Ah, the end of my Guildford week, and a night out with the Man with the Hat to boot. Nice early birthday present! He was taking both groups to the Opera House - London for Less Than a Tenner in the slips, Let's Do London - for less! in the amphitheatre. I, being cheap, was in the slips. Hey, you are closer to the stage, and the view is generally fine.
Would you believe, I held myself up in the office this time, finishing something! And it was another of those 1.5hr treks home - still, I just about had time to turn around and change my top before heading out. Oh, and to send in a work email that had to go yesterday evening - I completely forgot about it before leaving the office, but managed to write the thing while stopped in traffic, then just had to wait to get home for an internet connection so I could click send. Ah yes, nothing boring about my life.
Carefully hobbled up to Platforms 3/4 at Clapham Junction (the closest to my entrance, which is an issue when you have a gammy leg from driving), and had a choice of two trains leaving at about the same time for Waterloo; one was nonstop, so that was mine. Mind you, sitting was an issue, after some energetic hobbling - my leg kept cramping, which was a bit worrying. Still, I made it to Waterloo, took the wrong exit for Stop C, arrived there just in time to see a 26 pulling away. Still, the 76 also stops there, and I knew that would do me as well - and along came one of those, a couple of minutes later.
Got off at Aldwych and wended my way through the West End to the Opera House, through the usual crowds. Now, as I'd driven back into London, it had rained so hard it occurred to me - goodness, the Man with the Hat will drown! (And my ticket shall be soggy.) But actually, by the time I got there it wasn't that bad. I asked whether he had many more tickets to get rid of - no, not many. Poor chap stays there past start time, you know, just to make sure everyone gets their ticket..
So anyway, I relieved him of my ticket and made my way upstairs. Wasn't too long before the show started. Now, maybe the slips weren't ideal for this, since we couldn't quite see the back or the side of the stage - but we sure saw enough, and of course the price is excellent. This was a triple bill of contemporary ballets choreographed by Wayne McGregor - and the chap beside me noted that, on the free flier, it said how many times each had been performed.
First up was Chroma - the most frequently performed of the three, and perhaps the most traditional. As I remarked to various people throughout the evening, the point of contemporary dance isn't to find the story - it's just to watch, and experience. This was a beautiful piece, which - as it says on the site, "explores the drama of the human body and its ability to communicate extremes of thought and emotion". Well yes, couldn't have put it better myself!
Each interval was half an hour long, and we repaired to the bar - and, indeed, the balcony - where good company was to be had. The second ballet - the least accessible, was the general consensus - was Multiverse. Apparently, it explores "ideas of repeating histories and possible futures". Indeed - a ballet with several subsections, the first of which incorporated an eventually irritating word being repeated on loop. The piece also involved video and still photos, displayed on a vidi-wall to the side. Interesting, but tricky. In fact, I saw a few more empty seats at the end of the second interval - although that might have been down to the lateness of the hour.
The favourite for most was the final piece, Carbon Life. A really good rock soundtrack - someone later remarked they wanted the cd - was performed live at the back of the stage, behind the dancers. (I was wondering, after the second interval, where the orchestra had got to - I guess that was why the conductor took his bows before the second interval.) There was a rapper too, who strolled around the stage. And as I said to someone after, I love this combination of two art forms that don't normally go together. This worked beautifully, and I was really sort for anyone who missed it. The kind of ballet that would change the minds of people who don't like ballet!
There weren't many of us at the pub after - we schlepped across the road, and down to The Covent Garden (formerly the Globe), where for once, we didn't have anything booked. So the helpful staff.. encouraged a couple, occupying a quiet corner, to vacate for us. I was starving, and when I saw a menu on the bar, asked whether they were still doing food. She checked the time and said "yes" - at 10.30, that's damn good! So I ordered chips. Sorry, Man with Hat, I was too hungry to share (even if I didn't end up eating them all). They came presalted, with a pot each of ketchup and garlic mayo. And I started a trend - when he saw mine, sure enough, someone else ordered a portion, upon hearing how quickly they'd come. Yummy chips too, highly recommended.
Afterwards, I walked with Mary back to the station. Thought my leg might fall off, but it didn't. Ah, good times with good folks, and a good escape from harsh reality. Roll on the next one..
Tonight, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Hope she remembers, actually.. Anyway, good job I'm working from home - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. On Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
On Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. Better avoid them, as they're trying to flog the last couple of tickets.. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
On Wednesday, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And next Thursday, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one, unlike the one I thought I'd booked for last Sunday!
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Play: The Red Barn
Back with London Dramatic Arts last night, for a play called The Red Barn at the National. Traffic was a slight (1.5hr) nightmare again coming back from Guildford, but I'd left in time, so it was ok. Train to Waterloo - as usual these days, I just went for the nearest platform, struggled up the stairs, found a seat, and was willing to wait as long as it took for a train to appear. Better than dragging my poor leg through the whole station.
Limped my way to the theatre, found the side door, and managed to wind my way through to the Lyttleton bar, where the others were - the organiser had said they'd be at one of the long tables, and sure enough, there they were, at the very last. Boy, was I glad to get a seat. I was a little late to get a drink, and preferred to stay seated anyway - so I sat, and we chatted convivially. The organiser distributed our tickets - most of us were front row stalls, but a couple of people had benefitted from the late tickets she'd got, which were in the circle.
It started a bit late - well, they always do. We noticed captions, on screens high on the wall on either side of the stage. Wouldn't have been much good from the front row. Anyway, when the play did start, the first thing we noticed was how cinematic it was! In a very clever device, the safety curtain obscuring the stage is completely adjustable from all four sides, and can be slid in and out from each side - how they use this is to form "windows" through which we can see what's happening on stage - closing in so we concentrate on someone's face, opening out to give a broad shot, moving along the stage so we only see a particular part. Essentially zooming and panning - very clever!
Billed as a psychological thriller, it opens with two couples making for shelter in a Connecticut snowstorm. Not everyone makes it- but that's just the start of the story. The red barn is never actually seen, but does play something of a pivotal role - you might say it kicks things off. Terrific storm effects - as usual, people who are sensitive to flashing lights should beware.
