tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-367581342024-03-16T01:12:24.777+00:00Ham LifeThe thoughts and experiences of a man who enjoys challenging arts, unplanned wanderings and intelligent conversations.Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.comBlogger2622125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-72063832844649374362024-03-14T20:17:00.001+00:002024-03-14T20:17:22.597+00:00I have walked every street in London Borough of RichmondI have always walked for fun as well as for transport and I like to explore new places. Using MapMyWalk allows me to record each walk and <a href="https://citystrides.com/users/50996" target="_blank">CityStrides</a> then pulls all these together to produce a cumulative map and to produce statistics for each city/region.<div><br /></div><div>What finally pushed me to walking every road in Richmond was paying for the CityStrides premium service which highlights all the unwalked places with red dots. I was then able to visit specific areas, e.g. Barnes, Fulwell and Hampton, and clear all the red dots there. It took several visits, e..g I went to Barnes four or five times, and a lot of time walking down dead-ends.</div><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukuhOV2oFO0nG3ns2DT_RtMvrP7EsJuqvggjP5x_mEqPSMktHRGSQy54AsPRuxx8oHAoX3AoXYp7kHwYSPoIDGmL46P-v7LchtkuEDWVOsNjV3Uzkyod49KaYqDkCcbRlayMwluGhzezbYb9Js0HQdnwtwE2o2-_XdxjUORw7egh3yXmQoERm/s625/LBRuT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="625" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukuhOV2oFO0nG3ns2DT_RtMvrP7EsJuqvggjP5x_mEqPSMktHRGSQy54AsPRuxx8oHAoX3AoXYp7kHwYSPoIDGmL46P-v7LchtkuEDWVOsNjV3Uzkyod49KaYqDkCcbRlayMwluGhzezbYb9Js0HQdnwtwE2o2-_XdxjUORw7egh3yXmQoERm/w640-h588/LBRuT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />CityStrides tells me; There are 1,458 streets in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, totalling 403 kilometres. My first activity to complete a street was on 6 June 2011 and It took a total of 404 activities to finish, totalling 4,707 kilometres.
</div></div><div><br /></div><div>My next most walked areas are Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and City of London and I am just over 50% on both. I do not expect to fully walk either area because I do not go to the southern part of Kingston very often and the GPS in the City is so wild it is hard to hit the red dots.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-88500293621259750342024-03-01T18:30:00.084+00:002024-03-05T21:10:58.679+00:00Player Kings at New Wimbledon Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_PhYEjvIlxOH9hG4g0dtT9kGN6uWZS6YOLo1KuYe_6gYAspjkhaHSmP2LR3H33eLJzumnC21ezOrclyM3mPoUIAOqkGZo19zsUI1sf5RQ5CP5Ao0EfgKVk-1MJp65kl0YtnV4PKfyyNfUze-_bZurD6RqGmszfCsNpXmrPqYzk5eDAuW7kHA/s1200/6899FD05-062A-40CB-8171-7C456D28C77A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_PhYEjvIlxOH9hG4g0dtT9kGN6uWZS6YOLo1KuYe_6gYAspjkhaHSmP2LR3H33eLJzumnC21ezOrclyM3mPoUIAOqkGZo19zsUI1sf5RQ5CP5Ao0EfgKVk-1MJp65kl0YtnV4PKfyyNfUze-_bZurD6RqGmszfCsNpXmrPqYzk5eDAuW7kHA/w400-h225/6899FD05-062A-40CB-8171-7C456D28C77A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The opportunity to see Ian McKellen in a Shakespeare play close to home was too good to miss. It was expectedly pricey so I went for the Upper Circle where my ATG membership card got me seat A11 for a measly £25.<div><br /></div><div>It was billed as a version of the two plays Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 but, other than the early start time of 6:30pm, there was no clue of the runtime and it was only when a friend got to the theatre just ahead of me and discovered that it was almost four hours! Luckily I am used to long plays and had been well stocked at the usual venue, Mai Thai, beforehand.</div><div><br /></div><div>First the bad news. Henry IV 1 & 2 are not Shakespeare's best work with the two unrelated themes, the pure history of Henry IV and the tomfoolery of the Falstaff. There were some first-night issues too where the main problem was the safety curtain that was lowered at times for dramatic effect and when it did it hid half the stage, or more, for those of us in the cheap seats.</div><div><br /></div><div>The good news was the smooth staging (too low curtains apart) which used curtains pulled from the sides to make the scenes changes seamless allowing the stories to move smoothly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The best news was the performances. Of course Ian McKellen was good but he was in a supporting roll and praise must also go to Richard Coyle as Henry iV. The last time I saw him on stage was in To Kill a Mockingbird. It was also good to see a cameo role by Robin Soans.</div><div><br /></div><div>The performances, and the staging, were more than enough to make the four hours fly past entertainingly. ot a great night, Henry IV was never going to be that, but it was certainly good.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-46627556825328000832024-02-22T19:30:00.080+00:002024-03-08T20:27:01.918+00:00Macbeth at Dock X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6sD_gxHGRwjH3o1uerNebL3dV65qX9z4j_ETTkDvsfUKzAuZ6znX6AFsEb-l5bo6Uxxw4wmyBYOLSZc_ouT3FRa79A3_47olLPG2Xym3gofVj-M7yKbviikol8YoxnCUnPYq-3u2OWxpAS895-llKNtqs4VQERRdsbVZQQ0Pj3QNyfFTq5CF/s1024/Macbeth-Ralph-Fiennes-and-Indira-Varma-1024x576.jpg.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6sD_gxHGRwjH3o1uerNebL3dV65qX9z4j_ETTkDvsfUKzAuZ6znX6AFsEb-l5bo6Uxxw4wmyBYOLSZc_ouT3FRa79A3_47olLPG2Xym3gofVj-M7yKbviikol8YoxnCUnPYq-3u2OWxpAS895-llKNtqs4VQERRdsbVZQQ0Pj3QNyfFTq5CF/w640-h360/Macbeth-Ralph-Fiennes-and-Indira-Varma-1024x576.jpg.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />I have seen Macbeth numerous times and there has to be a pretty good reason to drag me out to see another version, and this production did that. Clearly Ralph Fiennes is a big attraction and I was also very tempted by the prospect of a staging in a performance space rather than a traditional theatre.<div><br /></div><div>This was Julia's birthday treat so we pushed the boat out, quite a long way, and paid £85 each for our seats.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dock X is in Canada Water which was convenient enough to get to (via dinner at Culture Grub by Waterloo) and a little difficult to find, we had to ask.</div><div><br /></div><div>The venue was basic with bare concrete floors and simple seating in the auditorium. The stage was simple and raised and I had an excellent view of the whole stage ftom a corner position. I may have read my own biases into this but it looked more like an event audience than a theatre audience to me, e.g. it was much younger than I am used to for Shakespeare.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was expecting the staging to do more than it did as the uniqueness of the production was billed as a key feature whereas I found it all very obvious. Indeed, productions like the one at National Theatre with Rory Kinnear in 2018 were much more experimental.</div><div><br /></div><div>Essentially this was a standard production of Macbeth disguised as something more interesting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enough with the bad news, the production was <b>probably the best Macbeth I have ever seen </b>thanks to the production letting the words of Shakespeare do all the heavy lifting and to stellar performances by the two leads who gave those words the time and the space to flourish.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-72462483789264202172024-02-03T12:00:00.076+00:002024-02-04T18:11:14.281+00:00Israel is a terror state<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZmxlwRZakBMGHysCdURVaaowALw-6eCW8teLcesFD0pxtKzzwg8pH3dI5DzN0YNTCps3UDgSTnPFCtza2dQkFAb-z4lgz3WFc1ghPgoZ7TO60arDBPwkaQLST7GncCUPWWfiOkPKYutL-l3IE8ZNypnK2ENCzvJA9Xmd7w_RV90hHPA9dDn7/s4032/525DED09-6BBE-49A9-ABB1-4E31C78E5604.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZmxlwRZakBMGHysCdURVaaowALw-6eCW8teLcesFD0pxtKzzwg8pH3dI5DzN0YNTCps3UDgSTnPFCtza2dQkFAb-z4lgz3WFc1ghPgoZ7TO60arDBPwkaQLST7GncCUPWWfiOkPKYutL-l3IE8ZNypnK2ENCzvJA9Xmd7w_RV90hHPA9dDn7/w640-h480/525DED09-6BBE-49A9-ABB1-4E31C78E5604.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />Depressingly it is still necessary to show public support for Palestine despite the recent ICJ ruling against Israel as our government is still backing the wrong side and doing so with direct support, including weapons that are being used to kill civilians.<div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOBy0wiuYC6iW_GilzqShR-EUxvD2IpdLAONlkVwflAY_0wHnDT-LUIAt7F5iazHI9v-nx2wOYNLDdxrwGLLpZPYXP816LAxfeEPyCwuuTBlYTe1Qm9pRcQYOZQcDw2CtL3NyKFS8HEvkyJYubkScH-Bg-IJgOWp_hRKCCa-qvxF0-p77GDxi/s4032/928B8DA1-9164-45A5-8776-EB91AEC9906F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOBy0wiuYC6iW_GilzqShR-EUxvD2IpdLAONlkVwflAY_0wHnDT-LUIAt7F5iazHI9v-nx2wOYNLDdxrwGLLpZPYXP816LAxfeEPyCwuuTBlYTe1Qm9pRcQYOZQcDw2CtL3NyKFS8HEvkyJYubkScH-Bg-IJgOWp_hRKCCa-qvxF0-p77GDxi/w400-h300/928B8DA1-9164-45A5-8776-EB91AEC9906F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>We started at Portland Place, home to the BBC but not our target, and took a simple route past Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square before passing along Whitehall to Parliament Square.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike all the previous marches there was an incident this time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was marching with the Socialist Workers Party group (I am not a member but am broadly supportive) and soon after we entered Haymarket a small Police snatch squad swooped in and took someone they had clearly targeted plus one other who got involved. The two were dragged into Panton Street where a line of police officers stopped us following. There were quite a few of us and the police called in several groups of reinforcement, though there was no physical contact.