Play: Love Lies Bleeding

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct. It turned out later that they have a special Wednesday rate, which apparently wasn't advertised until after we'd bought our tickets! Nuts. I have this intermittently violent cough, so stopped in for menthol sweets on my way. I was in the front row, after all..

Too far to consider the bus at that time of the evening - it'd take too long. Tube it was - and disgustingly crowded, as usual. At least the Central Line had aircon - when I got to it, after all those stairs - and I even got a seat after one stop. Exiting at Notting Hill Gate, I got the right side of the road, but the wrong exit - despite following signs for the Coronet Cinema! Never mind, I remembered it reasonably well - despite scaffolding around the station, and the length of time since I was last here.

In the tiny, packed foyer, I joined the queue for the box office. Slowest damn queue I've been in for years - despite three people at the desk! At first, they couldn't even find my ticket, and asked whether I was Press - as someone said later, one might have claimed a free glass of fizz for that; they had a reception area at the other side! But no, they did find me after a minute.

It was soon after that that I met our organiser for the evening. Anyway, as we admired the interesting decor - suspended from the ceiling is a good way to keep your book collection - we were shortly joined by a familiar face, whom I hadn't seen in a while. That was to be it for our group for the night, then - the others who'd signed up never did make themselves known. While we were waiting to see whether they'd arrive, we took a seat on a couch with some interesting cushions - the whole place is packed with quirky touches, and it's a shame I didn't think to photograph them while I had the chance. Actually, I thought I'd been here just to the cinema, before - but it turns out I was at one other play here, nearly four years ago now..

I was three people from the end of the row - not too bad, in the event of coughing emergency. The stage is all sandy - the play is set in the desert - and by and large, the action takes place on a raised platform, which (spoiler!) scoots forward at one point. I have to say, it makes a none-too-steady stage for them, wobbling sporadically as they cross it.

Not the cheeriest of plays, this deals with an elderly man who's now in a "persistent vegetative state" following his second stroke. He lives with his fourth wife - yes, he's one of those arty types: moved to the desert for inspiration. The story follows his second wife, and his son (the product of his first marriage), who've formed a friendship and have come to stay. Oh, and to convince his current wife to let them euthanise him.

It's not like he has nothing to do - he appears in the first scene, already in his wheelchair following his first stroke, chatting to his wife about this incident that occurred when he was a kid. The significance of this memory is never explained - I suppose we're supposed to take something from the fact that it involves the first dead man he'd ever seen. Subsequently, we get a picture of him projected onto the screen to the rear - we get a few more bits with him in his wheelchair, and there's a flashback scene where he was able-bodied, cavorting around the stage with his (much-younger) second wife.

I'm not sure I got very much from this, really. Caveat: that cough did raise its head, and I had to leave eventually - however, nearly an hour had passed by that stage (there's no interval) and once I'd recovered, they let me into the back row about 10 minutes later. I honestly don't think I missed much - except for how all the furniture ended up at the sides! I asked, but no, there wasn't a fight - it happened during one of the "transition" scene changes, when the lights are dimmed.

I'm just not sure that I heard anything new. The wife is determined to keep him alive - for love of him? for her own selfish reasons, not wanting to be alone? The ex-wife starts out wanting to end his suffering, but loses her nerve when the going gets tough. The son is a curious character, tasked with implementing the procedure to - eh - kill his father. Seems quite keen, interestingly. So, some differing perspectives. The ex-wife seems the most interesting character - with the possible exception of the sick man himself. I found the current wife a bit two-dimensional, and couldn't get a handle on the son at all, or his motives. Oh well, runs till the 8th.

Afterwards, our organiser headed home, and we two headed in search of a pub - which was made much easier when my aged phone sim finally picked up a signal. My companion had thought there was one just down the street beside the Coronet - sure enough, Google Maps led us down there to The Hillgate, as we mused about property prices - yes, you'd need a few million even to think about buying around here (maybe £500,000 for a one-bed flat). To be fair, it's a nice, quiet street, in a terrific area with good transport links. The pub was also nice - obviously a gastropub, all tables laid out with cutlery and napkins, so that I felt guilty for taking up space just with a drink! Never mind, my companion was good enough to buy mine, and we had a lovely chat over our drinks - just the thing to get my mind off a stressful day at work. And, with less traffic, I got the bus home.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London, so Funzing, again, with a 20% discount - as ever - with the code Funzing_Fb20.  Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.

On Monday, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at a recent event! I've actually asked whether they're now defunct - we'll see whether I ever get a response. None yet.

On Tuesday, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.

Next Wednesday, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!

On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!

On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.

On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.

On the 25th, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.

On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.

On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.

On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour. 

On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.

On the 3rd, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.

On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.

