The original idea for last night was to join Henning, from the London European Club, at one of those early-evening talks, on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts was headed to The Mountaintop, at The Young Vic. So I booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
Arrived in good time - the show was at 7:45, and she'd arranged to meet us at the upstairs bar from 7. I arrived a bit before that, and ordered a glass of wine - without a table, I didn't feel comfortable ordering food, although, being in Guildford that day, I hadn't eaten, and was hungry. Happily, someone else from the group spotted me, and we managed to bag a table - whereupon I hastened to the bar, deciding that tapas was the best option. They have an offer of £4 each, or five for £16.50. I chose five that I liked the sound of, and resumed my seat - where we were eventually joined by the organiser. About 20 minutes late. Gosh, and I'd thought she'd reformed her ways, after having been early the past couple of times. Huh. Anyway, there were a few more, and when the food arrived, I shared it around; there was a general consensus that, of what I'd ordered, the winners were the calamari, and the sausage pieces in tomato sauce.
They waited for me to finish - this was my dinner, after all - and we headed downstairs. This show isn't in the main space, but you'd think I'd have noticed the sign for it, painted on the wall - well, I did eventually, and we were led into a really small venue, where - with unassigned seating - a couple of us got the front row, and the rest headed a bit further back. This isn't a large theatre though, and the view is just fine from everywhere. Comfy bench seating, too.
You're faced with a hotel room from the 60s - a couple of beds, a curtain suggesting a window, a simple dresser and side table, as from the 60s. In due course, a weary Martin Luther King enters, kicking off his shoes after a hard day, and remarking at his smelly feet. Complains he doesn't have a decent cigarette, orders room service - with some difficulty - to deliver him a cup of coffee. Cue the only other character in the play, the sassy black maid who brings the coffee. And much more than that..
It'd be a sin, surely, to give the rest of the plot away. Suffice to say that the Olivier award that this play won was well deserved. The writing is gorgeous, both characters delivering stunning speeches, when roused. The casting is absolutely perfect, King's character in particular being quite believable. And the plot.. has quite a twist. The night before, the play I was at wasn't so great - this was, and I was delighted I'd caught it. Utterly entertaining, utterly engrossing. 90 minutes without interval - which gives you back your evening. And watch out for the stream-of-consciousness at the end, where we see a "flash-forward" of black American history, up to the present day. Recommended! Runs until 29th.
Afterwards, we nabbed the same table in the upstairs bar, and ordered more tapas - more of the good stuff, this time. And the conversation flowed freely, so that we stayed far too late - certainly for the likes of me, who had the misfortune to be in Guildford again today. I tell you, I'll be glad to quit that place. Ugh.
Tonight, Henning was at it again! There was a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Mind you, I was worried about getting there on time, and anyway, decided I'd prefer a film. My plans changed completely, though, when the World Music Meetup advertised, at the last minute, a concert by a Palestinian artist at a new venue to me - The Tabernacle. I had a listen on YouTube, she sounded good - I booked. The place was going to be awkward to get to, mind, needing two buses.. well, I got home in time to manage that, and took the 344 to Battersea Medical Centre. Traffic had been slow, and as I got off to catch another bus, I saw an accident across the road, the public kept away by official police tape. Cars, buses - looked to have been major. Anyway, I was glad I hadn't had to stay on the bus through it - but gee, my second bus never arrived at all, and when my maps app said I'd be about another hour getting there, on the bus which was supposed to be approaching but wasn't - well, I said sod it, I can be doing stuff at home. Like eating. And blogging. And getting an early night, for once. Honestly, I need a rest!
Tomorrow, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups - Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner - to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
And on Saturday, I was supposed to be going on another of those ghost walks - this time, it's London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks. However, up popped LDAM with a last-minute ticket to The Man of Good Hope, at the Young Vic again. Sounds interesting, all about a man that hikes through Africa - and goodness knows, I can go on a ghost walk any time..
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Play: Confessional
Another week, another no-brainer. The Man with the Hat was taking Let's Do London - for less! to Southwark Playhouse again - this time for Tennessee Williams' play, Confessional. Yup, booked.
I was in Guildford, but traffic was fine, and although - for once - the bus wasn't there when I got to the stop, I still made it in record time. Now, the Man with the Hat had mentioned that the bar would be pretty crowded before 7:30, when the first show started - he wasn't joking, but I joined the scrum at the bar anyway. And by the time I finally got served, the first crowd had gone in - I went down the back, located the group, and got my ticket: but as the house was already open for our play, and given that it was fitted out like a bar, which you could sit in the middle of, we decided to head straight in to get a good seat.
We did find a pretty good table, quite near the (functioning) bar, which duly filled completely. This seemed to have sold out - the setting was terrific, but you didn't have to sit at a table if you didn't want to, there was plenty of seating around the sides. And apart from beer, you could have whatever you wanted at the bar - and a couple of people did. We were impressed with the brave couple, mind, who actually sat at the bar for the whole performance, despite having nothing whatsoever to do with the show. Well, they did have a great view..
We were playing Spot the Actor (there is actually one in the above shot), and someone wondered whether the play had already started - no worries, you couldn't miss the start, what with the lead character, Leona, bursting in the door yelling! She was to prove the focus of the play - wandering up and down the coast in her trailer, she stops in a town for a few months, works as a beautician, and if this play is anything to go by, psychoanalyses the town before moving on again. This play sees her having been in town for a few months, so she knows what's going on, and even with people she's just met, she has an opinion on how they should conduct themselves..