</div><div><br /></div><div>For bout twenty minutes we chanted at them, things like "Let Her Go!", while they took lots of photographs of us. We were soon joined by some Legal Observers and also by several people giving out leaflets on what to do if arrested. It was good to see an organised response but worrying that police action made it necessary.</div><div><br /></div><div>The stalemate was ended when the two were taken away in a van and we rejoined the march that had been carrying on behind us for all that time, despite us starting towards the back. There were a lot of people there.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-22557900903880225432024-02-02T15:00:00.094+00:002024-02-02T20:35:39.486+00:00Kew Orchids (2 Feb 24)<div class="separator"><div a="" class="separator" gt="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4tS2uwuODv4ONLDKZJs-YgOMSdNJ15YxK2llIs7uMMVbAL4Ipi70Hdra-01a6FAAF3DZg7wQScsybce0fTfWMYmJIK24IcjXsUonF4D-PqNSBxzsLZhOmKQ_Q83KRgnpmMoG0LWWqiIKQeRoiYiD-UKYEPt4MgzG53qbJSYr-XBW3UYpUWP9/s4032/16A16247-C932-4DBC-A446-32AC4E65FAD0.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4tS2uwuODv4ONLDKZJs-YgOMSdNJ15YxK2llIs7uMMVbAL4Ipi70Hdra-01a6FAAF3DZg7wQScsybce0fTfWMYmJIK24IcjXsUonF4D-PqNSBxzsLZhOmKQ_Q83KRgnpmMoG0LWWqiIKQeRoiYiD-UKYEPt4MgzG53qbJSYr-XBW3UYpUWP9/w640-h480/16A16247-C932-4DBC-A446-32AC4E65FAD0.jpeg" width="640" /></div></div><br clear="left" />Kew Orchids 2024 officially opened on 3 Feb but members were given an early preview and I was happy to take up the offer. This year's festival followed the trend of recent years with fewer large displays and a strict one-way system which takes about half an hour, depending how often you stop to take photos.<div><br /><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlsUBY7uzjGSYGrML2hU93Ds2Un4VZqq6WSkD3DDsY0dFsLXe4UvJLinQ1UdyAtB7EuWuOAKAhHUKVM2BMDU3E9nfMpvHaiz7S0c43APQ-vV0L3Hzue5I78SArnx60xMC7wcB772DBXXpTwdKvdydE028hCPA3a6KXeAKgjFk5DgO-oPYZbAG/s4032/FA0F487A-3D46-4414-BE67-6B5919AFEEBE.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlsUBY7uzjGSYGrML2hU93Ds2Un4VZqq6WSkD3DDsY0dFsLXe4UvJLinQ1UdyAtB7EuWuOAKAhHUKVM2BMDU3E9nfMpvHaiz7S0c43APQ-vV0L3Hzue5I78SArnx60xMC7wcB772DBXXpTwdKvdydE028hCPA3a6KXeAKgjFk5DgO-oPYZbAG/w640-h480/FA0F487A-3D46-4414-BE67-6B5919AFEEBE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />This year's theme is Madagscar and while there are a few orchids from the island on display this mostly means that the animal sculptures are of the island, which works very well because of the unique environment there.</div><div><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaiO6qh2H5kHwKMiRsQ1xGNrum8Ypd-3nuYteCNAJ3GBeYQ-LoK-DIn6auwCaEe_fErX6aPq9BDyhKBH20G5bValeTzlG7zPgWeOnZEVaM4p0GW4a6QM3WGvMG58hj7DU8ryw-GUCx8hKoVp_td-2WmPX2qdXjit3OyNHsRh8EvRaJ124xBj3/s4032/1434852A-D993-4FE6-8B1B-26526BF068A5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaiO6qh2H5kHwKMiRsQ1xGNrum8Ypd-3nuYteCNAJ3GBeYQ-LoK-DIn6auwCaEe_fErX6aPq9BDyhKBH20G5bValeTzlG7zPgWeOnZEVaM4p0GW4a6QM3WGvMG58hj7DU8ryw-GUCx8hKoVp_td-2WmPX2qdXjit3OyNHsRh8EvRaJ124xBj3/w640-h480/1434852A-D993-4FE6-8B1B-26526BF068A5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />Having fewer orchids arranged less densly than previously meant that the flowers made more of an impact individually and it was easier to appreciate their unique characteristics. Orchids have been around for approximately 80 million years and over that time they have evolved into over 800 genera; that is a lot of variety.</div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRU4KrO2bv3EK7YWJRAq3St_87NxpOWTwKIxf06Lc53zR793osh3IWtoCxJo3CGLFGcM__W2QHysUa95vSPrZ2M2raQT-Ga7rjToHlmtmEDQ4vwGjeXSpcwrU6_nH272NGfevXQ4_Y-C4jlElcXQj6DlkOsGLRjQ3Xjy0na46Vch9N5QVOt3h/s4032/610B3CA2-79A9-473C-9CBA-0281EBA4793E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRU4KrO2bv3EK7YWJRAq3St_87NxpOWTwKIxf06Lc53zR793osh3IWtoCxJo3CGLFGcM__W2QHysUa95vSPrZ2M2raQT-Ga7rjToHlmtmEDQ4vwGjeXSpcwrU6_nH272NGfevXQ4_Y-C4jlElcXQj6DlkOsGLRjQ3Xjy0na46Vch9N5QVOt3h/w640-h480/610B3CA2-79A9-473C-9CBA-0281EBA4793E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />One advatnage of the members' day was that it was quieter thnan usual and another is that coming at the very start of the month-long festoval it means that it will be worth going back again in a couple of weeks or so when different orchids will be in flower.</div></div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-4585631133783119082024-01-30T19:30:00.057+00:002024-02-04T19:41:49.019+00:00Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! at Richmond Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cP1IQ0k8kg-Svx2W1CIHH5BaGtMWFQemNpGVFwxgfhumRwa4il55TyRK4dkRlY_2cn2Uq8ArvCrzOJ7XA-4pqw3pmC_a2mLQqrCUcl697UYDJuMZN82Q2_8cb1Ly6VFOomCxMpqfJPglUXIofo-LDaGmHstGW4s59KIE-w9TyVna8f3S5CQS/s1920/3CB000D9-9F88-4480-9B5A-70DB4CA30220.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1920" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cP1IQ0k8kg-Svx2W1CIHH5BaGtMWFQemNpGVFwxgfhumRwa4il55TyRK4dkRlY_2cn2Uq8ArvCrzOJ7XA-4pqw3pmC_a2mLQqrCUcl697UYDJuMZN82Q2_8cb1Ly6VFOomCxMpqfJPglUXIofo-LDaGmHstGW4s59KIE-w9TyVna8f3S5CQS/w640-h234/3CB000D9-9F88-4480-9B5A-70DB4CA30220.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />So often when I book a theatre show it is a no-brainer but very few are such obvious choices as an update to Drop The Dead Donkey written by the original team, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, and staring many of the original cast.<div><br /></div><div>Quickness got me my preferred seat, Dress Circle A24, for £37.5 on the very first night of the long tour. Quickness was necessary as the week was completely sold out, though it has already been booked to come back again in June.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXLdzUzXksjsvGsUiyrKm3LLFuv_wxMCFCqGO4t-4PIgcf-CT7R-c8thbcgaOV2epmkvpw0SLmSwu0iYWtgeSiv3nfpwdWIaK-_xdN5LyFaducZggTtLQvmJTaO76zVkq7uxBIJl7Zbx9iP5u_3UiNu13IjUuUKXXoIuTID0OoUzWAbrhPQFy/s4032/A0EE74F8-79FE-47D1-A368-EE1EB7DBFC53.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXLdzUzXksjsvGsUiyrKm3LLFuv_wxMCFCqGO4t-4PIgcf-CT7R-c8thbcgaOV2epmkvpw0SLmSwu0iYWtgeSiv3nfpwdWIaK-_xdN5LyFaducZggTtLQvmJTaO76zVkq7uxBIJl7Zbx9iP5u_3UiNu13IjUuUKXXoIuTID0OoUzWAbrhPQFy/w400-h300/A0EE74F8-79FE-47D1-A368-EE1EB7DBFC53.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The premise was simple, the original Globelink News team had been recruited to start a new algorithm-led TV news channel on the lines of Talk TV or GB News.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cast came on stage one at a time to loud cheers from the audience and a chorus of "Oh Fucks! from those already there.</div><div><br /></div><div>After that it was pretty much Drop The Dead Donkey as we lovingly remembered and loved it with the same characters behaving in the same way and saying the same sort of things. </div><div><br /></div><div>The dialogue was constantly funny and the one-liners came thick and fast. There were topical jokes too, such as a reference to Marcus Rashford who had been in the news just a couple of days previously.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was some good physical jokes too, like George's run-ins with a voice-activated coffee machine, and with a light switch.</div><div><br /></div><div>Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! was everything that I hoped it would be, and more. It was genuinely funny in its own right and being an update on an old favourite was a nice bonus.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-7769499728945273152024-01-27T19:00:00.115+00:002024-01-30T17:43:26.793+00:00The Hills of California at Harold Pinter Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2V8TpVLlbrLGootfStYfP83Z35GXQhC-ZfixtDO9nQNiNe-JhAQDJ2H9qxKIhWRJkkdZnH_Zz32qJrFb1-9NOQqnVyglRGMjjbIpl0NU_nTjHvi65YJ2J4iO3ioLy4zQqcbq72sNMA56SEA_DSG_gpyhYjJOMvVCMmZPNaGFy78tYGXDqM0Wo/s951/the-hills-of-california-marquee-T2Ro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="951" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2V8TpVLlbrLGootfStYfP83Z35GXQhC-ZfixtDO9nQNiNe-JhAQDJ2H9qxKIhWRJkkdZnH_Zz32qJrFb1-9NOQqnVyglRGMjjbIpl0NU_nTjHvi65YJ2J4iO3ioLy4zQqcbq72sNMA56SEA_DSG_gpyhYjJOMvVCMmZPNaGFy78tYGXDqM0Wo/w400-h238/the-hills-of-california-marquee-T2Ro.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A few things had to fail and to work for this evening to happen.<div><br /></div><div>It was my birthday so I was looking for a special show to see and my default option, a Matthew Bourne ballet at Sadler's Wells, was thwarted by the show finishing earlier in the month. I was rescued by a new Jez Butterworth play opening on my birthday and ATG offering club members decent prices.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was quick to book and secured three seats in the centre of the front row of the Royal Circle for £55 each. Clearly a good deal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course I had to find a suitable venue to eat beforehand and with my sister joining us the usual vegetarian Indian across the road from the theatre was not an option. A quick search came up with the swanky and moderately priced Masala Zone on Piccadilly Circus. It proved to be an excellent choice, the food was superb and different, the service was exemplary and the ambience was perfect. I will be going back!