Opera: Lucrezia Borgia

Tonight, ended a run of Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) with Lucrezia Borgia, by the English Touring Opera Company, at the Hackney Empire. I thought I'd get a meal up there - but I left it a bit late, and as I waited interminably to cross the road - the traffic lights taking much longer than usual to work in my favour - lots and lots of buses I could have taken sailed by. So, by the time I finally got across, it would have taken ages to get a bus up there. Given that I wanted to eat too, I decided on Tube + bus.

Then, wouldn't you know it, the bus stop I wanted was closed! Or at least, had all sorts of signs on it, saying it was - so I walked on to the next. I'm not actually sure that stop is closed - it says nothing about it online. I've complained - I'll get a reputation with TFL, I've complained so much! Anyway, at least my bus didn't pass me on the way.

Google Maps estimated I'd still make it in time to eat - I didn't. Blame it on terrible traffic in Shoreditch. Meanwhile, en route, a guy got on with the cutest little Yorkie dog, complete with a little topknot, staring eagerly at everyone.. aww. Which was just fine, until the elderly lady sitting in front of me spotted it. She was sitting just beside the wheelchair area, where dog and companion were standing. "OH NO!", she exclaimed, "Don't let it bite me!" whereupon the person attached to the dog obligingly backed off - as much as he could; the bus was crowded. As soon as a seat came free further back, she dashed to it - just in case the tiny creature mauled her. Honestly, I sympathise in that I guess she might have once had a traumatic experience with a dog - but could people with dog phobias not recognise them as the unrealistic fears they are, and stop making things harder for dogs and their accompanying humans? The dog could honestly hardly have been less threatening. Really, I'd be more scared of the old lady..

As I say, I didn't have time for a proper meal - and the area is shockingly bereft of cafes. I ended up heading into a local supermarket and grabbing a snack - which I hid on myself as I went in, although, as it happened, there was no bag check. Lots and lots of stairs followed, to the Upper Circle - I got a drink, and propped myself against the shelf in front of the bar, where I met the others. Some of whom I hadn't seen in ages! and we chatted until it was time to take our seats.

Mine was a peculiar seat - I ended up swinging my legs, feet well off the floor. Which, again, was fine, except that the hard edge of the seat kind of cut into my legs.. I was a bit stiff by the time the interval rolled around, and glad to move again. Same when I was leaving - I can't fault the legroom, really, with space to swing your legs - but neither did I find the seat properly comfortable. Ah well..

I was glad I had glasses on - you see the teeny screen in the photo? That's what the captions were displayed on - and all they were displayed on. The singing, however, was gorgeous, the music and sets lovely - and how lovely that it starts in Venice, giving them the excuse to wear masks as they go about their nefarious doings. And what a tale of dodgy dealings this is, with people being assassinated right, left, and centre - ah yes, the reputation of the Borgias precedes them. Having said that, it's perhaps somewhat exaggerated - and certainly, that of Lucrezia, who probably suffered by association with the sort who would give the Mafiosi pause for thought.. Mind you, I kept remembering the Showtime series on the family, which I enjoyed greatly, and can highly recommend.

Anyway, this was one night only, I'm afraid. But I was very glad to catch it! Got buses back home, with less drama.

Tomorrow, back cat-herding - Ivan suggested that whole day for, well, a lot of drinking. And food - he wanted to go back to O' Neill's. Well, he got in touch. To say that, unfortunately, he can't now make it. My other coworker from that company still can, though - as they've both said, it's been so long since they actually met each other! They can never seem to coordinate.. The third person I invited finally let me know he can't make it either, so it's just the two of us again, as so often.

On Sunday, back with Discover London at last - she does excellent walks, but sometimes they clash, and sometimes they sell out before I get to them! This one is Discover Historic Chelsea: From Quaint to Quant - 1660s to 1960s.

On Monday, back with - you guessed it - UITCS, for Romeo and Julie, at the Dorfman.

On Tuesday - not so much appealed on Meetup. Free Stuff and Free Events does have Free Community Singing with Ros Hone and the Global Fusion Sound Singers, which you can attend on Zoom, or in person at Fossdene School Community Hall. Which sounds just fine - except that this is the sort of thing I keep cancelling! So I decided not to confirm until nearer the time. Which is just as well, because - predictably last-minute - Eleanor Salter Thorn, from Tuned In London, just advertised an evening of Iranian music with Shahab Azinmehr, with the World Music Meetup. I adore this kind of music - and for once, it's not all the way out in Rotherhithe! It's just such a trek.. no, this is in St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Which, ironically, is just down the road from where I last lived.. anyway, much closer than usual for these concerts! Refugees and asylum seekers get free tickets.

