Play: A Good House

Two Meetup days in a row now. Tonight, I headed to A Good House, at the Royal Court, with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - eating in Cote Sloane Square beforehand. Whose service speed had improved, the last couple of times I was there - I thought it'd be interesting to see whether they could keep the side up.

Handily, I could get a bus there from work within about half an hour - I was in the office today - and it dropped me right around the corner from the restaurant, hurray! Also hurray for the lovely blast of hot air as you go in - I complimented the lady on the desk for that. I was slightly early for my booking, but was immediately shown to a table at the back. Had the same as Wednesday of last week in Cote St. Katharine Docks - the Prix Fixe menu, with the pumpkin soup and steak frites, and a carafe of the Vielles Vignes Sauvignon Blanc, which I love. I skipped ordering dessert, which I knew I wouldn't have time for.

The soup was lovely, as ever - I dunno though, I'm beginning to tire of the steak frites, might get something else next time I'm in a Cote. And the wine tasted better than ever. Wow though, the service was remarkable - for all that they've improved mightily, I've never seen it so good! Several different people were obviously keeping an eye on my table to see whether I needed anything, and I was hardly kept waiting for anything. The only small glitch was when she brought two glasses for the wine..

Now, following my terrible experience in my last Cote (as above), they're refunding me, and also gave me a voucher, would you believe, redeemable in any Cote! I had to go to the till so the manager could input the code - and lo, the price of dinner didn't even come up to the value of the voucher. I still have a few quid left on it! So, a very good experience, this time around - and good for this branch of Cote, they now have the best service of anywhere I can think of.

Moseyed along to the theatre bar to meet the group - a large number of us were coming, and seating was at a premium. I didn't feel like a drink - the carafe was enough, especially considering the food came so fast I was left drinking a lot of wine after I'd finished eating. I was also a bit worried about Storm Éowyn, which will impact my mother's area severely.. not to mention exhausted after the week I've had. So my conversation wasn't exactly sparkling. Anyway, it wasn't long until we had to take our seats.

Passing the cloakroom, I decided £1 was worth it to give my laptop bag a home for a couple of hours. I was in the Circle Slips - completely forgot to take a photo, but half the stage was obscured, so not a great view. I ended up skewed sideways as well, as there was no-one in the seat beside me - not the most comfortable of positions.

Having said that, I did really enjoy the play. I hadn't realised it's South African - I did recognise the accent, the minute one of the actors opened his mouth, though. The story concerns a black couple who move into an affluent white neighbourhood - and we see them interact with two different couples who are neighbours of theirs. The tensions, amid the enforced politeness, are obvious, as the longterm inhabitants adjust their prejudices in light of the obvious wealth and polish of the new arrivals. Why, you'd hardly know they had any prejudices at all.. until a tin shack appears in the green space beside the estate. Then it all comes flooding out - with some surprising reactions all round.

Excellent acting, well-drawn characters, at times hilarious. I did enjoy this, and it speaks to the unrecognised prejudices we might all carry. Well worth a look, this - runs for 100 minutes straight through. Runs till the 8th.

I collected my bag afterwards - and unfortunately, a few of us didn't realise that the group was meeting back in the bar.. we met at the front instead. When we did realise, I really didn't feel like lugging my bag all the way down there, and all the way up again, and we all just made our way home. I discovered the buses back would get me there in under an hour, so that's what I did - unfortunately, the stop I headed for was closed because of roadworks, and I found myself having to walk all the way to the next!

Later, changing to the #381, the Buses Due app did a terrible job of predicting when it'd come, not showing any ETA for it at all.. only for it to come sailing along completely unexpectedly! This bus became unusually entertaining on the way home - first, I had to help an old lady figure out where she was (the stop indicator on the bus wasn't working), then a couple of loud-mouthed people got on and started a fight down the back, when one thought he knew the other, but he didn't, she tried to beg from him, and they got into a fight, which persisted until I got off. Ah, the joys of buses, I tell you..

And tomorrow, I decided to accompany The Hideout to see Presence! in Picturehouse Central. Stars Lucy Liu. Well, it doesn't have a terrific rating, but neither does it have a bad one - and the trailer looks good.

On Saturday, back with the Crick Crack Club at King's Place, for The Three Snake Leaves, with Hugh Lupton, Ben Haggarty, and Sally Pomme Clayton - music by Sheema Mukherjee. Accompanied by a sometime companion from UITCS. Potentially meeting Ivan for a late-night drinking session afterwards - TBD.

On Sunday, two Meetup groups I haven't been with in an age - in the morning, I'm headed with London Literary Walks for a parade commemorating the execution of Charles I! Never heard of it, but apparently it's a thing. We're meeting at The Red Lion, Crown Passage.

And in the evening, I'm back with Buddies on Budgets in London, for the Winter Lights show in Canary Wharf.

On Monday, I'm back at King's Place for a Kirckman Society concert by the Paddington Trio. It'll be good to get back to classical music, it's been too long..

On Tuesday - now that next week's film list is finally out - why, I think I'll head to The Brutalist, about which I've heard so much. Stars Adrian Brody, and is apparently so long they have an intermission.. and, heh, it's in the Curzon Bloomsbury. Dare I return to Cote on St. Katharine Docks..? I do have to use up that £3 or so I have left over on the voucher..

On Wednesday, I'm at Titanique, the parody musical, at the Criterion! Cheapest tickets from the official source - but lo, it wasn't until I'd bought mine that they bothered to mention it was a "severely restricted" view! Mind you, although it's behind a pillar, it's only a little 'un - I'll probably manage. Booked for Bella Italia, Shaftesbury Avenue, which I'll be passing to get there.

Next Thursday, back with Over 40 Living the Life - first time this year - for Play On, a musical at the Lyric Hammersmith. Re-imagines Twelfth Night - in the Cotton Club! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend..