Play: Shake It Up - The Improvised Shakespeare Show

Tonight, headed to Shake It Up - the Improvised Shakespeare Show (always good) at the Hen & Chickens. Ticket from CT. Started off in good time to eat beforehand - saw I could get there in just under an hour by bus. Now, what happened next is slightly complicated.. I was waiting for the first bus when I noticed I had no internet on my phone. Blast it.. I spent the whole first part of the journey trying to figure it out - more particularly since I hadn't memorised the route! I knew I had to change, and remembered it had recommended the #21 - but where, and where to get off, I had no idea. 

Well, I wasn't sure, but figured I could catch that at London Bridge - so I got off, and while I waited there, I pondered my phone. Fiddled around with the settings.. and discovered the internet was disabled for it, apart from WiFi! FFS.. I didn't do that.. what must have happened was it disabled itself automatically, after our WiFi went down last night and I used the phone as a tether for my laptop. Honestly, some phones are too clever for their own good.. well, I re-enabled it, and the rest of the journey was seamless.

I tend to eat in La Pasta, up in this direction.. there was no-one there when I went in, so she said I could take any seat - I sat by the window.  Ordered garlic bread - now, I usually get the escalope here, but I was hungrier than usual today, and thought I might go for pasta. Had the penne with chicken and mushroom.. which, as usual, came when I was halfway through the garlic bread. And it was good - and so filling! I'd love to have dessert here sometime, but as I explained to her, I was in a rush, so didn't. Lord knows, I was too stuffed..

Across the road then to the pub - and I'd had the presence of mind to remember my membership card, which you must have to attend a show here, and which is valid for a year - so mine was still in date. Saved myself £1.50 there - plus, it entitles you to 10% off drinks for the duration of its validity! So it's actually worth getting - and my glass of wine was lovely. Served automatically in plastic, so you can take it up to the theatre. It wasn't as busy as when I usually come here, for their horror film festival around Hallowe'en - so I managed to find a comfy seat, and was waiting happily there when the lass (always the same one) from the acting troupe came around asking people to scribble words or phrases on strips of paper, for the actors to secrete about their person and whip out at appropriate moments..

It wasn't that full, but I was fine in the front row. As usual, the show started with them canvassing the audience - first for the style of play.. tonight, unusually, they chose History! We were then asked for a name, a place - and a number between 5 and, I think, 45 - can't quite remember. And so it was that we were treated to the tale (true, of course, being a history) of King Barry the 27th of Machu Picchu.. ;-)

I adore these performances - of course they have some standby phrases, but they're also great at thinking on their feet, and this performance included ghosts, the Duke of Argentina - I think King Barry got elevated to be the King of Peru.. and we had as much fun, of course, when they were momentarily stuck for ideas of where to go next as when they sailed through. It's only an hour long - but hey, that means you get your night back.. which I used primarily for sleeping, I have to say! On my way back, I noticed La Pasta was now closed - well, it was a Monday. Was going to shop in Tesco when I got back, then realised, as I waited for the bus back, that I was right beside a Waitrose, duh.. Anyway, this show runs here the first Monday of every month, but they perform at other venues too - keep an eye out.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Mrs. Warren's Profession, by George Bernard Shaw, starring Imelda Staunton, at the Garrick - with plenty of ticket deals available, I got mine from Seatplan, which will give me bonus points with them. Eating beforehand at Bella Italia Irving Street - oh, it'll be nice to get back to Bella Italia.

On Wednesday, we have our work summer party, at the Rotunda in King's Place, of all places! Gee, I only just made that connection..

On Thursday, back with UITCS for Lovestuck, a comedy musical at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.

On Friday - I'm off on holiday! to the classical music festival in Aix-en-Provence, in the company of my companion for the Swiss trip. We're flying to Marseille. Now, the region is home to a number of historic towns, which I'm keen to see.. hopefully the weather won't be so hot as to prevent travel. Or sleep. Anyway, our first two nights are at the Grand Théatre de Provence - that night, we're attending a concert by Jakub Józef Orlinski.

On Saturday, we're at the opera Don Giovanni. 

Next Monday, we're at La Calisto, at the Théatre de l' Archeveché (open-air).

On the 17th, we're at a concert by the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditeranée, at the Théatre Antique d' Orange (also open-air) - getting a shuttle bus to that. And then she's flying home - I'm flying to Ireland for the weekend, a trip that was booked months ago. Finally back to London on the 20th.

And on the 21st, back with UITCS for Noughts & Crosses, at Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre.