Film: Mari

Yesterday was film, and the film was Mari. Looked interesting - closest showing to me was in the Curzon Bloomsbury, which was one of two places where it was premiering, courtesy of the BFI. It wasn't booking out until the very last minute, when - finally - just over 50% of seats were booked: so I booked shortly before I headed out, at 5.20pm, an hour before the film. And just nicely made a bus.

It had been raining all day, but decided to take a welcome break as I headed for the cinema. When I entered the lobby, I checked my phone for my e-ticket - I'd got the confirmation email, but the e-tickets come separately. Well wouldn't you know it, the damn thing hadn't arrived! I proceeded downstairs (where all the screens are) - I wasn't sure which screen it was on in, as the confirmation didn't say. The usher at the foot of the first set of stairs asked for my ticket - and I had to go through the palaver of showing him my inbox to prove it hadn't come. So he printed one out for me. Unbelievably, it the e-ticket didn't come through until an hour after the scheduled start time of the film - two hours after the confirmation email! Beware of last-minute online bookings.. with the kerfuffle, I'd accidentally left my handbag in the lobby! It wasn't until I finally got my printed ticket that I remembered it and ran up to get it. I was lucky it was still there.

As it turned out, it was showing in the Renoir - named for the cinema that was here previously. And as usual, lovely Pullman seats.. now, this screen is a bit large for the room it's in, so my seat - towards the edge, third row from the front - was quite a side-on view. My recommendation - sit at the back, as centrally as possible. Mind you, as it turned out, I was sat right behind the people who'd be in a Q+A at the end - including the writer/director and one of the actors. Well, until they decided to sit towards the middle - although most of my row had been booked up, it turned out to be empty; I guess they'd block-booked it for associates of the film, if they'd wanted to come. There was also a survey to fill out - and, organised as they were, they provided pens! So I got a free pen for my troubles.

The film centres on, and opens with, contemporary dance. So I was a little dubious, to start. But I soon found myself rooting for the dancer/choreographer that we see at the beginning, rehearsing a piece, as she discovers that her gran is failing, and she has to leave London - at what is a critical time for her - and take herself down to Dorset. Where she meets her rather estranged family, and it soon becomes apparent that she has nothing in common with them. Her mother is distant, concerned only with the old woman's imminent demise, her sister (half-sister, perhaps, as there's such a difference between them) is absolutely scathing, never losing an opportunity to criticise the dancer's lifestyle, or the fact that she comes down so seldom. Jealous, you might say. The only people she's really close to are her gran (predictably, or there wouldn't be much of a story) and her absent father, who makes one appearance during the film - on the phone - and whose brief conversation causes his estranged wife to throw her eyes to heaven.

Oh, that poor girl. We learned in the Q+A that she's actually a professional dancer, with no acting experience! Awesome performance then, really. And the film is visually stunning, the dance pieces expressing her inner turmoil. It did ring very true as to the experience of a family, thrown together by family drama - indeed, much of it seems to have been based on the writer/director's personal experience. I can see why the idea won the funding for conversion from a short to a feature. Basically, a delightful film, lovely to look at, and quite touching. I was also happy I stayed for the Q+A. Opens officially on the 21st - go see. Oh, and ShowFilmFirst has free tickets to a preview in the BFI itself tomorrow night, if you're free.

Afterwards, had to run the gauntlet of several bicycles on the pavement, both as I left the cinema, and as I made my way to my old flat to move more stuff. Guaranteed, cyclists are the last to obey the rules of the road!

Tonight is my first Meetup in a week - and just like the last Meetup, I'm with London Literary Walks!  This is A Dickens Walk - but as usual, I'm sure that's not all we'll cover. Meeting at The Gladstone Arms - and I see another person I recommended these walks too is coming along, at last! Should be a good evening.

Tomorrow, I'm back for a pub night with Spooky London - we're at The Anchor Tap.

And on Friday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Education, Education, Education at Trafalgar Studios. Set in a school in the 90s, it looks like great fun..

