Arranged to have lunch with Henning today - venue TBD - and needed to remember to pick up my package from the Amazon locker in One New Change. In the event, I had time in the morning to pick up that package - great directions from Amazon, which I was glad I remembered, as I couldn't find the email again when I looked!
For lunch, we ended up going to Byron Burger - it's been a while since I was last here, and yes, it was yummy! Even if I couldn't manage to finish the chips. Quite noisy too - it's well worth coming early, as they do fill up, and by the time we left, the din made it hard to hear, and the queue stretched along the hall. Henning had to book a team lunch, so we went across to Wahaca..
..but they were full, so we ended up back at Byron, where he was more successful.
This evening, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Cyrano de Bergerac, at the Playhouse. Stars James McAvoy. Popular event this, I see - and not just with the large number of people that booked with our group! A number of people got upgrades - turns out that they were upgrading everyone from the front row of the Upper Circle. The legroom is pretty bad throughout, and the front row is a case in point, squashed up against the rail. And this is a long show.
The bus dropped me at Somerset House, and Google Maps suggested that I walk from there to the theatre via Embankment! An interesting walk - I haven't gone quite that way before.
Picking up my ticket, I noted that the performance was sold out - and as I headed in, I passed a group of our people in a cluster outside! Now, it was freezing cold, but this turned out to be the best option.. when we went in, we climbed an unearthly number of stairs, then squashed into the teeny Upper Circle Bar - which we took up most of - and could hardly turn to talk to each other. As I remarked, it was like being in a Tube carriage at rush hour! Which was a shame, because it's a while since I'd seen a lot of these people, and probably shan't again this year.
Anyway, it was a relief to take my seat:
The view is just fine if you lean into the aisle. You kind of need to point your legs that way too, with the lack of legroom. A number of people - what with the empty front row n all - decided to head down there. Now, the railing (as you can slightly see from the above photo) curves slightly - outwards at the edges, inwards in the middle. Very decorative - very uncomfortable, in the middle. So all those people who scooted down there for the show ended up at the edges..
Cyrano de Bergerac. Rap version, complete with beatboxer. I hadn't read about it closely, and wasn't expecting that - and a couple of elderly guys on our level decided early that it wasn't for them, and left. Boy, they missed out. What you see on stage at the opening is about as much decoration as you get - the only stage props are a full-length mirror that's lowered periodically, and some plastic chairs. V avant-garde. Despite the sparsity of decoration, the staging is inventive - characters who aren't in a particular scene just sit, or stand, with their backs to the audience. The stage floor does clever things, like form into steps in the second half - honestly though, they could have left it flat throughout.
Because that's not what's most attractive about this show. Someone once said of me that I seemed to be keen on complex wording - he was right, and I was in heaven here. This is the best I've heard since Lose Yourself. Three solid hours of it - verbal jousts, in rhyme, adapted to the character speaking. The best lines go to Cyrano, of course, and in the simplicity of this staging, we get to concentrate on the poetry, and get to the heart of what the play is really about. I did love one of the background actions, which has someone painting on the backdrop while the action continues in the foreground, completely unrelated to what he's doing. And when you finally see what he's writing, it makes perfect, simple sense.
I preferred the original ending, which is slightly changed here. But this is a spectacular display of brilliant writing. Love words? You'll love this. Booking till the 29th of February - deserves to run and run. Booking recommended. At the end, the crowd was delighted to leap to its feet - and outside, we wished we had a playtext. Oh, and do have a wander by the stage door - even in this cold, the queue was phenomenal.. I mean, I couldn't get anything like all of them in one shot!
Delighted the #11 now stops just across from my flat.. For the next two days, Meetup has given me ideas, which I'm using to do things outside of Meetup. Tomorrow, London Social Detours is charging £3 to go to a talk about Oscar Wilde's London. I booked myself - for free - on Eventbrite; I don't find her group that friendly, to be honest, but the talk sounds interesting.
On Friday, Ken's Walks and Social Events (and its sister group, London Art, Comedy & Walks) are on a Christmas lights tour. Now, after past experience with the walks organised by this group, I'll never darken their doors again. However, a Christmas lights walk sounded good - and I didn't get to one at all last year! So I had a browse - and came up with a pay-what-you-want walk by Free Tours by Foot London. Starts in Covent Garden - and the handy thing is, we're to clear our stuff out of our old office that day, and hand in our passes before the receptionist goes home. Which means we have been told to finish at 4! Excellent - that gives me loads of time. Ivan is coming to this one - which means it'll probably be a late night.
