Play: Kindling & Storytelling: Winter's Night Wonder Tales

Last night, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Kindling in the Park Theatre. It's a comedy about a group of perimenopausal women who go on a camping trip to scatter their friend's ashes. My companion from Monday went to that too, and we planned on heading to Palmyra's Kitchen afterwards. Or before, depending how quickly she got there..

Another thing I had to get the Tube to - both lines I got were packed, and I was standing. At least, on the Victoria Line, I got some air.. albeit lukewarm. My companion said she wouldn't make it till just before showtime - checking the theatre, I discovered (a) that I was the first there of the group, and (b) that the upstairs seating area was taken over by a function. Well, I was hungry, so took myself back to M&S for a sandwich - running into the organiser en route, headed in the other direction, to the theatre.

Wouldn't you know it, as I browsed for chocolate to go with the sandwich, I ran into her again.. she had intended to have the pizza the theatre always advertises. They have a pizza oven behind the counter. However.. they hardly ever actually have pizza! so she was on the same mission. As she pointed out, they could hardly object to us taking food back to eat in the bar, when they weren't providing the food they advertised.. which was what we did. Queueing for a drink, back at the theatre, I overheard another customer asking whether they had crisps.. nope, just popcorn and rice cakes. "You're really not having a good night, are you?" was his response. Indeed.

We occupied a handy table until the others arrived, then when it was time, went in together - seating was unassigned, and we managed to get together in the front row. I have to say, this is the most effort I've seen put into stage design in ages!

Really gave a woodland feel, when we had to walk across what resembled a forest floor to get to our seats. Anyway, the cast are five-fold.. and a motley crew, the dead woman obviously having had a disparate range of friends, and wanted to get them together. There's the ditsy one, who somehow is the camping expert, except everything she touches goes wrong; there's the glam one, who is terribly unsure about the whole nature experience, and petrified of cows; there's the no-nonsense gay one, pragmatic and a bit grumpy; there's the posh one, who's brought cake and is terribly jolly; and there's the singleton, still living the wild party lifestyle, and who is put in charge of the wine..

They hit the comic tone just right, for me certainly - the klutz is hilarious as she lurches from one disaster to another, and the writer finds lots of unpleasant things to happen to the glam one. There are some rows, there are some serious moments as they discuss their friend, or, well, menopause - but they're never allowed to overwhelm the play, which is thoroughly entertaining and very compelling, as we try to figure out where the plot is going. By the time they come to scattering the ashes, we're a teensy bit dazed from all that's happened (there is shouting, you have been warned).. but we do feel that we've gotten to know these five women a bit. And I don't think I'd mind an evening with any of them. Runs to Saturday, highly recommended. But don't depend on the pizza.

And so afterwards, the two of us decamped next door to Palmyra's Kitchen, where we had no problem getting a table, and I correctly remembered that the shawarma is the tasty dish I like -they didn't have it with lamb, so I had chicken, and was well pleased. When my companion wasn't happy with the limited choice of sides, the waiter suggested she choose from the mezze. For wine - well, it's impossible to judge without tasting them, as they're all Middle Eastern and a mix of grapes, so we just went for the house white.

When I got home.. well, I discovered a disruption to my schedule, which occupied the rest of my evening so I didn't have time to blog - neither today, with work getting in the way. Read on..

Tonight, back with storytelling - Winter's Night Wonder Tales, with Alys Torrance, was back at The Palmerston. Tickets through Eventbrite. And it turned out that my companion of the last two nights had business in London today, and would be coming to that too.

I should have had time to get buses - but the schedule of last night changed by the evening, of course, and in the end I didn't. Happily, I could get a train - and happily, a bus happened along to take me to the station. Eventually. The word "DUE" on the bus departures board isn't as informative as you might hope. At the station, the platform was displayed so late, and was so far away from the Departures board, that if the train hadn't been delayed by one minute, I wouldn't have made it! But all's well that ends well - I was a bit later than intended, what with the tardy bus, but still in time to eat beforehand, pretty much. Now, my companion had messaged that she'd made it already, and ordered a bottle of wine.. as I exited East Dulwich Station, she messaged again because she'd just figured out she was in the wrong place..

