Musical: A Strange Loop

This evening, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again - this time, for A Strange Loop, at the Barbican. Multi-award-winning, it seems - cheaper tickets available from WhatsOnStage (WOS), fulfilled by London Theatre Direct. Interestingly though, to get the cheaper offer, buy through WOS..

I had a yen to eat at Cote Barbican - but checked this evening, only to find they were completely booked up. Durnit! I didn't fancy eating at The Lucas Arms again so soon - and frankly, didn't leave myself much time to eat at all. So, Pret it was - and then Tube. The Northern Line promised the least walking - and my shoe was chafing - so that was how I went. Ran into one of the group as I was coming off the Tube, and together, we navigated the building works all around there, joining the rest eventually, downstairs at the Barbican. Not, perhaps, the wisest location for those of us sat in the higher levels.. Anyway, most of the bar was roped off for a conference: and wouldn't you know it, they'd literally drunk the bar dry! of white wine, at least. They had rose or prosecco, both of which give me a headache. So I passed. We were subsequently passed by a guy trundling a crate full of bottles of white wine, headed for somewhere else in the building.. I seriously considered an ambush..

And so we slogged upstairs, in due course. I then had to clamber down some more stairs, to reach my precarious seat at the edge:

There were a couple of people sitting inside me in the row - he congratulated me for making it all the way up there!

Ah, where to start. Multi-award-winning, eh? Well, someone beforehand did caution that that was in America.. Good point, and one that came back to haunt me through what I found a gruelling production. Now, I will happily concede that it's well-written - lyrically clever. The performances are top-notch. And I'm guessing the awards were mostly awarded on the basis of it being "woke". The protagonist - and author - is, by his own admission, fat, he's homosexual - of which his staunchly religious parents disapprove. He's in a dead-end job, which he hates, and his mother accuses him - with some justification - of wasting his expensive education. So he, em, decides to go off and write a musical about it.

Now, I love musical theatre as much as anyone - and as I say, this is award-winning in America - but could he not possibly have, I dunno, written a book instead? What in the name of all that's holy convinced him to write songs about this? And it's basically an autobiography - the "strange loop" of the title is an examination of the ego, as he explains to someone on the subway (actually a figment of his imagination, as are many of the characters on stage).

Someone was of the opinion that it went downhill in the second half - that there was something to applaud in the beginning, but after that, it became a feast of self-loathing. I agree about the self-loathing; I just failed to be much enthused about the first half either. As someone else pointed out, a lot of the American references were lost to a British audience - as a prime example, I was left wondering who on earth Tyler Perry was, who features so prominently! A couple of warnings, also - there's quite a graphic and disturbing sex scene, as well as a section where the lights are directed straight at the centre of the audience! A couple of our group were sat there, and one described being blinded - sure enough, that had occurred to me, sat safely over the side as I was.

This has been described in reviews as "hilarious".. well, I did laugh once. Mainly though, it came across to me as self-indulgent. And there he was on stage, with his "inner voices" telling him he had to let the audience know when to go home - and I was so tempted to yell "yes please!".. Now, some from our group absolutely loved it, and I'm happy for them. Me, I was first out of there.. Currently booking until the 9th of September, if you're curious.

Tomorrow, thinking film - and delighted to see that Asteroid City has risen in ratings, and is now top of my list! Ah well, that's a no-brainer - a Wes Anderson comedy, with an all-star cast, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Steve Park, Liev Schreiber, Matt Dillon, Steve Carell, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum (playing an alien, appropriately I guess..), Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie.. and probably some other people I recognise. Anyway, I love Wes Anderson's stuff - and it's on in my local cinema (for flat #1). And there are showings all day, so, given that I probably shan't have any other demands on my time that day, until I get another job, I can go to whatever suits!

On Thursday, thinking of heading back to Watkin's Bookshop, for the first time in an age - they have an author talk called Holy Waters - Searching for the Sacred in a Glass. There's a new book about this, which considers the use of alcohol in religion - sounds interesting!

