Concert: Mista Trick

Tonight, I headed - at last - to Summer by the River at More London. This was for a free evening of music, curated by Soho Radio. Was meeting someone for this, we got food beforehand at Wawa - she's keen on ramen.

The forecast was to be dry, and still warm - but turning cooler later, so I brought a (light) coat again. Which I was well glad of, because there was a cool breeze all evening! We both arrived at the restaurant at roughly the same time - me having dodged a ***** on a bike, who blithely sailed through the red light against her, happy to run me over - and we probably hadn't needed to book, it was completely empty. Anyway, we got a table near the window - and immediately had to have the menu explained to us. To be fair, the waiter was more than happy to do so! After some kerfuffle, she found the ramen she was looking for - and I had a blast from the past, a chicken katsu curry. Which was really nice.

They do regular wine, and I had a glass - but they also do taster shots of sake, in two different flavours. So we each had a taster set - and agreed that it was so much milder than we'd anticipated. Still, it mixed nicely with my sauvignon blanc. Before we left, I visited the toilet - a curious setup, it has the toilet symbol on the door to the restaurant, which opens onto a trio of doors. One having a security lock, the other two turned out to have engaged/vacant signs on them - so there are two self-contained, unisex cubicles, complete with washbasin and hand dryer. They haven't put much thought into the area outside the toilets, at the back of the restaurant - just a storage area, full of junk. Could do with something. Otherwise, nice venue.

Afterwards, we meandered to The Scoop - where the party was in full swing, obviously having started earlier than advertised. We mooched around the packed venue, eventually sitting at the top, as she thought it was too loud - far from, but directly in front of, the stage:

The screen overhead the stage was used to broadcast a constant stream of old movie clips featuring singing and/or dancing - tied in well with the beat:

In due course, we decided to take a stroll - which is how we discovered another element of Summer by the River - the Chimps are Family sculpture exhibition! Staggered along the river walk are various chimp sculptures, with explanatory plaques:

Some unforecast rain greeted me again on the way home. Guaranteed - it's been doing precisely the opposite of the forecast all week.

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Wanted to get my car serviced for its NCT - sooner the better, and I couldn't last time I was back. Now, I told the mechanic as much ages ago, and that I'm only back every second Saturday. So it's funny how it came as a complete surprise to him, when I rang him this morning to confirm for Saturday. Oh no, there won't be anyone there. Hmph. If there were anyone else around who could do it.. anyway, what's coming up in the cinema is Where the Crawdads Sing, a thriller, set in the 50s, about a young woman - Daisy Edgar-Jones, making waves again - who grows up wild in the North Carolina swamps (it was filmed in Louisiana though, apparently). An outcast from society, she does manage to meet, and have a relationship with, a young man - when he shows up dead, everyone suspects her, and she is duly charged with murder. Trailer looks good, I know she's an excellent actor - and it has a cracking theme song, Carolina, by Taylor Swift, who sounded very much like Lana del Rey to me before I knew who it was! So, looking forward to that. Ennis is cheaper, so I'll head there.

On Monday, I was headed to see The Throne, a comedy about to open at Charing Cross Theatre, in which the Queen gets locked in a portaloo with a staunch republican. Time Out had an offer of £10 tickets for the cheapest seats for this - a saving of more than 50%! Sadly, I then got word that remaining performances of this production have been cancelled, due to covid. Still with nothing on Meetup that appeals, I'm back with TAC for a classical concert - Mario Brunello is playing Bach on the violoncello piccolo, at Wigmore Hall. He's playing in the evening as well, but cheap tickets are available for the matinee.

On Tuesday - tan-ta-ra! I finally managed to get a decently priced ticket to Jerusalem, at the Apollo. I have heard so much about this, and it's always at the top of the Time Out listings - nearly as hard as Hamilton to get a reasonably priced ticket for, so I'm delighted to get one, if only not to have to look any more.

