Play: Dangled

These two days, back with CT for the Bitesize Festival at Riverside Studios - they have a few offerings, but today, I went to see Dangled. Sounded interesting - described as a "psychosexual horror comedy", it's based on Diary of a Madman, by Gogol. It was on late enough that I could eat beforehand - and going on my useful last visit to Riverside, I tried Wasabi for food! Yum..

Tube, of course, and a kind fellow gave me his seat for most of it. Took me a minute to find Wasabi - it has been a while - and I see they've revamped their furniture! The tables now have partitions down the middle, and they mostly have stools - I took the table at the top, the only one with chairs. With backs. They have stools at the rest - can't say I'm sorry to see the back of the transparent, plastic green seats they used to have here. Portions seem to have gotten smaller, from what I remember - well, hasn't everything? The boxes are pre-prepared, and left under a light so hot that I actually found it difficult even to put in my hand to pick one up! Never mind actually pick it up - it was roasting. Happily, he gave me a tray to take it to the table. And it was good.. and a cheap dinner option.

I had no problem finding my way down to Riverside, where I collected my ticket from the box office. Now, there are actually two places to eat down here - a restaurant and a cafe. The restaurant is overpriced, the cafe less so - but you pay in terms of terribly slow service. Anyway, I said I'd get a drink - signs direct you to the left-hand-side if you want bar service. Where there's a queue. So, most of the bar is off-limits to the public - there's just the one person serving the left-hand-side. As the sign says, if you want food, take a table and a server will be with you. Yeah.. just don't be too hungry. Anyway, I queued, and in due course got a drink and some chocolate. I was finished the wine by the time the house opened, finished the chocolate by the time the show started. I took a seat in the front.

State Trooper, by Bruce Springsteen, plays both before and after. I'd never heard it before, but recognised the voice, looked it up afterwards. Mmm, nice n tense. Onstage, a lone man sits on a white chair, at a white desk, scribbling frantically in a notebook. When they eventually decide to close the door and turn down the lights, the music stops and he starts.

He's a marvellous physical actor, completely enthralling for the 40 minutes or so he's on stage. He begins with an in-depth conversation with the desk, then the chair, then an invisible window. The play at this point takes a sexual turn - can't say I've ever before experienced the idea of someone being sexually attracted to furniture, but anyhow.. this, of course, is him confined to the asylum, as happens at the end of the original story. Afterwards, he goes back to the original story for his inspiration, focusing on the theme of his obsession with his boss' daughter, Sophie. Who, as in the original, has a little dog that annoys him. However, in this version, his obsession carries him a little further than the original..

The trigger warnings, for once, are well-deserved. This play is quite shocking, and he makes great use of the furniture in the retelling of why he's in there.. He has piercing blue eyes, and as I say, real physical presence - it's a most memorable play. And in depicting someone who's lost his mind, it's completely successful.. Runs till Sunday. Recommended.

And I was home in time to shop:

And tomorrow, Namastae Bae - a satirical guru. And wouldn't you know it, it's the same actor! I might just become a fan.. After booking, I realised that London Baroque Music Lovers has an event that day - they're going to Prom 7, at the Royal Albert Hall. Durnit, forgot about that when I was booking for that day! but I was booking a lot, and it was late at night, so I was tired. Never mind, that's quite a late event anyway. Shame though, I hardly ever meet this group these days - their events aren't very frequent. Anyway, a sometime companion of mine was looking at that event, asked me about mine, and has now expressed an interest in both - I dunno, I think it'd be too much of a rush to get from one to the other.. and after tonight, I think I'll probably prefer the play. For food, I might try Gregg's, also in Hammersmith Broadway.

On Wednesday, back with London Literary Walks (LLW) for a walk about Newton and Legal London. We're meeting in The Devereux, but they don't do proper meals - I'm eating in The George, up the road, beforehand. At least, after last Monday, I have some idea of the complicated street mapping!

The next two days, back with Over 40 Living the Life. On Thursday, it's Afrique en Cirque at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - always love a circus!

On Friday, it's Slave Play - at the Noel Coward, it got a terrific review. Stars Kit Harington - who apparently gets his kit off! (pun intended). Eating in the nearby Bella Italia.

Saturday was the next date possible for my ex-coworkers' reunion, what with everybody travelling hither and yon, and suffering from jetlag.. I was thinking of going back to Brown's. But then Ivan requested Sunday, because he's rehearsing that day - and the others were fine with it. But now it turns out he's needed in Scotland, where his family lives, on Sunday, so kind of has to meet us on Saturday.. he's cutting his rehearsal short.. and you might ask why I say it's like herding cats! So we now seem to be back to that day again.. I've booked The Albert for that day now, instead of the next.

On Sunday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) (at last!) for a short play, Comment is Free, at the Putney Arts Theatre. Sounds really interesting, having cancel culture as its theme. It's part of their Box Set Summer Festival - they do have a discount if you book multiples. The organiser is availing of that, but I'm not - I've seen one of them (A Hundred Words for Snow), which was a memorable production, but I don't generally like to repeat myself - and I'm not around for the others she's going to, the following weekend.

Next Monday, finally going to Mnemonic, at the National, which this group is seeing on Wednesday, but of course I'm already occupied that day. Does sound interesting though.

On the 30th, back with CT: for The Improv Comedy Show - Can We Have a Word? at Upstairs at the Green.

On the 31st, I'm back with UITCS for Starlight Express! Heard of this, never seen it - it's at the new Wembley Park Theatre. And I'm trying out their Studio Five restaurant beforehand.

On the 1st, heading to Frankie Goes to Bollywood at the Queen Elizabeth Hall again - should be fun. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 5th, heading to Next To Normal, at Wyndham's - cheapest tickets with TodayTix. Eating at Bella Italia again.

On the 6th, headed back with CT to Stagetime - more improvised comedy - at Shoreditch Balls! Eating at the nearby Blues Kitchen, which I love.

On the 7th, back with LLW for Dickens, Woolf and Lawrence. Meeting at The Dolphin, but they don't do food, so I'll eat at the nearby Isolabella Italian restaurant beforehand.

And on the 8th, back with Buddies on Budgets for a sketching evening (!) in Phoenix Garden. Tickets from Eventbrite. If I go.. not usually my thing, but we'll see.