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again. Still waiting to hear what rating the new Indiana Jones film will have - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny sees Harrison Ford, back again as the coolest archaeologist in the Western world. And yes, your eyes don't deceive you - that is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, tagging along as the female interest (his god-daughter). So, expect some good lines. And Antonio Banderas shows up as - someone scruffy-lookin'. And I'd be happy to see it - if only for the CGI that makes Harrison Ford look young and gorgeous again.. (there's some time travel, I believe).

Failing a high rating, or any rating (although it shouldn't be long) for that, the highest rated is, ahem, Jesus Revolution, based on a real-life spiritual movement across America in the 70s. Stars Kelsey Grammer as the straight-laced pastor whose daughter convinces him to give these long-haired hippies a go.. Showing, as is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in Limerick Omniplex.

And on Monday, I'm back with UITCS for A Playlist for the Revolution, at the Bush Theatre.

Circus: Les Enfants du Paradis

Tonight - headed out to Elstree, of all places, for Giffords Circus. Well, it was the best of what I saw advertised.. it's a helluva journey, and I planned to eat out there - they apparently had "food wagons". Well, I'm not working now, so I could leave at whatever time I needed to!

Whatever way you look at it, the quickest is train, then bus - which, depending on your route, should get you there in just under an hour. At best. So, I found myself on the Thameslink for the first time - on a train headed for Luton! Ah, so that's where it is - I'd always vaguely wondered. I was a bit puzzled by Google Maps' insistence that the train left from Platform B - but, sure enough, there are only two, dedicated, Thameslink platforms in St. Pancras. Now, I've fallen foul of the size of St. Pancras before - so I left home half an hour before the train was due to leave, despite Google Maps telling me I'd make it in less than half that time. And sure enough, the Thameslink platforms were right up the other end - I followed signs for "Trains to the airport". And made it with five minutes to spare.

Lovely, quiet, reasonably clean, air-conditioned trains. It took something like half an hour to travel the three stops to Elstree, then it was easy as pie to find the bus stop, right outside the station entrance - where an LCD screen informed me that I'd have to wait a few minutes. The bus journey, I have to say, was one of the bumpier I've had - and then I had to walk for a quarter of an hour or so. It's quite a rural-looking bit of the world - much of the architecture is pleasantly red-brick, there's lots of greenery. And I mused, as car after car zoomed past me, that heavy traffic seems to be a characteristic of the English countryside. So, it doesn't exactly feel.. rural. Meantime, I had the misfortune to be wearing sandals that chafed my feet - so it wasn't the pleasantest walk. Particularly when I discovered that the footpath on my side petered out - and with all that traffic, I wasn't risking walking on the road! So I carried on, on the wrong side of the road..

I came there in due course - I do believe I was the only person who didn't come by car. And the path in was all churned up, as by a tractor - so, tricky in sandals. I did make it, in the end. Was passed by a couple of circus employees, in costume, who bade me a cheery hello. Giffords obviously own all the catering vans - they're all painted in the same livery as the souvenir van, the toilet van - and, by the looks of it, the private vans for the performers!

My first mission was food - there were really only two food vans though: the burger van, and the Creperie. Now, had you been willing to pay a hefty sum, you could have signed up for the "circus sauce", a slap-up meal held in an adjacent tent. I hadn't. I decided the Creperie sounded more appealing - and was intrigued by the beef bourgignon crepe. Didn't take long for me to be served - and they also provide (wooden) knives and forks, and napkins. I had to sit on the ground to eat it properly - there wasn't anywhere else. Indeed, the filling was beef bourgignon. However, as a crepe.. nah. Weird. I didn't finish it. Happily, each van has its own bin. My trip to the bar, next, was more successful - although they only sell medium glasses of wine. And I'd hardly started mine when they started to let people in.

Seating - apart from "reserved" seats at the front, which I think are a perk of the "circus sauce" - is unassigned. But there isn't really a bad seat - the big top isn't that big!

An Aladdin's cave, to the side, stores props for upcoming acts:

Aw, this is such a terrific circus! They go with a French theme throughout - as per the title. The soundtrack is almost all French, or French-related, pop and classical - everything from Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens to Voulez-Vous, by Abba! by way of I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Misérables.. and the costumes are French-inspired:

All the acts have French names, too - these are the Soeurs d'Étoiles (Star Sisters):

A love story, involving a masked admirer, permeates the show:

and yes, you can't quite see it here, but she's wearing a bustle:

The artistry is terrific:

The classic French clown, Pierrot, makes an appearance:

The only animals in the show are miniature ponies - described by the ringmaster as "fat dalmatians":

This is the same ringmaster who turns up later as a trapeze artist! Everyone earns their way in this show - even the ponies double-job!

