Dance: Lord of the Dance, Walk: Magnificent Mayfair, Show: 24 Italian Songs and Arias, & Walk: Highgate - a Very English Village

Thursday was, of course, St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland, it was a bank holiday, as was yesterday - in London, Kíla was playing the London Irish Centre again. A standing gig, this time. Promised to be mad. But you know, when SFF advertised tickets for Lord of the Dance, at the Hammersmith Apollo the same night.. I booked. Well, such is life. Anyway, I should have paused a moment-  because I checked afterwards, and TAC had tickets as well. Bah humbug, would've been even cheaper. Never mind.

I planned to eat out there - Google Maps suggested an Indian called Rangrez, just around the corner. So I decided to try there, and headed out in good time. Had to be Tube, this far out - and it's right at the end of a couple of lines, so I had plenty of time to read the paper. I could see the Apollo when I left the station - on the way there, I'd be passing The Swan, so decided to try there first.

It looked promising. I found a small table to myself (with a fine view of the racing at Cheltenham), and discovered that you could order online. The printed menu had some things that sounded lovely, so I checked online - and discovered that they all read "Out of Stock"! Even the ones that didn't say there were out of stock were all greyed out. Well, bah humbug. I also tried the William Morris next door, where I've eaten before, but there wasn't a free table. So I continued on to Rangrez - which wasn't hard to find, although Google Maps had it on the wrong side of the road.

I was seated without issue - actually, they'd only opened 40 minutes before, and I was their first eat-in customer of the evening; there were plenty of takeaway orders. They'd had butter chicken on the menu in the window - but as it says on the website, on evenings when an event is taking place in the Apollo, they might have a restricted menu. And butter chicken was one thing that got chopped - so instead, I had chicken tikka masala (feeling rather naff, considering that they have stickers up about having won curry awards). And lamb samosa, pulau rice, and peshwari naan. They also have a decent drinks menu - I had a glass of the sauvignon blanc.

Wow, it took forever to get my food. I guess that means it's fresh? Meantime, a table came in and sat down the back - again, one had a carrying voice, so I got to listen to all their foibles about the menu. "Do you have _?" and they were so particular about the drinks - wanted to know what brands of rum and whisky the place stocked, and the waiter had to run and check the shelves behind the bar.

Aw, I love the little handled pots they serve the curry and rice in! And it was all lovely, although I could have done with a little more flavour in the tikka masala. But the naan was to die for.. portions not huge, which is no bad thing in an Indian - and for once, I finished it all. And a second glass of wine. And then waited for over half an hour for anyone to come to me again. The place was really filling up once we got closer to 7, most people having booked, and frankly they were run off their feet. I didn't really mind, although sadly, by the time the guy cleared my table, it was too late for me to order dessert. He looked disappointed, I thought. Anyway, would be delighted to come back here - but it looks like a real hotspot on event nights - beware!

And so, around the corner to join the first queue I saw. Which is what everyone was doing. Happily, it all seemed to be the same queue, zigzagging its way to the entrance along a slalom course of barriers - when we got there, everyone started queueing at the same door. An usher was desperately trying to get us to spread out at the different doors. "Trust me!" he said, "they all go to the same place!" And finally we were in. I was in the Stalls, so no stairs needed to be climbed, and I stopped at the bar on the way - where she explained that they were charging £1 extra for the plastic cup (which, of course, you can take in), but that you wouldn't have to pay that extra if you brought it back for the second drink. Sadly, I didn't feel like this money-saving offer. Didn't get a second drink.

Not a bad view, eh? Well, I needn't have worried - the show, typically for these large events, started 10 minutes late. No free seats around me - I wonder whether there were some in the Circle. One of the organisers from Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) posted on Facebook at the interval - she was there with her mum, celebrating her Irish roots! Gosh, I never knew she had them. Anyway, I said hi - on Facebook.

