It's not that often I get to Sadler's Wells - so when I saw that the London European Club were headed there yesterday, I promptly booked. You buy your own tickets for this group's events - and as we're all economical people, we all booked cheap seats in the Second Circle - fairly near each other. I had a bit of a palaver with my Print-at-Home ticket, though - or, more precisely, with the printer at work. Without time to go home to print it out, I had to rely on Helen to print it for me - which she obligingly did.
Google Maps suggested a train and bus - I'll always choose Waterloo over Victoria, it's a better organised and better connected station. So, Waterloo it was, and the 341 - from Stop F, again! Easy-peasy, I knew where to go, this time. And gloriously light traffic on the way back from Guildford meant I was in plenty of time, and strolled relaxedly to the stop. Just as well I was in time.. sod the 8-12 minute estimate posted on the stop for waiting time between buses, I waited a solid 20 minutes for a 341 to appear - as scores of other buses passed; it's a very busy road for them. Of course, by the time it did, there was a whole crowd queueing to get on - but luckily, I managed a seat. By the window, which gave me a great vantage point as we crossed the bridge, and I mused that the city looked just like a jigsaw, an eclectic hotchpotch of buildings of different shapes, sizes and styles.
In heavy traffic, the bus journey took about 15 minutes longer than predicted - I'd thought I'd be in time to meet the group at the pub beforehand, but didn't arrive till after 7, by which time the organiser had promised to be at the theatre. Handily, this bus stops right outside, and I nipped in and picked up a free flier, with cast details. By the time I'd done that, the organiser had arrived - I left him standing at the entrance with a Meetup sign (see, I did say some organisers care that people find them) and made my way upstairs. The Second Circle has a lot of steps up to it - a good workout.
Dinner consisted of a tub of salted peanuts and a packet of Minstrels, purchased on the Second Circle level before I went in. We may have been a bit far from the stage, but we had a good, central view. And a very interesting backdrop to look at while we waited:
Zoom in, look carefully - there's a lot of interesting symbolism.
Anyway, the show was She Said - showcasing the work of three female choreographers. Each piece was quite long, and there were two intervals. Just as well, because - as we discovered at the interval - one of our group had done her homework! Without her, we'd never have understood the meaning of the first piece, Broken Wings - but she had researched the artist on whom it was based, Frida Kahlo, who suffered a dreadful road accident that left her crippled. In particular, she eventually had to have her lower leg amputated - which would explain the actions of the principal dancer in the piece, who, towards the end, held her leg as if in pain.
But this wasn't a depressing piece - in fact, it was a riot of colour (like the artist's work), amazing lighting, and terrific music, accompanying vibrant and evocative dance; with more than a hint of humour throughout! Most of us agreed afterwards that this was our favourite of the night - good enough to make me want to shout to the rooftops that everyone should see this! Quite literally unmissable.
The second piece was very different; M-Dao was a new take on the legend of Medea. Much darker and stiller, it began - again - with the most amazing visuals, a curtain backdrop unravelling with lighting that made the falling curtains look like forked lightning. The music was fantastically ominous - as befitted the theme. As Medea accepted her husband's betrayal, she appeared besieged by demons; the music became like demonic chant, and as the red-clad demonic figures crawled on stage, again, lighting made it look as if they had dropped from the curtains. A close runner-up to the first for me, although others in the group found it too sinister. As far as I'm concerned, though, another must-see.
The final piece was less successful for me - and the others, I think. Fantastic Beings just had a large group of dancers, in skintight body suits, dancing in synchronicity to display the various shapes they could make. A bit drawn-out for my taste. But you know, two outta three ain't bad, as the man said! Two unmissable shows for £12: I think I got a bargain! Ends tomorrow (Saturday) - sold out now, I'm afraid. It was for last night, too.
Sadly, people didn't really feel like going for a drink afterwards - well, it didn't finish until 10:30. Even at that time of night, the bus took 15 minutes longer than Google Maps thought it should - and I got home after bedtime, considering I was in Guildford today and had to be up early! So, no blog last night - and work kept me too busy all day to get to it.
Tonight, I was on my own again - headed to see Russell Kane, in the Leicester Square Theatre. Again, train to Waterloo, and this time Google Maps suggested the Tube to Leicester Square. I considered walking from Waterloo, and looked up the route - at less than half an hour, it was manageable, and I made good time again: but we had such terrible weather that I didn't fancy it, and ended up on the Tube in the end.
I've been to this theatre a few times before, but it's been a while, and I nearly missed the side street turnoff from Leicester Square - recognised it from Ruby Blue, just up that street, on the other side from the theatre. My seat was on the end of a row - and seemed to have very tight legroom! even in comparison with the adjacent seats. It turned out that the seat in front of me seemed to have a loose back, and kept leaning towards me.