And the acts themselves are really accomplished - what this pair got up to was awe-inspiring, roller-skating around this small platform, and swinging off each other:

Some shadow-puppets:

A very stylish show, really entertaining - and let's not forget the clown, Tweedy, who is quite hilarious! The crowd get dragged into the ring at the end for a dance.. and mind you, there is a little audience interaction in general:

Runs till Monday - very highly recommended, if you can make the trip - for me, it was quite a trek, but worth it. Mind you, I mused as I trudged along, it was uphill in this direction.. Oddly, Google Maps no longer suggested Thameslink as an option, suggested I take the Tube from Edgware instead, taking the same bus a bit further on. I had to think to myself - I'd always thought of Edgware as being at the far reaches of the earth: but this evening, as I took such pains to get there, it seemed like the pinnacle of civilisation! Of course, more fun ensued when I got there, considering that - being at the end of the line - all the trains go in the same basic direction.. bless Google Maps for directing me right. Of course, when I got to King's Cross, I was hungry again - so I ended the night in Pret.

Tomorrow, my sometime-companion from Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) suggested a murder mystery! The Murder Express: Jewel of the Empire.. set on a train, and includes dinner (phew). Oh, lovely.. she got a Groupon deal, apparently..

On Saturday, delighted to be back with Expat Bucket List London! Well, back with the founder of both this and Bucket List London - I haven't actually been with the Expat group yet. Yippee, back to the Globe - for The Comedy of Errors. Unfortunately, while I'm in the Lower Gallery, as usual, the others are upstairs.. the organiser did offer to switch with me, so I'd have some company, but I wouldn't subject him to such a lower-priced seat! Anyway, I do like to be close. And if I can organise myself to move some stuff into my new place by then.. I might be walking to this!

On Sunday, back with Discover London - History Walks and Events to Discover the Secrets of the 19th Century London Docks. Always love this part of town - again, this is walking distance from my new place.

On Monday, got a cheap ticket with CT for From Swing to Soul, a concert series at Wonderville. I do wonder whether they fixed their tech issues from last time..

On Tuesday, back with UITCS again - this time, for A Strange Loop, at the Barbican. Multi-award-winning, it seems - cheaper tickets available from WhatsOnStage (WOS), fulfilled by London Theatre Direct. Interestingly though, to get the cheaper offer, buy through WOS..

On Wednesday, thinking film - and delighted to see that Asteroid City has risen in ratings, and is now joint top of my list! Ah well, that's a no-brainer - a Wes Anderson comedy, with an all-star cast, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Steve Park, Liev Schreiber, Matt Dillon, Steve Carell, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum (playing an alien, appropriately I guess..), Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie.. and probably some other people I recognise. Anyway, I love Wes Anderson's stuff - and it's on in my local cinema (for flat #1). My new flat isn't so close to a cinema, so I'll stay in the old one for this, while I still have access to it. And there are showings all day, so, given that I probably shan't have any other demands on my time that day, until I get another job, I can go to whatever suits!

Next Thursday, thinking of heading back to Watkin's Bookshop, for the first time in an age - they have an author talk called Holy Waters - Searching for the Sacred in a Glass. There's a new book about this, which considers the use of alcohol in religion - sounds interesting! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

And on the 3rd, I'm back with UITCS for A Playlist for the Revolution, at the Bush Theatre.

Plays: Northleigh 1940, In Stereo, and All of It

Yesterday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), for All of It, at the Royal Court. Which actually comprises three plays - the others being Northleigh, 1940 and In Stereo. Well, stuff got busy, so I didn't have much time to eat - I thought about eating in Cote, in Sloane Square - but I checked online, and they were pretty busy. So, it ended up being Pret.

