Play: Good Night, Oscar

Today started a run of four days of Meetups. Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Good Night, Oscar, at the Barbican. Stars Sean Hayes. Eating beforehand in Cote Barbican.

It lashed rain at lunchtime, but the weather app promised it'd clear by evening. And sure enough, when I left home, it was bright and sunny. And by the time I was due to get off the bus.. it was lashing again. And me not dressed for it, and with a walk to the restaurant. I - was - absolutely - soaked. She asked whether I wanted a table by the window, or on the sofa - I figured I might as well be by the window, as long as I was on the right side of it!

They have a new, fixed-price, menu for weekdays - my regulars were on it: calamari and steak frites. But they had a "steak frites deluxe", with sirloin.. so I thought I'd have that. Comes with triple-cooked chips. Also comes with a different butter from the regular option - absolutely delicious! Still, I'm not sure it's worth the £8 extra they charge for the "deluxe". The steak comes conveniently sliced into thin strips - but wow, I'd love to find out what that butter was.. They also have a chocolate praline tart on this menu, wow - but sadly, I didn't have time for it. And if you're having that menu, you can choose a carafe of wine (white, red, rose) for £18 - I risked it, and was quite happy - their wine list is good.

Wouldn't you know it, the sun came beaming out as I was eating, and I was rained on no more. A short walk to the Barbican - and how annoying it is that Google Maps, which I consulted just to see how long a walk it was, I already knew the way - insists that I go around, when I know I can go straight through! I found the others on the basement level, which is also the level for the Theatre Stalls - unfortunately, I was right up in the Gallery, at the top level. Mercifully, as I was going in, the nice usher showed me where the lift was. My seat was pretty central - and as I always say, there are no bad seats here:

That rail isn't actually a problem - just lean, there isn't anyone behind to have their view disturbed by you. And I had somewhere to rest my feet!

Now - this is the story of Oscar Levant, and specifically, of an apparently true event, when he was discharged from a psychiatric unit for four hours to appear on the tv chat show, Tonight Starring Jack Paar. We see the preamble, with him being warned not to say anything contentious. We see a snippet of the show, with him being highly contentious. And he gets to play the piano..

The name Oscar Levant meant nothing to me - isn't that funny? because I must have seen him in old films. He was absolutely a household name, back in the day, apparently - as a virtuoso pianist, who starred in films with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse.. but also as a wit and raconteur. The jokes told on stage tonight are straight from his mouth.

Sean Hayes got a round of applause just for coming on - he won a Tony for this, and I do believe it was well-deserved. He delivers the lines with aplomb - and it's a really enjoyable play, just listening to his one-liners, even as he struggles to stay on his feet, he's so drugged up for this performance. But oh - it's worth the price of admission alone, just to watch his piano performance of Rhapsody in Blue. Which I was humming all the way home.

It's one of those special performances - very highly recommended. Currently booking till the 21st.

Upcoming, a few days of film - all with the same people. Just the other day, Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) advertised a choice of film for tomorrow. You could have The Roses - an updated version of The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a married couple whose marriage breaks up spectacularly. Danny DeVito is her divorce lawyer. The updated version has Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

Or you could have Caught Stealing. In the style of crime comedy films we know and love - hell, it's actually set in 90s NYC - here we have Austin Butler as the hapless interloper in an underground crime world that he is neither familiar with, nor wants to be (he reminds me so much of Brad Pitt, back in the day). Zoe Kravitz is the love interest. Liev Schreiber shows up, pretty unrecognisable, as one of the heavies.

Both in the Cineworld Empire, both finishing at around the same time, it's a combined Meetup, you just go to whichever appeals. So.. which am I going to? Watch this space. ;-)

On Friday - well now, I was hardly going to miss The Hideout's trip to The Conjuring: Last Rites, which opens that day.. starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, it apparently covers the 1986 Smurl haunting. And they're supposed to be making this the last case. Well, I love this stuff, so that was a no-brainer. Showing in the Odeon West End.

And last night - just as I'd finished the blog - MRL advertised Honey Don't!, in the Cineworld Empire again, for Saturday. Directed by Ethan Coen, it's an old-style private detective comedy thriller, starring Margaret Qualley as detective Honey O' Donahue, investigating a suspicious church run by Chris Evans.

Eating in Bella Italia all three days, of course, as it's convenient for both cinemas. :-)