One thing I did notice - and I wasn't the only one - was how slowly they speak. The consensus afterwards was that this was probably deliberate on the director's part. The acting is good - Hope Davis plays the patrician wife, Elizabeth Debicki the other wife, whose husband goes missing in the storm. The story, however, revolves around the man left at the centre of the piece, and his journey from the events of that night.
For me (and others), it dragged in the middle. Someone in the group did appreciate how understated it is - well, each to their own. Livens up at the end - but with an ending that we found unexpected, and a bit unnecessary - a couple of suggestions from group members for alternative endings did sound better to me. Hey-ho, it's certainly proving popular - I believe only day and rush tickets are left. Runs for 1hr 20mins without interval - and even in the front row, with unlimited legroom, we were stiff after that.
Afterwards, we suggested going for a drink - the organiser suggested popping across the road to the BFI bar. Via a corridor marked "toilets" - complicated place, the National. Terribly slow service in the BFI bar - and I do wish I'd got chips, as someone else did; they hadn't menus, and it didn't occur to me to ask. Well, the wine was good. Someone at the table mentioned he'd seen Hugh Laurie in the theatre lobby. Similarly, I piped up when I saw a mouse, over by the bar. The whole table turned to look, and the mouse did a little run-around before escaping stage right.
Looking forward to tonight, when the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we went to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
Tomorrow, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. On Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
On Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. Better avoid them, as they're trying to flog the last couple of tickets.. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Next Wednesday, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday of next week, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one, unlike the one I thought I'd booked for last Sunday!
Limped my way to the theatre, found the side door, and managed to wind my way through to the Lyttleton bar, where the others were - the organiser had said they'd be at one of the long tables, and sure enough, there they were, at the very last. Boy, was I glad to get a seat. I was a little late to get a drink, and preferred to stay seated anyway - so I sat, and we chatted convivially. The organiser distributed our tickets - most of us were front row stalls, but a couple of people had benefitted from the late tickets she'd got, which were in the circle.
It started a bit late - well, they always do. We noticed captions, on screens high on the wall on either side of the stage. Wouldn't have been much good from the front row. Anyway, when the play did start, the first thing we noticed was how cinematic it was! In a very clever device, the safety curtain obscuring the stage is completely adjustable from all four sides, and can be slid in and out from each side - how they use this is to form "windows" through which we can see what's happening on stage - closing in so we concentrate on someone's face, opening out to give a broad shot, moving along the stage so we only see a particular part. Essentially zooming and panning - very clever!
Billed as a psychological thriller, it opens with two couples making for shelter in a Connecticut snowstorm. Not everyone makes it- but that's just the start of the story. The red barn is never actually seen, but does play something of a pivotal role - you might say it kicks things off. Terrific storm effects - as usual, people who are sensitive to flashing lights should beware.
One thing I did notice - and I wasn't the only one - was how slowly they speak. The consensus afterwards was that this was probably deliberate on the director's part. The acting is good - Hope Davis plays the patrician wife, Elizabeth Debicki the other wife, whose husband goes missing in the storm. The story, however, revolves around the man left at the centre of the piece, and his journey from the events of that night.
For me (and others), it dragged in the middle. Someone in the group did appreciate how understated it is - well, each to their own. Livens up at the end - but with an ending that we found unexpected, and a bit unnecessary - a couple of suggestions from group members for alternative endings did sound better to me. Hey-ho, it's certainly proving popular - I believe only day and rush tickets are left. Runs for 1hr 20mins without interval - and even in the front row, with unlimited legroom, we were stiff after that.
Afterwards, we suggested going for a drink - the organiser suggested popping across the road to the BFI bar. Via a corridor marked "toilets" - complicated place, the National. Terribly slow service in the BFI bar - and I do wish I'd got chips, as someone else did; they hadn't menus, and it didn't occur to me to ask. Well, the wine was good. Someone at the table mentioned he'd seen Hugh Laurie in the theatre lobby. Similarly, I piped up when I saw a mouse, over by the bar. The whole table turned to look, and the mouse did a little run-around before escaping stage right.
Looking forward to tonight, when the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we went to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
Tomorrow, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. On Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
On Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. Better avoid them, as they're trying to flog the last couple of tickets.. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Next Wednesday, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday of next week, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one, unlike the one I thought I'd booked for last Sunday!
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Top Secret Comedy Club
Heading out with the Man with the Hat was all that kept me going yesterday, really. Going to the office is now sheer torture. But amazingly, the traffic behaved itself, and it only took me just over an hour to get home. Besides, this was Top Secret (with London for Less Than a Tenner), and started that bit later - I was unlikely to miss it, and if I was late, I'd still get in.
After a tortuous Skype call with my mother, who couldn't quite get it working properly from her end (she wasn't broadcasting video) but - still - wouldn't - give - up, I would still pretty much have had time to get a bus all the way. But then it occurred to me that there'd be a lot of walking that way - and while my leg is much improved, it's still very sore. So, train to Waterloo and bus from there, as usual. And wouldn't you know it, I was dead lucky with train and bus - at Clapham Junction, I just arrived at the platform at the same time as a train to Waterloo (alighting at Waterloo, the first thing I heard was an announcement for a train to Guildford, yuck!), and as I rounded the corner to the bus stop, why, there was a bus, just waiting for me. Not only that, but as I was trotting towards it, someone dashed on ahead of me, so I didn't have to trot quite so fast..
Arrived at the club, and made for the stairs. Just as I turned to go down, I heard a familiar voice - looked up, and there was the Man with the Hat, on the street, unusually. I decided to go down and get my wrist stamped first - where they told me that there was another show on now, and I couldn't go in till it was finished. Shoo. So up I went again, where the Man with the Hat (who obviously heard this before I did) was huddled with a few other early-birds, waiting to be let in. Just as well the evening wasn't cold. And as we waited, more and more people accumulated..
When they finally let us in (and I zipped by, pre-stamped) I discovered a scrum at the bar. I mightn't have bothered, but after another day in Hell, I really needed a drink. And there I was, for a Very Long Time. The Man with the Hat, I think, gave up on me. For most of the time, there were only two guys serving behind the bar - slowly. Things did pick up a bit when a third appeared. And when I finally made it to the bar, and the guy serving me found lots of stuff to do rather than pour my drink.. the till wouldn't let him log in. And then, as far as I can tell, it took him forever to find change for me.
