Play: The Effect

Tonight, I was off to The Effect at the National. Now, places around there to eat aren't cheap - so imagine my delight when I managed to get a table at the nearby Cote! You can never normally get a table there the same day you book. Must be the ongoing heat, I reasoned. Ran for the bus again - and was glad I wasn't going further, given the dire warnings about Holborn I could hear on the radio.

My destination wasn't that far, so I made it 15 minutes early - decided I'd like to sit inside. As I was there, mind, all the outside tables filled up - as the manager remarked to one of the staff, it's the heat, and the lack of aircon! I was near the door, and the weather was noticeably cooler anyway. After a minute, he thought to bring me the fixed-price menu - I'd already decided against calamari, as my stomach's a bit off, so just ordered a basket of bread with butter, and my usual steak frites and a chocolate mousse. Since it was for two courses, and I had plenty of time!

The bread came warm, and was nice. The mousse was lovely as ever. The steak.. was pinker than I'm used to, and frankly, seemed undercooked - it was tough, and there was a fatty edge. I ended up leaving some. Never mind.. Service was efficient throughout, and I finished in plenty of time to walk over to the theatre, where there was a cursory bag check, and I had time to run to the loo - and indeed, to queue for it - before I took my seat.

I swear, waiting for this to start feels like a rock concert.. music pounds, and with all the equipment you can see on stage.. yes, that bank of lights does lift, and we get a number of light effects - some strobing - and including lights that cleverly define areas on stage around different actors, suggesting rooms; we just pay attention to the ones in the lighted areas.

The basic story is of a paid clinical trial, and of two participants in particular who fall in love over the course of the experiment - or do they? because the drug under trial is a dopamine-producer, so they're likely to feel positive as a result. To the sides, we also have two psychiatrists, with a side-story of their own..

It's 1hr 40mins straight through, and I never felt time fly so fast. It's so cleverly written - and by what the writer has happen to the characters, it has so much to say about love, about relationships, about depression, about the ethics of clinical trials.. beautifully acted too, and fully deserving of the standing ovation that I joined in. Absolutely highly recommended - runs till the 7th. It was pretty full tonight - there are still tickets, but few cheap ones left..!

Then - for the first time in a long time - there was to be a run of Meetup events - and specifically, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)! Tomorrow, I'm back with them to see Russell Howard for the last night of his run at the Palladium - terrible trouble finding a decent seat in the Grand Circle, which was all that was left! And since I now have three (!) online interviews scheduled for that day, some comedy will be just what I need. Must actually do some prep..

On Wednesday, I was to be back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for The Long and Winding Road, a walk about, of course, The Beatles! Personal commitments, however, have meant he's postponed it. So then I booked with UITCS to It's Headed Straight Towards Us! (a comedy about a volcano), at Park Theatre. But wouldn't you know it, the performance was just cancelled for technical reasons! What, is there a curse on this day..? I can't make the rescheduled day the group is going, and have no idea whether I can make it for the rest of the run, so I just got a refund. Which, handily enough, they processed without me having to call them, for once.

Well, nothing much else on Meetup for that day, so I had a look at my cheap tickets sites, where there was loads. I eventually plumped for one with TAC - I'm headed to see an apparently long-forgotten Irish play called Birthright, at the Finborough Theatre - based on the story of Esau and Jacob, it concerns two brothers, the elder of whom is to get the family farm, the younger of whom has to emigrate. A common story in Ireland, once upon a time. Unfortunately, the younger is the more natural farmer.. this is the story of a fateful day that tears the family apart.. caused a lot of controversy among the Irish-American community at the time, it seems..

On Thursday, back with UITCS for Anthropology, at Hampstead Theatre. Cheap tickets from TodayTix.

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Film-wise, it might be The Nun II - I wouldn't mind, actually! I've watched the trailer - lots of jump scares, but it is rated higher than the original. I'll be shopping in Limerick, but the Omniplex seems to be having a Batman day - and the Odeon hasn't yet released its listings. I do know it's showing in Ennis - if all comes to all, it's only about 30 minutes between them by motorway..

Back in London, the next two days are with UITCS again - on the 18th, it's Crazy for You, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

On the 19th, it's Octopolis, at Hampstead Theatre again!

And on the 20th, I'm with CT for a classical concert - a Chamber Recital at St. Mark's, Hamilton Terrace. Regular tickets from TicketSource.