Being on the aisle can be an advantage - not so much, though, when so many have to push past you to take their seats! In fact, this formed much of the early part of his act: why, at a sold-out show, were so many seats empty?! Despite stern warnings on the tickets about latecomers not being admitted - well, they were, and the place did eventually fill up. Jeez, he had just finished ribbing someone in the front row about arriving late, when a whole gaggle of people had to push past the guy to take their seats, having arrived even later!
You need a thick skin to be a stand-up comedian. This guy came on like a hurricane, hyperactively stalking the stage. You know the standard warning about not sitting near the front at a comedy show? Doubly true here - he's vicious. Foreigners, people from Essex.. eviscerated. But you know something? He drags the audience kicking and screaming along with him - before you know it, you're weeping with laughter. Or shrieking, like the woman to the side - she was quite infectious, actually.
The show is about ageing. Growing up. Becoming a father, as he just has - and of course, he's milking that for all it's worth. Comparisons with his own father. He had about two hours'-worth of material, and we had a fantastic time. I tell you this, though - they mightn't be strict about latecomers at this theatre, but they certainly are strict about recordings! Well, I assume that was the problem whenever they were shining their pen torches at people in the audience. Someone a few rows in front of me mustn't have got the message, because it seemed every usher in the place converged on that spot, shining their torches at - someone. It became very obvious, even distracting the comedian, who asked whether he was missing a drama.. threw him off his stride momentarily, which was a shame, but he picked his thread back up like the professional he is, and well deserved his standing ovation at the end. Last show's also tomorrow (Saturday) - at time of writing, there is literally ONE seat left for it, right at the back.
On the way back, I was delighted to find it had finally stopped raining, and in no time flat I'd decided to walk back to Waterloo - and that I did, and enjoyed myself thoroughly. It's been so long since the weather was good enough to walk to or from events in London, and it's always great to see how the city connects itself, rather than blindly getting the Tube from A to B. And it's more comfortable, on a mild, dry night, to walk above ground than to endure a stuffy Tube.
Gee, don't I go to popular shows these days? You can put all that down to the Man with the Hat, who finally persuaded me to start booking things in advance (well, at least if I know I want to go to them). So I get to go to sold-out shows, for a change. I'm back with him tomorrow (Saturday); Let's Do London - for less! are off to the ballet version of The Winter's Tale, in the Opera House. Sounds lovely.. and someone in the group just posted that they attended a performance of it on Tuesday, and it was sublime. :-) Augurs well.
On Sunday, I'm back to The Globe for the first time this year! (Well, the Wanamaker Playhouse.) Got the last, non-restricted view seat for Pericles. God, I love this venue..
On Monday, I'm off to my first Meetup with Interesting Talks London - Banged Up Abroad is the subject. Topical, what with the recent parole of an Irish girl convicted of drug trafficking in Peru.. early start, but it's near, so should be ok.
Tuesday and Wednesday are Man with the Hat days - Tuesday, Let's Do London - for less! is headed to Southwark Playhouse, for a play called Darknet. Now, I have more sense than to have anything to do with the real Darknet - the closest I've come to it are short horror films on YouTube. (In the course of my regular surfing for short horror films, of which I'm a big fan.) But I'll find this interesting.
On Wednesday, both of the Man with the Hat's groups (Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner) are off to a show called The Passion of Lady Vendredi, at Soho Theatre - and so am I. This was a recent development - I was originally supposed to be going to Doctor Faustus, with London Dramatic Arts Meetup, but sadly, the organiser's mother-in-law just died (as I found out over the weekend) and the funeral is that very day. Works out well for me though - the event has been rescheduled, at a cheaper price, the difference has been refunded to me, and I can now go to both shows! (So I'm going for Less Than a Tenner - 'coz I'm cheap.) The Passion of Lady Vendredi is, apparently, musical theatre, and designed to promote the music of the Lady Vendredi band. And should be interesting.
Thursday, I'm off to a comedy show in King's Cross, with London Live Comedy - unless I change my mind and go to a film - we'll see. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, again..
Another film for me last night - which is great, really! I do like to keep up with what's coming out. Three were tied at the top of the list - the most interesting sounded to be The Man Who Knew Infinity. Goodness, another biography of a mathematician.. anyway, handily, as so often lately, it's showing in my local cinema. Terrific - I know the way, and can drive, with free parking from 7 - so I booked (because it's cheaper) and chose the late showing (8:30).
Now, booking in advance, you need to take the barcode with you, to be scanned. Well, or pick up the ticket at the cinema with your payment card - but I do like to have the barcode, it saves time. Unfortunately, my phone needed charging, so I couldn't take it - and I was dubious about printing out the ticket, which I usually do, after the trouble I had with the printer the day before. Strangely, though, no trouble with printing this email! Must just have been an issue with printing a web page..