On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue. 

On the 6th, Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. Whether this event happens is anyone's guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way. But then Henning, with the London European Club, advertised a Happy Xmaths evening at Imperial College, the same night! Festive fun for maths geeks. Plus it's free - you just have to register with Eventbrite. I thought it'd be great to get back with this group. And since I booked the walk with Funzing, I've cancelled and will get a full refund. And I feel no sadness at missing an evening with Hazel, after what's been happening. But gee, this evening is proving to be one of the more popular- now a colleague has booked it for his leaving do. So I'm now going to that instead. Nibbles arranged at The Enterprise.  

On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!

On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.

On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.

On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!

On the 11th, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!

The 12th is our office Christmas party, but Let's Do This has now advertised a Christmas dinner- which sounds a more attractive prospect. So I'm doing that instead. 

On the 13th, I'm thrilled to be going to Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, at Sadler's Wells, with UITCS. He's a fantastic choreographer, but I've never before gotten around to seeing this all-male version. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again. 

And on the 17th of next month, the Crick Crack Club is performing Gilgamesh, at Soho Theatre. With Ben Haggerty in the spotlight, this will be a treat!

Play: Title and Deed

So, for tonight I booked to see a play - Title and Deed, at the Print Room, Notting Hill. Encouragingly, the last of last night's snow melted at lunchtime. Now, the last time I was in the Print Room, it was somewhere else entirely - when I checked today, it turned out it had moved to the old Coronet cinema! I had heard they planned to demolish that, but there was local opposition - glad to see they managed to keep it alive, unlike poor old Earl's Court, which I pass every day and peer at to see whether they've yet started to demolish it. A couple of things saved the Coronet, I guess - the people of Notting Hill are more affluent, and have more clout, and the site is much smaller, so the potential real estate is less.

So, an easy trip. A short one too, except that the trains to Edgware Road only run every 10 minutes. Naturally, I timed it so as to just miss one. After freezing on the platform for eight minutes, one arrived, and just over five minutes later I was at Notting Hill Gate. Where there are four exits. Choice #1: North or South side of the road. Well, if you've studied your map, that's easy. South side for the cinemas. Choice #2: left or right. I chose left, not thinking - the passageway takes you under the road, of course, so you want to turn right. For future reference, Exit #2 for the cinemas..

Pass the Gate cinema, and the Coronet is only a hop, skip and jump away. I scurried in and collected my ticket. There's a bar in the lobby, and signs that say "Theatre", and if you've been here before, it's apparent that it's in the old cinema #2. Dear God though, the place is a mess! I see that the Coronet website says they're renovating, and indeed a large sign on what used to be cinema #1 says that they are, and to expect a new cinema in due course. In the meantime, there is no floor covering, and the place looks dreadful - be prepared. In the theatre itself, they've retained the posh red velvet curtains, but removed the cinema seats, to be replaced with tiered, backless but upholstered benches. The cushions are comfortable, the lack of a back less so.

But the show is only 70 minutes, with no interval. It started about 10 minutes late - so I needn't have worried - and at that, two people arrived after he'd come onstage - he waited for them to take their seats. It's a loosely organised show, he had that freedom. So, this is a play by a Pulitzer Prize-winning finalist, about being an outsider. The actor is Irish, which helped.

He had a lovely, companionable way about him, and was a joy to listen to. And the writing is excellent, also a joy to listen to. And it's hilarious, disguising a more serious message about how outsiders are viewed. It's just.. well, two-thirds of the way in I found myself checking my watch. See, it's interesting, but it meanders and never seems to reach a conclusion. Maybe that's intentional, but I feel it lacks structure. It's all just anecdotes that are entertaining, but never seem to have a point. Frankly, I was glad when it ended.

Runs until Saturday, booking advisable. It was quite full.

Afterwards, I popped into Tesco, across the road, to buy something for dinner. I forgot to scan my card until after she'd rung my order through and given me the change - she hadn't reminded me. She then said it was too late. So I went to Customer Service with my receipt - another worker said it was unstaffed and I'd have to scan the card and receipt at the till - the same one I'd just left! Sadly, of the four on duty, only one knew how to do that. At least he was there. Bah humbug.. annoying experience. And then I had a 10-minute wait for the Tube back..

Well! I'm sorted for the rest of the week. Today, I finally booked something for tomorrow - a performance of Carmina Burana, by the Bach Choir, accompanied by the London Philharmonic, at the Royal Festival Hall. I've never seen it live before, so that should be good. I have to cross the bridge in the cold.. but never mind.

