Musical: Anything Goes

Last night, I finally succumbed to Anything Goes, at the Barbican. Now, I got my ticket for this from Time Out, which is the first place I saw the offer - but it turns out that any number of outlets have £25 tickets! If they're all for the same seats as Time Out, then I'd have to feel sorry for people that bought tickets for £38, which is cheaper than the original price of £45 for the seats on offer! Assuming anyone did. Anyway, with no bad seats here, you'd have to be crazy to pay more. And they helpfully emailed me the ticket link again yesterday afternoon!

The bus dropped me at the other end of Whitecross Street from the Barbican, which meant I just had to walk down it:

I was slightly early - the house wasn't open yet, and annoyingly, the only bar here is downstairs, which seemed a bit much effort, considering that the Upper Circle - where my ticket was for - is on the entrance level! So I skipped it and waited until I could go straight in.

Felt kind of like being on the deck of a ship.. I have to wonder though, who in their right mind thought this seat was worth £45? A decent seat, for sure - albeit with an annoying rail in view, and slightly-too-tight legroom - but not worth that. I hope nobody in these seats paid it. Interestingly - predictably, perhaps - everyone around me seemed to be foreign.

Have I seen this before? Probably, but I didn't remember it, so that's ok. You couldn't help but recognise the fantastic music, though - such famous songs, the lyrics so clever.. courtesy of Cole Porter, based on a book co-written by P. G. Wodehouse. The story takes place aboard an ocean liner heading from New York to London in 1934. Multiple stories jostle for attention, but the main one concerns a lovelorn stockbroker who discovers that his sweetheart has boarded with her mother, to travel to London to marry her English aristo fiancé. What's more, there's a woman on board who owns a bar, and who carries a torch for our stockbroker friend - not to mention that his boss is on board, and will fire him if he sees him there, rather than hard at work! Oh, and there's an undercover mobster. And those are just the main characters..

The dance numbers are amazing. The costumes are fantastic - real 30s glamour for the ladies, all flowing dresses and glitter. The comic elements are done beautifully. It's just.. would you believe, the singing. Now, it's all right for the group numbers - but oh, when they have to do solos, very few are up to the task! Lordy, I suppose it's hard to get the talent, but me-oh-my, I winced several times when the spotlight turned on individuals - or, indeed, couples. They can carry a tune.. but they're straining. Seriously, go source a film version! It's cheaper, and the singing is better.

Handily, I discovered that the bus back dropped me right in front of my local supermarket. 

This evening, back with Bucket List London (BLL) - who obligingly is doing something midweek! I'll have to skip off work early - this is for vespers in Westminster Cathedral, and starts at 4.30. He is actually in Westminster all day, attending Ministerial Question Time earlier - but not only do I have a job to go to, but jeez, I do believe this would just infuriate me! So that, I'm not attending.. I did have to be up early though, to get in early, to justify the early departure. Hence the delay with the blog.

Tomorrow, back with Civilised London (CL) for dinner at Caravel. Terrific reviews.. Meeting at The Narrowboat. Now, this is closer to my flat than to the office - but really, for the sake of having to take a bus, I don't want to have to drag the laptop with me this evening and home tonight: not to mention back in on Monday, because the office will be handier again. No, I'll just bus it to the dinner tomorrow.

At the weekend, I'm back with the man with the famous name - Dr. Stephen King (not the writer) is guiding a couple of walks for London Guided Walks (courtesy of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts). Both topics / areas I've covered many times before, but gee, he's such a great guide! So I hope I make these - early. On Saturday, it's his Southwark Walk. Sadly, although it's now advertised on TAC, I booked it through the official site (discount of £3 with the code MEETUP3, as usual).

On Sunday, it's his Royal Coronation Walk - not advertised on TAC yet. I just bet he comes up with something I didn't already know..

On Monday, I'm headed to A Doll's House Part 2, at Donmar Warehouse - sequel to the famous original, where the wife leaves an unhappy marriage; this sequel examines what happens when she returns.

On Tuesday - well, I finally saw Up In The Cheap Seats (UITCS)' ad for Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch, at the Underbelly Festival! A parody musical, right up my street - I hate how Meetup so often doesn't show me the events I really would enjoy! Just as well I saw this in time, before I booked anything else. So it'll be a hectic evening, with an interview scheduled for 5.30! I'd better quit work early I think, and head home for that - I can't guarantee quiet in the office.

On Wednesday, back with CT for a concert by the Royal College of Music Brass Ensemble, at the college on Shelton Street.

Next Thursday, back with Guided Walking Tours in Brighton and Sussex, for The London Necropolis Virtual Tour. I pointed out to him that the registration link had the wrong date, and he said it was outdated, and he'd replace it and send me the new link - well, he's removed it, but no new link yet. And then - you guessed it, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again!

