Play: Little Brother

Currently at the start of three Meetups: tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at Soho Theatre for Little Brother - planned to meet my sometime travel companion, who was also going, in the nearby Nellie Dean beforehand: but she figured she couldn't make it in time, so she booked Flat Iron for after, and I said I'd join her.

My buses were all delayed - and I was underway when I realised the play actually started at 7! half an hour earlier than I'd anticipated. That's what comes of not having time to check the ticket - which, to be fair, the theatre did text a link to in advance. Well, I made good time.. ran the last bit, and did get there for 7. Everybody had gone in, mind, but I got to my seat..

We could see the place was pretty empty, and sure enough, before the start, an usher invited us to go further down. So we took a place with plenty of space at the end of the row:

As you can see, a sparse stage, but a clever one nonetheless. As the action shifts from scene to scene, from box to box, we get a blackout during which we can watch light rods at the edges glow different colours.. the box on the top left is used whenever sitting is required.

Set in present-day Belfast, the play has a cast of four - the older sister, her younger brother, her boyfriend, and a nurse that we see at the start and then not again, although she probably provides the official phone voices. The story is of the "little brother" of the title - who has serious mental health issues, most dramatically demonstrated when he sets fire to his hand, for no apparent reason..

But it's also the story of his sister, who stresses out as she tries to do everything he needs, juggling her job and her social life; it's the story of her boyfriend, who resents his intrusion; and it's the story of the NHS in Northern Ireland, told as a practical example of overworked staff and lengthy waiting lists.

The sister, right after the incident, is nonplussed - why on earth would someone do this to themselves? Now, the nurse quotes a statistic that I'm pretty sure is made up, about how Northern Ireland has the world's highest rate of self-immolation - I'm sure I don't know, but a quick internet search seems to indicate that that's something that happens more in Asian countries, such as Iran and India - although concrete statistics are hard to come by. That doesn't take away from the horror of the act - and there's a couple of subsequent scenes where the lad who's done this to himself suffers a breakdown on stage, which is a scary thing to watch - particularly when one happens with his sister in the room.

But.. fear not, they've found a wonderfully light style to tell this story. The characters - beautifully drawn and beautifully acted - are personable. The older sister mellows from being a bossy sort of a person to a really caring and giving one - the younger brother is as taciturn as many young men, as hard to draw information from as blood from a stone, resorting to jokes so he doesn't have to deal with the serious stuff. The boyfriend.. oh my, he's a hoot from start to finish, living out every cliche from social awkwardness to possessiveness to jealousy of the brother.. and the script is great at finding the (black) humour in the most hopeless of situations.

All of which actually makes this a joy to watch. So it's a shame that many will probably be put off by the subject matter - frankly, I think the lighter approach made me care more about the character; had this been all doom and gloom, like so many others, I doubt it would have made such an impression on me. As it was, I was entertained, I liked, and cared about, the characters, and I can highly recommend this! Runs to the 22nd, 90minutes without interval.

It was a bit noisy to stay long chatting to the group in the bar afterwards - and we had a booking, so off we went, and were swiftly sat down the back. We got a mug of popcorn - my companion rightly asked for another (why should we get less because there are two of us - do they also only give one mug to larger groups?!), but I didn't finish mine - it tastes of cardboard, and was heavily salted.

Our order was quickly taken - I had the sirloin, my companion the aubergine dish, offered as a side, which you can also have as a main. Took forever to come - as did our wine, which we had to ask for again. We'd ordered a bottle of white wine to share, which, rightly, came in a cooler - had only just been placed in it obviously, as it was at room temperature! The glasses weren't chilled either - so whatever delayed them, it wasn't preparing the wine..

My companion was happy, as always in Flat Iron. My steak was tiny.. the smallest I've seen in a restaurant (less than 8oz, for sure, but unlike all other steak restaurants, they don't publish the sizes here), and certainly not good value at that price, although I have to say, it was delicious, as was the sauce I had with it, and as were the chips (which cost extra). Of course, they do neither starters nor desserts here - a guy at a nearby table wanted to know what the best steak was and what the best burger was, only to be told, well, they only do one burger!

So, there's really nothing to fill up on.. I've heard stories of people ordering a second steak to split between them. Personally, I have never spent so much money to leave so hungry - my stomach was growling by the time I got home. The ice cream they offer you as you are leaving is delicious too, but a small portion, and doesn't compensate. I won't be back to this cramped and frankly, overpriced restaurant - possibly not to Flat Iron again, when I know I can get steaks as good, for the same price, with tons of trimmings, so that you have no need of starter or dessert. In other places. I can rattle a list of them off the top of my head. Not impressed at all, nor with the lacklustre service.

Tomorrow, 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 Sunday, but I'm going on this day.) The organiser messaged me today to say he was looking forward to seeing me - obviously trying to ensure I was coming. Indeed - I've been digging out cash, on the assumption he won't have a card machine!

And on 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 Thursday, thinking of film again - as my co-worker says, it's my movie night - Urchin is at the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Appropriately, Hallowe'en weekend is all about The Hideout/Movie Roadhouse London (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 Saturday, planning to go with MRL to the 40th anniversary screening of Back to the Future in the Cineworld Imax - finally got a ticket booked, after some internet trouble. As usual, eating in Bella Italia, meeting the group in Victory House.

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

Finally, next Monday, fourth Meetup in a row, back with UITCS for Fatherland at Hampstead Theatre. Set in Mayo ("God help us", as the saying goes, due to its poor land..)

For the 4th, thinking film again, and what's coming up is The Mastermind, a 70s art crime heist drama starring Josh O' Connor, closest showing in the Genesis Cinema, which I've never tried.. two showings, should I fancy going later.

Next, a couple of days of post-Hallowe'en horror.. On the 5th, I'm back with Over 40 Living the Life, for the first time in a few months, to see a musical called The Coven, about a famous English witchcraft trial! Showing in The Kiln - and it's nearly two years since I've been there!

And on the 6th, finally thinking about seeing Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein.. The Hideout saw it on the 18th, but of course I was otherwise occupied! Directed by the same man who directed my favourite film ever, Pan's Labyrinth, it has Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an unrecognisable Jacob Elordi as the creature, apparently channelling Bill Skarsgard in this year's amazing version of Nosferatu, with the same type of growling voice: Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance. I'll be in the office that day, and the closest showing to work turns out to be in the Curzon Soho!

Then I'm heading back to Ireland for the weekend, on what will probably be my last trip this year, my weekends are looking so busy!