Film: Three Identical Strangers

Tonight, I might have gone with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) to Sadler's Wells, for Since She by Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch - they were excellent before. Unfortunately, they were completely sold out by the time I got around to thinking of it. And the London European Club (LEC) was off to an interesting-sounding talk called Refugia: Solving the Problem of Mass Displacement at the LSE - but you know, it was on early, first come first served, and I have so much to do.. I couldn't be bothered rushing. Instead, I thought film again - and the candidate was an interesting-sounding documentary called Three Identical Strangers, about triplets, separated at birth, who met by chance in later life. Only showing at the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Turned out to be a very good thing that I didn't commit myself to something early - we had an all-hands, and then an emergency meeting about the all-hands, all on foot of some dramatic news at work. Basically, we're selling off part of the business. Works out well for the London office - certainly for my department, which can now concentrate on one product instead of two. Anyway, it was also good to get some more work done before I left.

Heading for the bus, I saw one at the stop. I didn't run, though - I figured I'd never get there in time, plus there was something suspicious about the recovery vehicle parked behind it, with flashing lights. Sure enough, turned out it was broken down - but another was along quickly, and I just made the cinema in time, arriving during the trailers. Yay, again I didn't have to push past anyone - and yay, I'd forgotten the Pullman seats, which recline automatically when you sit down. Lovely.

Of all the doc trailers I've seen recently, this surely looked the most entertaining. And so it proves - the story of triplets who find each other as adults is truly remarkable. We learn early on that one has committed suicide by now - the other two are entertaining to listen to. Interviewed separately to begin with, when they combine towards the end of the film, they display a touching closeness. As one of them describes, however, the same wasn't true of their birth mother, whom they traced but didn't really feel a connection with.

How they met is a phenomenal story. And seeing the tv footage, I'm sure I remember some of it from back in the day. Funny to see how they embraced fame - they had a cameo in Desperately Seeking Susan! They subsequently opened a restaurant - Triplets - which they ran themselves. Closed now. But their story, as told by the surviving brothers and the wives of all three, as well as a couple of friends, is compelling. Less successful is the description of the clinical study that was the reason for their separation in the first place! Yes, they were placed with three separate families of different socioeconomic groups, to see whether they'd develop differently. An experiment in nature vs nurture.. during the film, we learn how the organisation responsible was reluctant to let them see their records, but relented on foot of this film. Results, however, were inconclusive - and when it was explained to the brothers what the experiment was for, one of them said he felt like a lab rat. Seems the experiment died a death when they accidentally met.

Really interesting film, with a great soundtrack from the 70s and 80s - go see. And although it started a lot later, it was also a lot shorter than last night's - so I got back a lot earlier. Oh and yes, the broken-down bus was still there. I was thinking of film for the rest of the week, too - but the offerings at the top of the list weren't that attractive. Instead, the World Music Meetup is coming to my rescue with three gigs in a row at The London Jukebox, not so far away. Having been to a gig with this organiser before, I'm not expecting to meet anyone - but the music sounds good to me. Tomorrow is Rum Buffalo.

Saturday is Mario Bakuna and Edmundo Carneiro - and is seated, happily.

Sunday is Roda de Choro with Alvorada.

Monday and Tuesday, I'm back with UITCS. Monday is Tartuffe, by Molière, at the National.

Tuesday is a show called Bare: A Pop Opera, at The Sainsbury Theatre.

On Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do This for another meal at Tas, meeting at The George again beforehand.

Next Thursday, I'd have loved to go with UITCS for Season 7, the last of Pinter at the Pinter. Unfortunately, when I checked, although they still had tickets - they were either standing or a minimum price of £93 for that night. Nah, don't really want to go that badly! Never mind, the LEC is off to a concert of French Chansons: The Sparrows of Paris, at Old Mary's. That's a most acceptable choice! Then I'm back to Ireland at the weekend again.

And on the 25th, I am back with UITCS to Sadler's Wells for Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch! This time though, it's Bon Voyage, Bob. And with cheaper tickets in the back row of each of the lower levels, I'm in the stalls for the first time in ages! Annoying overhang, but hey, they're the cheapest seats, and I get to avoid all those stairs, for once.

Film: Shoplifters

Tonight - gee, film again looked like the best option! (I'm doing very well at working my way through my film list.) And so to the other film I wanted to see at the Curzon Bloomsbury - Shoplifters is a Japanese film about a family of shoplifters that take in a waif. And when I checked yesterday evening, there were only a few seats left for this evening - so I booked. I decided I should be finished in time to make it.