On Saturday, headed with UITCS to the Orange Tree, for Candida, by Shaw. Unless I get sidetracked.
On Sunday, my last visit of the year to the Crick Crack Club - Emily Hennessy is telling the Ramayana at the British Museum. Oh, and I'd completely forgotten that was on when I booked with North London Friends for a carol concert at St. James' Muswell Hill, followed by drinks at the John Baird. Sounds lovely - but I doubt I'll make both. We shall see - with such a huge group going, I doubt I'd be missed. Then I fly back to Ireland for Christmas on Monday.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
..and I'm off again next month, flying back to London on the 5th. On the 6th, I will start as I mean to go on, with UITCS at the Almeida for the Duchess of Malfi.
On the 7th, I'm off to the Opera House, for the Royal Ballet's production of Coppélia - one I've never seen.
And on the 8th, the RSC's production of Measure for Measure, at the Barbican. Set in decadent 1900s Vienna.
Yesterday, I was to be back with Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group (ACEWAG), who were off to a free Motown concert in Canary Wharf. First come, first served for spots on the grass. But with thunderstorms predicted, I didn't really fancy that. So instead, I booked with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again, for Fiddler on the Roof, at the Playhouse. Up in the highest level (literally, in the cheap seats), I booked myself an aisle seat, for the extra legroom. I'd never seen this live - seen the film a few times, of course! This also had the advantage that I didn't have to leave so early.
Boy, was I ever right with the weather forecast - it was a miserable day! It lashed consistently. In the end, I see about a quarter of the people from that group who'd signed up for that concert cancelled - including the host. Me, I left a bit early, and arrived first of our group to the theatre.
Now, this turns out to be one of those old-fashioned establishments that don't scan barcodes on phones. So I tried to print out the ticket at the office - and wouldn't you know it, the printer just ignored me. No error, but no printing either. So I rang the box office, to get them to print it out. And when I eventually got through, the nice man said of course they would. The box office here turns out to be a completely separate door at the side, BTW - and lo, when I got there and asked her, there was no ticket for me. Well, I explained the situation, and she happily printed me another copy - asking me first did I remember my seat number, of all things! Interestingly, I'm sure I saw others who had printed out tickets, but were still made to go to the box office..
We gradually accumulated, under the convenient tree outside, before heading in, as soon as everyone was there - there was quite a queue. Two were in the stalls - the rest of us all the way up in the upper circle. And boy, are there some stairs up there! I think the only place I've been that's more exhausting is the Coliseum. Even meeting the others in the dress circle bar, as a compromise, at the interval was like mountaineering. (Well-signposted, mercifully.) Well, I managed it without cardiac arrest - just - and took my seat:
I'm glad I was on the aisle - someone was complaining about the legroom, afterwards, and I do know it's just uncomfortable at this level. I spent the whole show with my legs swivelled to the side. And most of it leaning, to see over people's heads - luckily, there was no-one behind me to complain.
Fantastic show though - reminding me of everything I'd forgotten from the film. Beautifully sung, beautifully danced - and the dance where they balance bottles on their heads was all the better for one falling off, and proving to us all that they weren't glued on! Gotta be honest, by and large, I did spend my whole time remembering how the film did it: but the ending is more poignant than the film, as this poor man whose travails we've been living through for the evening faces the worst of all, as his family is banished in the pogrom. Cannot fault the production - and you can't go wrong with the Fiddler. Runs on selected dates to the 2nd of November - highly recommended. Oh, and I got my wine in a proper glass at the interval - she said that was fine, as long as I wasn't in the front two rows (I'm guessing that applies to the upper levels). And as I didn't see anywhere to leave it on the way out, I took it home as a souvenir - goodness knows, the wine was expensive enough anyway.
It ran too late to blog, last night. Tonight, London Literary Walks (LLW) advertised a walk called Heart of the City. Wouldn't you know it, it goes from practically outside my office.. to practically outside my flat! Couldn't refuse that, now could I?! Why, they'll just be walking me home from work.. and while rain is predicted again, it's already a better day than yesterday. Besides, it's more pleasant if you're on the move.
Tomorrow, attending a performance of Hamlet by Shit-Faced Shakespeare at Leicester Square Theatre, with Civilised London (CL). Apparently, the idea is that one cast member performs while, well, shitfaced drunk. The organiser scored us some cheap tickets.
On Friday, back with UITCS for Barber Shop Chronicles at the Roundhouse. A National Theatre co-production, apparently.
On Saturday, a group called Get Out of London is off to Stratford-upon-Avon. Ooh, I thought, that sounds nice - but they're leaving ridiculously early, and coming back the same evening. It being a Saturday, I thought it'd be much nicer to head off at a more civilised hour and stay the night! So that's what I'm doing. Booked a nice, cheap advance train ticket and a night at the Doubletree by Hilton - and because I booked with Expedia, I got a nice discount, on account of all those U2 trips I've been booking with them lately! It's very near the station, which will be convenient. Handily enough, my guide book to England didn't get thrown out in the recent move - and reading it, I might have missed a trick; seems the Shakespeare Hotel is an olde-fashioned type of establishment, and might have been nice. Never mind, it might just be noisy. Only thing is, I just on Monday got a delivery slip for a missed delivery, which I have to pick up at the sorting office - which isn't close to me! And the only real window I have to pick that up - is on Saturday morning. Just as well I didn't book too early a train - for that price, I have to take a specific one!
Of course, I've been busy booking other things too - such as a "full-story" ticket to all the five houses associated with Shakespeare (much better value than individual tickets: I pick it up when I get there - valid for a year); a couple of them are a bit far-flung, but I believe the hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing bus covers them all. So I've booked a 24-hour ticket for that too - cheaper on that website. (Valid for three months after booking, and for 24 hours after first use. Cancellable up to 48 hours beforehand. But I had to get a co-worker to print it for me - they only accept paper confirmations!) And, of course - considering what I'm like - I've booked myself into an RSC production that night, at the Swan. It's not Shakespeare, but it is a period play; Venice Preserved is a Restoration thriller.
I'll come back on Sunday evening. On Monday, back with UITCS for Pilgrims, at the Orange Tree Theatre.
On Tuesday, I'm off to the Bunker.. they have a program of plays by black writers, called This is Black, and that day, I'm seeing Double Bill 2 (they run on alternate days).
Next Wednesday, LLW has a walk called Moby Dick (ahoy!). It's around Greenland Dock.
On the 8th, I'm at a UITCS double bill at the Orange Tree! The Mikvah Project and Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography! (ahem..) Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 12th, This is Black, Double Bill 1.
On the 13th, back with ACEWAG - they're at a free outdoor concert in Canada Square Park, called the Magic of the Movies. Again, I'll be watching the weather.
Now, UITCS is at Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet the same night, at Sadler's Wells - and I was gutted not to get a ticket. But guess what - I got one for the next night! Last seat in the house, in fact.. love Matthew Bourne.
On the 15th, back with The Embers Collective, who are performing Full Moon Stories at Cafe Cairo.
On the 16th, I'm back with the Best Authentic Walking Tours in London (aka Funzing) - for the Sex, Drugs, Sausage Rolls Tour. Unusual for me to find a new walk!
On the 17th, going to see The Doctor, with Juliet Stevenson, at the Almeida. Now, I'd originally booked for this for the 15th, forgetting that The Embers Collective were meeting that day. Can happen when I'm booking lots of stuff. When I realised my mistake, I thought I just wouldn't bother with this - then saw that London Dramatic Arts are going on the 17th! So I switched my ticket to that night, and let them know I was coming too. As for whether they'll actually meet me, I'm not sure - the organiser was selling tickets for this, and might take umbrage at the fact that I bought my own: despite the fact that I originally bought it for another night, and wasn't deliberately trying to avoid buying hers! She can be like that, though.
On the 18th, going with CL to the Cartoon Museum - with optional dim sum afterwards. Yes please!
On the 19th, I'm finally going to see Evita, at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Never have seen it.
On the 20th, with the London European Club at the Globe - we're going to risk The Comedy of Errors.
And on the 21st, I'm seeing Showtune - an evening of Jerry Herman music - at the Union Theatre.
Last night, the London Dramatic Arts Meetup were off to see The End of Longing, written by (his debut) and starring Matthew Perry. And despite my general dislike of plays with celebrities in them, I booked - got my ticket with London Box Office.