On Wednesday, I was to head back to Summer by the River again.. for Bumper Blyton: Improvised Adventures for Grown-Ups! Improvised comedy in the style of Enid Blyton books. But now, I'm headed with London Baroque Music Lovers to a Grimeborn opera at the Arcola - I' Incoronazione de Poppea. I'm in the stalls - could have got a cheaper ticket in the balcony, but you can't take a drink up there!

Next Thursday - another Up in the Cheap Seats event that Meetup finally decided to flag to me. So I've booked to go with them to see Briefs Factory's show, Bite Club! at Queen Elizabeth Hall. Drag, burlesque.. should be fun!

On the 29th, I was thinking about the National Theatre's River Stage 2022. This will be the first night of the Hackney Empire's Young Producers Weekend, and there'll be some dance and some music. But now, Civilised London has organised an Ecuadorian meal at El Inca Plebeyo - so I'm going to that instead. His choices are always good. Meeting beforehand at The Canonbury Tavern.

On the 30th, back in Greenwich with Bucket List London - we're starting with the Old Royal Naval College and National Maritime Museum. Was originally supposed to be the Queen's House to finish, but turns out they're booked out all day for a wedding, despite not having clarified that on the website! Then in the afternoon, we're headed to Eltham Palace and Gardens. Quite the packed day..

On the 31st, back with TAC for the opening night of I'm Not Myself Today: A Villainous Cabaret at the Bread and Roses in Clapham. An hour in which someone discusses with us why we all love the villain!

On the 1st, I'm going to the Kiln Theatre for The Darkest Part of the Night. Another troublesome website - I tried for days to get it to work..!

And on the 2nd, thinking vaguely about the Camden Fringe, which runs all next month - there's, for example, an interesting audio event called A Little Drape of Heaven, where you hold a precious item of clothing to your heart, then press play to access a YouTube link that you've paid for. Hmm.. Meantime, I had booked a walk with Laurence and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for last Tuesday. This is The Magic of Midtown - and as I said to him, it finishes very near my new home! And wouldn't you know it - he postponed it, as a result of the heatwave, to this day. Not that I'm not glad he didn't run it last Tuesday - but I hope I can still make it..

Film: Selma

Finally, Thursday was a day without drama at work, and stayed fine as well - the one day in the week that did! So I headed off to the Scoop, going straight from the office because it's all the way over the other side of town, and the Meetup group, Free London Events and Talks, who advertised it said it was advisable to get there early for a good seat.

Good job I was early - the District Line was dawdling as much as ever. And the Jubilee Line, when I changed to it, was boiling! I was glad it was only three stops. Made my way to the Scoop, stopping en-route at M&S, where I picked up a sandwich, and one of those individual servings of wine, in a plastic container. (You're not supposed to take glass to events in the Scoop.) And while queueing for the till, I saw a box with two chocolate eclairs in it. So those came too!

It's ages since I've been - and never to a film - and I got a bit confused at the entrance - it transpired that you have to enter via a crash barrier, where they stamp your wrist, in case you want to leave and come back. I rented a cushion - you could also rent blankets, and he mistakenly charged me £3 (blanket price) instead of £2 for a cushion. What the hey, half goes to charity and it wasn't a big deal. There's also a £5 deposit, returned when you bring back what you've hired.

They weren't joking about the crowd - I arrived just after 7, for a 7.30 start, and it was packed! I managed to get a spot on the far side - an oblique view, but fine. A fellow behind me remarked to some people beside him that it had started to fill up around 6.. and as I enjoyed my picnic (the sandwich and wine were so-so, but the wine was pleasantly warming, and the eclairs were superb), I noticed that they'd set up some kind of food stall at the Scoop as well. But from what I gathered, the only food there was popcorn anyway. As for the group, well, no-one expected to meet anyone there - with over 100 people attending from that group alone, the guy who posted the Meetup informed us there'd be no organiser, and we should just go with our friends. So in effect, not a Meetup really - but it's good that they advertise events like this to people.

They showed a short film beforehand - something about people that work on the river, and this one was about a chap that manages Tower Bridge, and the raising and lowering of it. The sound quality was pretty terrible, mind - not to mention the helicopters flying overhead, drowning everything out! But it did improve for the main feature, and the helicopters became less frequent - despite one helicopter that hovered overhead for a minute or so.. wonder whether they were watching the film.

Selma deals with the march from Selma to Montgomery, capital of Alabama, that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965, to protest against the local black population being denied the vote. David Oyelowo plays the man himself - nominated for several awards for his performance, he won some of them, and indeed it's a magnificent portrayal. Tim Roth plays the slimy Governor of Alabama, Tom Wilkinson an only slightly less slippery LBJ. Oprah Winfrey pops up as a civil rights marcher. And despite reviews I read that said that Oyelowo's performance was the only good thing about it, I found it stirring stuff. Earned a round of applause from the audience on Thursday. Widely available online and on dvd, if you're interested.

Well, what with it being so far away, I got home too late to blog. And yesterday was a hectic day at work.. I fell asleep over the computer last night, and have got distracted so much today.. but better late than never with the blog, eh?!

I'm back in Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, I'm, delighted to be going to The Fate We Bring Ourselves, a retelling of Greek legends, by the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in Soho Theatre. It's ages since I've been with them, and they're always good! And on Tuesday, I'm supposed to be (nominally) with Free London Events and Talks at the Scoop again. This time, it's Still Alice.. but I dunno, the weather forecast doesn't look good. Watch this space.

Plays: The Ring Cycle

Yes, I did make it back. It took Global Baggage Solutions a solid hour to get our bags from plane to baggage belt, mind you. They "handle" most of the airlines in Terminal 1, it seems, and the crowd forming around their desk - where, apparently, neither complaint form nor manager was to be found - was increasingly large and irritated. But I did get home eventually.

Tuesday dawned wet and miserable, and stayed that way. After walking to work, I was sufficiently wet and miserable not to go out that night - instead, I caught up with this week's episode of the last ever season of True Blood. Love that show!

For last night, mind, I was determined to get out - because what was coming up was The Ring Cycle, in The Scoop. Yes, Wagner's Ring Cycle - the non-operatic version. Had the weather continued as it was on Tuesday, I couldn't have - but mercifully, it was dry - if not particularly warm or sunny. Sadly, I wasn't going to make it in time for the first play - Das Rheingold - not with having to cross town after work; so I decided to swot up on it before I left. I never have seen these before. The second - The Valkyrie - didn't start till 7, so I was ok to make that.

Having gorged my short-term memory with tales of gods, godesses, trolls, and Rhine maidens, I headed off in due course. The Tube wasn't horrendously crowded - disembark at London Bridge (Tooley Street exit), turn right, cross the road, head down More London Place. As I approached, I could hear the first play still in progress - they were running about five minutes late all evening. They were out of cushions, so I got to rent a bean bag! (Very comfy, some back support - I'll definitely have to invest in one to bring to these things in future.)

As I chose a seat, Woten and Fricka were just proceeding into Valhalla at the end of the play, and we were into a 15-minute interval. For the next 3.5 hours, we were treated to a helluva tale. A sword embedded in in a tree trunk, only to be extracted by the hero it's meant for. A cursed magic ring of power, guarded, with a stash of treasure, by a greedy dragon. A troll, embittered and obsessed with the ring that's been stolen from him. A sword, reforged from its shattered pieces. Any of this sound familiar..?

As the foreign-sounding lady beside me remarked later on, what a fantastic quality of entertainment to be provided for free! The production was pared-down (of course - the opera takes 15 hours!), great liberties had been taken with the script, which was pacy and modern. Brunhilda, far from being a rather portly woman in a pointy helmet, was an athletic young lass in what looked like hunting gear. Although the performance wasn't sung, snippets of the music were played at certain points in the production, and at the intervals - there was a 40-minute interval between plays 2 and 3 (Siegfried), and another 15-minute interval before the last (Twilight of the Gods).

It was a terrific production, and imaginative - the final scene, in particular, where Valhalla is burned and mortals inherit the earth - is quite memorable. Pretty much a must-see, this: but hurry, it only runs until Sunday! I was lucky to get to see it - I'm in Guildford today and back to Ireland for the weekend.

For Monday, at the moment, it's looking like a film - and currently, the highest rated showing on Monday is The Grand Seduction, a comedy starring Brendan Gleeson, set in a Newfoundland fishing village that's deteriorating and badly needs some new blood, in the form of a new young doctor.

Musical: Kiss Me, Figaro!

I was dying to get back to The Scoop this evening. I mean, you sit on hard stone steps, the sound is frequently drowned out by ambient noise - but it's gorgeous on a sunny summer's evening, the view is spectacular - if you sit on the side I generally do, no matter what level you're at, you can see Tower Bridge. If you're standing at the top and looking in that direction, you can also see the Tower of London. If you're there after dark - and the events of late summer run until after dark - the lights of the City are spectacular. And as for the cold, hard steps, cushion hire is only £1.

The day had an unpromising start - there was even drizzle. But by lunchtime, the sun was peeking through, and the rest of the day was gloriously sunny, although temperatures didn't recover to the heights of recent weeks. Still, it wasn't freezing, and it was sunny, and it was good enough.

I didn't leave work until about 5.40, leaving it a bit tight to get there by 6.30 for the start of the show. Anyway, I made a dash for the station, arriving just as the Tube did. I had to change for the Jubilee line at Westminster. Now, I could have predicted - and did - that this was not a great time to get the Tube. Getting onto the Jubilee line at Westminster has to be one of the blackspots. As I got the escalator down to the Jubilee line - the District line runs at the highest level, as does the Circle - the escalator beside ours was creaking alarmingly. I wouldn't blame it.

The first two Jubilee line trains that arrived were too packed to cram onto - but at this station, at this time, trains come at a rate of one per minute. And I made it onto the third. Now I forgot to mention, in my last post, that on the Tube last night, there was a first for me - I saw someone doing a headstand. For the benefit of her friend, who was attempting to take a photo while simultaneously giggling uncontrollably. Fair play to that lady's sense of balance, for she did this while the train was moving. Similar contortions were required on the Jubilee line this evening at rush hour. I've rarely been so squashed. Luckily, I was only going three stops.

We gratefully unfolded ourselves from the train at London Bridge. I hadn't had a chance to pick up a Standard, but managed to grab a discarded one at the side of the escalator. This station was the first where I noticed they were giving current World Cup results on the platform indicators - very helpful. As I hurried down Tooley Street, I noticed a sightseeing bus stopped in traffic, with a couple of people standing on the upper deck, very interested in my side of the road. Of course, they were looking at the original site of the London Dungeon..

 

Now, if you look closely, you can see the two ominous, cloaked and hooded figures flanking what used to be the entrance. And the sign over the door says "Enter at your Peril". Very atmospheric - although the new location is handier for the tourists. More central, and closer to other attractions.

 

 

Well, I wasn't hungry yet, but I stopped into the very convenient food branch of Marks & Spencer, on the way to The Scoop. My mission was not food, but their individual (plastic) glasses of wine. Sadly, they were sold out of them. Never mind, I was in a hurry anyway. I scooted down there, and hired a cushion - the chap explained that the hire charge would go to a children's charity. Great - just give it to me and let me in, they're tuning up already!

 

The show was Kiss Me, Figaro! by the Merry Opera Company. Apparently, they play here every year. This is a delightfully silly romcom, set in a travelling opera company that's nominally staging La Boheme. However, the plot is mostly concerned with the romantic entanglements of the two lead singers. Being a travelling opera company, there are plenty of excuses to break into numbers from all kinds of sources - other operas (interestingly, all the operas are sung in English), but also Irving Berlin and Gilbert & Sullivan.

