Film Quiz & Cabaret: Sabrage

Last Monday, back with The Hideout for a film quiz! Also hosted by Movie Roadhouse London (MRL), and happening in the Prince Charles Cinema - so glad I got to go to one of these at last! It only just occurred to me the night before to buy a ticket - the quiz is actually run by the cinema, and is ticketed! I'm just not used to buying tickets for quizzes.. 

I booked to eat in Bella Italia beforehand - and yes, the #188 had to stop for a change of drivers. I was in time, though - and wow, was to be glad I booked, it was packed! As I paid afterwards, I asked the server whether this was normal for a Monday, and she said no.. As to the meal, I went back to the dough balls for starter. I couldn't face the chicken milanese after the last, disastrous, time I was there though - I had the carbonara, with chicken. I was a bit jealous, seeing the guy at the next table eating the milanese - which didn't look burnt - but you know, the carbonara was lovely, and a lot lighter than the milanese with fries! Will consider that, in future. And lovely - they've gone back to offering free limoncello after the meal - I wasn't the only one to take one. I did see a lot of bottles of it on the shelf - perhaps they're trying to clear stock..?

I was then meeting the group in Victory House - and sure enough, Jonny was there early: so when I had my limoncello, off I went - and it was to be a good night for drinks, with the server giving me an extra drop! We had a lovely chat, as ever, all the livelier when more joined.. and when it was time, off we popped to the cinema, where the quiz was happening in Screen 1.

Jonny hadn't attended before either, and we were shocked at how full it was! We had a team of five - the maximum allowed - but found it hard to sit together, so three of us went in the front row, two behind. There was a cheery chap hosting and playing piano, and a party vibe - and being the season of Hallowe'en, the quiz had a horror vibe too; we had Freddy as co-host.

It was good fun - but oh my, I had pretty much no hope at the answers. The nadir came for me when they had a round where you had to identify the film from the audio clip of a victim being killed! Oh honestly.. So no, we didn't win anything. But we had fun, as I say. It ran too late for me to blog that night, though. Oh, and yes - the #188 had a change of driver on the way home..

Yesterday, work kept getting in the way of me blogging. Last night, I booked with Fever for Sabrage, a new cabaret show happening in Lafayette. It's just behind King's Cross station - but although they advertise food, I never tend to trust these places for food anyway; they tend to be overpriced and lacking in choice. I figured I'd eat in the station. 

Oh my, what a palaver that turned out to be.. as on Monday, the place was absolutely packed. I tried The Barrel Vault - a Wetherspoon's, and so, large; I tried The Parcel Yard; I tried the upstairs seating area near the eateries. All full - most frustrating, although I was entertained throughout by an opera singer busking outside Boots. I ended up in Pret, which had both sandwiches and seats. Ate, and headed to Lafayette, a five-minute walk through Pancras Square - seeing, on the way, lots of eateries I hadn't known were there! Must remember them, in future. And a guy passed me, remarking to his companion how very busy it was around there this evening..

No problem finding Lafayette, where I was told the house wasn't open yet - not until half an hour beforehand - but I could get a drink. You can take them in, so I got a carafe and took a seat at the large communal table in the lobby. The place is obviously going for a New Orleans vibe, what with its wrought-iron balcony:

When we saw people queueing and getting tickets scanned, we made a move too. As usual, I'd booked a cheap seat, on the balcony; however, when they checked my ticket and saw that, they sent me to the box office - where I was told the balcony was closed, and I was being upgraded downstairs! (so to speak). Which is how I came to be ringside!

As we waited for the show to start, a waiter came around to ask whether I wanted anything. As it happened, I'd just been scanning the "Temptations" menu - this isn't the full menu, which you can access using the QR code at every seat. Nonetheless, I had spotted chicken tenders - which weren't exorbitant, at £9. So I asked for those. They were delivered really quickly, in a kind of wide tin dish - no cutlery, but lots of napkins. And wow, they were gorgeous! a bit spicy, but not too much. I was most impressed - they also had sliders and "mini-sirloins" - if I come back here, I might just try some more..

I was just nicely finished in time for the show. And OMG, the only word is.. decadent. The costumes, the attitude..

There was also a strong French influence:

Hold onto your hats at this show.. it's fast-paced, and they do love audience interaction. As usual, they go a bit harder on the men.. you might be safe on the balcony (if it's not closed) - I can't guarantee anywhere else. It's a frantic mix of comedy (from our two hosts, above), circus acts, and nudity. Yes.. we were informed, on the way in, that photos were fine, video was fine - but please don't photograph or film any naked people. Right so..