I don't recall rain on the weather forecast yesterday - but by the time we left the office, it was pissing down. And the traffic was pretty heavy, unexpectedly for this week of half-term. I was in time to get the bus - #87, same as the night before - but then we heard on the radio that there was a broken-down car in Parliament Square, and traffic delays.. now, the 87 takes that route, and for it to make it to the radio news, it'd have to be bad. So to Plan B - Google Maps said to get a train to Waterloo, then the Tube: but when I mentioned this to my passenger, he pointed out that it was close enough to walk from Waterloo to the Playhouse Theatre, right across the bridge.
When I got to Clapham Junction station, behold and lo, there was a train due to depart in two minutes, and for once at a nearby platform! I made the platform just before the train did. Mind you, it was as well I was early - I've never been on a train that stopped so much. At stations, yes, but also for minutes at a time, for no reason. Outside Waterloo, we seemed to have to stop to wait for every other train in the vicinity to take a place at the platforms, before we were allowed in!
Nonetheless, we were in time for me to walk to the theatre. And I knew the way - look for the grand old exit, head down the street to the left, and up the steps at the end. Now, the Playhouse Theatre is to the left of the bridge as you cross over, so with no interchange between the two sides, I needed to cross on the left. Which meant passing under the bridge, down the ramp, up the steps, across, and down on the other side - right at the theatre door. Unfortunately, all this was accomplished in the pouring rain, which I hadn't anticipated, which was why I was wearing boots that leak a bit..
Queueing for the box office, I found myself briefly positioned right under a heavy drip. Finally I was in and collected my ticket - had a quick scout around for anyone I knew, but there wasn't anyone, so I made my way up. The bag search was so cursory that they missed me entirely. And so I climbed - and climbed - and climbed - I have rarely seen so many stairs to a theatre level! The Upper Circle turned out to be very steep, but fortunately there was a railing down the middle of each flight of stairs. Unfortunately, it was unbroken, which meant that I had to go right back to the end when I discovered the usher had sent me down the wrong side..
I was pretty central, with a good view:
Legroom - which I'd been worried about - was fine really, although something of a problem if you were carrying a lot of stuff - like the lady in front of me, who had to keep her backpack on her lap the whole time. I couldn't see the group, who were supposed to be in the front row of the stalls, and going down at the interval was out of the question, with all those stairs! I said I'd meet them afterwards, downstairs. We started late, of course, and as the lights went down, it became apparent that the audience members around me had absolutely no intention of turning off their phones - they spent the whole show checking texts.
There were a lot of foreign-speaking people near me, and the lady in front (with the backpack) was evidently a big Matthew Perry fan, and cooed with delight when he took centre stage in the first scene. Well, I'm glad she enjoyed it - and she definitely wasn't the only one. I didn't enjoy it so much - although the first act was entertaining enough, reminding me of an extended episode of Friends, the show that made Matthew Perry famous. Write about what you know, they say, and it seems that's exactly what he did - the scene changes are as fast as on television, and the cast speak in one-liners. I guess this is what the Evening Standard was referring to, in its unflattering review of the play, last week, with its mention of characters that "declare their feelings rather than revealing them".
Why was I paying theatre prices to watch television, I mused to myself as the interval came. The (Italian) lady beside me came back with a tub (!) of crisps, of all things. Well, at least she got them finished in time for the second half.. and had this really been television, this would've been when I turned it off! It was dire. Losing its comic touch, the play lost its direction as it became more serious, although the "darkness" alluded to in the aforementioned review didn't feel that dark to me. It felt completely cliched and predictable. Oh gee, problems arise in what was, up to now, a rom-com. Oh gee, it takes a real-life crisis to make them realise what's important. Yawn. Really, I think he ran out of ideas here and just rattled off something that would pass muster. I did appreciate one scene, near the end, when his alcoholic character took centre stage for a monologue that seemed truly heartfelt, and I joined in the separate round of applause for that. He can act, I think - but PLEASE let him stop writing..
Recommended if you're a massive fan of Matthew Perry. Otherwise, there's plenty of better stuff to go to.
Outside, afterwards, I waited for the group, who duly appeared, and we discussed the play briefly - but it was still raining, and we decided not to go for a drink on this school night. As some of us headed towards Trafalgar Square for buses (I figured the traffic would've cleared by now), we passed some of those fans, at the stage door..
Poor driver, trying to get the car through that lot to pick up his star passenger! Anyway, same bus stop as the night before, same bus as the night before, and after the same brief but chilly wait as the night before, I was whisked home. But it still went too late to blog.