The show - a 25th anniversary celebration - began with an extensive introduction by its creator, Michael Flatley. He no longer actually dances in it - leaves that to more nimble legs. But otherwise, it's the same as ever - all the razamataz, dramatic production numbers, and a story that has the bad guys (in Transformer-like helmets) bothering a sprite-like creature, who must be rescued by the Michael Flatley stand-in and his cohort (generally shirtless). Plenty of skin on display, short skirts for the girls, some ripping off of outfits to great whoops and cheers. I did find one girl on stage who didn't have the long, bouncy hair, so I'm happy to see that it's not a requirement. But yes, lots of sparkle and show, and everyone went home happy. Following the standing ovation, which we kind of felt obligated to provide, given how many times it was mentioned in the video montage that they always got one.. Last show tonight.

And on the Tube, someone was watching Cheltenham on their phone. Good to see it's back up and running. It ran late on me that night, and I didn't manage to get the blog finished.

Yesterday - gee, of course I hadn't started work yet! Although I can't have much free time left really, as I have now (hopefully) submitted everything to them that I think they'll need. For once, they didn't ask me for anything, and I figure no news is good news. So guess what? Yep, booked with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for his Magnificent Mayfair walk. With lunch, naturally.

Equally naturally, I left it too late for the bus, so was on the Tube again - so often this week! Arrived at Pret on Piccadilly in good time, had me a hot chocolate, and joined the others who had congregated over the side. It was a stunning day for a walk - my winter coat was too warm, for the first time this year! Warm and sunny, with beautiful blue skies.. even Laurence emerged from the bathroom wearing fewer layers than usual. I just wish I could find my sunglasses..

We learned some interesting facts about Mayfair. How, for instance, it used to be a red light district, with Kitty Fisher one of its more famous prostitutes!

Plenty of famous inhabitants, plenty of blue plaques:

..and a stunning Jesuit church:

Plenty of activity there, what with Lent in full swing.. a group was performing the Stations of the Cross, and a face-to-face confession was being held in a soundproofed side chapel. Beautiful location for it.

A stop-off in Grosvenor Square, and most of us headed for lunch at the Marlborough Head:

Service was friendly, if a bit frazzled.. one of the more experienced bar staff had to remind the guy I'd ordered from to give me my drink! Food arrived in stages - and was very good, portions maybe a bit large. But we had a lovely chat, and a lovely lunch.

And so on to Mercato Mayfair - a former church, now housing food stalls:

We all stayed for a drink - some of us for another. :-) And after a most successful event, which had lasted most of the day, we parted - excellent company. I departed straight for my next event - no point in going home, really! That evening, I was back with London European Club, for 24 Italian Songs & Arias, at Battersea Arts Centre. They're operating a "Pay What You Can" scheme, where you pay what you want, between £5 and £35 - recommended price, £16. They even sent me a survey afterwards to see what I thought! And at least I could get buses, this time.

Wouldn't you know it, I arrived just after the organiser! So, we took a seat in the bar, where the others joined us when they got there. Had a good chat, and headed upstairs when it was time.

Oh dear, I made a huge mistake with this one. I had read it was a show about failure - didn't really take in what that meant, and didn't realise that the entire thing was a dirge about how each cast member had failed at something. Neither were there 24 songs or arias - there was some good music, but primarily it felt to me like a pity party. Sorry, but I hate these expository things, and couldn't wait for the end. In future, I'll read these descriptions more carefully. Last show tonight, inexplicably sold out. Ah well, it was good to see people. Buses home - worked a bit more on the blog, but obviously wasn't going to get it finished.

Because today, I was back with Laurence and the 45+s - this time, it was Highgate: A Very English Village. More hills.. and another lovely sunny day! Breezy, though - but I took the plunge, and ditched the winter coat for the first time this year! That was the last sensible thing I did before the walk - now, last night, I looked up my route for today, to discover that yes, buses would get me there in under an hour. But the buses I needed were diverted because of roadworks! Right, Tube again.

And then I had a brain freeze. Because first, I realised I'd left too late, even for the Tube, and then I forgot I was headed for Moorgate, and retraced my steps - and then headed in the wrong direction entirely for Moorgate! Jeez, talk about a senior moment.. anyway, realising I was going to be a little late - which I never normally am - I left a message to that effect, and did my best. The Tube, to be fair, could have been a little more obliging, instead of constantly loitering at stations on the way.

At Highgate Station, we were to head for the Shepherds Hill exit. Didn't see a sign for that, but did see one for the car park, and recalled that also having been mentioned. O Lordy, such a flight of stairs to it.. but yay, I could hear Laurence's voice as I climbed, and climbed.. and I exited to the exclamation "Just in time! You only missed 25 words.." Happily, he had some more talking to do, so I could get my breath back. Before the next climb. Past Jackson's Lane Theatre - jeez, it's an age since I went to something there! As I remarked to someone, I have so many memories of charging around the hills of Highgate, racing to something I was late for, and practically giving myself a coronary..

To be fair, he warned us that the first bit was hilly, and it'd be fairly flat after that. And he took it easy on the hilly bit. So I was in no real danger of that today. And I was to be so glad I'd worn a lighter coat.. it felt quite springlike, in the sunshine. En route, we met a fat and fluffy cat, busily heading in the other direction, and not looking at all put out by either the hilly terrain, or the presence of several nearby dogs. We came across a plaque that doesn't seem to be a real plaque, with no marking denoting who put it up..

The windiest part of the walk was also the part with the best view. And as I remarked, I thought I could tell where my house was.. just across from that big skyscraper.. well, one of them..

We saw where some famous people used to live..

and where someone still does! Witanhurst, second-largest private residence in London, owned by a Russian oligarch. Not welcoming to random passers-by..

And so to lunch - in The Gatehouse, another place I haven't been to in years. Have eaten and drunk here, been to the theatre.. I remembered the food being a little posh, and the best way to get to it being by bus, letting the bus wheeze up the hill, rather than doing so myself, all the way from the station.

Well, we had a table reserved at the back, which just about fitted us - although those sat with their backs to the open door kept their coats on, frozen by the breeze that blew in through it! My cough decided this would be a great time to resurge - happily, its timing wasn't bad, as I first had a chance to pick what I wanted, and order my drink, but nothing had arrived yet. I moved a bit away for the purposes of coughing, and as it happened, I got through with it just in time to collect my drink - and they hadn't yet even taken the food order. So that was fine.

Most of us had fish n chips - to be fair, many would have liked a sandwich, but they don't really do them. One had rabbit, one had skate - and a couple of the ladies, who really weren't that hungry, had tapas. And I think everyone was happy with the food - the few bones I found in the fish failed to cause me much trouble, the batter was tasty and crispy, the peas non-mushy. And the wine was from New Zealand - happy days!

So it's a shame that a dampener was put on the meal by the very snippy attitude of the guy who seemed to be in charge, who was put out by his waitress spending so much time adding up our several totals, as we were all paying separately. Now, Laurence had asked for separate bills from the beginning, but this guy had said that would be more trouble - well, what did he expect? A table of nine is rarely all going to pay as one! So, either have separate bills, or add up separate totals.. Frankly, this attitude is incomprehensible from someone who takes group bookings, and I'd have to say that this does not give the impression of a place that welcomes groups. I do wonder whether he makes smaller groups - say a family of four adults - do the same? So, beware coming here if you want to split the bill. Management is in the dark ages.

And so back, by Tube again. The cat passed us again, again in the opposite direction, back from whatever business it had.. and lo, with nothing else on tonight, I got this finished! Oh, the relief..

