Play: The Art of Illusion

Well, I made it back to London with far less trouble than I had in leaving! Today turned out to be an interesting day, starting with the arrival of an unexpected package. What should it turn out to be, but a New Year party pack from my new company! Wow.. including a bottle of Moet et Chandon, and a box of Ghirardelli! A little late, but who's counting.. This evening, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Art of Illusion, at Hampstead Theatre. Award-winning, it seems..

I had one of those typically last-minute emergencies at work, and got a bit delayed - so decided on the Tube, rather than bus. Which got me there in time to grab a bite to eat - and I'm fond of the grilled chicken at Ye Olde Swiss Cottage. Hadn't had it in a while, so I headed there. Sure enough, they still only have one kind of white wine (chenin blanc, if you're curious), but they did better on food than last time, and I could have my grilled chicken. Which was lovely, and I was well fed - while eavesdropping on the adjoining table, populated with actor types. Part of the discussion centred on The Southbury Child, which I'm happy to say they enjoyed as much as I did..

And so to the theatre, where I managed to get a drink and a seat before anyone else in our group got there! As the others arrived, we had a good chat - then headed in, behind not so large a queue as I've seen here on previous occasions. And plonked ourselves right in the front of the side (well, most of us):

Another case of having to watch your feet, so you don't trip up the actors! Now, to the show..

Do you believe in magic? Do you ponder how they do it? Do you feel that sense of wonder as they bedazzle you? Roll up, my friends, this is that kind of a show.. I remarked afterwards what fun it must have been to take part in it, because they all perform at least one trick! And close as we were, there were still tricks I couldn't explain..

But it isn't a magic show, per se. What it is, is.. oh dear, I can't think of a better word than magical! It hearkens back to the old days of magic, when performers dressed up, shows were intimate, and everybody expected to be overawed. With a bit of playful hopscotch through history, we get the story of Robert Houdin - in whose honour the famous Houdini chose his stage name, apparently! But we don't stop with "conventional" magic - no, we also meet Georges Méliès, who brought us magic through his early movies - and right at the end, watch the kid playing videogames. The message is, I guess - these other pioneers were also discouraged from wasting their time at their passion; let's not discount it, but consider what could come of it..!

Marvellous stuff - highly recommended for those with magic in their souls. Runs till the 28th - go see..

Afterwards, I joined someone who hadn't managed to grab a bite beforehand, on a foray to see what was available - we decided we wouldn't waste much time looking, on what is a bitterly cold night. So, when we came to Mia Lounge, which had a menu outside.. in we went. And then up, because there isn't anything on ground level. On the first floor, we came to a deserted area with a bar and tables, and a guy behind the bar. He said yes, we could get food - or we could try upstairs. I thought he sounded a bit mysterious..

The smell assails you as you climb higher. Basically, you come here for the shisha, and ours was the only table that didn't order it. :-) Indeed, the waiter seemed surprised when I didn't order anything from the special, shisha menu.. I wasn't actually hungry at all, and just had a dessert - they didn't have my first choice, so I ended up with a chocolate milkshake, served in a jam jar, and quite tasty. My companion chose the lamb beyti, which she found unexpectedly spicy.. and we shared a decent bottle of wine. Aircon was weird, alternating between too hot and frigid - but we were basically fortified for the journey home. By bus - quicker at this hour. Would have been quicker still, if the driver hadn't dropped us off somewhere quite different from where we expected to be! I've complained again..

Tomorrow, I'm headed to Chicago Blues Explosion in the January Blues Festival at the 100 Club. Tickets from See Tickets (ST) - just a shame their early bird tickets were sold out. My companion of tonight thought that sounded good, and is now coming too - we've planned to eat beforehand at Bistro1. Lordy, it's years since I was last there!

On Wednesday, with TAC for a classical concert at King's Place (nice and close). This is the Kirckman Society for young artists, presenting Connaught Brass.

On Thursday, Ken's Green Walks for Health (aka Ken's Events, to those of us who know it from before) is off to see the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf. Now, I wouldn't go with them in a fit - but there's nothing to stop me seeing the lights myself for free, eh? I don't see the point in paying Ken £5 to lead a group around.. Mind you, the lady that sold me my ticket for Mandela was in touch afterwards to say that the theatre is offering a free link to a livestream of the full show! and she was asking me what day would suit. This being one of the options, I figured it'd be a good way to avoid the cold of Canary Wharf..

On Friday (unusually, it's usually Thursday), back with Watkin's Bookshop for a book launch. This is Fifty Forgotten Books by R. B. Russell. Occult theme, as usual. Let's see whether I can avoid falling asleep this time!

On Saturday, back at King's Place - this time it's the Crick Crack Club, with Stories in the Dark. Told in darkness, by the sound of it - sounds divine!

On Sunday, back with Cultureseekers for the Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt exhibition at the British Museum. Assuming it's not curtailed due to transport strikes - there is a warning on the museum website that galleries might have to close early!

Next Monday, I've finally booked for Best of Enemies at the Noel Coward Theatre. This play concerns a series of debates on US television between liberal writer Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley in 1968 - the interesting twist here, given the time and place we're talking about, is to cast William Buckley as black! Had my own seat review on Seatplan to guide me in picking a seat - this is one of those restricted view/legroom theatres. And despite all the theatre offers flooding my inbox, I found the cheapest tickets for this on the official website! Mind you, what with ST doing the selling, I found myself with a second, unexplained, booking fee..

For the next week or so, it's all UITCS! On the 24th, for some reason, I hadn't seen their advertised event to see Orlando, based on the book by Virginia Woolf, and showing at the Garrick. For this, however, I found the cheapest tickets from Official London Theatre (OLT).

On the 25th, we're off to see John Bishop at the Leicester Square Theatre. Love him, so I booked as soon as I saw this advertised - one of the few things for this month that I booked last month! Not that it seems to be selling out..

On the 26th, we're off to The Vaults Festival - specifically, The Welsh Lxdies, a bilingual show about the women of Wales. Then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 30th, we're heading to Noises Off, starring Felicity Kendal, at the Phoenix. Again, cheapest tickets from OLT.

On the 31st, with a group I haven't joined in a Very Long Time - I'm back with London Dramatic Art, from whom I've got a front-row ticket for Sylvia, at The Old Vic; this is the story of Sylvia Pankhurst, and stars the excellent Beverley Knight. Completely sold out - this was my only way to get a ticket!

