Stories in the Dark

Today, storytelling from the Crick Crack Club! Ben Haggarty and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson were to perform Stories in the Dark at the Richmond Lending Library. Sold out well in advance, I believe. It's too far to depend on buses. In fact, it's too far even to depend on the Tube the whole way - the only way there in under an hour was to get the Jubilee Line to Waterloo, then a train to Richmond.

After a lovely, long, much-needed lie-in, I just managed to squeeze out the last blog post before I left, yay! And it's just as well I wasn't depending on a bus to take me to London Bridge to catch the Tube - because, as I was walking there, not a single one passed me that I could have taken. Got to Waterloo - too late for the train that would have gotten me to the library at 4.15, as instructed.. but I carefully read the emails they sent, and it seemed the show wouldn't start until 4.30. Plus they tend to start late. So I hadn't given up hope just yet! The next train would get me there before 4.30. Meantime, I had a protest to skirt in Waterloo - they're everywhere, it seems!

The train whisked me quickly to Richmond in the sunshine - and it was such a nice change to be on a train pulling in there, which was continuing on and therefore wouldn't delay, rather than a Tube, which always creeps slowly into the station! It was only a short walk from there - but then I ran into a conundrum, when I came to the "library annexe". I could see signs for function rooms, but no indication of the event, and nobody around - panicking slightly now, I saw that my map directed me down an alleyway, to the other side of the building. I finally twigged that this must be the back, and for once, my map was directing me to the main entrance, bless it!

After a couple of houses on that road, you come to a couple of old, red-brick buildings - I figured that had to be it. Saw a sign for Richmond Theatre, where I thought I'd never been, but it turns out I was, in February - and lo, as I approached, I saw the building before that was the library! In the doors, and I ran into a whole bunch of people standing around - I must have looked anxious, because a couple of the librarians started laughing and reassured me that I was in time! They were handing out tea lights, and the instruction was to light them as we entered, to provide some illumination, then extinguish them and only light them again when we were coming out - or before that, if we needed assistance. Phones, of course, were to be turned off, as was anything that lit up.

Naturally, it started late - and lo, we were taken back down the alley and into the annexe. Huh. So if I'd stayed where I'd been, I'd have been fine. They sure weren't joking about it being in the dark - they did a sterling job of making the room lightproof. A heavy black curtain hung in front of the door, there were no windows, and the librarians leading us carefully to where there were chairs were almost as unsteady as the audience members. At least, we were reassured, the floor was level. I was first in, as it happened, and it was very unnerving - as others arrived, the combined tealights helped to light the space to an extent.

And then we were told to extinguish them. It turned out that Sara-Liisa Wilkinson wasn't in this performance, as advertised - it was Steph Brittain with Ben Haggarty, and music by Sheema Mukherjee. Again, that sensation of seeing nothing.. of course, I love immersive audio with Darkfield, but that is rather different, the audio personal to you, coming right through headphones into your ears. This was a curious experience for me, and I couldn't decide whether to keep my eyes open or closed - I finally decided on closed, for the most part; I could see as much either way.

The first story was hers, and was one I hadn't heard before, of a woman created out of flowers to provide the king with a wife, but who falls in love with a handsome hunter. Ben's was one I had heard of, of a king cursed to marry his sister, who is saved by the daughter of Baba Yaga. The show was only an hour long, so that was all we got - nothing particularly scary, which I think was a missed opportunity. The darkness does help the audience to focus on the story, of course - and made it easy to make us jump, when required. But whatever I might have changed about it, it was so much better than Wednesday.. They ran another performance of that this evening (also sold out), and are doing a family show tomorrow.

I'd booked the Buenos Aires steakhouse for afterwards. I'd timed my dinner well - any earlier and I'd have been late! It was only a short walk though, and I had plenty of time. Thank goodness I booked - it was packed, and he was very careful to make sure my name was down! Service was absolutely like lightning - no sooner did I want something than someone was available to fill my need, and nothing took too long. When I'd ordered, looking around, the place seemed familiar - sure enough, I later checked and yes, I have been there before!

And it's a shame I didn't check before I ordered, because, like the last time, I ordered an 8oz sirloin - and like the last time, I could have gone for the next size up. OMG though, it was incredible.. I used the sauce on the fries, which needed that and salt to make them palatable - but the steak cut like butter, and was sublime. And for once, I had time for dessert - chocolate fudge cake, which I asked for cold, and he said that shouldn't be a problem. Ah, I was sad to leave.. Shopped on the way home, and on the Tube back, a misbehaving child distracted me so much, I missed my stop. Otherwise an uneventful journey.

Tomorrow, back with The Hideout for Good Boy - a horror film from the perspective of a dog just trying to protect its master! Happening in Cineworld Leicester Square - details announced on Tuesday - and I'm eating in Bella Italia beforehand, of course, then meeting the group at Victory House. Mind you, he put the wrong ticket link on the event page - I only discovered when I started getting event alerts for it yesterday, and realised I'd booked a ticket for yesterday instead of tomorrow! Ah well, these things happen.. at least, with yesterday's showing past, nobody else can use that link now!

Next, a couple of plays. On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Lifers, a prison drama at Southwark Playhouse - was delighted I still had credit on my PAYG subscription with them.

On Tuesday, heading to Blessings at Riverside Studios - a play about a staunchly religious family in the 60s, with change in the offing. Damnit, I saw it was on CT, checked to see whether full-price tickets were more expensive, which they were - and accidentally booked one of those instead!

Wednesday is our work social - we're headed to Boom Battle Bar, which has, em, axe throwing.. among other things. Augmented reality features. Well, I missed it at Shocktober..

On Thursday, I'm back with the London Classical Music and Theatre Group for The Cardinall's Musick, performing a choral concert at St. Martin in the Fields.

On Friday, The Hideout persuaded me to go to Ti West's X trilogy - Pearl, X, and MaXXXine - at the Prince Charles. Never seen any of them before. Lord knows when I'll have time to eat..

And next Saturday, meeting James for our monthly get-together at The Phoenix - it's the only weekend he can, and he prefers Saturday. Ivan can't make it - Martin provisional as of yet.