Musical: How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying

Tonight, my local cinema's excellent doc house was showing Tina, a documentary about the phenomenon that was the late Tina Turner! but then, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) advertised How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, at Southwark Playhouse. Happily, the organiser informed us that tickets are available from CT - so I got one of those! and as I had a little credit with them, got them at a small discount..

I'd be walking past The Lucas Arms to catch my bus - but I didn't feel like eating there two nights in a row, and thought I'd try Mercato Metropolitano instead - it's been a while! I had to change buses - and the second bus was packed like sardines - I was lucky I'd got on early. I squeezed off at the Mercato, had my bag checked, and went for.. exactly what I usually have, the handmade pasta and a glass of wine. Well, if it ain't broke.. and it was nice to get back here.

And so to the theatre, where I queued for a glass of wine, and - ooh! they had Tayto! so I had to have some of those. And so we chatted until it was time to go in - and we were all sat together, except for the organiser, who discovered his seat had been double-booked! and chivalrously surrendered it to the lady already in it, coming to sit with us at the side. Both sides were quite empty, anyway.

Ah, this was exactly what I needed, in another horrendous week! Cheesy, catchy, great fun - the lead character starts as a window-washer and works his way through to the top of the corporate world. In about a fortnight, and without much effort, as the title suggests! The singing was great, the story is barmy, but who cares.. my only quibble was that the first half is 90 minutes long and the seats, while comfortable enough, are not up to being sat on for that long. Happily, the second half is shorter. Never mind, all in all, I loved it! And sitting in the rear of the bar at the interval left me so nostalgic for happier times.. Runs until the 17th - recommended for a fun night out. Sadly, even though the bus dropped me right outside my local shop - and I did need shopping - it had, as usual, decided to close 10 minutes early, so my shopping list remains unfulfilled. (sniff*)

Tomorrow, back with the same group for Bleak Expectations, a Dickens-based comedy, with a different star every week, showing at the Criterion. I think we're getting Julian Clary.. I ended up going up a price band here, the cheap tickets all seemed so restricted!

And on Thursday, back with North London Friends, for the first time in, oh, ages.. we're off to The Park, to see The Shape of Things. Different people from last time, these are some I knew before.

Play: Yeast Nation

Tonight, I was back with Up In The Cheap Seats - crikey, when's the last time that happened, twice with them in one week! This time, it was for Yeast Nation in Southwark Playhouse. Bless, they always put on something interesting.. Anyway, with my old payg subscription used up, I've taken out another - £60 gets you five tickets, over an unlimited period. Excellent value! and I have such good memories of evenings spent in the bar here. Doesn't happen any more, sadly.

Just missed one bus, but another was along within five minutes. Well, I have gotten into the habit of eating in the Mercato Metropolitano when attending a show here - it's just across the road - and did the same this evening. One of the first stalls I passed was the Gourmet Burger stall - with good memories from the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, I decided to try it. For each of their burgers, you get a choice of beef, chicken, brisket, or vegetarian - I chose a beef truffle burger (comes with truffle sauce). Double, while I was at it - with fries. Got a receipt, and was told it'd be about 10 minutes - nipped around the corner in the meantime for a glass of wine, there's a decent bar there.

Came back, sat down. The girls who had ordered ahead of me duly collected their order - and seeing a burger remaining there - which might have been mine - I went up with my receipt. She was rather surprised I had to ask - yes, this is your burger! Jeez, is it not the norm to announce a burger when it's ready?! Also, it would have been really nice to get some cultery - or at least a napkin. I'd been struggling for a while when I noticed they did have knives on the counter - but that was it. So I had the messiest meal I've had in years - finally gave up on the thing (I was a bit sick of all the truffle sauce anyway), left about a third of it. The fries were quite nice, but needed salt - that wasn't on offer either, of course. It was already past the time I was supposed to meet the others, so I dumped the rest and nicked some kitchen paper I'd spotted to wipe my hands. Won't be back there again..

At Southwark Playhouse, you have to check in. That's all - they don't give you a ticket or anything, just confirm your seat number. I spotted the others, queued for a drink - better wine here, TBH. Joined the others, and we moseyed in when we saw other people moving. Most of us were sitting together, one over the side:

We did wonder what the beanbags were for - I noted that they reminded me of characters in the excellent Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, but here, they're mainly for sitting on. The lighting, the sound effects, contribute the sensation of being under the sea. In the primordial soup, as one yeast character calls it later.

The yeasts are all called Jan - Jan the Second (son of the King), Jan the Wise, Jan the Sly, and Jan the Sweet are the main characters. And they all wear skintight costumes with bits of taffeta attached - not very well, as bits kept falling off. These have a green hue. The King has ordained that the Strictures must be maintained - to maintain stasis, because he's seen the alternative, and it ain't pretty. But his son (Jan the Second) has been to the surface, and sees a different future.. the yeasts split into two factions, those who want to preserve stasis, and those who want to - evolve. There's a lot of glooping.

:-) Emm.. The singing is very good. In fact, I'd have to say, the whole thing is very well performed - they could hardly have done better with the material. The material - is happily bonkers. What else would you expect, really. My only complaint was that the first half, in particular, felt very long.. evidently, practically the entire far side of the room felt the same, not coming back after the interval! But it's quite interesting. Even if one of the evolving sea creatures did take an unhealthy interest in my wine..

As noted afterwards, the cast seemed to have the best fun with this! I agree. Runs until Saturday, if you want to see for yourself. I got the bus back again - who would take the Tube, with views like this?

Tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket with TAC to the Cabaret All-Stars!

Saturday is going to be busy - I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a walk called Glorious Greenwich. So popular, he's reached capacity and there are still 11 on the waitlist! He's finally found somewhere that can accommodate 20 of us, and is trying to get people to confirm whether they're going to lunch - since 34 have booked for the walk!

That evening, I was supposed to be meeting two ex-coworkers for dinner and drinks. But it turns out one got her wires crossed, and is now doing something else. Unfortunately, the other can only manage central London - Greenwich is too awkward for him. We're going back to Imad's Syrian Kitchen.. perfect location, great restaurant!

On Sunday, I'm off to Rye. London and Sussex Walking Tours - whom I joined during lockdown - are running a daytrip! called Rye - Pirates, Ports and Jazz (they also have a jazz festival this weekend): and I've never been. It's a bit of a palaver to get to, involving two trains - but well, it's about time I travelled a bit, and it's not too early a start. And the tour itself ends early in the day, so I have plenty of time to eat and explore before my train(s) back.

On Monday, thinking of film - and with the film listings (partially) out, finally, what it's looking like is M, a 1931 thriller set in Germany about the hunt for a murderer. Only showing in the BFI, which has a tendency to sell out - this isn't yet, but I'll have to keep an eye on it.

On Tuesday, I'm back with TAC - for a play called Angel, in the Hope Theatre. Based on the true story of the "Angel of Kobane", a young woman who fought against the encroaching forces of Islamic State. This is the final part of an "Arabian Nightmares" trilogy of plays by Henry Naylor.

And on Wednesday - assuming I'm not working by then, I've signed up to another of Laurence's walks: The Lady-Killer is an inventive renaming of London's most notorious serial killer.. Failing that, if I have to work (sadly, a necessary evil eventually), I can always head back to the Soho Comedy Factory that evening.. (Be aware, Design My Night sells tickets to this for £5, but you can show up for free..!)

Musical: Anyone Can Whistle

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats at Southwark Playhouse, and another free ticket for me! This time, it was for Anyone Can Whistle, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. In the afternoon, we had the most horrendous thunder shower, and I hoped desperately that would clear up by the time I left!

Well, it did - pretty much. My quicker bus, I was told, was the #35 - and it was due. No sign of it, of course - it didn't actually appear until Buses Due had given up on it. When it did, it was pretty crowded - I ended up upstairs, unusually for me. Where we were entertained by a man - who sounded drunk, but you never know - who was having a conversation with everyone and no-one. We learned that he had throat cancer. He informed us that it would take him, or his voice. I guess he was making the most of it while he could, then..

I alighted - into light rain - and crossed via an enormous puddle to Mercato Metropolitano. When I was looking for somewhere to eat around here, I'd completely forgotten about this place, until Google Maps reminded me! Well gosh, it was good to be back - the Uzbek place looked good for food, but she completely ignored me, so I ended up back at the Italian. Where he gave me a buzzer that would go off when my food was ready. Meantime, I headed off and got a rather delectable glass of wine at the nearby bar - pretty soon after that, my tagliatelle bolognese was ready, and I took a seat at a nearby bench. And it was delish! Returned the dish afterwards, and wandered around with a second glass of wine - I resisted having a third, knowing that I'd be drinking at the theatre as well.

Crossed back to the theatre a little early, where I met the organiser - we were to be the only ones from the group that showed. As I "checked in" at the box office, he warned me that the front row would be subject to audience participation. Hmmm. Anyway, I had my third drink, the organiser and I chatted, and it was good to see him. And we hung around the bar until it was time to go in, just in case. Then took our seats, a spare seat between us where another group member had been supposed to sit, but she couldn't make it.

Oh dear, what a difference from last night. For a start, whyever it was, I couldn't hear all the lyrics - might have been because of the stage design. But that wasn't the half of it. Now, to give it its due, the songs were catchy, the singing was excellent. It's just the completely bonkers, infantile story, which had lunatics escaping from the asylum (the "cookie jar") and hiding in the audience. Which theme was repeated again.. and again.. as if to tease us. Well, at least my organiser got some fun out of it - he ended up with one of the ladies on his lap! She even invited him home for dinner later.

Me, I could not keep from looking at my watch - and apparently my sigh of relief when the first half was over was pointed. We both legged it out of there at the interval. For the love of God, avoid - runs till the 7th. Don't be tempted. But it was good to get an early night for once.

Tomorrow, 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. For Saturday, I've booked Uncharted - an Indiana Jones-style adventure, probably with less style, but at least starring Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas. Could be fun, and anyway, the choice for daytime isn't spectacular. Showing, as usual, at the Omniplex.

On Monday, 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 Tuesday, 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.

Next Wednesday, back with Civilised London, 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 - no problem getting the day off work though!

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. Happily, my boss was also fine with me taking that week as holiday. 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: Preludes

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - to Southwark Playhouse this time, for Preludes. D' you know, I bought their passport a while ago, which entitles you to cheap tickets to five shows - and of the last three I booked, something else came up for every single one! I was determined to make this one.. reports of it being "weird" didn't phase me in the slightest! Meeting at Mercato Metropolitano, across the road, beforehand for a bite to eat.

Well, my original plan was to walk there - and in retrospect, that's what I should have done. However, I did get caught up with things at the office.. so had the bright idea to take the Tube. At that, had I known better, I'd have walked to Bank, and taken the Northern Line straight from there. It'd have been quicker. Nope, I needs must wait at St. Paul's - the station that, at that time of the evening, no-one needs to get out at - for a Central Line train to arrive that had space for me on it. I was waiting a while.. I had to let seven trains pass before managing to squeeze on the eighth. I hope I never make that mistake again - it would actually have been quicker to walk the whole way. (The Northern Line was much emptier, BTW.)

So, I duly made it to the Mercato. Gee, what a place! Packed with literally dozens of food stalls, it is a maze - and it wasn't until my second pass through the place that I even saw the stall they were supposed to be sitting near. I appealed for help on the event page, was given more directions.. still couldn't find them. Until, of course, I was actually on my way to the theatre, and spotted the bar that had been mentioned. And lo, there they were. Well, there was a pasta stall nearby,and I figured that'd be quick enough - so I got some of their bolognese, served on a mini frying pan, with a fork. And very tasty it was! And hey, it was an experience, despite the hassle.

So we then made our way over to the theatre - via the convenient zebra crossing. I had to pick up my ticket. And we were then into the crowded theatre bar. It's so long since I was here last that I actually couldn't remember whether they allow drinks into the auditorium (yes, they do). Once that was settled, I purchased a glass of house white - and yay, they do proper measures here! I was beginning to worry I'd never see a 250ml glass again. In the end, I drank enough that it would've been (slightly) more cost-effective for me to have bought a bottle. Ah well.

This is a dramatisation of the life of Rachmaninoff during a time when, as a very young man - just starting out - he suffered from severe depression. A soulful-looking, intense young chap, with heavy eyeliner, plays the lead role; as he consults with a therapist, his alter-ego plays the piano, in the back. His fiancee makes a few appearances, as do friends. But as they come and go, we start to wonder which he's fantasised meetings with.

But hey, this gets a lot more interesting than that! Clever lighting is used most effectively to represent the sheer chaos in the head of a tortured genius - there's a lot of strobing. So much happens in this that it would actually be worth a second viewing, just to remind yourself.. there's the conflict between the Rachmaninoff in the therapist's chair and the one at the piano, there are the larger-than-life people he meets. And after a mesmerising, surreal first half - we get the bowels of hell at the start of the second! Whether this is meant to represent a real-life operatic event, or just his fevered imagination, isn't clear. Perhaps it's both.

The roots of his depression seem to be both his early success, and the failure of his first symphony. (And yes, as referenced in the play, part of the blame was down to the conductor.) The reconstruction of this in the play is suitably horrific. But oh, along with the intensity of the acting, we have the most gorgeous music throughout... appropriately for a play about a composer, of course, although his compositions are mixed up with those of the writer. Beautifully played, parts are also most beautifully sung; I don't think there was anyone in this who lacked musical talent. It was for that, as much as anything else, that I joined in the standing ovation at the end. My summing-up came as one word - Wow! Such talent, such a fantastic show.. others could take note. (And how funny that the two best things I've been to this week are based around Russians.) Ends tomorrow (Saturday) - for goodness' sake, if you can, go see this. Rapidly.

Convivial drinks after to finish the night - and it seems they're selling off old costumes, now! They also have a contactless donation point in the bar - seems they're fundraising to move to a permanent premises. Good luck to them! Afterwards, an untroublesome bus took me (swiftly) straight home.

Tomorrow, seeing the matinee of Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith. Turns out that both UITCS and Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff (LLTAMS) are going - so I booked with both! Why not? Each requires you to buy your own ticket. And with only a few going from LLTAMS, I hope we can merge.. Ivan was talking about possibly meeting up that evening, but then realised he had a train booked for the following morning, so we have to reschedule.

On Sunday, joining the London Improvisation Community Group for the first time - they have a show called Happily Never After at the Pleasance - part of the London Horror Festival.

On Monday, I'm seeing Mother of Him, at the Park. I see NLF is going to this a bit later, and already raving about it..

On Tuesday, UITCS is off to the Albert Hall for Symphonic Queen - the Royal Philharmonic is performing Queen.

Then begins a long period of non-Meetup stuff. On Wednesday, I'm heading to the ballet Manon, at the Opera House.

On Thursday, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) is back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP is the headliner on this occasion, which should be terrific!

Next Friday, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - we're meeting for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.

On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they are now, and will likely sell out - indeed, I see availability is now limited.

On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.

On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - UITCS is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, that rescheduled meeting with Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!

And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, LLTAMS is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. By 'eck, though, I see there's already limited availability on tickets for the whole run, and several dates sold out! Hope I don't lose out..