On the 1st, back with the Horror Book Club - Lordy, that means I need to read a book! :-) I suppose I can use my flights for that. This time, it's The Ballad of Black Tom, based on the Lovecraft story, The Horror at Red Hook, but told from the perspective of a black man. Which means I should really read that, too.. Nice, I'd like to get back to some Lovecraft! I've read the summary, and am a decent way through the book club's book. Again, it's in the Prince of Wales, Covent Garden. Question is, will the kitchen be open..?

On the 2nd, I'm on my own for My Son's a Queer (but what can you do?), a musical at the Ambassadors Theatre.

On the 3rd, my first meeting of the year with London Classical Music and Theatre Group! We're off to Wigmore Hall, to listen to the Hagen Quartet play Mozart. They're Austrian, so that's appropriate.. I just need to remember not to drink the ultra-expensive sauvignon blanc!

On the 4th, well, Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are back to Greenwich again. Now, I have been there with him before.. not sure how "new" this one will be, but hey, it was a great day last time!

On the 5th, nothing on Meetup appeals massively at the moment - I might go for a walk along the Ken's Events route, if I feel like it! (on my own). Or Over 40 Living the Life has advertised a walk along the New River.. I'll have to see, as I have to pay to sign up (refunds given to those who then come). And I might well change my mind..

On the 6th, my first actual event with that group. We're off to How Not to Drown at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East - the first event of theirs for which I couldn't get a cheaper ticket! So I decided, if I couldn't beat them, I might as well join them. True story of an unaccompanied, 11-year-old asylum seeker.

On the 7th, excited to be headed to see Derren Brown in Showman, at the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue. Modern magic! Cheapest tickets with OLT again.

On the 8th, off to The Lehman Trilogy, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Based on the true story of the bank that collapsed. Got the last £39.50 ticket!

On the 9th, back with UITCS for Winner's Curse, at the Park Theatre - an interactive show about a peace negotiation. Turns out North London Friends are headed to it the same night - what, are they now copying this group, as another group did some time ago? (since closed down). And then I'm back to Ireland again.

And on the 13th, I'm headed to Allegiance, starring George Takei in a musical based on the true story of his time in an American internment camp during the Second World War. Showing at the Charing Cross Theatre.

Play: Mary

Back to London at last - and another on-time Ryanair flight! Wow, the luxury of travelling midweek.. pity that the plane was filthy, but what can you do? Anyway, yesterday, I booked with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - for Mary, at Hampstead Theatre. Political machinations in the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. Funny thing - there were two seats in the main seating section at the cheapest price, but the site objected to me just booking one of them. No problem booking an equivalent seat in a higher price bracket, though! So I booked one of the high seats, at the back, instead. At the lower price. Just yesterday, I got a mysterious email from the theatre - they sent it before informing me that I had an upgrade, so I had to guess that's what it was about! Anyway, I was now in a very good seat - lovely.

Up that direction, I know Ye Olde Swiss Cottage is a decent place to eat - so I headed there beforehand. And although the bus was diverted again, it seemed a lot quicker than last time.. Perhaps this is a better route to choose. Anyway, one of the entrances to the pub was closed, confusingly - but I made my way in. Unusually busy - I couldn't get my usual table, but headed for the slightly dim area past the room you enter by. Ordered at the bar. I fancied pie. Nope, I was told, no pie. And the girl from the side - they both sounded American - chimed in, saying I couldn't have the half chicken either. Or the (beef) burger. Ehh.. good job I'd brought the menu with me to check. I don't normally have fish and chips, but I had last night. Oh, and I'd forgotten they don't do sauvignon blanc - I had chenin blanc instead, while one server remarked to the other that they really need a better selection of white wines!

It was lovely, as before. And my food arrived in no time, impressively - I'd asked for it without the mushy peas, and so it came. Accompanied by a slice of lemon, and ramekins of tartare sauce and ketchup. All on a sheet of newspaper, on the plate. And it was delish! The chips weren't spectacular, but that's a minor quibble - I was very well fed. A little boy at the table opposite - who also sounded American - remarked, as they were leaving, that fish n chips seems to be the national dish! Arguably, yes. Mind you, while I was eating, someone went to the bar from another table - they'd apparently been waiting ages for their food, including fish n chips.. I have to wonder whether I got theirs! Kitchen obviously forgot. Anyway, I finished, and had another glass of wine - which is cheaper than at the theatre, although the theatre isn't as expensive as I remember..

And then I moseyed over, spotted the group (quite large, this time) and joined them. A lot of us had upgrades.. and in due course, we made our way in.

By the simple trick of moving that wall back, they allow us to experience action in two apparently separate rooms - the second much larger than the first. And apart from chairs - and a desk, in the larger room - there isn't any other furniture. Well, in those days, furniture was a luxury! which is why, when you visit older palaces, it tends to be in short supply. Plebs in those days tended to stand..

Now, this 90-minute (no interval) play concerns Lord Melville, who was around the court at the time of Mary's downfall. Her husband, Lord Darnley, has just been murdered, and to everyone's shock and horror, she's married the man suspected of the murder, Lord Bothwell! However, we only get three characters - Lord Melville, and a couple violently opposed to the Catholic Mary, being on the Protestant side themselves, and determined to depose her. In the first scene, Lord Melville has the upper hand, defending her against people obviously ready to believe the worst. However, in the second scene, he's the one in trouble - being forced to sign the document calling for her abdication.

It's a fabulously powerful piece, firing facts at us about this most obscure episode in history. It's generally accepted that Darnley was murdered, but whether Mary was complicit, and in love with Bothwell, conspiring to murder her husband and marry him, as her enemies claimed - or whether he took matters into his own hands (he was an adventurer, after all) and murdered Darnley, then abducted and raped Mary, forcing her into marriage - is a matter of speculation. This play goes one further, claiming that she was also abused at the hands of her captors once she was imprisoned. Makes for an uncomfortable experience as an audience member.

The play's structure is terrific though, with three strong characters bandying ideas and switching sides, just as the audience does. As opinions shift, so do the power players - makes you realise how little we really know about what goes on behind the major events of world history. We see the consequences - but so much is kept hidden, today as it always was.

