Musical: Bat Out of Hell

Tonight, with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again at the Peacock (I can walk to that!) for Bat Out of Hell, a musical based on the music of Meat Loaf. Awesome - just a pity it wasn't one of the singalong nights..

Of course, walking south means I pass GBK, so I popped in there for one of their delicious burgers. And a glass of the cheapest wine in the city centre. And then walked on, meeting the others in the circle bar - two of us were in the circle, two in the rear stalls. And wow, I have seen a new high price for a glass of wine - they charge £14.50 for a large glass of sauvignon blanc! So I had pinot grigio. The chat, mind you, was excellent - and it was great, in particular, to get to talk to one of the group, whom I have hardly seen since the pandemic..

Now, what can I say about this? You're either a rocker, or you're not - if you're not, you know to stay well away. If you are, however.. oh man, this is fantastic. It's so long since I had an evening of rock - as I explained to the guy beside me, I was never a huge Meat Loaf fan, but I am a rocker. And it might not have been a singalong evening - but I challenge any rockers to resist the big numbers. The stage effects are excellent, with jets of flame - also a fair bit of strobe lighting. And it was funny - for the first half, the guy on the end of the row was jiggling, so the whole row was shaking. For the second half, it was the guy on my other side.. Fair play to them, the more action the better. As remarked by one of the group, the story isn't much - but it's fine, and who cares anyway?! Plenty of merchandise available as well, for those who want it.. So, if this is your thing.. what the hell are you waiting for? Runs till the 1st. And as the Meat Loaf fan amongst us pointed out, all actually written by the incredibly talented Jim Steinman. Go see.

Tomorrow, ending a run of UITCS with Lucrezia Borgia, by the English Touring Opera Company, at the Hackney Empire.

On Saturday, 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 never got back to me, 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.

Next 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.

Tango After Dark

Yesterday was a busy day. 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 was having leaving drinks last night, in the Pelt Trader! Hellfire.. so, what I decided to do was skip drinks with CL after the show and leg it over to the Pelt Trader - I ordered them not to stop drinking till I got there!

For food, I had a look at what was nearest the theatre - and lighted on The Ship Tavern. Booked a table - especially on a Thursday, I figured it was wiser. And it was close enough to walk, so I did. The dining area is upstairs, and there are two entrances - I managed to come across the one straight from the street, but there's also one through the bar. I was glad I'd booked - they were apparently expecting a huge booking, and were turning away walk-ups. Also restricting time we who had reserved could spend - but that was fine, as I told her, I had somewhere to be anyway.

It's got a lovely, cosy, olde-worlde feel to the place. Quite a few American-sounding people about. The menu is short - and a bit pricey, but hey, my first paycheck in ages came through yesterday, so why not. I thought I'd have steak - they had a choice of fillet or - for £4 less - rib-eye. I'd never had it, so thought I'd have that - both come with onion rings and chips. And since I was having steak, I knew I'd be stuffed, so I skipped having a starter. A large glass of sauvignon blanc completed the order.

Or would have, except that she took a long time to come and take my order - especially for such a short menu! I was worried that this would set the trend for the whole meal - but after this, service was quite prompt. Well, after all, it's a small room - and I managed to beat the rush. I was duly served.. the steak was beautifully done, I have to say, charred on the outside, pink on the inside, as I like it. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised how fatty it was going to be! Would be delighted to come back here - and to have steak - but if I do, it'll be fillet, next time. Still, I managed most of it - and the onion rings (beer-battered) and chips (home-made) were delectable. Wine - ok. With plenty of time to spare, I had a dessert - two scoops of ice cream: chocolate (which turned out to be chocolate chocolate chip, and was good) and honeycomb (gorgeous!). I hadn't realised, but I was charged £3 extra for the steak sauce - which I didn't even use. Will keep an eye on that, if I'm back. Still, overall it was good value, and a lovely atmosphere.

And so, a short hop to the theatre, where the group was waiting outside, and we chatted for a bit, and went in when we had all our members. A quick trip to the loo, and I headed for my seat - rather uncertainly, with no seat numbers listed at the door! Tsk. Anyway, it turned out I was on the correct side - she just asked me to head to the very end door, as I was right near the edge.