 

As I say, the ambient noise is a problem, and you miss many of the spoken pieces if the speaker is faced away from you. However, I never lost the gist of the story, and there's no problem hearing the singing. Which is magnificent. They can carry a tune, these people, as well as do a funny turn. There's a guy over the side on keyboard. And it struck me, as this beautiful music wafted up between the skyscrapers - I am truly spoiled. We all are, who have the chance to hear music of this quality in the middle of a city, on a beautiful sunny evening - and for free, too. Several passers-by stopped to watch for a while, and I can imagine what a lovely surprise they must have had, hearing this as they were going about their other business. And when a quartet of singers launched into the Flower Duet from Lakmé by Delibes, it wasn't the breeze that brought tears to my eyes. It was chilly by the end, but I wouldn't have missed this for the world! Plays for just two more days, go see it f you possibly can.

 

 

For tomorrow, I've booked to see The Fault in Our Stars. It's rated very highly, but for some reason has a limited release, although based on a book that seems popular - maybe it's still in preview. Anyway, it's about a teenage boy and girl who fall for each other in a cancer support group. Her parents are played by Laura Dern and Sam Trammell. Weird seeing him outside of True Blood! And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, and on Saturday night we're headed to the University Concert Hall again, for the sold-out Bill Whelan Gala Celebration. It's a celebration of the music of Bill Whelan - he's the guy that wrote the original Riverdance suite - in conjunction with Limerick's year as City of Culture. Features the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, with James Galway on flute. Never fear if you want to hear it and haven't got a ticket - it's being broadcast live on Lyric FM, Ireland's classical radio station. As it is, if my mother was to have a seat in her favourite row - the one with an aisle in front - I had to sit behind her, there was only one seat left in the desired row! And so it came to pass..

Play: Pantaloon's History of Britain

Ah, it's good to get back to the Scoop! When it came up on Time Out, there was never really any doubt. Not with the weather we've been having! The show was Pantaloons' History of Britain (in two hours) and I was hooked. Haven't been there since last year - they only run shows in the summer - and I'm a big fan.

I kinda remembered how to get there, but it was a good job I checked, because I was hazy on the walk from London Bridge station. It's easy though - take the Tooley Street exit, hang a right, carry on past Hay's Galleria, and take - not the next street, but the turn into the plaza after that. And it's right at the end, with a gorgeous view of Tower Bridge. No distance at all.

I picked up the makings of a small picnic in the Marks & Spencer you pass on the way, and made my way straight to the Scoop - which, as the name implies, is a sunken amphitheatre, beside City Hall. I got there about 15 mins early, and it was about 1/3 full - no booking required (or possible) for this venue. You can rent cushions, which I completely forgot about until I had sat down - I decided it wasn't worth getting up again. I discovered later that they seem to have changed their cushion policy - last year, you could rent one by leaving a refundable £5 deposit. This year, it's only £1, it seems, but non-refundable.

The Pantaloons are a mad bunch. They seemed to have a number of friends in the audience, but interacted merrily with pretty much everyone. The show unofficially started several minutes before the official start, with them jizzing everyone up. And finally we were into a race through about 2000 years of history. Two hours, with a 10-minute interval around 1588. During which they distribute comment cards - and bless! they're including a pen this time, very practical.

They're great performers, great singers. Two of them, as I remember, play the guitar at intervals. And they have great fun - and so do we - as they recreate famous moments in history. Highlights include the rather clueless Henry VIII, who has an unfortunate habit of losing his wives and having to get new ones. Popular cultural references are rife, more so in the beginning. Audience interaction is expected. The only bum note, for me, was the 15-minute excerpt from Richard III. Apart from witty asides, it's played pretty straight, and I have no idea what it's doing in there. Its tone differs completely from the rest of the play, and if they can't do anything with the production of it, I think they should leave it out entirely.

Having said that, I had fun, they had fun, and it was a fantastic evening to be outdoors. Roll on many more such! And it was free.. This show runs for just one more night - although the company is touring - the Fringe Festival at the Scoop runs until the 20th, and the Scoop will be hosting free events right through until September 26th. Certainly, if you're in London over the summer, don't miss it!