The one thing I could really have done without was the rushing of the stage, right at the end, by the #MeToo movement - gangs of women yelling and gesticulating. Isn't anything to do with history - this plays to modern sensibilities, and given the obvious bias that it indicates towards a certain version of the events, it does call into question whether what's described ever even happened. Just silly, frankly - and how they all got to take a bow with the three actors who actually deserved applause is beyond me. Apart from this, it's a terrific play - runs till the 26th, definitely recommended. Just maybe leave when the crowds of women in black file into the seats on either side of the stage..

It ran too late last night for me to blog - felt I should make an effort to turn on the computer reasonably early for work! I hadn't anything booked for tonight - was thinking film - and then Ticket Text (one of hundreds of ticket organisations I seem to have signed up for) sent me an advertising email. So, it seems tonight the comedy venue, 21Soho, is holding an event of Comedians Telling Spooky Stories. Which sounds the business, for the week that's in it. So I booked. Hallowe'en fancy dress, apparently - well, not too pushed about that. 

Tomorrow, I kept free for an all-night drinking session with Ivan. However, predictably, he cancelled - probably still recovering from his bout of Covid. I've only met him once so far this year - hope I get to see him again before the end of it! What annoys me, though, is how I always have to chase people to let me know when they have to cancel - he's not the only one, but he wouldn't have thought to tell me if I hadn't asked. Honestly, how is a person supposed to plan? Anyway, instead, I booked with TAC for By the Light of the Moon at the Old Red Lion. Part of their Grimfest Festival.

So I should find it easier to get up on Saturday - I'm on another walk with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners! This one is the Edgy London Walking Tour, and is one of his new ones.

And yes, I have something to do that evening! (This month is far too busy.) I'm back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC), for the Game of Candles - their Hallowe'en offering, where they extinguish a candle for every spooky story told. Tim Ralphs and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson - in King's Place, lovely! I can walk home..

On Sunday, I dug out something interesting on Meetup, from a new group to me - London Social & Cultural Meetups is headed to evensong at the church of St. Bartholomew the Great. Gorgeous church, sounds great - unfortunately, their event is full, but I can head along on my own.

Ahh.. and then, 'tis Hallowe'en.. yes, of course I have something for that. Do you remember me mentioning I was going to five Darkfield events this month? Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed I've reviewed four.. which leaves one. For Hallowe'en - the only one they're running that night. Séance, appropriately, which, it seems, was their first ever show - I do have to go all the way up to Watford for it, but it should be worth it. I've booked the first showing of the evening, which is at 7.

Deliberately booked early, to try and squeeze something else in. Now, that only lasts 20 minutes - and it seems I can get down to Leicester Square within an hour. Which gives me time to get to Prey for the Devil, showing at Cineworld Leicester Square at 9pm. Another exorcism story, this one unusually seems to have the exorcism performed by a nun! (Very egalitarian.) She gets around the Church's rules about women not doing such a thing by claiming that the same demon that possessed her own mother is now inhabiting a patient at the facility where she works. So this nun is probably a target. Well, it's probably not high art, but it should do the trick..

On Tuesday, the horror continues - I've booked with TAC again for The Drought, a short horror play at Grimfest at the Old Red Lion again.

On Wednesday, back with the CCC for their annual Day of the Dead event - this one is at Rich Mix. Stars Daniel Morden, Clare Murphy, Lucy Lill, and TUUP - and all but Clare Murphy, I haven't seen in an age! In fact, I've never heard of Lucy Lill before..

Next Thursday,  I was back with UITCS - for Noor, at Southwark Playhouse. The true story of a WWII spy - and bought, as usual, on my PAYG subscription - which gives you cheap tickets to five shows, and never expires. Suggestion of eating beforehand at Mercato Metropolitano. But wouldn't you know it, that night's performance was cancelled.. Instead, I'm off to a talk at Watkin's Bookshop (which also has a Meetup presence!). Theme is The First Ghosts, by Irving Finkel - ghost stories have been around for a long time..! He's written a book about the first evidence of tales of the supernatural.. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

On the 7th, with nothing on Meetup, I'm currently thinking of heading to see the Carnaby Street Christmas lights, which will be up by then.

On the 8th, headed to see John Gabriel Borkman, by Ibsen, at the Bridge Theatre.

On the 9th - originally, nothing better coming up than Soho Comedy Factory, upstairs at The Blue Posts. Now, instead, I've changed my booking for Noor to this night. Sadly, not with the group, who rearranged for a night I can't go.

On the 10th, back - at last! - with London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG), for Alcina at the Royal Opera House. More Handel..

On the 11th, I was heading to The Horror Show at Somerset House - a horror-based art exhibition - with The Horror Book Club. But then Civilised London popped up with another meal - so I booked that, and we're headed to Champor Champor, a Thai / Malay restaurant. Meeting beforehand at The Rose, nearby.

On the 12th, planning another meal with the people that are harder to herd than cats! As of now, of the four people I've invited, one is a pretty certain "no" and two more are iffy, as they might have to be abroad. Jeez.. If it's just the same person that was the only one to make it last time, I think we'll head somewhere different. For variety. On the other hand, Imad's Syrian Kitchen is right off Carnaby Street.. and the lights are probably going to be cool.. Of course, there is the small issue of the irregularity of the wine measures!

On the 13th, back with the CCC at the British Museum, where Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing The Iliad.

And on the 14th, not having been with LCMTG for ages, I'm with them for the second time in a week! Heading to Wigmore Hall this time, for the Takács Quartet, who are playing Beethoven. Now sold out - and I'm not surprised, given that when I booked, I got one of the last three (top price) seats! Ah well, it wasn't astronomical - and I do love Beethoven.

Play: Ravenscourt

Today, I was thinking film - but what was coming up wasn't as interesting as what Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) was advertising in Hampstead Theatre. So I booked to go and see Ravenscourt with them - a medical drama, centred on the failings of the mental healthcare system. And yay, for this I finally used my Theatre Token! Well, that's a weight off..

I'd eaten in Ye Olde Swiss Cottage before, so decided to travel up there first and do that again. And I could do that with a combination of buses. Unfortunately, the second bus - the #31 - was on diversion. And what a whopping diversion it turned out to be.. one poor elderly man, on crutches and appearing quite feeble, was promised by the driver that we'd be going near Belsize Park, as per the original route: well, I always follow our route on Google Maps when we're on diversion, and all I can say is, he could have let this guy off a lot closer to where he wanted to be! Happily, I fared better, and got off just up from Ye Olde Swiss Cottage.

Got the same table as last time! This place is going to be very nice, coming towards winter - very cosy interior. Anyway, I fancied the chicken, but was told they had none - so I had a steak and ale pie instead, which was very moreish. Mash could have been tastier, but otherwise I was well pleased.

In the theatre, my wine was a lot pricier - I met the others in the downstairs lobby, and we had a nice chat until it was time to go in. Unallocated seating.

(I would have put a picture in here, but the site is playing up!)

Well, this is quite an intense drama, set in a mental health facility. A young psychiatrist has just started there, having come from private practice, and finds it hard to square her previous experience with the reality of her new job - the limited time, limited number of sessions. Neither does she really gel with her work colleagues, who have something of a different outlook from hers. But when she takes on a difficult patient, we begin to see the cracks in her careful demeanour..

Very well-acted, and an interesting story. Also interesting was the discussion we had afterwards, people raising points such as how nice it was to see a mental health patient who was so articulate. And, indeed, the point was raised that this is NOT how a mental health facility operates! But hey, it is a good play, and worth a look - as in general, here. Runs till the 29th.

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland again, because of the dates I have weekend things in London this month, and the date of my mother's birthday, which I want to be back in Ireland for. It all works out - but only if I switch weekends, which I'm doing by coming back to Ireland again this weekend. Film for the weekend? Currently looking like The Lost King, a comedy co-written by, and starring, Steve Coogan as the husband of the woman who found the remains of Richard III. Under a car park.. Only showing in the Omniplex, and a little late. Ah well.

Monday. Well. 👿 Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love horror. And am really excited that Darkfield is doing onsite shows this month. Mwa-ha-haa.. Five of them, in fact. I've booked the first of them for Monday, the first day I was free - the first they're showing, it's Intravene, nearby the BFI (actually, outside the National Theatre, as I confirmed yesterday). These are all held in shipping containers, and the unifying idea for all Darkfield shows is that they're aural - you have headphones, which are your main sensory input. The shows all take place in complete darkness. This one is about drug abuse, and focuses on the drug problem in Vancouver. And wow, seeing the container in person finally, last night, has just stoked my anticipation..

On Tuesday, signed up for another of The Garden Talks' free online talks - this one is Does Dark Matter Really Matter?

On Wednesday.. heehee. Back with Darkfield. (Cue scary music.) They're also doing shows in Canary Wharf this year - three, in fact. This is the first night for those.. and yes, I'm doing all three, that night. In fact, they allow for that when you're booking. So, I'm doing them in the following order: first is Eulogy, an unusual Darkfield concept in that it's somewhat interactive, at various points you have to say "yes" or "no"..

Second up, I chose Coma (they all have multiple showings, so you can decide exactly what you want to go to, and when. They just ask that you leave at least 15 minutes between, which I have.) For this one, we get to lie down, I think - which is nice - and get an option to take a pill. :-)

Final for the night is the one I've heard the best reviews of - Flight is a reconstruction of an aircraft cabin, and the show is based around - well, a plane crash! Booked all of these while waiting for my eternally delayed flight on Sunday - as I say, every cloud has a silver lining..

Next Thursday is the next of my busy days. See, first I booked with Civilised London (CL) for Tango After Dark, at the Peacock. All good, no-brainer. Then I was messaged by an ex-colleague - another ex-colleague is having leaving drinks that same night, in the Pelt Trader! Hellfire.. so, what I'm going to do is skip drinks with CL after the show and leg it over to the Pelt Trader - I've ordered her not to stop drinking till I get there!

On the 14th, something advertised with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) - they're celebrating all things Mexican in Kew Gardens, with Mexico After Hours! With something about the Day of the Dead, no doubt..

The 15th is another of those busy days. So.. first I'm headed on a walk with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners - this one is Paddington - Proud, Perky & Picturesque.

But, for nearly a year now, I've had tickets booked, for me and Helen, for Dara O' Briain in the Hammersmith Apollo that night! Crikey, I'd never even have thought of it if it hadn't been noted in my calendar. So anyway, she can't come to the walk, but we'll meet for dinner beforehand in Bill's of Hammersmith. I can only hope for better service than I got in Bill's of Clink Street..

On the 16th, back with the CCC for Inisfáil, Irish storytelling courtesy of the wonderful Clare Murphy, in the British Museum.

On the 17th, I originally booked a free online talk about Railways of Surrey, from the Surrey History Meetup. But I just recently saw (despite the fact that it was evidently posted months ago) an event from UITCS - Samsara is inspired by the Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and contains partial nudity, we're told. Tickets for this are quite cheap, and we're all in the Stalls, for once - they haven't even opened the Second Circle, where we normally are! So, no stairs, for a change!

On the 18th, I've booked for Iphigenia in Splott, in the Lyric Hammersmith.

On the 19th, supposed to have drinks with Ivan! Might go to O' Neill's, we could do worse.

On the 20th, back with CL for dinner at Le Sacré Coeur. Always good.

On the 21st, back to Ireland again - and the following Monday, it's my mother's birthday, so I'm staying in Ireland for that and flying back on Tuesday 25th. I've already cleared it with work.

And on the 26th, I've booked with UITCS again - for Mary, at Hampstead Theatre again. Political machinations in the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. Funny thing - there were two seats in the main seating section at the cheapest price, but the site objected to me just booking one of them. No problem booking an equivalent seat in a higher price bracket, though! So I booked one of the high seats, at the back, instead. At the lower price.

Play: The Fever Syndrome

Tonight, back with Civilised London (CL) - for a play this time. This was The Fever Syndrome, at Hampstead Theatre. So I decided to head up early, and grab a bite at Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, just across the road. I've eaten there before. Could have taken a bus, but the Tube got me there faster, meaning I didn't have to rush my food.

Happy to say, the staff were a lot friendlier than on my last visit! Anyway, I picked a cosy table by a window, ordered hunter chicken and a large glass of the only white wine they had - which was a nice chenin blanc. The chicken wasn't amazing, but it filled a spot - and the ice cream I had for dessert was lovely (although they only had vanilla). Nice place to hunker down out of the cold, though - we went back afterwards for a drink, and as one remarked, it was a real winter refuge! Comfortingly solid wood everywhere, comfy chairs..

And so to the theatre - and a temperature check! We had to stand in front of a gauge - happy to report that I passed. Joined the others, chatted briefly, and then they went to the Stalls - and I went to my cheapie seat upstairs. Which, I was delighted to learn, takes the same format as the National, with spurs of seats to the sides, culminating in individual seats - and mine was at the front of these! So, an excellent view of the stage - and, as it turned out, of them! I was probably closer to the stage than they were, too.. ;-)

It occurred to me that the stage was kind of like a dolls' house. It also occurred to me, as bits of the play took place in different rooms, that it was like watching a TV drama, different scenes set in different rooms.

The story concerns an elderly, retired IVF specialist, now ill with Parkinson's, who is due a lifetime achievement award, so his family has gathered around. The theatre website describes it as a squabble over inheritance, over the spoils of his career - well yes it is, kind of, except that apart from one character in particular, most of them are rather nice, and most of the arguments kind of fizzle out. So, I found it lacking in dramatic tension. But hey, nicely acted, good set, interesting. Runs until the end of next month.

And afterwards, as I say, back to the pub - just for the one. And for me, buses home - in what had become wintry conditions, ice cold rain dripping on us. Brr, glad to be in!

Tomorrow, back with TAC for One Night With Robbie Williams. This is at The Courtyard.

Well, I finally got a provisional start date from my new job - and it's next week. So on Friday, still being free, I've booked with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a daytime walk. This is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier & a Hatful of Spies - and comes highly recommended from previous attendees! In fact, I got the last spot (at the time, anyway). 

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

On Saturday, I had booked with Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts for a Regent's Canal Walk. But yay, Laurence and the 45+s then 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!

That evening, an ex-colleague of mine is having a leaving do - he's emigrating. Happening at The Woodman, in Highgate. I said I'd put in an appearance.

On Sunday, 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 Monday, 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 Tuesday, I'm headed to But I'm a Cheerleader, a musical comedy at the Turbine Theatre.

Next Wednesday, 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, so the most sensible thing to do seemed to be to visit on the 22nd, which I've now arranged with her. Whether I take that week as holiday, or take the laptop there and work from Ireland, remains to be seen. Anyway, I'll fly back to London on the 24th. And on the 25th, I'm off to The Corn is Green, at the National.

Play: Tiger Country

Today, as usual, I followed Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which this week was the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS. Mind you, I left it late enough to start watching that I could probably have watched it with them! but I couldn't guarantee that, and their attendance list was full anyway.

It quickly became evident that this was something we've all seen before. Hands up, anyone who hasn't seen a hospital drama - harassed staff, impracticable workloads, impossible social lives, worried patients. Mix in a few life-or-death stories, a bit of workplace bullying, a staff health scare, some romance - yep, I've seen countless dramas quite the same. Film, tv film, hour-long tv programmes, half-hour tv programmes (one of the characters even unwinds by watching Doctors!) - now we have the play. Based on a book, it seems. Ho-hum.

Having said that, there's a reason why we keep seeing them - it makes for terrific drama. You can concoct the most tense storylines from completely believable scenarios - a staff member with a strange lump, another whose relative comes in as a patient, a newbie that's completely overwhelmed in the chaos of A&E! Life and death at the drop of a hat - and then take a breath, and on to the next one. The only problem with the format is that it never allows you time to process what's happened, or to empathise with the characters.

But then, that kind of reflects the reality, doesn't it? And to the credit of this play, towards the end, the stories become bigger, and we focus more on a couple that allow us to see another side of a few characters. I did find enough to keep me interested. Now finished, I'm afraid - but hey, there's always something medical on telly..

Tomorrow, London Literary Walks scheduled a continuation of the music quiz that was running.. a mistake on the organiser's part, he accidentally made the next bit a separate event! Glad he's still running it - when I saw the first event had ended, I was afraid he'd stopped, and I do enjoy them! He's now rescheduled that to next week, but I'm not yet sure whether that means a lull in the questions.

On Saturday, behold, London Social Detours has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me. Must figure out what I'm doing by way of a character image, or fake background..

Next Sunday, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.

Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I was thinking I'd follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..

..and then they advertised Antony and Cleopatra, screened by the National Theatre from that day. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. Now, that does sound interesting..

Play: Drawing the Line

Today, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) is watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering on its last day, again - and so am I, a bit earlier. This week, it's Drawing the Line. The subject is the post-war partition of the Indian subcontinent - predictably highly charged.

It's beautifully acted, attractively staged, with an ornate screen providing backdrop to the Indian scenes that provide most of the setting. And we get to see all sides of the unfolding drama - Andrew Havill plays Dickie Mountbatten, Viceroy of India: but it's the late Tom Beard, as the unfortunate Cyril Radcliffe, tasked with drawing the map, that has the most to do.

Of course, the mission was doomed from the start. Britain shouldn't have been there in the first place, and shouldn't have been the ones to partition a place that shouldn't have been partitioned. How could you split a region along religious / ethnic lines, when all groups were mixed up with each other? The arguments fly back and forth, between the Hindu / Indian side, under Nehru, and the Muslim / Pakistani side, under Jinnah, about which parts of disputed areas should end up in which country.

Enter the unfortunate Radcliffe - a legal man, but untravelled, and with no interest even in maps, he was thrown in with a five-week deadline. An obvious scapegoat for an impossible task, he didn't make things easier for himself when, in the interests of fairness, he asked for submissions from all interested parties. Heh. Add to that a nasty bout of Delhi belly.. you can't help but pity the man.

So, a potted history of the events of 1947 then. Light relief is supplied - apart from Radcliffe's frequent dashes to the loo - by the affair between Nehru and Mountbatten's wife, Edwina: guessed at in real life, and attested to by her daughter. We don't know for sure, but it's certain they were close. And indeed, not all the British come out of this badly - Radcliffe refused his salary when he saw the mayhem caused by the partition. According to the play, he also wanted to refuse his knighthood, but was told he couldn't - it would look bad. And Edwina, in real life, organised the massive relief efforts needed after partition. Sometimes it's the ones you wouldn't expect that do the most good..

Hugely recommended. Only available for the next few hours.

