Tonight, my annual trip to La Soirée! "Posh new venue", as they say - they're now in the Aldwych Theatre. Cheapest tickets at Amazon tickets - you save on the booking fee. I see they now have a family-friendly version - La Petite Soirée! Anyway, I was thrilled to be seeing this again - and wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats today advertised a trip to see it next month! I passed - I'm doing something that night anyway. But it turns out that the organiser of that outing goes every year, just like me. Well, great minds..
So, down I schlepped - another 8pm start, so plenty of time. Boy, Drury Lane takes forever to walk down though - you forget how long it is. Finally, there was the theatre, at the end, on the right. Circus music playing in the lobby when we went in - and how Christmassy it is!
I went to collect my ticket - and wouldn't you know, I'd been upgraded again! Yet another good reason to buy the cheap tickets - if it's not especially busy, they close the upper levels. I found myself - tan-ta-ra! in the stalls! And they gave me a wristband - an usher helped me to put it on. Mine was green - I also noticed red ones, which turned out to be for the folding seats that had replaced the theatre-style seats in the front stalls - green was for the remaining theatre seats at the back.
In my book, I got the better of it - the view was perfect, apart from the bits that happen close to the stage, for which you'd need to be ringside anyway. And you have less chance of being hit by flying bits of banana - if you don't know, don't ask! Besides, I've done the close-to-the-stage thing. Anyway, I have to say, they managed to retain that big-top atmosphere, even in this most ornate theatre. Now, the posher the seat you get, the more you get interacted with - so you'd better be prepared for it. Where I was sitting, we got flashed. Multiple times, at close quarters. People closer to the stage are liable to be pulled onstage - and interfered with. Or play a small part in the show. The most expensive seats are onstage, at cafe-style tables. Where the audience is looking your way all the time - even when you're not playing an integral part in the show! That happens a lot - they do want you to get your money's worth. A young couple beside me actually got pulled to ringside - obviously there was space, and he figured they looked like they'd play along!
Some old favourites. Apart from the pair with the bananas, we had Amy G, who does have a spectacular voice, quite apart from all the clowning around. But oh, such spectacular new arrivals! Highlights include Cabaret Décadanse, with an incredible puppet act; they hail from Montréal, practically the home of circus these days. And were followed by a truly jaw-dropping (I'm running out of adjectives..) duo from Mumbai, who wriggled up and down a wooden pole in ways that looked positively painful. (Apparently, mallakhamb is actually a sport!} There was one aerialist, contorting on a hoop, whose costume made her look as though she was naked, with liquid gold running down her body..
Spectacular, and frequently hilarious stuff - and throughout, the most fantastic, rock soundtrack. I want to scream from the rooftops how good this show is! Go see, go see. Runs until the 3rd of February - apparently, at the moment, tickets are available from £10 in the Get Into London Theatre New Year Sale. They gave out free programmes as we were leaving - and in them is a flier, with a discount code giving £5 off weekday shows (not Grand Circle or Posh tickets), not from next week till the end of the month. TELLURFRIEND. Worth a try.
Tomorrow sees our office Christmas party! Mercifully, I found out it's not black tie this year - didn't have to buy a new outfit, then! It's at Bounce - a pub with ping pong tables, wouldya believe?! We have a private room, with three such tables and a karaoke machine. I foresee a noisy night..!
I can't stay long though - have to be at Stansted at 6 on Thursday morning, for a trip to Nuremberg Christmas market with London European Club! We'll also be doing some travelling in the area. Helen liked the sound of it, and is coming too: sadly, not my Crick Crack friend, who can't swing the holiday time. We'll have a ball though! I just bought Lonely Planet's chapter on Bavaria, downloaded it, and have shared it with her - isn't it handy how you can buy individual chapters? Mercifully, although the crazy woman was supposed to go on this, she's pulled out. So, the plan is to stay in the new place, tomorrow night..
Back late on Sunday, and on Monday - having taken the day off work (I'll be exhausted) - I'm off to the Barbershop Chronicles. At the National. Mind you, I've suggested this as an alternative for Mary - we'll see.
Next Tuesday, I booked a Funzing talk - Interviews With a Serial Killer, courtesy of London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. For which, with their new loyalty scheme, I earned £10 credit! Not so shabby.. But it's not very Christmassy, all the same, and I subsequently booked an evening at Keats House, with London Social Detours. Where we'll be exploring Christmas in the Romantic era - ahh!
