Musical Storytelling: Hero and Leander

Today, Cultureseekers were heading to Open House London - which used to run over a weekend, and has turned into a fortnight-long extravaganza! This festival, which started on Thursday, allows access to buildings you normally can't see. They were off to the Banqueting House, which I've never seen, and the Royal Opera House, which I have - including on a backstage tour. Just before the world went into lockdown. So, I fancied the Banqueting House - but I didn't fancy accompanying this event, which numbered 202 attendees! I decided to go on my own, thanks. But wouldn't you know it, I just checked last night - and it's been removed from the Open House list!

Precious little else on Meetup for today - a few events looked kind of good, if only they weren't so far out! So I turned to the cheap ticket sites - trying carefully to avoid things that are terrible (although they all could be), I booked with CT for the evening performance (the matinée was sold out, with them anyway) of Hero and Leander, at the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre. It's a retelling of the myth of two lovers, separated by the sea, by means of different forms of music. I'd never actually been in the Purcell Room before, but it seemed the entrance was beside the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

You can eat well nearby, but not cheaply - not without booking days in advance, certainly. So I figured I'd head to O' Neill's, as usual - close to home, and I can get fed well, and cheaply. I did leave late - I hadn't been catching up with my royal news, which I did this afternoon, and it took a lot longer than anticipated. Fair play to O' Neill's though, I had ordered and eaten within just over half an hour of arrival. The app definitely helps with that. Sports are back on, I see - I had a background of American football, with some very rowdy supporters at the table beside me!

And any number of buses would take me to the Southbank - I chose to get a direct one, and it flew me there, so that I arrived with 25 minutes to spare. Queued for a drink - only two servers were working. I am quite glad that the prices charged bear no relation to the prices on the menu, displayed on the bar - wish they'd update it though, it's disconcerting! Had I had to pay what's written there, it would set a record for the price charged in London for a glass of white wine - in my experience, at least! They gave it to me in plastic, so I could take it in.

I was just heading in that direction, looking for seating, when the usher came around to announce that the house was open. Perfect timing, then! I'd been emailed my ticket earlier - always handiest - and was in the fourth row. Not bad at all.

A couple of ladies who came in after me, seeing how empty the room was, remarked that "no wonder they need CT!" but actually, the room mostly filled by start time - we were quite early. How many of them had come on cheap offers, I don't know. Anyway, the performance lasted about an hour - telling the story through music, a mixture of, as advertised, sea shanties, folk music and such. Really lovely, in fact - I could have listened for a lot longer. Never mind the story - I was just enjoying the sound! Having said that, I was glad of a short performance, so I can have an early night - I really pushed it, last night, and have been tired all day.

Headed for Stop P on the way home, as ever - several buses would suffice, although the LCD display to show us what was due was, as usual, not working. But this stop can be tricky - 13 different buses stop there at regular times, and if a number arrive at once, and you stick out your arm, even if the front driver deigns to stop, all the others just assume that's the one you want, and sail on past in the outside lane! The first gang of buses that came, nobody at all stopped for me, despite the fact that I could have taken any of them.. I've complained. I mean, what am I supposed to do, run out into the road in front of a bus to get it to stop..?!

For Monday, TAC had tickets to The Two Popes, at the Rose Theatre in Kingston. Sadly sold out of them - as have CT. But I thought it really sounded interesting, and tried to book direct with the theatre - only to discover that my account seems to be suspended! Now, it's nearly seven years since I was last there - so that could be the reason. However, I haven't yet had a chance to call the box office. So it'll be tomorrow before I can clear this up..

For Tuesday, I'm thinking film - and after much consideration (and removal of films from the list), what's coming up is My Old School, a documentary about a student called Brandon Lee, who attended a Scottish school. So far, so ordinary - except he wasn't what he seemed at all! He refused to be filmed for this, and his voice is lip-synched by Alan Cumming. By this stage, only showing in the Curzon Camden. Handy thing is, my Curzon membership is also valid there, and I'm still entitled to free films!

On Wednesday, I'm finally back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - we're headed to the Barbican, where the London Symphony Orchestra is playing Ravel and Debussy, in the "Half Six Fix". I bought a cheap wildcard, so shall find out my seat on the night - CT subsequently advertised it too, even cheaper, rats.

On Thursday, Over 40 Living the Life is - again - headed to the Vauxhall Comedy Club, on a "special deal for regulars". And I am - again - headed there on my own. Because, if you book direct, tickets are cheaper than the price quoted for this group - regardless of whether you're a regular. Now I just need to figure out how to access the online loyalty card I got from them, last time.. and I should probably donate something, this time! They're very good at guilting people.

And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Concert: Shakespeare 400

The most interesting thing coming up for today was with London Social Detours, who were off to a finale concert for Shakespeare 400, at the Southbank Centre:

Now, the concert was free, but they were charging a £2 Meetup fee. They were having dinner and drinks beforehand, but it wasn't included for this price.. and I only knew one person who was going.. why on earth would it have been worth it to me to pay £2? Instead, I had a beautifully lazy day, ate at home, and headed in nice and late, since the concert didn't start until 9:45PM.

Of course, with so much time to spare, I was late. I was lucky with the train - one was waiting on the platform when I got there, and obligingly waited for me to gasp my way onboard - but still I couldn't quite make it to the centre in time. Ah well, I reasoned, at least the music will have started, and I can follow the sound to find it - the venue was the "Clore Ballroom", which is listed on the Southbank Centre website as being a "foyer venue", but they give no further details.

I entered by the nearest door, and sure enough, heard the music. The ballroom is, indeed, open to the rest of the foyer, and is down some steps from the café. A crowd was gathered around, and I made my way as close as possible to the band (the Royal College of Music Big Band, as it hppened). The seats were all gone by this stage, of course, but what the hey, it was only due to last 45 minutes anyway! I took up a position just at the back of the seating.

I could see several free programmes, but there weren't any of those for me, either. So I did my usual thing of reading over somebody's shoulder - which is how I know that each of the pieces was related to a piece of Shakespeare's work. I wouldn't have known otherwise, considering that the material was attributable to Duke Ellington - not a contemporary of Shakespeare's. I'd known that in advance, but had thought that there might be a speaker or something, considering that this was supposed to be related to Shakespeare!

Nope, just the jazz. But cool, cool jazz it was, played by a proficient student band, with an exuberant conductor who made most of them do solos, for each of which he turned to the audience with a gleeful grin on his face. They played one encore, for which he tried to encourage the audience to take to the floor - after all, as he pointed out, this was a ballroom; the clue was in the name! Only one actually did, letting loose to the side - and fair play to her. And then we were out into the night again.. not a terribly Shakespearian evening, to be fair, but an enjoyable one. And no, I didn't see that guy I knew.

This post would have been earlier, except that I'm thinking of going to a film tomorrow - and given that I choose on the basis of IMDB ratings, and have a spreadsheet for that, that meant I had to update the spreadsheet: which I only got around to starting today. And given that there are several shorts, each of which I have to check on IMDB - I've given up for the night. It's mostly done, but I won't be able to determine what to go to until I finish. Watch this space.. and, of course, whatever it is will have to be showing at a time I can manage!

Anyway, to finish off the long weekend, on Monday I'm back with London Dramatic Arts Meetup, for the rescheduled trip to see Dr. Faustus, at the Duke of York's Theatre.