Tomorrow, the end of entries for this week's London Literary Walks quiz, and the start of another - I'm currently leading the individual rankings, yay!

On Saturday, speaking of quizzes, London Social Detours (LSD) has one - in the afternoon, so I've signed up.

Next Sunday, as usual, I'm following UITCS' lead in watching Hampstead Theatre's weekly offering, which that week is the currently topical Tiger Country, set in the NHS.

On the 2nd, behold, LSD has my attention again - they're doing an online murder mystery, where everyone chooses a character and (optionally) dresses up. Small fee. Cool! We get scripts, it seems.. And I've just been chosen to be Sierra Tango, police constable! Seems it's been booking heavily, and that was all that was left. Fine by me.

On the 3rd, back with Hampstead Theatre for The Arrest of Ai Weiwei. UITCS is, of course, seeing it that evening.

Now, the 8th is a bank holiday - so I'll need something to do that day as well. And I'm thinking I'll follow UITCS' lead from earlier in the week, and have a look at a livestreamed Showstopper! show, filmed in the Lyric a month ago without an audience (!), now available on Facebook..

Play: Wonderland

On Sunday evenings, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) seems to be making a habit of watching the plays streamed on the Hampstead Theatre website - on their last day of availability. Of course, they do it too late in the day for me to attend - so I just watch earlier. This week, it's Wonderland - so that's what I watched today.

The story revolves around the UK miners' strike of the early 1980s. It's atmospheric - from the start, you're plunged into darkness along with the miners, almost the only light coming from the torches on their helmets. Lovely singers they are, too - they treat us to a few working songs from time to time, to set the scene. The camaraderie is undoubted - in fact, my one criticism of the play is the long, long time they spend setting this up. We get to know them well, and this is crucial - but the whole thing is at least half an hour too long.

Contrast their scruffy, but happy existence with the besuited snobbery of the Tories, as we see a Tory minister meet the American head of the Coal Board: who strolls in with his hard-nosed American ideas that there's over-employment, that the miners could be better replaced by machinery, and who poo-poos the notion floated by the minister, that coming down hard will lead to a strike. Nonsense, says he - it'll scare them to see mines close, which will make them work harder to keep their jobs! Yeah, not really.. not with the determined Arthur Scargill as head of the miners' union.

A national strike in progress, the government scrabbling to find alternative energy sources to keep the power on, as no coal is being dug - what's a poor Tory government to do? Wait and see, as they bring out the big guns. I winced at the playing of part of Maggie Thatcher's speech, after she insisted that the conference she was attending, which had just been bombed, should continue. But even without having her on stage, the character that might be representative of her represents the worst of the British establishment. Initially laughed at as a workshy, privileged fop, he reveals himself not only to be as ignorant of the North of the country as of the dark side of the moon (as Tories have always been), but also with a backbone of steel. Watch as he shows the shocked American what hard-nosed business tactics really mean, as the Tories take things farther than he ever would have..

A really powerful piece in the end, worth sticking with. Showing till 10pm tonight. Highly recommended, most educational, and still quite topical.

Tomorrow, again, we get the results of the London Literary Walks weekly quiz. Great idea! Of course, this would be the month that the walks would normally start up again - this will just have to do us for the foreseeable.

And tomorrow evening, UITCS has yet another event organised - this time, a YouTube viewing of the opera, La Giaconda. (Sorry, that link starts a bit into it - but I can't figure out how to correct that. And I advise you to click the subtitles button if you don't speak the lingo!) As usual, too late in the evening for me to attend - but I'll just watch earlier.

Google Maps: Mt. Everest, Play: Wild, & Book: London, the Wicked City

This morning, Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group headed on a virtual tour of Mount Everest, on Google Maps again! So I tagged along. 

I was ever so slightly late - blame this antiquated computer, which took forever to boot up. Didn't matter, of course - much like his physical Meetups, he has no interest in actually leading, and had advertised this as being unhosted. Which is a shame, because some people had obviously never been on Google Maps before, and hadn't a clue what to do, or what to expect. Never mind, a couple of us posted links that people could use to see interesting photos, and I posted a link to a YouTube video of a summit climb - someone had been asking whether it'd go to the summit, which it doesn't.

Personally, I found that video much more interesting - the views might be spectacular, but the area around the base camps is very stony and inhospitable, and to be honest, not that interesting after about a minute. Anyway, I mooched around for a while, had a brief chat on the Meetup site, and left early. He's actually closing down this group on Wednesday, so this was my last event with them. I'm not sufficiently invested in it to join his Facebook group.

This afternoon, why, London Social Detours had another event I was interested in. (And for once, she's not charging..!) She was reading a chapter of a book entitled London: The Wicked City, with a chat afterwards.

And yes, Up in the Cheap Seats is busy again.. They're watching a play called Wild, on the Hampstead Theatre website this evening. Another by Mike Bartlett, it's a dramatisation of the story of Edward Snowden. As Hampstead Theatre is only streaming plays free for a week each, this is the last day for this. Free watching ends at 10pm GMT. So, with me due to watch telly with my mother again, I watched this early - before the book reading.

Ah crikey, I damn near gave up. The whole thing takes place in his hotel room in Moscow, and for ages from the start of the play, he's conversing with a really strange woman. She seriously is the most irritating character - I gathered, from her insane proclamations, that this is meant to be a comedy, but ah here. Maybe it'd have been better with a different actor - this is completely overacted. The pair spend the whole time yelling at each other (for no apparent reason), she can't get her story straight, and it turns into a diatribe against the curbs on freedom and breaches of privacy perpetrated by modern governments.

I could have skipped that whole section of the play. It was such a relief when she left - to be replaced by another guy, who in complete contrast is deadpan. Anyway, he professes no knowledge of the woman - but both are trying to get our protagonist to sign up to their (unspecified) organisation. Ho hum. But wait.. I very nearly shut it off, but was so glad I didn't. The ending is fantastic! It's just a shame we had to wait that long for the play to get good. And no, the ending isn't worth the drudgery of what precedes it. But it's nicely cynical. Imagine what the play would have been like if it'd all been like this!