On the 11th, I'm going to Favour, at the Bush Theatre - after much effort, as their website wasn't working for days! In fact, it seems to go down sporadically. I chose an unreserved seat, will be allocated one on the day. Anyway, I see TAC has now started selling tickets for this - gee, might be not only the cheapest, but the easiest way to book! Only up to the 6th, however. Wow, was only there once before, 3.5 years ago..

On the 12th, I'm going to The Southbury Child, at the Bridge Theatre. I noticed that UITCS is going, later in the week - ah well.

On the 13th, back with CL for dinner - this time at The Crown itself, where we usually meet for drinks before heading somewhere else for dinner. Excellent choice. Which marks the beginning of a whole spate of Meetups in a row! When's the last time that happened..?

On the 14th, back with The Garden Talks - this online talk is How Do Languages Evolve?

On the 15th, back with the London Classical Music and Theatre Group for the opera Otello, at the Royal Opera House.

On the 16th, which is a Saturday, I had booked with Discover London for a trip to see a cart making ceremony - and then Eleanor, organiser of TunedIn London, advertised a concert through the World Music Meetup, for that evening, at City Hope Church. So now I'm going to both.

On Sunday the 17th, back with BLL - this time, it's a trip to Sandown Antiques Market. Well, I've never been to Sandown, so this could be interesting.

On the 18th, back with North London Friends! for the first time since before lockdown. This is for an Edinburgh Comedy Festival preview, at the King's Head in Crouch End, featuring Lucy Porter and Rachel Fairburn.

On the 19th.. I'm taking a punt that I won't actually be employed that day, and have signed up again - at last - for a walk with Laurence and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners. This is The Magic of Midtown - and as I said to him, it finishes very near my new home! I also promised to let him know if I can't actually make it - although, even if I have started work by then (which would be surprising), perhaps I could take a day off.

On the 20th, I finish my Meetup run with a trip with UITCS to Leicester Square Theatre to see Frankie Boyle, who has a work in progress show.

On the 21st, I'm thinking of heading - at last - to Summer by the River at More London. This is for a free evening of music, curated by Soho Radio. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

On the 25th, I'm 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 has an offer of £10 tickets for the cheapest seats for this - a saving of more than 50%!

On the 26th - 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 the 27th, back to Summer by the River again.. for Bumper Blyton: Improvised Adventures for Grown-Ups! Improvised comedy in the style of Enid Blyton books.. sounds jolly good!

And on the 28th - another UITCS 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!

Musical: War of the Worlds

With nothing on Meetup for last night, I turned to Time Out.. near the top of their list was War of the Worlds. Hmm, ok.. heard the music, never seen the show - I decided I'd book. Plenty of ticket offers available - I got a nice, cheap ticket with Time Out. Restricted view, it said, but I checked out the seat plan for the Dominion Theatre, and decided the view from Row H of the Circle seemed ok.

With a start time of 7:45, I should've been ok, even coming from Guildford. Heh. That was until an accident on the A3 slowed us down.. and one of my passengers asked me, pretty please could I take him to yoga? which otherwise he'd be late for, and which was (fairly) local, in Clapham Common. I'm too soft, me. He got us there without getting lost (much) but I wasn't as optimistic about the route home - well, he showed me on his maps app and off he trotted. And my phone, when I dug it out to consult my own maps app, promptly died. Of course (really must get a new one). Well, I remembered the map route, and it was well signposted to the other side of the common.. at which the signposts disappeared, and I just kept going till I saw something I recognised. Which meant I overshot quite a bit, but what the hey, I got home.

Now, the Dominion Theatre is in the centre, and there ain't no way I was taking the car in there. Which meant train to Waterloo, Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road, and it's right across the road. Time was a-ticking, but that's a fast Underground line, and we flew through the four stops. And indeed, the theatre is visible when you leave the station (Oxford Street side) - after a delay in crossing the road, I scurried in the door.

I hadn't been in here before, and was immediately impressed with the grand entranceway and the decor (red, appropriately for this show). The box office is strangely discreet, tucked away at the back of the lobby on the left, but I found it, got my ticket, and charged upstairs to the Circle (again, noting the unnerving lack of people). As I did so, there was a five-minute warning - well, that's better than I normally manage! In glorious solitude, I passed the under-employed ushers and got to my seat - tucked into the centre edge of the front row at the rear of the Circle. So, quite central - decent legroom, nice n comfy, and the "restricted view" consisted of a low safety rail that usually wasn't a problem at all, and when it was, all you had to do was lean forward a bit. Otherwise, a great, central view - I was delighted with this seat.