As it turned out, today that evening meeting was just cancelled for the whole week. But of course, that meant that when the time came to leave, I was in the middle of something - so I did leave slightly late. Never mind, the evening isn't half as cold as yesterday was, and I arrived during the ads, but before the trailers, which are the best thing before the feature. Despite the website's description of so many seats being booked, there were some vacancies. I was supposed to have the aisle seat, this time - but the young lady sitting in it asked whether we could swap, because she needed to leave early. So I ended up mid-row - which was ok. The seats to one side of me were free until a couple arrived, once we were a few minutes into the film.

So, this film focuses on a typical family that aren't terribly well-off, and tend to indulge in petty crime. Actually, most of it, many of us are quite familiar with - the one that works in a laundry nicks things left in the pockets, for instance. Slightly more OTT is the Fagin-like character, who has taught the boy to shoplift quite effectively. Anyway, they're on their way home one evening when they come across a wee girl, cute as a button, sitting out in the cold and looking longingly at the takeaway they're eating. So they give her some - and, it being so cold, take her home to get something proper to eat. While there, they see how scrawny she is, and upon examination of her arms, they realise she's covered in scars. So the mother takes pity on her, and decides she should stay with them, as she's obviously not being cared for at the moment.

This is a terrifically heartwarming film. Never mawkish, it shows us the differing routines of the different characters, who turn out to be a disparate, spirited and likeable bunch. It isn't until the very end that we discover what's really going on with each of them - at which point we're pointedly asked the question - what really makes a family? Thought-provoking and endearing, this is a film whose characters will stay with me for a while. Recommended.

Delighted to be back with Chronicles tomorrow, for his Spooky Westminster Tour (Bloody London). As advertised with Walking in London - but rather than book with Funzing, I booked with Chronicles directly for a cheaper price!  Well, Funzing's discounts aren't generally terrific, these days.

Back to Ireland for the weekend, and on Monday we have our monthly team social. We decided to go for a meal somewhere good in Soho I'd been before - and after some detective work, I discovered it was Bistro1. Inviting some people outside our teeny team, too..

Film: Roma

Tonight, I had arranged to go with the London Jazz Meetup - but gee, it was all the way out in Ealing! So I said sod it, I'd go to the pictures again. Now, three films were tying at the top of my list, all at an IMDB rating of 8.1. Njan Prakashan, however, is showing no closer than the Odeon Lee Valley - forget it. The other two are - much more attractively - on in Curzon Bloomsbury. And the winner was - Roma. Partly because it was on later, and I was supposed to have an evening meeting - and partly because it's directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It's a year in the life of a Mexican maid in the 70s, and is based on his childhood memories.

Well, for a start, I was so glad not to be travelling to outer London, on a day when people kept posting pictures of snow, taken from out their windows! No, we stayed nice and snow-free in Central London. Mind you, it was vexing to have my evening meeting bumped to tomorrow - never mind, I got stuff done in the office before making my way. Suspicious of the show selling out, I kept an eye on it all day - finally, over half the seats were sold, and I said I'd better go for it. Rather attractive e-tickets, in the pattern of old-fashioned paper ones.

The bus fairly flew into town - but my 10-minute walk to the cinema was viciously cold. I defrosted pretty quickly once I stepped inside the door - and made my way downstairs, where all the screens are. Mine was the "Phoenix" - I had a feeling I'd be right on the inside of the row, and so it proved: but handily, I was the first in that row to arrive (just), so I wasn't disturbing anyone. Now, the Curzons aren't cheap - but at least an expensive cinema is guaranteed to have good seats, and so it proved, as I sank into my plush pullman, which reclined automatically as I relaxed. The only thing to mar my enjoyment was the constant, high-pitched whine, which I think was the projector, and which was prominent during quiet moments.

A few trailers, and the standard advertising reel proclaiming this to be a European cinema, with EU funding: like all the Curzons. Jeez, wonder how they'll fare after Brexit, when their funding is pulled.. I can't see an economically struggling UK being much bothered with the arts. And so we were off, with an artistic opening, in black and white, showing someone sloshing soapy water over a tiled surface, so that it reflects the sky above the surrounding buildings. A plane passes.

We soon discover that we are following a young, Mexican maid on her daily chores, as she helps to care for a family of a mother, a grandmother, and four kids. There is a father, who's rarely there. There's a dog, who poos constantly all over the entrance hall, where they park their cars - cleaning it up is one of the maid's jobs. It's one of the many little touches of humour throughout.