It had to be Tube, again, this far west.. Google Maps said Victoria, followed by the District or Circle Line, would be faster, but I remember the Victoria Line being very stuffy, whereas the others have glorious aircon. And so it proved.. Once more, I ended up being the first to arrive in the theatre bar, where I nabbed a table by the toilets, and the others shortly joined me, and good conversation was had.

Now, I had to go up three levels for my seat in the Balcony - but I must have been getting more exercise lately, because I didn't feel as though I was going to expire! I ended up going in by the door on the other side, because my side was all full up - and it turned out that I was sitting behind some of the others:

Legroom was ok, despite the protests of the lady sitting beside me. And there's a railing to lean on, for each row in the Balcony.

So. This is a really interesting trilogy - the word "surreal" was bandied about a lot by our group afterwards (there is no interval). I wasn't the only one to think of Beckett as I watched - what with the rapid-fire dialogue, the unfinished dialogue snippets of All of It (think, for instance, Not I), the long pieces of In Stereo where we just hear a recorded voice, the actor doesn't speak (Krapp's Last Tape, anyone?). Someone remarked afterwards that what he was thinking of was Happy Days! Ah, I love a bit of Beckett.

But this isn't Beckett - just reminiscent of him. All the pieces are about women with interior lives. The first piece, Northleigh, 1940, is set in the author's childhood home, during the Blitz, and focuses on a young female typist, who loves to read (Lovecraft, I think, from the imagery). Most, I think, preferred the others, however - In Stereo, narrated in a Northern English accent, got uproarious laughter for its description of how a woman wakes in the middle of the night and goes downstairs - to find another version of herself watching television. And that's just the start of it.. All of It, finally, is a rapid-fire set of snippets, none quite finished but all recognisable, detailing a woman's life from - literally - birth to death. Fascinating.

Afterwards, just a few of us stayed for the Q+A, moving down to the Stalls - which were quite chilly! The Q+A was fascinating, featuring the writer - Alistair McDowall - and the two directors. And as one of our group remarked afterwards - no, we didn't get a huge insight into the plays: but we did get an insight into how his mind works, and how the plays might have come to be in this format - how he loves the way the words work together, for instance. I found the Q+A almost as fascinating as the plays, frankly - and those of us who stayed had a lovely chat afterwards. All in all, one of the best nights out I've had recently!

Catching the bus, my apps were agreed that I should go to a particular stop - which had none of them listed on it! The buses did stop there, mind, as I discovered while I was trying to find an alternative. It ran too late for me to blog afterwards, though - I was tired.

Tonight, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Where, again, there's absolutely nothing for me to watch. On Monday and Tuesday, thinking film - and the top-rated films on my list are all showing at my local cinema. As usual, I had to check that website specifically. Monday, it was looking like Pretty Red Dress, a comic drama about a red dress, and its effects on a family. However.. it's slipped in ratings! and now what's coming up is War Pony, the coming-of-age story of two young Native American boys.

On Tuesday, what's coming up is something not even advertised on my film list, tsk - dunno why I didn't notice it on the cinema website before, either. Seven Winters in Tehran tells the true story of a 19-year old girl in Tehran, who killed her would-be rapist, and was in turn sentenced to death herself, and imprisoned for seven years.

On Wednesday, back with UITCS - for We Will Rock You! at the Coliseum. Excellent - this didn't have tickets for the night I looked for before. Written by Queen with Ben Elton, should be a great night out.

On Thursday - heading out to Elstree, of all places, for Giffords Circus. Well, it was the best of what I saw advertised..

Next Friday, my sometime-companion from UITCS suggested a murder mystery! The Murder Express: Jewel of the Empire.. set on a train, and includes dinner. Oh, lovely.. she got a Groupon deal, apparently..

On the 24th, delighted to be back with Expat Bucket List London! Well, back with the founder of both this and Bucket List London - I haven't actually been with the Expat group yet. Yippee, back to the Globe - for The Comedy of Errors. Unfortunately, while I'm in the Lower Gallery, as usual, the others are upstairs.. the organiser did offer to switch with me, so I'd have some company, but I wouldn't subject him to such a lower-priced seat! Anyway, I do like to be close. And as I've now booked a flat on that side of town, and can hopefully move in on Wednesday.. I might be walking to this!