What the hey, the show still hadn't started (it did start very late). And the Man with the Hat - relieved, I daresay, to have found his lost sheep - kindly showed me to a seat over the side, with a decent view of the stage. Where I noticed they seemed to have a posher stool than on Wednesdays, when we usually show up:
A new MC - pretty much the same jokes. A good line-up started with the excellent John Hastings - I was trying to remember where I saw him last, and finally placed it as that Free Comedy in Hammersmith gig that I've cancelled so much lately. Must start going back there. His rapid-delivery set was followed by Luke Toulson, then the first break was followed by Junior Booker and some guy called Jake, whose surname I didn't quite catch. Good, clever set though, leading us into the second interval.
For all that I was desperate for that drink, I made it last. The fear of another scrum at the bar helped me with that. The final set had three comedians - Iain Stirling, Nathan Caton, and Jamali Maddix. All of whom were excellent. Jamali, mind you, had something of a confrontational attitude, which sparked off a few arguments with the crowd, including with a lawyer in the second row, who introduced herself as Irish and made a point of the fact that the Irish struggle lasted for 800 years. Ah God, she would be from Cork - the Rebel County. He asked her what kind of a lawyer she was - competition law. Heh.
A small, but select, group gathered outside again for the short trip down the road to the White Hart. Where the Man with the Hat bagged the sofas at the back while we got drinks, and I shepherded the others (apart from we two, they were new to the place) to these much-prized sofas. And we had a good old chat till chucking-out time. As I explained to one person, this was my escape from the awfulness of my days. So I didn't mind at all that it was way past my bedtime when we left (given that I'm in Guildford again today), or that I was so late in calling my mother (as I do when I get in) that she called me.. Oh, and I read a very interesting newspaper article on the way home, about how we don't have to worry about Trump, because all he wanted was to become President. He doesn't really want to do anything with the job..
Tired today, but it was worth it. Tonight, I'm with London Dramatic Arts for The Red Barn, at the National. Good - it'll be quick to get to, so I should make it as long as traffic isn't horrendous. And I see there's no interval - might get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Tomorrow, the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we went to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
On Thursday, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. On Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
Next Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Wednesday of next week, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday of next week, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one, unlike the one I thought I'd booked for last Sunday!
After a tortuous Skype call with my mother, who couldn't quite get it working properly from her end (she wasn't broadcasting video) but - still - wouldn't - give - up, I would still pretty much have had time to get a bus all the way. But then it occurred to me that there'd be a lot of walking that way - and while my leg is much improved, it's still very sore. So, train to Waterloo and bus from there, as usual. And wouldn't you know it, I was dead lucky with train and bus - at Clapham Junction, I just arrived at the platform at the same time as a train to Waterloo (alighting at Waterloo, the first thing I heard was an announcement for a train to Guildford, yuck!), and as I rounded the corner to the bus stop, why, there was a bus, just waiting for me. Not only that, but as I was trotting towards it, someone dashed on ahead of me, so I didn't have to trot quite so fast..
Arrived at the club, and made for the stairs. Just as I turned to go down, I heard a familiar voice - looked up, and there was the Man with the Hat, on the street, unusually. I decided to go down and get my wrist stamped first - where they told me that there was another show on now, and I couldn't go in till it was finished. Shoo. So up I went again, where the Man with the Hat (who obviously heard this before I did) was huddled with a few other early-birds, waiting to be let in. Just as well the evening wasn't cold. And as we waited, more and more people accumulated..
When they finally let us in (and I zipped by, pre-stamped) I discovered a scrum at the bar. I mightn't have bothered, but after another day in Hell, I really needed a drink. And there I was, for a Very Long Time. The Man with the Hat, I think, gave up on me. For most of the time, there were only two guys serving behind the bar - slowly. Things did pick up a bit when a third appeared. And when I finally made it to the bar, and the guy serving me found lots of stuff to do rather than pour my drink.. the till wouldn't let him log in. And then, as far as I can tell, it took him forever to find change for me.
What the hey, the show still hadn't started (it did start very late). And the Man with the Hat - relieved, I daresay, to have found his lost sheep - kindly showed me to a seat over the side, with a decent view of the stage. Where I noticed they seemed to have a posher stool than on Wednesdays, when we usually show up:
A new MC - pretty much the same jokes. A good line-up started with the excellent John Hastings - I was trying to remember where I saw him last, and finally placed it as that Free Comedy in Hammersmith gig that I've cancelled so much lately. Must start going back there. His rapid-delivery set was followed by Luke Toulson, then the first break was followed by Junior Booker and some guy called Jake, whose surname I didn't quite catch. Good, clever set though, leading us into the second interval.
For all that I was desperate for that drink, I made it last. The fear of another scrum at the bar helped me with that. The final set had three comedians - Iain Stirling, Nathan Caton, and Jamali Maddix. All of whom were excellent. Jamali, mind you, had something of a confrontational attitude, which sparked off a few arguments with the crowd, including with a lawyer in the second row, who introduced herself as Irish and made a point of the fact that the Irish struggle lasted for 800 years. Ah God, she would be from Cork - the Rebel County. He asked her what kind of a lawyer she was - competition law. Heh.
A small, but select, group gathered outside again for the short trip down the road to the White Hart. Where the Man with the Hat bagged the sofas at the back while we got drinks, and I shepherded the others (apart from we two, they were new to the place) to these much-prized sofas. And we had a good old chat till chucking-out time. As I explained to one person, this was my escape from the awfulness of my days. So I didn't mind at all that it was way past my bedtime when we left (given that I'm in Guildford again today), or that I was so late in calling my mother (as I do when I get in) that she called me.. Oh, and I read a very interesting newspaper article on the way home, about how we don't have to worry about Trump, because all he wanted was to become President. He doesn't really want to do anything with the job..
Tired today, but it was worth it. Tonight, I'm with London Dramatic Arts for The Red Barn, at the National. Good - it'll be quick to get to, so I should make it as long as traffic isn't horrendous. And I see there's no interval - might get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Tomorrow, the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we went to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
On Thursday, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. On Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
Next Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Wednesday of next week, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday of next week, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one, unlike the one I thought I'd booked for last Sunday!