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNs8GjVY4etckFYM426iqic0q3Dz6-GzBC0uECTaoSSUCceXlyfeFRnCqhleSq2l4KbevPVgj2FFp0JbhJ4b6GvZbp-jSg0hQYAgoIUcsw-2A52eHMx4FlZxEJwEVpDsyVk0f1za3CNpJEEfoulGXnoQgupong8uX8PJpDwuEM6LJ9ZKiX_bF/s4032/6702DD2F-02DB-4D39-94EC-5409062EBB92.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNs8GjVY4etckFYM426iqic0q3Dz6-GzBC0uECTaoSSUCceXlyfeFRnCqhleSq2l4KbevPVgj2FFp0JbhJ4b6GvZbp-jSg0hQYAgoIUcsw-2A52eHMx4FlZxEJwEVpDsyVk0f1za3CNpJEEfoulGXnoQgupong8uX8PJpDwuEM6LJ9ZKiX_bF/w400-h300/6702DD2F-02DB-4D39-94EC-5409062EBB92.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The view from my seat was very good and I settled down for a show that was expected to run to a little over three hours, with breaks; hence the 7pm start time.</div><div><br /></div><div>The scene was the private quarters of the Sea View Guest House in the wrong part of Blackpool (it does not have any sea views) where four sisters are gathered on the imminent death of their mother. As they reminisce they talk about when they were girls and their mother was building them into a singing troupe modelled on the (three) Andrews Sisters.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a while the stage rotated and took us back in time to the same room when they were girls.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that is about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>As with the other Jez Butterworth plays I had seen (Jerusalem and Ferryman) there was a lot of talking, some of it funny some of it dark, but little in the way of action. That may sound like a thin meal but then nothing happens in Waiting for Godot either. The Hills of California relies on its dialogue and with Butterworth the dialogue is more than enough. The two and a half hours or so are thoroughly engaging, helped by excellent performance all round from the women and the girls.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted something special for my birthday treat and The Hills of California was just that.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-60676057282904925322024-01-06T21:00:00.071+00:002024-01-09T15:32:27.797+00:00Memento at Hounslow Sports and Social Club (6 Jan 24)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEXAQYpRq-khowRariQS5XebzErqq-Uy9Lpxk1NeHXx7nJi7XNV7ilkbglHDzWuIQKrObEF147QzhnKLxy4QLLGwxAAdt5HoXs8wAougs2n2w3TXvnYydASxu_zPcxDugshdLWANOus4Qt6fRBcZaMsSnwyyJE1KSf1mhWlZEfA8IQ1kIwsKD/s4032/F8ECD2DF-CA0C-473E-840E-A95D5D91BEEF.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEXAQYpRq-khowRariQS5XebzErqq-Uy9Lpxk1NeHXx7nJi7XNV7ilkbglHDzWuIQKrObEF147QzhnKLxy4QLLGwxAAdt5HoXs8wAougs2n2w3TXvnYydASxu_zPcxDugshdLWANOus4Qt6fRBcZaMsSnwyyJE1KSf1mhWlZEfA8IQ1kIwsKD/w640-h480/F8ECD2DF-CA0C-473E-840E-A95D5D91BEEF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />I was aware that Hounslow Sports and Social Club was on the local covers band circuit and I had walked past the place a few times on my walks but I had never been there before. What took me there this time was Memento, feedback from other people who had been there and confirmation that some mates were also going. <div><br /></div><div> I have targets to reach so I walked there, the route I chose was 9.5km, took 1 hour 45 and added a few more roads to my <a href="https://citystrides.com/users/50996/map" target="_blank">CityStrides Lifemap</a>. My timing was good too and I arrived at 9pm just as the band started playing.</div><div><br /></div><div>The venue had a lot going for it. While it cost £3 to enter (it is a members club) that was quickly made up with the cheap beer, at £3.4 for a pint of Pravha it was almost a steal. And being a social club, it was well set up for concerts with a stage, dance area then tables then a long bar. It was busy too which always helps.</div><div><br /></div><div>The stage was well and truly set for Memento and they used it very well. They are excellent musicians and play some great songs, e.g. Stairway to Heaven, and a few not so great songs that are still good to hear, e.g. Final Countdown.</div><div><br /></div><div>With a short break, they played until well gone 11pm, stretching the value of the £3 investment even further. It was a superb evening and I strongly suspect that I will be back to Hounslow before too long.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll see Memento again even sooner. Friday.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-91169653356766166852024-01-01T09:00:00.029+00:002024-01-03T14:03:45.813+00:00I averaged 27,080 steps a day in 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNgQ6-WfFSCzH6Tby7D_j87v6G_7J8bFv8bvKkf32KUccSO7Dgm9uWX_rSl74EHx2PnvMNMM6ktvZu9jWu2mKU_t2HoV8gPn1VkhXcBiYDALNKMmJkX6N7vHh4_1ROicyj7VgOnbOm7H7Fct6dm1moKUy3fH6da7F5C_50uCKuUyELe_vhs_u/s1550/F8B7C3F3-3BBF-43D2-B362-E665106EAD66_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1550" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNgQ6-WfFSCzH6Tby7D_j87v6G_7J8bFv8bvKkf32KUccSO7Dgm9uWX_rSl74EHx2PnvMNMM6ktvZu9jWu2mKU_t2HoV8gPn1VkhXcBiYDALNKMmJkX6N7vHh4_1ROicyj7VgOnbOm7H7Fct6dm1moKUy3fH6da7F5C_50uCKuUyELe_vhs_u/w640-h308/F8B7C3F3-3BBF-43D2-B362-E665106EAD66_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />I averaged 27,919 steps a day in 2020, 26,128 in 2021, 29,142 in 2022 and now 27,080 in 2023. While this is a fairly massive 2,000 steps a day down on last year it is broadly inline with the previous two years so I am happy with that. Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-35770591203176066462023-12-29T15:00:00.145+00:002023-12-29T21:09:18.493+00:00I am loving the premium version of CityStrides<p>Today I paid £4 for a month's trial of the premium service on <a href="https://citystrides.com/users/50996" target="_blank">CityStrides</a> and I am already loving it! I'll explain why but first, I'll start at the beginning.</p><p>I have been using MapMyWalk for years to map most of the longer walks that I do. This is a free app on my phone it does all that I want it to do in the free version, that is it maps the walks and gives me the total duration and time taken.</p><p>The screenshot below shows my latest two walks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqP4vnWZsf7iDCWvCVc5plB4kFBuW0_Fz9Xe2EtOkNr5CXHRggoCXg3Za7cxc0NO5a4Ox8DgJueo53jaKXEBKzofgf7tPOyZTYjbv7tW8wJUXAvy13etQNdhyphenhyphennUPTrDDw55hUXazysQF-0phmOjUG8qQy62Ar-mbSg5_ofANUNDfpwT7u_DP1/s1804/B0D88B1E-EE2B-45C8-8FCB-75E04F1EBFC2_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1804" data-original-width="1271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqP4vnWZsf7iDCWvCVc5plB4kFBuW0_Fz9Xe2EtOkNr5CXHRggoCXg3Za7cxc0NO5a4Ox8DgJueo53jaKXEBKzofgf7tPOyZTYjbv7tW8wJUXAvy13etQNdhyphenhyphennUPTrDDw55hUXazysQF-0phmOjUG8qQy62Ar-mbSg5_ofANUNDfpwT7u_DP1/w281-h400/B0D88B1E-EE2B-45C8-8FCB-75E04F1EBFC2_1_201_a.jpeg" width="281" /></a></div><br clear="left" />For some time I have been using the free version of CityStrides which has been brilliant. The main thing that it does that I love is it pulls together all of the walks collected in MayMyWalk and produces a LifeMap showing all the places that I have ever walked while using the app. (It works with other common mapping apps too.)<div><br /></div><div>Not surprisingly this shows clusters around where I live and in Central London where I like to go walking. It also shows parts of Capital Ring and London Loop though, sadly, I did not always map my walks so there are some embarrassing gaps.</div><div><br /></div><div>I use this a lot when planning walks, I zoom in to the area I plan to walk in and look to see which roads I have walked before and I try to avoid these.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZTlZY-Dz3AbzxrFp42IOeaOFewSfZCjkdcotsUMHc0dqPM4vsfwJndPDIBxoVSGdhFPDGC6DiCgYSZpvuv_FPIwpGZO4srlNAPvhAruvVjUMJrN8IVLUX4BzmcvbGt_lbx4ieJGDsRITgnyUWpRyNshMlEXWbu2BJsYorIpKf4bg6bRIxNCh/s2141/6C03BBBB-7311-4FBB-B375-7CA6CBE56B2A_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2141" data-original-width="1640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZTlZY-Dz3AbzxrFp42IOeaOFewSfZCjkdcotsUMHc0dqPM4vsfwJndPDIBxoVSGdhFPDGC6DiCgYSZpvuv_FPIwpGZO4srlNAPvhAruvVjUMJrN8IVLUX4BzmcvbGt_lbx4ieJGDsRITgnyUWpRyNshMlEXWbu2BJsYorIpKf4bg6bRIxNCh/w490-h640/6C03BBBB-7311-4FBB-B375-7CA6CBE56B2A_1_201_a.jpeg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br clear="left" />Another thing that CityStrides does for free is show how many of the roads that you have walked in an area. There are 89 areas in my profile and this is the start of that list. The area that I have walked the most of if London Borough of Richmond upon Thames where I have covered just over 50% of the roads.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf5fggc-LAtK6wToZTt9PcVtyHaLt1SBFiEpqrXyGQCo52rudg7_5Lx5VfQ_69qmoKENIHAge3LxqZjq4Io98-qLSZNJ24Pfb99FTY8pX6yLH0HZLa6pjftUZjZxqCQ8dMvB2fwdldka2cBNH3eBfc-ltBjzfSGeM8Pbzg7UodpkEHccjrdI5/s1666/ACA6596A-C0FB-4396-8581-A007462C14AF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1666" data-original-width="824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf5fggc-LAtK6wToZTt9PcVtyHaLt1SBFiEpqrXyGQCo52rudg7_5Lx5VfQ_69qmoKENIHAge3LxqZjq4Io98-qLSZNJ24Pfb99FTY8pX6yLH0HZLa6pjftUZjZxqCQ8dMvB2fwdldka2cBNH3eBfc-ltBjzfSGeM8Pbzg7UodpkEHccjrdI5/w198-h400/ACA6596A-C0FB-4396-8581-A007462C14AF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="198" /></a></div><br /><div><br clear="left" />All that I have covered so far is available in the free versions of the app.Today I played with the paid (£4) version of CityStrides.</div><div><br /></div><div>The feature I was most interested in in the premium version is the map showing red dots where roads have not been walked, or not fully walked. This will allow me to find roads that I have not walked before.