On Wednesday - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham.

On Thursday, my final booking - for the week - with UITCS, for Brilliant Jerks at Southwark Playhouse. And wouldn't you know it, I still had credit on my Pay as you Go subscription, so got it for free! And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.

Opera: Amadigi

Well, back in London again! Tonight, it was back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), to an opera by Handel, called Amadigi. Playing at the Hackney Empire, courtesy of the English Touring Opera.

Kee-rikey, what a lot I had to do today at work! (Happens, when you've been away the rest of the week.) However, I firmly resolved to get to the theatre in time. It'd take a while by bus, and a change of buses, but that was ok - and I did manage to drag myself out in time to catch one of the two that Google Maps gave me as an option. (Just as well, considering that all of a sudden, the other had no projected arrivals!) Getting to that bus in time was one of the most stressful things I've ever done - but I now had a nice, long journey to get over it, and calm down. And it was a nostalgic run - I'd forgotten that this was a bus I took all the time in my last accommodation, and we actually passed very close to there! Damn, I didn't get on with my flatmates, but there was terrific storage.. How I miss the storage..

It was stuffy enough that I had to take off my mask for a while, during the journey. My second bus was a lot more crowded though, so it was a relief to get off after five stops. Much fun was had with a bunch of rambunctious kids playing down the back, whose mothers were sitting opposite me - they did try to keep one of the kids with them when she dropped down for a visit, but in vain. They had some success in keeping an eye on them via the CCTV.. but of course, one ended up having to go down there. The stern one, I'm guessing. And then I got off.

Almost all the group were in the Upper Circle, whose entrance is around the side of the theatre. So off I went. 52 steps, we'd been warned. Gee, I think that's actually more than I have to climb up to my flat! For sure, I'm unaccustomed to the exercise, these days. So up I climbed. I was glad not to have to rush. And at the top, as there was no-one there I recognised, I treated myself to a celebratory drink - a decent size, for once. My first theatre drink since before lockdown! I took it outside to the auditorium - the bar is very small - and behold and lo, the group started to arrive. It transpired that anyone who came early had met in the garden outside. Ah well, we had a good chat.

Now, I have been here before - seven years ago! Twice that year, in fact. On at least one of those occasions - very likely both - I was in the Stalls. So I can be forgiven for not knowing where I was going. Mind you, the place seemed confusing to the usher as well (who tried to direct me to my seat when I was looking for the bar, and pointed me in completely the wrong direction for my seat). (The bar is in the middle, at the back of the auditorium.) I finally figured out where I was going by starting the booking process for another show on my phone, and seeing what the seat numbers were, and so we duly made our way to our seats. Well, what can you expect from a theatre that has seats 6 & 7 on one side of the auditorium, and 8 & 9 all the way over on the other, in the same row? Also watch out for the hidden slope in the floor, and the rather large step depths - I was glad I was over the side, and could take the railing along the wall to make my way down.

It wasn't until the interval that I got a chance to take photos - and it is gorgeous. As someone mused, I wonder whether they used lockdown as a chance to renovate..?

And so, off we go. We all agreed that we love the music - it is sublime, and a terrific end to a stressful day. The story involves a damsel in distress - she's been kidnapped by a sorceress, and it's up to the dashing hero to save her. The sorceress' assistant, mind, has fallen for her, too.. expect lots of derring-do, and sword-brandishing.

The story, as always in baroque opera, is perhaps a bit over-wrought, and it's a good thing to have a bit of comedy. The props include voodoo dolls, the male characters' costumes have rather enormous shoulderpads. The evil sorceress' apprentice looked like a hunchback. (Spoiler - he descends to Hell in the second act, and comes back looking good and spooky. Just the thing for October!) And I just loved how the damsel spent her time in prison.. But as always, it was the music that did it for me. It's just a shame that, during the second act, I felt unwell briefly and had to repair to the loo. (Thank goodness I was at the end of a row, and near enough.) And felt guilty when I flushed.. so I made sure not to use the hand dryer..!

Anyway, baroque opera is not for everyone, but if you do enjoy it, you'll enjoy this. Curiously, they switch to English at the end (with Italian surtitles). At which point I lost the plot, literally - I had more chance of understanding the Italian surtitles than understanding English sung like that! Ah well. Apparently, the surtitles throughout were approximate to what was actually being sung - for which I'm sure they had an excellent reason. The old-fashioned dialogue doesn't always translate.. Playing there again tomorrow night, then touring the country until the 17th of next month - see the opera company's website for details.