Despite ominous signs about road works and diversions, none were in evidence on my short drive. I'd been relaxed about leaving, not wanting to get there too early, so I ended up arriving slightly after the advertised start time. No problem at all - I knew there'd be trailers. Now, there are two separate entrances from the lobby, depending what screen you're going to - but they never open the left-hand one. Which turned out to be awkward last night, as that was the side I needed. The usher did mention what screen I should head for, but not a word did she utter about where it was. Well, I figured I should head left - but it did take me some time to find Screen 6, at the very, very back..
Never mind, I got there. And, of course, my pre-assigned seat was occupied - by a coat: whose owner, in the next seat, looked anxiously in my direction as I approached. What the hey, I was happy to take the seat next to that - there was plenty of room, and why would I want to sit right next to a stranger when I didn't have to?
Some interesting trailers, particularly for Eye in the Sky, led us into the feature. The Man Who Knew Infinity is the true story of an Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel), practically entirely self-taught - who attracted the attention, first of the boss (Stephen Fry) in his packing company in Madras, who then suggested he contact G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) at Cambridge. Hardy was so impressed by the new theorems that this unknown proposed, that he brought him over to Cambridge, where he remained for some years. We also meet Prof. Littlewoord (Toby Jones), a friend of Hardy's who also champions Ramanujan, and Bertrand Russell (Jeremy Northam), another colleague and friend. Padraic Delaney shows up as Hardy's manservant - a handy device to explain themes and theorems to the audience.
I've seen a few biographies of mathematicians at this stage - I've never seen one so moving. Dev Patel is endearing as the young Indian, travelling so far because that's what he needs to do, just to find someone who understands his work. Jeremy Irons is terrific as the prickly intellectual, describing his mentorship of Ramanujan as the one love affair of his life (no, not literally!). And it's a helluva story - imagine this young chap, obsessed with mathematics, who suddenly has all of this opened up to him! Getting out of the cab and staring, agog, at the ancient buildings.. starting his classes.. and also learning that he'll have trouble with his vegetarianism in this city of carnivores, and having to endure some terrible prejudices. In fact, there's a warning beforehand about racist language and behaviour.
Another thing that shone through from the film was a love of mathematics. Really, I had to chuckle at the scene where they decide we'd better learn something about what Ramanujan is up to, by having Hardy explain it to his manservant: "..even you can understand". We see plenty of equations throughout the film, although few are explained - but the passion of the characters for maths is undoubted. Reading the Wikipedia articles afterwards, you realise how much of the characters' quotes and actions are taken from real life. Frankly, a terrific introduction to the world of maths for people who aren't insiders. Recommended, for anyone who's ever thought the world of maths, or academia, interesting..
Back just in time to go to bed, seeing as how I'm in Guildford today. Tonight, I'm back with the London European Club - luckily, this time the organiser is Henning, whom I know, and know he'll make sure to find people. We're off to Sadler's Wells, which is a venue I really don't get to enough, and I relish an excuse. The show is She Said, featuring female choreographers. Looking forward to it.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Leicester Square Theatre, for a comedy show - Russell Kane: Right Man, Wrong Age.
On Saturday, I'm back with the Man with the Hat. Let's Do London - for less! are off to the ballet version of The Winter's Tale, in the Opera House. Sounds lovely.. and someone in the group just posted that they attended a performance of it on Tuesday, and it was sublime. :-) Augurs well.
On Sunday, I'm back to The Globe for the first time this year! (Well, the Wanamaker Playhouse.) Got the last, non-restricted view seat for Pericles. God, I love this venue..
On Monday, I'm off to my first Meetup with Interesting Talks London - Banged Up Abroad is the subject. Topical, what with the recent parole of an Irish girl convicted of drug trafficking in Peru.. early start, but it's near, so should be ok.
Tuesday and Wednesday are Man with the Hat days - Tuesday, Let's Do London - for less! is headed to Southwark Playhouse, for a play called Darknet. Now, I have more sense than to have anything to do with the real Darknet - the closest I've come to it are short horror films on YouTube. (In the course of my regular surfing for short horror films, of which I'm a big fan.) But I'll find this interesting.
On Wednesday of next week, both of the Man with the Hat's groups (Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner) are off to a show called The Passion of Lady Vendredi, at Soho Theatre - and so am I. This was a recent development - I was originally supposed to be going to Doctor Faustus, with London Dramatic Arts Meetup, but sadly, the organiser's mother-in-law just died (as I found out over the weekend) and the funeral is that very day. Works out well for me though - the event has been rescheduled, at a cheaper price, the difference has been refunded to me, and I can now go to both shows! (So I'm going for Less Than a Tenner - 'coz I'm cheap.) The Passion of Lady Vendredi is, apparently, musical theatre, and designed to promote the music of the Lady Vendredi band. And should be interesting.
Next Thursday, I'm off to a comedy show in King's Cross, with London Live Comedy - unless I change my mind and go to a film - we'll see. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, again..
Ah, back in London.. what joy! My personal playground, it feels like sometimes - and today saw me in a new location; London European Club were off to a free public lecture at the Museum of London, about Waiting for Godot. I adore Beckett - so I RSVPed yes; tickets not required.
It wasn't until today - working from home; I'd have to, considering it was on at 6 - that I looked up how to get there. I knew it was in a part of town not conducive to parking, so public transport it was, and the cheaper option was a train to Waterloo and then a bus. Sadly, all buses mentioned went from different stops - so I picked the stop (and bus) corresponding to what Google Maps said was the quicker route: the 4, from Stop F. I hadn't used that stop before, and was dubious until I saw it was just up the road from Stop C. We were advised on the Meetup page to arrive at 5:30 - I checked, and discovered that was when the doors open; and I knew I wouldn't make that, but there was no arrangement to meet beforehand anyway, and with the talk not starting till 6, I figured I'd be ok leaving at 5.
Mind you, the directions were complicated enough that I needed a record - my phone was still charging, so I decided to print them. And then my printer stopped working, for some reason. So I ended up scribbling them on a sheet of paper. Ah, low-tech rules ok.
Arriving at Clapham Junction, I was faced with a plethora of trains to Waterloo - no fewer than three leaving within the next minute, all from platforms at the other end of the station. Finally, I saw one due to leave in two minutes, from the platform adjacent to me. And that's the one I got. Exit 2 at Waterloo took me to Waterloo Road; turn left from the exit for Stop F. And I hadn't been there more than a few seconds when a #4 approached.
Oh, but it was a beautiful, sunny day - what a change from the weekend!
(That's Somerset House, which we passed.) Interestingly, I see the #4 route goes right past the museum - although Google Maps made me get off on Ludgate Hill. Perhaps for reasons of traffic. Anyway, it's not a long walk, although they do their best to make it sound complicated - basically, facing St. Paul's (which you can't miss!), turn left onto any decently large road, turn right at the end, and follow the signs for the museum. And it was a beautiful evening for a stroll in the City! I'd forgotten how much I love it. The single most useful piece of information I found for my walk, mind you, was on the museum website, which informed me that the entrance was via an overhead pedestrian walkway - which made much more sense of what I was seeing on Streetview!
Yes, you approach a roundabout called the Rotunda - which I recognised from a walk of the City that I did last year - and the entrance is to the right (from this direction), via a lift and escalators (yay!). The entrance, on the upper level, is well signposted, and once inside, I followed my nose (and those of all the others headed in the same direction) and found myself in the Weston Theatre, down a level from the entrance. I didn't arrive until 10 minutes beforehand, but got a pretty decent seat, a few rows from the front.
This was the latest in a series of free public lectures given by Gresham College, it seems. Indeed, they put all the transcripts on their website afterwards - check out this evening's talk here. The speaker was a professor of rhetoric, and was principally concerned with the language of the play. Fair enough - and as a devoted Beckett fan, I was fascinated throughout.
She began with the theme of how the phrase "waiting for Godot" has entered the public lexicon, and opened her talk with a few political cartoons utilising this theme.. which was the last we were to see of visuals for a while. A well-thought out argument, but why oh why don't academic presentations (and I can speak from experience, as an ex-academic) pay more attention to the visuals? Would it kill them to pop up a relevant still every couple of minutes? It really wouldn't take as long as writing the text. (To her credit, she did have a couple more for us, later.)
Anyway, our group warned us beforehand that a knowledge of the play would be beneficial, and although I've seen it a few times, it has been a while, so I looked it up on Wikipedia before I left (linked to at the top of this post). Just for a quick reminder. Not that you'd really need an in-depth knowledge to appreciate this talk - perhaps just that Vladimir and Estragon are waiting by a roadside, under a tree, for Godot - who never appears. And that they meet Pozzo, and the subservient Lucky, in the meantime.
Mind you, that's almost the entire play.. and as she continued to deal with various interpretations, I began to think that perhaps I wasn't the only one present who had read that article! It was sounding very familiar. Well, perhaps she wrote the Wikipedia article, too. Anyhoo, it was all very interesting - and she ended with a couple of short clips of different productions - the first of which I've seen, a couple of times, on tv. The second was a trailer for the West End version, with Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan - which, as someone remarked in the q+a after, was exactly the comedic version that would have horrified Beckett. Well, yes - but he wasn't around to complain, eh?
Afterwards, we'd been told to meet "at the information desk". Now, this was my first time in this building, and the only desk I could think of was the front desk, upstairs - so that's where I made for. No sign of any group. I left a message on the group page - still waiting for a response to that. Now, some organisers are very conscientious about standing out - they hold a sign, they describe what they'll be wearing.. and then, some don't really bother. When it became apparent that no-one from the group was likely to come and find me (and I didn't know any of them by sight) I just went home.