On Thursday, I get to go to the O2 for the first time - to see Ennio Morricone in concert. This is a rescheduled concert from December, when he was sick. Anyway, it'll be good to see the place before I go to see U2 there at the end of the year. With all the warnings against Level 4 (the upper of two available levels) for those who suffer from vertigo or fear of heights, I was spooked into paying £30 more for a seat on the lower level. We'll see. Note: AXS, the official vendor for the O2, is better to buy tickets from than Ticketmaster - AXS allows you a print-at-home option for free, whereas TM insists on posting them - for a fee.

And on Friday, I finally get to go to something that's been so heavily advertised - I'm off to the Pillow Cinema to see What We Do in the Shadows. Usually, when I see this event advertised, it's either something I've seen, or sold out. Or both. So it's a rare treat to have been able to get to something in it that I haven't seen. It's sold out now, mind you, as is most of the season, which runs until the 14th. This does sound like fun - you're advised to bring a pillow, but it's not compulsory. A blanket is also an option. "Seating" is on bean bags that sleep one or two - you have to reserve a whole bean bag - and you basically snuggle up in it as if you're in bed, and watch the movie! There's a drinks service to your bean bag. Takes place in the former Shoreditch Underground Station. Nice way to end the week, eh?

Film: August: Osage County

Ah well, you see, if it isn't booked, you can't depend on it! I was supposed to be going to The Cement Garden this evening, in the vaults. But then I thought to check how long the show runs for - 100 minutes, as it happens - and while looking for that, I came across the helpful information that the seating is on backless benches. But you're welcome to bring a cushion.

Hmm.

Firstly, a cushion would get sodden if we had weather like we had at lunchtime. Secondly, and more to the point, there's no back to these things. And I have a weak back, and couldn't stand to sit - so to speak - without back support for 100 minutes. So that was that. I went to the pictures instead.

Top of the list was August: Osage County. My, but I had a time finding a cinema locally that was showing it at a time I could manage. I eventually lighted on the Coronet, Notting Hill. I left straight from work, with the intention of taking the Tube straight to Notting Hill Gate, and it's a short walk to the left from there. Unfortunately, the District Line played its usual tricks - we were left forever waiting for a train in that direction at Earls Court, and when it did eventually arrive, it took over five minutes to leave! I arrived in Notting Hill a few minutes after the film was due to start.

Next problem was how to leave the station. I never realised there were four exits! So a bit of mental gymnastics was required. First - North side or South side? My memory of the map said south. Next - in the direction of Kensington Palace, or not?! Kensington Palace was towards town, I reckoned - so I'd take the other exit. Do you know, it turned out to be exactly the right one! Fancy that..

I made my way to the box office and asked for a ticket. He took so long.. had to check his watch a few times, as I thought to myself - What's it to you if I'm late? He finally muttered something about "three minutes", and I made my way through the labyrinthine corridors of this old building (at least it's well signposted).

Turned out he meant the film had been on for three minutes - there were no trailers! Other weird thing was the seat - they were tip seats, but in their fully down position actually slope downwards! So the trick is to lean backwards a bit. Anyway, I don't think I missed anything essential. There's a huge cast of stars in this. Essentially, Sam Shepard is married to Meryl Streep, who's got cancer and is heavily medicated, and high all the time. They have three daughters - Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, and Juliette Lewis. (Ooh, I just noticed the similarity in names. Freaky!) Julia is married to, but separated from, Ewan McGregor, and they have a daughter, Abigail Breslin. Juliette is engaged to Demot Mulroney. (Julianne is the one that stayed home.) Chris Cooper plays Meryl's brother-in-law, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who, in this film, shows he can sing!) plays his and his wife's slightly mentally challenged son.

In the opening scene, Sam is hiring a maid. Shortly thereafter, he vanishes, and shortly after that again, turns up dead. Don't worry, that isn't really giving anything away. The real shocks come with the various cans of worms that are opened when the family gather together for the funeral!

You might be thinking that this is a schmaltzy, girly film. Don't. The script absolutely sparkles - it'd have to be based on a play. And it gets really nasty in parts. In others, terrific fun. The secrets that are revealed are incendiary. No sacred cows in this - everything is tackled. With a very black sense of humour. This is high quality - strongly recommended.

Tomorrow night's plans shouldn't change, barring accident, fire or flood, as they say. Ghost Stories at the Arts Theatre, preceded by dinner at Ruby Blue. Looking forward to it, it's been booked for a long time! And then back to Ireland for the weekend, and Lord knows what I'll find there, as Storm Darwin battered the county with a vengeance today, and power is out in 260,000 homes across the country. Including my mother's. And trees down all over. Let's hope it calms down by Friday, eh?

