which had just been bombed, should continue. But even without having her on stage, the character that might be representative of her represents the worst of the British establishment. Initially laughed at as a workshy, privileged fop, he reveals himself not only to be as ignorant of the North of the country as of the dark side of the moon (as Tories have always been), but also with a backbone of steel. Watch as he shows the shocked American what hard-nosed business tactics really mean, as the Tories take things farther than he ever would have..
A really powerful piece in the end, worth sticking with. Showing till 10pm tonight. Highly recommended, most educational, and still quite topical.
Tomorrow, again, we get the results of the London Literary Walks weekly quiz. Great idea! Of course, this would be the month that the walks would normally start up again - this will just have to do us for the foreseeable.
And tomorrow evening, UITCS has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
Saturday 11 April 2020
Films: Shakespeare's Hamlet, A Dog's Purpose, & The Promise, & Documentary: Planet Earth (Episode 1)
It was film today. And the state broadcaster, RTÉ, was doing its standard bank holiday thing of flinging lots of films at us - so that's how the day started. I was delighted, checking the schedule, to see that they were showing Hamlet! So that occupied a few hours.. Turned out to star David Tennant as the hapless Danish prince whose father dies, and whose mother marries her late husband's brother, the new king (both men played by Patrick Stewart).
And an excellent production it is - I'd expect no less from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Performed in modern dress, as is now standard for this play - it is perfectly translatable to different times, different settings.. I must give a particular shout-out to Hamlet's poor girlfriend, Ophelia, played by Mariah Gale, who gives a striking performance as the girl who, thinking her beloved has gone mad (and the more so when he kills her father), ends up going mad herself, for real. Hamlet himself was played with a persistent manic disposition - which might have been appropriate, but for me, it'll take a lot to beat Andrew Scott's stunningly understated performance in the same role, a few years ago! Wow, doesn't feel that long.
In the evening, we had A Dog's Purpose. On at the time when they normally show kids' films, this is one for all dog lovers. Won't be a dry eye in the house for this tale of a dog that gets reincarnated through several lives (very cute, every time), only to end up back with his original owner (now a lot older, and played by Dennis Quaid) as a different dog. And the lesson he learns? Have fun, and if you can help someone, do. Aww..
Finally, tonight, I watched the second half of The Promise. Set during the First World War, this focuses on the plight of ethnic Armenians living in Turkey - their expulsion and mass execution came to be known as the Armenian genocide, making this the first time that the word "genocide" was coined. And that is suitably shocking, and worth highlighting - seems that Turkey still denies it was a genocide. The love story attached to it is less convincing, and I could have done without it. Also, having missed the first half, I never did find out what "promise" is alluded to in the title! Shucks.
For the active part of my film viewings, I decided to expand my film list - and so I checked the myriad of emails I've been getting, advertising things to do. Including film. Came across an interesting website - IdealFound claims to let you stream for free, and has a terrific library! Filtering by highest-rated on that site, I came across the Planet Earth documentary.. but when I had a go at streaming it, as a test, I was made to sign up for an account. Fair enough - except I seemed to have been included, automatically, on a free five-day Premium trial, and you pay for Premium. Unsure whether I'd be automatically signed up for Premium at the end of that, and finding at least Episode 1 of the series on YouTube, I cancelled my account.
Now, the YouTube episode is split into different, short videos - which is mildly annoying. More annoying by far is that some of them are blocked, here! I tried setting up another IdealFound account - but it wasn't accepting either of the cards I tried. Probably won't let me set up another account, having cancelled the first. So, YouTube it was - and what I saw was spectacular enough to be worth the effort! It's not often I bother to watch YouTube videos in fullscreen - I did, for this! It is stunning, with amazing cinematography that ranges from shots from space, to sweeping aerial shots of incredible landscapes and animal migrations. All the way down to intensely closeup wildlife shots - from polar bears to birds of paradise. I spent my whole time gasping, enthralled. No wonder it was, apparently, the BBC's most expensive documentary ever to make. And all with the entertaining narrative of Sir David Attenborough. You really have to give this a try. I only watched (most of) one episode, but I would like to see more.. watch this space.
