This evening, I was off to see The Ehrlich Brothers, a magic show at the Wembley Arena. (Oh goodee, a lie-in!) This was with Friendly Frolickers 50+ Meetup Group - so I've joined them as well. I was - as often happens - rather frazzled when I booked though, and completely forgot that they had their own, discounted tickets! Blast - they do this specifically so that they can sit together. Well, I booked my own - more expensively - and explained. Can't be helped. Oh, and again, CT had tickets for today..
I had to download an app to access the ticket, you know - either the AXS one or the OVO Arena one. I figured I'd get more use from the AXS app, so used that - they have a clever function now, whereby the QR code changes at regular intervals, so it can't be screenshotted and used by someone else!
The show, already rescheduled because of Covid, it seems, was rescheduled again to start at 6. So I ate quite early - I fancied O' Neill's, but they were full (bouncers on the door, would you believe!). Scouting around for other places to eat - I didn't fancy Indian, which would have been easiest, or the Italians I'd been to last - I came up with Albertini, and decided to try it. Turned out to be an inspired choice. It wasn't busy - they have a large seating area, and oh! the aircon was deliciously cold.
They didn't have a starter I fancied, so I just went for a main - chose the "pollo del chef" (chef's chicken), the standard dish with white wine sauce and mushrooms. OMG it was gorgeous, I haven't had better! Came with slivers of potato and carrot. Sadly, although they had a Marlborough sauvignon blanc, it was only by the bottle - I had a glass of Australian chardonnay instead. And then another, as it was quite nice. Had a look at the dessert menu - and wow, they had tartufo! Lord, I hadn't had that in years.. I dived for it - and it was terrific. So, have now found a really good Italian within walking distance.. Service was pretty quick and friendly throughout as well. Happy to come back here.
And so, in due course, out to Wembley. It's quite far out, so the Metropolitan Line it was - which tunred out to be deliciously airconditioned as well. The platform was quite crowded, but mercifully most of them got on the Circle Line and left a few free seats on the Metropolitan, at the end - the ends are always a good place to hunt for a seat when there's a crowd.
Now, the group was supposed to meet at the Arena entrance - a couple of them had been supposed to meet at Waterloo en route - so off I set. It's not hard to find - the same road leads from Wembley Park Station to both the Stadium and the Arena, just follow your nose. There are a couple of signs, but I followed the crowd - not all headed to the magic show, mind, Coldplay was playing the Stadium tonight as well. All I had to do was turn off at the bottom of the Stadium steps, and there was the Arena to the right.
Now, I've never been with this group before, and didn't know what they looked like. Still don't - I posted a message to say I was there, and was anyone else? No response yet, at time of writing. After about five minutes, I decided it was too hot to be hanging around outside, and posted again to say as much, and that I was going in. (No response, of course.) And in I went, and just had time to scoff an overpriced ice cream, run to the loo, and get to my seat. Not that they started in time, of course - and it was a couple of minutes past the scheduled start time when the group organiser posted a message to say that all she now had to do was find me! Huh - didn't make much effort, did she? I have to say, given how impossible it was to find them, I was very glad, in the end, that I wasn't depending on them for my ticket! I replied to her message, saying that I was now in my seat and might see them after.
I was in Row E - and very glad I wasn't higher; I had enough trouble with the stairs as it was! There's nothing to hold onto. Mind you, I was to be sorry I'd arrived so early - when the MC came on, at about five past, it wasn't to introduce the show. Oh no. Get this - he spent the next 20 minutes (I'm not exaggerating) having us applaud. In particular ways, and with different lighting. For the DVD, you understand - tonight's show was being recorded. They were going to insert the clips at various points in the DVD, you see - so now you know how fake the DVD is going to be. Long before he finished, I stopped applauding entirely, and seriously considered leaving.