On the 13th, my last visit of the year to Sands Films - finally advertised on Meetup, through the World Music Meetup, TunedIn London has a concert by Plastikes Karekles, a Greek group. However, the friend I've been persuading to go to the Crick Crack events has suggested that night for a nostalgic trip, by some of us, to Top Secret - I would rather do that, so we'll see whether we can get it together!
On the 14th, my friends who came to Soho a while ago are headed to Wilton's Music Hall, for something called The Box of Delights. And for once, I'm letting them decide for me, and am going myself too.
On the 15th, my final trip of the year to the Crick Crack Club - Jan Blake is performing Masters of Hex at the British Library. Along with Ben Haggerty and TUUP. Same friend going with me as on the 29th, and Helen too - and the same lunatic. Who will probably avoid us, and good enough for her. Next day, I'm back to Ireland for Christmas.
Flying back to London on the 2nd of January, and on the 3rd I've booked to see Stewart Lee at Leicester Square Theatre. Determinedly not in the front two rows - not for a comedy show!
On the 4th of January, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (Happy New Year to them!), who are off to see Hanna, at the Arcola.
On the 5th of January, I thought Time Out threw me a curiously interesting event - so I'm going on this Space Descent VR experience, at the Science Museum. I'll have to leave work early for it - there are timed slots, and it consists of wearing goggles, and living the experience of a descent to earth, with the astronaut Tim Peake narrating in your ears.
On the 6th of January, Crick Crack is back! Happy New Year to them too. The story of When Time Began is being told at King's Place. Creation myths. And wouldn't you know it, we're being treated to a host of performers - the husband and wife team, Emily and Nick Hennessy, and co-founder of the club, the amazing Ben Haggerty. Accompaniment provided by the wonderful musician, Sheema Mukherjee.
On the 7th of January, another Happy new Year - this time to Let's Do This, who are off to an art exhibition. Gilbert & George: the Beard Pictures and their Fuckosophy. Sorry, but that is the title. Showing at the White Cube Gallery. Honestly, but for the group that's hosting, I wouldn't bother..
And finally, more art on the 8th of January, which I'll probably enjoy more. I'm taking the day off to go see Reflections at the National Gallery - an exhibition of Pre-Raphaelites, which, with a free day, I can peruse at my leisure. As inspired by a walk by the excellent London Literary Walks - roll on the summer, and a return of those!
Stepping out of my room today was like stepping into an oven. If I hadn't had Bring Up the Bodies booked.. well, actually, I'd probably still have gone, considering what it is!
For once, they were letting people through the grounds of Earl's Court exhibition centre, which makes a handy shortcut - I'd normally have gone from West Brompton, but I had to run to Tesco first. On the way, I passed a chap dressed as Superman. Ok.. then, as I passed through the exhibition centre grounds, Lara Croft and a French maid passed me. Ah, there's something on, I thought. As I passed the front, and some Manga characters, I saw the sign for Hyper Japan, running all this weekend..
Now, despite Bring Up the Bodies booking more slowly than Wolf Hall, to which it's the sequel, the official website was still sold out, and the cheapest tickets I managed were from Seatwave. This meant I had to head to their office in Moorgate first to pick up the tickets. Ah, but I studied Streetview very carefully, and knew the building wasn't far from Moorgate Station. Indeed, they give excellent directions on their own website - beside Barclay's, opposite HMV. And then, I knew I had to continue in the same direction for the 76 bus to Aldwych, on the same side of the road.
The trick was to exit the station on the correct side of the road - I could see on Streetview that there was an exit on each side. Well, the exit signs at the station were helpful - one said "Moorgate - Eastern side, Southbound buses". Yes, that would be me then! I did a quick reccie when I exited - there was the HMV, across the road - there was the Barclay's, right where it should be. I trotted the few yards down to no. 120. There were signs about how the doors were locked and to contact the security guard. Handily, he was at his desk, and motioned me to the end door. "Seatwave?" he asked as I went in. "Yep," sez I. I had to sign the visitor's book, then took the (tiny) lift up to the sixth floor, as per directions on my booking confirmation. Entered an empty lobby. A woman approached behind glass doors to my right, opened them and asked my name. Yep, those were my tickets she was holding. Step 1 accomplished! She asked for no id other than the card I'd paid with.
