Storytelling

Tonight, finally back with storytelling at Torriano! It's months since I was last there. Had to be Tube, this far out - Northern Line on its own was going to be faster than taking the Jubilee Line, followed by the Northern - and with timings being a bit tight, as usual, as I was in perfect time to catch a bus to the station, that's what I did. Wouldn't you know it though, force of habit took me on the Jubilee Line. Never mind, I'd saved time with the bus.

I planned to eat at Nando's - just as well I knew where it was, considering it was completely obscured by scaffolding! It was open though - and I'd timed it perfectly, as a whole stream of people left as I was about to go in. So I got to sit near where they'd been, and it was lovely and quiet. Ooh, and I was due a free meal from my loyalty points! Goodee.. I didn't really have time for dessert, sadly, but I had a second glass of wine.

Walked over there. These things are usually hosted by Nell Phoenix, but she's apparently travelling - I don't know the person who took over this evening. General consensus was, however, that she wasn't half as good at snacks - there was popcorn, there were breadsticks, there was something that looked like bacon strips, which I didn't try. What there was not, was alcohol.. just orange juice and water. A couple of ladies down the back complained about the spread, as we assembled.

On this occasion, the performance was advertised as Lilith: The Other Side of the Story. You guessed it.. no it wasn't. The "host" started with a short story, pretty forgettable - considering I'd forgotten it by the time I left. And then Alys Torrance launched into a long thing - not the advertised one, of course. It occupied the rest of the first half, and all the second - and while well-delivered, it was the most frustrating story of, frankly, two stupid women.. I ached to get out of there, I twisted and turned in my seat. What a relief when they found each other and bonded over the sheer cruelty of their husbands, in expecting them to know anything without being told. The End.

At the interval, she got people to make chickens out of paper and string. I passed. They weren't really used, but were put on stage and kind of acted as decoration for the story's rural setting.

I wasn't actually the first out of there, but nearly.

Tomorrow, we have a company-sponsored team lunch, a reward for our hard work on the recent release - and I'll be eating burgers again, in Byron Burgers. Another place I haven't been to in years! And tomorrow evening, I thought film - and what came up was Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a documentary where a Russian teacher films his school to capture Putin's brainwashing of schoolchildren to fight against the Ukraine. Showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury - which, of course, I can walk to from the office, where I'll be that day. I booked - it was selling out - and used the last of my year's free tickets on it.

Then a few more days of horror. On Friday, I'm off to Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition at Waterloo Vaults - sounded too interesting to miss!

On Saturday, storytelling from the Crick Crack Club! Ben Haggarty and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson are performing Stories in the Dark at the Richmond Lending Library. Sold out now, I believe. I've booked the Buenos Aires steakhouse for afterwards.

On Sunday, 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 last night - and I'm eating in Bella Italia beforehand, of course, then meeting the group at Victory House.

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!

Next 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 the 16th, 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 the 17th, 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 on the 18th, 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.