Film: Gravity

So, nothing much happened last night, and there wasn't much to blog about. So I didn't. See, I had to head to Brixton to see what I wanted to see, which involved taking the Tube to Victoria and change to the Victoria line to Brixton. But firstly, the train indicator at West Brompton was telling fibs and I missed my train, and then, as I was finally approaching Victoria, an announcement informed me that the Victoria Line was suspended to Brixton, because of a person under a train. Always happening. After that, there was nothing for it but to just turn around and come straight back. Whereupon TFL charged me a surcharge because they figured I must have gotten off somewhere and not touched out properly, I'd been gone so long. Must see about a refund - couldn't get one earlier, you have to wait 24 hours.

Well, well, well. Tonight, I finally got to see Gravity! Nearest place to me showing it in 2D (3D gives me a headache) is the Coronet cinema in Notting Hill. So I planned to come home first and take the Tube straight there, which is the fastest option - but I stayed in the office longer than expected, and ended up taking the bus, which is the handiest option from there. I would know, given that my last flat was so close to the office. So I arrived in plenty of time, and it was just a short stroll to the cinema.

I haven't been to this cinema before, and what a lovely old cinema it is! It only has two screens - Gravity was showing in Screen 1. Nice cheap ticket price for the area. I was hungry - didn't have time to eat beforehand - so was glad to see a concession stand. And they sell wine too - in plastic glasses, so you can take it in. All very civilised. It's a bit of a maze to get to Screen 1, more so if you want to sit downstairs. Also confusing when, right as you come to the end of your trek, you come across a door leading to Screen 2, which was in the other direction to start with! But I made it, and entered what obviously used to be a theatre, and still has the ornate old mouldings, and not one, but two balconies. The screen is quite small for the space, and I ended up sitting third row from the front (seating isn't allocated). And spent much of my time before the lights went down admiring the fixtures and fittings. Plenty of legroom too. Yes, definitely a cinema I'd recommend.

The more so because there were no ads before the film! Music started playing about fifteen minutes before start time, but then straight into the film. What a refreshing change! And.. so it started. The reviews are saying that the opening shot is spectacular. It is. I can see how this will work very well in 3D. You get a huge shot of (a bit of) the Earth, with this little speck coming into view that is the space shuttle. Upside-down, because that doesn't matter up there. And as it comes closer, the dialogue you can hear gets gradually louder. Mission Control in Houston is talking to the astronauts - three of them, of whom two are Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Ed Harris does the voice of Mission Control. But you can forget about him, he doesn't last long into the film, as they lose contact - which I shall explain shortly.

The scene is quickly set. Sandra Bullock is the newcomer, straight out of training. George Clooney is the veteran astronaut, on his last mission. And Mission Control is telling them that there's been a collision - I forget what hit what, but a satellite was involved - and there's debris heading their way. Get back inside the shuttle asap - they were outside making repairs. Well, of course, they don't get back in quickly enough. And it's not giving much away to say that the shuttle is destroyed and everyone killed except our two heroes. Who are now adrift in space. Fortunately, we have the veteran who has a clear head and enough experience to have some idea what to do.

I have not seen the like of this film. Essentially, the whole film takes place in a weightless environment - I must look up how they achieved that - and you have people spinning around, often out of control, people talking and performing activities upside-down, people talking to each other who are at funny angles to each other.. everything you lose a grip of goes drifting off unstoppably, you have to tether yourself to something to stop yourself doing the same. Now, imagine your ship is destroyed - scattered through space in bits - and you have nothing to tether yourself to. And there is nothing under your feet. Well, except Planet Earth, a long way down. And now imagine that something just hit you and sent you spinning, and Planet Earth is spinning in your field of vision, and there is absolutely nothing to stop you spinning....

Now you're getting an idea of what's in the trailer, and what this film is like. The trailer scared the **** out of me, and the film did the same. I spent the entire thing agape, and the first half hour saying things like "O no", and "O my GOD!" out loud. I had to hold the seat for security. And that was in 2D. It's quite immersive. If you have anything like vertigo, or any fear of heights whatsoever, this film will do the same to you. I am so glad I'm not an astronaut.. (BTW, I do like to be scared in films, so this didn't put me off!)

Now, that's not all that this film is remarkable for. It has a terrifically quiet quality. I mean, when your companions have been killed and contact with Earth lost, and there's nothing in space to carry sound, you will get that. And there's a feeling of loneliness that I remember from the days when I used to read science fiction - particularly Asimov. In short, you get a real feel for the quiet and isolation of outer space. And it's an incredible survival story. As she says at one point, either I get back with a terrific story to tell, or I'm toast in the next 10 minutes.

IMDB gives this 8.5/10. I give it 10/10. It's the best film I've seen in years.

Phew. Very impressive.

Tomorrow, the best film remaining on my list is Short Term 12. Which gets good reviews. I doubt it, or anything in the next while, will live up to what I saw tonight though.