My journey into town tonight was enlivened by running into Liam and Mashrur (hi guys!), who were heading into another part of town for dinner and a movie. No, not like that.. a whole bunch of them were going to see Star Trek - Into Darkness, in 3D. Hope you all enjoyed it..
I headed off to Theatreland for Passion Play, in the Duke of York's Theatre. It's a while since I booked it, so I'd forgotten that I got quite a good deal on this - a seat 2/3 of the way back in the stalls, for 1/3 off, with LondonBoxOffice. Mind you, I see the theatre now has a similar offer on their own website, with 1/3 off top price tickets until the end of June. Also, from a conversation I heard behind me, I think there were upgrades - this isn't selling as well as it should.
Zoe Wanamaker stars. I must admit, I was dubious. I've been to so many ho-hum shows in the West End, with big-name stars and overpriced tickets, about which you could say, at best, "Well, yes, it was watchable". But you know, this is an extremely clever play. It centres on a middle-aged couple, where the husband begins an affair with a younger woman. It's very stylish, and Zoe is a delight to watch, but it really takes shape when their alter-egos/inner selves appear as actors dressed like them and resembling them physically, who vocalise their inner thoughts and imagined conversations. This device is used to powerful effect in the second half, in particular. And at stages throughout, we're treated to the most marvellous choral classical music (Zoe's character is supposed to be a professional chorister).
Actually, it reminded me a bit of Gone Girl, the latest thriller by Gillian Flynn, in the sense of being an examination of a marriage from the inside, where we are privy to each person's inner thoughts. It's a really excellent book, and would make a great companion piece to this.
Passion Play is booking to the 3rd of August, and really deserves more people to go and see it. It's head and shoulders above most of the stuff that gets shuffled around the West End. And yes, there is nudity - some behind screens, some more explicit, but all very tasteful. The last image, in particular, is stunning and the standing ovation was well deserved!
And tomorrow, for variety, we have The Play That Goes Wrong, at Trafalgar Studios. I hear good things. The run was extended, and although I was under the impression that tomorrow was the last day, apparently it's booking right through next year! I guess it's not having any trouble with ticket sales, then.. I also guess it'll be a long time, in that case, before I come to this theatre again, having already seen it. That's the thing with these long-running plays; by the time a new production finally opens, you've forgotten where the theatre is!
Friday, 31 May 2013
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Film: The Great Gatsby (2013)
Went to The Great Gatsby tonight. Typically, for the Odeon Kensington, there was nobody to take my ticket and I spent some minutes trying to get any staff to notice me. The one who finally did actually looked surprised that there was nobody there to take tickets - which, in itself, surprised me, considering that that is my usual experience at this cinema.
Must remember the optimal seat number. I am usually, like tonight, in Screen 6, and I did remember that the optimal row is D. Optimal seat number - the most central - probably 8. Anyway. I spent the first ten minutes or so of the film thinking "This is terrible. This was a dreadful mistake. What is everybody making a fuss about?" It was overblown, overacted, overchoreographed. It was full of unnecessary sweeping shots, obviously intended for the 3D version, which, thankfully, this wasn't. And it didn't look real.
And then.. just about when our narrator (Tobey Maguire) showed up at his first party at Gatsby's.. the whole thing started to make the most marvellous sense. The parties, by the way, were fantastic. They needed to be for this, and they were. The stupid sweeping shots stopped (pretty much) and we got down to the story. And it is beautifully done. Leonardo DiCaprio is terrific in the role - much better than Robert Redford was, back in the day. Much more believable as a war hero. The costumes and sets are gorgeous. Sometimes it still looked a bit unreal to me - something about the lighting - but it was less noticeable. Also notable was the modern soundtrack, which doesn't always work in period films but I thought fitted in beautifully here.
Highly recommended. Best film I've seen in months.
Passion Play tomorrow night, followed by The Play That Goes Wrong on Saturday..
Must remember the optimal seat number. I am usually, like tonight, in Screen 6, and I did remember that the optimal row is D. Optimal seat number - the most central - probably 8. Anyway. I spent the first ten minutes or so of the film thinking "This is terrible. This was a dreadful mistake. What is everybody making a fuss about?" It was overblown, overacted, overchoreographed. It was full of unnecessary sweeping shots, obviously intended for the 3D version, which, thankfully, this wasn't. And it didn't look real.
