Play: Wordplay

Tonight, finally back with Meetup - and Up in the Cheap Seats - for Word Play, at the Royal Court. Planned to eat at the local Cote - this one doesn't tend to fill up. Mind you, service was terrible there last time.. we would see.

There's a member of the group that tends to join me for dinner beforehand, and the same was true this evening - so I decided to book, in the end; why not? As it happened, we arrived at pretty much the same time - and were sat separately: at adjoining tables, a column between us so we couldn't see. The waiters figured it out..

Now, we were given the Prix Fixe menu - which I wasn't yesterday, interestingly! Is that not a thing at Cote Barbican? Well anyway, we had mains and desserts - and while I had my usual steak frites, he had the grilled chicken. And wow, I think he might have converted me! Shredded, by the look of it, and doused in a white wine and mushroom sauce, it looked gorgeous - will definitely consider it in future. We shared a bottle of Chardonnay, and service was efficient and friendly throughout, I'm happy to say. We were well fed by the time we trundled over to the theatre, where the others were crowded in the bar. Quite a large group tonight.

Unfortunately, this was in the upstairs theatre - up lots and lots of stairs. Moving early because seating is unassigned, we found ourselves queueing on those stairs - much like the Ryanair boarding queue, I mused. When we were finally let in - slightly late - we occupied seats in the front row at the corner: of an empty room. Chairs around the edges are the only props, and a large window fills the wall that contains the door we come in by.

It needs to be bare - the play covers so many different scenes. As advertised on the show page, we start at the Downing Street press office - heaven help them, the Prime Minister has been ad-libbing again and has said something offensive. Which they have to apologise for - without actually apologising. (I wonder who can have inspired this story..?)

Everything that happens in the play after that could be said to relate to this incident in some way. We have a scene in a radio station, in a tv station, at a "Completely detached house in Highgate" (an LCD screen keeps us informed). We have a couple rowing about something she said to her friends about him, we have sundry people messaging each other on their mobiles. And throughout, we have language - misinterpretations, miscommunication.. from several different points of view, we get to see how language can confuse and divide us as much as unite and enlighten.

Now, as someone who (when I have a job) writes for a living, I loved seeing the use of language here. How what is not said is often as significant as what is, and the power of the spoken, or written, word. Right to the point where language breaks down completely - and that's not a crazy story. I remember a story a while ago, about an Irishwoman who spent most of her life in England: married here, raised a family here, died here, was buried here. Her family wanted to put an Irish inscription on her gravestone - "In ár gCroíthe go Deo". The church didn't want to let them - said it might arouse "political passions"! Well, the bishop took their side, and paid for them to go through Ecclesiastical Court - and they won their case. But it does go to show how ridiculous things can be - and what misery can be caused - when understanding completely breaks down. Just like in the devastating scene at the end of this play.

(The "politically incendiary" phrase they wanted to inscribe, BTW, means "In our Hearts Forever".)

I would recommend this play - highly - but it finishes on Saturday, and seems to be completely sold out! Very glad I saw it.

Tomorrow, I'm succumbing to the pressure, and joining The Hideout: Horror SciFi Club London for the Frightfest at Cineworld Leicester Square, where we're seeing It Lives Inside, an Indian possession horror, with lunch after at Clubhouse 5. Yes, a morning film - ah well, they have a huge schedule to pack in. Frightfest, mind you, continues till Monday - I'll have to see how I feel about going to other films that evening.

On Saturday - back at last with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners! This walk is called Filthy River.. and I'm now paying him by bank transfer, at his suggestion - much handier than having to find change all the time. Then I'm racing across town for another Hideout social at Clubhouse 5.

On Sunday, meeting Ivan and James again, for our monthly get-together - this time, moving closer to where I'm now living, we'll be in the Dean Swift.

On Monday, back at Clubhouse 5 with the Hideout - social, plus we're heading to a retrospective of It Follows, at the Cineworld. So, a very sociable long weekend! They're also heading to the extended cut of The Exorcist that evening, introduced by Mark Kermode - sadly, by the time I thought of going, it was sold out.. but I have seen that cut before anyway.

On Tuesday, I tried to book a place on a walk with Mandy and London Herstory Walks - this one is Fleet Street Femmes. But she's disabled the PayPal link on her Meetup page because Meetup takes a hefty chunk of it - instead, I've booked through her own website. Where the walk turned out to be on sale anyway!

On Wednesday, heading to La Bamba - a musical at the Peacock. The matinee, since I have the choice - cheaper tickets that way.

Next Thursday, back on another of Barrie's walks with the 45+s - this time, it's Mile End. Some more have booked now, yay.. 

On the 1st, back with Laurence and the 45+s, yet again - couldn't resist a walk around Glorious and Grimy Gray's Inn Road! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 4th, I've signed with London Socials again - I wouldn't count on me going, mind. Still, you never know.. this time, they're off to listen to some music in the Archway Tavern.

And on the 5th, I've finally booked to see Dr. Semmelweiss, at the Harold Pinter. Cheapest tickets I found were with What's on Stage, who sent me off to Love Theatre..