Today, back with Up in the Cheap Seats.. all day, as it happened. See, one of the organisers went crazy booking things the other day - it seems the V&A have an annual performance festival, and this year's theme was censorship, in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Theatres Act, which abolished censorship of the theatre in the UK. The day started with Decorum X: Brunch with Bite.. tickets required. This was followed by a talk on Censorship on the Elizabethan Stage, then finally came a performance by Belarus Free Theatre (the only theatre company in Europe banned by its government on political grounds, it seems), with Artists Fighting Oppression. Sold out by the time he advertised it, but he had tickets for us, if we were in quick. All events free. In the evening, we were off to a film music gala at the Albert Hall. What the hey, the V&A is very near to there!
Ohh, but I could have done with more sleep. Never mind, out I hopped, and with a number of options for getting there. The one that promised to get me there quickest was to take the bus from my nearest stop, then the Tube.. either bus would do. I was in good time, it was sunny - all was good. Unfortunately, the buses took forever.. the first to come was the #56, for which the plan was to alight at St. Paul's, then take two Tube lines. The problem arose with all the connections.. with the bus delay, I missed the Tube I should have got, and ended up with about a five-minute wait for each of the two trains I needed. At least I got a seat on the Piccadilly Line, for most of the way.
I didn't arrive at South Ken till gone the time the first event was due to start. Still, I persevered, trotting down that subterranean tunnel, praying I'd see the right exit soon. I emerged into the museum with a vague notion that I had to go left, having checked the interactive map last night - of course, it's not as easy in person, and when a helpful assistant asked whether he could help, I asked directions to the Sackler Centre. Yup, just keep heading left - I was almost there, and the Arts Studio is plain to see once you get there.
Mercifully, they let people in late, and I followed another woman, our tickets checked at the door. We could grab free drinks and pastries, and were instructed to grab a stool and sit at the side, which I did. I was a few minutes late - when I came in, the lady who was chairing the talk, at the head of the table, was discussing how Elizabeth I used to encourage people to stay away from the theatres by convincing them that the players spread the plague.
A lovely, bright and airy room, and a nice, custardy pastry left me in a receptive mood for the talk, which showed how political censorship in ages past switched to more prudish, sexual censorship in more recent times. A photocopy of the censor's report on Waiting for Godot was passed around, with much mirth at the censor's complete bafflement as to what the play is actually about. The speaker explained how she never appreciated the Carry On films, with their crude sexual innuendo, until she realised that that was as far as their expression of sexuality was allowed to go! And now, she concluded, censorship has been abolished - or has it? What about works that are seen to criticise certain religious groups, for example? A very interesting talk, a nice start.
I joined the others at the end - the ladies of our small group went in search of the loo, and finding the main toilets had a terrible queue, we enquired of an usher, who directed us to some well-hidden toilets, upstairs from the Raphael Gallery (ooh, there's a Raphael Gallery! and it's gorgeous). And then we went exploring, for a bit.
More photos here. Then we assembled at the meeting point near the entrance, for a gallery talk on Censorship on the Elizabethan Stage. For that, our guide took us up to the Performing Arts Gallery, which I'd never known existed - another terrific find, with its displays of costumes, theatrical posters, and video footage. She explained to us the difficulties of proving censorship from this period, and how one way of detecting it was to examine different copies of the same work, to check what had changed.
A quick trip to the cafe, and we were into an afternoon of political theatre. As the speaker remarked, she'd been told for weeks that this was sold out - and here we were, in a rare spell of British hot weather, with the room half full. Ah well, can't be helped. An interesting few hours followed, in which we watched an enlightening film about Belarus Free Theatre, listened to an interview of two people involved, then had to participate in an interactive session.. wasn't too bad, of course. First, people were encouraged to speak about something they always carry with them, and describe its significance. Then, we ended up carrying this long strip of red fabric around the building and back - a symbol of the red line that won't be crossed. We ended with what I found most moving - a Skype call to one of the underground group in Belarus, standing outside tonight's secret theatre, as the audience filed in. "Say hi to London, guys!" Good luck to them.
Time to eat, before the film gala; I fancied trying the cheap Oriental place I'd spotted - Oriental Canteen, as it turns out - so went and got a table there. It's mostly communal tables, but they have small ones along the windows, suitable for one or two. I'd ordered, and was sipping my 7Up - they don't have a full licence, and the only alcohol is Tiger Beer - when I realised the place is cash-only.. and I didn't have any! I checked with them that I'd need it, then asked where the nearest cash machine was - South Ken Station again. Complete with a couple of enterprising beggars, of course. Well, I got it and returned.. they only do mains here, but damn, they're cheap! £5.50 for any of the specials, which come with a choice of three sides - I had Teriyaki chicken with fried noodles. Which was fine - not the tastiest, but perfectly decent, and a good size helping. Friendly service, too. I'd be ok with coming back to try something else.
And afterwards, back up to the Albert Hall, where I ran into a couple of the others. You have to print out your tickets for here - one of us had had his ticket print ridiculously large, and had to go off to the box office to fix it! We others continued up to the Second Circle, where most of us had booked seats. Well, we'd barely arrived when someone let us in on the fact that the ushers were offering free Stalls upgrades..! We didn't need to be told twice. And as more group members arrived, I directed them all to her, and the ever more frazzled usher tried valiantly to seat us all together. Hey, she managed it for a whole group of us - we got terrific seats!