I toddled off to my right, looking for the bus stop. Found it just as my bus arrived! Got a seat and sat back to enjoy the ride. I don't generally travel by bus, and particularly not in this part of town. It boasts some gorgeous buildings, and some imposing banks. We passed the Royal Courts of Justice, which I remembered visiting on one of London's Open House weekends - the year before last, now! We also passed St. Paul's, which was thronged with tourists, and where I saw one of the more unusual tourist sights of my experience. As we drove along, coming against us was a pedibus: a metal frame, with a guide sitting up front, with nothing to do but look smug, and a bunch of tourists (I presume), pedalling frantically along behind to propel this contraption along the road. Nice work if you can get it..!
I disembarked in Aldwych (Step 2 accomplished!) and went in search of food. I figured the pickings were better here than in the City at the weekend. Now, I knew not to bother with the Indian or the Thai restaurant here - they're ok, but overpriced for what you get (remember, you're in tourist-land now). So I went for Pizza Express, which gave me just what I expected, with good service and welcome aircon! Also v nice wine, and a great soundtrack. Had they been more attentive, I'd have ordered dessert as well, but what the hey - it was really too hot for it, and they don't have a great range of sorbets.
I headed up the road to the theatre - had to enter at the side, for the grand circle. Made my way through the bar to the toilets, which were very cramped, then back to the auditorium, where I found my seats (I'd had to buy two) had been upgraded! Always nice. Still in the grand circle, I'd been moved forward a few rows. As the rake is quite steep, I was glad of the railings on each side of the steps - most of the rows also have low rails at the back of the seats in front. Strangely, the seats in our row didn't tip, which made squeezing in and out a bit tricky. I must say, legroom for Row G was uncomfortably tight for me - I looked enviously at the patrons in Row D, which has an aisle in front. Although there were some free seats scattered throughout the grand circle - and good luck to those who upgraded themselves! - I didn't see anywhere I could reasonably move to. I was glad of the free seat beside me, considering I spent the whole show twisted into it to give my legs some space. Ironically, online reviews lead me to believe I'd have had more legroom in Row K, which I'd been upgraded from!
Well, I was really looking forward to this production, having seen what they did with Wolf Hall. As I said before, you're in safe hands with the Royal Shakespeare Company - they know their craft. Fantastic, sumptuous costumes - a sparse, but adequate set - terrific use of lighting, and terrific skill in zipping from one scene, seamlessly, to the next, in this pacey tale. The acting is top-notch, of course. You do lose a bit of the impact, this high up, but not enough to be a worry. Wolf Hall dealt with the rise of Thomas Cromwell, the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, and Thomas' support of Henry VIII in the ending of his first marriage so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. In Bring Up the Bodies, the Machiavellian politics continue, as she falls from favour, and those who feel she has wronged them take their revenge. But a strong sense of humour permeates most of the story - until the unavoidable, dark ending.
These are based on the Booker Prize-winning books by Hilary Mantel - thing is though, a third book in the series is due to be published next year. I mean, we're not done with Thomas Cromwell yet! He lived and schemed for a few years more after the events of Bring Up the Bodies.. I actually tried to read the book of Wolf Hall and found it dense, with far too many Thomases - it was hard to keep track. I found the play much easier to follow, and will await a third stage version with glee!
Recommended for anyone who likes political shenanigans. Or Tudor costume. Runs until 4th October.
And now I'd better hurry to bed - not only am I tired after all that running about in the heat, but I have to get up earlier than is my habit tomorrow - I have a ticket (courtesy of lovetheatre) for tomorrow's matinee of Antony and Cleopatra at The Globe! Not only is that all the way across town, but I need to arrive early to book a cushion - all seating is on wooden benches! Still, I'm excited to get to see a play there - I have done the tour, and it looks great.
Let me state my case at the outset: I'm heavily biased in favour of historical drama. Love it. Love the costumes, love historical power plays. In fact, I'm very glad that I let Time Out decide, in general, what I'm to see, because, left up to me, I'd be at this sort of thing ALL the time. And variety is the spice of life.