There's nudity throughout a lot of the show - if you're squeamish about that, best avoid. Only for the first act after the interval is the entire cast nude, playing one of those teaser scenes with towels. There are only a few circus acts - a couple of aerialists, and a lady very good at balancing things on her toes:

In fact, they have one act swinging a lady around, pouring champagne from mid-air into flutes that have been provided to audience members.. I got one, and she managed to get it half full! (plus some poured down my arm). Much appreciated, though..

One act involves throwing - either by hand or from the mouth - grapes into the mouths of cast members, or audience members. We ended up with a squished grape on the floor beside us - a slip hazard, careful. I was also to be glad I'd finished that wine before we came to the last act before the interval - it was a bloody pillowfight! I - along with most of the audience - ended up doused in a storm of feathers.. they went everywhere. I was still combing bits out of my hair today. They stuck to my clothes.. and yes, ended up in both my glass and the carafe. Funnily enough, when someone came to clear glasses at the interval, and I gave them to her - complete with feathers - she seemed quite perplexed.. really, has she seen the show?! You'd be well advised to wear some kind of sheeting for that bit, honestly..

Toilets, which I visited at the interval, are unisex. Orders can be taken, and delivered, throughout the show - but I did fine sticking to beforehand and at the interval. I have to say - apart from the feather storm - I absolutely loved the show. It's a triumph of decadence, and if you're not offended by nudity, I can highly recommend it. Food is great too - but watch out for the pillowfight. Currently booking to the 8th of February. Crikey, Fever is developing quite the reputation - that's three things I've booked with them now: Tutankhamen, the Immersive Exhibition was the first, Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition the second. Wow, wonder what my next one with them shall be.. bound to be spectacular, on past experience..

I was just figuring out what to do tonight when I got an email from Top Secret comedy club, advertising a WIP show by Russell Howard tonight - looked better than what I had been considering, so I booked! In their new venue on Kingsway, which I haven't yet visited. Eating in Cote Covent Garden afterwards.

Tomorrow, thinking of The Story of Souleymane, jury prizewinner at Cannes, which is an immigrant drama set in Paris. Showing in the Garden Cinema.

Then two Meetups - on Friday, back with London Social & Cultural Meetups for a social at The Parcel Yard. I've warned the organiser about how busy it was last night - hope she manages a table.

And on Saturday, London Museums from A-Z were kind enough to stage an event for those of us with October and November birthdays! We're meeting in The Goodman's Field, then having a ghost walk - one of the group has researched not only spooky stops, but has come up with a script for each, and advertised for people to read them! I've volunteered, and for two if necessary. Hallowe'en costumes encouraged! Finishing in the Minories..

On Sunday, I'm with TAC at a classical guitar concert, Due Cordi Brillanti, at King's Place.

Then three Meetups: on Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at Soho Theatre for Little Brother - planning to meet my sometime travel companion, who's also going, in the nearby Nellie Dean beforehand.

On Tuesday, a new Meetup group to me, Rewind Tours of London, which apparently runs pay-what-you-like walks, has a special Hallowe'en walk - London: City of Death! (Actually running daily until just after Hallowe'en, but I'm going on this day.)

And next Wednesday, The Hideout has grabbed me again - we're headed to Nightmare on Elm Street 2 at Cineworld Leicester Square. And yes, meeting at Victory House again, and I'll be in Bella Italia before that.

On the 30th, thinking of film again - Urchin is at the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Appropriately, Hallowe'en weekend is all about The Hideout/MRL! On Hallowe'en itself, The Hideout are on another field trip - following the success of Shocktober, we're now off to Haunt Fest. I'll have to get off work as quickly as possible - blast that I can't take the day off this year, I always try to but my days have been spoken for. Anyway, we can get there by Thameslink from King's Cross (gee, I'm there a lot all of a sudden!), and handily, Harpenden, our destination, had the Oyster system extended to it some years ago. We're meeting in The Parcel Yard - well, unless I need to go straight to the train!

On the 1st, planning to go with MRL to the 40th anniversary screening of Back to the Future in the Cineworld Imax - having trouble booking a ticket though, the site keeps hanging! like many this week. Watch this space..

And on the 2nd, I'm back with The Hideout for a new horror, Shelby Oaks, Leicester Square venue TBD..

Finally, on the 3rd, fourth Meetup in a row, back with UITCS for Fatherland at Hampstead Theatre.