I've always loved being right in the action, and this setting is perfect for that. You're right beside everything that's happening, although there's little actual audience interaction, apart from somebody maybe asking whether they can have this seat. Handily enough, the bar owner in the play also goes around collecting glasses! Some of the dialogue was a bit muffled at the start, but generally it's perfectly audible, and although you can't always get a good look at whoever's speaking - maybe they're behind you - it doesn't tend to matter.
The acting, as ever, was top-notch - and although the play is translocated to England, that wasn't a problem for me. Now, I love Tennessee Williams, and you could see in this how well he drew his characters. However, there's generally a reason that lesser-known plays are lesser-known, and the play has issues. I wasn't the only person who thought that it just didn't hang together as a play - rather than a single plot, we see several relatively disconnected stories, the only common thread being the practically unhinged Leona. Plus, it's set in the 50s, when certain themes were more of a concern than they are now, and I daresay an audience of the time would have found the whole thing more shocking.
Still, the layout of the set is great, and I do recommend sitting as centrally as you can. Runs for 90 minutes without interval - for this one, just like a real pub, you can go in and out to the toilet as you wish; you get a wristband for the purpose, with the name of the fictional pub on it. Your drinks, you could probably get at the onstage bar - as long as the bartender wasn't busy with his character. Runs until 29th.
Afterwards, some of us stayed for drinks, but most headed out pretty early. Still it was flippin' freezing waiting for the bus outside! Luckily, it wasn't long - but I was still home too late to blog, what with being in Guildford again today.
Tonight, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop tonight, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
Tomorrow, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting. I'm down to the Ns - watch this space.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups - Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner - to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
And on Saturday, I'm going on another of those ghost walks - this time, it's London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks.
I was in Guildford, but traffic was fine, and although - for once - the bus wasn't there when I got to the stop, I still made it in record time. Now, the Man with the Hat had mentioned that the bar would be pretty crowded before 7:30, when the first show started - he wasn't joking, but I joined the scrum at the bar anyway. And by the time I finally got served, the first crowd had gone in - I went down the back, located the group, and got my ticket: but as the house was already open for our play, and given that it was fitted out like a bar, which you could sit in the middle of, we decided to head straight in to get a good seat.
We did find a pretty good table, quite near the (functioning) bar, which duly filled completely. This seemed to have sold out - the setting was terrific, but you didn't have to sit at a table if you didn't want to, there was plenty of seating around the sides. And apart from beer, you could have whatever you wanted at the bar - and a couple of people did. We were impressed with the brave couple, mind, who actually sat at the bar for the whole performance, despite having nothing whatsoever to do with the show. Well, they did have a great view..
We were playing Spot the Actor (there is actually one in the above shot), and someone wondered whether the play had already started - no worries, you couldn't miss the start, what with the lead character, Leona, bursting in the door yelling! She was to prove the focus of the play - wandering up and down the coast in her trailer, she stops in a town for a few months, works as a beautician, and if this play is anything to go by, psychoanalyses the town before moving on again. This play sees her having been in town for a few months, so she knows what's going on, and even with people she's just met, she has an opinion on how they should conduct themselves..
I've always loved being right in the action, and this setting is perfect for that. You're right beside everything that's happening, although there's little actual audience interaction, apart from somebody maybe asking whether they can have this seat. Handily enough, the bar owner in the play also goes around collecting glasses! Some of the dialogue was a bit muffled at the start, but generally it's perfectly audible, and although you can't always get a good look at whoever's speaking - maybe they're behind you - it doesn't tend to matter.
The acting, as ever, was top-notch - and although the play is translocated to England, that wasn't a problem for me. Now, I love Tennessee Williams, and you could see in this how well he drew his characters. However, there's generally a reason that lesser-known plays are lesser-known, and the play has issues. I wasn't the only person who thought that it just didn't hang together as a play - rather than a single plot, we see several relatively disconnected stories, the only common thread being the practically unhinged Leona. Plus, it's set in the 50s, when certain themes were more of a concern than they are now, and I daresay an audience of the time would have found the whole thing more shocking.
Still, the layout of the set is great, and I do recommend sitting as centrally as you can. Runs for 90 minutes without interval - for this one, just like a real pub, you can go in and out to the toilet as you wish; you get a wristband for the purpose, with the name of the fictional pub on it. Your drinks, you could probably get at the onstage bar - as long as the bartender wasn't busy with his character. Runs until 29th.
Afterwards, some of us stayed for drinks, but most headed out pretty early. Still it was flippin' freezing waiting for the bus outside! Luckily, it wasn't long - but I was still home too late to blog, what with being in Guildford again today.
Tonight, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop tonight, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
Tomorrow, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting. I'm down to the Ns - watch this space.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups - Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner - to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
And on Saturday, I'm going on another of those ghost walks - this time, it's London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks.
Friday, 7 October 2016
Play: The Merchant of Venice
Man with the Hat goes to the Globe - my favourite groups at my favourite venue. Of course I booked! Seated, with Let's Do London - for less, for me, of course - I just don't have the stamina to stand, with London for Less Than a Tenner, although I know the atmosphere is better in the yard, close to the stage. But the atmosphere is terrific throughout.
Although I had the misfortune to have to be in Guildford, I left in good time, the Traffic Gods were with me, and I was in plenty of time to catch the bus. Mind you, actually catching it was a near thing - it's developed a habit of arriving at the stop at the same time I do, and yesterday I had to wait to cross the road, with it already taking on passengers! Mercifully, by the time I got there, the driver hadn't yet been able to pull away, with the traffic, and let me on.
And so in good time to the Globe, where the Man with the Hat was standing in his usual place, near the main entrance with the glass doors, in a freezing breeze. He's good about letting people know where to find him - I did remark, however, that he was hidden in the shadows (it was dark by now); my suggestion of flashing lights as an accessory didn't go down too well, though.