Ah, what a show. First impressions - not encouraging me to take up tango classes! or, indeed, dance classes at all - I wouldn't dream of trying to imitate them. But they do it very well - gorgeous costumes too, with a singer (singing in Spanish) who changed outfits as often as the dancers did, even matching theirs for the last number! Beautiful, fluid movements - and, as we discussed at the interval, the precision required is amazing, especially considering the speed of the dances. Looks quite dangerous, actually - and there were a number of wardrobe malfunctions: a shoulder pad flew out, that I could see, and apparently, if you sat closer, you could see more.. well, the pressure on those seams is considerable. I remember sitting in the front row of a dance show once, and being occasionally hit by flying jewellery..

Highly recommended. Runs till the 22nd.

The encore seemed to be purely instrumental (I guess the dancers were having a well-earned rest). Anyway, I wasn't so interested, and ran out early, taking the Tube (still busy enough that I had to stand) in the interests of speed. Made it to The Pelt Trader in good time, and there they were, just inside the door. Wow, it's a while since I had to stand in a pub for the whole time.. not since I worked with them, actually! Anyway, we had a long chat, the guy who was leaving was good enough to buy me a drink, and it was so nostalgic. Also interesting to hear how the company is just getting worse (apparently). The evening might have gone on a lot longer, but for a sad personal call that my ex-boss got, which kind of put a dampener on things. So, we made our way. But it was truly great to see them all again! Still back too late to blog, though, given that I wanted to be up for work today.

Tonight, 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, of course.. Hope they have something decent to eat there.

Tomorrow 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 Sunday, back with the CCC for Inisfáil, Irish storytelling courtesy of the wonderful Clare Murphy, in the British Museum.

On Monday, 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 in Sadler's Wells from Up in the Cheap Seats (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 Tuesday, I've booked for Iphigenia in Splott, in the Lyric Hammersmith.

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

On Thursday, back with CL for dinner at Le Sacré Coeur. Always good.

Next Friday, 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.

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.

I hadn't anything booked for the 27th - 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 that night 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, I'll have a think. I do have some duds that might do.. 😜

The 28th, I've kept free for an all-night drinking session with Ivan. Man, I've missed these! In vino veritas, as they say, and these are wonderful chances to get stuff off your chest. He fancied doing it earlier, but I didn't want to have to take time off work - this was the first overnighter I could fit in.

Which should make the 29th interesting - I'm on another walk with Laurence and the 45+s! Might not actually get to bed in between.. 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 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 (or stagger) home..

Dance: Beyond Bollywood, Walk: Wild and Wondrous Wapping, & Film: Three Thousand Years of Longing

Thursday proved a bit of a problem: hence the delay in advertising it. So, a couple of Meetup groups were headed to Beyond Bollywood, a dance show at the Peacock. And I decided that was what I'd like to do. Their event quotas were full - so I decided to book my own ticket, go on my own. But I have this theatre token from Seatplan, you see, and wanted to use that! Now, this is one of the venues that don't accept them online - so I had to ring the box office to book. Unfortunately, the box office has opening hours - and every time I thought to book, it was outside those hours. So I finally gave up, and booked one of the last two cheap tickets, without use of a token.

Happily, it's a theatre I can walk to from where I now live! the first West End theatre I've gone to since I moved here, of which that's true. I decided to eat in Gourmet Burger Kitchen on the way, where I had such a great meal before. Again, no problem getting a table - and sitting further towards the front of the restaurant this time, I got internet reception. Had the same as before, a classic chicken burger, with panko chicken, and onion rings - and a glass of sauvignon blanc. Sadly, although it was all right, it didn't reach the dizzy heights of that occasion - they skimped a bit on the sauce this time. Ah well, I got fed. Decided to try the ice cream, as I was early - I won't be bothering with that again, it wasn't particularly good.

And so to the theatre, where I started with a trip to the (very space-age) loo!

Reminds me of an aeroplane toilet - you just close the lid to flush it, and it's a combination of water and air. Uses a fraction of the water, apparently - great, now we just have to hope we don't run out of air..