Well, I was rather glad I did - it was still a beautiful evening, as I passed St. Paul's..
And I wasn't the only one taking advantage of it - there was a photoshoot on the cathedral steps:
My bus stop to go back to Waterloo was just on the other side of St. Paul's - just pass the statue of Queen Anne, at the West Front, and it's on the other side. I'd just missed a 76, which was what Google Maps suggested - but I figured, correctly, that there must be several buses to Waterloo from there. Sure enough, along happened another #4, which I took back to the station.
Tomorrow's a film again - doing well by them, these days! Top of the list were three films, tying at 8.1, and the one I chose was The Man Who Knew Infinity, just out this week. Yet another biography of a mathematician, this one was Indian, and is played by Dev Patel. Srinivasa Ramanujan was famous, among other things, for his work on infinite series (hence the title), almost entirely self taught, and highly original in his ideas. He came to Cambridge to work with G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons), but had to fight prejudice from others in his adopted country. Toby Jones and Stephen Fry also star. (And I'm sure I saw the latter at that classical concert I was at, last week..) Anyhoo, again I'm lucky in that it's showing in my local cinema, so I'm going to the late showing, for the free parking.
On Thursday, I'm back with the London European Club - luckily, this time the organiser is Henning: (a) I know him, and (b) he does make an effort to make sure people can find him. We're off to Sadler's Wells, which is a venue I really don't get to enough, and I relish an excuse. The show is She Said, featuring female choreographers. Looking forward to it.
On Friday, I'm off to Leicester Square Theatre, for a comedy show - Russell Kane: Right Man, Wrong Age.
On Saturday, I'm back with the Man with the Hat (who makes sure people can find him! and answers his messages). Let's Do London - for less! are off to the ballet version of The Winter's Tale, in the Opera House. Sounds lovely..
On Sunday, I'm back to The Globe for the first time this year! (Well, the Wanamaker Playhouse.) Got the last, non-restricted view seat for Pericles. God, I love this venue..
On Monday, I'm off to my first Meetup with Interesting Talks London - Banged Up Abroad is the subject. Topical, what with the recent parole of an Irish girl convicted of drug trafficking in Peru.. early start, but it's near, so should be ok.
Tuesday and Wednesday of next week are Man with the Hat days - Tuesday, Let's Do London - for less! is headed to Southwark Playhouse, for a play called Darknet. Now, I have more sense than to have anything to do with the real Darknet - the closest I've come to it are short horror films on YouTube. (In the course of my regular surfing for short horror films, of which I'm a big fan.) But I'll find this interesting.
On Wednesday of next week, both of the Man with the Hat's groups (Let's Do London - for less! and London for Less Than a Tenner) are off to a show called The Passion of Lady Vendredi, at Soho Theatre - and so am I. This was a recent development - I was originally supposed to be going to Doctor Faustus, with London Dramatic Arts Meetup, but sadly, the organiser's mother-in-law just died (as I found out over the weekend) and the funeral is that very day. Works out well for me though - the event has been rescheduled, at a cheaper price, the difference has been refunded to me, and I can now go to both shows! (So I'm going for Less Than a Tenner - 'coz I'm cheap.) The Passion of Lady Vendredi is, apparently, musical theatre, and designed to promote the music of the Lady Vendredi band. And should be interesting.
On Thursday of next week, I'm off to a comedy show in King's Cross, with London Live Comedy - unless I change my mind and go to a film - we'll see. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend, again..
So, as you'll probably have noticed if you read regularly, I'm back in Ireland every second weekend (including this one) to visit my mother. And when I got an email from the University Concert Hall, Limerick to say that the Three Tenors were playing last night, I got straight on the phone to her - she's a big fan. She said yes, they still had seats in her favourite row (P, which has a rail in front that she can leave her coat on, and an aisle in front of that so she can stretch her legs). So I booked. Print-at-Home tickets, so it was a relief when the website finally worked, on the day I wanted to print 'em!
And, typically for events in the UCH, we ate across the road, in the Castletroy Park Hotel - the bar food does us just fine. We got a parking space decently close to the entrance, and battled our way in against blustery winds and drizzle - it was cold enough, too, and the warm blast of air as we reached the lobby was very welcome. The bar is just to the right as you enter - there were still some tables, that early, and we grabbed one and were served nice and promptly. I still remember the bad old days when eating here took forever, which made it a bad option for pre-show dining.