I went straight to my entrance - hey, they didn't have to direct me, I've been here often enough to know where Door 4 is! Wandered over that way, saw the queue for the yard and asked the person guarding the door whether they were letting in the seated people yet. Eh, nope, I'd have to join the queue - ah well, found Mary et al there, ready to do the standing thing, and we passed the time convivially until they finally let us in. And I didn't need directing to my seat either..
I was in the back row, as it happened - which handily means I had the wall for support. And we were quite snug - squashed in behind a large school group. I have to say, it's a terrific resource for schoolkids - so evocative. And our bunch of kids were very well behaved, I thought, for a large bunch of kids their age - I hear there was another school group in the yard that was so rowdy they had to be spoken to a couple of times.
The play in question was the ever-popular Merchant of Venice. And, as ever in the Globe, they started with music - appropriately for the play, in the style of the Venice carnival, actors cavorting wildly in Venetian masks. Apart from that, this, I have to say, was the most traditional production I think I've ever seen here. They played it pretty straight, delivering the lines as written - but not forgetting the odd bit of audience interaction, most pointedly with Gobbo, Shylock's servant. There were also captions, handy for that odd bit you couldn't hear - not so handy when they unfurled the long, billowing, gold curtains, which looked so well at the back of the stage, but did obscure the surtitles..
The schoolkids in front of us were managed effectively, swapping seats for the second half so that everyone could have a better view for part of the play. Now, this is a popular play in schools - despite some complicated text, it has simple themes:
A really clever move in the production was the promotion of Jessica, who provides a foil to Shylock. Although she takes the opposite path to him, she gives us a real reason to sympathise with him. After all, she betrays him completely, robbing him, abandoning him, changing her religion. But you know, she patently never feels good about it. In subtle ways, throughout the play, she is continually snubbed by the community she's trying to become a part of, and at the end, when Shylock is completely humiliated, his wealth dispersed, her gone, and him forced to convert as well, you can see the tragedy of it through the angst in her face, and when, right at the end, she falls to her knees and wails a lament in Hebrew. An ingenious way to get sympathy for a character that could be seen as unsympathetic, given the bargain he strikes in the first place. Fantastic production - a short run until tomorrow week, tickets only apparently available for today and the last day of the show. Do try and see it if you can, though..
Afterwards, I was glad to get out of the vicious wind and upstairs to the Swan. Typically slow service - they're bad at serving more than one person at once, and it's always packed after a show. We had better seating this time - not on the toadstools at the bar, as usual, but on comfier seats in a separate area at the end. And the chat was great - too great, and I stayed far too late! but never mind. Skirted the posh folks on the way out, and didn't have too long to wait for a bus. Another great night with these groups, and at this venue. Probably the last of the year here, but roll on next summer.
Back to Ireland this evening for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Although I had the misfortune to have to be in Guildford, I left in good time, the Traffic Gods were with me, and I was in plenty of time to catch the bus. Mind you, actually catching it was a near thing - it's developed a habit of arriving at the stop at the same time I do, and yesterday I had to wait to cross the road, with it already taking on passengers! Mercifully, by the time I got there, the driver hadn't yet been able to pull away, with the traffic, and let me on.
And so in good time to the Globe, where the Man with the Hat was standing in his usual place, near the main entrance with the glass doors, in a freezing breeze. He's good about letting people know where to find him - I did remark, however, that he was hidden in the shadows (it was dark by now); my suggestion of flashing lights as an accessory didn't go down too well, though.
I went straight to my entrance - hey, they didn't have to direct me, I've been here often enough to know where Door 4 is! Wandered over that way, saw the queue for the yard and asked the person guarding the door whether they were letting in the seated people yet. Eh, nope, I'd have to join the queue - ah well, found Mary et al there, ready to do the standing thing, and we passed the time convivially until they finally let us in. And I didn't need directing to my seat either..
I was in the back row, as it happened - which handily means I had the wall for support. And we were quite snug - squashed in behind a large school group. I have to say, it's a terrific resource for schoolkids - so evocative. And our bunch of kids were very well behaved, I thought, for a large bunch of kids their age - I hear there was another school group in the yard that was so rowdy they had to be spoken to a couple of times.
The play in question was the ever-popular Merchant of Venice. And, as ever in the Globe, they started with music - appropriately for the play, in the style of the Venice carnival, actors cavorting wildly in Venetian masks. Apart from that, this, I have to say, was the most traditional production I think I've ever seen here. They played it pretty straight, delivering the lines as written - but not forgetting the odd bit of audience interaction, most pointedly with Gobbo, Shylock's servant. There were also captions, handy for that odd bit you couldn't hear - not so handy when they unfurled the long, billowing, gold curtains, which looked so well at the back of the stage, but did obscure the surtitles..
The schoolkids in front of us were managed effectively, swapping seats for the second half so that everyone could have a better view for part of the play. Now, this is a popular play in schools - despite some complicated text, it has simple themes:
- of the Jew, Shylock, whom Antonio asks for a loan on foot of the ships he expects to come in, laden with goods - only to have them founder, and Shylock demand his pound of flesh
- of Portia's love for Bassanio, whom she cannot choose freely, but rather have her choice of suitor determined by which of three caskets they choose
- of Lorenzo's love for Jessica, Shylock's daughter
A really clever move in the production was the promotion of Jessica, who provides a foil to Shylock. Although she takes the opposite path to him, she gives us a real reason to sympathise with him. After all, she betrays him completely, robbing him, abandoning him, changing her religion. But you know, she patently never feels good about it. In subtle ways, throughout the play, she is continually snubbed by the community she's trying to become a part of, and at the end, when Shylock is completely humiliated, his wealth dispersed, her gone, and him forced to convert as well, you can see the tragedy of it through the angst in her face, and when, right at the end, she falls to her knees and wails a lament in Hebrew. An ingenious way to get sympathy for a character that could be seen as unsympathetic, given the bargain he strikes in the first place. Fantastic production - a short run until tomorrow week, tickets only apparently available for today and the last day of the show. Do try and see it if you can, though..