And so to the bar, where, an hour before the show, there was plenty of space. So I got a drink - much more expensive than at GBK - and as I drank it, the place filled up quite quickly - by half an hour beforehand, there wasn't a spare table. Lots and lots of Indian families, complete with old ladies in wheelchairs or on sticks. I was just finished my drink when it was time to go in.

The usher told me I was in a box..!

Wow, it's years since I was in a box! which made a nice change, although, as clear from the photo, the view isn't spectacular - the near corner of the stage is cut off. Still, almost all the action takes place in centre stage, and with no-one behind you, you can lean at will. Plus, of course, being a box, the chairs are movable - so, although they weren't the most comfortable ever, legroom wasn't a problem!

Beyond Bollywood does have a skeleton plot - the daughter of a famous Indian dancer is now herself a choreographer, attempting to bring the artform forward. However, the manager of the theatre where her troupe is performing wants something a bit more authentic - so she takes herself off to India, to see the real thing for herself. And, of course, falls in love while she's out there - what would it be without a love story?

The main thing is the dance, though - this is a glittering spectacular, where (as a friend of mine remarked) the men's costumes outdo the women's for colour and sparkle! I can't vouch for its authenticity - but we are taken on a whistle-stop tour of different regions, with different amazing costumes and dance. And having so many Indians in the audience, there were several sections where the dancers interacted with the people in the stalls, dragging them out to dance, or just getting everyone to clap along. The second half, as you might expect, even outdoes the first for razmatazz! I hardly recognised anything - except the song "Jai ho", which she uses in her original choreography. But it's absolutely beautiful - a delight to be swept up in..

And it's over, sorry. Ended last night. But this wasn't the first production of it, and it probably won't be the last - keep an eye out for it! Highly recommended.

And I couldn't blog about it that night - because on Friday, I was back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a tour of Wild and Wondrous Wapping. Postponed due to one of the endless train strikes, so I was delighted to be able to make it now. But I had to be up early, of course - in fact, I ran into one of my flatmates on my way out, who remarked that it was unusual to see me up so early.. as I explained to her, if I am, it's probably for one of these walks. She thought they sounded interesting - sadly, I didn't have time to give her the link. Some other time, perhaps.

Bus again, a medium-length walk, and there they were, in a crowd, led by the man who, these days, wears a hat. Our first stop had a nice view of the Four Seasons hotel, which I'd passed on my way:

We were led down Wapping direction, which I'd never before visited - we kept being passed by the #100 bus, mind, which passed right outside my last accommodation! I've just never travelled this far on it.

We spent some time in the pleasant surrounds of St. Katharine Docks:

(the elephants reminiscent of the ivory trade that flourished through here). As we all filed in to the environs of the expensive flats, a lady who seemed to be a local, observing this rather large group, wondered out loud what she was missing! ;-) Mind you, not all the locals we passed were so impressed with us:

The whole area has strong maritime connections, being so close to what used to be working docks. And they have a lot of attractive pubs:

We visited St. Patrick's Catholic church, which has an interesting history:

Very Irish theme to the place - well, as Laurence pointed out, there'd have been a lot of Irish working on the docks!

(Interesting point to note: Catholic altars always used to have rails, which separated the clergy from the congregation. Most of these were removed after Vatican II - I see they kept the rail here! However, they brought the clergy closer to the congregation by having a second altar..) And yes, that bloke there is St. Patrick himself. Couldn't be anyone else.. him with a bishop's mitre, green chasuble and all. And he's forever carrying churches around..

Back to pubs - and we found Turner's Old Star, whose proprietor was keen to show us her gnomes!

Now, we'd had a lovely walk around what is (these days) a really pleasant area. But boy, were we ready for lunch - which was at the Prospect of Whitby. Now, I'd forgotten, because it was years ago - but I was actually here once before! with the now-online group, Spooky London. Man, I wish they'd revive their pub nights, they were excellent.. Anyway, visiting in daytime, of course I didn't remember.