Tonight, the same group is headed to The Patriotic Traitor, at Park Theatre. Tom Conti stars as Philippe Pétain, the title character, a good friend of De Gaulle, who nonetheless has him tried for treason as a Nazi collaborator.
Tomorrow, I've got another cheap ticket to the Circus Show at The Aeronaut - it'll be interesting to see how much the lineup changes from last time! and whether the bus driver lets me off when I press the button.. On Saturday, I'm back with the London European Club, for Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras, at Sadler's Wells. Sold out now. Part of their Flamenco Festival. Olé! And on Sunday, I'm finally heading to one of those famous free gigs at the Finsbury - there are actually two Meetup groups heading there, I've signed up with both! - specifically, the World Music Meetup and London Gigs and Alternative Events.. 6 currently going to each, I see, but not the same 6, by the look of it..
I was happy to get a ticket to 1984, having missed its initial run in the Almeida, which was sold out. Well, tonight it opened in the Playhouse, and I got a ticket, at last. They're running a gimmick of providing 101 tickets for every performance at £19.84 - thing is, they're restricted view, so I skipped those and went for a "second-priced" ticket instead. And went with lastminute, who don't have booking fees, so it's cheaper despite the ticket price being the same.
Because of the Tube strike, I had researched my bus route, in case I needed it. However, I knew I'd be ok heading into town, as the strike wasn't to start till 9. So it proved, and I had a trouble-free journey to the Playhouse. It was nice, too, to arrive at Embankment and not have to climb up to the bridge, as I usually do! Great view, but a lot of steps. The Playhouse, on the other hand, is just around the corner to the left as you leave the station on the non-river side.
I collected my ticket. Lastminute doesn't give you seat numbers in advance, but they're pretty reliable in providing decent seats. I looked at my ticket. Row A of the dress circle - restricted view! Bah humbug. I knew from the seating reviews you can get online that this row has a somewhat restricted view because of the balcony rail. Not much I could do about it now, though. I got a glass of wine - you can take drinks into the auditorium if they're in plastic containers, which I did. I also decided, after sneaking a peek at a programme over someone's shoulder, that I'd better get one of those as well, not having read the book or seen the film..
The row, as promised by the seat review - and in common with other dress circle rows - had great legroom. And, as the person to my left remarked, if this was "restricted view", he'd take it! Yes, the balcony rail obscured the edge of the stage. But that didn't impinge on most of the action, and if you leaned forward a bit, the rail didn't restrict your view at all. You also get a terrific view of the theatre architecture from here, and the detail of the elaborate plastering. I busied myself with studying the programme, which I just had time to finish before the lights went down.
I did a bit of reading before this play, and I'm glad I did, although I guess you don't strictly need to. The play opens with a scene some time after 2050, with characters considering Winston Smith's diary, but soon the lead character is immersed in it, and we're back to the original story. And a powerful one it is, of a society controlled by the Party, headed by Big Brother. Every movement is monitored, and people suspected of rebelling are accused by the thought police. Food is rationed, people are told what to think. The Party introduces a new language called Newspeak, whose primary feature is that it is unique in being a language whose vocabulary actually decreases every year. The purpose of this is to make independent thought impossible, as there will be no vocabulary with which to express it. Doublethink is the rule, whereby you hold two contradictory opinions simultaneously.
The amazing thing about this story is how much of it you can relate to real-life events. Scarily. Children reporting on their parents. Constant surveillance. Thought crimes. "Unpersoning", where someone undesirable is simply erased from history. I could go on, but it's depressing. Anyhow, the play can't possibly cover all of them, but it does its best.
It is a powerful production, but I have a couple of quibbles with the end. It's powerful, it's visceral, but as the director, I would have played it with a little more solemnity. Dwelt on the horror a bit. In this, it feels a bit rushed. Never mind, it's a terrific introduction if you haven't seen it before. I liked that it didn't have an interval - the more so because it ended at 9.20, and TFL had said they'd try to run the District Line to Wimbledon - my line - with departures until 9.30 at least from central London. So I got the Tube home after all - although there were delays, due, apparently, to congestion, around Earl's Court. So what's new?!
For tomorrow, it's looking like a film, and that is looking like Locke. Which is handy, because it's showing in my local cinema, and I can walk there. So much for the strike! On Wednesday, however, I'm off to town again - to Smashed, at the Underbelly Festival. Yes, the purple cow is back, staging circus feats. This is a juggling show, with, apparently, something to say about fascism. O goodness! :-)