Afterwards, I was glad to get out of the vicious wind and upstairs to the Swan. Typically slow service - they're bad at serving more than one person at once, and it's always packed after a show. We had better seating this time - not on the toadstools at the bar, as usual, but on comfier seats in a separate area at the end. And the chat was great - too great, and I stayed far too late! but never mind. Skirted the posh folks on the way out, and didn't have too long to wait for a bus. Another great night with these groups, and at this venue. Probably the last of the year here, but roll on next summer.
Back to Ireland this evening for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Dance - Women in Flamenco: a Homage
Organised by London European Club, taking place in Sands Film Studios. An evening of flamenco - one of my favourite things, in one of my favourite places. I booked immediately, through Eventbrite.
Sadly, it was not to be - I was delayed leaving Guildford. Jeez, that makes four days in a row that I haven't seen a show! Still, it gives me a chance to job-hunt.. as you might have guessed, I'm not best enamoured of Guildford, and having to go there most of the week is trying, to say the least. So, all I need now is an exit strategy - watch this space.
Meantime, let's see whether I can do better from now on, eh? Tomorrow, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice. Unfortunately, I have to go to Guildford. Happily, the boss isn't coming, so the odds are better of me getting away on time!
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Sadly, it was not to be - I was delayed leaving Guildford. Jeez, that makes four days in a row that I haven't seen a show! Still, it gives me a chance to job-hunt.. as you might have guessed, I'm not best enamoured of Guildford, and having to go there most of the week is trying, to say the least. So, all I need now is an exit strategy - watch this space.
Meantime, let's see whether I can do better from now on, eh? Tomorrow, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice. Unfortunately, I have to go to Guildford. Happily, the boss isn't coming, so the odds are better of me getting away on time!
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting. Or maybe I'll go to a film.. film list permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
pub/restaurant: Dean Street Townhouse
Eh, yes. This should read "Play: Girls", right?
Well, the Man with the Hat scheduled no fewer than two shows at Soho Theatre last night! London for Less Than a Tenner had tickets for both Girls and Spine, each part of their Who Rules the World? Girls series. Those of us who'd already booked for Girls were offered the chance to change when the second show was announced, but I decided the one I'd booked sounded more interesting to me.
I was in Guildford yesterday, so was glad I'd picked the later starting show of the two. Left in good time though, hitting reasonably heavy traffic on the main road, and after a bit it opened out and I was off. Until I was suddenly brought to a halt:
This was my view for A Very Long Time. Hey, at least it gave me the chance to use the Waze app on my phone for the first time - from which I determined that the jam continued for A Very Long Way, and that the cause was a major accident involving two lorries and a car.
Whoopee. During the two solid hours that I was stuck in the jam, I had time to call my mother, and message the Man with the Hat to say that I'd do my best, but it wasn't looking promising.. it was after 7:30 by the time I got home (the play started at 7:15). I said I'd head in anyway - might make the interval, more likely I'd just get to the pub afterwards.
Managed to get in for 8:20.. There was the Man with the Hat, in the theatre bar, chatting with a couple of folks who, it transpired, had been at Spine - which finished earlier - but hadn't stayed for the Q+A. So I hung around and chatted to them, and when the others came out from the Q+A, the Man with the Hat led us to a new venue, saying that the Nellie Dean had a private function.
Dean Street Townhouse is just to the left as you exit the theatre, on the other side of the road. A maze of a building, we had to enter via the main door on the left, then go all the way back to the right, where we spread ourselves around some tables in a side area. I needed the loo - had rushed out when I finally parked the car, and had needed to go for a while. Well, they were a bit of a trek - back around in a circle, and down the stairs - but most opulent!
The seating area was quite dark, and cosy, with real candles on the tables (and I loved the candle-holders:
Our assessment was "elegantly old-fashioned" - not at all stuffy, rather - comforting. Comfy chairs, round, wooden tables: some of us fancied food, and ordered that as well as drinks. A couple at my table had smoked haddock souffle starters, I was hungrier and ordered the half roast chicken. We agreed that the prices were reasonable for the area.. A warm loaf, with a pat of butter, arrived first, and when the souffles arrived (with sauce in a pan to be poured over), they were pronounced delicious. Me, I'd have done better with a starter - my chicken arrived with a plate of roast potatoes, and as someone remarked, it looked like Christmas dinner! Separate sauce boats of gravy AND bread sauce accompanied it.. and while I did my best, and ate most of the breast and a considerable amount of the leg, by the time I got to the stuffing - which was hidden in the leg - I was stuffed myself.
No dessert, thank you - and by the time I'd finished, the group was breaking up. So, worth going for the experience, and to know that here is a nice, new venue on Dean Street, should you want a nice place to go for a bite to eat. And, of course, to meet the group..
Well, so tonight, I was supposed to be with Henning from the London European Club, for a talk on The Decline of the West in the New Asian Century, at the London School of Economics. I doubt I'll make it though - I'm in Guildford again, and would have to get across town for 6:30. So I've cancelled - what the hey, I wasn't that pushed.