Wow, service was slow - you could say they were overwhelmed. The taking of orders was chaotic - but at least we had most of the upstairs dining area to ourselves, so seating was no problem. And although some of us were waiting quite a while, the food was generally thought to be excellent, so worth the wait. And it's been patronised by many famous folk:

Afterwards, down to The Captain Kidd:

where they might have had only one kind of white wine, but we could have it sat out the side, overlooking the river. And so a convivial hour was passed:

One of the group had a birthday, and after this pub they went in search of coffee - but sadly, I had to pass on this, having a flight to catch. And wouldn't you know it - by eschewing buses in favour of the Tube, catch it I did! Just.. almost the first time in history it wasn't delayed. Glad I got to squeeze in this trip with the group, though.

And so, back to Ireland again. Yesterday, I got my second booster - in Ireland; they aren't rolling them out to my age group in the UK until at least tomorrow, so I said I might as well. No availability in Ennis, which is my closest centre, so I said I'd try Limerick, and had no trouble getting a slot there. But I had to be up in good time, what with road works, so didn't have time to blog.

I had some conundrum trying to figure out how to get there too, it being just on the other side of the roadworks - in the event, managed to get there just a minute late. A small queue gave me time to dig out my NHS confirmation of my first booster, which I got in London - and wow, this was a much shorter queue than I had at Guy's! Anyway, I was out of there in just over half an hour. (The injection site is still a bit tender, but hey.)

So, of course, I had plans - thought, if I got out in time, I might make it to a film. The film in question - a few minutes' drive down the road, in the Omniplex - was Three Thousand Years of Longing. It's a fantasy in which Tilda Swinton is an academic, with no family, who heads to Istanbul on a conference. Where she buys a curious lamp as a souvenir. Which, of course, has a djinn (Idris Elba) in it, who grants her three wishes.. pretty classic story, I was interested to see what they'd do with it. And, with it being National Cinema Day (in both Ireland and the UK), with discounted tickets, it'd have been ironic if I hadn't got to the cinema!

Well, National Cinema Day seems to have worked - the cinema car park was packed, but I managed to get the last spot. And the cinema had about half a dozen other people in it - pretty good for the matinee of a niche film. And we were all sat there, waiting - no ads, no nothing. About 15 minutes after it was due to start, an usher came in and apologised, said the projector wasn't working, but they were doing their best, and hopefully it'd work - but if it didn't, we could get a ticket to another film. Or a refund. Happily, as soon as he left, the film started..

OMG, it's a storytelling film. Ooh.. Now, regular readers will know I have a passion for storytelling. And here we have the film! Ah, I'd have been so much more excited if I'd only known.. so, our academic's field is - narrative! She's a narratologist - a studier of stories. We meet her as she touches down in Istanbul for a conference - and we see her on stage during a talk, dissecting the reasons we tell stories. But she soon finds herself caught up in her very own fantasy..

As in all the best traditions, the number three features strongly - when she meets the djinn, she is immediately suspicious. She knows all the trickster tales, she knows that tales about wishes are always cautionary. She is determined not to fall foul of this trap. But then, he tells her that this is his third incarceration in a bottle.. and so, we get three stories. It all starts at the court of the Queen of Sheba - then turns very Arabian Nights, as we move to the Ottoman Empire. As one reviewer remarks, history and legend collide..

It's visually breathtaking. And I found it completely enthralling. Go, give yourself a treat. Tilda Swinton, as ever, is terrific at bringing herself from a cold academic to a warm-hearted woman, capable of surprising us, her djinn - and herself. And this, for once, deserves higher than its rating. So glad I got the chance to see it. But I was way too tired to blog last night.

And so back - finally, after a severly delayed flight. Tomorrow, I'm rather dubiously booked with a new group - 50-50 Trivia purports to run fortnightly Monday afternoon trivia quizzes, upstairs at The Rugby Tavern - which is just down the road from me. All good - except I then got a welcome email from the group organiser, saying the first quiz would be on the 12th.. well, maybe he just got the date wrong! We shall see.

On Tuesday, I've signed up for a walk called Papers, Palaces & Priories: a Guided Walk of Fleet Street and the Strand, by London Walks, Art & Culture Explorers. Hope the rain holds off - or I might be cancelling.

On Wednesday - speaking of storytelling, I'm back to storytelling proper! Oh joy.. the Crick Crack Club is back, with Strange Girls, Beautiful Monsters, as told by Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, at Rich Mix. Good to see them on the road again!