So, finally, to the book reading - again, I was ever so slightly late - had to download Zoom. Conscious of recent security concerns around Zoom, the organiser gave us a password. She'd started to read - but only just - when I arrived.. I'd wondered how she was as a reader, and sorry to say, she isn't great. Very gaspy, and obviously unfamiliar with some words, which she mispronounced. The book itself was something of a revelation - gee, we live in such prudish times in comparison with what it was like before! I don't think I'll tune in for future chapters, though. I didn't participate in the chat after - I don't know many members of that group very well, and wasn't really in the mood.

My next thing is likely to be on Friday - which, of course, is Good Friday, so I don't have to work. Film, perhaps - currently top of my YouTube film list is a documentary entitled Apocalypse: la 1ere Guerre Mondiale. Well, it's a chance to practice my French..

Play: The Haystack, Film: Parasite, Restaurant: Kalamaras, & Comedy: Devil May Care

I was back in Ireland for the weekend - where I had to deal with my mother's Eir contract. She just changed to a new package, I just got her first bill for it (we've gone paperless, so it gets emailed to me as she doesn't use her email account), and they'd overcharged her on the monthly package price. They messed up the email address when I was ordering over the phone, so I never got the confirmation email - hadn't seen the paper version she got, so couldn't ensure that what she got was what I agreed on in the first place. No point in asking her to check - she wouldn't know what to look for, and she'd only get hysterical.

Well gee, that all turned out to be fun. I had a trip to town first, to replace my driving licence - lost it ages ago, waited as long as possible so they'd just have to give me a new one. Because otherwise, they just give you one for the period of validity of your old licence - meaning you have to pay for an extra. It expires before I'll be back again, so this was my last chance - had to schlep up to the Garda station first, in driving rain, to get my form stamped - at least they'd sent me the form, which saved me the trouble of getting it myself. All worked out fine - I got my stamp, made the driving licence office before it closed, put in my application. If they stick to the rules about it only being valid for the original period of validity, they'll be issuing me with a one-week licence.. watch this space! Hey, interestingly, it'll be the new, credit card size! (And fancy, I just got a text to say it had been dispatched, and will take at least three days to arrive. So.. that'll be after the old licence's expiry date, when it does..)

Well, I got home, and thought I'd try Eir webchat first - they're also open on Sundays, but pretty useless, and if I had to call their helpline as a Plan B, they're closed on Sundays - so, Saturday it had to be! (The number doesn't work from the UK, so this would be my only chance.) 15 minutes I spent on webchat, arguing with someone who insisted that that was the package price, and that was that. When I insisted that that wasn't the price agreed, she went silent for a couple of minutes, then asked whether I was still there, as she hadn't heard from me. When I said, "What am I supposed to say?", she suggested I call the phone line, and ended the chat.

Plan B it was. I spent 15 minutes on hold.. listened to fully five repetitions of the ad for their sports channel, and finally, unexpectedly, got through to an apologetic human. Explained the situation. She checked the bill. She disappeared for a while to dig out the order - kept reassuring me she was still there. Finally got back to me, rather sheepishly - yep, they were overcharging me (well, my mother) by €25.01 on the monthly price! She said they'd credit the overcharge to my (her) account, and apply the discount from now on. Nice lady, actually - but what a palaver! As someone said, you really need to keep on to these people. On a side note - would you believe, I just got my mother's electricity bill, and that's also absurdly high.. have to go check the meter. Next time I'm back. Here we go again..

On Monday, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Haystack at Hampstead Theatre. Another group of them went a while ago, and I'd heard excellent reports.. I could actually have taken the bus, if I'd been out quickly enough, which I wasn't! Tube it was. Google Maps recommended the Central Line - ugh. But they gave an alternative - you could take the Metropolitan Line to Finchley Road, and walk for 10 minutes. So off I schlepped to get that - it wasn't that crowded, and I even got a seat after one stop. Getting off at Finchley Road, I could see that it also serves the Jubilee Line.. gee, and Hampstead Theatre is right beside Swiss Cottage, which is on that line.. and when I checked, that's one stop back from Finchley Road, on that line.. and that's quicker than walking.. and I wouldn't have to pay extra for it. So, guess what I did..

As I turned away from the box office, having collected my ticket, I was hailed by someone who recognised me, and used me as a guide to find everyone else. How handy am I?! A very crowded lobby made it difficult to find people anyway. And we had a nice chat before we went in - it was particularly nice to see some folk I hadn't seen in a while!

On entering, when I finally got the usher's attention, it turned out I'd come too far - I needed to back up and go up the flight of stairs that leads to the back few rows (L and back).

That's actually a better view than it looks - the heads weren't so obtrusive all the time. But I was glad to have the seat beside me free, to rest my arm on - the armrests are very short!

The stage is filled with screens - this is a very techie play. The various phone messages and browser windows that are relevant to the plot are displayed on the screens - very effectively. Although my one quibble lay in the very start of the play, when they read what we can see on the screens - a messaging conversation is taking place, one screen for each person, and they came across as quite self-conscious, I thought. But that was literally my last quibble for the entire play.

It's marvellous. For one thing, despite a very long running time, the pace is quick enough that none of us felt it was too long. Pay attention for best enjoyment - this is a fast-moving story, centred on two techies working for GCHQ. Those two chairs you can see in the middle of the stage are for them. To their surprise, they're put on counter-terrorism - someone has been leaking information about British arms deals to the Saudis, and they're to track down the leaks. Which they do, in no time. It gets more complicated when they realise the consequences of what is happening..

I can't give away much of the plot, for fear of spoilers, but it does deal with very believable, topical issues. The story is told on screens - which, as I say, are projected onto all the screens on stage, so we can see what they're supposed to be looking at. Various plot points mention topics referred to in news stories we can all remember, over the years - the whole thing feels very true-to-life. Indeed, one of our group, who works in tech, was very impressed with how realistic that side of it was. And if you didn't feel paranoid going in - about surveillance, about what the government is up to in secret, and the lengths they're prepared to go to - by 'eck, you will, coming out! No wonder ORG London is recommending it. Runs till the 7th - limited availability on some dates. Highly recommended!

Got buses home - in the freezing cold. But it ran too late to blog - it's been a helluva week, that way!

Predictably, I headed to the cinema on Tuesday- typically the reason for a delay in blogging, as I try to figure out what to go to, and then it remains unbooked. Top of the list - irresistibly - was Parasite, which is showing, conveniently, in the Barbican. I didn't book until that afternoon - by which stage, it was mostly sold out, so I booked upon seeing that. It's a short walk from the office - I arrived in time for trailers for two films that I keep seeing in the upper end of the film list: The Lighthouse and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Hadn't seen the trailers before - they both look intriguing! Meantime, the house ended up nearly full, but not completely - it's a large screen. And the chatter was deafening - but the dull roar quietened down completely as soon as the main feature started. We were all on tenterhooks to see this - I haven't heard a bad word about it.

This is a classy film, make no mistake. The story - basically - runs thus; we meet a poor family who live in a "semi-basement", just under street level but with a view to the street above. Luxurious it ain't - they have a problem with men using the area just outside the window as a toilet, late at night. Father, mother, son and daughter of roughly late teenage years live here - they take freebies where they can get them, and early on in the film we see them distressed because whoever lives upstairs has just password-protected their WiFi!

Events take a different turn when a friend of the son (a college student) recommends his pal to take his place as an English tutor to the daughter of a rich family - the Parks. So he fakes college qualifications (with the help of his artistic sister), and he's in. And my, what a different world! Mr. Park is an architect, and designed the house himself: open plan and gorgeous. He and his wife also have a son and daughter, but the whole set-up couldn't be more different.. the wife is a bit clueless, the daughter batty about boys, and the son, who's just a little chap, tears about the place playing at being a red Indian, and drawing disturbing portraits of a man's face.

This initial section of the film is quietly hilarious, as one by one the poor family ingratiate themselves, by one trick or another, into the Parks' house. And they're allowed a brief moment of triumph - before an astonishing twist in the tale throws the whole thing into disarray. From then on, anything is possible as we gape in disbelief.. expect anything and everything from what is a masterpiece of suspense, with a heightened sense of the ridiculous. Just be prepared for an absolutely apocalyptic ending.

But the film works on more than just an entertainment level - it's a scathing commentary on the social divide of money. Just watch how the rich family - who seem terribly nice people, on the whole - express their distaste for people who live, quite literally, beneath them. As someone else who saw this remarked, there are so many visual references to what's going on that he's going to need repeat viewings to catch them all. Truly, I can see why it won the Best Picture Oscar - well deserved, in my opinion!

Seeing it was even worth the deluge I had to endure, walking home..

Now, I had to be to bed early. For, you know, my 1-1 with my manager, which never actually happens, and didn't on this occasion. But then, work got terribly busy all of a sudden - so no blogging yesterday, either! Last night and tonight, I was with Civilised London - and last night, it was a meal in Kalamaras Greek Taverna, just off Queensway.

All the way out there, it had to be Tube - and unfortunately, the Central Line is the most practical, running pretty much straight between the office and the destination. As usual, I managed to squeeze onto the third train - third time's the charm, as they say - and gee, for once I was within breathing distance of an air vent, so it wasn't as bad as normal! So we played sardines all the way there, and I had to stand for the whole journey. Predictably. Anyway, we were meeting in the Prince Alfred..

(In case you don't get the perspective, that's a shot of the ceiling.) Anyway, as we all gathered there and caught up, we had a nice chat before the short walk to the restaurant. Which might be down an alleyway, but does advertise itself decently!

It's taverna-style indeed, with wooden tables and chairs, benches along the walls - they shoved together a couple of table for our group. The place wasn't busy, and service was both quick and friendly.

..and I have to say, all the Greek artifacts reminded me of nothing so much as that exhibition on Troy that I visited, last month!

I fancied soup as a starter - the choice of main course was difficult (for everyone), as the menu is literally mouth-watering. I eventually plumped for the beef and onion stew. The soup, when it came, looked like a lot - but the portion was just right, and it was nice. But the stew was gorgeous! (and, funnily enough, tasted just like a good Irish stew). I was delighted with my choice - even though I was jealous of those who'd ordered the chicken, it looked so good! Well, everyone cleared their plates. We even had room for dessert - well, most of us. And do you know, I have to recommend their chocolate ice cream - it comes drizzled with very moreish chocolate sauce. As a bonus, we were each offered a shot of ouzo to end our meal - which I enjoyed.. although, funnily enough, I wasn't the only one complaining of a headache today, and I do wonder whether that wasn't the cause..!

Afterwards, some of us went to the Prince Edward in Bayswater for a nightcap.. but honestly, I was looking forward to my bed.

And the ouzo also sent me straight to sleep when I got home. So, no blogging last night either! but I do recommend the restaurant - just go easy on the ouzo. Tonight, we headed to Wilton's, for a comedy show by Marcus Brigstocke - Devil May Care. This was to be recorded for television, and the place was packed - we were under strict instructions to turn off our phones, and that readmittance was not permitted. We had a drink in the bar beforehand - you could have it in plastic, to take in with you, the containers subject to a £1 deposit, to be returned when the container was. When we did go in, note the new, plush, red curtains..!

And we had a very good time indeed. There was a 10-minute support act - he spent much of his time schooling us on how to behave (all enthusiastic and such) when the main show came on: but he didn't really need to, we were keen as punch to play along. And when Marcus came out - well, he didn't, it was actually the Prince of Darkness. Who entertained us devilishly for just over an hour. Kudos to him, stick-on horns and red face paint can't be easy to wear for that long, under stage lights! And for sure, it's a great conceit - come on as the Devil, and you can get away with saying anything about anyone. He's apparently been doing this show for a while, and I bet it provides a great outlet for him to rant. I'm a wee bit jealous! Plenty of jibes in this at sex, religion, politics.. leave your prejudices outside the door. Recommended, if you get a chance to see it.

Mercifully, the torrential rain today let up in time for me to walk home. Whee, I finally got up to date! The next two days are in the Opera House - tomorrow, I'm at the ballet Onegin.. happily, I bought my ticket before the cheap ones all sold out!

And on Saturday, I'm back there with UITCS - for a backstage tour! There's a group rate, but the group booked ages before I got interested. Still, when I suggested that I buy my own ticket and come along, they suggested I contact the box office to see whether I could be included on the group rate! So I did - and they said yes, and gave me a booking reference number, saying to ring with that number to pay by phone. So I did - and was speaking with a terribly nice chap, with a terribly posh voice, who was delighted to hear all this! And so I'm going, on the group rate. And we might hang around afterwards, and do something.