The red decor continued in the auditorium - and from what I could see, the Circle was half empty (I couldn't see the Stalls). Pity really - but this show has been around for a while, and it was a Monday! Well, after a bit we were into it.. now, this show is based on the album, and almost the whole stage is taken up with the band: violins on one side, electric guitar and drums on the other. Conducted, from the middle, by Jeff Wayne - the composer - himself.

If you don't know the story, it's based on the HG Wells novel about a Martian invasion, around which Jeff Wayne composed a concept album - and then an updated version, in 2012. Hence the large musical presence - but he also incorporates elements of the novel, so we have Liam Neeson on a screen to narrate those, and we have people in front to depict the story: some singing, quite a bit of choreography. Michael Praed sings the role of the narrator, David Essex is his fiancee's father, Daniel Bedingfield the soldier he meets on the way, who has a vision of how society can adapt to the invasion. Jimmy Nail is the parson.

And..? Aw jeez, it's terrific! It's marvellously OTT, with fantastic visuals, (plenty of) strobe lighting, and the music throughout - it even plays at the interval. Oh, and they even have a huge Martian killing machine on stage, firing death rays.. gee, anyone who ever liked the music will love it, kids will probably love it too. Bit scary for the littlest ones, perhaps. There's been some criticism of the acting - sod it, this is terrific fun, who cares? If you think you'll like it, doubtless you will. Runs until the 30th.

Tonight, I got a cheap ticket to Orpheus Sonfonia Principals - a concert at Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair. And gee, it seems I have been here before! A carol concert, over a year ago. Might try driving again - it's not too central and should be ok in the evening.

Tomorrow, I'm back with the World Music Meetup - another concert at Sands Film Studios. Great venue, diverse artists - this time, it's a Zambian performer called Namvula. Great, too, that it's so much handier to get there from where I am now!

On Thursday, my second film of the week is gonna be 10 Cloverfield Lane - in my local Cineworld, so already booked, 'coz that's cheaper. Sounds interesting - SciFi thriller, in which a woman wakes from a car crash to find herself in an underground bunker, with two men (one being John Goodman) who say they can't leave, because there's been some kind of apocalypse. Produced by JJ Abrams, so bound to be entertaining - and, of course, highly rated to come at the top of my film list. I booked the later showing, for the free car parking (after 7) - which is just as well, as it turns out I have to stay late in Guildford that day.

I can afford to be out a bit later than usual, since I'll be working from home on Friday - flying back to Ireland for a long weekend, actually: for cheaper flights, again. On Saturday, my mother and I are off to see the Three Tenors, at the University Concert Hall - she's a big fan. Not flying back until Monday - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.

I am with the London European Club on the next day, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting.

Eat Aroi Thai & Burlesque: Straight Up

Yesterday afternoon, we had a leaving lunch for a colleague who'll be greatly missed. I guess it was her choice to eat at Eat Aroi Thai, a few minutes' walk from the office. Anyhoo, she booked and off we headed, stopping at a cashpoint on the way, because they only take cash. We were seated, as usual, at the high table in the middle, with the slightly awkward high stools. They'd set out a cosy 15 places, but someone had forgotten the ex-colleague that was joining us, making 16: no problem, they produced another high stool from the back, and he squeezed in at the end.

A number of the group had never been there before, and amidst the confusion over what to order, and the lack of familiarity with the dishes, there was hilarity over the drinks panel - black print on a black background. Also over the ordering system, where you grab a server as soon as possible, they take your order, it's cooked immediately, and quite possibly served to you while others are still waiting to order.

Anyway, I ordered some very refreshing lemonade - which comes served with ice and a mint leaf. For food, well, I've been here twice before and it wasn't very successful - their Massaman curry ("voted tastiest") and their pad thai I found a bit bland. However, this time I looked just under the pad thai, to find a dish called pad see-iew, which sounded ok. So I ordered that.. good choice! It was a succulent dish of chicken, fried egg, and flat noodles in soy sauce - and it was delicious. Definitely my new favourite. Afterwards, they produced dishes of complementary lollipops - how long is it since I had one of those? And after the little ceremony of giving each of us a little dish with the bill, collecting them with the cash, and returning them with the change, we left.

For last night, I got a nice discount from Time Out for the House of Burlesque production, Straight Up, in the Spiegeltent, as part of London Wonderground - a £16 ticket (£16.50 with booking fee) for £10. Also good was that it started late, so I had time to have a proper dinner. And it felt strange, leaving the house after dark - kinda spooky. Well, it's been a while!