Well, as she tore across London, I headed off to the pub - recognising it as the place I had a terrific steak & ale pie, back in February! Sadly, they didn't have that tonight - so I had the chicken schnitzel, which was tasty, if a bit burnt. The chips were nicely salted though. And I had wine, which I ended up taking upstairs with me to the storytelling. My companion was coming with her bottle - I advised her to bring a glass upstairs with her when she came, so she could have wine; of course, I could just use the glass I was now drinking from. In the event, she arrived at the same time as a couple of other latecomers, and on the way up, grabbed an empty Guinness glass and used that! Most inventive..

I love these - Alys Torrance creates such a lovely, cosy atmosphere. Indeed, she provided us with matches so we could light the candles on our tables, and dimmed the room lights. There was just one story, with an interval - the story of the sun, married to the moon, and how she (the moon) came to be chasing him (the sun) around the sky! My word, it involved snake lovers and all. Someone asked its origin, and as she told us, it came from the Great Plains - with perhaps a Russian influence. But that's the thing about mythologies - even far-flung parts of the world share the same stories, often. Anyway, she's talking about having these the second Wednesday of every month - excellent! And we managed to get the bus back.

Had some great news, too.. I was sorry to hear that, in going to this, I would be missing a flamenco evening in Sands Films. Never fear.. they recorded a livestream, which will be available to watch for a fortnight! Lovely..

Tomorrow, I booked with yet another new Meetup walking group - Walks and Tours - for a Xmas Lights walk around Mayfair. Meeting in the Mercato Mayfair. And as it's a Thursday, I'd be lugging my laptop, ouch!

But just the other day, UITCS advertised a trip to see Precipice, a climate change drama, at the New Diorama. Sounds interesting - and crucially, this'll mean less carrying of the laptop! So I've switched, and am now doing this.

On Friday, I was supposed to be on another Meetup, back with The Hideout for Keeper, directed by Osgood Perkins - details TBA, but it was to be somewhere around Leicester Square. Except the organiser cancelled last night due to personal issues.. tarnation! 

So I said I'd still go to a film.. the one I was planning to go to this coming Monday. What's coming up is Palestine 36, a recreation of the events of 1936 in that part of the world, with Palestinian villages revolting against British colonial rule - all while the British are planning their typical pursuit of redrawing maps. They also face the problem of increased Jewish immigration to the region. Jeremy Irons plays the British High Commissioner. Now, when I looked up where was showing it, Flicks informed me that the closest location to me is somewhere called Curzon Sea Containers.. I'd never heard of it, but it transpires that there's a Sea Containers hotel, with a Curzon as part of it! The cinema only seems to be open Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays. Well done Flicks! Anyway, I've booked that, but the hotel restaurant seemed a bit gourmet for my liking, so I'm eating in The Archduke afterwards. From that point of view, again, it's a pity the Leicester Square event was cancelled - I had a voucher for Bella Italia, which I could have used there, and which will now expire unused.. ironically, considering the Cranbourn Street branch is actually my favourite restaurant. 

Saturday is another ex-colleagues meeting - or probably just another meeting with James! We haven't seen Ivan since June, and Martin since last Christmas.. Probably in The Phoenix again.

On Sunday, back with Mandy and London Herstory Walks (LHW) for Rebel Women of the South Bank.

On Monday, still going to a film - now it's Train Dreams, what looks like a beautiful film about a logger and railroad worker in the United States in the early 20th century. And this one is in the more familiar surrounds of the Curzon Bloomsbury.

On Tuesday, heading with Paul and Tim's Greater London Talks and Walks, for Tim's Walk: London by Gaslight. Meeting in the Pret near Green Park Station.

Next Wednesday, back with storytelling in Folklore! This time it's Nell Phoenix for the Crick Crack Club, performing The Girl Who Married a Dog, tickets with Dice as usual. Eating at The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch beforehand - and wow, it's a couple of months since I was last up that way!

On the 20th, back with Mandy and her new Meetup group (ahem) Rat-Arsed Tours! This is her Knightsbridge & Belgravia Crimbo Walk - and gee, she has a lot to live up to after the last one of these! Also advertised with LHW. Meeting in The Plumbers Arms. And just like last time, I'll be getting a workout with my laptop on my back..

And on the 21st, I've lucked out getting cheap tickets with CT to a concert of Spanish classical guitar music at Pixaudio! Regular tickets with Eventbrite. Ah, I adore this music.. eating in The North Pole beforehand.