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this scale it shows areas of Richmond where I have many unwalked roads. The LifeMap above shows that I have walked many times in these areas and the gaps are things that dead-end roads and housing estates. </div><div><br /></div><div>I plan to use this a lot to both plan general areas to walk in and then specific roads to walk along. And this is not just about adding more walked roads to my profile, it is about finding new places to explore, every unwalked road has the potential for surprises and delights.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLBhE8Am96rjBqajYXJv8hswpnDeiY5tUcKhhXI9FPIDWZqDry94i4boSczlR5h2amyt9NAzh4YHOqm023e4JYTH5fsWivYLxzWEiTkCEH474Ip2DBjHkHhrWBMYLvs698A63vs8UvoVMKuWS5srKSjeSMkl0LwPIe94Ra938bW2W2kq7spCO/s2132/6DC9A663-2B6E-4478-9895-7AF7827F77F3_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="1640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLBhE8Am96rjBqajYXJv8hswpnDeiY5tUcKhhXI9FPIDWZqDry94i4boSczlR5h2amyt9NAzh4YHOqm023e4JYTH5fsWivYLxzWEiTkCEH474Ip2DBjHkHhrWBMYLvs698A63vs8UvoVMKuWS5srKSjeSMkl0LwPIe94Ra938bW2W2kq7spCO/w493-h640/6DC9A663-2B6E-4478-9895-7AF7827F77F3_1_201_a.jpeg" width="493" /></a></div><br /><div><br clear="left" />Zooming in further shows precisely where I need to walk to complete th exploration of a road. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was a little surprised to see a few red dots in North Kingston and I will correct those omissions on my walk to the pub this evening!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-H7ONXuxaCfZJZenBnUwVFaBrvsjQRJVgTxTeF4AOq4zxUXWxECScimf42mQiHX64Z72YUyvY4UptKbfJ7uZOrcr0mUBedB9CBV0hLNigJsOQR4nErIz9gt0F2zMG2B3zuezHPc3p6r2eQsKWRXrUT3JBvm0BD0utsy8g_df_GBdUl-0IkXM/s2127/2FE1A2D0-891A-4801-AA2E-C26496832A85_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2127" data-original-width="1640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-H7ONXuxaCfZJZenBnUwVFaBrvsjQRJVgTxTeF4AOq4zxUXWxECScimf42mQiHX64Z72YUyvY4UptKbfJ7uZOrcr0mUBedB9CBV0hLNigJsOQR4nErIz9gt0F2zMG2B3zuezHPc3p6r2eQsKWRXrUT3JBvm0BD0utsy8g_df_GBdUl-0IkXM/w309-h400/2FE1A2D0-891A-4801-AA2E-C26496832A85_1_201_a.jpeg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><div><br clear="left" />CityStrides was already a useful tool for a keen walker with its free features and the premium services for paid supporters are a powerful upgrade.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-43893331060749254272023-12-23T21:30:00.039+00:002023-12-28T19:51:27.940+00:00Rainbow in Rock at The Cavern (23 Dec 23)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4LzdFpPW-ZSsel-ulCPTwGJBXK0gBSHc-rU7nfbLxWHwnDXW5aua8tuWX8nSmcB75-lEIndNANFQBVZpFXCYRMB7sW-h1_xaqyV7Wmup7dhvefeu6dA33Fncz78p8sqWHITrlzRspsqIA4yHllOq1yNkyrSWjzmVun5BJ0w0veSbJd-WEveR/s4032/6FF0DC6E-37E5-4A77-86E5-C9A08ECB9B25.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4LzdFpPW-ZSsel-ulCPTwGJBXK0gBSHc-rU7nfbLxWHwnDXW5aua8tuWX8nSmcB75-lEIndNANFQBVZpFXCYRMB7sW-h1_xaqyV7Wmup7dhvefeu6dA33Fncz78p8sqWHITrlzRspsqIA4yHllOq1yNkyrSWjzmVun5BJ0w0veSbJd-WEveR/w640-h480/6FF0DC6E-37E5-4A77-86E5-C9A08ECB9B25.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />It was three months since I had last seen Rainbow in Rock so obviously I was keen to see them again on a return visit to The Cavern in Raynes Park.<div><br /></div><div>In many ways this was like all other Rainbow in Rock gigs that I have been to, excellent songs played excellently in a well constructed set that contained many very familiar songs plus a few unexpected ones. The mandatory crown-pleases included Child in Time and Stargazer while the less familiar songs included Never Before (from Machine Head).</div><div><br /></div><div>What made the gig different was that this was their last gig with Andy Fuller on keyboards. He normally hides behind Andrew on bass so I made a point of taking a photo from the side this time, and in saying a few words to Andy afterwards.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-69385461253117685522023-12-17T21:30:00.058+00:002023-12-19T21:38:28.367+00:00Willoughby Pub Quiz (17 December 2023)While I have continued to be the quizmaster every couple of months or so at the regular Willoughby Arms Sunday Night Pub Quiz I have not had the time, not the inclination, to post every one here and I have not had the time (or printer) to do a picture round either. This time I am breaking both conventions! <div><br /></div><div>The picture round was something of a cheat as I found it while tidying up some papers in my living room. As was often the case, I had used recent issues of British stamps for the pictures and a quick DuckDuckGo search revealed that these are from 2016!</div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtGhoB5XWU4OsRFT7MqR4dcsNENBIhAXBQFvnMMW7FPRDHIhA_h7hBlgeCPcSIONnw6IfWDw1pEN1-JpKWvRGVUd-R_-WyaY51cAp48ReFTKl8zpYzZyBSD8XRwneefGWYu3SggslS4OnAOja5gXSylt6xM6x1Z96SueS55xrFcWXyt7RU3GU/s1590/C3304D3D-5C0B-4D83-A0D9-43BE7E145AFE.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1590" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtGhoB5XWU4OsRFT7MqR4dcsNENBIhAXBQFvnMMW7FPRDHIhA_h7hBlgeCPcSIONnw6IfWDw1pEN1-JpKWvRGVUd-R_-WyaY51cAp48ReFTKl8zpYzZyBSD8XRwneefGWYu3SggslS4OnAOja5gXSylt6xM6x1Z96SueS55xrFcWXyt7RU3GU/w640-h452/C3304D3D-5C0B-4D83-A0D9-43BE7E145AFE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" /><b>Gardens by Capability Brown</b><div>Blenheim Palace, Longleat, Compton Verney, Highclere Castle, Alnwick Castle, Berrington Hall, Stowe, Croome Park</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Beatrix Potter books/characters</b></div><div>The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pink Floyd Albums</b></div><div>The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Atom Heart Mother, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Endless River</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0kEzE96IZBRe65Fc8EzJB4860AcKMYeymjrRYhH61Fp2KdUVcMsnD_QCcIZhnVLy6-pl13F70kQDELH1OwRNFWSE-mzyu__Emn5Se1AOIXoa-juIyZb0YNVMq3T2RenY1wlb2V_zROLKGEIeLMxNfKkP7xk40zAUudoPUTTBmu1QaP2fRul-/s1590/825136E5-B716-4C31-A0C7-182CD95A6989.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1590" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0kEzE96IZBRe65Fc8EzJB4860AcKMYeymjrRYhH61Fp2KdUVcMsnD_QCcIZhnVLy6-pl13F70kQDELH1OwRNFWSE-mzyu__Emn5Se1AOIXoa-juIyZb0YNVMq3T2RenY1wlb2V_zROLKGEIeLMxNfKkP7xk40zAUudoPUTTBmu1QaP2fRul-/w640-h452/825136E5-B716-4C31-A0C7-182CD95A6989.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" /><b>Mr Men</b></div><div>Mr. Happy, Little Miss Naughty, Mr. Bump, Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Tickle, Mr. Grumpy, Little Miss Princess, Mr. Strong, Little Miss Christmas, Mr. Messy</div><div><br /></div><div><b>UK's prehistoric treasures</b></div><div>Battersea Shield, Skara Brea Village Orkney Islands, Star Carr Headdress, Maiden Castle Hill Fort, Dorset, Avebury Stone Circles, Drumbest Horns, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Grime’s Graves Flint Mines, Norfolk, Mold Cape, Flintshire, Wales</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Agatha Christie novels</b></div><div>Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Body in the Library</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-32063793150656271922023-12-15T19:30:00.116+00:002023-12-18T21:02:21.604+00:00Edward Scissorhards at Sadler’s Wells Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOSVQZbWDS8L1KuSVNwqTk1nVafEEK2yV9rqwxO_bTFnjpddR_fHTTcQqczE8rbvMFqilfLhcnW-Lo18rAONCZWM5wvGGYSr_HdM2TKyvRaw3MPOKHNgFo98kWJPTHGPseyyZuzg-vwRVI-cC5lxZdfM8mFVuLbOrKBhL5cRE23rLZJ9FVBTe/s1024/B36D6125-8766-4AE7-9D7C-5AC8CEBB28C5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOSVQZbWDS8L1KuSVNwqTk1nVafEEK2yV9rqwxO_bTFnjpddR_fHTTcQqczE8rbvMFqilfLhcnW-Lo18rAONCZWM5wvGGYSr_HdM2TKyvRaw3MPOKHNgFo98kWJPTHGPseyyZuzg-vwRVI-cC5lxZdfM8mFVuLbOrKBhL5cRE23rLZJ9FVBTe/w320-h240/B36D6125-8766-4AE7-9D7C-5AC8CEBB28C5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Sadler's Wells has the charming habit of putting a Matthew Bourne show on over Christmas and I have the equally charming habit of going to them all. Often this has been on my birthday but this year the run did not extend to the end of January so I went for an early December date instead.<div><br /></div><div>This year the show was Edward Scissorhards which I was really looking forward to <a href="https://hamlife.blogspot.com/2009/01/matthew-bournes-edward-scissorhands-is.html" target="_blank">not having seen it since 2009</a>! Booking and seat selection were easy and I got Second Circle Row A Seat 28 for just £45.</div><div><br /></div><div>Banana Tree is my pre-Sadler's Wells eatery of choice and it is for many people so I booked a table for 6pm to be safe. That proved to be a wise decision.</div><div><br /></div><div>Eating at 6 also meant plenty of time to grab a beer at the theatre before the show. These rituals matter.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaf1JZsu8ULIv5uGFjArPVnjp3Bw7-Y3NQT2kHZR4WsmQADNqdhrrKcsB3CictpMIvcTmhF8G8C4kdX5Aw_XEERn73eG85-2Wci1lbZ2yM67lWdUtgwvBS69E-Shsv8oABkIw6pZ0HKEKVJNyXX28VMf08nHuiqr8CLdqZAHLOFSfEJOjurKMV/s4032/4D4C5365-F520-4E04-BCF1-0006B59DAA2A.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaf1JZsu8ULIv5uGFjArPVnjp3Bw7-Y3NQT2kHZR4WsmQADNqdhrrKcsB3CictpMIvcTmhF8G8C4kdX5Aw_XEERn73eG85-2Wci1lbZ2yM67lWdUtgwvBS69E-Shsv8oABkIw6pZ0HKEKVJNyXX28VMf08nHuiqr8CLdqZAHLOFSfEJOjurKMV/w400-h300/4D4C5365-F520-4E04-BCF1-0006B59DAA2A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>My memories of Edward Scissorhards were slight, having seen it only once and that all but fifteen years ago so I settled down to enjoy the show afresh, and enjoy it I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>It had all the characteristics of a Matthew Bourne ballet with heaps of skilful choreography, especially when the stage is full of dancers, where the patterns of movement the ensemble make are much more than the sum of the individual parts.