Unfortunately, I just missed a direct train at West Brompton, and had to wait about five minutes for another, then change at Earl's Court. Another five-minute wait, a train arrived, and we got on. And waited. A train arrived at the other platform, headed the same way. Ooh, I hate that.. sure enough, that one left first, and ours waited another five minutes after this before trundling on its way. Sometimes the drivers are good enough to point out that the other train will be leaving first - not ours last night, though.. Nope, Earl's Court is not a good place to be if you're in a hurry!

I panted my way across the bridge - out of practice, y'see: paused very briefly to admire the spectacular view - and made the box office with five minutes to spare. Exchanged my emailed, printed voucher for a ticket, and followed the signs to the Spiegeltent. Well, to the queue for the Spiegeltent, which stretched out around the corner and under the bridge. This tent has a great capacity, and it was a long queue.. it was raining on us, slightly, by the time we got in.

It was quite full, but not completely sold out. We with the cheap tickets were prohibited from the front two rows, but they were full anyway - I ended up in the back, but there are only four or five rows here. I was to the side, but you nearly get a better view from there. So I was ok with my seat.

So! Another burlesque show! They started in darkness, with costumes and hoops decorated with leds. Very high-tech vibe, and a bit naff, in my opinion. After that, a procession of acts invented new and artistic ways of taking their clothes off - well, down to the standard thong and nipple covers. Quite professional, but a bit samey, except for the one (ripped) male performer, who, for variety, started with practically nothing and put his clothes on! I did like how not all the girls were stick insects - a couple were pretty but chubby, or what would commonly be known among silly people as "obese".

During the interval, the mc encouraged us to tweet her the craziest things we'd done while drunk, the best tweet to receive a bottle of Beefeater gin (the sponsors). The theme of the show is drink, you see. In the second act, the quality of the acts noticeably improved - there was a story to some, an acrobatic act with a hoop, and a really well conceived, artistic performance, with a girl in a skintight, nude, sparkly costume, cavorting on a hoop in front of a machine blowing bubbles. Very reminiscent of champagne. I particularly liked the bit where they held up a sign reading "BEACH BODY READY" and geefully ripped it to pieces. It's tough, this business, you know - on the way out (when it had, mercifully, stopped raining), we passed so many posters for other burlesque shows currently running. This is a quality act, and I wish them well. Just three more shows - the next two Thursdays, and Thursday 24th September. Worth a look.

Tonight, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and we're headed to the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, tomorrow at the University Concert Hall. On Monday, I'm finally going to see Memphis: the Musical, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And the next two days, I'm headed to the Guildford office - first for a meeting, then the Sports Day. Coincides nicely with the next Tube strikes, assuming the current talks don't help.. On Thursday, I've booked a ticket to see the comedian Iliza Schlesinger at the Soho Theatre - she was sold out for Monday, so I said maybe I'd better. And that Friday, I'm headed to the Boat Show. Those should both be interesting to get to and from, if the strikes go ahead!

The following Saturday, I'm back with the London Dramatic Arts group, for Oresteia at Trafalgar Studios - its West End transfer. (I see it's at the Globe as well - bummer, that'd have been good.) On the Sunday, I'm headed to the Scoop, for their double bill of classical plays. Technically, I'm accompanying the Free London Events and Talks group, but with 100 of us going, I doubt I'll be much bothered with actually meeting anyone. Unless I see someone I know.

I'm finishing off the month by going to the Proms, and on the 1st September I'm going to What's It All About? Bacharach, at the Menier Chocolate Factory. And then there's more..

Play: The Heresy of Love

Actually, The Heresy of Love, at the Globe, was originally a Meetup, but I'd forgotten. I didn't see it advertised there, and actually came across it while browsing Time Out. It wasn't until I was checking my email inbox for ticket offers that I came across the original invitation, from the London Dramatic Arts group. Checked the Meetup page, only to discover it had been cancelled - no takers, it seems! I don't think people from that group are into the Globe.. pity, their loss!

Me, I adore the place. And what's more, I was just in time (in the last hour, in fact) to avail of a Time Out offer for tickets - so I booked one. I was lucky with the Tube on the way in to town, got trains immediately at both West Brompton and Earl's Court, where I had to change. They say to print off a voucher, but I didn't need one - just gave my name at the box office and got a ticket. This was a £40 ticket for £17.50, but that doesn't dictate which level you're on, rather your position relative to the stage; £40 for this production gets you a straight-on, central view. It just so happened that my central view was in the Upper Gallery (the top level). What the hey, it's not the first time, and the stairs aren't taxing. What did give me pause for thought was that it said £14 on the ticket itself.. but no, that seat was definitely selling for £40 on the website.