And then.. just about when our narrator (Tobey Maguire) showed up at his first party at Gatsby's.. the whole thing started to make the most marvellous sense. The parties, by the way, were fantastic. They needed to be for this, and they were. The stupid sweeping shots stopped (pretty much) and we got down to the story. And it is beautifully done. Leonardo DiCaprio is terrific in the role - much better than Robert Redford was, back in the day. Much more believable as a war hero. The costumes and sets are gorgeous. Sometimes it still looked a bit unreal to me - something about the lighting - but it was less noticeable. Also notable was the modern soundtrack, which doesn't always work in period films but I thought fitted in beautifully here.
Highly recommended. Best film I've seen in months.
Passion Play tomorrow night, followed by The Play That Goes Wrong on Saturday..
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Film: The Moth Diaries
I wouldn't have gone to see this if they hadn't been giving free tickets away on SeeFilmFirst. It was this, or another film at the other end of town, 50mins journey each way. This, I could walk to, and I did. Decent weather for it, although the rows and rows of pretty identical terraced residential properties on the way to Shepherd's Bush felt a bit soul-destroying.
IMDB gives The Moth Diaries 4.7. I feel more generous about it - I'll give it a 6. Set in the rarified atmosphere of a girls' boarding school that used to be a hotel, the pleasant setting is disturbed by the arrival of, frankly, a vampire. One that has no problem with daylight, and tends to turn into a swarm of moths rather than bats. But anyway.
I find it interesting that over two-thirds of the IMDB reviews are by critics. I wonder what they were expecting. Certainly, it's not at all scary - unless you're of a particularly susceptible nature. It actually seems to lean heavily towards Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu. This is mentioned pointedly in the film - they're studying it in English class.
The main thing I took from the film was how beautiful it is to look at. Certainly, teenagers didn't look like that when I was one. All the girls in this film resemble nothing so much as porcelain dolls. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect figures, miniskirts. They laugh beautifully, they suffer beautifully. They are, in fact, perfect little ladies. Interesting how, although they're all supposed to be big into hockey, they never actually get to play sports. I suppose that working up a sweat is not allowed. Anyhoo, quite watchable.
So, another film tomorrow, and another that I can walk to. The Great Gatsby. Then Passion Play on Friday, and The Play That Goes Wrong on Saturday.
IMDB gives The Moth Diaries 4.7. I feel more generous about it - I'll give it a 6. Set in the rarified atmosphere of a girls' boarding school that used to be a hotel, the pleasant setting is disturbed by the arrival of, frankly, a vampire. One that has no problem with daylight, and tends to turn into a swarm of moths rather than bats. But anyway.
I find it interesting that over two-thirds of the IMDB reviews are by critics. I wonder what they were expecting. Certainly, it's not at all scary - unless you're of a particularly susceptible nature. It actually seems to lean heavily towards Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu. This is mentioned pointedly in the film - they're studying it in English class.
The main thing I took from the film was how beautiful it is to look at. Certainly, teenagers didn't look like that when I was one. All the girls in this film resemble nothing so much as porcelain dolls. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect figures, miniskirts. They laugh beautifully, they suffer beautifully. They are, in fact, perfect little ladies. Interesting how, although they're all supposed to be big into hockey, they never actually get to play sports. I suppose that working up a sweat is not allowed. Anyhoo, quite watchable.
So, another film tomorrow, and another that I can walk to. The Great Gatsby. Then Passion Play on Friday, and The Play That Goes Wrong on Saturday.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
The Hothouse
Was supposed to go to a concert on Sunday night, but we ate out, and service was soooo slow that the concert was out of the question. Well, we hadn't booked tickets anyway. Never mind.
Flight back was uneventful, apart from the repeated entreaties from the crew to give them anything that was too big for cabin baggage and they'd put it in the hold. Now, that's very reasonable - if that had been Ryanair, they'd have charged. And the pilot even came on the intercom to apologise, and thank us for our cooperation..
Went to The Hothouse, in Trafalgar Studios, tonight. Now, this was a revelation, because I've only been in Studio 2 here before, and it's a rather dingy affair in the basement. Where, indeed, I'm headed on Saturday, for the last day of The Play That Goes Wrong (extended due to popular demand). I hear good things. Anyway, tonight I was in Studio 1, and was I surprised to discover a proper theatre, with many rows of seats.. and, might I add, the most generous legroom I've seen anywhere. Comfy seats, too. What a difference! Interestingly, the seats behind the stage (which is in the round) and the first couple of rows in front were comprised of a hotch-potch of random chairs.