With so little choice on Meetup at the moment, the next four nights for me are with one of my cheap ticket groups (TAC), at £3.60 a pop. Well, it's good to get back with them before they decide I no longer want to be a member! Tomorrow sounds interesting - it's Ophelia Thinks Harder (a reworking of Hamlet) at the Bridewell Theatre. Which is walking distance from me - as long as it's not lashing!

Now, I'm thrilled that Hallowe'en is coming up - so I spent a lot of time during the week trying to find something decent to do that day. And would you credit it, I haven't yet found anything! So I had a look at what Darkfield is offering - that was the best thing I did, last Hallowe'en. They have in-person shows too, but Darkfield doesn't provide a venue, and I don't have one to give them! So, I was delighted to see that they've got a new personalised audio show called Knot. It's a three-parter - the first is designed to take place on a park bench, the second in the front passenger seat of a car, the third at home. If necessary, all parts can be experienced at home, but they ask you to recreate the environments as closely as possible. Currently booking - but only up to the 11th! I'm sure it'll still be running on Hallowe'en, but just to be sure, I've booked for tomorrow night. I should be back in time. Headphones and app download required - I still have the app from last year, and I've brought my headphones from work. Blindfold highly recommended, as you're not supposed to peek..!

Sunday is Love Goddess: The Rita Hayworth Cabaret, at the Canal Cafe Theatre. I believe we have to buy membership on the door, for another £1.50.

Monday is the World Doctors Orchestra, at the Barbican. Yes, apparently with actual doctors. They're to send me a promo code to use to get my own ticket - I asked what the story was, and they said the venue recommends not sending the code out until the day before the event.

Tuesday is Fritz & Matlock, at the Pleasance - they caught my eye by advertising it as a reworking of Waiting for Godot..

On Wednesday, I've signed up for a Free 3 Mile City of London on Screen - Guided Walk & Post Event Social, with Invigorate. It's a tour of film locations, most of which I might know already, but hey. This is a newly minted group, made from one that I used to be a member of, before. And it'll be my first guided walk, post-lockdown! The organiser of this group also organised one of the last events I went to, pre-lockdown..

Thursday, I've promised to keep free so I can go for drinks with my boss and her team again. Happens weekly.

Next Friday, back with TAC for Lately, at the Lion & Unicorn. Then I'm back to Ireland again - on Saturday again, as I was unable to get a Friday flight! Working from home the following Monday, and flying back to London that evening.

On the 12th, I found a curious thing on Meetup - it seems that Watkins Bookshop has its own Meetup group, where it advertises events, and that day there's a talk by Stephen Skinner, about Aleister Crowley's Four Books of Magick. Ok, sounds interesting to me - I signed up.

On the 13th, back at last with Civilised London! We're off for what promises to be another excellent meal, this time at the Korean restaurant, The Petite Corée. Meeting beforehand in The Railway pub.

On the 14th, back at last with London European Club! Happily, they're going to what I'd be going to anyway.. the Crick Crack Club is performing The Women Who Gave No F*cks, at Rich Mix. Fantastic when the London European Club decide to come..

On the 15th, woo! A couple of weeks ago, UITCS was off to 2:22 - A Ghost Story, but I was meeting an ex-colleague for drinks that night and couldn't go. Well, I got a ticket for the 15th - second-last night of the run! Unfortunately, cheapest available were £65, and no availability with cheap ticket sellers - ah well, I decided I really wanted to see it (great reviews helped), so I booked. Had great fun trying to decide which of the few remaining seats at that price was the best.. Showing at the Noel Coward Theatre. And with all the cheap shows I'm going to, I can afford it!

On the 16th, my first outing with another new group - Bucket List London is off to Kenwood House, and I said I'd join them. You don't have to book, but it guarantees availability- tickets for free from English Heritage, via See Tickets.

On the 17th, I found something interesting with London Walks, Art & Culture Explorers! Yet another new one for me. This is an "Uncomfortable Statues Walk" - statues commemorating controversial people. I can think of a few, and it'll be interesting to see which come up on this!

On the 18th, I'm with London Classical Music & Theatre Group, for a choral performance (annual, apparently) by The Sixteen in Temple Church. Fantastic, and I've never actually been inside!

And on the 19th, I'm with Guided Walking Tours in Brighton and Sussex (!). They have an online talk entitled Hallowe'en Penny Dreadful Online Show - The Art of Victorian Horror. I have to say, online has become much more of an option since lockdown.