So I got a front-row seat, pretty much directly facing the stage - just high up:

 This play is based on the true story of Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz, a nun in Mexico in the late 1600s, who attracted the opprobrium of the Church - simply for having the temerity to write poems and plays. And she a nun! whose time would be better spent in writing in praise of God.

Cue lotsa Church-bashing - in the form of the new archbishop, who can't look a woman in the eye (for fear of corruption) and is the character we love to hate. All sorts of dramatic doings, such as book-burnings, illicit affairs, plotting and scheming, and a woman who just wants to keep writing, who has so much to say.

The writing wasn't as good as the night before, when I saw The Gathered Leaves - but that's quite a play to compare it against. And some of the acting isn't as subtle as it could be - but that's the nature of the Globe, they do have to shout a bit: not least because of the passing planes, which were a real annoyance till it got dark and the flights died out. Personally, I loved it - I'm a sucker for the theme, and for the period. And for the venue. And, near the end of the play, I even saw a shooting star.. the advantage of an open-air venue, and of being in the upper level! This production runs on selected dates until the 5th September: and unless you're quite particular about your seat, there's probably no need to book - it's not selling out.

On my way home, I needed to change at Earl's Court again, and they played a game of musical trains with us - my train was to go to Ealing Broadway, and I needed one for Wimbledon. So I got off. My train stayed where it was. Another Ealing Broadway train arrived at the other platform. We all waited. Finally, my original train changed its destination to Wimbledon, and the other to.. Dagenham East?! That's the other way! (I think it went to Ealing Broadway eventually.) Anyway, it went too late on me to blog last night.

Tonight, I'm joining Let's Do London - for less! for Bears in Space! in the Soho Theatre. Tomorrow's a film, and top of the list - rather surprisingly - is Absolutely Anything, a new Simon Pegg comedy, where he's given unlimited powers by the Monty Python crew, taking the shape of aliens in this. Kate Beckinsale is the love interest. Robin Williams voices the dog. I'm dubious - I don't think it deserves such a high rating, and today already it's dropped from 8.6 to 8.2. Well, we'll see.. could be fun.

Then begins a whole run of things whose booking was inspired by Meetup organisers warning me that things were selling out! On Saturday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! for Pop-Up Opera's Carmen, again at the Soho Theatre. On Sunday, I'm with Walk About London for a walk based on the Magna Carta. On Monday, the organiser of Film Nite informed us that his old drama teacher had written a play - Frank Sent Me - that's performing at the King's Head. Actually, he wrote two, and this chap was at the other last Monday, but I flew back that day and couldn't make that. Some of us are going to this.

On Tuesday, I'm headed to a play set in Sheffield during the Blitz. Operation Crucible is showing in the Finborough, nice and close to me. On Wednesday, I'm with Let's Do London - for less! yet again, when they're off to the Globe to see As You Like It. Next Thursday, I'm off to the Spiegeltent - on my own, for a change - to see House of Burlesque. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and we're headed to the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, at the University Concert Hall.

The following Monday, I'm finally going to see Memphis: the Musical, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And the next TWO days, I'm headed to the Guildford office - first for a meeting, then the Sports Day. Coincides nicely with the next Tube strikes..

Play: The Gathered Leaves

Meetup had nothing interesting scheduled for tonight. They're getting a bit lax, mainly, over the summer.. anyway, I found myself back on Time Out, looking for something to go to, and came across The Gathered Leaves, starring Jane Asher and showing in the Park Theatre. Good reviews.. turned out the venue website is sold out for the entire run, but any number of resellers had £20 tickets in the upper level for sale for £26. So I went with Time Out. In retrospect, I probably should have shopped around for someone that would leave the ticket at the box office for me - instead, Time Out shipped it to me, for an extra 95p. Ah well, at least I didn't have to queue at the box office.. in fact, I'd completely forgotten they were to ship it until I arrived back after the weekend and it was there for me! Actually, my flatmate saw it and brought it in, which was just as well - I'd have panicked if I'd realised it was supposed to be posted and I hadn't found it yet..

It's a long journey, but a simple enough one: Tube to Finsbury Park, make sure to take the correct exit, and it's a short walk. Of course, this is while we have the luxury of the Tube - this journey would be completely impossible for me during a strike, and these days those are more and more frequent. They've just announced TWO more for the week after next - that'll be four days in a row when services will be down. They're objecting to the rosters that have been set up for the new 24-hour service supposed to start next month, you see. Well, I sympathise with anyone that has to deal with the likes of Boris Johnson - but they are really pushing the goodwill of the public here. These next strikes will affect people heading away for the bank holiday weekend.. expect trouble, methinks.