On Sunday evenings, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) seems to be making a habit of watching the plays streamed on the Hampstead Theatre website - on their last day of availability. Of course, they do it too late in the day for me to attend - so I just watch earlier. This week, it's Wonderland - so that's likely to occupy me tomorrow.
And on Monday, again, we get the results of the London Literary Walks weekly quiz. Great idea! Of course, this would be the month that the walks would normally start up again - this will just have to do us for the foreseeable.
That evening, UITCS has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
And an excellent production it is - I'd expect no less from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Performed in modern dress, as is now standard for this play - it is perfectly translatable to different times, different settings.. I must give a particular shout-out to Hamlet's poor girlfriend, Ophelia, played by Mariah Gale, who gives a striking performance as the girl who, thinking her beloved has gone mad (and the more so when he kills her father), ends up going mad herself, for real. Hamlet himself was played with a persistent manic disposition - which might have been appropriate, but for me, it'll take a lot to beat Andrew Scott's stunningly understated performance in the same role, a few years ago! Wow, doesn't feel that long.
In the evening, we had A Dog's Purpose. On at the time when they normally show kids' films, this is one for all dog lovers. Won't be a dry eye in the house for this tale of a dog that gets reincarnated through several lives (very cute, every time), only to end up back with his original owner (now a lot older, and played by Dennis Quaid) as a different dog. And the lesson he learns? Have fun, and if you can help someone, do. Aww..
Finally, tonight, I watched the second half of The Promise. Set during the First World War, this focuses on the plight of ethnic Armenians living in Turkey - their expulsion and mass execution came to be known as the Armenian genocide, making this the first time that the word "genocide" was coined. And that is suitably shocking, and worth highlighting - seems that Turkey still denies it was a genocide. The love story attached to it is less convincing, and I could have done without it. Also, having missed the first half, I never did find out what "promise" is alluded to in the title! Shucks.
For the active part of my film viewings, I decided to expand my film list - and so I checked the myriad of emails I've been getting, advertising things to do. Including film. Came across an interesting website - IdealFound claims to let you stream for free, and has a terrific library! Filtering by highest-rated on that site, I came across the Planet Earth documentary.. but when I had a go at streaming it, as a test, I was made to sign up for an account. Fair enough - except I seemed to have been included, automatically, on a free five-day Premium trial, and you pay for Premium. Unsure whether I'd be automatically signed up for Premium at the end of that, and finding at least Episode 1 of the series on YouTube, I cancelled my account.
Now, the YouTube episode is split into different, short videos - which is mildly annoying. More annoying by far is that some of them are blocked, here! I tried setting up another IdealFound account - but it wasn't accepting either of the cards I tried. Probably won't let me set up another account, having cancelled the first. So, YouTube it was - and what I saw was spectacular enough to be worth the effort! It's not often I bother to watch YouTube videos in fullscreen - I did, for this! It is stunning, with amazing cinematography that ranges from shots from space, to sweeping aerial shots of incredible landscapes and animal migrations. All the way down to intensely closeup wildlife shots - from polar bears to birds of paradise. I spent my whole time gasping, enthralled. No wonder it was, apparently, the BBC's most expensive documentary ever to make. And all with the entertaining narrative of Sir David Attenborough. You really have to give this a try. I only watched (most of) one episode, but I would like to see more.. watch this space.
On Sunday evenings, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) seems to be making a habit of watching the plays streamed on the Hampstead Theatre website - on their last day of availability. Of course, they do it too late in the day for me to attend - so I just watch earlier. This week, it's Wonderland - so that's likely to occupy me tomorrow.
And on Monday, again, we get the results of the London Literary Walks weekly quiz. Great idea! Of course, this would be the month that the walks would normally start up again - this will just have to do us for the foreseeable.
That evening, UITCS has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.
Friday 10 April 2020
Virtual Cafe - Henry VIII
My next thing was today - which, of course, was Good Friday, so I didn't have to work. I was thinking film - currently top of my YouTube film list was a documentary entitled Apocalypse: la 1ere Guerre Mondiale. Well, it'd be a chance to practice my French..
During the week, however, 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners advertised something for today that I could make, for once (i.e. early in the day, some day I wasn't working)! They're running these regular, virtual cafes, it seems - on Zoom. And today's was right up my alley - a history cafe, on the subject of Henry VIII. A 10-minute introduction, then we were to be split into smaller groups, with various different people guiding the discussions. And we'd just chat about historical topics, the whole thing lasting about an hour. Cool! I signed up.
It worked pretty flawlessly, I have to say - despite my connection freezing a couple of times. And someone else did report an inability to get audio. Never mind - most of us seemed ok, and they had a technical guy on hand to do stuff like split us into smaller groups, then return us to the main group at the end.
I have to say, the talk was a lot more interesting than I anticipated! First thing I learned was the origin of the name of the Isle of Dogs - rather than being so named because he took his hunting dogs there (as many people think), perhaps actually a corruption of the word "dyke", because they instituted major drainage schemes to drain the local, marshy ground.
More interesting still was the theory that the reason for Henry's erratic behaviour in later life might have been the jousting accident he suffered - I'd already gathered that this was the start of the trouble, but had never happened to hear that he was concussed afterwards, and that his contemporaries described him as having a much-changed personality thereafter. Wow.. that really throws a whole new light on things. Of course, they weren't studying brain damage in those days - and this would explain a lot.. I mean, he quite literally went crazy, marrying and disposing of wives willy-nilly, and no-one around him dared to displease him, for fear of losing their lives..
Well, the private discussions took place thereafter.. there were five in my room, and all quite friendly. I had fun, I had a good chat with the host, we found enough interesting to say about the topic in the half hour or so that we had.. I'd be happy to join them again for something. Although I don't think I'll ever really take to chatting to people online - it's not quite the same. And it was as well that we didn't have more time - two of the five were new, and didn't know the others, which didn't help the conversation to flow. Hey-ho. The pity of it is, of course, that it's proving so hard to join Meetups, as all my evenings are taken up, and generally my weekdays, too.. I do hope I can come to another of these.
Still thinking of film for tomorrow. But I decided to expand my film list - and so I checked the myriad of emails I've been getting, advertising things to do. Including film. Came across an interesting website - IdealFound claims to let you stream for free, and has a terrific library! Filtering by highest-rated on that site, I came across the Planet Earth documentary.. but when I had a go at streaming it, as a test, I was made to sign up for an account. Fair enough - except I seemed to have been included, automatically, on a free five-day Premium trial, and you pay for Premium. Unsure whether I'd be automatically signed up for Premium at the end of that, and finding at least Episode 1 of the series on YouTube, I cancelled my account. I might be overreacting - might be back to this site. Hell, with Premium, you can also download!
During the week, however, 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners advertised something for today that I could make, for once (i.e. early in the day, some day I wasn't working)! They're running these regular, virtual cafes, it seems - on Zoom. And today's was right up my alley - a history cafe, on the subject of Henry VIII. A 10-minute introduction, then we were to be split into smaller groups, with various different people guiding the discussions. And we'd just chat about historical topics, the whole thing lasting about an hour. Cool! I signed up.
It worked pretty flawlessly, I have to say - despite my connection freezing a couple of times. And someone else did report an inability to get audio. Never mind - most of us seemed ok, and they had a technical guy on hand to do stuff like split us into smaller groups, then return us to the main group at the end.
I have to say, the talk was a lot more interesting than I anticipated! First thing I learned was the origin of the name of the Isle of Dogs - rather than being so named because he took his hunting dogs there (as many people think), perhaps actually a corruption of the word "dyke", because they instituted major drainage schemes to drain the local, marshy ground.
More interesting still was the theory that the reason for Henry's erratic behaviour in later life might have been the jousting accident he suffered - I'd already gathered that this was the start of the trouble, but had never happened to hear that he was concussed afterwards, and that his contemporaries described him as having a much-changed personality thereafter. Wow.. that really throws a whole new light on things. Of course, they weren't studying brain damage in those days - and this would explain a lot.. I mean, he quite literally went crazy, marrying and disposing of wives willy-nilly, and no-one around him dared to displease him, for fear of losing their lives..