I'm finally beginning to feel my diary getting back to a healthy state! ;-)

Play: Rudy's Rare Records

Tonight, I had booked for Rudy's Rare Records. Mind you, given that it's all the way over in Hackney, and with my disastrous experience last night, had I got a better offer, I'd have taken it. I didn't though, so off I went.

Now, when I go to Hackney, I take the Overground - it's cheaper, and direct. However, it's also intensely crowded at rush hour - mind you, so is the Tube. To alleviate the discomfort of the journey, I decided to leave straight from work, so as to catch the earliest train possible - it might be a bit less busy. On the walk to the station, I encountered not one, but two jet-black cats! 'Tis the season, I guess..

The train was busy, but not so much that you couldn't get on. A seat was out of the question, of course. A lot of Irish accents, as usual on this line. And the journey became much more interesting when three women and three small children got on, accompanied by a pram and a buggy. Well of course, the pram and buggy took up a lot of room. People were generally understanding, but one was annoyed when trying to squeeze on. The little people in the party were unconcerned, but one of the mothers was heard to exclaim what fools they were to travel with kids at rush hour, and how she's never, ever doing it again! Meantime, one of the babies was doing his best to pickpocket the person standing next to his buggy..

I hadn't had a chance to pick up a paper - not that I'd have had room to read it on the train, anyway. I picked one up on the way out of Hackney Central though. Had to laugh when I saw the lead story - overcrowding on trains! The Hackney Empire is a short walk down the road to the right, and I collected my ticket and waited, with the others, for the doors to open - the downside to being early! When the doors finally did open, I discovered that I had to go around the side door - when I was here before I was in the stalls, but this time I was in the Upper Circle - second highest level - and it turns out that the entrances to the highest levels are around the side.

After climbing a fairly substantial set of stairs, I arrived at the Upper Circle. My row was second from the back, and I had the aisle seat (F1). It was literally the cheapest ticket left when I booked. The first thing I noticed was the substantial overhang from the gallery, upstairs. It didn't provide an obstruction when seated, though. The second thing I noticed was that a corner of the stage was obscured by the side wing of the Upper Circle. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the corner where much of the action happened. The third thing I noticed was when more people started to arrive, and were coming down the centre steps - I'd come down the side, where there's a railing; in the middle, there's none. Many were having difficulty with the steps, and as I watched, I realised that each had quite a drop to the next! Had I been sat in the middle, I'd never have managed. A stroke of luck there.

The house ultimately filled completely - this show is very popular. When it did, I became glad of my aisle seat. I hadn't noticed it before someone sat in the seat next to me, but legroom is way too tight - when there was nobody beside me, I splayed my legs. When someone sat beside me, I didn't have that option, and swiftly discovered that it was really uncomfortable to sit with legs pointed straight ahead - I was bruising my knees on the hard backs of the seats in front of me! So I spent the vast majority of the show twisted sideways - which allowed me to stretch my legs, but did nothing for my back.

This show is another comedy. The difference between it and Breeders is - this one is good. It stars Lenny Henry as the son of the Rudy in the title, who's an irascible old man who refuses to sell his treasured record shop, despite all the pressures on him to do so. The last thing I saw Lenny Henry in was a serious role, but here he's back to his irrepressible best, larking around, and even getting to indulge in singing and dancing. Which he does very well.

The show is best when it concentrates on the music. It's reggae all the way - there's even a plot point to explain why there's a band at the back of the stage for most of the show; they're rehearsing in the record shop's tiny studio! By the second act, the show has turned into something of a reggae concert (fundraiser to keep the shop open, is the story) - the band has moved to the upper level of the stage, and Lenny Henry leads the audience in a sing-song. I like reggae - it's kind of a requirement for this show - but I wasn't that familiar with the songs. My word, but the crowd was though, and it was lovely to hear everyone join in the singing, clapping, finger-clicking.. there was a fantastic atmosphere.

On the negative side, I found myself going, "What?!" all the time. The thick Jamaican accents didn't help, but it was actually hard enough to hear them, as far up as I was, and they didn't have mics. I was queueing for an ice cream at the interval, and the couple in front of me in the queue actually complained to the ice cream seller that they thought the show was probably very good, but they couldn't hear it. Not just me, then! Still, what they expected that guy to do about it, I can't say. Nobody's likely to change the setup, this late in the run anyway - it finishes on Sunday. (Oh, the ice cream was delicious, BTW, and while still overpriced, it cost less than half what you'd pay in the West End.)