You're in good hands with this director. He sets a lovely, languid pace, with long periods of silence - but that belies an awful lot of activity in the story. Make no mistake, this is an eventful year, with personal dramas, some personal tragedy, and some politics - they get caught up in the student protests of 1971. But where another film's characters might have turned hysterical, these by and large just get on with getting on. Despite living through some truly surreal events. And the director knows the sheer power of silence, allowing the most emotional scenes to go without dialogue. Truly, truly affecting. Highly recommended. (10 Oscar nominations!) I swear though, the story seems so familiar to me - if anyone recognises it from anywhere, please let me know, it's really bugging me!

On the way back, I was very, very glad to see my bus come straight away - although it wasn't as cold as when I set out. Tomorrow - gee, film is again looking like the best option! (I'm doing very well at working my way through this list.) And so to the other film showing at the Curzon Bloomsbury - Shoplifters is a Japanese film about a family of shoplifters that take in a waif. And when I checked this evening, there were only a few seats left for tomorrow evening - so I booked. I should be finished in time to make it.

Delighted to be back with Chronicles on Thursday, for his Spooky Westminster Tour (Bloody London). As advertised with Walking in London - but rather than book with Funzing, I booked with Chronicles directly for a cheaper price!  Well, Funzing's discounts aren't generally terrific, these days.

Back to Ireland for the weekend, and on Monday we have our monthly team social. We decided to go for a meal somewhere good in Soho I'd been before - and after some detective work, I discovered it was Bistro1. Inviting some people outside our teeny team, too..

Film: I Am Not Your Negro

Yesterday, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith, with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon & Greenwich, Random London, and London Live Comedy. Something, frankly, that I usually cancel - and eventually, I got an email advertising a film showing last night. Well, I'd rather go to a film! Did the film list, and eliminated oh, so many films that weren't showing yesterday - or not at a time I could manage (this was also the only evening this week that I had a late meeting). Left at the top of the list was I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary about race in America. Its IMDB rating actually went up! which is always unusual. Showing in a few places in town, but the Curzon Bloomsbury (formerly the Renoir) was the handiest for me to get home after. Not to mention the cheapest, showing as part of the Thursday DocHouse programme. I eventually booked it, since over half the seats were gone already.

So, since it was a late showing, I hung on in the office for quite a while, having a sandwich before heading out - into the pouring rain, of course. I mean, I was glad not to be headed out to Hammersmith in this - but it was hardly much better having to traipse all the way up to the Curzon Bloomsbury! And then I didn't quite remember the way, and had to keep checking my phone - and while it worked fine in the rain, what didn't was the button that detects my fingerprint, to turn off sleep mode. So, it was a frustrating trip. Well, I made it pretty much in time - I arrived during the trailers (of which there were only five minutes' worth), took my comfortable, reclining seat, peeled off my perpetually sodden coat, and relaxed. (It wasn't completely sold out, BTW, but nearly.)

As you might expect, it's a powerful piece - Oscar-nominated, I believe. I'd never heard of him, but there was a black American author, James Baldwin, who was a friend of three black men who were assassinated in the 60s - as he said, all younger than he was; none lived to see 40. The first, who died in 1963, was the only one of the three I hadn't heard of; Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist in the hotbed of Mississippi. Then there was Malcolm X in 1965 - and Dr. Martin Luther King, in 1968.

So, he agreed to write a book about them, and about the black experience in America. But he only got 30 pages written before he died - well, they've taken that manuscript, and extended it, and made a film out of it. Samuel Jackson narrates what is a stunning script - it is an absolute joy to listen to the words of such an eloquent and erudite man. We do get to see Baldwin in person too, mainly in clips from a tv chat show, during the course of which he argued with a (white) philosopher who thought he was blowing up the race issue.

Stunning use of film clips, tv coverage, and still photos describes a journey from - well, the 19th century really, although it doesn't feature much - right through to the present day. And, by jumping back and forth in time, the film makes a clear connection between the Nazi book burnings and the hate rallies of white supremacists; snippets of Baldwin talking about the likelihood of a black president are, of course, interspersed with Obama's inauguration ceremony (couldn't miss that opportunity!); his description of television feeding its audiences a fantasy view of the world, thus leaving them ill-equipped for the real one, is accompanied by footage from modern gameshows and Jerry Springer, egging his "guests" to the point where they physically attack each other: and a description of young black men turning to violence is accompanied by pictures of young black men that died in the last few years.