Quite excited about tomorrow - flamenco (olé!) at Sands Film Studios, also with London European Club. Now that, I wouldn't miss for the world - one of my favourite things, at one of my favourite venues. Huzzah! Again, I'll be in Guildford, but the show doesn't start until 7:45 (which probably means 8), so I should be ok. Accidents permitting.
Thursday, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice. And phew, I'm not in Guildford!
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Well, the Man with the Hat scheduled no fewer than two shows at Soho Theatre last night! London for Less Than a Tenner had tickets for both Girls and Spine, each part of their Who Rules the World? Girls series. Those of us who'd already booked for Girls were offered the chance to change when the second show was announced, but I decided the one I'd booked sounded more interesting to me.
I was in Guildford yesterday, so was glad I'd picked the later starting show of the two. Left in good time though, hitting reasonably heavy traffic on the main road, and after a bit it opened out and I was off. Until I was suddenly brought to a halt:
This was my view for A Very Long Time. Hey, at least it gave me the chance to use the Waze app on my phone for the first time - from which I determined that the jam continued for A Very Long Way, and that the cause was a major accident involving two lorries and a car.
Whoopee. During the two solid hours that I was stuck in the jam, I had time to call my mother, and message the Man with the Hat to say that I'd do my best, but it wasn't looking promising.. it was after 7:30 by the time I got home (the play started at 7:15). I said I'd head in anyway - might make the interval, more likely I'd just get to the pub afterwards.
Managed to get in for 8:20.. There was the Man with the Hat, in the theatre bar, chatting with a couple of folks who, it transpired, had been at Spine - which finished earlier - but hadn't stayed for the Q+A. So I hung around and chatted to them, and when the others came out from the Q+A, the Man with the Hat led us to a new venue, saying that the Nellie Dean had a private function.
Dean Street Townhouse is just to the left as you exit the theatre, on the other side of the road. A maze of a building, we had to enter via the main door on the left, then go all the way back to the right, where we spread ourselves around some tables in a side area. I needed the loo - had rushed out when I finally parked the car, and had needed to go for a while. Well, they were a bit of a trek - back around in a circle, and down the stairs - but most opulent!
The seating area was quite dark, and cosy, with real candles on the tables (and I loved the candle-holders:
Our assessment was "elegantly old-fashioned" - not at all stuffy, rather - comforting. Comfy chairs, round, wooden tables: some of us fancied food, and ordered that as well as drinks. A couple at my table had smoked haddock souffle starters, I was hungrier and ordered the half roast chicken. We agreed that the prices were reasonable for the area.. A warm loaf, with a pat of butter, arrived first, and when the souffles arrived (with sauce in a pan to be poured over), they were pronounced delicious. Me, I'd have done better with a starter - my chicken arrived with a plate of roast potatoes, and as someone remarked, it looked like Christmas dinner! Separate sauce boats of gravy AND bread sauce accompanied it.. and while I did my best, and ate most of the breast and a considerable amount of the leg, by the time I got to the stuffing - which was hidden in the leg - I was stuffed myself.
No dessert, thank you - and by the time I'd finished, the group was breaking up. So, worth going for the experience, and to know that here is a nice, new venue on Dean Street, should you want a nice place to go for a bite to eat. And, of course, to meet the group..
Well, so tonight, I was supposed to be with Henning from the London European Club, for a talk on The Decline of the West in the New Asian Century, at the London School of Economics. I doubt I'll make it though - I'm in Guildford again, and would have to get across town for 6:30. So I've cancelled - what the hey, I wasn't that pushed.
Quite excited about tomorrow - flamenco (olé!) at Sands Film Studios, also with London European Club. Now that, I wouldn't miss for the world - one of my favourite things, at one of my favourite venues. Huzzah! Again, I'll be in Guildford, but the show doesn't start until 7:45 (which probably means 8), so I should be ok. Accidents permitting.
Thursday, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice. And phew, I'm not in Guildford!
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. So I booked. Somehow, however, I completely missed the fact that London Dramatic Arts is headed to The Mountaintop that night, at The Young Vic. So now I've booked that instead - they only had two spots left!
On Wednesday, Henning is at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. I'll see whether I can actually make it, Guildford permitting.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! Well, I won't be doing it on this occasion - but wouldn't you know it, they've booked for another performance next month. And again, I got a cheaper ticket - and so the dramatic sneaking around is scheduled again..
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Plays: No's Knife
Ah, beautiful, bewildering Beckett. Surely the weirdest playwright that most of us are likely to come across. The members of London Dramatic Arts have never seemed that keen on him - it must just have been the fact that it was in the Old Vic that swayed the organiser, who's pretty traditional in general with venues. Anyway, when she advertised No's Knife for yesterday, I gleefully booked.
Great way to start the spooky, and somewhat dreary, month of October - watching some bleak musings on the nature of humanity. It being a Saturday, I started out in plenty of time, even for the bus.. amidst a cloudburst. They said it'd rain, they didn't lie. What the hey, that's what waterproof coats are for.. and it had stopped by the time I got off at Waterloo. Straight ahead then, down Waterloo Road, and there was the Old Vic. I really must stop accusing her of being late - I was early, and she was there ahead of me! So I had plenty of time to advertise the things I've been at lately, to her and to the others when they arrived - and when we all had, we headed upstairs to the Dress Circle Bar, for the Dress Circle was where we'd be sitting.
We ultimately entered the theatre to the sight of a large, white stage curtain with - something - on it, which we concluded was an eye. We were right - when the show eventually started, perhaps 10 minutes late (well, the start time was quite early!), the eye opened, just before everything went dark and the curtain was raised. And I did have to wonder at the incongruity of staging something so sparse in a venue so opulently decorated..