And so for a fantastic end to the day, with film (and tv) themes I mostly recognised. Goddamnit, even Game of Thrones made it in, as it does everywhere else.. the night ended with Star Wars (natch) and Rocky as encore.. but somehow, the theme of the night for me was E.T. As it soared over us, it couldn't be beaten..
Bus home, then, in enough time to drop into the Co-Op for something sweet. Tomorrow, another Funzing talk - An Introduction to the Dark Net. At Sink.. only about 10 minutes' walk from the office. For which I earned a loyalty discount, on account of all I booked recently!
On Tuesday and Wednesday, back again with Up in the Cheap Seats: Tuesday is for An Ideal Husband - part of the Oscar Wilde Season, at the Vaudeville. Stars father and son, Edward and Freddie Fox. And Susan Hampshire. Wednesday is for Mood Music, at the Old Vic, with Ben Chaplin.
On Thursday, the London European Club is attending a lecture at the LSE, on Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration. Then I'm back to the highly non-Eurosceptic Ireland again, for the weekend.
On the 30th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for A Gym Thing - got a fright when I saw that, but no, it's a play - in the Pleasaunce.
On the 1st, I'm back with North London Friends - to the Theatre Royal, Stratford East for Our Country's Good.
On the 2nd, Up in the Cheap Seats is off to The Writer, at the Almeida.
On the 3rd, London Literary Walks is doing - ahem - Stalin's Doss House. Meeting at Starbucks, naturally!
Then we're into the Early May Bank Holiday - and I saw an interesting trip, advertised by Carpe Diem, for a long weekend in Bulgaria. So I applied for a place - only to be told that there'd only been six, which were now gone. When I pointed out that the Meetup page advertised 12 places, and that some were shown as still available, they removed the event entirely. Instead, on the 4th I'm headed - with the £3.60 club - to Music Hall Monster: The Insatiable Mr. Fred Barnes, at Wilton's. Could be good.
And on the 5th, as of now, I'm signed up to an overnight trip to Newquay in Cornwall with Eddie's Excursions. This time, I got in the first six - ironically, they're not guaranteeing it'll go ahead unless they can fill a minibus! Watch this space..
Saturday dawned with work to be done, as our plans had changed and, with District and Circle lines out of action, I had to research bus routes. They wanted to go to Harrod's, I wanted them to see the V&A, and it turned out they're only ten minutes walk apart, so that was a perfect pairing! Just take the Cromwell Road exit from the V&A and turn left. Initially, I discovered we could take the Victoria line, followed by the Piccadilly line, to South Kensington for the V&A, so that's what we agreed to do, and I met them at Victoria Tube Station. After a bus ride (the C1) that, ironically, took me right past the V&A and Harrod's. Ah well.
My guests declared they'd slept very well, that the hotel was comfortable and quiet - and despite only continental breakfast being available at the weekends, they were delighted with the selection. Enchanted by the hotel overall, in fact!
The Tube was about as packed as I've seen it - all the tourists diverting from District and Circle, of course. So we had a crammed ride, but fortunately not many stops. Again, I say, if it's crammed, head for either end of the platform, so as to board the very front or back of the train - it's less crowded there.
We disembarked at South Ken, and took the subway to the V&A, passing the obligatory busker, who was blaring out jazz. Had a lovely stroll around the V&A - photos here. It's a gorgeous museum of art and design, with a statue hall at the subway entrance, and highlights including a large jewellery gallery and an enchanting gallery of stained glass and religious metalwork. We were also particularly taken by the silver gallery, and my guests were delighted by the central garden, with its feature pond, and people sitting around, eating ice cream and having drinks from the stall, and children paddling in the pond. We agreed that this is a most liveable city. If you can handle the rent/mortgage..
By the time we left, we were getting hungry, but the museum cafe was packed and we decided to search further. On the way to Harrod's, we passed a pub called the Bunch of Grapes, and since pubs generally do food, we said we'd give it a try. It turned out to be an excellent lunching spot - not too busy, reasonably priced, good service, and delicious food. I was boring and had the hunter's chicken again (obviously an English pub lunch staple), and my guests had traditional fish n chips.
Saturday afternoon was primarily given over to shopping. After lunch, we detoured to a nearby souvenir shop, then it was Harrod's turn. It was as crowded as ever, of course, and impossible to navigate. Bears, as ever, featured heavily. We did make a point of visiting the shrine to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the former owner's son, who was going out with her when they were killed in a car crash. The shrine is on Lower Ground level, at the bottom of the famous Egyptian escalator. Now, the shrine itself, with pictures of them both, and candles, is one thing - but in my opinion, the large statue that stands between it and the book of condolence - which is still open - and depicts both apparently setting free some kind of bird.. that's a bit much. Anyway, now you know where to find it.
