Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Wyndham’s Theatre

Eugene O'Neil plays have been absent from London theatres for a few years and, remarkably, it had been twelve years since I last saw Long Day's Journey into Night. I was keen to see is again.

It helped that this production stared Brian Cox, best known to me for his role as a KGB agent in the two RED films.

All that meant that I was happy to pay £15 for seat A13 in the Grand Circle, which is the third level up.

The play follows the Tyrone family through one summer's day in their seaside home. The father is a touring actor so this is their summer home only. The action, such as it, takes place in one room with the four family members and a maid coming and going throughout the day. It is a play of dialogue and through that dialogue we discover more about the family, particularly their weaknesses.

It is hard to say more without dropping spoilers but it is perhaps not a surprise that heavy drinking and womanising feature.

I loved the set (but forgot to take a photograph) as it was very sparse, little more than a table and a few chairs. That gave more space to the dialogue and also may have been a hint towards the father's miserliness (a trait he explained during the day).

At one level, nothing really happens and the day ends as it began and all that has changed is that we know a lot more about that family. What does happen is all in the words and these are Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning words. The play gripped with ferocity and held me tightly for three hours.

This sort of play is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, and I do not think that the school party behind me were that impressed, but it most assuredly is mine. I loved it and everyone in it.

Arthur Brown at Eel Pie Club

All Arthur Brown concerts that it is possible for me to get to I go to and that imperative was even stronger than usual having seen him at Lewes in November for what was probably my favourite concert of his ever. By then I had already booked to see him at The Eel Pie Club in Twickenham and the next step was the logistics.

The Eel Pie is an unusual, and unhelpful, shape and so I wanted to get in early to bag one of the few decent seats. Doors were 7:45pm and I was in the queue around 7pm. Luckily the queue was only a couple of people at that stage (though they were later joined by friends) so I was reasonably confident.

Julia and Peter joined me before the doors opened and we were amongst the first to be let in byJason on security who had amused us with his conspiracy theories (15 Minute Cites are a form of lockdown, etc.) while we waited.

My initial plan was to sit on the lower lever next to the stage but all the gubbins, artistic and technical, meant that the view from there was very obstructed so we went for seats in the prime position on the upper level. The view from there is the best but the seats are just Ottomans (no backs) so are lest comfortable. The view won.

I really really love this incarnation of Crazy World of Arthur Brown musically and theatrically. Other people obviously like it too and the gig was sold out.

The set was, I think, the same as at Lewes with several newish songs and a few classics (e.g. Fire and Time Captives) delivered with a keyboards-heavy late 60's vibe, think Doors' Light My Fire, that had extended instrumental sections to give Arthur time to do his many costume changes. There was even some audience participation as we joined in on the chants of "Burn!" and on the "La da da" ending to Time Captives.

It was yet another brilliant evening with Arthur Brown and his band. I plan to see them again in November!