Tomorrow.. someone I swore I'd never do a walk with again. Well, we'll see whether she's back on form - Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts (WTTH) is off on a walk called Secrets of Belgravia. (Courtesy of her company, London Guided Walks.) The code MEETUP3 gets you a £3 discount on all her walks - which does cover the booking fee of £1, not advertised before you come to the point of purchasing the ticket. Well, it'll be a start if she shows up! Funnily enough, she messaged me the other day - because I signed up on the Meetup group - to remind me to book a ticket through her company. I see she still doesn't cross-reference, since I already did! Supposed to be cooler tomorrow, so I guess the winter coat is coming out again.

On Monday, I'm at another Zoom talk - Quakers at War is the story of the Quakers and their pacifism. Courtesy of Surrey History Meetup.

On Tuesday.. I'm booked for Dear Evan Hansen, at the Noel Coward Theatre! Finally - I'd booked for this before lockdown, and of course it got cancelled. Cheapest tickets from the official site.

On Wednesday, back with Civilised London (CL) - back at Le Sacré Coeur, meeting beforehand at The Crown, as usual.

On Thursday, back with TAC for Avocado Presents - Improv, at Etcetera Theatre. Eh, I think it's a jazz concert? 

Failing any information from my new job, have provisionally booked for Friday - Laurence and the 45+s are off to see Elegant London! Anyway, then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 28th, going to see Daddy at the Almeida. Having never seen a bad production here, I have high hopes.

On the 29th, finally going to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella! I hear good things.. it's playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, which is new to me - Seatplan was invaluable in choosing the best seating option. What's On Stage provided the cheapest price for that seat, though!

On the 30th, back with CL - for a play this time. This is The Fever Syndrome, at Hampstead Theatre.

On the 31st, back with TAC for One Night With Robbie Williams. This is at The Courtyard.

On the 1st, back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) for - The Grand Annual Lying Contest! at Rich Mix.

On the 2nd, I had booked with WTTH for a Regent's Canal Walk. Different guide. But yay, Laurence and the 45+s just advertised another walk for that day, which is pretty much guaranteed to be superior. So I've booked it. This is Scandals, Scriptwriters & Sumptuous Architecture - and of course, it being a London weekend, I can go!

On the 3rd, the CCC again! Emily Hennessey and Sheema Mukherjee are at the British Museum, with Holy Cow! Tales from the River of Life. Unfortunately, the London Landmarks Half Marathon is also that day, so I'll probably be on the Tube, at least getting to the museum. 

On the 4th, I'm back at the Park Theatre for the first time in nearly three years! This is for Clybourne Park, a comedy about a white family moving into a predominantly black neighbourhood.

On the 5th, I'm headed to But I'm a Cheerleader, a musical comedy at the Turbine Theatre.

On the 6th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats at Southwark Playhouse, and another free ticket for me! This time, it's for Anyone Can Whistle, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

On the 7th, Tommy Tiernan is playing at the Hammersmith Apollo! Now, I failed to get a ticket for this the first time around. Then it was rescheduled because of Covid.. and I got a ticket for the rescheduled event! Then that was rescheduled.. third time lucky?! Love Tommy Tiernan. The show is called Tomfoolery. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 11th, I've booked for The 47th, at The Old Vic. Written by Mike Bartlett, this imagines the American presidential elections of 2024. I am really looking forward to this play..

On the 12th, I'm finally going to Six, the Musical! Based around the story of the six wives of Henry VIII (very loosely, I'd say), it's playing at the Vaudeville and I hear good things. Cheapest tickets from Leicester Square Box Office.

On the 13th, back with CL, who are off to the opera at the Southbank Centre. The show in question is The Paradis Files. Next day, I'm back to Ireland for Easter - but left it so late to book, I could only get an afternoon flight, and will have to start my new job (whenever) by asking for that day off work!

Well, my friend got back to me - they're away in the middle of Easter week, back on the 21st of next month, so the most sensible thing to do seemed to be to visit on the 22nd of next month, which I've now arranged with her. Whether I take that week as holiday, or take the laptop home and work from Ireland, remains to be seen. Anyway, I'll fly back to London on the 24th of next month. And on the 25th of next month, I'm off to The Corn is Green, at the National.