Saturday, 12 November 2016
Film: Arrival
Yep, a film sounded good for today, and when I finally got the film list done, there was Arrival sat right at the top. Well, under Lahore Se Aagey, whose trailer, thankfully, didn't appeal, especially considering it was only on in far-flung places. (And lookee that, the rating has fallen since, anyway!). Arrival, on the other hand, wasn't a hard sell for me - a sci-fi film, starring Amy Adams, who - as the papers say - never picks a bad script, and rated that highly? I didn't need to see a trailer. Yes please - except, by that stage, the 9pm had sold out, so the only option for today, in my local cinema, was the late show. Ok fine, I was driving anyway.
Had time to eat, and blog, and phone my mother, and do the washing up, and out the door I flew. Got to the cinema just before the scheduled start time, but there were ads anyway - which was just as well, as I was thirsty, so got a drink for once, and ended up having to queue behind one of those irritating couples that never seem to have been at the cinema before. Because, you know, they wanted a combo, but didn't know what size - and there he was, showing them the different cup sizes and explaining the prices. Didn't help that the till was, apparently, displaying the wrong price. Lordy, I spent less time deciding on my last car.
I finally got in - had picked a good seat, at the bottom of the stairs (especially important with my leg, which is improving but still very sore). At the front of the tiered section, so there was an aisle in front of me, rather than a row of heads. Any closer to the screen would have been too close. And the place did fill up, reasonably. Mind you, I doubt the late hour suited everyone - the guy at the end of my row started to snore eventually, and was sound asleep by the time the film ended. I suppose they woke him before they locked up.
After some trailers for things that generally looked good, we were into this much-hyped film. There's a moving bit at the start, which gives us a kind of potted version of Amy's daughter's childhood, before (small spoiler) she dies in her teens, of some unspecified rare genetic condition. Yes, that is only a small spoiler. Go see the film to find out why.
Immediately afterwards, we see Amy at work as a language professor, which took me back to my lecturing days. Walking through the student lounge, in her office, in her lecture theatre about to give a lecture. Empty lecture theatre, pretty much - yep, looked familiar. Except, mind, these students probably had a better excuse than mine had, back in the day.
Because, see, the aliens have landed (not really a spoiler at all, this). Next we have the army guy, Forest Whitaker, knocking at her door, because she's done translations for them before (she seems to know just about every language going) and her security clearance hasn't expired. And he needs her to translate these sounds the aliens are making. Before she knows it, she's whisked off to the secret army base surrounding one of the - ships? Which is where she meets Jeremy Renner, a mathematician, the idea being that he'll throw equations at the aliens. Amy, bless her, suggests they say hi first.
Visually, it owes a lot to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The alien - vessels? are almost like the monolith. The black helps very nicely to stand out against any backdrop. Difference is, they're oval. And the back is flat, so the shape is kind of like one half of a chocolate Easter egg. Oh, and they float.. and yes, we do get to see inside, and the shots of the scientists and soldiers, in environment suits, against the interior, again reminded me of 2001. Which makes the whole thing stunning to look at.
The best sci-fi films have something original to say - and this has plenty of them, over and above the basic idea that the first thing you should do in an alien invasion is try and talk to them! I'm sorry for that chap that fell asleep - I hope he got the gist. Plenty to think about here, in what is destined to become a sci-fi classic. Deserves its high rating, and I'm delighted I went.
Tomorrow is a strange one. The Crick Crack Club is running an "Epic Sundays" event at the British Museum, where they're telling The Odyssey. So, of course, as soon as I heard, I determined to go. I RSVPed Yes on the Meetup page, and during the week I checked for the confirmation email of my ticket booking.. in vain. I tried ringing the museum - first question I was asked was what my booking reference number was. I told him I didn't know, because I didn't have the email! He then said he probably couldn't help me at all, before asking for my postcode, checking that, and saying he couldn't find any bookings for me at all - despite the fact that I do have a confirmation email from them for an event next month. Rubbish organisation. So, it seems I probably haven't booked - there might have been a problem with the site at the time, and I determined to do it later, then thought I'd done it - and now it's sold out. Bah humbug - nothing else really appeals, so I think I might just stay in and do some work, in preparation for re-entering the den of wolves on Monday.
At least on Monday evening, I can take solace in the company of the Man with the Hat, who's taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret - unusual for a Monday! Well, I should make that, even from Guildford.
On Tuesday, I'm with London Dramatic Arts - properly this time - for The Red Barn, at the National. Good - it'll be quick to get to, so I should make it as long as traffic isn't horrendous. And I see there's no interval - might get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Wednesday, the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we're going to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
On Thursday, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. The following Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
Tuesday 22nd, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Wednesday 23rd, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday 24th, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one!
Had time to eat, and blog, and phone my mother, and do the washing up, and out the door I flew. Got to the cinema just before the scheduled start time, but there were ads anyway - which was just as well, as I was thirsty, so got a drink for once, and ended up having to queue behind one of those irritating couples that never seem to have been at the cinema before. Because, you know, they wanted a combo, but didn't know what size - and there he was, showing them the different cup sizes and explaining the prices. Didn't help that the till was, apparently, displaying the wrong price. Lordy, I spent less time deciding on my last car.
I finally got in - had picked a good seat, at the bottom of the stairs (especially important with my leg, which is improving but still very sore). At the front of the tiered section, so there was an aisle in front of me, rather than a row of heads. Any closer to the screen would have been too close. And the place did fill up, reasonably. Mind you, I doubt the late hour suited everyone - the guy at the end of my row started to snore eventually, and was sound asleep by the time the film ended. I suppose they woke him before they locked up.
After some trailers for things that generally looked good, we were into this much-hyped film. There's a moving bit at the start, which gives us a kind of potted version of Amy's daughter's childhood, before (small spoiler) she dies in her teens, of some unspecified rare genetic condition. Yes, that is only a small spoiler. Go see the film to find out why.
Immediately afterwards, we see Amy at work as a language professor, which took me back to my lecturing days. Walking through the student lounge, in her office, in her lecture theatre about to give a lecture. Empty lecture theatre, pretty much - yep, looked familiar. Except, mind, these students probably had a better excuse than mine had, back in the day.
