Play: Boys on the Verge of Tears

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Boys on the Verge of Tears, at Soho Theatre. Again, ages since I was last there! Left a bit early, so I could eat in the Nellie Dean beforehand - they don't take reservations, except for large groups. The bus was working again, thank goodness.. and I arrived, roughly when I'd said I would, having taken a shortcut through Soho Square. Man, I miss living in this part of town..

The pub was busy, as ever - I was meeting another member of the group there, but I got there first, and made the executive decision to take the table by the door, which seemed the least cramped of what was available. The menu is now available on a board over the bar.. I had the steak and ale pie again, he had the chicken and mushroom one, when he arrived. A glass of wine each - I don't think he'd eaten here before, and he seemed impressed with both quality and price! Agreed.. and I'd forgotten how tasty the steak and ale pie is. He cleared his plate.. happiness all around. And, as I said, just across the road from the theatre..

A brief bag check when we got there - the bar was busy, as always, but not too bad, and it didn't take me long to get another drink. We were unsure whether the show had an interval, but I did notice a Doctor Brown show in the same venue afterwards, which limited the time for our show.. Now, I'm sure I've seen that guy before, and hated him - not one I fancied staying around for, then!

Ah, Soho Theatre - one with lots of stairs. At least tonight's show was in the main space.. and even though I was in the Balcony, it's entered from the same level:

What's more, nobody came to scold me for leaving my drink on the ledge! To be fair, it has a decent rim on it. My view was slightly restricted, but almost none of the action takes place to the side anyway - it's mostly in the centre.

..of a public toilet. Well, several public toilets, actually, sort of telling the story of a lifetime, as lived through the lens of public toilets. Fascinating idea! We start with the comical story of a little boy, who insists he can go to the "little boys' room" like the big boy he is.. so Dad accompanies him, and hilarity ensues when there's a small accident.. at the end, he disappears into the wall, and what follows is a whole series of short stories, explained through toilet conversations, as the protagonists get older and older. We have young schoolkids, attending a birthday party with cake and a clown: older schoolkids, with some very questionable attitudes about girls: through to a deeply disturbing sequence with a guy who's beaten up, then takes drugs and appears to hallucinate the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Right through to the elderly guy, who needs his stepson's help to go to the loo.. a role reversal of the first story.

It's kind of predictable - Devil's Advocate, what I like, the group doesn't, and vice versa. I loved it. Of course, with my bent towards horror, I particularly loved the Horsemen of the Apocalypse - if they ever rock up to me, I'll probably say, "Cool!". Seriously though, I do love darkness in a story, and that sequence supplies it in spades - there were complaints, among the group, about some stories running on too long, but I think that was a case of separate stories running into each other. It did occur to me to be surprised about the apparent complete lack of trigger warnings, here - it is restricted to over 18s, but you get no warning similar to what you would at, say, The National - it has strobe lighting, nudity, swearing, sexual references, references to sexual assault, drugtaking.. none of which bothered me, but as I say, I found the lack of warnings curious (and somewhat refreshing).

I remember hearing in primary school the idea that the bathroom was "the most important room in the house" - this play elevates it, despite the unsalubrious surroundings, to the "most important room of our lives" - or perhaps, just the most revealing. Certainly, it's where we're at our most vulnerable. And yes, it's the setting for many revealing conversations, especially as schoolkids. It's where we take refuge from the pounding music at a nightclub. It's where we seek a retreat when we're not feeling well. Why have we not seen a play set in a bathroom before? (I'm not counting Saw..)

This is alternately funny and shocking.. and as I say, I loved it. An unexpected pleasure! Runs to the 18th - very highly recommended.

Tomorrow, another dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club with Over 40 Living the Life. Third Tuesday in a row - but the last time for a while they'll be doing it.

On Wednesday, I'm at The Hideout's April social! The BFI Riverfront Bar again..

On Thursday, taking a break from Meetup - I'm going to a talk, interesting-sounding to me, at Southwark Cathedral. It's The King's Assassin, about the relationship between James VI/I and George Villiers, now a TV series, Mary & George, with Julianne Moore as his scheming mother. Based on a book, whose author is giving this talk. And as that's also walking distance from me, I'll look to go to the office on Wednesday. Maybe. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

The next two days in London, I'm ticking theatrical boxes - both in Delfont Mackintosh theatres, and both, would you believe, cheapest from the official source! On the 29th, I'm finally getting to see Player Kings, depicting the relationship between Falstaff and Hal from both parts of Shakepeare's Henry IV, with Sir Ian McKellan as Falstaff. Looking forward to it - I love Shakespeare adaptations. That's in the Noel Coward Theatre, and I'm paying a little extra not to sit in the slips, so I get more legroom.

On the 30th, I'm back with UITCS to see Opening Night, a musical with music by Rufus Wainwright. Before it closes! That's at the Gielgud.

On the 1st, back with The London Horror Book Club - they're doing a book I think I'll like - well, I certainly was interested in the free sample, so I bought it. It's The Fifth Child, about a couple living in domestic bliss, having four children, and all is sweetness and light.. until the fifth arrives.. This will be in The Prince of Wales, Drury Lane again. A few months since I was last with them.

And on the 2nd, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group, for the opera Lucia di Lammermoor in the Royal Opera House.