Which doesn't stop me being thrilled when Time Out suggests something like Wolf Hall, based on the Booker-prize-winning novel about Thomas Cromwell, by Hilary Mantel. Now, I tried the book, but honestly, found it impenetrable. Maybe I was too busy to concentrate properly, but all the Thomases were confusing - indeed, there are a lot in this story, and there's even a joke about it, when one Thomas enters a room in which there are four more. He nods greeting to them. "Thomas", "Thomas", "Thomas", "Thomas". Popular name. But I figured it'd be easier to tell them apart if you could see them..
The problem was in getting a ticket for today. I searched the internet, but the only website that had availability for today was key2theatre.co.uk. But hallelujah that someone had! And, for this show, I didn't mind so much paying over face value. The seat they offered me was excellent - dead centre, six rows from the stage. Also, tickets were collectible from the box office - no worrying about them arriving in the post. I had little hesitation in booking, and spent the rest of the week looking forward to today!
It's unfortunate that this weekend's planned engineering works affected the District Line - it meant a slight detour for the Aldwych Theatre, where Wolf Hall is playing. TFL suggested the Piccadilly Line to Holborn - I researched the whole journey as soon as I heard the District Line was out of commission. It was also awkward that I was to see Hard Façade last night, which was a late one, and that the ticket I got for Wolf Hall was to the matinee.. but anyway. So, I forced myself out of bed today, had time for a banana, and headed off.
Doubtless on account of the fact that you couldn't get the District Line to take you as far as town today, the Piccadilly Line was crammed. At least it doesn't stop at Gloucester Road these days, which meant a slightly quicker journey for those of us going further. I could've got off at Covent Garden - it's the same distance away and the stop comes before Holborn - but the fact that only half the lifts are working there means it takes an age to get out of the station - longer than it does to go one stop further and get off at Holborn. Which I did, turning left onto Kingsway. And had a beautiful, sunny walk, although temperatures still haven't recovered to the levels of two weeks ago.
Turn right at the bottom of the road, and after a bit, you come to the Aldwych Theatre, and are immediately assailed by super-sized photos of actors in gorgeous Tudor costume. Go to the entrance, and you are immediately overawed by the sheer swarm of people. The box office is to the right, and they had no problem finding my ticket. (Yay!) BTW, as I moved towards my entrance, I opened the envelope, to discover that, with the ticket, was a little map showing all the West End Theatres. Cute! Think I'll keep that as a souvenir.
Staircases at the sides of the lobby lead to the upper levels, but entrance to the stalls is down the middle. As the great mass of people moved slowly through the lobby, the one-minute(!) warning was announced. Huh? Is my watch slow?! When I got to the guy who tore my ticket, his hands were shaking as he did so, and he tore the wrong bit - of course, it had receipts attached, as they do. Poor lad must have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people. Anyway, I finally made it into the stalls..
It's a long time since I came to a show as packed as this! I couldn't see a free seat, and what I could see of the upper levels, and the boxes, were full too. When I eventually pushed through the crowd to my row, there were, indeed, two free seats, right in the middle. O dear. So I excused myself past 10 people, and took one of the empty seats. The other stayed empty for the entire performance - I guess they hadn't been able to sell a seat on its own. My seat, BTW, was gorgeously plush and comfy, with decent legroom - but you do expect that, for a premium stalls seat. People around me were reading programmes - I vowed to get one at the interval. And I do believe they were fibbing about the one-minute start - it was about another 10 before the lights went down.
The stage was completely empty - but you know, in those days, they really didn't have much furniture. What the rich folk had was heavy, oaken furniture, generally beautifully carved, and extremely expensive, and they wouldn't have had much of it - just what was necessary. Anyway, it made the frequent scene changes all the easier. The production is handled by the Royal Shakespeare Company - reading the programme, I discovered this was their base up to 1960, when they moved to the Barbican. So you're guaranteed gorgeous, authentic costumes. The king's were very fancy, the other men's very eye-catching, with the more important lords having more elaborate costumes. The ladies' costumes were a glory of sweeping skirts, bodices, and long veils that trailed from the back and flowed as they moved. The play opens with a ball at the palace - a wonderful way to display the costumes, and give us an idea of the sheer number of characters we'll be seeing.
Despite the fact that a number of actors portraying minor characters portray a number each, there are a lot of actors. Still, having read a substantial portion of the book, even though it was a while ago, I realised that the book had been somewhat condensed. For instance, there's a suggestion in the book of a relationship between Thomas Cromwell and his sister-in-law - she's not even mentioned in the play. Goodness knows, there's enough going on as it is! (Oh, and oops! That's not Jeremy Irons playing him - although Lord knows, he's the spit of him! It's actually Ben Miles.)