On the 25th, back with Discover London - History Walks and Events to Discover the Secrets of the 19th Century London Docks. Always love this part of town - again, this will be walking distance from my new place.

On the 26th, got a cheap ticket with CT for From Swing to Soul, a concert series at Wonderville. I do wonder whether they fixed their tech issues from last time..

And on the 27th, back with UITCS again - this time, for A Strange Loop, at the Barbican. Multi-award-winning, it seems - cheaper tickets available from WhatsOnStage (WOS), fulfilled by London Theatre Direct. Interestingly though, to get the cheaper offer, buy through WOS..

Plays: Bleak Expectations & The Shape of Things, & Album Launch: The Devil's on the Mast

On Wednesday, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Bleak Expectations, a Dickens-based comedy, with a different star every week, showing at the Criterion. We got Julian Clary.. I ended up going up a price band here, the cheap tickets all seemed so restricted!

Oh, what a horrendous couple of weeks it's been at work - hence the delay in the blog, I literally have been that busy. On that note, I did not have time to eat on Wednesday evening - dinner was a box of Maltesers and a glass of reasonably-priced sauvignon blanc at the theatre. We all met in the attractive Dress Circle Bar:

and chatted away until it was time to take our seats. I was fourth row from the front - someone else from the group was in my eyeline, but obligingly ducked to the side for me to take a shot of the stage!

It's a quirky stage, for a quirky play - as the blurb says, much as Dickens would have written, had he been at the gin. Julian Clary played - well, himself, except, as he pointed out, heterosexual, and a Victorian gentleman, whose own story he was supposedly narrating. It is, as you might suppose, a mishmash of various Dickens stories, with sundry Dickens quotes; a trio of siblings find themselves in trouble when their father dies, their mother goes insane, and a wicked guardian takes over, packing young Pip (the narrator's younger self) off to a suitably Dickensian boarding school, while conspiring to marry his elder sister and claim the family fortune for himself. Now, where have we heard that one before..?

It's utterly bonkers. It was exactly what I needed, but wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and one left at the interval. Be warned, it is a farce, it is exceedingly silly - but if you're cool with that, do go along, because it's a lot of fun. I, at least, had a great time! and the acting is excellent. Runs till the 3rd of September - recommended, for those who like their comedy OTT.

No time to blog afterwards - no time for a full night's sleep all week! When I came home, I was working - slept a few hours, and was back at it again..

Yesterday, back with North London Friends, for the first time in, oh, ages.. we were off to The Park, to see The Shape of Things. Different people from last time, these were some I knew before. But it's been years! Anyway, happily, this time I took time out to eat.. The Lucas Arms beckoned, and it was nice to feel human again! Caught a bus from just around the corner, and met the others, sat outside the theatre on what was an unusually nice evening, not as cold as recently. In fact, it was so nice, just sitting there, a gentle breeze blowing, that I couldn't even be bothered getting a drink beforehand..

There was a slight delay getting into the auditorium - when the usher got to scanning my ticket, her scanner - which had been playing up for ages - broke completely, and she finally gave up and let me in. I was right around the side - no photography, thank you: probably because two of the cast were already onstage.

The story is one of college students falling in love. They're interesting characters, but so far, so samey - I was wondering what made this so special.

I was to find out in the second half. Don't be fooled - this is seriously one of the best twists I've come across in a play, one of those classics that has you all talking afterwards and re-examining everything you thought you knew. I really can't say any more - except that, when they start to show things on the screen, don't worry if you're to the side, as I was - it's also shown on a small TV screen, directly opposite the main one. To reiterate - one of the best-written plots I've come across. Very highly recommended - runs till the 1st.

Afterwards - speaking of post-show discussions - we repaired to Oak, around the corner - which I haven't been to since I was last here with this group! I generally prefer New World wines, but last night found myself reverting to the sauvignon, even though it was Old World. What can I say, it is my favourite.. and an excellent chat was had, until it came time to go home. Where, of course, I was working again - not blogging, frankly, I couldn't face that on top. Anyway, lovely to see these people again! May the next time not be as long in coming.