Because, like all Beckett, it was sparse indeed. Mind you, afterwards the one thing we could all agree on was that the staging was spectacular. This isn't one play - it's a collection of four pieces, none of which was written as a play: specifically, a selection from Texts for Nothing. Which is a series of texts that go in no particular direction, have no particular aim. Wikipedia quotes someone as saying that they are "rich in imagery but short on external coherence". Which may explain why our group gathered afterwards with external expressions of confusion. :-) In fact, one member - who works in the health service - described the texts as like the incoherent ramblings of a psychotic. Well, I'm sure they are.
They were selected and put together by Lisa Dwan, who performs them solo. Is she the foremost portrayer of Beckett's works? Possibly - you can tell she has a feel for them. And it does take work, to make four disconnected and incoherent monologues stay interesting for an audience. (Didn't work for everyone - we saw some people leave, doubtless those at the end of the row, and the person beside me nodded off at one point!)
The first piece has her(him) lying in a crack of ground, mist falling on her(his) face, nothing to look at but mist. From a brief description in the text, this crack seems to be in the Golden Vale - but anyway, somewhere it rains a lot. The ground is tipped vertically on stage, Lisa Dwan perched in a crack high up it. The second piece has her (him) forming her(him)self from scratch, considering what you actually need to be human. In the third piece, she (he) is in the dock, suspended from the roof, defending her(him)self from an unseen - but occasionally heard - accuser. And finally, she (he) comes right out to the front, acting the part of a character in a play or story, backed by the same desolate wasteland of the second piece. As I say, stunning staging.
Is it really that hard to get into Beckett's mindset? The pieces made complete sense to me - maybe I'm borderline psychotic. Which is fine, long as I behave. ;-) My recommendation? If you like Beckett, go see - it runs until the 15th. If you don't like Beckett - or barely - don't bother; this is one of the more impenetrable productions. Anyway, I loved it - although I'm still not sure about the wisdom of trying to show Texts for Nothing to a conventional theatre audience.
Our post-show discussion was held in the Penny bar in the basement, which I see has a separate entrance from the road, and apparently stays open till 2 - not that we stayed that late. But we stayed a good while, and had a good chat, and I drank quite a bit more than I should have.
And then today was supposed to be a film - which meant doing the film list, which I might have done earlier, had I not been so busy. So it's not a surprise that, by the time I finished it this evening, I'd missed the only showing of what it was telling me to go see! Hmph. Well, I didn't fancy any complicated journeys - and goodness knows, with having to shop, eat, blog, and do some work (as ever), I had enough to do without going out. So I haven't. But at least the list is more up to date now.
Never mind, I'm booked up for quite a while to come! Tomorrow is the Man with the Hat, who's taken over Soho Theatre; London for Less Than a Tenner has tickets for two shows there - Girls and Spine, both part of their Who Runs the World? - Girls season. I'd already booked for Girls when he announced that he had tickets for Spine as well - he offered to transfer people's tickets to Spine for free if we wanted, but I'm sticking with my original decision. Hey, at least it starts 15 minutes later, which could be useful, given that I'm in Guildford tomorrow.
On Tuesday, I was supposed to be with Henning from the London European Club, for a talk on The Decline of the West in the New Asian Century, at the London School of Economics. I doubt I'll make it though - I'm in Guildford that day, and would have to get across town for 6:30. So I've cancelled - what the hey, I wasn't that pushed.
Quite excited about Wednesday - flamenco (olé!) at Sands Film Studios, also with London European Club. Now that, I wouldn't miss for the world - one of my favourite things, at one of my favourite venues. Huzzah!
Thursday, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice.
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. Oh dear, hope I'm not in Guildford again - we shall see.
On Wednesday, he's at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. Ditto, I'll see whether I can actually make it.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! So I was just a teeny bit relieved when the early performances were cancelled, owing to personal reasons of one of the cast..
Great way to start the spooky, and somewhat dreary, month of October - watching some bleak musings on the nature of humanity. It being a Saturday, I started out in plenty of time, even for the bus.. amidst a cloudburst. They said it'd rain, they didn't lie. What the hey, that's what waterproof coats are for.. and it had stopped by the time I got off at Waterloo. Straight ahead then, down Waterloo Road, and there was the Old Vic. I really must stop accusing her of being late - I was early, and she was there ahead of me! So I had plenty of time to advertise the things I've been at lately, to her and to the others when they arrived - and when we all had, we headed upstairs to the Dress Circle Bar, for the Dress Circle was where we'd be sitting.
We ultimately entered the theatre to the sight of a large, white stage curtain with - something - on it, which we concluded was an eye. We were right - when the show eventually started, perhaps 10 minutes late (well, the start time was quite early!), the eye opened, just before everything went dark and the curtain was raised. And I did have to wonder at the incongruity of staging something so sparse in a venue so opulently decorated..
Because, like all Beckett, it was sparse indeed. Mind you, afterwards the one thing we could all agree on was that the staging was spectacular. This isn't one play - it's a collection of four pieces, none of which was written as a play: specifically, a selection from Texts for Nothing. Which is a series of texts that go in no particular direction, have no particular aim. Wikipedia quotes someone as saying that they are "rich in imagery but short on external coherence". Which may explain why our group gathered afterwards with external expressions of confusion. :-) In fact, one member - who works in the health service - described the texts as like the incoherent ramblings of a psychotic. Well, I'm sure they are.
They were selected and put together by Lisa Dwan, who performs them solo. Is she the foremost portrayer of Beckett's works? Possibly - you can tell she has a feel for them. And it does take work, to make four disconnected and incoherent monologues stay interesting for an audience. (Didn't work for everyone - we saw some people leave, doubtless those at the end of the row, and the person beside me nodded off at one point!)
