Now, my old work friends and I had a great old time on the 10th - so we planed to do it again tonight! Well, some of it.. I was supposed to meet up with an old colleague at The Spice of Life, which used to be an office haunt when we were with that company. Ivan would have come - but unfortunately, like many of his team, he's now tested positive. So that is that, I'm afraid - and he misses going back to his family for Christmas. And now my other colleague has cried off - probably wisely. We'll do it again next year. Unless we don't. So me? I booked for The Nutcracker, at The Coliseum. Ah well, 'tis tradition! and I got the very last seat in the balcony (back row, v handy if you can't handle the stairs).
Now, with so much content due this week, I had people bothering me all day about one thing or another. And they were still at it when I packed up the laptop and made for the bus. There were several I could get - the venue had advised me to be there at least 15 minutes early, and I was a bit late to get the #11, which would have gone straight. So I'd have to change - but wouldn't you know it, the buses have never behaved themselves better than this evening! In both cases, the buses arrived before I had time to check my app to see where they were - and for the first bus, literally nobody (!) got on or off between my getting on and my getting off! We breezed into the West End, and I beat Google Maps' estimate of how long it'd take me. Our Covid passes were checked first, then our tickets, and I was in - for the first time in nearly 2.5 years..!
The lady at the door directed me to the wrong stairs, would you believe.. there was another usher there, however, who pointed me in the right direction. I walked right past the lift - tried the button, but it didn't seem to be working. So, stairs it was - and lo, I managed them! Panted my way to the Upper Circle bar, and rewarded myself with a large Pinot Grigio and a tub of fudge. (Which I regretted later, when putting my coat on the seat beside me, where I'd left the fudge, and sending it crashing to the ground in the middle of the show..)
Wow, it's so long since I saw this interior. Felt good. I am glad I got the unexpected chance. And as I say, I had two free seats beside me - very handy for leaving things on - and two in front (so, an unimpeded view!).
Ah wow, you just can't go wrong with The Nutcracker! Gorgeous, immediately recognisable score, Christmassy theme.. and this production is the most traditional I've seen. More, it completely eschews any magical theme, consigning the whole thing to the dream of a little girl who's had too much sugar and excitement at the Christmas party! Which makes the whole thing sweet and endearing. The ballet opens and closes with a scene outside the house, which apparently sits on the edge of a frozen lake - people "skate" on it (I think they used roller skates). The children are seen greeting the house guests, the party moves indoors.. the usual stuff happens, she goes to bed - has a fantastical dream, and next morning is seen bidding the guests farewell again.
I've seen plenty of versions, some more inventive than others - and absolutely loved them. But it makes a lovely change to see this simplified to its essence. Beautiful production, using the image of falling snow to change scenes - and of course, the glorious music. And it's just so.. CHRISTMASSY! Really glad I went, despite having seen it so many times before - and despite the outside air being like a fridge. Runs till the 8th. Over before 10pm, and I took the #11 back. Which did stop a few more times - perhaps it's just a more popular route..
And tomorrow, my last social event before Christmas - meeting my ex-boss from my first company in London for our annual hot chocolate and booze. Starting in Caffe Nero, we might well end up in The Hippodrome, as we did before. And why not - we're both on holiday next day, and (test permitting) I'm back to Ireland for Christmas that afternoon.. (highly expensive) Aer Lingus again, for the sake of the later flight. But thank goodness it's not Stansted. Flying back to London on the 3rd. Unless.. I'm not. So I'm taking my laptop to Ireland for Christmas. Just in case.
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