Plus ça change, indeed. And his view of American society is a profoundly depressing one. He describes American cities as among the most violent in the world, and describes the revelation he experienced when he moved to Paris as a young man, and could concentrate on his writing, rather than being afraid of the police all the time. Looking at the photos of white, mostly male, students jeering at a young black girl going to school in the deep south, I can hardly disagree. And yes, they did show the Rodney King beating. Not a film that everyone in the audience was comfortable with, nonetheless this is an important commentary. On television, as much as on the black experience.

And then I got soaked on the way home again. Tonight, I saw that London Social Detours (a side-shoot of Ken's Events) were charging £3 to go to the free jazz concert at the Royal Academy. So I was going to go on my own. Free. But then the London European Club (LEC) advertised a Norwegian Dixieland concert at Jamboree.. well, that sounded like more fun, so now I'm going to that instead.

Tomorrow, I'm doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less. (God, I hope the rain lets up!) Got a message that that group was closing as well - followed by an email invitation to take over as organiser, as one of its top members! For goodness' sake, I've only been to seven of their Meetups.. and I'm too busy to be taking over a group I don't care about. Anyway, they've only advertised Funzing stuff, with no social element - and there are a few other groups doing that. It'd have been different, had the Man with the Hat wanted someone to take over. May it not be too long before we see him again. 

On Sunday, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting. Managed to dig out my Rough Guide to England too, when I was in Ireland over the weekend - must photocopy the bit on Northampton!

On Monday, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.

On Tuesday, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.

Wednesday was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So then I was going to Urban Legends of London. But do you know, I completely forgot to mention that the World Music Meetup then advertised a Brazilian concert in Sands Film Studios - adore that venue. So that's now where I'm going that day! and barring the proverbial accident, fire, or flood, that's final.

On Thursday, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!

On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.

On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.

On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!

Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!

The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!

And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.

Film: Tickling Giants

For yesterday, I booked a guided walk through Islington - Between the Wars - with London for a Tenner or Less. Funzing, so I could cancel, provided I did it in time - and then I decided I'd rather go to a film. Top of the list were a couple of documentaries, and the one I was more interested in was Tickling Giants, about a comedian and chat show host, Baseem Youssef, from Cairo, who was always sticking two fingers up to the authorities, and getting in trouble for it. (I've been particularly interested in Egypt since I visited, back in 2000.) It was showing, yesterday only, in the Curzon Bloomsbury (which used to be the Renoir) - walking distance from me, nice! (especially considering how much trouble it always was to get to, before). Seeing that it was starting to fill up, I booked, and cancelled Funzing. Again - I have a litany of cancelled Funzing events, these days!

Beautiful day, yesterday - really felt like the start of spring. Ironically, it would have been a lovely day for a walk - but honestly, I was exhausted, and glad not to have to get up early, or exert myself overly. Instead, I made myself sleep in, ate brunch and dinner together, finished my book, napped, started another, rather excellent book, and after having all day to get there, was still rushing for the evening's showing! So I found myself dashing through elegant Georgian terraces and leafy squares, and arrived at the shopping centre in which the cinema is located at just around film time.

Google Maps did one of its silly things now, directing me straight through shops that were closed, it being a Sunday evening. Happily, I had been there before, and was familiar with roughly where the cinema is located. So, down to the basement - have they changed the layout slightly since I was last here? And down to the dochouse, at the back. Careful - although there's a dochouse sign in front of you, that's not where it is - I went through that door, to find myself on a back stairway, leading into darkness both up and down. Ah - no. So I backtracked, and found the screen up some steps to the side.

Oddly, for a performance that the website told me was selling out, there was hardly anyone there..! Took my seat - a comfy pullman - and watched some trailers. The row behind me was completely taken up by a row of people, most of whom were speaking Arabic - I guessed they were Egyptian, and sure enough, during the film, one exclaimed to their American companion that "Hey, that's our friend!" on screen.

Well now, I never before heard of Baseem Youssef, but apparently he was known as the Arabic Jon Stewart! And you know, I really took to the guy. Dashing good looks, with startling blue eyes (shared with his brother, whom we see in one scene), we see him at the start of the film at work as a surgeon. As he says, he started doing satirical pieces on YouTube, then got offered a tv show - the choice was obvious, and he broke his parents' hearts by giving up medicine to become a comedian.

