Well, film on Tuesday again. Top of the list was The Jump, only showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury, and is a documentary about a Lithuanian sailor, back in the days of the Soviet Union, who chose to defect to the United States by jumping from his ship onto an American one. Didn't do him much good - they sent him back! but the whole thing blew into a political storm. Sounded interesting. As long as it wasn't as much as half sold out, I kept an eye on it.
Well, it wasn't on until late, so I stayed late in the office again. I could walk. Except that I got caught up in doing something, so it'd have to be public transport for me to get there in time. Google Maps told me I'd make it by bus.. and I made it to the stop just in time for the bus that they'd predicted would come. Then checked my Buses Due app.. to be given the harsh news that it wasn't due for a quarter of an hour! Oh hell, that was all I needed, after a hard day. The only thing for it now was to scurry asap to St. Paul's and catch the Tube, which is what I did. I had to change in Holborn, startling a rat as I disembarked - and why, oh why, do they make you climb two sets of stairs, and leave the escalator for going down? I eventually arrived at the cinema about five minutes late, which wasn't bad. And had a third set of steps to climb as I exited the Tube. So I didn't completely miss out on exercise!
At the cinema, I walked straight into an "event" on the ground floor (the cinemas are in the basement). So I had to buy my ticket downstairs - as I eventually gleaned, although a combination of my stressed demeanour and the assistant's muffled voice behind her mask meant she had to tell me twice. And when I got through that hurdle, I forgot completely where the screen was! Ended up nearly going out through the emergency exit before I realised. And when I got in, someone had his stuff on my seat. So I sat in the one beside, and was quite glad nobody came along to move me.
It's a dramatic, Cold War tale - this guy was in the Soviet navy, off the coast of the US, and the US coastguard came along to see what they were doing. And they started throwing stuff to each other, from one ship to the other, until the Soviet officers objected to the American magazines. Whereupon our protagonist got the idea - just to jump for it! Now, this comprehensive documentary also interviews a couple of officers on the US ship, and one remarked that 4.15pm was the worst time of day to defect, because all the politicos were leaving the office for the day! They couldn't get anyone on the phone, so figured they'd better send him back - wow, what a furore that caused! The story of how he came to the US in the end is fascinating, and as well as archive footage, the documentary has him visit New York, where he used to live, and also follows him around his home in Lithuania - which he and his wife returned to, after independence. A well-rounded documentary, and a fascinating glimpse into this period in history.
And on the way home, I got off at the stop across from my flat - which, according to Google Maps, was not an option for me. Well, nuts to that.
The past two days, for the first time in a while, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats. Yesterday, we went to see The Drifters Girl, a musical about the female manager of The Drifters, played by Beverley Knight. Playing in the Garrick, and wouldn't you know, when I was checking it out, I saw a message from a member who couldn't go, and was willing to give away her ticket for free to the first person to get in touch. Well, it just goes to show, you can't even give tickets away - this was three days later, and I said I'd take the chance - sure enough, I was the first! It's a physical ticket, which she posted to me - I just had to remember to take it with me! Not often, these days, I get a physical ticket. Oh, and yippee, Rear Stalls!
I decided to pop the ticket in my bag the night before - and just as well, with me in a rush yesterday morning! No email from the theatre, it seems, as they'd said they'd send, with instructions about what to do, and when to be there.
But I left work for the theatre in good time - in fact, I was the first of the group to arrive! Pleasantly, when I came to the auditorium, they were playing music from the era. Plenty of time to bag a drink - and as I sipped it, at the exit from the bar, I spotted a couple of the group over the other side. So I made my way over there - and we spent a good half hour chatting. Problem was, it was pretty cramped - people were having to push past us to go to the bar or toilet, and we duly made for our seats - some were sitting upstairs too, which was a consideration.
As you can see, the pillar "in my sightline" wasn't an impediment at all. Few people were wearing masks until an usher went around with a large sign, urging us to do so, when a lot complied. Anyway, the show started about 15 minutes late - apparently there was a to-do, with a large group of people near the front sitting in the wrong seats! This wasn't the only kerfuffle with the audience last night - a number of our group who were sitting upstairs apparently had terrible trouble with people near them who not only wouldn't stop talking through the show, but became quite belligerent when challenged! As someone remarked, theatre etiquette has really gone downhill since lockdown..
Well, we got the story of The Drifters - but what everyone's really there for is the actual music, and there's plenty of it - as usual, more of their back catalogue than you realised was theirs! And throughout, it's beautifully sung. Beverley Knight herself doesn't get much opportunity to sing until the end of the first half, when a showstopping number brings us to the interval. She is heard a bit more after that - and I distinctly remember being about to take a sip of wine while she was belting out a number, only to stop with the glass halfway to my mouth! Truly, she blew us away. And by the end, we were only too ready to rise to a standing ovation - and to sing along. (Mind you, some had started already, and a group just behind me were very merry after a trip to the bar at the interval..)
Terrific musical performance - plenty of laughs, too. Highly recommended if you're into the old classics. Runs until the 26th March. And it was great to see some folks I literally hadn't seen in years.
I was looking forward to tonight, when we were headed to Sadler's Wells for an Akram Khan production, the UK Premiere of Outwitting the Devil. Part of their Carnival of Shadows tour. And ooh, the first time I'd have been there since lockdown!
Of course, our office has now started serving free beer (and, crucially, wine) on Thursdays, so naturally, I imbibed before setting off. And the new office, with its single-kitchen layout, means a lot more mingling between the different departments. Indeed, I networked happily until I decided I really had to tear myself away - it was a pity, I was enjoying it. As it was, I'd have been able to walk if I'd left earlier - instead, I had a number of potential buses to choose from.
Just missed one - which I could have caught, if I hadn't been unsure it was the right one: caught another - and treated myself to a ride up in the lift, as I was already late. (Happily, not late for the show, just a little late to meet the group.) And again, it was great to see people I hadn't seen in so long.. had a good old chat until it was time to go in.
So, this is straight through without an interval.. and a more intense, creepy piece I defy you to find. (So, I loved it.) Nobody, but nobody, seems to have figured out exactly what the plot is, but as ever, it looks great, looks and sounds eerie, and grabbed my attention throughout. If you want to give it a shot, it's running until Saturday, with decent availability. Under-5s not allowed. And with it having no interval, it was over early enough for me to blog!
Tomorrow, back with one of my cheap ticket groups - TAC - for another concert at the Wimbledon Music Festival. This time, it's Yantra, an a cappella group, in the Trinity URC Church.
On Saturday, back with the Surrey History Meetup group - nominally - for yet another Zoom call. This time, it focuses on SHERF 2021 - a day-long conference based on the work of the Surrey Historic Environment Research Framework, and specifically on church archaeology. As promoted by the Surrey Archaeological Society.
And on Sunday, back with London European Club - we're off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we're going to the later one.
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