As the show rolled on, I was delighted I'd come, and reluctant to leave - but also somewhat worried about the time of my last train. I needn't have worried - it finished (with a well deserved standing ovation) well in time for me to make the second-last train. Which was crammed - but I did get a seat after a few stops. This train was the one that leaves me with a 20-minute wait at Willesden Junction - thankfully, it's not that cold yet. I highly recommend the show - if you can get a seat in the stalls or the next level up.

Tomorrow, mercifully, I can have a lie-in! For a bit anyway - I'm off to the matinee of Sequence 8 at Sadler's Wells. The very last day of it.. I'm glad to have caught it. Rear stalls, this time.

Dance: New Adventures Choreographer Award Showcase

Ah yes, I do like to surprise, eh? There I was, all set to go see Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, showing for free at The Scoop.. and ShowFilmFirst sends me a mail with offers of free tickets to no fewer than six (!) events. One was showing this evening and tomorrow, but tomorrow's ticket allocation was all gone. So it was that, instead of the Scoop, I ended up taking a comfortable seat (indoors) at the New Adventures Choreographer Award Showcase. Not that I knew - in advance - what it was: but it's dance, which I haven't been to for a while, and it has Matthew Bourne attached to it. Now, I saw his production of Sleeping Beauty last year - and let's just say it left enough of an impression that I was gagging to get to something that he was involved in. Ah well, that's it for the Scoop for another year - I've seen all the other films they're showing this month.

Well, this show takes place in Hackney - which in itself is interesting; I've never been before! Google Maps assured me that the Hackney Empire is a short walk from Hackney Central Station, on the Overground line. The journey would take about an hour, and as luck would have it, a train left just before I arrived on the platform. (Interestingly, the Overground gates were open today at the station - I'm not used to that, and failed to take that route. Will check in future - it saves a few steps.)

So I had a 15 minute wait for the train that, mind you, was still the one before the last I could get and still be on time. Well, when it arrived, the last door was far too crammed to crush into. I investigated the second last door, and found that, if I squeezed sideways, I could get in. So that's what I did. A train this packed presents an interesting phenomenon. I mean, I don't often have to endure this, so I'm probably less irritated by it than I would be if it were a daily phenomenon for me. But I did have just about enough space that my lungs expanded as necessary, and falling over certainly wasn't an option - there wasn't the room.

Enough people got off at Shepherds Bush that I could move down the carriage, and so it was that I found myself standing beside three middle aged, Irish guys. When two of them got off at Willesden Junction, I finally got a seat - the train was much emptier now. BTW, I overheard one of them say that his biopsy results weren't good - I hope things go ok for him. After an eternity, I disembarked at Hackney Central. Google Maps indicated that I should turn right, head under the bridge, and the Hackney Empire was just up the road (on the right). So it was. Mind you, you still need to check whether you're in the right queue - there are different ones depending on whether you're buying or collecting..

The building is magnificent - a Grade II* listed building, apparently. I had a stalls seat:

 

The people in front of me were wondering about programs, but none were in evidence, so we went into the show blind. I knew there were to be three pieces. The first was magnificent, and appeared to be about something organic (at a guess). The music was also very well chosen. Afterwards, Matthew Bourne himself made a bit of a speech, and we found out a bit more. Seems that, when he turned 50, his friends decided to make an award available in his name - he could do with it what he chose. Well, as he said, it had to be choreography. So he funded this New Adventures group for young dancers and choreographers, and every second year they give an award for choreography, and the winner gets to have their work premiered in public. Ta-da! That's what we were seeing tonight. Matthew Bourne, by the way, spent the rest of the evening chatting to the crowd, and was seated right in front of me. Yes, I did consider asking for an autograph. No, I didn't do it..

 

John Ross was this year's winner. Remember the name - because he's fantastic. Really, it's this kind of thing that reminds me why I love living here. In very few places could you expect to see this level of talent - and by accident, yet! That first piece was called "Eclipse", and depicts the Chinese legend of the sun being swallowed during an eclipse. The second, "Wolf Pack", is about a group of lads out on the town. The third, "Little Sheep", takes as its subject the riots of 2011. Includes some Cameron-bashing. All three are vital and visceral, accompanied by a thumping soundtrack, and with a coherent and topical message to convey.

 

Really, wonderful stuff. On again tomorrow night - plenty of seats. Go see.

 

For tomorrow, at the moment, it's looking like film. Having eliminated two documentaries in which, I'm sorry, I have little or no interest - I come up with In Order of Disappearance - a Norwegian thriller in which Stellan Skarsgard plays a fellow after revenge when his son is murdered. 'Sposed to be really good. Pity it's in the (expensive) Curzon Victoria!