Musical: London Road

Tonight, headed with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for the second night in a row - to the National Theatre this time, for London Road. Booked to eat at The Archduke - hoping for better service than last time! A couple more were to join me there, so I amended the booking. Then one cancelled, but when I tried to amend it again, to a booking just for two, I couldn't have got the same time - so I left it as was.

I was in meetings all afternoon - the first ran into the time for the second, which I thought was never going to finish.. mercifully, working from home, I could get ready while they were talking, and so I had my coat on and everything ready to leave by the time they finally decided they'd had enough - and just in time for the bus that would get me there in time for my booking. Which, of course, changed destination en route, as they all seem to be these days - happily, I wasn't going far enough for that to affect me. Of course, my companion arrived before I did, and obligingly messaged me a copy of the wine list so I could choose what she ordered.

I arrived with five minutes to spare before the actual booking time. The server recognised me, and remarked how I was always here on my own, and now I'd brought two more! (Well, sort of..) As usual, we had a lovely view of the building site outside. I have to say, service was impeccable this time - perhaps they remembered the last? Anyway, we both had the soup (which, as I remarked, is always mushroom these days), I had my usual chicken, which was superb, and my companion made short work of the salad that came with it, pronouncing it lovely. Good for her, I'm not a salad eater.

In retrospect, we shouldn't have had the ice cream sundaes - but they are good. We ran to the loo, then had a gallop over to the theatre, just making it in time for the show, but not to meet the group beforehand.

Interestingly, I was on the aisle again. I did make it to the interval of this one, mind.. Note the hanging baskets. As someone has commented since, her main memory of seeing the show a few years back was them singing about hanging baskets. They're obsessed with the things, and just when she thought they'd finished, off they went again. Someone from tonight's group concurred.. Appropriate, then, that a hanging basket symbolises the show.

It's based on the real-life murder of a number of prostitutes in Ipswich, and more particularly, on the reaction of the locals, and their efforts to reclaim the town's reputation by staging a flower basket competition. Good for them. The play, and book it was based on, are based on verbatim statements by locals. As someone remarked at the interval, they've even left in all the "um"s..

So, it's realistic. What it isn't, as far as I'm concerned, is entertaining. The music is nondescript, hardly anyone actually sings, rather talking over the music.. and the plot is nonexistent, apart from them reclaiming their civic pride. Which is laudable, but doesn't make for much of a plot. See, the killer has already been apprehended at this point, the excitement is over. As I remarked, I've seen more drama in an episode of Corrie.. In the first half, they sing about hanging baskets, they sing about how they're suspicious of everyone, and much is made of a company giving out free panic alarms.

Yawn. I gave it till the interval, then left, glad to get my evening back again. Shopped in Sainsbury's on the way home, as Tesco's was woefully short of what I needed when I was there yesterday. On the bus, met a man with a cute little dog, who informed us that her "bee" costume (yellow and black stripes) was to stop her scratching herself. She made friends with all of us, then fell fast asleep. Also met a nice foreign student, studying in Glasgow but in town for a few days, and absolutely starstruck.. she was getting off near Tower Bridge, so I advised her where to go for good shots.. and that if she wanted to see London lights, they had specific tour buses for that!

Glad to see, when I got home, that others in the group were similarly unimpressed.. anyway, the thing is running till the 21st, if you too are obsessed with hanging baskets..

Hoping for more from what I'm seeing for the rest of the week. Tomorrow sees me back, at last, for storytelling at Torriano! Hosted, as ever, by Nell Phoenix, this one is The Shahnameh - Persian.

And on Thursday, back with UITCS, again at Sadler's Wells, for Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell. Love Matthew Bourne! Tried to book at The Wilmington as usual, but couldn't get a booking, except for drinks.. until I checked again, and two timeslots had opened up! So I've booked at last.

Then I'm back to Ireland - for the last time this month - for my mother's Month's Mind. Now, I only just booked my flights - quite last minute - and while the return flight was quite expensive, I was pleasantly surprised at the low cost of the outbound one! Can it really be because it's on Friday the 13th..?! ;-) Anyway, I've planned to meet that friend who couldn't meet when I was back before - not sure what is happening with my cousins though. If I'm at a loose end on Saturday, the best film around (that I haven't seen) seems to be Dangerous Animals, a horror about a serial killer who feeds his victims to the sharks. Literally. I see Shudder has bought it..