</div><div><br /></div><div>A nice aspect of this show is that it has two moods with light domestic scenes and dark gothic ones, with music and dancing to match.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story was good too. It closely followed the original film whereas most Bourne ballets, e.g. Swan Lake, deliberately chose new paths to take. It was captivating and emotional throughout, helped significantly by the portrayal of Edward. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is hard to compare these things but on this showing Edward Scissorhards is my second favourite Matthew Bourne show after the iconic, and original, Swan Lake. I just hope that I do not have to wait another fifteen years before it comes back again.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-10446286509847188692023-12-14T14:30:00.107+00:002023-12-21T22:21:27.476+00:00Pandemonium at Soho Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFEfN3Zfw9yuCGecNqFfbflgRHMcEjjqXOP4g6FIx3Y9o9BxmcLSaJf_MsJq_dcknq91J82OhtCeVivdd3H27OTXLPelNbIKwu2ViLPTTcez_evR9sOgQ7dUSDQ2ga58S596fPTgzt0kSlpInnGmciEWKlIlOlG1TuxIJmUa7hyDyFoEzq59J/s1077/pandemonium.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1077" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFEfN3Zfw9yuCGecNqFfbflgRHMcEjjqXOP4g6FIx3Y9o9BxmcLSaJf_MsJq_dcknq91J82OhtCeVivdd3H27OTXLPelNbIKwu2ViLPTTcez_evR9sOgQ7dUSDQ2ga58S596fPTgzt0kSlpInnGmciEWKlIlOlG1TuxIJmUa7hyDyFoEzq59J/w400-h234/pandemonium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Pandemonium at Soho Theatre had immediate appeal thanks to the names Armando Iannucci (illustrious cv) and Patrick Marber (another illustrious cv and a local lad too) so way back in August I booked my Xmas treat with seat G7 for a knock-off £25 (old gits discount).<div><br /></div><div>Having booked it I forgot all about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Come the day I got a text message from Soho Theatre sending me my tickets for the show that afternoon and I quickly changed my plans! These included an early lunch, a couple of tubes to Tottenham Court Road and a quick pint in the theatre bar beforehand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pandemonium, as the poster skilfully suggests, is a play about the Covid pandemic and the Boris Johnson led government's woeful handling of it. There was a little prologue on the Brexit referendum, which gave Johnson's career a big boost, and we started with the two articles he wrote, one supporting leave and one supporting remain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clearly a lot of easy comedy targets in that scenario and safe territory for a play.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pandemonium was more that that. For a start it played heavily with Shakespeare memes like rhyming couplets. The two articles became "To leave, or not to leave" and the scene was set.</div><div><br /></div><div>In an hour and a half we met all of the key players from that era, even Liz Truss, and these were all brought to life by a cast of just five. </div><div><br /></div><div>The humour was relentless and all the well designed and executed theatry bits made Pandemonium an intelligent show, not just a funny one.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-49299339999280877122023-12-09T12:00:00.057+00:002023-12-14T11:58:55.708+00:00Globalise the Intifada<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2nDNvTNXa8yQG-zT6PpTjEeeZWxJhwD22k42ZXINzuDoVRP_KJ_Nx4gSxzJjUaWDHJ_OceC2Qtq7-jXX-rfcsXTraTyjMXZ3CPzcgIeXpOHIe2fb3RrJz1cnmXh_wEsnoK9brGQcS2YxDYZIER6YHVlNXDeiHEm5zFxXxk4igd5r0FKjKMuJ/s1024/WhatsApp-Image-2023-12-01-at-15.54.54_e9ea8f31.jpg.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2nDNvTNXa8yQG-zT6PpTjEeeZWxJhwD22k42ZXINzuDoVRP_KJ_Nx4gSxzJjUaWDHJ_OceC2Qtq7-jXX-rfcsXTraTyjMXZ3CPzcgIeXpOHIe2fb3RrJz1cnmXh_wEsnoK9brGQcS2YxDYZIER6YHVlNXDeiHEm5zFxXxk4igd5r0FKjKMuJ/w320-h320/WhatsApp-Image-2023-12-01-at-15.54.54_e9ea8f31.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>It is depressing that the marches in support of Palestine as it undergoes genocide are still necessary but as long as they are then I will keep going on them.<div><br /></div><div>For some reason this one started by Bank station in the City which is not one contiguous large open space but a series of roads radiating from a small space so there was a little work to do to find out which of those roads the march was heading out on. It also took a little work to find a coffee shop open in the City on a Saturday but I managed that too.</div><div><br /></div><div>The route was a little unexpected at times, especially the turn down Temple Avenue from The Fleet to Victoria Embankment. A high point was massing next to St Paul's Cathedral which surprised and confused a few tourists. The end point was, as expected, Parliament Square via Whitehall.</div><div><br /></div><div>The march was, again, without incident and there was a good mood amongst the large crowd, despite the seriousness of the cause. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was plenty of chanting of slogans that nobody is trying to ban anymore (e.g. from the river to the sea) and also of a common one that social media decided to get uptight about this time (globalise the intifada); apparently some people were arrested for carrying banners saying this which is just silly.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-71331409913321861642023-12-07T19:30:00.111+00:002023-12-19T22:32:57.472+00:00A Woman Walks Into A Bank at Theatre503<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJ0EdoOYirnEwRfom34uwIKDUgAIFdzOOhhvbAx7nHhj5nQVrAGCd1tSO7ZiXcEq_bGsq4mOQGvipRSbyFJZAHkXI15QWdDGLfRvfYLKQCDwVNq7j-6lHQawdEf5tJXEOk7PxvoERM7LNlhyphenhyphenzizXZMP7sx02FCcQavLKTI_dzV1Sgt_eBdzQD/s680/FF2CCA36-C5EE-4B3D-BF74-85792FB8CD2C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="544" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJ0EdoOYirnEwRfom34uwIKDUgAIFdzOOhhvbAx7nHhj5nQVrAGCd1tSO7ZiXcEq_bGsq4mOQGvipRSbyFJZAHkXI15QWdDGLfRvfYLKQCDwVNq7j-6lHQawdEf5tJXEOk7PxvoERM7LNlhyphenhyphenzizXZMP7sx02FCcQavLKTI_dzV1Sgt_eBdzQD/w320-h400/FF2CCA36-C5EE-4B3D-BF74-85792FB8CD2C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The reason that I like Theatre503 so much is that they do new plays that are interesting in the way that they are structured and in the subjects they cover and A Woman Walks Into A Bank hit both sweet spots.<div><br /></div><div>The play was the winner of the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award and that was more than enough to tempt me along.</div><div><br /></div><div>Theatre503 does crazy things with ticket prices for old people happy to sit in the front row and my seat cost me all of £6. I probably paid more for my pint of beer in The Latchmere downstairs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also ate in the pub beforehand, as I always almost do, and this time I hit the bar snacks rather than the gastro menu and they did the job nicely.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the start, A Woman Walks Into A Bank uses a narrative style, much like Wolfie did, where the actors tell you what is happening before acting that scene. Much use is also made of repetition with variations and additions. I found the style engaging.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGraBF8t5M-IrbfH2D5M2YwJvdiuGYh04AeYdCKZdyq-FvpTbt0jM-rx7NEAwoU8R_wtAu2IH-1i1zn8tk3ohSQm-PHFiSCjtL3n3zE6VoLrhmptjh6_nL6WV3T-mY5OqZNf-aqAwxKcPvDueSgbsg2VnOJLbMWnItlruZhPb_jPrXW-B-N-u/s4032/8AEF8B99-A004-4068-BD62-5587424060DB.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGraBF8t5M-IrbfH2D5M2YwJvdiuGYh04AeYdCKZdyq-FvpTbt0jM-rx7NEAwoU8R_wtAu2IH-1i1zn8tk3ohSQm-PHFiSCjtL3n3zE6VoLrhmptjh6_nL6WV3T-mY5OqZNf-aqAwxKcPvDueSgbsg2VnOJLbMWnItlruZhPb_jPrXW-B-N-u/w400-h300/8AEF8B99-A004-4068-BD62-5587424060DB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>The story of the play was fairly simple, an old woman walks into a bank in newly commercialised Russia and a young man, who proudly tells us he is a Branch Manager on the way up, sells her a financial product she does not need or understand.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are then led through various scenes that tell us about their personal situations and life in Russia generally.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unusually for Theatre503 there was an interval but it was there for a purpose, other than to allow me to buy an ice cream. The second half moved a few years later when the loan had become a problem and a debt collector was involved. Things developed from there.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were other characters involved in the story, including an unfortunate cat, and all the roles were played expertly by Giulia Innocenti, Sam Newton and Keith Dunphy. I rarely name all of the cast and I did so this time because they all deserve a mention.</div><div><br /></div><div>A Woman Walks Into A Bank was a throughly entertaining and stimulating play, it was remarkable even by Theatre503's high standards.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-28283627123888371462023-11-28T20:00:00.001+00:002023-12-01T18:44:23.114+00:00Trashfuture live<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HPzgmDs43qJo9zyKnK3a3JzJXByqw1UDUYyuCip3xDx7gRHUsBFWiuoNuOAhtOaL_HteHEyljchoUEkRpF-xIgvPn9wx58ckc7nLiAIwMbgrYNdtba4PEVevBGRI_tn-TPjAyXayVjt5E9IjvIVbHNUPaRhN7QCEx_7uCav2yYg9Kkna2dUS/s357/Screenshot+2023-11-07+at+16-04-43+HOME+Trashfuture+Podcast.