Man, he's funny! With a nice line in satire (a sign in the office stated "Sarcasm: because beating the shit out of people is illegal"), as he says, he's doing what he used to do as a surgeon - cutting to the heart of the matter. We see him out in the streets with the protestors during the Arab Spring, we see some very funny pieces to camera where he lampoons the authorities. He and Jon Stewart appeared on each others' shows.

And side-by-side with the jokes, we get a potted history of what has become known as the Arab winter - as it unfolded in Egypt. As I say, I was there - and I feel so sad to see what's happened there, and is still happening. The dictator, Mubarak, was deposed and the first free elections were held - only for them to get another dictator, Morsi. The military staged a coup, and they now have a third, military dictator - Sisi.

And Baseem Youssef was there for all of it, bravely sticking two fingers to them. But his problems really started with the coup. Mubarak and Morsi weren't popular, and when he made fun of them, he caught the popular mood. However, the military takeover was a popular move, and people started to turn away from criticism of Sisi. In a movement we've seen all too often of late, the people conveniently blinded themselves to the real truth, decided that the version of the truth peddled by government and media was the one they'd follow, and shouted down anyone who disagreed.

Baseem found his show cancelled on one channel, so he moved to another - individual episodes were cancelled because of criticism of one politician or another, his signal was blocked, and finally he was given an ultimatum - behave! Rather than compromise the show, he cancelled it entirely. And when he was hit by a lawsuit - by one of his former employers, saying he'd breached his contract by presenting material they couldn't air - and faced with the largest amount ever awarded in an Egyptian lawsuit - which he couldn't pay: facing possible jail time, he took his family and fled to the States.

It's sad, you know - here was a truly gifted comedian and satirist, whose voice was drowned out by the voice of the mob. God help Egypt, and those imprisoned there - the father of one of his employees was imprisoned for eight months without charge, in an attempt to scare Baseem. Indeed, an Irish citizen has also been imprisoned there without trial, for going on four years now. Ibrahim Halawa was imprisoned with his sisters, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - they were visiting Cairo when a protest erupted around them. His sisters were released, but not Ibrahim - now he's on hunger strike, and there are fears for the young man's life.

Tonight, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club - at Soho Theatre this time, for an evening of Greek mythology entitled Atalanta, brought to us by the able Ben Haggerty. You know, now that I'm a Westminster resident, I have a Westminster card, which - among other things - entitles me to £1 off at this theatre! Pity I didn't yet have it when I booked this..

Tomorrow, Let's Do London - for less! is back at the Opera House, for Madama Butterfly. I'm in the slips, as usual. Was telling this to one of my colleagues - he's seen it, apparently, and was very impressed. And we must have a chat, with the Man in the Hat..

Wednesday - why, it must be summer! Welcome back, London Literary Walks - good to see you. We're on The Composers' Walk - apparently a repeat. And yay, we're meeting in Caffe Nero - I can have a chocolate Milano.

On Thursday, I'm with the World Music Meetup, for a free concert of Iranian music at the Brunei Gallery. It's been a while for me, with both group and venue.. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again, and a meeting with my birth and adoptive mothers on the 8th. That's assuming we can agree on a venue - we had decided on Greene's, but there's no parking, my mother can't walk any distance, and while she had agreed to take a taxi, she's now gone and changed her mind. I've asked whether the venue can be changed - no word yet; it's more awkward, as we're still communicating through a social worker.

On the 10th, I'm back at the Wanamaker Playhouse - always a favourite - for The White Devil, a Jacobean tale.

On the 11th, I got a cheap ticket to the Caine and Kane comedy show, in Brixton.

On the 12th, I'm with LDAM to see Don Juan in Soho, with David Tennant, in Wyndham's. Just down Charing Cross Road - nice!

Then I'm back to Ireland for Easter - on Good Friday, my (adoptive) mother and I are off to La Bohème, at the University Concert Hall.

On the 18th, back in London, and back with Funzing - London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less, for a talk on the Science of Paranormal Activity. Unless I get a better offer, in time - it'd have to be a good one, I'm interested in this!

On the 19th, London Literary Walks is off down Brick Lane - and so am I.