Because, see, the aliens have landed (not really a spoiler at all, this). Next we have the army guy, Forest Whitaker, knocking at her door, because she's done translations for them before (she seems to know just about every language going) and her security clearance hasn't expired. And he needs her to translate these sounds the aliens are making. Before she knows it, she's whisked off to the secret army base surrounding one of the - ships? Which is where she meets Jeremy Renner, a mathematician, the idea being that he'll throw equations at the aliens. Amy, bless her, suggests they say hi first.
Visually, it owes a lot to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The alien - vessels? are almost like the monolith. The black helps very nicely to stand out against any backdrop. Difference is, they're oval. And the back is flat, so the shape is kind of like one half of a chocolate Easter egg. Oh, and they float.. and yes, we do get to see inside, and the shots of the scientists and soldiers, in environment suits, against the interior, again reminded me of 2001. Which makes the whole thing stunning to look at.
The best sci-fi films have something original to say - and this has plenty of them, over and above the basic idea that the first thing you should do in an alien invasion is try and talk to them! I'm sorry for that chap that fell asleep - I hope he got the gist. Plenty to think about here, in what is destined to become a sci-fi classic. Deserves its high rating, and I'm delighted I went.
Tomorrow is a strange one. The Crick Crack Club is running an "Epic Sundays" event at the British Museum, where they're telling The Odyssey. So, of course, as soon as I heard, I determined to go. I RSVPed Yes on the Meetup page, and during the week I checked for the confirmation email of my ticket booking.. in vain. I tried ringing the museum - first question I was asked was what my booking reference number was. I told him I didn't know, because I didn't have the email! He then said he probably couldn't help me at all, before asking for my postcode, checking that, and saying he couldn't find any bookings for me at all - despite the fact that I do have a confirmation email from them for an event next month. Rubbish organisation. So, it seems I probably haven't booked - there might have been a problem with the site at the time, and I determined to do it later, then thought I'd done it - and now it's sold out. Bah humbug - nothing else really appeals, so I think I might just stay in and do some work, in preparation for re-entering the den of wolves on Monday.
At least on Monday evening, I can take solace in the company of the Man with the Hat, who's taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret - unusual for a Monday! Well, I should make that, even from Guildford.
On Tuesday, I'm with London Dramatic Arts - properly this time - for The Red Barn, at the National. Good - it'll be quick to get to, so I should make it as long as traffic isn't horrendous. And I see there's no interval - might get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Wednesday, the Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to a Wayne McGregor mixed ballet programme at the Royal Opera House. This, I'm guessing, is why we're going to Top Secret on Monday instead of the more customary Wednesday. The cheaper seats are with London for Less Than a Tenner, and are in the Slips - where I'm going to be; the others are in the Amphitheatre.
On Thursday, I'm with Kensington Classical Music for a performance of The Snowman, and a Christmas concert, at St. James' Church Piccadilly. The organiser is very kindly giving me a free ticket, on account of concerts I've paid for before and missed. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's also my birthday! :-) Anyway, good job I'm working from home that day - it's the earliest event start of the week.
Friday, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, where - unusually, at the moment - we don't have anything scheduled. The following Monday, I'm off with London Dramatic Arts to Trafalgar Studios, to see the Pulitzer-prize-winning Buried Child, with Ed Harris. Pity it clashes with the Crick Crack Club that night - I'd already booked this, but would rather have gone with them..
Tuesday 22nd, London Dramatic Arts are off to Hampstead Theatre to see The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, with Tamsin Grieg, which was rescheduled. And so am I - independently, just as I was supposed to for the original date. This is the theatre I had to sneak out the back of, last time - which makes it interesting. Assuming I get there in time - it's on at 7, and I bloody well have to be in Guildford again.
Wednesday 23rd, I'm signed up with the London European Club for a talk at the Frontline Club about London's Dirty Money. Unless, you know, I decide to go to a film instead.
And Thursday 24th, I'm back with Crick Crack, in the Arthouse Crouch End (what a good job it's a Work from Home day) for one I missed before - Little Red Riding Hood & Other Lost Girls, as told by Nell Phoenix. And yes, I do have the confirmation email for this one!
Play: King Lear
So, London Dramatic Arts was off to the theatre last night - King Lear, at the Barbican. (Funny, actually - they say something in the blurb about being about film, theatre etc. but so far it's been exclusively theatre..) Anyway, I fancied going; hadn't seen it since I did it in school. As often happens, I got me a cheaper ticket from the venue, in the very back row in the gods, and figured that would be inconspicuous enough to avoid them. After all, I know they don't approve of members striking out on their own..
First time I'd been to the Barbican from this location. Google Maps bravely suggested I could make it in about 45 minutes - rubbish, just like where I was living before, you need at least an hour. Especially if limping, as I still was (and am today) - I was wearing long boots yesterday, and my calf muscle was so swollen I could barely get the boot on! Mind you, when I did, it acted rather like a cast, keeping my lower leg quite rigid, and was quite comfortable. Still, it was arduous, trekking all the way across town - bus would have taken over an hour, so it was train to Vauxhall, Victoria Line to King's Cross, and any old Tube to Barbican.
Well, I say any old Tube - but King's Cross is a complicated station. Five Tube lines passing through it, three would have done me, and I STILL got lost! See, I found the lift to the next level, and with stairs being really painful, I figured that was a wise option. Unfortunately, all I did was exit in front of a sign that said "No Access to Circle and Hammersmith and City Lines, Return to Platform"! Gosh, that's helpful - I persevered, and must have spent ten minutes limping through the station to the exit, through the barriers, and followed the signs on the other side to pass through the barriers again for what I wanted - Circle, Hammersmith and City, or Metropolitan, all of which go from the same, separate platform.
Bah humbug, I was already late by the time I got to Barbican station, where I discovered there was no alternative to climbing the stairs to street level (painfully). I know the way, but that didn't make it any easier. At least when I got to the theatre, I knew the others would probably already be inside.. well, once there, I decided to treat myself to the lift again. Someone told me I needed to go downstairs for the Theatre box office (there's a Hall as well, you see).
So I eventually got the lift to go down. Very, very sluggish. And it turns out that the lift at Level -1 in the Barbican is across the road from the rest of the building! Eh, right. Well, I crossed and got my ticket, and she told me I needed to go up those stairs.. I told her I'd be taking the lift, and hurried off. This turned out to be a massive mistake. When I got upstairs, I could only see signs for the hall. Asked directions of an employee, who checked my ticket and told me I needed to go upstairs again. Eh, right. Back to the uncooperative lift. I knew now I was wrong, but anyway. I needed to be upstairs in the theatre, but was headed upstairs in the hall.. sure enough, the helpful usher up there apologised on behalf of her colleague, and said I needed to go back to -1, find the theatre, and head upstairs INSIDE it.. who designed this place, Slartibartfast?)