Well, the private discussions took place thereafter.. there were five in my room, and all quite friendly. I had fun, I had a good chat with the host, we found enough interesting to say about the topic in the half hour or so that we had.. I'd be happy to join them again for something. Although I don't think I'll ever really take to chatting to people online - it's not quite the same. And it was as well that we didn't have more time - two of the five were new, and didn't know the others, which didn't help the conversation to flow. Hey-ho. The pity of it is, of course, that it's proving so hard to join Meetups, as all my evenings are taken up, and generally my weekdays, too.. I do hope I can come to another of these.
Still thinking of film for tomorrow. But I decided to expand my film list - and so I checked the myriad of emails I've been getting, advertising things to do. Including film. Came across an interesting website - IdealFound claims to let you stream for free, and has a terrific library! Filtering by highest-rated on that site, I came across the Planet Earth documentary.. but when I had a go at streaming it, as a test, I was made to sign up for an account. Fair enough - except I seemed to have been included, automatically, on a free five-day Premium trial, and you pay for Premium. Unsure whether I'd be automatically signed up for Premium at the end of that, and finding at least Episode 1 of the series on YouTube, I cancelled my account. I might be overreacting - might be back to this site. Hell, with Premium, you can also download!
Sunday 5 April 2020
Google Maps: Mt. Everest, Play: Wild, & Book: London, the Wicked City
This morning, Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group headed on a virtual tour of Mount Everest, on Google Maps again! So I tagged along.
I was ever so slightly late - blame this antiquated computer, which took forever to boot up. Didn't matter, of course - much like his physical Meetups, he has no interest in actually leading, and had advertised this as being unhosted. Which is a shame, because some people had obviously never been on Google Maps before, and hadn't a clue what to do, or what to expect. Never mind, a couple of us posted links that people could use to see interesting photos, and I posted a link to a YouTube video of a summit climb - someone had been asking whether it'd go to the summit, which it doesn't.
Personally, I found that video much more interesting - the views might be spectacular, but the area around the base camps is very stony and inhospitable, and to be honest, not that interesting after about a minute. Anyway, I mooched around for a while, had a brief chat on the Meetup site, and left early. He's actually closing down this group on Wednesday, so this was my last event with them. I'm not sufficiently invested in it to join his Facebook group.
This afternoon, why, London Social Detours had another event I was interested in. (And for once, she's not charging..!) She was reading a chapter of a book entitled London: The Wicked City, with a chat afterwards.
And yes, Up in the Cheap Seats is busy again.. They're watching a play called Wild, on the Hampstead Theatre website this evening. Another by Mike Bartlett, it's a dramatisation of the story of Edward Snowden. As Hampstead Theatre is only streaming plays free for a week each, this is the last day for this. Free watching ends at 10pm GMT. So, with me due to watch telly with my mother again, I watched this early - before the book reading.
Ah crikey, I damn near gave up. The whole thing takes place in his hotel room in Moscow, and for ages from the start of the play, he's conversing with a really strange woman. She seriously is the most irritating character - I gathered, from her insane proclamations, that this is meant to be a comedy, but ah here. Maybe it'd have been better with a different actor - this is completely overacted. The pair spend the whole time yelling at each other (for no apparent reason), she can't get her story straight, and it turns into a diatribe against the curbs on freedom and breaches of privacy perpetrated by modern governments.
I could have skipped that whole section of the play. It was such a relief when she left - to be replaced by another guy, who in complete contrast is deadpan. Anyway, he professes no knowledge of the woman - but both are trying to get our protagonist to sign up to their (unspecified) organisation. Ho hum. But wait.. I very nearly shut it off, but was so glad I didn't. The ending is fantastic! It's just a shame we had to wait that long for the play to get good. And no, the ending isn't worth the drudgery of what precedes it. But it's nicely cynical. Imagine what the play would have been like if it'd all been like this!