Last night was as soon as I was able to consider what to do this evening - and I'd completely forgotten that Eleanor - of TunedIn.London and the World Music Meetup - had advertised an album launch - The Devil's on the Mast, by Cider with Kirsty (Ciderhouse Rebellion with Kirsty Merryn). At the Finnish Church. Folksy kind of music - I liked what I heard, and booked. Again, didn't really have time to eat, on what was the last working day for me, before the work deadline - I made for Pret, in the station. Sadly, not only was their main seating area closed off, but they didn't have the salmon sandwiches I love! so I went to the takeaway one, outside the door, instead, and ate my sandwich at a convenient bollard. Ah, food.. great start to the weekend.

A bit tight for time, I took the Underground, followed by the Overground, changing at Whitechapel - where, paradoxically, I had to climb down to get from the Underground to the Overground! Anyway, the sun streamed in the windows on the whole section above ground - it was a gorgeous evening to be travelling. I arrived quite early - said hi to Eleanor, took a seat near the front. Where, again, the sun streamed in the door to the garden - which was left open, allowing a lovely, cool breeze to waft over us. 

They make a lovely sound, complete with historical context - it's just a pity that the music was quite soothing, and I was fit to drop - I spent the entire concert fighting to stay awake! Absolutely no reflection on them - it's just that I could happily sleep for a week. Honestly, I was delighted that it finished a bit early - apart from giving me a bit of leeway with my evening, it meant that I could shop! which I was in dire need of. But anyway, lovely to get to another of these concerts. Even if it's a bit of a slog to get there.

And now I need to get to bed.. I have to be up in the morning.. uhh.. Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are headed on a new walk, Rockin' in the West End! Must dig out some U2 gear.. it certainly seems as though it's gonna be t-shirt weather! Tomorrow evening, I was supposed to be having my monthly get-together with my ex-work colleagues, too - at The Lucas Arms - but two can't make it, and the other two of us have decided to wait for next month, and do it properly.

On Sunday, back with the Crick Crack Club, for Dauntless - Grace O' Malley, Pirate Queen, at the British Museum. AKA Granuaile, she was a real person.. the pirate queen of the West of Ireland, who did one better than Mary, Queen of Scots, and actually did get to meet Elizabeth I! This one isn't told by Clare Murphy, though - it's Debs Newbold. 

On Monday, taking myself off to see The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. I've heard only good things..

On Tuesday, giving up on Meetup, I'm with TAC, for Mixed Omens - an improvised horror show, at the Drayton Arms.

On Wednesday, thinking film - and what's coming up is a documentary called The Pearl Button, set in Chile. Scenery looks spectacular.. this is showing in the ICA only. Wow, it's years since I was last there, too!

On Thursday, back with UITCS, for All of It, at the Royal Court. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Play: For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy

For tonight, I booked For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide.. at the Apollo. I had a front-row seat in the Dress Circle - now, I remembered ridiculously tight legroom, here - so I was at the end of a row, and Seatplan said it'd be OK if I leant forward.. Just a few days ago, they asked me to "check in", and thereupon sent me my ticket..

Blasted, boring work meetings always keep me a bit late on Wednesdays - I missed the luxury of the late show starts of the past two days! So, I didn't really have time for a proper meal - headed to Pret, ate quickly. Caught the bus - though I spent so long staring at it, stopped just down the road, that I wondered whether it had actually broken down! Perhaps they've moved the terminus, which is supposed to be around the corner..?

Beautiful evening for a drive, mind, glorious sunshine. On the second bus, we had some fun when a loud-mouthed guy with a Northern Irish accent got on. My, but he managed to start a row with everyone - two people standing on the street where he got on were making faces at him through the bus window, then he started a row with the passengers on our bus who were - rather unwisely - staring at him. The guy opposite him advised them to leave him alone, he wasn't "right in the head", but they were on a roll.. when they got off at the next stop, they were shouting back in at him as well! (Isn't it funny how, when an intervention might do some good, nobody can be found, yet at other times, people won't leave well alone?) Around the same time, the driver told him he'd put him off if he didn't keep quiet. Mercifully, I was getting off myself, the stop after.