Play: World Without Us

Now, we're into the Early May Bank Holiday (whee!) - and I saw an interesting trip, advertised by Carpe Diem, for a long weekend in Bulgaria. So I applied for a place - only to be told that there'd only been six, which were now gone. When I pointed out that the Meetup page advertised 12 places, and that some were shown as still available, they removed the event entirely.

And for today, I signed up to an overnight trip to Newquay in Cornwall with Eddie's Excursions. This time, I got in the first six - ironically, they didn't guarantee it'd go ahead unless they could fill a minibus! Sure enough, it was cancelled on Tuesday. (Praise be, a lie-in!) So, no travelling for me this weekend. Instead, for today I booked with Funzing (through Funzing UK) - for a show called World Without Us, at Battersea Arts Centre. Gee, they're selling tickets for regular shows now! Way cheaper than the regular price, I must point out.. and that was before I applied the personal discount I got, for not having booked anything for a while.. even though I was outside the deadline for using it! :-)

Well, to begin with, I really enjoyed that lie-in! Had a very relaxed day, just venturing out for food, and remarking at the glorious sunshine and heat - I'll never get used to that. Didn't even need a coat - nor when I eventually left in the evening, but I took one with me for later. As to how I got there - well, once upon a time, two accommodations ago, this would've been within walking distance, but it was now a trek by bus and train. Just as well I left early, because the bus route was somewhat diverted.. arriving at the station, I had a peek at the departures board, saw that there was a train to Clapham Junction in four minutes from a nearby platform (they're very frequent), and duly made for it. And when I was comfortably sat on the train, I remarked to myself how very long it's been since I travelled this route, and how comfortable it is! But then, it wasn't rush hour..

Alighting at Clapham Junction, having lived there for a year, naturally I took the wrong exit. Never mind, I did know my way once outside, and how nostalgic it was to walk past all the shops. That was one of the great things about living there, the easy access to shopping. One of the not-so-great things awaited me just past the shops, where I had to put my lungs to the test by climbing Lavender Hill. Not quite cured yet, obviously, as I had to stop a few times to catch my breath - never for too long, though!

Battersea Arts Centre - the place I never, ever visited until I'd moved out of the area - is a converted council building, with a glorious marble staircase that you must climb to the theatre. There's a cafe downstairs, but I figured I didn't really have time. Downstairs we all huddled, though, until the lady came to clang the bell, disturbing an enormous black cat I hadn't noticed till then, who made a hasty exit. The stairs are gentle enough, so I didn't die, and as we went in I noticed a warning that there'd be 10 minutes of pitch blackness, and if you needed to leave during that time, you should raise your hand and an usher would help you. (Do they have night-vision goggles..?)

So, the stage is bare, apart from an obelisk-type thing - very interesting if you look closely, because it has teeny little staircases leading to an inner chamber with a mini-obelisk inside! Symbolic of something, no doubt. As we waited for the (slightly late - as usual) start, I mused how this crowd was like a flippin' cinema crowd; obviously, the cafe downstairs was selling nuts, and a number of people seated very close to me were crunching them away noisily. Including the guy beside me, towards whom I harboured strong homicidal tendencies. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to make that much noise in any group of people! And I mean really, on a weekday I'd understand it, but why does a Saturday crowd feel the compulsion to eat at the theatre?! What, they couldn't eat before or after..?

After a bit, the performer came out - and once the lights started to go out, the nut-crunchers shut up, happily. Probably felt louder in the dark. Now, I'd been wondering how a world without humans would be portrayed - well, what this is, is a single narrator, who spends a bit over an hour telling us, in beautifully rendered prose, just what would happen. He doesn't bother explaining what's supposed to have happened to the humans - to hear him tell it, it seems as though they all just winked out of existence one day. But it's a fascinating and detailed description of what happens to our world - he starts from the perspective of the theatre, all the small creatures that start to get used to not being disturbed. He gives the poignant image of an aeroplane on autopilot, full of luggage but with no passengers or crew, flying ever onwards, overshooting its destination until it eventually runs out of fuel and crashes.