The first piece has her(him) lying in a crack of ground, mist falling on her(his) face, nothing to look at but mist. From a brief description in the text, this crack seems to be in the Golden Vale - but anyway, somewhere it rains a lot. The ground is tipped vertically on stage, Lisa Dwan perched in a crack high up it. The second piece has her (him) forming her(him)self from scratch, considering what you actually need to be human. In the third piece, she (he) is in the dock, suspended from the roof, defending her(him)self from an unseen - but occasionally heard - accuser. And finally, she (he) comes right out to the front, acting the part of a character in a play or story, backed by the same desolate wasteland of the second piece. As I say, stunning staging.
Is it really that hard to get into Beckett's mindset? The pieces made complete sense to me - maybe I'm borderline psychotic. Which is fine, long as I behave. ;-) My recommendation? If you like Beckett, go see - it runs until the 15th. If you don't like Beckett - or barely - don't bother; this is one of the more impenetrable productions. Anyway, I loved it - although I'm still not sure about the wisdom of trying to show Texts for Nothing to a conventional theatre audience.
Our post-show discussion was held in the Penny bar in the basement, which I see has a separate entrance from the road, and apparently stays open till 2 - not that we stayed that late. But we stayed a good while, and had a good chat, and I drank quite a bit more than I should have.
And then today was supposed to be a film - which meant doing the film list, which I might have done earlier, had I not been so busy. So it's not a surprise that, by the time I finished it this evening, I'd missed the only showing of what it was telling me to go see! Hmph. Well, I didn't fancy any complicated journeys - and goodness knows, with having to shop, eat, blog, and do some work (as ever), I had enough to do without going out. So I haven't. But at least the list is more up to date now.
Never mind, I'm booked up for quite a while to come! Tomorrow is the Man with the Hat, who's taken over Soho Theatre; London for Less Than a Tenner has tickets for two shows there - Girls and Spine, both part of their Who Runs the World? - Girls season. I'd already booked for Girls when he announced that he had tickets for Spine as well - he offered to transfer people's tickets to Spine for free if we wanted, but I'm sticking with my original decision. Hey, at least it starts 15 minutes later, which could be useful, given that I'm in Guildford tomorrow.
On Tuesday, I was supposed to be with Henning from the London European Club, for a talk on The Decline of the West in the New Asian Century, at the London School of Economics. I doubt I'll make it though - I'm in Guildford that day, and would have to get across town for 6:30. So I've cancelled - what the hey, I wasn't that pushed.
Quite excited about Wednesday - flamenco (olé!) at Sands Film Studios, also with London European Club. Now that, I wouldn't miss for the world - one of my favourite things, at one of my favourite venues. Huzzah!
Thursday, back with one of my favourite groups, another of my favourite venues - the Man with the Hat hits the Globe for probably the last time this year, with Let's Do London - for less! for The Merchant of Venice.
Back to Ireland for the weekend.. then comes next week. Monday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, at yet another of my favourite venues (this is becoming a habit!). We're going to Southwark Playhouse, to see a production of Confessional by Tennessee Williams. Methinks we'll be sat in the middle of the production - TBC.
On Tuesday, Henning from the London European Club is hosting another of those early-evening talks, this time on Astronomy: Brave New Worlds - the Planets Around Other Stars, at the Royal Astronomical Society. Oh dear, hope I'm not in Guildford again - we shall see.
On Wednesday, he's at it again! There's a book launch for Understanding Eritrea: Inside Africa's Most Repressive State, at Housman's bookshop. Entry is £3 apparently, redeemable against a purchase in the bookshop. Ditto, I'll see whether I can actually make it.
On Thursday, the Man With the Hat is taking both his groups to a concert at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London Concertante are playing Mozart, Bach, and Albinoni. Good stuff, it seems like an age since we've been there!
On Friday, he's taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Royal Opera House - first outing of the season is to Cosi Fan Tutte. Choice of amphitheatre or slips - I, being cheap, am in the slips. Natch.
Finally, that Saturday is as yet undecided - but it wasn't! See, LDAM were off to The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures. As was I - independently. Now, this is showing at Hampstead Theatre - where I previously had to sneak out the back door to avoid them, under similar circumstances! So I was just a teeny bit relieved when the early performances were cancelled, owing to personal reasons of one of the cast..
Saturday, 1 October 2016
Emirates Cable Car
Mary's a friend of mine, met through the Man with the Hat's groups - and ever since she first went on the Emirates Cable Car, she's been raving about it. To the extent that she convinced him to organise an event around it! Anyway, I couldn't make that one, so she determined to get me on it at some point.. and her chance finally came yesterday evening, the first evening I could spare after she suggested it!
I was working from home, but with a release due to be sent out the door yesterday evening, it was a hectic and stressful day. Mercifully, little enough went wrong that we were done and dusted by just after 4, so I even had time to eat before leaving - she'd suggested we meet at North Greenwich Station at 7. Google Maps' best suggestion was Jubilee Line from Waterloo, and to make sure I wasn't late, I took the train to Waterloo - which was unproblematic, despite the obligatory five-minute pause just outside the station. A crowded Tube, then, that I was glad to leave, and she texted me to say she'd arrived as I was nearly up the escalator to the exit. Good timing..
Ah, it was lovely to be back at the O2 again - the last time was for the U2 concerts last year, and as I disembarked at the station, I was singing their opening song softly to myself. However, this time we were headed to the right of the O2 entrance, through the car park, to the cable car station on the other side. Just as well I was with someone who knew the way - it's not signposted, and I doubt you'd find it as a casual visitor. You might think they'd advertise it a bit better, considering they're concerned about visitor numbers!
