I'm just back from Ireland for the weekend. Wanted to get my car serviced for its NCT - sooner the better, and I couldn't last time I was back. Now, I told the mechanic as much ages ago, and that I'm only back every second Saturday. So it's funny how it came as a complete surprise to him, when I rang him on Thursday to confirm for Saturday. Oh no, there won't be anyone there. Hmph. If there were anyone else around who could do it.. anyway, what was coming up in the cinema was Where the Crawdads Sing, a thriller, set in the 50s & 60s, about a young woman - Daisy Edgar-Jones, making waves again - who grows up wild in the North Carolina swamps (it was filmed in Louisiana though, apparently). An outcast from society, she does manage to meet, and have a relationship with, a young man - when he shows up dead, everyone suspects her, and she is duly charged with murder. Trailer looked good, I know she's an excellent actor - and it has a cracking theme song, Carolina, by Taylor Swift, who sounded very much like Lana del Rey to me before I knew who it was! So, was looking forward to that. Ennis is cheaper, so I headed there.
Well and if petrol hasn't come down in price since I last looked! Not that I needed any, but it was great to see. On the radio on the way in, I heard there was a match in town - and sure enough, parking was a nightmare. I was finally lucky in the Friary carpark, where a couple of cars were pulling out! I had to pay - €1 per hour - but at least it was closer. A lady obligingly gave me her ticket, which had time left on it - but it wasn't enough. And as it was, I was late! Came into a completely dark cinema, where the police on screen were already hunting our "marshgirl", following the discovery of the body - the film is told in flashback, as she is arrested and tried. I couldn't see a thing - eventually stopped, and must have been right beside someone, who whispered, "Do you want to move in past me?" Lordy, I hadn't even known there was anyone there! I sat further forward.
Now, on Friday I read a terrible review of this. She didn't like it, she remarked that better dialogue could have been produced by seagulls pecking at a keyboard. She also made fun of the fact that the marshgirl loses not just her parents, but her entire family! I'm happy to report.. I completely disagree. Goes to show, you should always take reviews with a pinch of salt. As to the girl's entire family disappearing - the father is abusive, they leave one by one until she's the last left with him, and then he leaves. As to the dialogue - lookit, these are country folk, not poets. They don't speak in lofty tones, and they deal with commonplace things. I don't know what she was really expecting from the dialogue. Perhaps she just got bored.
I didn't get bored. Daisy Edgar-Jones does a marvellous job of conveying the girl's love of nature, and depth of character - and even if it wouldn't be a life I'd choose, I can appreciate it! It's beautifully shot - there's plenty of silence, considering there aren't many people out in the swamp - and it is a cracking story once it gets going. It becomes surprisingly touching, as she is betrayed by people she trusts, and - hey, even that reviewer acknowledges the great twist! That gorgeous theme song is played over the credits, so I stayed - and when the lights came up, I could see about a dozen people still in the cinema (almost everyone who had come). They also show drawings over the credits - one of the traits of this character is that she draws the wildlife - so maybe it was those that kept people. Or the music. Or both. Anyway, safe to say we all liked it! Strongly recommended.
Sick of Jade Cottage, and with The Grove usually packed, and unwilling to source another eatery, I ate at my mother's that evening. On TV that night - a great contrast if, like the reviewer, you were underwhelmed by the dialogues of the afternoon's film - was The Great Debaters. This is the true story of a black college that had a fantastic run of debates in 1935, culminating in an invitation to come and debate Harvard. Denzel Washington plays the black team's tutor, and also directs, Forest Whitaker is one of the parents. Packed as it is with racial conflicts, as well as mutterings about Communism - that black teacher was a Communist - the stand-out element of the film is the debating itself, which sparkles. Well done them! It's a great watch - makes me wish I'd been more engaged when I was on the debating team in school. But I was young and bashful..