So, finally, to the book reading - again, I was ever so slightly late - had to download Zoom. Conscious of recent security concerns around Zoom, the organiser gave us a password. She'd started to read - but only just - when I arrived.. I'd wondered how she was as a reader, and sorry to say, she isn't great. Very gaspy, and obviously unfamiliar with some words, which she mispronounced. The book itself was something of a revelation - gee, we live in such prudish times in comparison with what it was like before! I don't think I'll tune in for future chapters, though. I didn't participate in the chat after - I don't know many members of that group very well, and wasn't really in the mood.
My next thing is likely to be on Friday - which, of course, is Good Friday, so I don't have to work. Film, perhaps - currently top of my YouTube film list is a documentary entitled Apocalypse: la 1ere Guerre Mondiale. Well, it's a chance to practice my French..
I was ever so slightly late - blame this antiquated computer, which took forever to boot up. Didn't matter, of course - much like his physical Meetups, he has no interest in actually leading, and had advertised this as being unhosted. Which is a shame, because some people had obviously never been on Google Maps before, and hadn't a clue what to do, or what to expect. Never mind, a couple of us posted links that people could use to see interesting photos, and I posted a link to a YouTube video of a summit climb - someone had been asking whether it'd go to the summit, which it doesn't.
Personally, I found that video much more interesting - the views might be spectacular, but the area around the base camps is very stony and inhospitable, and to be honest, not that interesting after about a minute. Anyway, I mooched around for a while, had a brief chat on the Meetup site, and left early. He's actually closing down this group on Wednesday, so this was my last event with them. I'm not sufficiently invested in it to join his Facebook group.
This afternoon, why, London Social Detours had another event I was interested in. (And for once, she's not charging..!) She was reading a chapter of a book entitled London: The Wicked City, with a chat afterwards.
And yes, Up in the Cheap Seats is busy again.. They're watching a play called Wild, on the Hampstead Theatre website this evening. Another by Mike Bartlett, it's a dramatisation of the story of Edward Snowden. As Hampstead Theatre is only streaming plays free for a week each, this is the last day for this. Free watching ends at 10pm GMT. So, with me due to watch telly with my mother again, I watched this early - before the book reading.
Ah crikey, I damn near gave up. The whole thing takes place in his hotel room in Moscow, and for ages from the start of the play, he's conversing with a really strange woman. She seriously is the most irritating character - I gathered, from her insane proclamations, that this is meant to be a comedy, but ah here. Maybe it'd have been better with a different actor - this is completely overacted. The pair spend the whole time yelling at each other (for no apparent reason), she can't get her story straight, and it turns into a diatribe against the curbs on freedom and breaches of privacy perpetrated by modern governments.
I could have skipped that whole section of the play. It was such a relief when she left - to be replaced by another guy, who in complete contrast is deadpan. Anyway, he professes no knowledge of the woman - but both are trying to get our protagonist to sign up to their (unspecified) organisation. Ho hum. But wait.. I very nearly shut it off, but was so glad I didn't. The ending is fantastic! It's just a shame we had to wait that long for the play to get good. And no, the ending isn't worth the drudgery of what precedes it. But it's nicely cynical. Imagine what the play would have been like if it'd all been like this!
So, finally, to the book reading - again, I was ever so slightly late - had to download Zoom. Conscious of recent security concerns around Zoom, the organiser gave us a password. She'd started to read - but only just - when I arrived.. I'd wondered how she was as a reader, and sorry to say, she isn't great. Very gaspy, and obviously unfamiliar with some words, which she mispronounced. The book itself was something of a revelation - gee, we live in such prudish times in comparison with what it was like before! I don't think I'll tune in for future chapters, though. I didn't participate in the chat after - I don't know many members of that group very well, and wasn't really in the mood.
My next thing is likely to be on Friday - which, of course, is Good Friday, so I don't have to work. Film, perhaps - currently top of my YouTube film list is a documentary entitled Apocalypse: la 1ere Guerre Mondiale. Well, it's a chance to practice my French..
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