Play: Blink

This evening, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (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? An early start - but a quick bus trip from the office, so worked fine, as today was my office day.

I nipped off in good time - just in time to miss a bus, but I did have plenty of time to catch the next. And as I arrived at The Bull, in time to eat, it occurred to me that it'd been quite a while since I was last there! August, in fact. Anyway, I got a table I've often had before, near the bar - ordered the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a chicken schnitzel. He had run out of the NZ in the bar, ran to check in the cellar while I paid. When he returned, he apologised and said they were completely out of it, asked what I'd like instead - well, since he'd offered me an alternative of South African Sauvignon Blanc, of course I had that, and took my seat. Which was when I thought to check the wine list, and discovered that the wine I was now having was £3.10 cheaper than what I'd paid for! Nuts.. not worth arguing, I decided.

So, I had much the same dinner as last night (apart from having no starter) - chicken schnitzel (with fries instead of pasta) and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was cheaper (even though I ended up paying more than I should have) and perfectly good, the schnitzel was £10 cheaper - and far superior, much tastier. See? Told you so.. I might have had a (cheaper) second glass of wine, but time was wasting, so I made the short walk to the theatre. Met one of the group there, we joined the organiser, and the others duly arrived - we chatted before heading down the three floors to the theatre proper.

The place was only about half full, and many people moved to better seats - I figured I had a pretty good view where I was, and when the person beside me moved, I could spread out, too. Interesting transparent bench they have on stage.. the wall behind is decorated with tv screens of different sizes.

Well, this is the story of two introverts - as the play starts, he nips around different empty seats in the audience, she has the stage. Each tells their story, but he has a habit of interrupting her. Anyway, in due course, she tells us how her mother left when she was little, and her father, on retirement, bought a house in Leytonstone, which comprised two flats, one above the other. She took the upstairs one, and when her father died, she rented out the downstairs one - whereupon her co-star moved in. And then.. she took the unusual step of posting him a screen, on which he could watch her every move.

See now, I always thought that was a weird idea. And this turns out to be a particularly weird pair, with a weird courtship and a weird relationship. As they're both introverts.. it's also quite slow. I have to admit, there were some very funny bits - but it is very slow, not that much happens for most of it, and I nodded off for a few minutes; well, I was tired. Afterwards, the group was split, some loving it, some hating it - me, I didn't hate it, but I'd have trouble recommending it. As someone pointed out, from the advertising you'd have expected something a bit sinister - but no, it's just the story of a couple of natural introverts, who find each other. Well, if you're curious - or maybe just fancy a wee nap - it runs to the 22nd.

The bus journey home was something of a nightmare of roadworks and diversions - and the poor driver was berated by a trio of elderly ladies, one with a crutch, for parking too far from the pavement. The elderly lady sat in front of me tutted about their aggression..

Tomorrow, 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! On Saturday, thinking of seeing The Secret Agent, finally - a political thriller set in Brazil in 1977, highly rated, and happily still showing in Ennis, which is handier.

Back in London on Monday, I was having trouble finding something - and lo, finally, when I checked tonight, my cheap ticket groups had something! America the Beautiful is a set of plays that, as the blurb says, offer "a uniquely skewed view of life and relationships". Showing in the King's Head again - Chapter 1 that night, which is a set of three. Both my cheap ticket groups have it, and for the same price - I'm going with TAC, just because I've been going with CT so much lately, to provide some balance.

On Tuesday, second play in a row, back with UITCS - and indeed with two from tonight's group - for aggy, at the Park Theatre. As one of them presents a fake persona to secure work, questions are raised about attitudes and prejudices.

On Wednesday, more storytelling - seems to be the popular day for it at the moment! This is The Goddess of Spreadsheets, by Tim Ralphs, at Torriano Avenue.

Next Thursday, heading to a film - Wasteman is a prison drama, closest showing to me in the Everyman Broadgate. The trailer looks really powerful, as an inmate close to parole, and looking forward to seeing his son, gets a violent new cellmate and finds himself in danger of losing his "good behaviour" status. Because most of the seats in that screen are sofas, tickets for which have to be booked in pairs, I thought I'd better book an armchair while they were going. Eating in the Red Lion Moorgate beforehand - a Greene King pub. Now, I'll be in the office again that day, and it closes at 7 - I wanted a booking around 7.45, but I have to go a little later, at 8pm; they're booked up till then.

On Friday 13th - way-hay! I've become a big fan of the Irish comedy trio Foil, Arms & Hog, from their online videos. I've never seen them live - and was very keen to see them when I heard they were performing their latest show, Skittish, at the Palladium! For some reason, however, I could never get the booking link to work - and just as well, because tickets then came up on CT and I snapped one up. Eating in Shakespeare's Head Soho beforehand - second night in a row in a Greene King pub.. well, they're central, and the food is good..

On the 14th, absolutely delighted to be seeing the medieval music group Rune again. They're now artists in residence at the medieval church of St. Bartholomew the Great, and I'm on their mailing list - they've announced a programme of four concerts there for the year, but only the first two are so far available to book. This one is Soave Dolce Melodia: Music of the Trecento (14th Century Italian). Just tonight, I emailed the Old Red Cow for a dinner booking beforehand - and they already confirmed! Maybe they're speeding up.

The 15th is when they're celebrating St. Patrick's Day in London - I think I'll take myself along to the festival. A Meetup group called Explorers is going, but I don't know anyone in it well, so I think I'll do my own thing - besides, 210 people have signed up! It'd be like a small army..

And on the 16th, UITCS is off to another spooky thing - It Walks Around the House at Night has an actor playing the ghost that inhabits a remote manor house, scaring visitors.. only to discover that he's not the only one there! Mwah-hah-haa.. Showing at Southwark Playhouse.