Nature gradually takes over, of course, and he gives a vivid account of that, describing all the wondrous creatures that roam former city streets. But the story continues way past that, right through centuries (which, as he points out, aren't counted any more), until (spoiler) the sun expands and engulfs the Earth. And what's left to show that we were ever here? Why, Voyager, of course! The space probe that was sent out with a record (literally) of humanity, samples of voices, pictures, snippets of music and so on. In fact, we get a taste of that at the start and end, with the start of the show consisting of people speaking greetings in all sorts of different languages (translated on a projection on the back wall), and pictures and sound at the end.

It isn't for everyone - someone left at the end of one of the dark sequences, and someone else walking down the hill behind me afterwards remarked to her partner that, "if it was a play, something should happen in it!" (Eh, centuries passed, and the sun engulfed the Earth - how much more did you want to happen?) But for me, I was entranced - of course, I'm used to this kind of performance, one person on stage telling a story, and for me it was both familiar and welcome. Beautifully told, and a fascinating story, starting with the familiar and moving to a grander scale. I note that a book with a similar name and theme was published some years back - I do wonder whether it was based on that? Thought-provoking and moving - I loved it. Highly recommended. Runs until next Saturday. Oh, and never fear - the darkest bit only lasts for a couple of minutes, and they still couldn't get that completely dark..

Afterwards, I was peckish, and found myself outside Panahar, the Indian restaurant I used to frequent around here. All right then.. with a couple of groups in, they could just about seat me, and with no butter chicken on the menu, I ordered a korma. And lamb samosas - it's been so long! And a peshwari naan - and, intrigued to see egg fried rice on an Indian menu, I had that too! And it was all delish - although the rice turned out to be pilau, and egg fried pilau struck me as a bit odd. Never mind. I was absolutely stuffed, and delighted I'd come - and gee, with the bill they present each person with an After Eight mint chocolate and a segmented orange, and each adult with a little glass of Bailey's! It's the little touches, you know - and I was so sorry that they didn't give me the opportunity to leave a tip on the machine, because I forgot to bring my Sterling cash from Ireland this time, damnit! Never mind..

Got the bus back to Waterloo - the journey was somewhat delayed when a group of young - Caribbean?-types got on and one, drunk or high, sauntered past the driver without paying. Well, he wasn't putting up with that, and despite the others being more co-operative, he put them all off and actually called the police - then called them back, down the road, to say that their services wouldn't actually be required. Oh, and I guess he'd had enough, because - with me the last on the bus - he made me get off and walk, one stop early. And at Waterloo, had the usual interminable wait for the #4, whose terminus is there - mind you, it says quite clearly on the stop that the bus only comes, late in the evening, three times an hour, so the Bus Countdown app should really get its story straight.

Chesty again this evening - I can only cough stuff up in the mornings. Tomorrow? Well, my regular Meetup groups have gone AWOL.. Ken's Events is doing something that sounds interesting: a walk from Queen's Park to Little Venice, for the Canal Cavalcade. Now,, I fancy neither joining a select group of 88 (!) others, nor paying £3 for the privilege - but I can mosey along myself, can't I? Be lovely in this weather..

Play: Light

So, the London European Club was off to see Light last night, and it sounded interesting. Plus, it's showing at Battersea Arts Centre, which is walking distance from me, now. Cool, I thought - and I booked. Just as well I did - it subsequently sold out, which is doubtless part of the reason that the organiser and I were the only ones who went, from the group!

Oh joy, an easy commute - I headed out just after 6:35, strolled down the road, and was there by 6:50. I was peckish, so headed straight for the bar, where they had a chocolate orange cake.. got a slice of that and a large white wine. The cake looked crumbly, so I made a point of asking for a fork. Made my way to where my companion was sitting, forlornly sipping a cup of something hot. The cake was tasty, and indeed crumbly - I ended up scooping a lot of it off the table, and indeed, rescued a large piece that had fallen onto my bag.