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="357" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HPzgmDs43qJo9zyKnK3a3JzJXByqw1UDUYyuCip3xDx7gRHUsBFWiuoNuOAhtOaL_HteHEyljchoUEkRpF-xIgvPn9wx58ckc7nLiAIwMbgrYNdtba4PEVevBGRI_tn-TPjAyXayVjt5E9IjvIVbHNUPaRhN7QCEx_7uCav2yYg9Kkna2dUS/s320/Screenshot+2023-11-07+at+16-04-43+HOME+Trashfuture+Podcast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It has been ten years (!!) since I last wrote about podcasts which, given how much time I spend listening to them, is probably a mistake.<div><br /></div><div>My regular walks, c20km a day on average, are spent listening to them or to BBC radio drama and I subscribe to podcast on news, science, comedy, politics, drama, technology and design. At any one time I generally have about thirty waiting to be listened to.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got into <a href="https://www.trashfuture.co.uk" target="_blank">Trashfuture</a> both of whom are paid subscribers; I am not and I just get the weekly free episode. </div><div><br /></div><div>Trashfuture calls itself a "podcast about business success and making yourself smarter with the continued psychic trauma of capitalism", which it is. The format is a team discussion on current affairs that skilfully and entertainingly combines an intelligent and knowledgeable analysis of the failings of capitalism with some decent jokes; the adage a spoonful of sugar comes to mind.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSmqYvxCEj4zGYZbSZTCz6I4bT5NAB_ZjwDNoprGqH9flWP0Ek9QI3D6p242eKcQ4nsur-Y6CBfKfB-ARlxA9nFO7UK8E-qNFgdl-aVSL8c0nhQZCusjpvfL4TxmmtrxSnCHZNKPEsVnq0MDuC-7T4OJ0xfWL_UcBcHtoNzmYG3PFMc_m9tBi/s4032/DAFB641D-83DC-49AB-83AB-D3EF5A03CCEA.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSmqYvxCEj4zGYZbSZTCz6I4bT5NAB_ZjwDNoprGqH9flWP0Ek9QI3D6p242eKcQ4nsur-Y6CBfKfB-ARlxA9nFO7UK8E-qNFgdl-aVSL8c0nhQZCusjpvfL4TxmmtrxSnCHZNKPEsVnq0MDuC-7T4OJ0xfWL_UcBcHtoNzmYG3PFMc_m9tBi/w400-h300/DAFB641D-83DC-49AB-83AB-D3EF5A03CCEA.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Occasionally the Trashfuture do live shows and when one coincided with a son's birthday it was quickly agreed rhat the whole family would attend.</div><div><br /></div><div>Being a family meeting meant going for a walk, Rower Bridge to Waterloo, and being a birthday meant going to Pizza Express.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our progress towards Between The Bridges on Southbank was hampered by some event connected with Albania's independence day which is one reason that we were sat towards the back of a packed marquee. I did have time to buy a decent beer for a not frighteningly expensive £7.2.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had been to many recordings of TV and radio shows and was interested to see how a podcast would differ. As expected from listening to the show for a while, recording it live made little difference, e.g. there were no retakes and no additional material that would disappear on the cutting room floor. What was different was that the four of them (the fifth was ill) sat in a line across the stage, so that we could see them all which is not the natural arrangement for a discussion and there were times when they spoke over each other a little.</div><div><br /></div><div>The topic of the discussion was Nadine Doris' new book The Plot. One of the team, Alice, had drawn the short straw and had read it and she took us through both the content and the style with the other responding with analysis and humour. It was very like a normal show and so delivered on my expectations.</div><div><br /></div><div>They talked for about an hour then the conversation reached a natural end and we all applauded enthusiastically before heading back out into the cold night.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope they pick this episode as a free one so that I can listen to it again.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-47950035848714503012023-11-26T20:00:00.168+00:002023-12-05T16:47:35.608+00:00Arthur Brown at Lewes Con Club<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmPNqAz_8bvOoiLVGutTvTF3aGMajPcPAasPqPFB_gbpIdV0txmg8RvHxknIv_EHzI33XWeDq_FeY-W3dI1dTyrrzyH5La3nhrvycCAOln0UyIlzKoKyaYxx9_32JF5UmvzvWCwzNUaKqQtyXJWWDZb0-6EA23nkMPGkVCDN3DIrUOHEIfMTO/s300/D9B2A630-7091-4484-9EC4-697288ABC58E_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmPNqAz_8bvOoiLVGutTvTF3aGMajPcPAasPqPFB_gbpIdV0txmg8RvHxknIv_EHzI33XWeDq_FeY-W3dI1dTyrrzyH5La3nhrvycCAOln0UyIlzKoKyaYxx9_32JF5UmvzvWCwzNUaKqQtyXJWWDZb0-6EA23nkMPGkVCDN3DIrUOHEIfMTO/s1600/D9B2A630-7091-4484-9EC4-697288ABC58E_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>I have seen Arthur Brown live numerous times and in various locations, from a cafe in Soho to the Assembly Rooms in Leamington Spa, and with several different sets of musicians and they have all been good or great. That is why I was keen to see him in his latest incarnation, even if that meant spending the night in Lewes afterwards.<div><br /></div><div>I knew Lewes from regular visits to Glyndebourne and liked the look and position of the Premiere Inn there so a plan was formed. I had considered adding a second, maybe a third, night to my stay to make more of a break of it but the nights either side of Sunday were prohibitively expensive so that was dropped. I actually stayed in Eastbourne for a couple of days beforehand but that's another story.</div><div><br /></div><div>I arrived in Lewes around lunchtime on Sunday but having had an all-day veggie breakfast only s couple of hours earlier I skipped lunch and went for an explore instead. Lewes was wet and hilly so this was a modest exploration with a break for a beer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had found the Con Club in the afternoon.(when I had a sneak peek of Arthur watching the sound check) and had confirmed the opening time for the evening's show. I arrived about that time and was the first in the queue, though several people had gone in before the official opening time and the staff were busy checking their tickets first.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inside it was just a room with a stage and alongside that a long bar with just a few seats, all of which were taken. I headed in to the hall to claim a spot taking a pint of beer with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arthur arrived on stage at the appointed time to an enthusiastic cheer.</div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMecB5Jma654U3xe_wRzw2e6pNl7460d45mVHFc0CCnznkT-Cx_zXGChpyU2uPhZuURvPk9SzcixUNGdOaoqo14utlqv5yp0X_uxFeFEwbhNgEvG3OckJo9KJPQWrmGrd_MuB_13JME9HxDYdJBA7-ullAUrw4SCCD-09lLfw3cHhlUMn_KYf/s4032/1F6A3530-270E-40A3-87BB-7B8B1BC92A32.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMecB5Jma654U3xe_wRzw2e6pNl7460d45mVHFc0CCnznkT-Cx_zXGChpyU2uPhZuURvPk9SzcixUNGdOaoqo14utlqv5yp0X_uxFeFEwbhNgEvG3OckJo9KJPQWrmGrd_MuB_13JME9HxDYdJBA7-ullAUrw4SCCD-09lLfw3cHhlUMn_KYf/w640-h480/1F6A3530-270E-40A3-87BB-7B8B1BC92A32.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />Arthur had said in his newsletter that he was trying to make these concerts more of a show and that was apparent from the start with the decoration of the stage; the arm on the far left is of a prop not a person. Arthur added to that with a series of exotic costumes and the light show added the final touch,</div><div><br /></div><div>His backing band has changed many times over the years and I do not know if I have seen any of the current lineup before (apart from the recent gig supporting Hawkwind) but I liked their sound with a prominent keyboard, it reminded me of the happy days when he was backed by Instant Flight with Lucie Rejchrtova on keyboards.</div><div><br /></div><div>The mood of the music was late sixties, think of the introduction to The Doors' Light My Fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>The set was something of a change. For as long as I can remember he has played Devil's Grip, Kites, I put a Spell on You but none of these appeared this night. Fire was there with the introductory Fire Poem.<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZEPxl9eFyGp1lbS4WygyvALiHiYpA47qBqEsNzqMJhYR1TvPXYowmutV86FZs6TImvaTaaq7RA0HjKpnm_R7rcOD2a8P65tQNu8dw4igZ1iwBNefpNNdUa0OaRM8EIhvaykSkScwwV8kQHEmgyXI18aUvT4UCpTkv7DooxwGfg7Nh2qqASQ4/s4032/92DF4DC2-47BC-4FEB-8A8C-3C419FFB99B9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZEPxl9eFyGp1lbS4WygyvALiHiYpA47qBqEsNzqMJhYR1TvPXYowmutV86FZs6TImvaTaaq7RA0HjKpnm_R7rcOD2a8P65tQNu8dw4igZ1iwBNefpNNdUa0OaRM8EIhvaykSkScwwV8kQHEmgyXI18aUvT4UCpTkv7DooxwGfg7Nh2qqASQ4/w640-h480/92DF4DC2-47BC-4FEB-8A8C-3C419FFB99B9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />Also included was my all-time favourite Arthur Brown song, originally released on 1973's Journey album by his then band Kingdom Come. (There are lots of stories about my connection with that album, one day perhaps). There was a surprise here with some new lyrics after fifty years, e.g. "We hover at the speed of time".</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The other familiar song that made the set was The Voice of Love from the 2007 album of the same name. I bought the album when it came out and have loved this song ever since.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were a few songs that were new to me but the voice, the band, the sound and the staging were the same so they felt like old favourites.