There's lots of interesting stuff roundabouts:

 

 

Now, I dunno about you, but to me, that skyline is beginning to look like something out of a cartoon..

 

Tomorrow, Helen and I are heading to the zoo. We have tickets to tomorrow's Zoo Lates event, for which we got a half price offer on Time Out. Sold out now, and the offer probably is too. These run on Friday nights, if you're interested. Entertainment and animals! Definitely different. And on Saturday, I have a free ticket to Dreams of the Orient, a dance show in Fairfield Halls in Croydon, courtesy of ShowFilmFirst. Earlier in the day, I figure I'll regret it if I don't head along, for a while at least, to the Naked Bike Ride..

Oedipus Rex & Antigone

The weather held quite nicely today, and so I took myself to the Scoop for the first time ever, to see the current production of Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Mapping out my route, I saw that the nearest Tube seemed to be London Bridge, then take a right, past Hay's Galleria (been there before), and take, not the next left, but the one after that, diagonally across the courtyard. The Scoop itself is right beside City Hall, where I've been before. Well done, Google Maps..

With plenty of food outlets nearby, I said I'd get something there beforehand, so left early. I had to get the District Line, followed by the Jubilee Line. Point of interest - the seats are very hard on the Jubilee Line! Wonder why.. (See, this is the first time I've managed to get a seat on that line!) Anyway, I found the Scoop with no difficulty at all. No distance from the station. I must say, the setting is spectacular:

In the picture, you can see the top of the Scoop, which is a sunken amphitheatre. Fortunately, you can rent cushions - £1, plus a £5 deposit. A very good idea - the steps you sit on are not only hard, but cold. You enter near the booth that is visible in the picture. That's kind of the prime viewing position - the stage is set up to play to that side. Unfortunately, it's also the highest side - so if you want to get close to the action, you have to climb down a lot of steps. And I knew I'd have trouble with my knees, when I saw the size of the steps.

Well, I'm nothing if not ingenious when it comes to working around my knees. Luckily, there's a curved walkway around the edge - for wheelchairs, I think, and the infirm. Like me. :-) Anyway, that let me get quite low down, so I just had a few steps to climb down. My, but it was tortuous. Now, I could have sat higher up, you understand, but I do like to be close to the action if I can manage it. So I scrambled down the few steps at the low side, in a most undignified manner, then, spying a spare place in the front row across the way, I niftily picked up my things and legged it across there. I was to the side, but right at the edge of the action for the subsequent proceedings. Point to note - this was very well attended, and the good seats went fast, being mostly gone by the time I got there, 20 minutes early.

As the skies darkened, the lights came on and the Greek tragedies (literally) began. In modern dress, the actors portrayed for us the story of doomed Oedipus, who was doomed to kill his father, marry his mother, and when he found out, put out his own eyes. All of which was dramatically re-enacted for us, with some actors positioned in the audience. Of course, the great thing about ancient plays is that you don't need a lot of props. Very sparse, very simple themes. At the interval, we were given feedback forms, and offered programmes for sale, and then we were into Antigone, the story of Oedipus' doomed daughter. Yes, a cheery evening it was not. But you know, the simplicity of the themes was a joy - despite the modern translations, particularly for Antigone. Well, they did inject a bit of humour. Until things deteriorated, as they do in the plots of Greek tragedies.

All in all, a terrific evening out, and free too! And afterwards, we got to enjoy the spectacular show that the City puts on every evening (also free):

Did I mention I love this town? ;-) This show runs until Sunday. Worth a trip.

So, I have another of those cheap, lastminute.com Theatre Fortnight tickets for Fences, with Lenny Henry, tomorrow. And I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend, then to the pictures on Monday. I wasn't sure about seeing Plein Soleil, which is essentially a French version of The Talented Mr. Ripley. But it's supposed to be good, and I relented. Booked it, as it's in the Odeon and I get a discount.