More photos here. You can go straight through with an Oyster card, but then you don't get the "boarding pass" tickets and the souvenir panoramic photo, with landmarks highlighted. Well, tickets purchased, we passed through the barriers, climbed the stairs, and took a seat in the next vacant cable car - they seat 10, but it being evening, and not very busy, the official suggested we wait for the next empty one.
It's quite comfy - upholstered benches line two sides, everything is glass so you get a good view, it's air-conditioned; there's an information screen, which they could have left off for all the information they showed us. Perhaps, at busier times, they do some kind of a commentary. Anyway, we did get some spectacular views - and it was Mary's first night-time trip:
It was just a little breezy, and we swayed gently as we slowly, slowly crossed the river. Good views of the O2, lovely views of the City:
There's an exhibition on the other side, apparently, but it was closed (probably due to the late hour) and we just stayed on for the return trip. We were passed by a number of cars that obviously had parties in them - although alcohol isn't permitted (and they have cctv to make sure), they were having a ball, and we could hear their cheers as we passed. I must say, I was a teensy bit nervous just at the start, but by the end, with the gentle sway of the car, the pleasant aircon, and the comfy seats and gorgeous views, I was quite smitten. Yes, I'd definitely recommend this! Certainly a must-do if you're in the area.
Afterwards, we fancied a drink - the obvious thing was to head to the O2, and now it was my turn to show Mary something; seems she hadn't been since the place was newly built. Well, it was a revelation to her - a whole village, in the form of a street, 23 restaurants, 6 bars, and - a newsagents (!). Anyway, after a stroll along the length of the street, we ended up in the Slug & Lettuce. Service is a bit slow, but generally friendly, and the décor is attractively quirky, mirrors and flatscreen tvs surrounded by ornate picture frames:
We ended up buying raffle tickets, and would you believe, she won two prizes! Worth her while coming out.. anyway, we stayed till closing, and wended our ways home. Great night Mary, thanks for the suggestion!
I was wrecked when I got home, though - got the photos online, but hadn't the energy to blog. Been a quiet day today so far, but I have to move soon - tonight I'm with LDAM again, who - for once - are off to see some Beckett! Hallelujah, he's my favourite playwright - and not theirs, which makes it fun. No's Knife, it is, at the Old Vic. Mind you, for all that she gave us a time to meet, I know she's gonna be late..
I was working from home, but with a release due to be sent out the door yesterday evening, it was a hectic and stressful day. Mercifully, little enough went wrong that we were done and dusted by just after 4, so I even had time to eat before leaving - she'd suggested we meet at North Greenwich Station at 7. Google Maps' best suggestion was Jubilee Line from Waterloo, and to make sure I wasn't late, I took the train to Waterloo - which was unproblematic, despite the obligatory five-minute pause just outside the station. A crowded Tube, then, that I was glad to leave, and she texted me to say she'd arrived as I was nearly up the escalator to the exit. Good timing..
Ah, it was lovely to be back at the O2 again - the last time was for the U2 concerts last year, and as I disembarked at the station, I was singing their opening song softly to myself. However, this time we were headed to the right of the O2 entrance, through the car park, to the cable car station on the other side. Just as well I was with someone who knew the way - it's not signposted, and I doubt you'd find it as a casual visitor. You might think they'd advertise it a bit better, considering they're concerned about visitor numbers!
More photos here. You can go straight through with an Oyster card, but then you don't get the "boarding pass" tickets and the souvenir panoramic photo, with landmarks highlighted. Well, tickets purchased, we passed through the barriers, climbed the stairs, and took a seat in the next vacant cable car - they seat 10, but it being evening, and not very busy, the official suggested we wait for the next empty one.
It's quite comfy - upholstered benches line two sides, everything is glass so you get a good view, it's air-conditioned; there's an information screen, which they could have left off for all the information they showed us. Perhaps, at busier times, they do some kind of a commentary. Anyway, we did get some spectacular views - and it was Mary's first night-time trip:
It was just a little breezy, and we swayed gently as we slowly, slowly crossed the river. Good views of the O2, lovely views of the City:
There's an exhibition on the other side, apparently, but it was closed (probably due to the late hour) and we just stayed on for the return trip. We were passed by a number of cars that obviously had parties in them - although alcohol isn't permitted (and they have cctv to make sure), they were having a ball, and we could hear their cheers as we passed. I must say, I was a teensy bit nervous just at the start, but by the end, with the gentle sway of the car, the pleasant aircon, and the comfy seats and gorgeous views, I was quite smitten. Yes, I'd definitely recommend this! Certainly a must-do if you're in the area.
Afterwards, we fancied a drink - the obvious thing was to head to the O2, and now it was my turn to show Mary something; seems she hadn't been since the place was newly built. Well, it was a revelation to her - a whole village, in the form of a street, 23 restaurants, 6 bars, and - a newsagents (!). Anyway, after a stroll along the length of the street, we ended up in the Slug & Lettuce. Service is a bit slow, but generally friendly, and the décor is attractively quirky, mirrors and flatscreen tvs surrounded by ornate picture frames:
We ended up buying raffle tickets, and would you believe, she won two prizes! Worth her while coming out.. anyway, we stayed till closing, and wended our ways home. Great night Mary, thanks for the suggestion!
I was wrecked when I got home, though - got the photos online, but hadn't the energy to blog. Been a quiet day today so far, but I have to move soon - tonight I'm with LDAM again, who - for once - are off to see some Beckett! Hallelujah, he's my favourite playwright - and not theirs, which makes it fun. No's Knife, it is, at the Old Vic. Mind you, for all that she gave us a time to meet, I know she's gonna be late..
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