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have seen Arthur Brown live numerous times and this is probably the best concert of the lot. I have booked to see him again next April.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-61591442844719564392023-11-25T20:00:00.001+00:002023-12-05T17:20:46.394+00:00The Pitchfork Disney at Lantern Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hPDgkl53q21InNzxaY6CbLQbvkNVClm7GoAP0nzPCmwu6mLTrV-yGUcUN5NUrQ8AsYh_VyFlk_X3q6uBGK5u6pPzGfLnfxjngK75QhV3XeH3NBnh5GXh9_2R7srIFx3S2wKK4mNQ2yTLSL0G6jBD5uYpgv0R-52Kbs6KgiRa2IoVWB5QJKE0/s1558/D2A2CA6C-6985-40B7-B4FF-00C2A1B9DD7F.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hPDgkl53q21InNzxaY6CbLQbvkNVClm7GoAP0nzPCmwu6mLTrV-yGUcUN5NUrQ8AsYh_VyFlk_X3q6uBGK5u6pPzGfLnfxjngK75QhV3XeH3NBnh5GXh9_2R7srIFx3S2wKK4mNQ2yTLSL0G6jBD5uYpgv0R-52Kbs6KgiRa2IoVWB5QJKE0/w278-h400/D2A2CA6C-6985-40B7-B4FF-00C2A1B9DD7F.jpeg" width="278" /></a></div>I try, with high success, to see every production of a Philip Ridley play in London and it did not take a lot to extend this mission to Brighton.<div><br /></div><div>My Google Alert for "Philip Ridley" brought this production to my attention and as I was already due to be in Lewes that weekend (for an Arthur Brown concert) a plan for the weekend quickly formed. That involved staying in Eastbourne for two nights because the hotels in Brighton were prohibitively expensive, which was fine as that gave me another new place to explore for a couple of days.</div><div><br /></div><div>The plan had to be tweaked a little when maintenance works closed the railway line out of Eastbourne but there proved to be plenty of buses going along the south coast and I was able to take an A12X for free (it helps to be old sometimes). The bus took an hour and I sat upstairs and enjoyed the view.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Lantern Theatre had the good sense to be near an Italian restaurant so that was the evening meal sorted.</div><div><br /></div><div>The theatre was small and cosy, as expected. It was something like the Old Red Lion of the (previous) White Bear. My sort of theatre.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was my sort of play too. I had seen The Pitchfork Disney only once before and was looking forward to seeing it again. Ridley's plays are so dense with wild thoughts and ideas that I cannot help but forget much of the details. To give but one example, the 28 year old twin brother and sister living together reveal, as an aside, that their parents simply left them and had not died as we had naturally assumed. The reason for this was never explored, let alone answered. I love that Ridley can have an idea that big and just throw it away almost unused.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me, The Pitchfork Disney is about reality, a concept much visited by Ridley. Here we assume that the siblings are heavily locked in their flat to protect them from the post-apocalyptic world outside but when that world intrudes, in the bizarre form of Cosmo Disney, the reality of that world is questioned.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Pitchfork Disney also sounds like a Philip Ridley play with its poetic dialogue and use of repetition. It is a joy to listen to even when the words are familiar.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like this production too. The setting was just right and the small cast did their job well. Ela Chapman, the sister, stood out for me with her expressions of fear and isolation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The journey down to Brighton, and the nights away, just to see this were well worth it. </div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-37874403271641549012023-11-25T12:00:00.003+00:002023-12-21T23:59:42.559+00:00Turner Prize 2023 at Towner Gallery Eastbourne<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrvzCm5wDhh9e_tGcO3KyV30MnwM6kcwMBMQyjLPrapZNcjEL64iWCVz_i22d41oSMZNzXbDRUYI4DKF2cTKXCYsi3Y12JkTICXX7lQENX8_VrAVtqMwa6_jWU_2L3031koXW3-A_SIvBDpPmIKIUFww_smh0GO1puljaxrjCzYaECjODFoua/s4032/67512BFA-13C9-4BBB-B92B-CA3FB01655A8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrvzCm5wDhh9e_tGcO3KyV30MnwM6kcwMBMQyjLPrapZNcjEL64iWCVz_i22d41oSMZNzXbDRUYI4DKF2cTKXCYsi3Y12JkTICXX7lQENX8_VrAVtqMwa6_jWU_2L3031koXW3-A_SIvBDpPmIKIUFww_smh0GO1puljaxrjCzYaECjODFoua/w400-h300/67512BFA-13C9-4BBB-B92B-CA3FB01655A8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>My long weekend in Eastbourne, unlike the recent one in Salisbury, was full of pleasant surprises. <div><br /></div><div>One of these pleasant surprises was Towner Gallery, part of an arts cluster right next to the famous tennis grounds.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adding to the pleasant surprises was an exhibition by the contenders for Turner Prize 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The piece by Jesse Darling (pictured right) was large and dramatic and while I quite like that sort of thing I have also seen quite a lot of this sort of thing in places from Tate Modern to Moderna Museet (Stockholm) and there seemed to be nothing remarkable about this.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was very surprised when this won Turner Prize 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>What should have won it is Barbara Walker's Burden of Proof.<br /> <p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9e4NyNym1ZYNwapyVSHFHydQsc09IDT65irpEj0ooowEi-mNlJic0tPjwvneGfudpmUf0NkPA3cO9s2uCLwhM6GBl4QQzBv0br6X-AJp92dnkcKVRQfIKjV6OOao9CTeeKBz52LcPY3kMejpifUykQqvbgezt9iH-iGmlOasdGKNtlu-pNe5/s4032/785F3CF2-A85A-4022-B0E0-E125BF6C0032.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9e4NyNym1ZYNwapyVSHFHydQsc09IDT65irpEj0ooowEi-mNlJic0tPjwvneGfudpmUf0NkPA3cO9s2uCLwhM6GBl4QQzBv0br6X-AJp92dnkcKVRQfIKjV6OOao9CTeeKBz52LcPY3kMejpifUykQqvbgezt9iH-iGmlOasdGKNtlu-pNe5/w480-h640/785F3CF2-A85A-4022-B0E0-E125BF6C0032.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br clear="left" />In Burden of Proof, Barbara Walker produced large copies of some of the many obscure documents that immigrants to this country produced in an effort to prove they had a right to remain here during the Windrush Scandal. On these documents she drew charcoal images of the people impacted by the scandal.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was both artistically impressive and intellectually stimulating, just the sort of thing that deserves to win prizes.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-3442795799539268432023-11-21T19:30:00.066+00:002023-11-22T22:56:42.654+00:00The Enfield Haunting at Richmond Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUmk8ZrlSxempl5OZquECS2m_F56m-4gm06rflKxU5iGkuB_8kLvJffyIcuyxgneBivGKJiGzvCkTsrTESa1s02z4-OyGG4v18JKinC-L53-uDpWMEfV0luUC5Wkqp32tQ2W9hujnwIX7U3IGaUvSO-wjytzsK2sFkUR33czzPGjMtV6RN8Ts/s600/4587F7A8-D375-4BB3-920A-56660FEB0549_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUmk8ZrlSxempl5OZquECS2m_F56m-4gm06rflKxU5iGkuB_8kLvJffyIcuyxgneBivGKJiGzvCkTsrTESa1s02z4-OyGG4v18JKinC-L53-uDpWMEfV0luUC5Wkqp32tQ2W9hujnwIX7U3IGaUvSO-wjytzsK2sFkUR33czzPGjMtV6RN8Ts/w400-h225/4587F7A8-D375-4BB3-920A-56660FEB0549_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>I go to see almost every play that is put on at Richmond Theatre and with Catherine Tate and David Threlfall in the cast I was certainly going to see The Enfield Haunting when it passed through on its way to the West End.<div><br /></div><div>Those names were expected to be a big draw and the prices matched so, again, I was forced out of my usual place, the front row of the Dress Circle, and I went up a level to the front row of the Upper Circle where a central seat (A16) cost a mere £20. At that price I could afford to take a risk on an unknown play by an unknown (to me) playwright.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had seen other supernatural plays at Richmond Theatre, notably The Woman in Black, and with Richmond Theatre's reputation for putting on a good show I had reasonable hopes for the evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>The view from my seat was fine (aided by using my coat as a cushion to make me sit a little further forward) and the set looked good.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWAET-z56Vqb2BW6XipI15xGkFsXyiW10o7Q9J0vF1gVGFdVtlHfE-OXmMXVkEg2CkKUY9F6UEzQwjuE4tDKQlIL-ovmjANsr7Z-RJGOMuSg5wPO25xnTn_Ci62vYKZNXUA_TRLk6ksMECUYt9aEoODWmcNMzS8YwgcRBfAxPNKyrcnJ7vGcW/s4032/8BE60CE0-7299-474E-A384-9A11E05EFDA9.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWAET-z56Vqb2BW6XipI15xGkFsXyiW10o7Q9J0vF1gVGFdVtlHfE-OXmMXVkEg2CkKUY9F6UEzQwjuE4tDKQlIL-ovmjANsr7Z-RJGOMuSg5wPO25xnTn_Ci62vYKZNXUA_TRLk6ksMECUYt9aEoODWmcNMzS8YwgcRBfAxPNKyrcnJ7vGcW/w640-h480/8BE60CE0-7299-474E-A384-9A11E05EFDA9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />What followed was a major disappointment.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story had a few shocking moments and these were handled well with, for example, all the lights in the auditorium going off. but the bulk of the play felt slow and irrelevant. The children apart, the characters were not very believable and any supernatural story trying to be heard got lost in the messy interactions between the adults.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was the first night of a preview run so perhaps things will get better but I found a lot of the dialogue stilted as if it had not be learned or rehearsed properly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from the few brief shocking moments it had nothing going for it and I was very glad that I had only paid £20 and that it was not very long.