We chatted until it was time to go in: well, we were let onto the stairs, but there was something of a logjam at the top, and it was a while before we were let into the theatre. Now, this play was advertised as being without words - and from the name, it was obvious that light would feature prominently. Sure enough, as we entered, there were warnings about periods of complete darkness, and flashing lights. And we entered to a dark space, rather smokey, illuminated by two vertical light strips, one at either side of the stage.

These light strips (and others) were to be used in various clever combinations throughout, either to represent physical things - hardly any props were used - or to create striking images. For this was primarily a visual play. In fact, it was made with a nod to the hard of hearing - a sign language interpreter was used for the information message at the start, and there was a post-show discussion (which we didn't attend) about the difficulties posed by this challenge.

The plot of the play? SciFi. They said it was inspired by the Edward Snowden case - it reminded me more of The Matrix. In short, it's set about 100 years in the future, when humankind has developed a kind of telepathy brain implant, allowing people to send mental messages. However, those who developed it didn't anticipate the direction it would take, with governments using these implants to spy on the populace, and ultimately control them. So there's a rebel movement, and so on..

It's honestly visually stunning. The plot is advanced through brief scenes, suggesting the story, and brilliantly conceived, with clever use of light strips and beams, and shadows. The soundtrack is powerful, with the Ode to Joy making a brief appearance just as the government is talking about greater integration, and there's a piece that I absolutely love, but can never seem to remember the name of.. some diligent research after I got home last night revealed it to be the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. So now! It's duly noted, and I can check back when I forget it again..

Fascinating to watch, beautiful to listen to. The plot is maybe not terribly original, but what the hey. The only quibble I had was with the screen behind the stage, where just a bit too much of the dialogue was spelled out - it didn't need it, and it jarred a bit. But it's an interesting show - runs till Saturday, and you can ring the venue to be put on a waiting list.

Despite it being quite a short show, with no interval, I had to be up so early that I still didn't have enough time to blog before bed. Because, of course, I'm in Guildford again today. Tonight, I'm supposed to be joining that group again, for a talk entitled The Global Refugee Crisis: a Challenge to Our Common Humanity. There isn't a chance of making it on time though - instead, I got myself a cheap ticket to a performance of Phaedra in Pentameters Theatre in Hampstead. It doesn't start till 8, so I'm optimistic. And I'm working from home tomorrow, so it won't matter if I'm home late.

Eschewing all the Valentiney things I could be doing in London, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Next week starts with not one, but two, outings with the Man with the Hat - on Monday, London for Less Than a Tenner is going to a show called Free Admission (confusion always a risk with that name..) at Soho Theatre. And on Tuesday, he's off to another classical concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. And I'm schlepping along to both.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I'm back with LDAM - on Wednesday for The End of Longing, starring - and written by - Matthew Perry, at the Playhouse Theatre. His playwriting debut. I got my ticket through London Box Office. On Thursday, we're headed to The Patriotic Traitor, at Park Theatre. Tom Conti stars as Philippe Pétain, the title character, a good friend of De Gaulle, who nonetheless has him tried for treason as a Nazi collaborator.

On the 19th, I've got another cheap ticket to the Circus Show at The Aeronaut - it'll be interesting to see how much the lineup changes! On the 20th, I'm back with the London European Club, for Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, at Sadler's Wells. Part of their Flamenco Festival. Olé! And on the 21st, I'm finally heading to one of those famous free gigs at the Finsbury - there are actually two Meetup groups heading there, I've signed up with both! - specifically, the World Music Meetup and London Gigs and Alternative Events.. 6 currently going to each, I see, but not the same 6, by the look of it..