And on Thursday, back with Watch Improv & Chat Comedy for Avocado Presents: An Improvised Play, in Baron's Court Theatre. Easily known the main group is back from their holidays - you now have to pay for this! and the discount code advertised on the event page has expired, grr..

Dance: Tango Fire

Tonight, Let's Do This was off to Tango Fire at the Peacock. They booked a box, so had a very limited number of seats, and I wasn't in time for theirs - but I got my own ticket, and would meet them for a drink afterwards in the Princess Louise.

The row in front of me actually remained completely empty until some time after the show started. It wasn't to last - after the interval, both that row and the rest of mine had vanished! Whether they got seats further down - like the girls on the outside of my row - or just left, I cannot say. But if it was on foot of the first half - well, I have to take exception. Their loss, actually..

The first half was a blizzard of highly kicked legs, half of which wore high heels as well.. and afterwards we wondered how they managed to escape uninjured. Terrific coordination between the ladies in the jewel-coloured dresses, and the besuited men. And I, for one, felt terribly inadequate.

But it was the second half that shone - good grief, the oohs and ahhs and gasps from the crowd would alert you to what was happening! The gents were flinging the ladies around - spinning them around their heads, rolling them across the floor - if they weren't bruised, they should have been! This, you might call tango Xtreme - acrobatic, passionate, violent performances throughout, well deserving of the standing ovation at the end. A truly spectacular show - and as the group organiser remarked afterwards, how on earth were the seats not all filled? Well, you have now been told, if not before. Runs till Saturday, with a matinee on the last day - go buy! You shall not regret it.

And so to the highly ornate pub, where a most convivial time was had - complete with rather decent house white, and some rather good crisps. 'Tis the difference between Meetup groups, you know, the social element - and I have to say that this is among the best. Met new faces tonight, and felt as much at home as ever.

Ironically, it's a week when, as I say, I have fewer distractions than recently, with my boss away and unable to distract me at the office. And yet I am unbooked. Never fear, I never don't have a plan.. Tomorrow (and for the rest of the week, indeed!) I'm thinking of film. But anyway, for tomorrow I'm thinking of catching up with Burning. You know, the one I missed last week because we were sampling the office wine? Anyway, not showing in the Vue Islington anymore - tomorrow, I'll have to head down to the BFI for it. Not overbooked yet, but I'll keep an eye on it.

Five operas!

Well, I flew back to London on Monday. Let's start there, because it's worth it.

Ryanair prides itself on its punctuality - although their website still trumpets this, I guess they figured they didn't have to try so hard to maintain their position at the top. They're probably right, actually - airlines are appalling. Today, I heard from someone at work whose daughter visited him last week from Edinburgh, flying Ryanair - she was delayed by two hours on the outbound flight, and one hour on the return leg. On Monday, I figured I'd have plenty of time to charge my phone while I was waiting for my flight, which would probably be delayed. I was right. The 9.20pm flight's estimated departure time increased by half an hour every half hour - an ever-receding horizon:

It finally took off at 10 past midnight - as a fellow passenger predicted in the airport, "just under the three-hour delay": this being when passenger rights kick in. So, the flight to Stansted takes 1 hour and 10, and we landed at 1:20am.

We didn't get off straight away though - oh no. First, we had to find somewhere appropriate to park. Then there wasn't anyone, at that hour, to wheel out a set of steps, so we all had to disembark at the front - which was a drag, as I was at the back of the plane. (The cabin crew, rather than bidding us farewell as we exited, all hid in the cockpit, which was wise of them. Doubtless they're getting used to this.) The worst of all though was when we finally arrived in the baggage hall, where there's normally a 10-minute delay for our bags. On Monday, that turned into a 45-minute delay. Beware, this seems to be a problem at Stansted at the moment - the pilot was complaining about a lack of baggage handlers on Friday, too.

Now, as we didn't get to the baggage hall until 1:45am, that meant we were stuck there until 2:30am. I had visions of sleeping there, I really did. I've since complained, but have got no response. When my bag finally arrived, I made my way downstairs to queue for the 2:55am bus - different to the timetable, I might add. Now, they're really missing a trick here - they could easily have filled up a second bus. No, the 2:55am service filled up - and there wasn't another until 4:10am.

I'd already bought my ticket, or I wouldn't have bothered waiting - I wouldn't again. The bus didn't arrive much before departure time, and it was so cold.. at least the bus was comfy, when it finally came, and I did manage to snatch some sleep. By the time we were disgorged at Liverpool Street it was after 5, and full daylight, and mercifully a bus happened right along to take me within walking distance of my (current) home. Mind you, I was so zonked that I barely registered that that was my bus - I was just lucky that someone else at the stop wanted the same one, and got it to stop. I didn't get to bed until gone 6.

Point is, I was rather tired at work yesterday. I had been thinking about a film for yesterday evening - the film list was the main reason for the delay in blogging, as usual. But what came up didn't appeal much - not Bollywood for once, but The Trout, a documentary about the preparation for a classical concert. It was free, and being in the Southbank Centre, was of course followed by a performance of Schubert's Trout Quintet. Nothing on Meetup either, typically. However, another check of the website of my £3.60 club revealed a whole new range of offers, since I last checked.. so now, instead, I bought a ticket for the TriOperas at the Peacock. More expensive than normal for them, at £5.40 it still represented a terrific saving on the cheapest official ticket price of £15. Very cloak-and-dagger collection process though - I had to get my ticket, between 6 and 7pm, from the Pret across the road, from someone with a pink clipboard! Oh, and as usual, say the club name in a whisper..

That all went fine, actually - I spied him on the way in, and checked he was the right person when I approached. As he said, it'd be unusual if anyone else there had a pink clipboard! and in a flash I had a ticket in the rear stalls. I made my way straight over to the theatre, and down to the bar, where I beat the crush to get a glass of wine, taking one of the few remaining seats beside a group of middle-aged Americans who were avidly discussing their ancestry, loud enough for me to eavesdrop. Avidly. Sadly, they left after a bit, and those who took their seats were much more softly spoken.

So, when the house opened, in I went - I had a seat in pretty much the last row, but very central:

Legroom was a bit snug when getting up or down, my knees catching on the seat in front, but was otherwise ok. Now, this is one of the Peacock's mish-mash performances of different art forms, and this show features three separate operas - hence the name. They each get their own, separate segment, with intervals between.

The first is Turandot - and to be honest, I nearly left after it, I was so disappointed. I stayed out of curiosity about how they'd handle the other two. They have surtitles - but from the entire rear stalls, these are illegible, as they're not in the centre, but on screens to the sides, almost completely obscured, from the rear stalls, by lighting fixtures suspended from the balcony. They sing in English anyway.. and the singing is technically good, although not up to proper operatic standard. But oh, the awful arrangement, which sees Nessun Dorma butchered by the addition of a lazy, jazz-style backing track, never mind the words being replaced by English lyrics that bear no resemblance to the original. Terrible. Why, oh why.. predictably, tired as I was, I kept nodding off during this one.

I'm happy to say that the others are much more successful. Next up is Madame Butterfly - although most of the staging of this is more reminiscent of a production of Miss Saigon. It works, I think, and the arial performers are most impressive.

The evening ends with a rousing rendition of Carmen, featuring a bullfight with a most acrobatic bull, bearing a strong resemblance to a Chinese dragon! The songs work best in this segment, and I defy anyone to leave without whistling, singing, or humming the tunes. But that's Carmen for you. The little girl in the row in front of me certainly thought so - she was going mental, bouncing up and down on her seat at the end. I hope she stays a fan of Carmen for life.

So, overall a very successful evening. Runs until the 1st of July, and is a great night out!

En route to the bus stop, passed a Co-Op - very handy for buying supper. And I had a much earlier night - a meeting this morning prevented me from staying up late enough to do the blog. Thankfully!

Tonight, more opera - the London European Club (LEC) advertised the Pop-Up Opera's performance of a Mozart Double Bill, in St. Mary's Islington. Just like last year, it was part of the Soul in the City festival - and it was free! Tickets necessary, and available from Eventbrite - which sold out, predictably, although they did email to note that non-ticketed admissions would be possible. Sadly, London Literary Walks moved this week's walk to today.. well, too bad, I just couldn't bring myself to miss Pop-Up Opera. It's another of the signs of summer! And it's hilarious, and it'd give my leg some more time to heal.

I spent much of the day doing the film list again - and finished it just before I was due to leave (shorter one, this time!). So I was somewhat distracted, and did leave a bit later than intended - my co-worker needing to ask me about something didn't help. So I fairly galloped out of there, and up the road - my chest, I must say, behaved impeccably, although my leg had a tendency to want to cramp. I didn't have much choice - I'd blithely left my Oyster card at home!

Well, I made it, damnit - although I spent most of the journey puffing like a steam train, with the unaccustomed exercise, to the concern of passers-by; don't forget I've been sick for months, and couldn't push it! I was rounding the back of the building just as the church bell struck 7:30 - coming up St. Mary's Path, it occurred to me that I was in the full throes of breathlessness the last time I came up there. Much better now. Sure enough, they hadn't started yet, and sure enough, there were plenty of empty seats. They just waved me in without needing to see my ticket.

I had no idea where the group were sitting, and couldn't see anyone I recognised, so I just grabbed the best seat I could. Before the performance - while I was getting my breath back - someone from the opera company came on to make a short speech. She explained how their van was broken into last night, and most of their props and equipment stolen! What a dreadful shame.. the only visible signs tonight, though, were that there was only one screen for surtitles, and she warned us that some props had been replaced by cardboard (that'd be the giant syringe, then).

Otherwise, the performances were impeccable as ever, accompanied by hilarious surtitles - which I could see tonight! Two one-act comedies by Mozart, the first, Der Schauspieldirektor, concerning a battle between two prima donnas, the second, Bastien und Bastienne - written when he was just 12! - a lovers' tiff. The simple plot of the second perhaps betrays it as being the work of a child, but the music is incredible. This show tours the South of England until the 29th of July - highly recommended, as ever.

This was the first of this year's Soul in the City festival, which runs through the weekend - and generously, they provided (small) glasses of wine for free at the interval. Just as well mine was small, mind, given that I was drinking it on an empty stomach. I never did find the group - I schlepped up front at the interval, but they were all off slugging wine, and it looked fairly packed, with all the bags that had been left, so I couldn't have moved there. Afterwards, I wended my way home - downhill this time! My poor leg appreciated that - and  the slower pace. And this time, the supermarket on the way home was a Sainsbury's - gee, it's been ages.

Tomorrow, London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night (therefore Funzing) have an interesting-sounding talk about Black Tudors: Three Untold Stories. Seeing as how I missed a Funzing talk a while back, because I couldn't find the venue, and they offered to book me on another for free.. albeit it was weeks ago.. I emailed to see whether the offer still stands. And they got back to me - after the weekend - to say that of course it does! Nice one. A hop, skip and jump from the office, too.

On Friday, back with the LEC for yet more music! The London Jazz Meetup also has an event on that night, but the LEC's sounds better on YouTube - part of the Songlines Encounters Festival at King's Place, and they're doing the double bill for the evening, which scores a 20% discount. (30% off if you book for three events in the festival, but I'm unlikely to do that.)

And on Saturday, that film list kicks in - would you believe it, with none of the films at the very top of the list showing over the weekend, A Quiet Place - which has held a high rating for ages now - finally came to the top! Awesome - I've been dying to see it. Stars Emily Blunt and her real-life husband, John Krasinski, who also directs - they're trying to keep their family safe in a dystopian future where something is stalking them that hunts by sound. Supposed to be terrifically suspenseful - the best kind. And it's showing near me, in the Vue Islington! which means it'll be the fourth day in a row that I can walk. Need the exercise. The only showing that day is very late - but what the hey, it's Saturday! I booked it, as it's cheaper on the website - and it certainly is the least I've paid in years for a cinema ticket.

Dance: Beats on Pointe

Tonight, Up in the Cheap Seats again, for Beats on Pointe - my last Meetup of the month. Unfortunately, this is in the Peacock, rather than the closer Sadler's Wells. Either bus from the local stop would get me there, and mercifully, I didn't have to wait long - the Beast from the East is really starting to bite, and tonight had a deep cold, that penetrated right through my winter coat to my bones. Wherever the wind blows, you freeze.. and the wind is blowing constantly. I took the opportunity before the show to check the Hotel Chocolat in Monmouth Street, where I'd got my free sample of salted caramel hot chocolate on Sunday, and where I thought my best chance might be of getting some to buy. Sadly not - I ended up ordering it online, just before the show.