The only menu we were handed was a lunch menu - now, it wasn't that early in the day! but the choices still seemed to be valid. I had some very tasty soup, accompanied by absolutely delicious brown bread, and followed by what I would describe as a medium curry.. just about as hot as I could handle, but some of the rice was undercooked, and they must've given the last of the poppadums to the lady on the next table; mine came without! Still, it was, again, tasty, and we were well fed (my mother, of course, had salmon). The wine was lovely, and the bill not excessive - we decided that since all we wanted for dessert was ice cream, we were as well off getting that at the concert hall.
Nice and early there too, we got parking decently close, and made our way to Cafe Allegro, beside the concert hall, in time to grab one of their only two remaining sofas. On our way in, we espied many uniformed schoolchildren - probably part of the show, and probably also the reason why the ice cream and sweets stall was open so early. Convenient - we got a couple of ice creams, and sat down to people-watch.
Unusually, there was no announcement when the doors to the concert hall opened, and we only got a clue from the sudden movement of people from the cafe. Our seats were in the middle of Row P, and we discovered ourselves bang slap in the middle of what looked like an old people's outing - two of them suggested we swap with them, taking their seats and they'd take ours, right beside theirs. I think they wanted to be with their friends - anyway, it worked out handier for us, as our (booked) seats were right behind the sound desk.
This was an indication of the general demographic of the audience. A slightly tough crowd, at least at the start - no applause when the pianist and violinist came on, none even when the Three Tenors themselves skipped on, starting with a traditional number - Courtin' in the Kitchen. Mind you, this wasn't an indication of their repertoire - the trad stuff wasn't heard again until a medley at the beginning of the second half, and they ranged through opera, popular music, and songs to please the local crowd: Limerick, You're a Lady and Stand Up and Fight (anthem of the Munster rugby team) featured.
The quality of the musical performances can't be doubted. Mind you, I did find some of the numbers overproduced for my taste. Still, this became less of a problem later on, and the sheer variety of the repertoire was terrific. My personal highlight was one of my favourite songs - Run, by Snow Patrol, and deliciously unexpected. Yes, the kids were part of the show - actually, we got to see two very accomplished primary school choirs, who performed with the Three Tenors, and also on their own. And the local soprano, Sinead O' Brien, took part - complete with no fewer than two costume changes.
So yes, I did enjoy myself - despite worries about over-production, they won me over. And certainly, everyone around me enjoyed it! Currently on tour around Ireland.
When we went back outside, the night had gotten even colder - and there was a layer of ice on the car! Well, it didn't take too long to defrost, and we hurried home - no time to blog, though, since I had to be up to take her to Mass this morning. In fact, I'm lucky to get a chance to do this now - the internet's been dicey all day!
Not flying back until tomorrow - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.
I am with the London European Club on Tuesday, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting. And since it starts so early, that's definitely a work-from-home day..
Film it was for today - and I was only delighted when 10 Cloverfield Lane came top of the list! Firstly, because it's mainstream - and not only does that mean I can go to my local cinema, but - well, it's unusual for that to happen. And this sounded like my kind of thing - vaguely of the horror genre (definitely my thing!) and SciFi, being of the Cloverfield series. Co-produced by JJ Abrams, it was sure to be entertaining - Cineworld gives a discount if you register on the website, then book in advance: so I did.
My local cinema validates parking after 7pm, so I booked for the later show - just as well, as I was extremely late leaving the office! I'd had a big lunch, so didn't need to eat either, and had a relaxed time before heading off at around 9. And I could drive, which was nice - I've been this route a few times now, and had no problems, getting to the cinema slightly before the programme's scheduled start time.
The ads were actually already on as I took my seat - one over from the one I'd booked, so I wouldn't be sitting directly in front of someone, in what was quite an empty cinema. It did eventually fill a bit more, but there was still plenty of space..
Right! Well, 10 Cloverfield Lane is about a woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who starts the film by leaving a relationship - packs her stuff and clears off, without telling the guy. It's the director's debut, it seems - and on the evidence of this, he's extremely good. I do love a film that can tell a story without words, and it's several minutes before anything is said in this. Even longer, in fact, before anyone on screen says anything - the first words we hear are from the guy, who calls her on her mobile as she's driving along, and starts begging her to come back.
Naturally, this distracts her - and in a sterling lesson on not using your mobile while driving, she gets into a bad crash. Then we're into Saw territory, as she wakes up trapped in a basement, with no idea how she got there - turns out her captor is John Goodman, who's of the opinion that they can't leave, because there's worse out there waiting for them. And ooh, he does a fantastic job of appearing simultaneously affable and scary.
With no information coming through from the outside, it's impossible to know whether to trust him. Excellent acting from all throughout - and while someone remarked that the ending seemed implausible: well, but so was the original Cloverfield, and people who've seen that will have some idea what to expect. I'll tell you this, though - if the wordless beginning was terrific, the (almost) wordless ending is just as good! My nerves were still jangling for ages after I left the cinema. Damn good fun, highly recommended.