On the 20th, I have my usual placeholder of free comedy in Hammersmith - courtesy of Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Of course - much like Funzing - I usually end up cancelling these, when something better comes up.

Ditto the 21st - or I may go to the cinema that day. As usual, watch this space..!

On the 22nd, I'm off to see the Naked House Cleaner! Venue to be revealed just the day before.. ooh!

On the 23rd, I'm on a walk of Hampstead Village Highlights, with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. Be good exercise, leading up to my own sponsored walk in September, in aid of Cats Protection.. Helen and I are going as Dick Whittington and his cat. She's the cat.

The 24th, another summery treat! The Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players will regale us with Shakespeare-inspired improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long.

The 25th, London European Club again - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.

The 26th, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger.

The 27th, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!

Instead, for 1 May, I've booked The Ferryman, with LDAM, at the Royal Court.

And 2 May, those same three Funzing groups have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction?

Film: The Man Who Saved the World

Someone in the office has a birthday at the weekend, so we celebrated early, with lunch at Eat Aroi Thai. I had no idea where it was, so followed the crowd, and it turned out to be not that far from the office. And we were sat at the high, large central table. Décor is quite sparse - grey walls, bamboo lampshades: as someone remarked, advertising street food means they can get away with that.

They have an odd way of dealing with large groups - they took our orders individually, started preparing them immediately, and brought them individually, as soon as they were ready. Which meant that some of us were eating before others had even ordered! Anyway, I couldn't resist the Massaman lamb, which was advertised as "rated the world's tastiest curry". Well, it was nice, but I wouldn't describe it as exceptional. The lemonade I had with it was very refreshing though - a better choice than the chrysanthemum juice that someone else had, which she described as "weird". Someone in the group who's allergic to MSG had checked in advance, and been told that they don't use it - but when her dish arrived, she didn't have time to taste it before the server took it back, to be replaced with one that was DEFINITELY safe. At the end, individual bills were brought in little, individual dishes, in which our change was also returned.

I took myself off to the cinema tonight - and top of the list was The Man Who Saved the World, a documentary about the Soviet officer who refused to give the counterattack order when the missile detection system malfunctioned and told them that they were under attack. Showing only at the Curzon Bloomsbury, which used to be the Renoir, and whose Bertha Dochouse is, as advertised, the only screen in London entirely dedicated to documentaries.

It's a long time since I've been there, although I remembered it was quick and easy to get to from Russell Square. I did check, just to be sure - turn right when you leave the station, cross the road and head up the steps. I vaguely remembered that the cinema is to the right on the upper level, but Streetview didn't extend that far.

I spent a bit too much time playing Yatzy for Windows, and arrived a little late. But the great thing about (regular) cinemas is they don't mind that. I was a bit confused when I arrived at that upper level - as I say, it's been a while and a lot of new shops have cropped up to confuse the landscape. But as you go further along, there's a helpful signpost - still to the Renoir - pointing to the right.

I bought my ticket and followed the steps down to the basement, passing a second bar on the way (there's one at the entrance too). I do wonder whether they're planning to carpet the stairs - it looks as though a stair carpet has been removed, and they look a little bare. Anyway, when you finally get to the basement, it's all subdued lighting, yet another bar, and tv screens. Plenty of mixing areas here. I wasn't sure of my directions from here - they've changed the layout a bit, and I think added some screens - so it helps to know to go to the left, follow the corridor to the end and it's up a short flight of steps. As the girl who tore my ticket told me.

It had just started when I got there. I debated about where to sit - it was pretty full - and finally decided the front row wasn't too close to the screen, and had the advantage that I didn't have to push past anyone. I took a free seat at the end - and got a pleasant surprise when the seat adjusted its angle to whatever position I wanted to sit in! So they've installed Pullman seats here now, as in the other Curzons. Lovely - and the Dochouse is cheaper than regular Curzon prices, so this is the cheapest way to get this luxury. All I needed now was something to put my feet up on.

It's a fascinating film, focusing quite intimately on the man at the centre of the story. We see his trip to America, where he receives an award at the UN, and visits Robert de Niro and Matt Damon - and Kevin Costner, who invites him to come visit. The entire film, however, is interspersed with reconstructions of his past. Most of the reconstructions, of course, concentrate on the pivotal events of that night, when he had to decide whether to retaliate against an apparent, deadly threat. This works really well for the film, as we get to relive dramatic scenes from the Cold War, including tv footage of Reagan mouthing off, and Soviet troops marching. Wow, those were serious times - brings back some memories.