Back to the lift, back to -1, across the road. Limped carefully up the stairs I should have gone up the first time. Located my door (Theatre Left) - was led inside, and to a lift (yay!). At last I found the door where my seat should be, and another helpful usher, who was at that moment told that they'd just got to the latecomer point and I could go in. Only then she couldn't find her torch. Spent several minutes looking for it. I practiced my best rictus grin, while suspending my leg slightly, because it was hurting.
Well, I did get in, to the back row, where I was told that I was about 20 seats in. Heh. As the lady on the end of the row said, why didn't I just take the empty seat beside her? So I did. View was perfect, if you leaned forward to avoid the safety rail getting in the way. Now, I was familiar with the story, of course, so I can confidently tell you that I entered at the point where Lear has split his kingdom between his elder daughters, leaving his youngest, Cordelia, penniless. She gets the King of France to marry her anyway, so that's ok for the moment. Meanwhile, Lear sets himself to gallivanting between his elder daughters' houses, retinue in tow - when I entered, the sisters were deep in conversation about how to deal with the vexatious old man. Nice, sparkly costumes - the voices at this point were a bit faint, but thankfully that wasn't to happen much.
Ah, it's actually ages since I saw Shakespeare done straight! Not that I don't love it being given a twist, but trust the RSC to stay true to the original. And yes, it is a powerful production - for me, dues in particular should be paid to the actor who played Edmund, who - I thought - pulled off the humour of the role marvellously. Humour and madness both were played beautifully as the play evolved. Turned out that the lady who'd invited me to sit there was a massive Shakespeare buff, whom I chatted to at the interval, and for whom this play is one of her favourites. Indeed, she burst into tears at the end - now, I know it's a tragedy, but this is unusual.. Oh, and for the squeamish amongst you, there's an eye-gouging scene in the second half, which is done reasonably graphically, inside a transparent cube, just so there's something for the gore to spatter against..
People who are sensitive to flashing lights should also beware, as there's a very realistic storm sequence, complete with lightning. Terrific sound effects throughout are provided by a small orchestra sat over the stage. And then, a bit before the interval, Lear and his fool, having shunned the "hospitality" of his elder daughters, are out in the wilds, in the storm, and suspended on a hoist, to represent a cliff. Unfortunately, they got stuck up there, and someone came out with a headset to beg our patience, that there'd be a small delay. So they lowered the (nice and shiny) safety curtain:
(If you look really closely, you can see the members of LDAM sat front row centre..)
So, a faithful production, and a powerful one. As the Shakespeare buff beside me remarked, as you get older, frankly, you sympathise more with Lear's daughters..! Highly recommended, although it's a long 'un - 3hrs 20 mins, not allowing for technical hitches. Runs until 23 December.
Sure enough, no sign of anyone I knew on my way out. And mercifully, I found all the lifts on the way home. With nothing in particular to do today, and rain promised, I though of going to a film - so had to do the film list: hence the delay. Sure enough, rain was pounding down outside, this morning at least.. anyway, finally finished the thing after 7pm, by which stage some had only been showing earlier in the day, and top of the remaining ones was a Pakistani film, Lahore Se Aagey, which I'd have had to traipse to the ends of the earth to see. Thankfully, I didn't like the look of the trailer - which brought me down to Arrival. Whee! Second Amy Adams film within a week, gosh - in this, she plays a linguist, brought in to help communicate with aliens that have just made contact. Jeremy Renner plays the love interest, and Forest Whitaker is the army guy. Showing in my local cinema, and I'd have made the 9pm showing - but would you believe, it was sold out! Booked myself a ticket for the late show - what the hey, I'm driving, and it gave me time to eat - and blog.. Gosh, it's years since I've been to a late show!
First time I'd been to the Barbican from this location. Google Maps bravely suggested I could make it in about 45 minutes - rubbish, just like where I was living before, you need at least an hour. Especially if limping, as I still was (and am today) - I was wearing long boots yesterday, and my calf muscle was so swollen I could barely get the boot on! Mind you, when I did, it acted rather like a cast, keeping my lower leg quite rigid, and was quite comfortable. Still, it was arduous, trekking all the way across town - bus would have taken over an hour, so it was train to Vauxhall, Victoria Line to King's Cross, and any old Tube to Barbican.
Well, I say any old Tube - but King's Cross is a complicated station. Five Tube lines passing through it, three would have done me, and I STILL got lost! See, I found the lift to the next level, and with stairs being really painful, I figured that was a wise option. Unfortunately, all I did was exit in front of a sign that said "No Access to Circle and Hammersmith and City Lines, Return to Platform"! Gosh, that's helpful - I persevered, and must have spent ten minutes limping through the station to the exit, through the barriers, and followed the signs on the other side to pass through the barriers again for what I wanted - Circle, Hammersmith and City, or Metropolitan, all of which go from the same, separate platform.
Bah humbug, I was already late by the time I got to Barbican station, where I discovered there was no alternative to climbing the stairs to street level (painfully). I know the way, but that didn't make it any easier. At least when I got to the theatre, I knew the others would probably already be inside.. well, once there, I decided to treat myself to the lift again. Someone told me I needed to go downstairs for the Theatre box office (there's a Hall as well, you see).
So I eventually got the lift to go down. Very, very sluggish. And it turns out that the lift at Level -1 in the Barbican is across the road from the rest of the building! Eh, right. Well, I crossed and got my ticket, and she told me I needed to go up those stairs.. I told her I'd be taking the lift, and hurried off. This turned out to be a massive mistake. When I got upstairs, I could only see signs for the hall. Asked directions of an employee, who checked my ticket and told me I needed to go upstairs again. Eh, right. Back to the uncooperative lift. I knew now I was wrong, but anyway. I needed to be upstairs in the theatre, but was headed upstairs in the hall.. sure enough, the helpful usher up there apologised on behalf of her colleague, and said I needed to go back to -1, find the theatre, and head upstairs INSIDE it.. who designed this place, Slartibartfast?)
