Play: The Homecoming
The rest of the week is theatre - none of which was listed on the Meetup page when I did a search for each day! I had to look on the individual group pages to find these, knowing that these are busy groups. So, these past two days, I was finally back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), and tonight it was for a new production of Pinter's The Homecoming, at the Young Vic.
Now, when I was here before, I had a great experience at the nearby Bar + Block - my first introduction to them. And you had to book - so I did so again today. It's nice and convenient for my new flat - so I got there early. Had to wait a couple of minutes - behind another lady - to be seated, and had visions of the slow service of the Aldgate branch again! but no. Interestingly though, it seems - for once - that bookings weren't required, tonight. I couldn't fault the service - the waiter brought a menu with her as she showed me to my table, I was never kept waiting too long. Skipped a starter, had the sirloin again - with that gorgeous mushroom and red wine sauce: not for the steak (I wouldn't insult it by suggesting it needed sauce) - but for the chips! I also had garlic mushrooms, for a change - which turned out to be sauteed. I'd been curious - hadn't had them here before.
Steak - yum. Sauce - yum. Mushrooms - yum. Chips - yum. Ah me, worth every penny. And lo, I (just about) had time for dessert! Wouldn't you know it, when I asked, he had a little, laminated dessert menu in his apron.. I was torn for a couple of minutes, but eventually went for the trio of mini desserts on the "Festive Menu" - a scoop of Bailey's ice cream, a wee tub of chocolate sauce, three churros, a slice of brownie, and a cube of lemon drizzle cake:
I don't normally photograph my food.. but this was dessert heaven. The only problem was knowing where to start.. so I was a little late joining the others. (I used the chocolate sauce on the churros and the ice cream - the brownie didn't need it, nor the lemon drizzle cake..) A short walk to the theatre, and I couldn't see them in the crush - figured they'd be near the toilets though, and so they were. :-) We chatted for a bit before going in - in my case, up: I was in the Upper Gallery, which is up the stairs, then up a spiral staircase I didn't know existed. I was fairly winded by the time we reached the top - seating was unassigned, apart from knowing which side you were on; I was in T, to the left. And there was a seat at the end of the row, so I took it:
Yes, it is smoky - the woman at the end of Row S (so just across the gap from me) offered the opinion at the interval that the smoke had some significance. She'd done this play in school, but never seen a production - imagine. Meantime, as to the seating, it was ok - bench seats, seating two, so you had to have an agreement when you were going to sit or stand. The main sticking point for me was the lack of a footrest..
This is the second production of this I've seen. I couldn't remember much about the last time I saw it - it did sort of come flooding back to me throughout. Similarities abound - the smoke was more this time, the same viciousness on the part of the patriarch, the laying about him with the cane. And the, eh, basic plot. Now, this is set in the 60s, and you could set a case for it being about women's liberation - both social and sexual. Oh, and financial.. The prodigal son brings his wife back to meet the family for the first time - initially nervous around them, she becomes more comfortable, reminded, perhaps, of the life she left behind to move abroad with her husband. So, you could say the "homecoming" of the title is more hers than her husband's..
I think most people around me found it quite shocking. Certainly, the group of young women sat beside me described it, frequently, as "twisted". (Lordy, girls, you should get out more!) I didn't actually get to speak to the group much tonight - at the interval, with a cough threatening, I decided to get a drink, and the queue was so long, I didn't get back to them! And afterwards, by the time I got outside, there was about 60 seconds left in conversation before they decided to call it a night. Whether that was because of the bitter cold, or the shocking subject matter, I cannot say. Me, I enjoyed it - I love a shocker. I don't want to be afraid to tackle anything I see, hear, or read. Now, whether I'd recommend this plot as the theme of a family get-together is another thing - certainly, it'd make Christmas at home with the family more interesting, eh! Well, this runs till the 27th of January - recommended for people who want their preconceptions of propriety blown open.
Comments
Post a Comment