May I just take a moment to warn people about the own-brand chicken tikka at the Co-Op. I had business at my local one this evening - actually, at the post office that lives down the back - and decided to buy dinner there. Chicken tikka, because some folks had had it at lunchtime and I'd envied the smell, and it'd been quite a while since I'd had it. Well, "chicken" tikka was almost misinformation, considering the tiny amount of chicken in it - and I was advised to add far too much water during cooking, making the whole thing soggy. Avoid, avoid, avoid..

Dinner over (thankfully) and while we still have the Tube, I took it. And it was a long enough journey that I had time to read the paper cover to cover - thankfully, I got a seat the whole way. And I didn't get lost in the station - just follow the signs for Wells Terrace (and make sure to locate them at each branching of the corridor!). Upon exiting, you can see the theatre, straight ahead on the left. I threaded my way through crowds of people, bravely occupying outside tables despite light rain, and made my way straight upstairs, where they were already open. Wound my way past some people to my bench seat at the side - there are no really bad seats here.

Predictably, this (quite small) theatre was packed - I only saw one free seat from where I was, by the end. The play is a family drama, centred around a family reunion at Easter, and featuring the return of a couple of members to the fold, coinciding with the birthday of the head of the family. Because the family connections are a bit convoluted to remember at the beginning, let me elaborate; the head of the family is the ageing William, his long-suffering wife is Olivia, played by Jane Asher, and they have three children: Samuel, who's autistic, Giles, a doctor, and Alice. Samuel lives in a care home. Giles is married to Sophie, with two grown-up children, Simon and - I can't actually remember his sister's name. And Alice has a daughter, Orelia. And they all come to visit for this fateful Easter.

So, a family drama then. But, as the reviews say, this production breathes new life into an old form. It is absolutely a gem, and I'm not in the least surprised it's so popular! The script absolutely sparkles. The characters are well drawn and complex, beautifully played. The play is utterly engaging - there is laughter, there are tears. There was one scene where one of the performers played the piano - for real, unusually. And as the others clustered around to listen, I found that the most moving scene of the whole night. Very highly recommended - if, as predicted, this moves to the West End, it'll be one of the best things there. Runs until Saturday, and I feel lucky to have seen it - as I say, the official website is sold out, but you might have luck if you search around.

I occupied myself on the Tube back by realising how out of practice my French is, reading the French novel over the shoulder of the woman beside me.. Tomorrow, I'm off to the Globe. Always a treat - and tomorrow is supposed to be the best night of the week to see shooting stars - there's a passing meteor shower. Hey, it's open-air; you never know.. the play is The Heresy of Love, bought on a Time Out offer again, but at a discount this time, in the last hour of the offer. And on Thursday, Meetup redeems itself in the form of the Let's Do London - for less! group, who are off to (ahem) Bears in Space, at the Soho Theatre. There's a rumour of a discount for people who dress up. I'm not tempted.

Play: Breeders

I got another Time Out voucher for Breeders - a 46% discount, £20 instead of £37.50. So I took myself along to the St. James Theatre tonight to see it.

The Tube arrived at the platform just as I did, but it was as well that I was a bit early, because the District Line was on its usual go-slow. Nonetheless, when we eventually chugged into Victoria, I was in plenty of time.

There was a short queue before I got my ticket - interestingly, when I noticed the face value printed on it, it said £16! Interesting, given that their own website is charging £37.50 for the exact same seat. Gee, you'd think they could get their story straight..? I didn't know in advance what exact seat I'd be getting, and suspected - correctly - that I wouldn't get the aisle. A pity, given the slightly cramped legroom here - but I figured I'd manage.

I was, in fact, dead centre of the row - which was nice. When I say the legroom is cramped, it isn't terrible - it's just that I feel very stiff after an hour of sitting like that, in a seat with a very straight back. (I'm 5'6'', for reference.) I pitied the guy sitting beside me, who looked much more uncomfortable.

And so to the show. Should I start with a blow-by-blow, I wonder, or with an overall assessment?

Let's do a blow-by-blow. Things that annoyed me about this production:

1. The very first thing you're subjected to is Tamzin Outhwaite singing, which is a sound that no living being should have to endure. Goodness knows, her speaking voice is grating enough!

2. Although the music is familiar, the words aren't, and I spent some mental energy trying to figure out why. It later transpires that they were singing, for some incomprehensible reason, in Swedish. If this is supposed to have a comic reason, I fail to see it.

3. Although there are only four characters in this play, Angela Griffin is barely more than a piece of furniture. When she does utter a phrase, she has no projection and you can barely hear her.

4. The comic timing is all off. Acting-wise, Tamzin is probably the best of them. As long as she doesn't sing.

5. It's. Just. Dull. The Time Out review described it as being like a sitcom - if I came across this on telly, I'd have changed the channel after the first scene. Despite some good one-liners, most of it is either puerile or - mainly - just plain boring. Yawn. Stop with the fillers and get on with the story!