By the end of his session, the audience's enthusiasm had dampened considerably, and the heckling was growing more pronounced - as someone at the back yelled, "Do a trick for us!". Which makes it all the more ironic that, at the end of the show, the magicians thanked him for "warming the crowd up". HAH! At least he finished by making us react to funny animal clips - so that's the origin of those shots of the audience laughing, if you watch the DVD.
All of which is a shame, because it completely spoiled the start of the show for me. They appeared on stage in a helicopter (spoiler) - yawn, I've seen David Copperfield do it. To be fair, not live, and not indoors. Anyway, the start of the show was all motorbikes and noise - the flashing lights became a problem, because every time they ran through a cycle, I got at least one right in the eye - I ended up having to close my eyes when they did the lightshow. And I found most of the first act quite childish, if I'm honest - between the younger, unmarried brother flirting with girls in the audience, and a mawkish sequence about mothers, it seemed unprofessional.
At the interval, I seriously considered leaving - but there had been some good tricks, amongst all the razmatazz. They had a cool bit at the beginning where the older brother played the drums on a suspended platform, which then turned upside down, with him still playing - a good look! and the younger brother performed some really excellent, understated card tricks - magnified on the side screens, of course. So I sighingly decided to stay - but I was relieved when the interval did come, and I could go get a drink - the aircon in the Arena wasn't great, and I was parched. I felt much better after an overpriced Sprite - handily, as that was all I wanted, I didn't have to join the long queue at the main food stall, but got a bottle from the completely unpatronised nachos stall. (She explained that she'd have to remove the cap.)
I'm so glad I stayed - the second half was much better. I wonder whether they realised what was happening with the lights, because it didn't happen in the second half. And of course, the illusions were better. The younger brother was still annoying, but it was tolerable. Hey, he even showed us how to do a trick! Besides, he got fired from a gun at one point, which was most satisfying. They had a seriously good couple of illusions, each involving one brother - which I won't give away - and some excellent flying tricks. Oh, and if you were in the front stalls, you were quids in - not only did the younger brother wander through that section of the audience frequently, but they were often showered with confetti, and the kids got presents of sweets.
They are good magicians, despite the OTT stagecraft - and this was acknowledged at the end, when the MC introduced a young woman, who introduced herself as the head of the Magic Circle. She was there to surprise them with an award! So - kudos to them. I just wish someone would have a word with them about their presentation.. Naturally, no word from the group afterwards, until much later, when one of them thanked them for a lovely evening, and expressed the hope that everyone got home safely. Huh, I won't be rushing to join them again - just sorry I paid a £12 annual fee!
Tomorrow, I booked with the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners again - but not with Laurence Summers this time! They do have walks guided by other people, and this one is of Brick Lane. Except.. I then noticed it's also on TAC. So I cancelled my original booking, and booked through them instead (cheaper). Oh, how mercenary of me.. but the guide was the one who decided to advertise it there as well!
For Monday, I finally gave up on Meetup - the best things coming up were walks, and it's supposed to rain. Instead, I'm headed with TAC to a show called Mediocre White Male, at the King's Head (another place I haven't been to in years!).
On Tuesday, back with Civilised London - for a Syrian meal this time, at Imad's Syrian Kitchen. Meeting beforehand at The Clachan.
On Wednesday - well, I've signed up with Soho Comedy Factory Shows and Socials, which organises free events on Wednesdays at the aforementioned Soho Comedy Factory. Again. And again, this is subject to change. Watch this space..
On Thursday, I've decided on film. Having garnered all the available films this week, I had an interesting choice to make: ended up eliminating lots of films from the top of the list for sheer lack of interest! Basically, the decision process ran like - if this came on TV, would I watch it or turn it off? And so I came down to the one I really wanted to see. Nope is the latest from the excellent Jordan Peele, and stars Daniel Kaluuya (again) as the hapless victim of horrific events - extra-terrestrials this time. With Jordan Peele's typical injection of humour, this promises to be fun! And it's on at my local, so I get to see it for free.
And then, of course, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
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