This was the first night I could get a ticket for this - it was sold out all last week. Which meant I was a little surprised to see empty seats tonight - a handful, anyway. Mind you, that was convenient for the couple of guys beside me, who moved into the row in front at the interval. Convenient for me too, given that the one who had been sitting beside me had what you might call expansive elbows, and a case of the wriggles. Lord knows what he'd have done if the legroom had been as tight as in many other places.
The play is set in a mental institution where the staff are as cracked as the inmates. The set design was good, and I really liked the device of using lighting to separate different areas of the stage, to make it seem as though we were seeing different rooms. The play itself, written by Harold Pinter, was alternately hilarious and disturbing. I did find the ending a bit abrupt, but overall really enjoyed this. Runs until August. Booking recommended.
Tomorrow night is the film The Moth Diaries. Not great reviews on IMDB, but what the hey, SeeFilmFirst was giving out free tickets, so.. I was going to go to a film anyway, and frankly, seeing this saves me traipsing all the way across town to see a different one. Trailer looks ok, possibly the horror will not be up to scratch. But it hardly ever is.
Another film, The Great Gatsby, on Thursday, followed by Passion Play on Friday, and probably another film on Sunday.
Flight back was uneventful, apart from the repeated entreaties from the crew to give them anything that was too big for cabin baggage and they'd put it in the hold. Now, that's very reasonable - if that had been Ryanair, they'd have charged. And the pilot even came on the intercom to apologise, and thank us for our cooperation..
Went to The Hothouse, in Trafalgar Studios, tonight. Now, this was a revelation, because I've only been in Studio 2 here before, and it's a rather dingy affair in the basement. Where, indeed, I'm headed on Saturday, for the last day of The Play That Goes Wrong (extended due to popular demand). I hear good things. Anyway, tonight I was in Studio 1, and was I surprised to discover a proper theatre, with many rows of seats.. and, might I add, the most generous legroom I've seen anywhere. Comfy seats, too. What a difference! Interestingly, the seats behind the stage (which is in the round) and the first couple of rows in front were comprised of a hotch-potch of random chairs.
This was the first night I could get a ticket for this - it was sold out all last week. Which meant I was a little surprised to see empty seats tonight - a handful, anyway. Mind you, that was convenient for the couple of guys beside me, who moved into the row in front at the interval. Convenient for me too, given that the one who had been sitting beside me had what you might call expansive elbows, and a case of the wriggles. Lord knows what he'd have done if the legroom had been as tight as in many other places.
The play is set in a mental institution where the staff are as cracked as the inmates. The set design was good, and I really liked the device of using lighting to separate different areas of the stage, to make it seem as though we were seeing different rooms. The play itself, written by Harold Pinter, was alternately hilarious and disturbing. I did find the ending a bit abrupt, but overall really enjoyed this. Runs until August. Booking recommended.
Tomorrow night is the film The Moth Diaries. Not great reviews on IMDB, but what the hey, SeeFilmFirst was giving out free tickets, so.. I was going to go to a film anyway, and frankly, seeing this saves me traipsing all the way across town to see a different one. Trailer looks ok, possibly the horror will not be up to scratch. But it hardly ever is.
Another film, The Great Gatsby, on Thursday, followed by Passion Play on Friday, and probably another film on Sunday.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
A Whistle in the Dark
Unfortunately, I was caught up in the bird strike fallout at Heathrow on Friday, as I was coming to Ireland, when two of a plane's engines caught fire and it crash-landed at Heathrow. Both runways were temporarily closed, and all short-haul flights before 4pm were cancelled. My flight was later, at 7.35pm, but the resultant backlog meant that it was the most delayed of the Irish flights; the departure time was moved later and later, and finally settled at 10.30pm.
So, I took up position in an armchair - one of four - around a table at the bar in the "Irish hub"; the furthest you can go before you know which gate you'll want. This turned out to be the most excellent arena for welcoming fellow wandering, delayed, passengers, and I met several, who occupied chairs for varying lengths of time.
