Play: Last Train to Nibroc

Third night in a row that the decent programmes expired early. The difference tonight was that Meetup finally had something other than film to offer! Up in the Cheap Seats was watching a play on YouTube, entitled Last Train to Nibroc. And Jo was organising - and I tend to like her choices. So glad to be able to see one of them again, even if I couldn't make the actual Meetup!

Well, she hasn't lost her touch. This is absolutely charming! A WWII romantic drama - with plenty of sparky comedy - it has a young pair, both from Kentucky, meet in three separate scenes. Like so many great romances, it begins on a train - and when they discover they're from not far from each other, the rest of the play happens close to home. The chemistry between them is fantastic, the dialog quick-fire, and the romantic tension is brilliantly played out to the very end. About 90 minutes straight through, and very highly recommended - we should all have such a romance in our lives..

On Saturday, for some reason, no-one is doing online Meetups again. At the moment, I'm thinking film -  never fear, there's always another. Well, there's a halfway infinite list! As a friend of mine once asked - is it my aim to see them all one day? Certainly looks like it's happening - slowly.. Next up is Almost Famous - directed and written by Cameron Crowe, it is semi-autobiographical. A young lad aspires to be a rock journalist, and gets a break with Rolling Stone, for goodness' sake! Frances McDormand is his disapproving mother, Zooey Deschanel his more sympathetic sister. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the journalist that acts as his mentor. Billy Crudup is lead guitarist of the band he's covering. Also stars Kate Hudson, Jimmy Fallon, Noah Taylor, and Anna Paquin. Set in the 70s, it looks like a glorious free-for-all, in the days of rock n roll excess..

On Sunday - why, London Social Detours has something on again at a time I can make! Specifically, a slideshow about the history of Islington - where I used to live, and which is still just up the road from me. Cool - I've signed up.

On the 22nd, they're doing another "time-travel" - Ancient Rome this time, complete with a short film again.

And on the 23rd, they just announced a talk, by someone from the National Gallery, about Catherine of Aragon! I was the first to sign up - nice to be kept busy again..