Anyhoo, I'd noticed a podium in front of the screen, with a laptop on it - and a mic on the floor beside it. Sure enough, after the film (stay for the credits, they include more footage), a couple of DocHouse staff came down and desperately tried to get Skype to work on the laptop. It wouldn't log them in, of course. Finally it did, and they called the film's producer for a very interesting Q+A. As he remarked, they really should have made a film about the making of the film, there were so many issues. And as he spoke, the background spun quite mesmerizingly behind him - he must have been holding the laptop and turning around in a circle! As the Dochouse person remarked at the end, it was the most mobile Skype conversation she'd been a part of.

On my way back, it was a good thing I knew where the station was, because the sign wasn't lit. Neither was the platform indicator working. But a train arrived eventually, and I got home. In other news, one of our ex-colleagues was at lunch who's also a member of Hard Façade - and had finally brought the tickets with him! So I got my ticket for their gig tomorrow night at Surya. 'Bout time they played on a night I can go!

Film: Nymphomaniac: Volume II

Yes, well, what happened was what I was going to go to was sold out, when I checked it today. We'll see whether I can get a ticket for some time next week or thereafter. In the meantime, it was back to the film list again.

Top of the list was one called How We Played the Revolution. Well, it may have been top in terms of IMDB ratings, but when I read how it's the story of how a group of Lithuanian cabaret artists started a revolution against Russian occupation by making jokes about them, I thought - "What?!" A touch too surreal for my taste. The second film on my list was Drugstore Cowboy. I'm sure it's very good, but, with it made in 1989, I can already tell how depressing it's going to be. I didn't feel like that either.

So that brought me down to Nymphomaniac: Volume II.  Well, I had no doubts about that - until I started running through the list of cinemas showing it, only to find that most were either not showing it today, or not at a time I could manage, being at work until late afternoon. I was saved by the Renoir, which is, at least, in the city centre, albeit at the other side of it. Not selling out either - but I would have to go straight from work, which I did.

Tube to Russell Square, and it's a short walk to the right, up the steps at the other side of the road, and follow the path through the shops round to the right. It's a kind of glass box in the square, with the cinemas and bar downstairs. I was slightly late, but made it nicely in time for the trailers, which I always enjoy. Plenty of seating this time, unlike when I saw Volume I.

Now, I'm going to take up where I left off with what I had to say about Volume I. Some films stand alone, despite being sequels. Some, while quite watchable in their own right, nonetheless need the preceding film to make complete sense of them. This film falls into the latter category, so I'll assume that anyone seeing it has seen Volume I. Really, it makes more sense that way. And therefore, it also makes sense to write this as though you've read the blog about Volume I (last Saturday).

So, Joe continues her story. Volume II is, indeed, darker than Volume I. It doesn't cover every sexual predilection, but it covers a fair few, and some of what it says makes uncomfortable listening, and watching. Good, I like my preconceptions to be challenged. Mind you, it's not just sex - von Trier has a go at many philosophies here, including religion, political correctness - oh, and the very question I posed in my other blog: would people react the same if a man had been doing all these things? Stellan Skarsgard poses exactly the same question.

Charlotte Gainsbourg has more to do in this film, as we're coming closer to the present day and she doesn't need someone younger to play her any more. We have a look at a couple of fairly extreme sexual practices, and the ending is really interesting.. I've seen silent endings before, but not one where you could hear what's going on, but the screen is black. Doubtless, there's a thesis in that alone. Yes, I recommend it - but leave your prejudices - all of them! - at home. And don't worry - the whole thing is shot through with a sense of humour. This film could be the starting point for many a discussion.

So, tomorrow is The Hotel Plays, by Tennessee Williams, which, as the name implies, are performed in a hotel. I love that kind of thing. Apparently, they're running three shows at a time, with all three plays performed simultaneously. Which you see first just depends on which group you're in. I was lucky to get a ticket - they've been consistently sold out. And this is the last week. Then, on Thursday, I'm off to see Hard Façade (playing amongst others) perform at the Water Rats. Principally because two of them work in our office. And then I'm off to Ireland to recuperate, where I shall be until next Tuesday evening. And then? Off we go again!