Back to the lift, back to -1, across the road. Limped carefully up the stairs I should have gone up the first time. Located my door (Theatre Left) - was led inside, and to a lift (yay!). At last I found the door where my seat should be, and another helpful usher, who was at that moment told that they'd just got to the latecomer point and I could go in. Only then she couldn't find her torch. Spent several minutes looking for it. I practiced my best rictus grin, while suspending my leg slightly, because it was hurting.
Well, I did get in, to the back row, where I was told that I was about 20 seats in. Heh. As the lady on the end of the row said, why didn't I just take the empty seat beside her? So I did. View was perfect, if you leaned forward to avoid the safety rail getting in the way. Now, I was familiar with the story, of course, so I can confidently tell you that I entered at the point where Lear has split his kingdom between his elder daughters, leaving his youngest, Cordelia, penniless. She gets the King of France to marry her anyway, so that's ok for the moment. Meanwhile, Lear sets himself to gallivanting between his elder daughters' houses, retinue in tow - when I entered, the sisters were deep in conversation about how to deal with the vexatious old man. Nice, sparkly costumes - the voices at this point were a bit faint, but thankfully that wasn't to happen much.
Ah, it's actually ages since I saw Shakespeare done straight! Not that I don't love it being given a twist, but trust the RSC to stay true to the original. And yes, it is a powerful production - for me, dues in particular should be paid to the actor who played Edmund, who - I thought - pulled off the humour of the role marvellously. Humour and madness both were played beautifully as the play evolved. Turned out that the lady who'd invited me to sit there was a massive Shakespeare buff, whom I chatted to at the interval, and for whom this play is one of her favourites. Indeed, she burst into tears at the end - now, I know it's a tragedy, but this is unusual.. Oh, and for the squeamish amongst you, there's an eye-gouging scene in the second half, which is done reasonably graphically, inside a transparent cube, just so there's something for the gore to spatter against..
People who are sensitive to flashing lights should also beware, as there's a very realistic storm sequence, complete with lightning. Terrific sound effects throughout are provided by a small orchestra sat over the stage. And then, a bit before the interval, Lear and his fool, having shunned the "hospitality" of his elder daughters, are out in the wilds, in the storm, and suspended on a hoist, to represent a cliff. Unfortunately, they got stuck up there, and someone came out with a headset to beg our patience, that there'd be a small delay. So they lowered the (nice and shiny) safety curtain:
(If you look really closely, you can see the members of LDAM sat front row centre..)
So, a faithful production, and a powerful one. As the Shakespeare buff beside me remarked, as you get older, frankly, you sympathise more with Lear's daughters..! Highly recommended, although it's a long 'un - 3hrs 20 mins, not allowing for technical hitches. Runs until 23 December.
Sure enough, no sign of anyone I knew on my way out. And mercifully, I found all the lifts on the way home. With nothing in particular to do today, and rain promised, I though of going to a film - so had to do the film list: hence the delay. Sure enough, rain was pounding down outside, this morning at least.. anyway, finally finished the thing after 7pm, by which stage some had only been showing earlier in the day, and top of the remaining ones was a Pakistani film, Lahore Se Aagey, which I'd have had to traipse to the ends of the earth to see. Thankfully, I didn't like the look of the trailer - which brought me down to Arrival. Whee! Second Amy Adams film within a week, gosh - in this, she plays a linguist, brought in to help communicate with aliens that have just made contact. Jeremy Renner plays the love interest, and Forest Whitaker is the army guy. Showing in my local cinema, and I'd have made the 9pm showing - but would you believe, it was sold out! Booked myself a ticket for the late show - what the hey, I'm driving, and it gave me time to eat - and blog.. Gosh, it's years since I've been to a late show!
Thursday, 10 November 2016
Play: Orca
A beacon of light in a dreary week - the Man with the Hat took Let's Do London - for less! out last night! And I was so looking forward to being in the company of friends - so different from the awful office environment I have now. Really, I dread going there. Anyway, the venue was Southwark Playhouse, and I booked soon as I knew about it.
My days in Guildford are now fixed at Mon-Wed, so I'd just come back from there. Complete with a limp, purely from the sheer amount of driving I've been having to do. It's not the sitting in traffic jams.. it's the crawling through them, your leg tensed all the time on the accelerator. I pulled something, or strained something - anyway, I did get back in good time, although I was slightly delayed in leaving the flat, as I was applying for another job whose ad had just come through. Limped carefully to the bus stop, sat (gratefully) while waiting for the bus, managed to get a downstairs seat. Mind you, when we came to Elephant & Castle, I elected to get off at the stop before the roundabout, rather than wait as we crawled through it - it always takes five minutes, and time was getting tight. Even with the limp, I made it around before the bus did - indeed, there was still no sign of it as I was crossing the road!
Bravely, I limped on to the theatre - which didn't have its outside lights on, unnervingly. Went in, was immediately met by the Man with the (psychic?) hat, who informed me that I was the last to arrive. He showed me down the back to where the others were - suggested I get a drink, as the house wasn't open yet, but honestly, the trip back to the bar seemed like way too much work, and I passed.
The play was Orca, and it was showing in "The Little". Which was sold out, it seemed. Which made it rather a pity that the house opened late on this occasion, as everyone was crowded into the lobby, forming two long queues - one from the lobby proper, one from the bar. They finally let us in, and we sat where we could - seating is on upholstered benches, on three sides. Underfoot, as we entered, we crunched over gravel and pebbles - a very effective way of creating a beach feel, and as someone later remarked, very hard to clear up afterwards..
'Tis set in a small, Scottish fishing village, and in the first scene, we meet two red-headed sisters, the younger of whom is preparing for a dance that night, while her older sister, disdaining the whole thing, tries in vain to read a book. Giving up in the end, she swaps riddles with her sister. And we get some masterful writing - indeed, the whole thing sounds like a fairytale, overlaid with a constant soundtrack of an ominous drone, suggestive of the orca that haunts the village, scaring away the fish that are their livelihood.
However, it's a dark tale, presided over by the authoritative figure of Aden Gillett, who plays a village elder called "The Father". It's an old tale, but a powerful one, stunningly acted. The girls' missing mother, as well as certain occurrences later, and the girls' father's reaction at the end (bending over backwards in a silent scream as he realises what's really going on) all add to the unearthly feel of the piece. Highly recommended - very high standard of acting and writing, typical of this venue. Runs until 26th.