Well, that's an unmercifully long show title, isn't it? I climbed the stairs to the Dress Circle, where the doors to the auditorium weren't yet open - got a drink at the bar. No seating.. but the doors opened almost immediately after, and I took my seat. The usher could use a little adjustment in her attitude, mind.. Just a teensy bit snappy.. Also, beware the steps here, they're uneven, and I spilled some of my drink while navigating them. The smoke billowing from stage before the show didn't help.

Yes, that's the view from the seat - Seatplan was dead right, as usual. You really do have to lean forward, and even then the view is partially obscured by that bar with the lights on. Legroom ok, given that I was on the aisle and could turn sideways - which I kind of had to do anyway, from that angle!

My mood was not improved by the incessant, loud hip-hop playing before the start - which was delayed by 10 minutes. I literally had a headache by the time it started. The house was pretty full by then. When the curtain rises, it's to six black fellows, who start with a dance routine - after that, it's kind of like a mixture of group therapy and roleplay, as they relate their experiences as young black men. A poster in the bar gives an extensive trigger warning - well duh, the word "suicide" even appears in the title! Sure enough, there are tales of stop-and-search, of being beaten by an alcoholic father - also someone's description of how black men can try to "better themselves" by "whitewashing" (going to college, acting like a white man), even thinking they're part of the club: until something happens, and they realise they're not.

They kind of lost me when one of them described an incident of "white saviour complex" - i.e. a six-year-old white boy, more popular with the girls than his black classmate, who offers to team up with him. Jeez, damned if you do, damned if you don't, huh? Combine that with the recurrent hip-hop (I don't have anything against hip-hop in general, but I was getting sick of it this evening), and the macho posturing.. the crowd laughing at things I just didn't find funny.. the crowd getting really jiggy with some hip-hop piece I didn't recognise.. and the guys striking a macho pose at the start of the interval, sending the crowd absolutely wild..

I practically ran out of there at the interval. Patently not my thing - I found it far too aggressive, although it certainly appeals to a lot of people. Outside, they had roped off the entrance - I had to squeeze around the barrier to get out. So, not the most successful of evenings! Well, at least I got home early.. Runs until the 7th. You have been warned.

Tomorrow, I'm with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

And on Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Five of us going so far..

Walk: Women of Mayfair from Monarchs to Mistresses and More

The weekend is all about London Herstory Guided Walks, the walks from a female perspective, as guided by Mandy Morrow. Today, it was Women of Mayfair from Monarchs to Mistresses & More. Mercifully, not too early.

Google Maps was being weird - if I asked it how to get there starting at the current time, whatever time it was, it gave me bus routes, as I wanted. If, however, I wanted it to get me there at the appointed time - it only gave me Tube! As it turned out, I left it late enough that Tube was the only reasonable option anyway. I had a choice of two - the Piccadilly Line was a lot busier, so I just went with the Victoria Line. Which whisked me there nice and quickly. We were to take the Stratton Street exit - from the map, I could see that was on the north side of Piccadilly, which helped; when I saw exits for the south side, I just headed for the other side of the station.

Outside, she was waiting with one other - a fourth arrived some time later. Now, this left a few people who just hadn't shown up - fair enough, one later apologised, said there were delays, and of course it can be hard to get signal. But it is bad form to leave people hanging, with no word. Well, we waited a bit, and off we went. A couple did later comment on the event page - but it's a funny thing, perhaps because she's the organiser, but the page view on Mandy's mobile doesn't seem to display regular comments, but only the "event chat", which displays in a separate folder. Ah well.. does make it hard for her to pick up messages, though.

Now, my weather forecast didn't say it'd drizzle - but it did, all day. Just as well my coat has a hood! First off, I learned something new - that Piccadilly was originally called Portugal Street, in honour of Catherine, the Portugese wife of Charles II! and that she popularised tea drinking. We had a little bit more about spies.. and saw many enormous edifices. This, for example, is the Spencer family's London pad:

and this is where Lady Hamilton, Nelson's mistress, laid her hat:

We hadn't much luck with churches; both that we entered had things going on. However, I did manage to get a shot of the stained glass window in St. James' Piccadilly. It was fascinating, also, to hear about the social initiatives that the (female) vicar of this church has initiated:

A curious trio of sculptures commemorates Twiggy:

And as advertised, from monarchs to mistresses - it's interesting to see what women of humble origins could achieve:

On another theme entirely, it's shocking to think how recently women could not own property, or retain custody of their children in a divorce; we saw a plaque to a woman who fought tirelessly to get that changed, inspired by her personal circumstances:

A fascinating walk - but as she admitted, perhaps a bit long; she's considering splitting it. Certainly, my niggling chest complained, and I got a coughing fit at one point. (Had anticipated this and brought Strepsils, which calmed it down much quicker than might otherwise have happened.) This is the thing - there's just so much you can say about even a small part of London. 

