Musical: Bonnie and Clyde

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Bonnie and Clyde, at the Arts Theatre. Now, most of the group going booked this ages ago - I just booked recently. And I noticed that all the cheapest seats were bench seating, which didn't sound terribly comfortable. But for under £2 more, so £25, I managed to get a ticket in the next band up - in the rear stalls - from Todaytix! See, they have this great £25 ticket offer until Sunday. This offer is highly recommended!

Took myself off in time to eat, optimistic of getting a table somewhere about. Well, my option last time - P. F. Chang's Asian Table - was full: but hey, right across the street was Sartori, and they had no trouble seating me! Now, this isn't the place to come for quiet conversation - or contemplation - but what it is, is a buzzing joint, packed to the gills, run by an Italian, and on the ball when it comes to dealing with crowds. I have to say, they managed very well - the manager, in particular, is on top of everything.

I didn't fancy a starter, so had to wait a while to get fed - had an excellent sauvignon blanc to keep me company, mind. And I had no phone reception, so that was a bit tiresome. But it actually wasn't so long before my food arrived - a scrumptious chicken with mushroom, and a very long Italian name! Yum. I was served, and ate, fast enough to have dessert.. and then I was asked whether I wouldn't mind having my dessert in the window! Eh.. OK. I was offered a limoncello to ease my discomfort. Eh.. OK.

So, I was now sat in sight of the theatre, with phone reception. Gee, such hardship. Sure enough, it transpired that they needed my table to push together with others for a large group. Meantime, for dessert, I ordered a lemon cake.. a light concoction, with, apparently, the flavour of the zest of lemons from the Amalfi coast. Hmm.

I am seriously impressed with their ability to produce high quality food with such a press of people! Also impressed that I got a second free limoncello.. following which, I took myself all the way across the street again, ordered a drink at the theatre bar, grabbed a table, and awaited the others. And we had a great old chat, trying to remember who was in that film we all saw about Bonnie and Clyde, and wondering how they could make such a dark story into a musical. And when we headed down to the stalls, someone had to make an announcement so we didn't all join the queue for the ladies' toilets, whose door is right beside the stalls entrance!

The set is riddled with bullet holes, previewing the story. But oh man, what a show! We had asked how they'd pull it off - we found out! After all, this was a terrific era for music - jazz, ragtime, gospel: and if that isn't enough, we got some hard rock for the hard-hitting prison scenes. Terrific performances, show-stopping songs. We were all completely carried along - just like the entire house, proven by the sound of the enthusiastic applause throughout!

At the interval, those of us with drinks couldn't go outside, where most of the group had congregated. Ah well. The second half started dramatically, when part of the set seemed to collapse, and some hit one of our members, in the front row! (I tell you, the perils of sitting in the front row..) The show stopped, the fellow playing Clyde popped over to ask whether he was OK. He had to be led out, sadly, and missed the second half - happily, he doesn't seem to have been too badly injured, and they gave him a complimentary ticket to come again: and a ride home, I believe! Well, I sure hope he does get to see the rest - it's a fantastic show! just maybe don't sit in the front row..

Highly recommended! Booking until the 10th of July.

Tomorrow, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - this time, we're at the Royal Festival Hall, where the Philharmonia is playing Mozart and Bruckner. Which makes this my best week for Meetup since lockdown, the only non-Meetup day being yesterday! The last time I saw this organiser is even longer ago than I saw Didi, the organiser on Sunday! (She's a classical guitarist - I just found her page..)

And then back to Ireland for the weekend. The film for the weekend - is looking like Top Gun: Maverick! in which Tom Cruise reprises his fighter-pilot role of so many years ago. Also stars Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer back as Iceman, Ed Harris as the rear admiral. Now, that should be fun!