Storytelling: A Dance with the Minotaur's Sister

Tonight, yet more storytelling - I was back at Folklore Hoxton for A Dance with the Minotaur's Sister, told by Steph Brittain and presented by the Crick Crack Club (CCC), tickets with Dice, as usual - completely sold out, as they tend to. And wouldn't you know it, I've been so busy, it completely slipped my mind to book the Blues Kitchen for beforehand! Got it done in time, phew.

Well, I headed out when Google Maps told me to - to discover that the bus was delayed. Never mind, it still got me there within five minutes of my booking.. and service, while slightly slow, wasn't disruptively so. Happy to say the chicken is as moreish as ever - and wow, the chips are a lot less salty, mercifully! Someone must have had a word.. I see the cocktails were reduced to £6 today - but I didn't fancy them with my meal, and hadn't time afterwards. Pity - I do like their ginger margarita.

The bar at Folklore was unusually non-busy - I only got one glass of wine though, what with there being no interval. Sarah Liisa Wilkinson was MCing again! Funnily enough, for something that was supposed to be sold out, there were plenty of empty seats when I got there - and while some gradually filled, not all did. For my part, I decided to sit on the side - less cramped, more legroom, and an easier entrance and exit - plus, I was at the end of the bench, right beside a stool, which I used as a table! Dead handy.

So, this was the story of the minotaur - but from a much more human perspective than usual.. we got to see the story from the perspective of King Minos' female family members. First, we had his frustrated wife, cursed to fall in love with a bull.. and wow, we got to feel that passion with her.. and watching all this, we had her and Minos' daughter, Ariadne. Who, you know, helped Theseus to defeat and kill the minotaur - except in this version, it was a blessed relief for her brother, cursed to spend his days in darkness. And then she took off with Theseus - who loved her and left her. However, she then caught the eye of Dionysus.. 

A merry tale then, and she danced as she told it, and sang, and invited us to sing along. Which we did, a bit. Anyway, a lovely start to the year for the CCC.. I then trotted down the road to catch my bus back. Of course, it's the terminus for it, so I knew what was going to happen.. Sure enough, I had to wait maybe five minutes for it to appear on the departures board.. and then another half hour for it to move to the top of it.. and when it finally read as "due", I started my stopwatch, out of curiosity. It took another seven minutes for the driver to pull out and pick us up. Of course, the people who asked the driver what the delay was got nowhere..

Next, a couple of days more of film - tomorrow, I'm headed to see The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a classic French musical which, would you believe, I've never yet seen! Stars Catherine Deneuve as a young girl in Cherbourg who falls in love with a local boy, who then heads off to fight in Algeria - with no word from him, and finding herself pregnant, she also finds herself forced by her mother to marry an older, local businessman. Showing in the BFI, it was booking pretty heavily, so I booked as well. Eating beforehand in The Archduke - but wow, for the evening, by the time I looked, they only had two slots left - with the film not starting till 8.45, 6pm was too early, and the only other one was at 7.45, which I took! I guess I'll probably have to restrict myself to one course..

The first of a few days of Meetup, on Friday, back with The Hideout (TH) for Return to Silent Hill. I'm not familiar with this franchise, or the video game it's based on - although, looking at the trailer, I can imagine the game must look terrific - no, the only exposure I've had to it thus far is the theme music, which I love! No details at first on venue or time - I actually begged them not to go back to the Odeon Leicester Square! Happily, we now know they're headed to Vue, meeting first in Victory House. And of course, I'm in Bella Italia before that.

On Saturday, definitely a Meetup, although not an official one - London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ) have their bimonthly birthday gathering! This one is for January & February birthdays, but everyone is welcome who's joined their WhatsApp group for people who've attended at least one event. We're meeting at The Sun Wharf (yippee, walking distance again), then heading on a self-guided walk around Borough and surrounds, with a reduced number of stops this time - I signed up to give the first spiel, as potentially the most gruesome, about Clink Street! Mind you, it's now been moved to the second spot. Repairing to The Union Jack afterwards.

And on Sunday, I'm with Movie Roadhouse London, who just advertised The History of Sound, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O' Connor as two young Americans travelling around and collecting folk music. Showing at the Barbican, and the organiser has wisely suggested we meet at the cafe on Beech Street - that building is a maze!

On Monday, thinking of checking out the Winter Lights Festival in Canary Wharf - and my sometime companion says she'll come too. Interestingly, the 45+ Not Grumpies also have an outing to there that evening - but I don't see the value in paying them £6 for an exhibition I can go around for free..

On Tuesday, back at the cinema on my own - I'm biting the bullet and seeing Stalker. I've heard this described as one of the best films ever made - certainly, I found the trailer confusing enough that I did a lot of research before I decided to see it. Made in the late Communist era, it involves a surreal journey through the Zone, where normal laws of physics do not apply, to the Room, where a person's deepest desires may be granted. If they are proven worthy. It's thought to be a metaphor for the frustrations of the failure of the Communist system. Anyway, showing in the Close-Up Cinema.

Next Wednesday, got another cheap ticket - this time with CT - to Our American Queen, a dramatisation of the life of Kate Chase, daughter of a powerful politician at the time of the American Civil War. She herself was very active politically on his behalf, despite not having a vote herself. Showing in the Bridewell Theatre, and I'm eating beforehand in The Old Bell Tavern.

Next, a couple of Meetups: on the 29th, back with LoMAZ (yay!), who are, unusually for them, doing something midweek - specifically, a late at the Cartoon Museum - which should be walking distance from the office, where I'll be that day. I got the second-last place in the group, phew - takes longer for the midweek ones to fill, obviously. It finally filled up today.

And on the 30th, back with TH for Primate, about your typical tropical paradise, where a group of youngsters have come to party, and there's a pet chimp. Unfortunately, he goes from sweet to savage when bitten by a rabid animal, and carnage ensues.

The 31st was the day that suited best for me, James, Mark, and Martin to meet.

And on the 1st, Over 40 Living the Life is planning a trip to the 7 Wonders of the World Immersive Exhibition, which sounds good. However, I baulk at their trip for a few reasons - firstly, the £4 per person she's charging on top: secondly, the tickets she's bought don't include VR, which you'd have to buy separately: and thirdly, it's too damn early! I've bought my own ticket (VIP - includes the VR) for later in the day.