Well, I joined her in Pret - it was good to sit, and to have a sandwich, as I had walked up an appetite. And we had a lovely chat. I caught the bus home - traffic was dreadful, but I wasn't in a hurry. Curiously, TFL was warning about some stops being closed.. which weren't.. Well, by the time I got home, I was hungry again, and as I was passing O' Neill's, I nipped in there. Where I had no trouble getting a seat upstairs - service was iffy though, so I ordered on the app. Naturally, as soon as I was finished, the server appeared, asking what I'd like.. never mind, it was as delicious as ever. And with a very nice glass of wine, I didn't feel like leaving early, so had a second.

Tomorrow, a new walk for Mandy - Bloody Brilliant Bermondsey Women. Oh, and if you sign up to her newsletter, you get the next walk half price! I saw that offer in time for this walk.

On Monday, thinking film again - and what's coming up looks really interesting. Continuing on a women's theme, Women Talking is, apparently, based on real-life events in a Mennonite community, where women were being drugged, and sexually assaulted as they slept. Some ended up injured, some pregnant, some with STDs. The film is based on a book, imagining the women's response - in a community that doesn't even teach its women to read and write, the women mobilise to form a response to a group of uncaring elders, whose dictat is that they must forgive their attackers, or forfeit their place in heaven. Stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand - against type, as has been mentioned - as an older woman who does not support the younger women's rebellion against staying quiet. Also nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. Closest showing to me is in the Everyman King's Cross.

On Tuesday, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group, for an English Concert of Bach, at Wigmore Hall. Lovely, it's ages since I heard Bach..

On Wednesday, it's film again - this one is a BFI presentation of Joyland, an Indian film about a young man who joins a burlesque show, and becomes infatuated with the trans lady who runs it. I'm normally suspicious about Indian film, having had some bad experiences - but this trailer looks excellent, so I'll risk it. Showing in the Vue Islington - which I've booked, for once, as they now have theatre-style seat pricing, different seats in different locations at different prices!

On Thursday, back with TAC for Feel More X Lately, showing at the Lion and Unicorn. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

There follows a mostly Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) week. On the 27th, back with them for Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, at the Harold Pinter Theatre. This is a rom-com about a couple living in a dystopian state, which limits the number of characters they can speak. Lots of body language then, I guess! Frankly, I was delighted to see that, by the time I booked, the Balcony was sold out - the legroom there is woeful, and good luck to those who've booked up there. The cheapest price bracket left when I booked included some in the Dress Circle - and thanks to Seatplan, I seem to have identified a decent seat among them. Watch this space.. cheapest tickets from the official site, but I booked with From the Box Office, which had tickets at the same price, but without the booking fee.

On the 28th, my one non-UITCS day that week - back with Over 40 Living the Life, for a dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club. Ooh la la..

On the 1st, back with UITCS at the Arcola for Afghanistan is Not Funny, the true story of a British comedian and photographer in war-torn Afghanistan.

On the 2nd, with them again at the Peacock (think I can walk to that!) for Bat Out of Hell, a musical based on the music of Meat Loaf. Awesome - just a pity it isn't one of the singalong nights..

On the 3rd, ending a run of UITCS with Lucrezia Borgia, by the English Touring Opera Company, at the Hackney Empire.

On the 4th, 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 must have been reading the blog - because yesterday, 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..

On the 5th, 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 the 6th, back with - you guessed it - UITCS, for Romeo and Julie, at the Dorfman.

On the 7th - not so much appeals 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'm not confirming until nearer the time.

On the 8th - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham.

On the 9th, my final booking - for now - 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.