Vauxhall Comedy Club

Had a very encouraging phone call today, from the recruiter I've been bugging for an answer from that company I've been waiting on news from. She very apologetically explained that my potential boss has a new boss, who has to sign off on the two available positions, and also decide on the levels at which they are to be appointed - at the same level, or a junior and a senior. In which case, I'd be appointed as the senior, of course. :-) Looking good, if you ask me.. watch this space.

This evening - well, I signed up with Soho Comedy Factory Shows and Socials (SCFSS), which organises free events on Wednesdays at the aforementioned Soho Comedy Factory. Again. And again, this was subject to change. Except I couldn't find anything better - London Social Detours was supposed to have an event, but it was outdoor - and it was supposed to pour today. So, reading the forecast last night, although I'd signed up for it, I cancelled and reverted to the comedy - indeed, just after the rain started thundering down this afternoon, the London Social Detours event was cancelled anyway.

But then, as I was getting ready to head out, they posted the lineup for the Soho Comedy Factory - and, checking performances online, I didn't like it! So I had a look at what else was on. And wouldn't you know it, Over 40 Living the Life was headed to the Vauxhall Comedy Club. Heh. Now, this happened before.. and I see they're still up to their old tricks, advertising a "special rate" that they get as regular attendees, which just happens to be twice what you pay if you get your ticket direct from the box office (via Eventbrite)! Which, again, was what I did. Interestingly, they now have a loyalty card, and an online version thereof - not quite sure how you access it on subsequent occasions, but handy for free stuff.

I ate beforehand in O' Neill's, mainly because I was starving, and didn't want to have to wait all that time to travel that long distance to Vauxhall! Got the last table - and discovered the app wasn't working. Meantime, one of the friendly (Irish, as it happens) bar staff suggested that, if I wanted to eat, I could go upstairs, where there was table service. So, with the app not working, I decided that was what I'd have to do.

Upstairs turns out to be reserved for dining - gosh, if only I'd known that before! Only one staff member waiting tables - jeez, he was Irish too. (And not long in London, I'd guess, given that he accidentally quoted a price in Euros when someone was paying! Might just be a summer job.) Shucks, I had trouble remembering I wasn't in Ireland, especially when the other Irish guy came up and was chatting with him. Anyway, he told me I could sit where I liked - so I took a window seat.

Well, I had a suspicion that - for some reason - table service would be slower. And so it proved. I was there for 15 minutes before he took my order - to be fair, it was just him - and over half an hour passed after that before I got my food. Meantime, I was going to be late for the start time - but as I recalled, the advertised start time isn't the actual start time anyway. Of more concern to me was the fact that I was literally feeling faint from hunger. Interestingly, they seem to bang on the kitchen doors when an order is ready.. Wow, was I glad when mine finally arrived. You couldn't criticise the lad, he was quite oblivious. This wasn't the kitchen's finest hour, mind - they were a bit stingy with the sauce - but I wolfed it down.

And then galloped off to catch a Tube. I was surrounded by dire warnings of disruptions due to flooding, but happily mine was not a line that was affected. Alighting at Vauxhall, I made a guess as to which way to go - and turned out to get it exactly right. It's actually really easy, when you know how - coming out of the Tube station, head for the rail station exit, and as you come out of the building, turn immediately left. You'll see a railway bridge - the comedy club is under that bridge, on the far side of the road.

The club itself is door F, BTW - I couldn't remember, but identified it from the crowd of people clustered around the usher, who was scanning tickets, then asking people to scan the QR code for the loyalty card. I had no idea how to retrieve the one I'd already filled in, so just did it again - happily, she said just to ignore the DOB field - it'd take forever if you did it properly, with not being able to edit the year and month directly, but having to ping back through the years, month by month.. That done, she gave us each a drink voucher - which the bar attendant was unfamiliar with, but honoured. They only allow you 175ml of wine for free - I had it drunk by the actual start time of 8pm, and got another (larger) to take in.

As usual, you're pretty safe in the third row, which is where I sat. Excellent MC - and tonight, unlike last time, the standard was fairly consistent throughout the performances. Which, I'm afraid, means that none of them really stood out - apart from the first guy, Kevin O' Connell, who was Irish (again!), and quite crazy. At the interval, that usher was back, trawling the audience for people with their phones out, and getting us to scan a QR code to leave a review. Which I had to wait until later to do, as I could get no reception inside. And at the end, the collection "bucket" (jug, in fact) was out again - they don't get the revenue themselves, it goes to the venue. And one of these days, I'll donate.. Promise!

My combination of buses to get home involved a change in Aldwych - aha, I thought, but Aldwych is blocked off to traffic! I'd seen this. Sure enough, the TFL warning extends for the week. So I got off before the diversion was due to start, and recalculated my route. And the next bus I caught.. sailed straight on through where the diversion was supposed to be, and all the way through Aldwych! Nuts, it's open early - I could have stuck to the original plan..

Tomorrow, 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.

Then, of course, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again. Planned film for the weekend is looking - finally - like Thor: Love and Thunder. Well, if I see Nope in the meantime, I'll have seen everything better - no longer showing in Ennis, so I'll see it at the Omniplex.

On Monday, planning another film. Now, next week's film list is partially out - but since the lockdowns, the film times just aren't coming out promptly any more. So there I was, checking film times for a couple of films at the top of the list I had, both showing at Hackney Picturehouse. Looked up the films showing there that day - and lo, I got a list of films, many of which were not mentioned on the overall film listing site yet at all! Have now added them to my list - and thus, I have a new film at the top, for next week. Girls Can't Surf is a documentary about how women broke into the male-dominated world of surfing. I'm not into surfing - but am always up for a feminist tale! Showing in a number of Picturehouses - and if I should happen to be working by then, there are evening showing options.

On Tuesday, I had already booked for Tom, Dick & Harry at Alexandra Palace. This is the story of the POW camp escape, during WWII, which was fictionalised in The Great Escape. ("Tom", "Dick", and "Harry" were the names of the escape tunnels.) I got my ticket from London Theatre Direct. And then, wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) decided to go the same night! So I'm going with them, which will be nice. Sadly, I missed out on the deal they snagged from TodayTix, which is even cheaper..

Next Wednesday - well, with a dearth of alternatives, I'm thinking of SCFSS again.

On the 25th, I'm back with UITCS - crikey, when's the last time that happened, twice with them in one week! This time, it's for Yeast Nation in Southwark Playhouse. Bless, they always put on something interesting.. Anyway, with my old payg subscription used up, I've taken out another - £60 gets you five tickets, over an unlimited period. Excellent value! and I have such good memories of evenings spent in the bar here. Sadly, these days, memories are all I have of it, with this group unwilling to drink after shows.

On the 26th, I got a cheap ticket with TAC to the Cabaret All-Stars!

The 27th is going to be busy - I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a walk called Glorious Greenwich. So popular, he's reached capacity and there are six on the waitlist!

That evening, I'm meeting two ex-coworkers for dinner and drinks. Unfortunately, one of them can only manage central London - Greenwich is too awkward for him. Venue TBC, but I've floated the idea of going back to Imad's Syrian Kitchen.. perfect location, great restaurant!

And on the 28th, I'm off to Rye. London and Sussex Walking Tours - whom I joined during lockdown - are running a daytrip! called Rye - Pirates, Ports and Jazz (they also have a jazz festival that weekend): and I've never been. It's a bit of a palaver to get to, involving two trains - but well, it's about time I travelled a bit, and it's not too early a start. And the tour itself ends early in the day, so I have plenty of time to eat and explore before my train(s) back.