Afterwards, we repaired to the bar, ably shepherded by the Man with the Hat, as ever. And as a newcomer to the group said, you'd know who the group organiser is.. Well yes, it's a masterclass in organisation. And yes, it was great to have some friendly conversation. Finally, at the end of the night, there were only three of us left, as often happens - not the Man with the Hat though, who by this stage had shepherded himself home.
I'm not going to the Free Comedy in Hammersmith tonight - have cancelled with the various groups, quite simply because my leg is still killing me to put weight on it. You never know, I might go again one day. Tomorrow, London Dramatic Arts are off to see King Lear at the Barbican. Haven't seen that since I studied it in school. Well, I'm off to see it too - cheaper, and sat in the very back row! Hopefully, with the maze that the Barbican is, it'll be fairly easy to avoid them.
My days in Guildford are now fixed at Mon-Wed, so I'd just come back from there. Complete with a limp, purely from the sheer amount of driving I've been having to do. It's not the sitting in traffic jams.. it's the crawling through them, your leg tensed all the time on the accelerator. I pulled something, or strained something - anyway, I did get back in good time, although I was slightly delayed in leaving the flat, as I was applying for another job whose ad had just come through. Limped carefully to the bus stop, sat (gratefully) while waiting for the bus, managed to get a downstairs seat. Mind you, when we came to Elephant & Castle, I elected to get off at the stop before the roundabout, rather than wait as we crawled through it - it always takes five minutes, and time was getting tight. Even with the limp, I made it around before the bus did - indeed, there was still no sign of it as I was crossing the road!
Bravely, I limped on to the theatre - which didn't have its outside lights on, unnervingly. Went in, was immediately met by the Man with the (psychic?) hat, who informed me that I was the last to arrive. He showed me down the back to where the others were - suggested I get a drink, as the house wasn't open yet, but honestly, the trip back to the bar seemed like way too much work, and I passed.
The play was Orca, and it was showing in "The Little". Which was sold out, it seemed. Which made it rather a pity that the house opened late on this occasion, as everyone was crowded into the lobby, forming two long queues - one from the lobby proper, one from the bar. They finally let us in, and we sat where we could - seating is on upholstered benches, on three sides. Underfoot, as we entered, we crunched over gravel and pebbles - a very effective way of creating a beach feel, and as someone later remarked, very hard to clear up afterwards..
'Tis set in a small, Scottish fishing village, and in the first scene, we meet two red-headed sisters, the younger of whom is preparing for a dance that night, while her older sister, disdaining the whole thing, tries in vain to read a book. Giving up in the end, she swaps riddles with her sister. And we get some masterful writing - indeed, the whole thing sounds like a fairytale, overlaid with a constant soundtrack of an ominous drone, suggestive of the orca that haunts the village, scaring away the fish that are their livelihood.
However, it's a dark tale, presided over by the authoritative figure of Aden Gillett, who plays a village elder called "The Father". It's an old tale, but a powerful one, stunningly acted. The girls' missing mother, as well as certain occurrences later, and the girls' father's reaction at the end (bending over backwards in a silent scream as he realises what's really going on) all add to the unearthly feel of the piece. Highly recommended - very high standard of acting and writing, typical of this venue. Runs until 26th.
Afterwards, we repaired to the bar, ably shepherded by the Man with the Hat, as ever. And as a newcomer to the group said, you'd know who the group organiser is.. Well yes, it's a masterclass in organisation. And yes, it was great to have some friendly conversation. Finally, at the end of the night, there were only three of us left, as often happens - not the Man with the Hat though, who by this stage had shepherded himself home.
I'm not going to the Free Comedy in Hammersmith tonight - have cancelled with the various groups, quite simply because my leg is still killing me to put weight on it. You never know, I might go again one day. Tomorrow, London Dramatic Arts are off to see King Lear at the Barbican. Haven't seen that since I studied it in school. Well, I'm off to see it too - cheaper, and sat in the very back row! Hopefully, with the maze that the Barbican is, it'll be fairly easy to avoid them.
And I did have something to do on Saturday - or rather, the Man with the Hat did, until hardly anyone booked, so he cancelled! Bah humbug. Might go to the Lord Mayor's show, which is on that day. Or perhaps a film.
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Free Comedy in Hammersmith
What IS it with the traffic in Guildford?! I had the misfortune to be delayed in the office tonight - see, I often stayed late in London and was happy to do so, but Guildford is another matter. Staying late means you hit the worst of the traffic - another hour and a half to get home, and the free comedy in Hammersmith had already started. And unlike last night, I didn't fancy the Plan B film - I, Daniel Blake, again, sounds depressing, and I'm tired, and was hungry. A night in beckoned, and I needed it.
O please, please, let another job happen along soon.. Meanwhile, tomorrow night I definitely won't be staying in. I'm back with the Man with the Hat, who's taking Let's Do London - for less! to Southwark Playhouse, to see Orca. And working from home next day (praise the LORD! My driving leg is really stiff..), I don't have to go to bed early. Hallelujah.
O please, please, let another job happen along soon.. Meanwhile, tomorrow night I definitely won't be staying in. I'm back with the Man with the Hat, who's taking Let's Do London - for less! to Southwark Playhouse, to see Orca. And working from home next day (praise the LORD! My driving leg is really stiff..), I don't have to go to bed early. Hallelujah.
Thursday - yes, you guessed it, free comedy in Hammersmith! Think of it as a placeholder. Funnily enough, I'd just booked with London for a Tenner or Less, and only just noticed that Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and London Live Comedy, were also advertising. Again. So I've booked. Again. What the hey, it's free.
Now, on Friday, London Dramatic Arts are off to see King Lear at the Barbican. Haven't seen that since I studied it in school. Well, I'm off to see it too - cheaper, and sat in the very back row! Hopefully, with the maze that the Barbican is, it'll be fairly easy to avoid them.
And I did have something to do on Saturday - or rather, the Man with the Hat did, until hardly anyone booked, so he cancelled! Bah humbug. Might go to the Lord Mayor's show, which is on that day. Or perhaps a film.
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