It went too late to blog afterwards. This evening, another delayed Ryanair flight did, at least, have full trolley service! For the first time in months. The last flight of the day usually has hardly anything left, you see - they don't refill between flights, there isn't time. Well, perhaps it was the surveys I filled out - but today, you could have what sounded like a full range! And even though we were forced onto the buses into London again, by yet another weekend of engineering works on the Stansted Express, the driver was a cheery chappy, who warned us that we'd have a 5-minute delay in Whitechapel - and then pulled away after two minutes! Can't fault his enthusiasm.
When I finally got home, I was hungry - unbelievably though, O' Neill's, up the road, not only stays open till midnight every night, but seems to do food pretty much until they close! How many places do you know where you can rock up at 9.30pm on a Sunday and order a full dinner? What a lifesaver - and it was very moreish. Chicken katsu curry - just what I fancied. They'll be seeing a lot of me.
Tomorrow, I was headed to see The Throne, a comedy about to open at Charing Cross Theatre, in which the Queen gets locked in a portaloo with a staunch republican. Time Out had an offer of £10 tickets for the cheapest seats for this - a saving of more than 50%! Sadly, I then got word that remaining performances of this production have been cancelled, due to covid. Still with nothing on Meetup that appeals, I'm back with TAC for a classical concert - Mario Brunello is playing Bach on the violoncello piccolo, at Wigmore Hall. He's playing in the evening as well - and London Baroque Music Lovers (LBML) are now going - but cheap tickets are available for the matinee.
On Tuesday - tan-ta-ra! I finally managed to get a decently priced ticket to Jerusalem, at the Apollo. I have heard so much about this, and it's always at the top of the Time Out listings - nearly as hard as Hamilton to get a reasonably priced ticket for, so I'm delighted to get one, if only not to have to look any more.
On Wednesday, I was to head back to Summer by the River again.. for Bumper Blyton: Improvised Adventures for Grown-Ups! Improvised comedy in the style of Enid Blyton books. But now, I'm headed with LBML to a Grimeborn opera at the Arcola - I' Incoronazione de Poppea. I'm in the stalls - could have got a cheaper ticket in the balcony, but you can't take a drink up there!
On Thursday - another Up in the Cheap Seats event that Meetup finally decided to flag to me. So I've booked to go with them to see Briefs Factory's show, Bite Club! at Queen Elizabeth Hall. Drag, burlesque.. should be fun!
On Friday, I was thinking about the National Theatre's River Stage 2022. This will be the first night of the Hackney Empire's Young Producers Weekend, and there'll be some dance and some music. But now, Civilised London has organised an Ecuadorian meal at El Inca Plebeyo - so I'm going to that instead. His choices are always good. Meeting beforehand at The Canonbury Tavern.
On Saturday, back in Greenwich with Bucket List London - we're starting with the Old Royal Naval College and National Maritime Museum. Was originally supposed to be the Queen's House to finish, but turns out they're booked out all day for a wedding, despite not having clarified that on the website! Then in the afternoon, we're headed to Eltham Palace and Gardens. Quite the packed day.. Unless the rail strike scuppers it! He's considering cancelling. Well, I don't think the tickets are refundable, so if I have to head out there by myself, I will..
Next Sunday, back with TAC for the opening night of I'm Not Myself Today: A Villainous Cabaret at the Bread and Roses in Clapham. An hour in which someone discusses with us why we all love the villain!
On the 1st, I'm going to the Kiln Theatre for The Darkest Part of the Night. Another troublesome website - I tried for days to get it to work..!
And on the 2nd, thinking vaguely about the Camden Fringe, which runs all next month - there's, for example, an interesting audio event called A Little Drape of Heaven, where you hold a precious item of clothing to your heart, then press play to access a YouTube link that you've paid for. Hmm.. Meantime, I had booked a walk with Laurence and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for last Tuesday. This is The Magic of Midtown - and as I said to him, it finishes very near my new home! And wouldn't you know it - he postponed it, as a result of the heatwave, to this day. Not that I'm not glad he didn't run it last Tuesday - but I hope I can still make it..
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