Last night, I was with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again, for a double-bill at the Park Theatre. Part of the Make Mine a Double series, where you get a discount for booking two or more, in the same transaction. This week sees a comedy double - Anything With a Pulse, about dating, and Pickle, a Jewish comedy. Some of us were to meet there early, to eat.
With work looking for me to finish a document, I left it a little late, and took the Tube - which is only two stops away. Exited Finsbury Park on the new plaza - as I left the platform, I needed to take the Seven Sisters Road direction, as opposed to the "main station plaza". A short walk, then, to the theatre. I started by looking for a pizza menu - that's what they do here - but I couldn't find one. Asked at the bar - no chef. Spotted the group, sat over the side, and joined them. No indeed - the chef was AWOL. We waited for a while, then our organiser schlepped down to the nearby Starbucks - the staff looked askance as a couple of us ate the food she'd brought back, but honestly, what did they expect?! Me, I had some wine as a food substitute.
When the house opened, we went in - seating is unassigned in this, the smaller of the venues.
It's an hour long - no interval, of course. And oh my, this is excellent! From the pounding dance music - I particularly love that song they kept featuring - to the snappy script and really sharp and quick switching from story to story, it brilliantly captures the shark pool of modern dating, as two young people circle each other: but can they make something lasting out of this? The odds are against it..
At the interval, a couple of us queued for drinks. Can't say much for the bar staff here - we were neglected for ages, in favour of brasher, bigger blokes who arrived after us. The staff obviously aren't used to a crowd. Well, we got served eventually - and after a while chatting, we made our way in for Pickle, the second offering of the night. This is Jewish, and a Jewish glossary is actually available on request, would you believe!
Well, I managed - although some words were new to me, but the meaning is pretty clear. This is about a young Jewish girl, again trying to navigate the tricky world of dating, but with the added complication of the expectations of family and friends. The house was packed for this - probably, as one of my companions remarked, a majority Jewish audience. And - while it is funny, I didn't find it as good as the other play we saw. But hey, as I say, you do learn some new vocabulary - and it's very appropriate, given that I've just got a (permanent) job with a company whose head office is in Tel Aviv! Just found out yesterday.. :-) And they'd like me to visit, on occasion - well, I never have been to Israel.. Anyway, these plays run till Saturday.
One of our group had booked a table for afterwards, in My Cottage, the Lebanese restaurant next door - I'd never been, but heard good things. In the end, she and I ended up being the only two who went! Gorgeous smells filled the room.. they serve food until 10.30pm, so we were nicely in time. And I had a very moreish lamb kofta! Strongly recommended. And I had plenty of choice for a bus home. It ran too late to blog last night, though.
Tonight - oh dear, I just wasn't sure. A few things are coming up that I'm iffy about.. I was leaning towards Chess Community Wednesdays, with the London Chess Community (LCC). But I booked with them twice before and cancelled, so am reluctant to do it again. In the end, I plumped for the TAC, who have cheap tickets for Radu Isac in the Trapeze Bar - love him! Think I'll eat in O' Neill's, though - I prefer their fare to anything I can get in Shoreditch!
Tomorrow, I'm back with TAC for Haunting Julia, at The Questors Theatre, a new one to me. A ghost story, goodee! Written by Alan Ayckbourn.
On Friday, back with the Crick Crack Club for The Beast in Me, by Daniel Morden. At King's Place. Fantastic! And yay, I persuaded the lady from last night who booked the restaurant to come to this as well - we're grabbing a bite in the Rotunda Bar beforehand.
On Saturday, I have my Christmas get-together with Helen! We're planning a Christmas bonanza - first to the Magical Ice Kingdom at Winter Wonderland, where we must also have a stroll around the Christmas markets, and get some alcoholic hot chocolate. Then food - then we're on a Tootbus night-time open-top bus tour. As booked on Wowcher. Now, there is a rail strike that day, but she says it's not yet affecting her - she'll keep an eye on it. Mind you, the Tube strike might - I had her asking me for bus directions on Monday!
On Sunday, I'm back with Discover London, for a walk entitled Secrets of the Riverside Part 1: Tower Bridge to London Bridge. These events are good - I'm delighted to be back on one!
The next two days, back with UITCS - for some reason, I only just saw their advertised trip, on Monday, to see Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, at the Arts Theatre. Awesome! This should be good - title decided by the audience on the night.
On Tuesday, we're back at the Park for the Make Mine a Double series - next week, it's Press, which examines the world of journalism, and Tunnels, about two cousins hoping to escape East Berlin. So, darker than this week's.
Next Wednesday.. same problem as this Wednesday. Again, watch this space..
On the 1st - well, I might be unemployed, as my contract technically ends the day before, and the new company is busy with a background check. If I am, best thing on is an online talk, The Life and Times of Magnus Folk, from the Surrey History Meetup. One of the earliest electrical engineers in England, it seems. Anyway, it's free, if I want to cancel.
Then back to Ireland for the weekend again - flying Aer Lingus for a change! My passport is due to expire, you see - I don't technically need one to travel between Ireland and the UK, but Ryanair demands it. Aer Lingus doesn't.. so, I must get on to that renewal now!
On the 5th - yep, the LCC again looked like the best option. Hmm. But just today - hallelujah! I was saved by London Social & Cultural Meetups, who have scheduled a talk on The 70th Anniversary of the Great London Smog. (Although oddly, we're meeting outside - perhaps the venue is hard to find?) Anyway, I'm delighted - this is that friendly group I joined a while ago for Evensong at St. Bartholomew the Great, and I'm glad to be seeing them again.
On the 6th, well, Free Stuff and Free Events are holding another online singalong. Again, I cancelled my attendance at the last of these I booked for, so am reluctant to rush off and book again..
On the 7th, phew, a definite plan! I'm back with UITCS for Baghdaddy at the Royal Court. About a little girl, realising she's half Iraqi, just as the Gulf War is raging. I see CT now has tickets for this.. unusually for this venue!
On the 8th, I've signed up for another Watkin's Bookshop talk! This is Colin Stanley on Colin Wilson's Introducing the Occult. Well, the last talk I was at here was interesting, so..
On the 9th, I'm heading to Lightopia, at Crystal Palace Park. As suggested by Over 40 Living the Life, who are not actually hosting a trip themselves, but just wanted to advertise it. 15% discount if you subscribe to Lightopia's mailing list, 20% discount for purchases of 10 or more tickets. And durnit if Groupon hsn't just advertised cheap tickets..
On the 10th - I've bravely scheduled another meeting of Those who Do Not Come. It's my last weekend in London before Christmas, you see. Well, so far Ivan and my first boss in London are probable attendees, the one person who came the last two times probably not, for once. We shall see - I asked them again to confirm, and Ivan did, and the one who probably can't make it said he probably couldn't! Nowhere booked yet.
And on the 11th, I'm vaguely thinking of heading to see Carnaby Street's Christmas lights..
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