A wiggly walk, and a cold one, to the theatre then - and was I glad when I ended up down alleys, sheltered from that wind. Holding my phone, for directions, my hand was completely frozen by the time I got in - took several minutes to get back to normal. We met in the foyer to start, and at the end - in the stalls bar at the interval, the level where most of us were sat. Rear stalls for me - but it's one of those theatres where you don't have to worry about the view. My seat was at the end of a row, and jutted out anyway - so, unlimited legroom and nobody's head in my way!

From free fliers distributed in the lobby beforehand, we discovered that this group, Masters of Choreography, is Australian. We marvelled - at the interval, and afterwards, at their sheer energy, Energiser bunnies that they were: why move casually, when you can fling yourself across the stage? and at their numerous costume changes! Tutus aplenty, hip-hop-style outfits - some with sequins, some with LED lights. This, you see, is a mixture of hip-hop and ballet..

..and it's primarily aimed at kids. I had to wince when they started coming into the audience to get volunteers - they just got one, who wasn't required to do much. The dance experts among us remarked after that the dancing, well, isn't that good. A lot of it is played for comedy anyway. The first half is primarily hip-hop, the second more balanced - but I will say that it's energetic, it's fun, and hell, I was just glad to hear some music - I usually listen to music on headphones while I'm working, but they're currently broken, and the best I can do is white noise! Listening to it this evening, I realised what I'd been missing. Mind you, as they also remarked, a lot of the hip-hop music is quite old - think 30 years or so! But then, that's when it flourished.. me, I relished hearing a lot of this stuff. Sheer highlight of the night for me - Lose Yourself, of which a snippet was played during one set piece. Sod the dancing, that was the bit I loved.. runs till Saturday. Apparently the upper level was nearly empty, tonight..

It was fun afterwards, to see the two organisers present divvying up the new season shows between them! Afterwards, as predicted, straight home - mercifully, the bus came straight away. Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - better wrap up!

On Monday, I'm off to see Jake Bugg at the Palladium (yes, another that used to be walking distance..) Honestly, I'd never heard of him, but he sounded ok on YouTube.

On Tuesday, an opera in Sanskrit..! without subtitles. Satyagraha is at the Coliseum, and is about Gandhi. So I should figure it out - could do with the Sanskrit scholar from Tuesday's play! Gosh, it's ages since I've been there..

On Wednesday, Summer and Smoke (Tennessee Williams) at the Almeida. Does include actual cigarette smoke, and a gunshot. North London Friends are going, but I'm going independently. Sold out now..

Next Thursday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - and Meetup - at the Bridge Theatre, for what I hear is a stunning performance of Julius Caesar. You get the choice of being part of the crowd - I'm not. Modern setting.

On the 2nd, back with North London Friends, at Hampstead Theatre, for Acceptance.

On the 3rd, Up in the Cheap Seats, and Beginning, at the Ambassadors Theatre. For once, not an official ticket for this - got better value with What's on Stage!

On the 4th, I found another Southwark tour - excellent! The "Family Friendly Liberty of the Clink" tour is run by Walking in London.. therefore Funzing.. and Londonist is involved somewhere too. Hard to keep track of everyone involved in walks. The standard code (crazy_fun) is still giving 10% off on Funzing's website.

On the 5th, London European Club is headed to Monologue Slam, an actors' showcase at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.

On the 6th, Up in the Cheap Seats is at Sadler's Wells for a performance by Ballet British Colombia.

On the 7th, Let's Do This is off to a jazz evening at Two Temple Place. Beautiful venue - should be a lovely evening.

On the 8th, Walking Victorian London is running a walk around Il Quartiere - Tales from Italian Clerkenwell. Excellent - I've had my eye on that for a while. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

And on the 12th, London Dramatic Arts is at Caroline, or Change, at Hampstead Theatre. As usual, too expensive for me, and I got my own ticket, at about half the price. She's only going with one unnamed guest - maybe she won't go at all!