We took the #74 bus from just across the road to Oxford Street, alighting for Primark, which one of my guests had a particular interest in visiting. We other two made for Selfridges, just up the road, where we had less interest in shopping and more in just having a drink in the cafe and relaxing. We were on our way to the toilets when we passed the new cinema! They only opened it about a week ago - I'd forgotten all about it. They seem to be showing mainly classics - we were browsing the listings when an usher emerged and asked whether we were going to a film. "No," we said - but she invited us in for a look around anyway. The interior is dark, the walls decorated in dark grey and hung with film photos. The bar is small and intimate, lined with comfortable seating, and staffed by people who looked quite bored, kitted out in 50s-style usher uniforms. So we decided to have another drink there, occupying the plush sofa. On our way out, we had a peek at the cinema, which had comfy-looking double seats. Definitely a welcome addition to a busy store on a busy street, this cinema will provide welcome respite after a hard day's shopping. Or indeed, somewhere to plonk the less enthusiastic shoppers in your group!
Mind you, our trip to the toilets was less successful. Oh, we made it to the toilets all right, and did what we needed to - but the queue was horrendous, and the state of the cubicle floors was woeful, filthy and splashed: despite the lady going around with a mop. Ugh. Proceed with caution.
Our bus stop to head southwards was conveniently located just outside. We texted our companion to meet us there when she was done. Now, I had method in directing us southwards - unbeknownst to my guests, I had booked tickets for all of us to an all-male burlesque show - Briefs, the Second Coming - at the Spiegeltent in London Wonderground. Thing was, the show was at 7.30, I still had to pick up the tickets, and we weren't going to be able to get a bus all the way there. From the convenient map on the bus stop, I could see that three of the four buses that stopped there went to Trafalgar Square, which was the best we could do. As she kept texting us to say she was delayed, I began to get a little worried..
Well, she showed up just past 6.30, with stories of unbelieveable queues, and how she ended up just pulling clothes on over what she was wearing, in front of a mirror, to save queueing time. She was delighted though - apparently, the range is much better here than in Ireland. And off we went to Trafalgar Square, on the #6, which happened to be the next bus along, and passed some interesting sights on the way. And when we alighted, I had to balance my understandable desire to race down the road with the knowledge that the longer I kept this a surprise, the better the surprise would be - so I couldn't seem to be in too much of a hurry. We took a route down Villers Street, so I could show them some restaurants where we might eat later - L' Ulivo appealed. (I was just worried someone was going to suggest we eat now..!)
We trekked the steps up to the bridge - I think I'm more accustomed to them; it's a bit of a hike! We took the right side up, so they could have a view of the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. Well, it's a beautiful view - but I could've cursed their photo-taking as I tried to hurry them along (gently), the box office now in sight! Finally, I asked the one to go find the other, as I had a bit of business to conduct yonder. "Ok," she said, and off I dashed. By the time I had the tickets, my other guest had reappeared, and both were staring at me curiously. "C'mon, ladies," I said, "we have a queue to join!"
Well, they were delighted! Firstly, by the fantasy-land that is the Wonderground. I pointed out the foodstalls and the carousel that doubles as a bar, but we really didn't have any time to explore as I hurried them towards the spiegeltent. Anyway, we made it with five minutes to spare, and were lucky to get three seats together. And I still hadn't told them what they had come to see! Finally, I gave them the title.
I don't really think a more detailed explanation would've done this show justice. Spangly costumes gave way to barely-there costumes, held on with a lick and a prayer. It was raucous, it was irreverent. Bananas featured prominently. The show also incorporated some circus, and the opening act, gymnastics on a suspended ring, was stupendous - my stand-out moment. I've never seen a gymnastics act performed so gracefully and fluidly. And all to a thumping soundtrack.
Mind you, we were to be glad to be in the back row. Banana peels flew everywhere, whizzing past our heads. The guy with the flaming ring got quite close to the front row - and the last act featured water so prominently (and enthusiastic splashing) that the front row was given plastic sheeting to hold over themselves: but even in the back row, we got splashed. Still, all in a night's fun, eh? The show is fantastic fun, and was a sell-out, from what I could see. Booking definitely recommended - runs until the 28th. (BTW, what is it about Aussies and circus acts? Do they have an enormous circus school in Australia or something that keeps churning them out, so they keep streaming over here? Well, keep 'em coming!)
We were well ready to eat afterwards. I took them back via the other side of the bridge, to show them the gorgeous view of the City, St Paul's, and the South Bank, and we took the overhead passageway back to Villiers Street because of the construction work at Embankment. The meal was excellent, with warm and friendly Italian service, and we got a window seat to watch the passers by.. I'll be back.
On the way back for the night, we took a small detour to see the buzz of Leicester Square and Theatreland, and wandered past Chinatown and down Shaftesbury Avenue to Piccadilly Circus. The city that never sleeps entertained us properly, before we took the Tube home. I sent my charges on their way at Green Park, to change to the Victoria line - the reverse of the journey we'd taken in the morning. Well, apparently they made it to Victoria all right. Unfortunately, they got lost in the train station, having taken the wrong exit. Ah well, all's well that ends well, and they did get to their beds eventually!
Right, lunch beckons! Just one more blog to do for the weekend.. Sunday brought a wee bit more sightseeing.