Play: Give Me Your Love

Eeny-meeny-miny-mo. What was I going to tonight? Depended how I got on today, given that I was risking the drive to the Guildford office for the first time. Not hard, once you get out of London - but London would tax the most experienced driver. Well, neither on the outbound nor the return journey did I get lost, so I felt like going out after. But I'd had enough driving for the day, really - and Give Me Your Love therefore appealed, showing in the Battersea Arts Centre as it is. Walking distance, a cheap ticket, and it sounded good. I booked.

I left early, and took my time strolling there. I arrived about 10 minutes early and collected my ticket - even then, they weren't letting people in, and I moseyed off to the bar and got myself a wine - in a plastic container, so I could take it in. Mind you, when they finally let us in - just after the show's scheduled start time - I saw some people apparently heading in with glasses - not sure what happened there.

It's an old council building, with some fine features - it seems that much of it was destroyed in a fire last year, and they're collecting for renovations. We ascended the fine marble staircase I remembered from the one time I was here before, and were shown into the council chamber - once ornate, now much dilapidated. Tiered seating had been installed - I was to find that my seat was about halfway up, on the aisle. Which was a perfectly decent seat. Thing is, the place was only about half full - so I was effectively at the back.

The play itself centres on a war veteran with PTSD. Who prefers to live in a cardboard box. Which makes it very surreal. This is actually a very clever device, as the play deals with really dark and disturbing subjects, while the talking box brings a degree of levity - less so as the play continues. In summary, it's a very interesting piece, dealing with dark topics. And it only runs for an hour, without interval - and it's always nice to get back some of your evening. Runs until Saturday.

The rest of the week is booked up - tomorrow, I'm headed to a play called Jane Wenham: the Witch of Walkern, at the Arcola. Long time since I was there - well, it's awkward to get to. Might be easier from Clapham Junction. Wednesday is my only Meetup of the week - I'm off to a Farsa Moneda concert at Sands Film Studios, with the London European Club. Really looking forward to that - both the music, and the fantastic, quirky venue. Thursday, I got a cheap ticket to Laugh Train Home - I've been to that once before, but this one is in Acton. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.. and on Saturday, we're off to A Night at the Musicals, presented by a local school, Coláiste Chiaráin, at the Limetree Theatre.

Mess

Battersea Arts Centre tonight, for a performance of Mess, a play about, by, and starring, someone who had anorexia.

Ah yes, I remember this place. Overground to Clapham Junction, then get confused getting out of it. Anyway, this is the first time I've been there in daylight, so I now have a small working knowledge of the neighbourhood. And I wasn't lost for more than a couple of minutes. Oriented myself by the supermarkets - make for Lidl, then up the hill and hang a right past Asda, then left and you're right. So to speak.

The Arts Centre is in the old town hall, and you enter via a gorgeous, huge marble staircase, which, for shows, has candles in jars placed along the edges. Lovely effect. The room that this play is in, mind, is accessed through the scruffiest hallway I've seen outside of a building site. Fortunately, staff are strategically placed so you don't get lost and have to spend eternity wandering the corridors.

Ah now, this play is absolutely gorgeous. 10/10. Time Out said no-one could fail to find it charming, and they're right. It's also the weirdest production I've seen in an age. But it works. It's funny, it is indeed charming, and quite moving. I wanted to give each of them a hug. Oddly, although the crowd was applauding wildly after, they didn't come back for a second bow. Maybe they're not used to all this fame..

Highly recommended. Runs until 1 June, only 70 mins long. Go on, if you can. Take a punt on this, you won't regret it.

4000 Miles, in The Print Room, Notting Hill, tomorrow. I wasn't going to book this in advance, then saw today that the max number of tickets you could book for tomorrow night's performance had slipped from 7 to 5.. so I am now the proud possessor of an e-ticket.

I see in the review in today's paper that Lana del Rey's show last night wasn't so incredible - fizzled out in the end, it seems. I guess she still has some things to learn about live performances. Think I was better off at the pictures.