On the plus side, I did like Tamzin's wardrobe.

And absolutely the biggest laugh I heard was the unscripted moment when the cardboard box that one of the actors was sitting on - she who was wearing the fairy costume - collapsed, and she was left in a comic pose, brandishing a wine glass with her legs stuck out in front of her.

Doesn't say much for the script though. Needless to say, I left at the interval. In a hurry. Doubtless to the relief of my next-seat neighbour, who was disturbed at one point by my loud sigh of despair.

Only runs until Saturday, which seems a popular closing date - I know of three things offhand that are closing that day. So lucky you - you only have a couple more days to avoid it!

Let's hope I have better luck with my trek out to the Hackney Empire tomorrow, to see Rudy's Rare Records. And on Saturday, I have better expectations of Sequence 8, at Sadler's Wells.

Play: Land of Our Fathers

Surprisingly, it's over a month since I booked Land of Our Fathers, at Trafalgar Studios! I'm not normally so organised - it was a slow day, as I recall. Anyway, I got a Time Out offer - now expired - and then just had to remember to head along tonight.

I seem to be developing a really good sense of how late I can push it, when deciding at what time to leave. This evening, I made it with five minutes to spare. Mind you, it really shows that you can't believe the estimated times at Tube stations - the estimate to Embankment was 17 mins, but it took more like 25. I also had a moment's pause, when leaving the station and trying to remember where Northumberland Avenue was. Left, under the bridge, I remembered after a moment. It's been a while.. then it's easy, just head up the road towards Trafalgar Square, cross and take the next left - it's visible at that point, across the road.

As I approached, you wouldn't know this was still showing. Enormous signs for East Is East, the next play in Studio 2 after this leaves on Saturday, dominate the façade. As you draw near, you can see a much smaller sign for Richard III on the awning. Despite its high profile, I guess the other one is the one they want to promote - Richard III has been around a while. It's not until you draw level with the building that you see the poster for Land of Our Fathers.

Downstairs, as usual - I'm usually in Studio 2, here. Most people had taken their seats already, and there was some confusion to find mine, considering that someone was sitting in it. Anyway, I don't know what he was thinking, but his seat was just one up, and all he had to do was budge up a bit (these are bench seats). I was at the edge of the centre section, facing the stage rather than side-on, and in the back row. Well, along the centre there are only three rows anyway. It's cosy. All the more cosy, considering how closely we were sitting to each other - I was wedged in, a gent either side. And both needed to spread their legs. I was much more comfortable in the second act, when the guy who'd been sitting in my seat decided not to return. Not there, anyway. Just as well - he also had a laugh so loud I couldn't hear the next lines, after a joke.

The play is set in a Welsh coalmine, in which six miners are trapped. The year is 1979, and the soundtrack we hear as the play starts is excellent. Speaking of music.. what is it with Welsh fiction and singing? I saw Pride a while back, and the Welsh characters burst into song (an extra to the actual plot) - the play tonight both starts and ends with a song. In Welsh. Might be Land of My Father, the Welsh anthem - I'm not familiar with it. Anyway, I'm not complaining - they're excellent singers (in both cases).

The first scene tells us exactly who they are, by means of a huge standard bearing the logo of the Mining Company of South Wales, or some such thing. They're all stood around it, in suits, singing. The room goes dark as they enter. Actually, there's a warning sign about that at the entrance, as I noticed at the interval, when we were made to leave so we wouldn't see what they were setting up for the second act. Complete dark, to mimic the complete natural darkness, 1000 feet underground. Or, well, it would've been, except for the lady over the far end who was still sending that text. Now, I appreciate the attraction of getting some messages sent. But, you know, it's not only sound that intrudes on a performance. At last, she finished what she was doing, and we could enjoy not seeing anything.

This blackout occurred periodically during the play - in one case, for several minutes, with the actors delivering their lines in the dark. Freakish, when it goes on for a while. You do get a real sense of the sheer terror of being trapped underground - particularly so far underground - with no way out. The wait to be rescued goes on and on. The sound of a drill brings hope that help is on its way - with silence comes despair.

In the meantime, they survive as best they can. They make a plan, they interact. We learn a bit about their lives, their shared history, their hopes for the future. The play is alternately hilarious, and emotionally shattering. The most shocking thing of all is that this stunner of a play is a debut. Well done, that man! Very highly recommended, runs until Saturday.

Coming home, I made the station in perfect time for my train, and the only excitement was the guy sitting across from me, who kept swishing his head in odd directions, so as to see in his reflection in the window how his floppy hairstyle would fall.

