Play: Dracula

Last night, second Meetup in a row, when I saw Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) were going to Dracula, well.. showing in the Noel Coward Theatre, by the time I came to book, "cheap" seats were in short supply. There was one left in the Balcony - £50, and predictably, no legroom. There was one left in the Grand Circle - decent seat. £85. I got that one. It's a one-woman show, and has mixed reviews.. Booked to eat beforehand in The Salisbury, next door.

My travel companion of last year was coming too, and elected to join me for dinner - naturally, having been unsure whether she'd make it in time for the booking, she arrived before I did. At this point I was trudging there in unpredicted rain. When I got to the pub, I saw her just inside the entrance to a ground-floor dining area - they have one upstairs too.

I had the steak and ale pie - it's very filling, but it's been so long since I had it, and the merlot sauce they serve with it is scrumptious. They didn't have Sauvignon Blanc, sadly - we ended up with a Spanish one that was, frankly, a bit insipid. I won't be having it again. My companion had a vegan dish that she pronounced very filling. And, of course, we were right beside the theatre, and were in in no time. Unfortunately, the group weren't where they'd said they'd be - when I eventually got the WiFi to work (on the fourth attempt), the Meetup app wasn't working. I ran to the loo - when I came back out, my companion had found them in the bar upstairs, but come back down for coffee. And by that stage it was too late to tramp upstairs to join them, particularly as I was seated right there - I took a glass of wine (better than the pub) to my seat. Which, despite being numbered #4, was right on the aisle:

I took full advantage of the opportunity to stretch my legs in the aisle. In fact, the only quibble I had with the seat was that the light kept coming on in the adjacent nook, very distractingly.

Well now, as I say, the show has mixed reactions - and I think I might have come up with the reason for that. You see, the star, Cynthia Erivo, is quite the celebrity - she's been in musicals, for which she was award-nominated, she's been on TV, she's been Oscar-nominated for both acting and songwriting. Fair play, it's an impressive tally - and it's not her fault that she's escaped my notice until now. But you see, that's the thing - not only did it mean seriously overpriced tickets (as I said in the survey the theatre sent me, today), but it also meant that the audience was quite packed with fans. Applauding and cheering when she came on (wow, she's in the same room as us, wow, she can really walk.. wow, she lies down on the stage..), cheering ecstatically at the end, generally loving and adoring the show, and her. She gets to sing something, right at the end, although - NEWSFLASH - this isn't a musical - to keep them happy.

Unfortunately, those of us more interested in the story are seriously short-changed. See, this isn't Dracula, although she does quote the book - this is a Cynthia Erivo vehicle. Hence the inappropriate singing, shoehorned into the end of the story. Don't get me wrong, I quite liked the beginning, where they do use scary music to create a spooky atmosphere. For example, I liked the use of In the Hall of the Mountain King, for when Jonathan Harker is escaping Dracula's castle.

And then it all goes wrong.. the pace is frenzied throughout, and she's racing so hard to get through the material that it loses all depth. As someone remarked afterwards, there's no menace in it! For goodness' sake, one of THE horror stories of all time. And they leave out a lot. Not to mention the technology - which broke down briefly in the middle, but hey, that's technology for you. You see, that's how she gets through all the characters - different wigs and costumes, yes, (and appropriately long nails), but mainly, for scenes where they interact, she's playing the narrator, while the others appear just on screen, also played by her but pre-recorded and played back during the show, overlaid on her live performance, which is being broadcast to the same screens. To aid in this, one of the main things you end up looking at are the camerapeople, running around stage after her.

Mainly, you're watching the screen - otherwise, it makes no sense. I've seen other shows that used cameras, but which you could still follow on stage - not true here. Made me wonder what in hell we were doing there, when we would have been better watching the whole thing on a screen at home, or in a cinema. Ah, but then they couldn't have charged us all that money..!

I was delighted to leave, and was first of the group outside - I think, my dinner companion having fled so she could get home early. Predictably, the group was split - anyway, we discussed it a bit before squeezing past the gathered crowd - probably waiting for her to emerge. Recommended for big fans of Cynthia Evrio - everyone else, avoid like the plague. Booking to the end of May, by which stage, hopefully all the fans will be satisfied.

Anyway, slight delay in the blog: not only did I want to give this a considered review, but U2 has just - on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine - issued a short documentary film to accompany their song about it, Yours Eternally. So I've been watching it, watching reviews and analysis, sharing.. now all we need is a tour, eh! Plans for a full album by the end of the year, I hear, which hopefully means a tour next year.

Tonight, I'm trying out a new Meetup group; London Music Showcase - Gigs & Drinks specifically exists to promote the Piano Smithfield bar. So I'm trying out the gig there that night - cheap tickets on TAC, as apparently with all theirs. I'm eating in The Old Red Cow beforehand - gee, seems you know there's a place for you if they respond immediately to your booking enquiry; if you don't hear, it's a no.

And tomorrow, back with UITCS for the first of two nights of comedy with I'm Sorry, Prime Minister in the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue. Eating in Bella Italia Strand for that one.

On Thursday, going to see Dara O' Briain, yay! Booked ages ago - he's in the Hammersmith Apollo.

I'm finishing off the month with two more Meetups - on Friday, back with La Isla Flamenco Club, ole! Back in the gold Bar in the Colab Tower for a show called Identidades.

And on Saturday, back at last with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for his rescheduled Southwark: Seedy and Sublime walking tour. Afterwards, I'm thinking of joining The Hideout again for Scream 7 - stars Courtney Cox as usual, and Neve Campbell, the original protagonist in the franchise; this time, the intended victim is her daughter. Time and location TBA.

On Sunday, thinking of a film - what's coming up is The President's Cake, set in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was in power, and schoolkids had to prepare a gift for his birthday.. it's that or All That's Left of You, which is Palestinian, and I might have considered, but honestly, I've seen so much Palestinian cinema lately, Iraqi will make a change! The President's Cake is showing in a couple of Curzons - I'll go for the Curzon Bloomsbury, it's handy for shopping.

On Monday, back with Shake it Up! The Improvised Shakespeare Show, at the Hen & Chickens.

Next Tuesday, back with UITCS for Ukraine Unbroken, a set of five short plays at the Arcola, incorporating Ukrainian music.

On the 4th, back with storytelling - and the Crick Crack Club has a new idea, the Story Pick + Mix - apparently rough cuts, experimental work. This one, The Bodies on the Beach, is the story of the legendary Irish hero, Fionn MacCumhaill, and is said to combine elements of 15th-century manuscripts, archaeology, and folklore. And these shows are happening at some place called Theatre Deli, right in the City. I've emailed La Spezia restaurant next door for a booking - no reply yet.

On the 5th, back with UITCS for Blink, at The King's Head. A romcom that asks, in the digital age, when we can see everything someone is doing, what does it actually mean to know someone? And then I'm heading back to Ireland for the weekend - a little earlier than anticipated, but I'll be busy for the rest of the month, so might as well go now, before things hot up!