Flying back to Ireland tomorrow for a long weekend: for cheaper flights, again. On Saturday, my mother and I are off to see the Three Tenors, at the University Concert Hall - she's a big fan. I finally got their website to work, so I could print off the tickets! Not flying back until Monday - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.
I am with the London European Club on Tuesday, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting.
Another World Music Meetup - and at Sands Film Studios, too! Lovely - I adore the venue, and although I hadn't heard of Namvula, her YouTube clip sounded ok - so I booked.
It's yet another of those places that would involve a complicated bit of driving, so I was back on the Overground - there's a direct train from Clapham Junction to Rotherhithe, just down the road from the venue. It was a sunny, but blustery evening.. and I've been running around so much this week, I damn near fell asleep on the journey - not having a paper didn't help. Well, I managed not to miss my stop, climbed the incredibly long way to the exit (incredibly, considering we were on the Overground!), and remembered the short walking route - left from the exit, take a shortcut across the yard, left again on the road on the other side. It's on the corner, just before the church.
Unusually, the door was closed - it was someone else wanting to get in who noticed the sign asking us to ring the bell. It was also tricky even to see the bell - and since it was high up, I actually had to stand on tippy-toes a bit to get to it. Hey-ho, I rang it - and after some time, the door was opened for us, by someone who - by his expression - I'm guessing wasn't used to having to do that. Anyway, I made my way in to the library - the door to the "cinema" wasn't open yet, so I mooched around, perusing the books and pictures, as usual.
This was the first Meetup at this venue where I've met any others from the group! (not counting the organiser). She'd asked people to introduce themselves as group members, and some did - whom she then introduced to each other. So I finally got to chat to some other group members, which was lovely. It was also lovely to see how many people were there for the first time - distinguishable by their awed reactions to what someone sitting near me described as "quite a unique venue". Well, yes it is!
We started late, of course - they always do. Namvula herself was accompanied, on this occasion, by two musicians: one on electric guitar, one on double-bass - as she explained, they're usually a six-piece.. but three fitted better in this intimate space. She had a lovely, relaxed style - and, despite her protestations later, her English was excellent. Later, she also drew attention to the fact that her running shoes had no laces - not a fashion statement, she'd just used them to attach her guitar strap! (Someone pointed out she should've gone barefoot, but she'd just come off a plane from Zambia, and said she'd been unsure about the temperature..)
And then they played a wonderfully mellow set - somewhere between an hour and 90 minutes; they voted against having an interval, wanted to hold the mood. A soft voice, soft guitar, and music that brought sunshine into this dark evening, and this cosy space. She made sure we joined in, singing, clapping, clicking fingers.. at the end, she even unplugged her guitar and moved through the audience (as much as possible), bringing the music to us. I'd never heard her before that YouTube clip, never heard anything about her, but I loved this. Thought about buying one of the cds that they had at the desk, but hey, I'm cautious about adding to the immense pile of stuff in my room; I passed.
Cold, cold night it turned out to be - I got home earlier than usual, but seeing as how I'd just missed a train, and had to wait 15 minutes for the next one, I got home just a wee bit late to blog! Tonight should be a bit more relaxed - my second film of the week is gonna be 10 Cloverfield Lane - in my local Cineworld, so already booked, 'coz that's cheaper. Sounds interesting - SciFi thriller, in which a woman wakes from a car crash to find herself in an underground bunker, with two men (one being John Goodman) who say they can't leave, because there's been some kind of apocalypse. Produced by JJ Abrams, so bound to be entertaining - and, of course, highly rated to come at the top of my film list. I booked the later showing, for the free car parking (after 7) - which is just as well, as it turns out I have to stay late in Guildford.
I can afford to be out a bit later than usual, since I'll be working from home tomorrow - flying back to Ireland for a long weekend, actually: for cheaper flights, again. On Saturday, my mother and I are off to see the Three Tenors, at the University Concert Hall - she's a big fan. I see their website seems to be having issues, though - not good, considering I ordered Print-at-Home tickets! Not flying back until Monday - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.
I am with the London European Club on Tuesday, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting.
Got a cheap ticket to a classical concert last night - Orpheus Sinfonia Principals were playing in Grosvenor Chapel. I had ideas about driving.. but when I saw I'd have to pass through Hyde Park Corner, I saw the light! That junction is absolutely chaotic. Took public transport instead - mind you, it was going to involve at least one bus, and with a phone that died before I left the office, I had to scribble the details on a piece of paper. Hey, at least it happened while I still had access to a computer..
The cheapest way would've been to take two buses, which was also the longest. I should have been in time - and as I approached the bus stop, what did I see but the bus I wanted, stopped there! And then I was waiting to cross the road.. and by the time I got across, the bus was pulling away. Minutes earlier than advertised on Google Maps, too. So, train it was - to Victoria. And at Clapham Junction station, the trains to Victoria shown on the main departure board were due to leave before I could get to the platforms.. this was not going to be an easy journey.