Longest there, and first to arrive, was Maggie - a gregarious lady, who lives in Stockholm, and works as a buyer for a clothing company. This work takes her all over - mainly to Istanbul and Morocco, and she works two days a month (I think it was) in London. Originally from Newmarket, where our current president spent his childhood, she was heading back for her godson's First Holy Communion - her great-niece was also participating, and she needed presents for both. We had interesting conversations about many and varied things.
There was a businessman, in a suit, heading back to Dublin, who stayed just for a coffee. His flight was only delayed by half an hour - lucky beggar - and he didn't stay long.
There was a lovely young lady from Cavan, who moved to London for college and now works there as a PE teacher. She was flying back for a week - she had a christening (I think) in Leitrim and her local Gathering next weekend. We had a lovely natter before she took her flight to Dublin, where she was to stay with her brother, who lives in Santry, near the airport, before they drove to Leitrim next day.
There was, briefly, an American couple, but they seemed jetlagged, didn't say much, and moved when they saw there was a free sofa where they could stretch out.
There was a couple flying to Belfast. He didn't say much, but she was a fun, bubbly person, who had plenty to talk about with Maggie, who used to live in Belfast. The Belfast lady got so engrossed in conversation that I had to point out to her that their flight was actually now boarding..!
And finally, there was the young lady from Limerick (well, Clonmel originally), who said she was 40 but looked 26. She was a religious sort, Maggie wasn't, and they had an animated conversation about that. And we all had an animated conversation about the Middle East, and how she would like to go to Syria, but well.. and to Jordan, and how interesting she had found Israel. And then Maggie informed her that she had lived in Israel for a while, and loved how direct the Israelis were..
Our flight finally left at 11.
After a meal at the Sherwood Inn, which, although tasty and very attractively priced, would have been much improved if anyone had come to take an order for dessert - went to A Whistle in the Dark, at Glor in Ennis, last night. A touring Druid production, it dates from 1960, and is a powerful play about a rough Irish immigrant family in Coventry. Recommended, if it passes your way, although I did find Betty's character a bit weak. And a cushion is recommended - the legroom is fine, but the seats not best comfortable.
Thinking of heading to the Chatham Saxophone Quartet, in the Iniscealtra Festival, tonight. And we even have a fine day for it!
So, I took up position in an armchair - one of four - around a table at the bar in the "Irish hub"; the furthest you can go before you know which gate you'll want. This turned out to be the most excellent arena for welcoming fellow wandering, delayed, passengers, and I met several, who occupied chairs for varying lengths of time.
Longest there, and first to arrive, was Maggie - a gregarious lady, who lives in Stockholm, and works as a buyer for a clothing company. This work takes her all over - mainly to Istanbul and Morocco, and she works two days a month (I think it was) in London. Originally from Newmarket, where our current president spent his childhood, she was heading back for her godson's First Holy Communion - her great-niece was also participating, and she needed presents for both. We had interesting conversations about many and varied things.
There was a businessman, in a suit, heading back to Dublin, who stayed just for a coffee. His flight was only delayed by half an hour - lucky beggar - and he didn't stay long.
There was a lovely young lady from Cavan, who moved to London for college and now works there as a PE teacher. She was flying back for a week - she had a christening (I think) in Leitrim and her local Gathering next weekend. We had a lovely natter before she took her flight to Dublin, where she was to stay with her brother, who lives in Santry, near the airport, before they drove to Leitrim next day.
There was, briefly, an American couple, but they seemed jetlagged, didn't say much, and moved when they saw there was a free sofa where they could stretch out.
There was a couple flying to Belfast. He didn't say much, but she was a fun, bubbly person, who had plenty to talk about with Maggie, who used to live in Belfast. The Belfast lady got so engrossed in conversation that I had to point out to her that their flight was actually now boarding..!
And finally, there was the young lady from Limerick (well, Clonmel originally), who said she was 40 but looked 26. She was a religious sort, Maggie wasn't, and they had an animated conversation about that. And we all had an animated conversation about the Middle East, and how she would like to go to Syria, but well.. and to Jordan, and how interesting she had found Israel. And then Maggie informed her that she had lived in Israel for a while, and loved how direct the Israelis were..
Our flight finally left at 11.
After a meal at the Sherwood Inn, which, although tasty and very attractively priced, would have been much improved if anyone had come to take an order for dessert - went to A Whistle in the Dark, at Glor in Ennis, last night. A touring Druid production, it dates from 1960, and is a powerful play about a rough Irish immigrant family in Coventry. Recommended, if it passes your way, although I did find Betty's character a bit weak. And a cushion is recommended - the legroom is fine, but the seats not best comfortable.