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-23128145837643845342023-11-19T15:00:00.078+00:002023-11-22T23:46:40.627+00:00Knocking on the Wall at Finborough Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEidHVdYII91oS7fRZJfrmwoHgw-9zLUZZwpKXrdkjduK_1Izs2RN0Zr8lGplCT6oYzQ2e2n8dgeeoS7diSat7nsEW7EDmXrg7IyDADKdDy4NbkkTbvZNwZwPw68yMMCyPh-pMV_bz3ActH4_9MxdtjT76qv5mlxqr5srEB38_av96nBxw_mRt/s720/F_PiMVYWcAA9k6X.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEidHVdYII91oS7fRZJfrmwoHgw-9zLUZZwpKXrdkjduK_1Izs2RN0Zr8lGplCT6oYzQ2e2n8dgeeoS7diSat7nsEW7EDmXrg7IyDADKdDy4NbkkTbvZNwZwPw68yMMCyPh-pMV_bz3ActH4_9MxdtjT76qv5mlxqr5srEB38_av96nBxw_mRt/s320/F_PiMVYWcAA9k6X.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The nice thing about Finborough Theatre is that they do the hard work for you, that is if they think that a play is worth putting on then it is worth seeing. And so I booked to see Knocking on the Wall for £20 without knowing anything about it. <div><br /></div><div>Other things going on made a Sunday matinee a good option which change the arrangements a little but not much, instead of having dinned at Cafe du Coin beforehand I had lunch there and ate the usual food despite the time change.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also had time to explore Brompton Cemetery which is always worth a visit.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other difference was that the audience arrived earlier than they do for evening performances and with the performance all-but sold out I had to settle for a seat at the end of the front row, which actually worked well, as corner seats often do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Knocking on the Wall is a collection of three plays on the shared theme of loneliness with a hint of hope. That sounds a little miserable, and there were few laughs, but they proved to be engaging stories with characters I cared about in situations that I found interesting. The cast portrayed those characters excellently.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a thoroughly satisfying and fulfilling afternoon. Once again Finborough Theatre demonstrated what theatre can do and delivered a genuine treat.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-54967904971839185222023-11-17T19:30:00.114+00:002023-11-23T00:32:37.234+00:00The House of Bernarda Alba at National Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv2guhi1dG5oXugq4rFc6kZUcnOwaZi99C_MFzhRjltts7-9z4PDwHj7y79zw7MyyYpiLT1DGm77w5fxLcH1FBu6wvGSQRTFD5eYB6NcyZ2xjd2Bz38UjAES_yfZ34u9ywcFaP24_p6GVSZekNvkPlNlgjF78cWfFdfJTf6A7TBfZUmoE53Fp/s941/Alba.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="941" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv2guhi1dG5oXugq4rFc6kZUcnOwaZi99C_MFzhRjltts7-9z4PDwHj7y79zw7MyyYpiLT1DGm77w5fxLcH1FBu6wvGSQRTFD5eYB6NcyZ2xjd2Bz38UjAES_yfZ34u9ywcFaP24_p6GVSZekNvkPlNlgjF78cWfFdfJTf6A7TBfZUmoE53Fp/w400-h251/Alba.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I first saw The House of Bernarda Alba at <a href="https://hamlife.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-house-of-bernarda-alba-at-cervantes.html" target="_blank">Cervantes Theatre in 2017</a>(!) and was keen to see it performed on a bigger stage. So much so that I pushed the boat out a little and paid £67 for Lyttelton Circle Row A Seat 22.<div><br /></div><div>And as back in 2017 the evening started with a visit to Culture Grub for a Chinese curry. I still use that restaurant for any visit to a theatre in the Southbank area.</div><div><br /></div><div>Food and drink arrangements at National Theatre were less impressive and I had to have a beer out of a can at some ridiculous price. I consoled myself by thinking that the profit was going to a good cause. The front of house there always feels like an afterthought with lots of open space but little in the way of seating or refreshments. I have eaten there but it is always busy and always a struggle to queue and then find a space. Much better to eat elsewhere first. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2CkKgGTXZ5zHaf0V47VIbKy6ZBXPb17vKpw3_8ZY0XDnI97-f8dkbVQRnd1F5zbdjoezkcIkB35BRTZYEuhAnGByh3av3x9qgKyCCcWQNoIP4h0JC7q1oVhwej1ZgUrOQUj67fmLksDXIpvKRAgfTxiwqYfpRseO7I_hkAQV26RE4oFBb49r/s4032/D42EC37A-DC0A-4554-AF22-96994DD83796.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2CkKgGTXZ5zHaf0V47VIbKy6ZBXPb17vKpw3_8ZY0XDnI97-f8dkbVQRnd1F5zbdjoezkcIkB35BRTZYEuhAnGByh3av3x9qgKyCCcWQNoIP4h0JC7q1oVhwej1ZgUrOQUj67fmLksDXIpvKRAgfTxiwqYfpRseO7I_hkAQV26RE4oFBb49r/w400-h300/D42EC37A-DC0A-4554-AF22-96994DD83796.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>This was a new version of The House of Bernarda Alba and the set reflected that newness. I liked the minimalist clean lines of it and the use of three levels. This seems to be the fashion and it looked quite familiar.</div><div><br /></div><div>The story was the same and the extra space allowed it to be told more naturally then in the confined spaces of Cervantes Theatre.</div><div><br /></div><div>Less natural was the language and I was very surprised that a story set in a strict religious household would contain so much swearing, it was unnecessary to the story and jarred with the setting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily the occasional foul language was the only (minor) flaw in an otherwise excellent production. I was again gripped by the story, despite remembering much of the detail, and fully engaged with Bernarda Alba, her daughters, her mother and her servants. Each one had motives and aspirations that created the tension that drove the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>Federico García Lorca, who was Spanish, is recognised internationally as a great playwright and The House of Bernarda Alba as one of his major works; this production did it full justice.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-74455687575725931572023-11-14T19:30:00.088+00:002023-12-21T23:22:11.694+00:00Sputnik Sweetheart at Arcola Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: right; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9IZA2ZTDyZJl9C_NslcdYfuHZ0s5fqQrU1dmW0OgjcxQqgvNr9Uj8UTdtXx9f78Cw9dRp0kTu1GPasOjgJzVNW1244-Qj47SO6uIMFKpKf1TzB9tWE0HcigfImF0WEI3uaCq9YDXVaVh2jMmAECaWDcCGrEzIGWwQ7FkMrr8OWlV2fWVcid2/s4096/B1F4084C-D53E-446B-833B-1AF43B92D87C.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="4096" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9IZA2ZTDyZJl9C_NslcdYfuHZ0s5fqQrU1dmW0OgjcxQqgvNr9Uj8UTdtXx9f78Cw9dRp0kTu1GPasOjgJzVNW1244-Qj47SO6uIMFKpKf1TzB9tWE0HcigfImF0WEI3uaCq9YDXVaVh2jMmAECaWDcCGrEzIGWwQ7FkMrr8OWlV2fWVcid2/w400-h225/B1F4084C-D53E-446B-833B-1AF43B92D87C.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Arcola Theatre (in Dalston) is harder to get to for me since I stopped working by Kings Cross, when I could easily walk there after work (and, occasionally, during work), but I still think of it as one of my regular theatres and I like having an excuse to get back there. Sputnik Sweetheart was such an excuse.<div><br /></div><div>I liked that it was an adaptation of a Japanese novel with weird elements and I very much liked that it was directed by Melly Still whose work I first encountered with Coram Boy at National Theatre in 2007. Since then our paths had crossed a few times at Glyndebourne and Rose Theatre.</div><div><br /></div><div>My first visit back to Dalston for a while met an immediate problem in that the regular eating place, Route, was (still) hidden behind scaffolding and was closed. A quick replan took me to a nearby pub, Farrs Dalston, which had decent beer and excellent tacos with a Pakistani twist.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the usual plan worked and I was seated in the front row of the central section, seat A14, which I had paid a modest £27.5 for. Lots of other people had bought seats too and the theatre looked to be sold out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sputnik Sweetheart was both weird and delightful. Weird because it jumped around time and space, and delightful because it was a love story, albeit an unusual one.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was a lot going on with the dialogue and the staging and I am sure that, not being heavily versed in this culture, that I missed much of what was intended but what I could follow and understand was lovely.</div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36758134.post-5321017580246819302023-11-04T15:00:00.028+00:002023-11-04T21:55:09.784+00:00Ceasefire Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Uz7vok-na0ytjAthxl0PHUW64_JVcjFUhCiB7THLE4F_ZjuWpSmIES_p5Z0jHcB8u1BEQQQXxg70M17c3l3IYkmrQRSFg8ERo11SO2Ihb5UaLImh-pqmCAWGBvPLtVhq6dNyhqcetEc1edWCAQelftxqifFav4a4hkgcnrO1s55jrvzj0n0/s4032/2AD57ED3-0334-44FC-A2D4-04C5E5F5381E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1Uz7vok-na0ytjAthxl0PHUW64_JVcjFUhCiB7THLE4F_ZjuWpSmIES_p5Z0jHcB8u1BEQQQXxg70M17c3l3IYkmrQRSFg8ERo11SO2Ihb5UaLImh-pqmCAWGBvPLtVhq6dNyhqcetEc1edWCAQelftxqifFav4a4hkgcnrO1s55jrvzj0n0/w640-h480/2AD57ED3-0334-44FC-A2D4-04C5E5F5381E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br clear="left" />While it was uplifting to be in a huge mixed crowd of people in Trafalgar Square all calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine it is also very sad that such demonstrations are the only voice that we have and the the political class continues to not only refuse to denounce the genocide but are actively supporting those doing it.<div><br /></div><div>The politicians do not reflect the people they represent on this and we will keep demonstration until they do. </div>Matthew Reeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17373136348794501350noreply@blogger.com0