The acting is predictably superb. The laughs play better than they read - the first half of the play, in particular, is full of one-liners; it becomes darker towards the end. The action flits from one scene to the next - you frequently have Tom Cromwell stalking out of one scene, only to whip around, at the edge of the stage, to see a completely different group of actors that have come in behind him, complete with furniture that's been whisked in with them, and find himself immediately in a completely different scene. Fireplaces are ably represented by rows of flame jets, positioned in the stage floor at different points. Otherwise, the limited amount of furniture is highly portable.
Lighting is expertly used to convey a mood, and there was one scene in particular that moved me to tears in seconds, just by simple tricks of lighting and staging. At intervals, it rains and snows on stage, in turn. Ah, they can do what they like! Well, they are the experts.
The play runs from 1527 to 1535. Henry VIII is on the English throne, he's been married for 20 years or so to Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess. From several pregnancies, she just has one surviving child - a sickly daughter, Mary. He's desperate for a son - in those days, a female heir was unthinkable, and he's afraid that the kingdom will be torn apart after he dies. Catherine is now too old to have more children. Enter Anne Boleyn, an ambitious young woman from a social-climbing family, who's as feisty here as she was famously portrayed in the tv series, The Tudors. Henry wants to prove that he and Catherine were never lawfully married, so that he can marry Anne. Catherine was previously married to his brother, and there's a passage in the bible forbidding marriage to your brother's widow. However, the pope at the time gave permission, and the present pope is under the control of the Holy Roman Emperor - Catherine's nephew.
What's a horny king to do?! Enter the crafty and conniving Thomas Cromwell, a brilliant lawyer and one of nature's survivors. As others fall around him, his star rises, until he is the king's principal advisor. Mind you, as the king becomes ever more autocratic, is that the safest situation to be in? The sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, is also playing.. I would dearly love to see it, let's see what Time Out Says! In a beautiful piece of stagecraft, in the very last scene of Wolf Hall, the spotlight shines, just for a second, at centre stage, on a demure figure dressed in white.. Jane Seymour, one of Anne's maids-of-honour: a foretaste of what is to come. Terrific stuff, I highly recommend this. Both play until the 6th September - and Hilary is currently working on the third in the series..
I treated myself to an overpriced, but very delicious, Haagen-Dazs Belgian chocolate ice cream, as well as a programme, at the interval, but was still hungry, of course, by the time we exited the theatre, at 5. I felt like eating out, and hadn't seen anything on Kingsway that caught my eye. However, I knew there were plenty of places on the way to Leicester Square - I walked that way on Thursday. I passed many a place I would have been happy to eat in, but decided I'd rather continue to Carluccio's, at the corner of Garrick Street and King Street. Seeing the crowds, I was dubious about getting a table, but was seated immediately. I ordered from the set menu, which was very nice, and ordered a spectacularly good sauvignon blanc and a somewhat indifferent chocolate cake separately, as well as a side order of rosemary potatoes, which were tasty, if rather salty. Service was remarkably efficient, especially considering the crowds, and unfailingly friendly. The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that the price listed on the menu didn't include VAT. I don't recall whether that was mentioned on the menu, but I only noticed it when the bill came. It rankles somewhat, having to pay 25% more than you expected. It's a practice I came across when I lived for a while in Canada, and I can only imagine that they're catering for an American clientele here - certainly, the people at the tables either side of me sounded American, as did my waiter - but it is NOT how things are generally done here, and I don't like it. But that's not to take from what was, otherwise, a good meal. Afterwards, I took the Tube home from Leicester Square, just up the road. Even got a seat, after one stop. When I got to Earl's Court, there was a train on the platform that would've taken me one stop closer to home, but there were such crowds on it that I said I'd rather walk from there.
Tomorrow, I'm off to the Tricycle Arts Centre - it's been a while! I booked a ticket for the opening gala film of the London Asian Film Festival, which is screening there - the film in question is the European premiere of Lakshmi, a drama about child trafficking, based on a true story. Looks good - includes a Q+A with the director. I'd normally take the Overground there, but unfortunately it's fallen victim to planned engineering works too, so I have to plan a route via the Tube. And then it's off to Guildford on Monday..