Thinking of heading to the Chatham Saxophone Quartet, in the Iniscealtra Festival, tonight. And we even have a fine day for it!
Friday, 24 May 2013
Restaurant: Bombay Spice, Guildford
We were at the Bombay Spice restaurant in Guildford last night. I give it about an 8/10.
Very friendly service. We had a selection of starters - not mad about the samosa, which was so-so, but the others I tried, bhajees and some chicken (not sure which variety), were excellent. I was delighted to see butter chicken on the menu, it's been a while; not the best I've had, but very tasty indeed. Pulau rice and peshwari naan were excellent, and completed a very satisfying meal. Had a glass of house white wine, which was drinkable. I'd go again.
Had a palaver getting home. Didn't realise that the last Overground from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction leaves at 11.31pm, and didn't make it to Clapham Junction in time for that. Unfamiliar with local buses and unable to find a taxi in Clapham, I ended up taking a train to Waterloo and a taxi from there. Which, at least, gave me a gorgeous view crossing the river. Grr. At least I know for next time..
Back to Ireland for the weekend, including a performance of A Whistle in the Dark. Next London performance is The Hothouse, by Harold Pinter, in Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday, and for Wednesday I'm making use of a free cinema ticket offer I got, and taking myself to The Moth Diaries. Not terrific reviews, but it's free..
Very friendly service. We had a selection of starters - not mad about the samosa, which was so-so, but the others I tried, bhajees and some chicken (not sure which variety), were excellent. I was delighted to see butter chicken on the menu, it's been a while; not the best I've had, but very tasty indeed. Pulau rice and peshwari naan were excellent, and completed a very satisfying meal. Had a glass of house white wine, which was drinkable. I'd go again.
Had a palaver getting home. Didn't realise that the last Overground from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction leaves at 11.31pm, and didn't make it to Clapham Junction in time for that. Unfamiliar with local buses and unable to find a taxi in Clapham, I ended up taking a train to Waterloo and a taxi from there. Which, at least, gave me a gorgeous view crossing the river. Grr. At least I know for next time..
Back to Ireland for the weekend, including a performance of A Whistle in the Dark. Next London performance is The Hothouse, by Harold Pinter, in Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday, and for Wednesday I'm making use of a free cinema ticket offer I got, and taking myself to The Moth Diaries. Not terrific reviews, but it's free..
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Film: Mud
Heard good things about Mud for a while, and with its high IMDB rating, had to go see it eventually. And eventually came last night.
Hey, who knew I only live fifteen minutes' walk from the cinema? Cool! Nice evening for it too. So I'm spending ever less on the Oyster card.
Ah, a seat with a high back again. Such luxury! And so to the film. "Mud" turns out to be a coming-of-age film, but less schmaltzy than many of that ilk. It's absolutely charming, Matthew McConaughey is scruffier than usual and only scrubs up towards the end, and check out Tye Sheridan! Heart-throb of the future. I mean, don't go see it if you really, really hate coming-of-age films, but this has plenty of adult goings-on to keep it balanced.
In Guildford today, eating in Bombay Spice tonight. First Indian I'll have had in ages! then back in Ireland for the long weekend. Will be seeing a play there, so will probably give that a mention. Otherwise, the next scheduled event is The Hothouse, by Harold Pinter, in Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday.
Have a good weekend, all!
Hey, who knew I only live fifteen minutes' walk from the cinema? Cool! Nice evening for it too. So I'm spending ever less on the Oyster card.
Ah, a seat with a high back again. Such luxury! And so to the film. "Mud" turns out to be a coming-of-age film, but less schmaltzy than many of that ilk. It's absolutely charming, Matthew McConaughey is scruffier than usual and only scrubs up towards the end, and check out Tye Sheridan! Heart-throb of the future. I mean, don't go see it if you really, really hate coming-of-age films, but this has plenty of adult goings-on to keep it balanced.
In Guildford today, eating in Bombay Spice tonight. First Indian I'll have had in ages! then back in Ireland for the long weekend. Will be seeing a play there, so will probably give that a mention. Otherwise, the next scheduled event is The Hothouse, by Harold Pinter, in Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday.
Have a good weekend, all!
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