There's also a helpful information board for which platforms to go to, in general, for the destination you want - Victoria-bound trains leave from Platforms 12 & 14, so I made my way up there and checked the platform departure boards at the foot of the stairs. Platform 14 had the next departure, in three minutes.. and thus I made it to Victoria.
Victoria is a complicated station. I needed Bus Stop H, made my way to the entrance I'm used to - no sign of it. Plus, roadworks all around the area make it impossible to get your bearings. Inside, I'd seen a sign pointing to the side for Bus Stop H, so I went back in and meandered over that way.. you know, as you look at it on Streetview, it's right in front of the grand old entrance. Unfortunately, the grand old entrance isn't actually open, and I continued my search, confused, until I found another exit. Blessedly, Stop H was just outside, to the right.
This stop serves loads of buses, and Google Maps had suggested two - the 2 or the 436. Naturally, the 436 was just pulling away as I arrived - but the LED indicator suggested a #2 would be along in about seven minutes, so I settled myself to wait. Until I noticed that it was only going as far as Hyde Park Corner.. so I examined the route map at the stop, and saw a host of buses that seemed to be headed to the Dorchester Hotel, which was the stop I needed. Including the #82, which was the next along - so I hopped on board.
It was no distance at all to my stop - but I was glad not to drive. The stop itself is right beside an underpass, which you take to cross Park Lane. On the other side, and just to the right, is Aldford Street - the chapel is visible just at the end of the street. And wasn't I jealous, walking down the street, to see all the free parking spaces..
They crossed my name off the list, and explained that programmes were available just inside, and a bar on each side. Lovely! I bought a program and headed to one of the bars, where I paid £4 for the littlest glass of wine I think I've ever had. Took it to a pew - which we were later informed we weren't to do, in case the historic pews were damaged. Hey-ho, too late by then - I was careful with it, though. The programmes, which weren't stapled, had to be explained to us.. "somehow", the page listing the running order had been printed on the inside back cover, after the potted biographies of the composers. Not that they stuck to the running order, mind..
Well, that was the last of my hardships - this was a lovely evening. The group consisted of the orchestra "principals", who had gathered for this concert. They made an unusually colourful bunch - although the men wore the standard black, the ladies splashed out, one in a navy dress, one a dark green, and one wearing scarlet, with a white, furry stole. The program started with Wagner's Siegfried Idyll - a piece apparently composed for his wife, who gave birth to their son, Siegfried, on Christmas Eve; the musicians played it while climbing the stairs to her chamber next morning. Ahh..
Britten's Sinfonietta, Opus 1 lent a more modern note - somewhat more discordant, but I do like Britten - it wasn't too jarring. After the interval, we finished with another lovely piece - Spohr's Nonet. And the programme description for the last movement was perfect - it does bounce along joyfully! A lovely, relaxing evening in the heart of Mayfair, sweet music soothing us as the light faded outside the windows of this gracious building. And after, I took the first bus that arrived at the stop at the Park Lane end of Aldford Street, running to the station - well, it was chilly out, and I fancied getting home early: for once, even made it in time to eat! (Not to blog, though.)
Tonight, I'm back with the World Music Meetup - another concert at Sands Film Studios. Great venue, diverse artists - this time, it's a Zambian performer called Namvula. Great, too, that it's so much handier to get there from where I am now! Again, I won't drive - my nerves aren't up to the two complicated junctions I'd have to navigate.
Tomorrow, my second film of the week is gonna be 10 Cloverfield Lane - in my local Cineworld, so already booked, 'coz that's cheaper. Sounds interesting - SciFi thriller, in which a woman wakes from a car crash to find herself in an underground bunker, with two men (one being John Goodman) who say they can't leave, because there's been some kind of apocalypse. Produced by JJ Abrams, so bound to be entertaining - and, of course, highly rated to come at the top of my film list. I booked the later showing, for the free car parking (after 7) - which is just as well, as it turns out I have to stay late in Guildford.
I can afford to be out a bit later than usual, since I'll be working from home on Friday - flying back to Ireland for a long weekend, actually: for cheaper flights, again. On Saturday, my mother and I are off to see the Three Tenors, at the University Concert Hall - she's a big fan. Not flying back until Monday - which is a bummer, because (forgetting my travel dates) I'd booked a ticket for the Crick Crack Club. And now it turns out the London European Club are going as well - so that'd have been a good night. Can't be helped - I'd never be back in time.
I am with the London European Club on Tuesday, though, for a talk on Theatre and Language: Samuel Beckett "Waiting for Godot". Taking place at the Museum of London, it's a talk about the play, rather than a performance of the play itself. But I love Beckett, so that should be interesting.