I have to keep reminding myself of the order of things. Tomorrow is Breeders, in the St. James Theatre - a comedy starring Angela Griffin and Tamzin Outhwaite as a lesbian couple who want the brother of one to inseminate the other, so they can have the DNA of both. Another one I got on a Time Out offer (since expired). Friday is another comedy - Rudy's Rare Records, starring Lenny Henry, in the Hackney Empire. And Saturday is Sequence 8 at Sadler's Wells - the last day of performances of this show.

Play: King Charles III

I was dying to see King Charles III. I've always had a fascination with royalty. Anyway, I didn't get a chance during its sold-out run at the Almeida - but now it's switched to the West End, and a while ago I got my chance, and booked a ticket for tonight, at Wyndham's Theatre, with a Time Out offer (since expired) of a Band C (the cheapest) ticket for £12.50 instead of the normal £17. Some Band C seats have restricted view, but I decided to take a chance.

So off I went this evening. This is the theatre just to the left of Exit 1 of Leicester Square Tube station, and I turned left immediately upon exiting, to be faced with a large crowd and a frazzled doorman, telling people to enter by the middle door if they had their tickets, and the side door to collect them at the box office. I don't think he had an option for buying tickets - I think, based on what I saw inside, that they were sold out.

I had a printed confirmation of my purchase - handy for them at the box office, they were frazzled too. Turned out I was in the Grand Circle. Also turned out that's not the top level, which is the balcony. Cool! So I climbed the stairs - which became ever narrower - and took my seat, which I have to say was an excellent one - towards the centre, no obstruction to my view - apart from the very front of the stage being cut off. I had a look around, and this theatre has very good sightlines - hardly any seats have real obstructions, I think. There are no central columns - the only barriers to a perfect view might be the railing at the edge of the balcony - which would be a slight imposition - and perhaps the ceiling overhang, which might spoil the view from the very back few rows. Certainly, I was delighted with my position - and for £12.50, too. Not a person there spent less, unless they got the ticket as a present - but I had a better seat than many. Decent legroom too.

Right then. This play starts with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The stage is supposed to be the interior of a palace - but hardly Buckingham Palace; the bare stone walls are more reminiscent of the Tower. The cast troops on, all dressed in black - the predominant costume colour for most of the play. They're all holding burning church candles. And they're singing the Agnus Dei. A live chamber orchestra accompanies them from one of the boxes. Let me tell you, when they break into song - and they do, a few times - it's spine-tingling.

We soon recognise some familiar faces. Charles doesn't really look like his namesake, but it doesn't take long to recognise him, and by extension, Camilla. My gosh though, there's no problem recognising Kate, with her trademark glossy mane (a wig, I wonder?) and Harry, with his ginger mop. William looks reasonably the part, but is helped along by his costume in the opening scene, which is identical to one we've seen - white shirt inside dark sweater. Well done, the casting director! William should've been a bit balder, though. We even get the ghost of Diana, with her trademark sideways step and downwards gaze, creating havoc as usual.

Well, the story is as follows: Charles no sooner takes the throne than he's confronted with a bill, presented to him by the Prime Minister of the day, that, in all conscience, he can't sign. O dearie me! See, the bill can't come into force without his signature - although there's no constitution, this is all based on tradition. Consternation! Is the throne toothless? Can it have no influence at all? Should it have? As the play progresses, each member of the family must define his or her role. And some of their decisions are indeed shocking.

I won't give the story away, but the audience's reaction was interesting. One act of defiance by Charles saw a member of the audience, seated in the balcony, clap loudly. Another plot twist heard a gasp from the stalls - followed by everyone else laughing at the gasp. Oh, and it ends with a coronation. Closet royalist that I am, it brought a tear to the eye as they processed onstage in their coronation robes. Gorgeous.

I'm highly biased, but this is a stirring production, whatever your feelings on the monarchy. Well, unless your feelings include absolute disgust - but then, why would you go to this? :-) Booking until 29 November - and booking is highly advised; I didn't see any free seats.

Of course, it lets out at the same time as all the other local theatres - so the Tube was packed. Here's a top Tube trip - on a crowded platform, aim for either end of the platform. Most people congregate at the middle - very few at the ends. I went to the end of the platform that corresponded to the back of the train, and can testify that there were plenty of seats in the last two coaches. Makes a huge difference.

So! My friends arrive tomorrow. Frankly, we have more on the itinerary than we'll ever manage, but on the list for tomorrow are Notting Hill, the V&A, The Mall, the ICA bookshop, Trafalgar Square, and a ghost walk. Well, y'know, it's better to have fallback options than not! Tourist London, here we come..