Play: Teeth n Smiles

Had some trouble finding something to do tonight, then CT came up with cheap tickets to Teeth n Smiles! It's had mixed reviews, which I thought was all the more reason to see it. The story of a rock n roll star. Showing in the Duke of York's Theatre, and I booked for Cote St. Martin's Lane beforehand. Handily enough, they're doing a different dish for £10 every day this week- and today it was steak frites, which I usually have anyway! So, that was £9.50 off then..

In the war of the apps, Google Maps won today, for once - it said there'd be a bus soon, with Buses Due (which apparently gets real TFL data) much more pessimistic. Google Maps won, and I got there just in time for the booking, but wasn't seated for a few minutes - fair enough, they were crazy busy. I was seated in the back, near where they come out with food - and every few seconds, someone would come out with a tray with about four dishes, swiftly dispatched to their respective tables. Actually, they should really put a sign there, "No Entry" or the like - the number of customers that went through there by mistake, looking for the toilets..

I have to give credit for the speed of service - they were up the walls. The waiter who brought my wine was asking whether I wanted water with it when the maitre d' - who was mucking in with everyone else - brought it! And the food was good, the meal was good. I didn't have time for dessert, asked for the bill.. and surprise surprise, no discount. I didn't have time to query it, just paid and left - but I've left a Google review, I've complained to their AI chat and left my email address, and a photo of the bill, which I made sure to take. To be fair, Cote were really good the last time I complained - we shall see.

I had to go to the box office for my ticket - and woo, centre Stalls! I grabbed a drink first - which I took in with me. They displayed a little film on loop on the rear curtain before the show started:

I read a review of this that said the music was good, the rest not so much. I disagree - for all that I was getting sick of the pop stars' whining by the interval, it all gets more serious in the second half, and while it's not exactly uplifting, it makes sense. The takeaway moral of the story, I guess, is that however much fun these people are to be around, however much fun they're having on the road, the fun comes with a price.. and it can eat you up if you don't watch out.

The music, BTW, is excellent - what I couldn't understand was why I was the only one I could see bopping my head to it! Kee-rist, did no-one else like it?! I chuckled a bit at the list of trigger warnings on the bar - should really have taken a photo, but there were so many used glasses in front of it. The play contains - let's see: loud music, profanity, simulated drug use, alcohol abuse, sexual references.. all the standard stuff, really. So, you know, if you object to that - don't go. Me, I did enjoy it - particularly the music, to be fair. Runs to the 6th of June - recommended for those whose inner rock chick/god hasn't died.

Tomorrow, back with London Social & Cultural Detours for an evening late event at St. Paul's. Now sold out.

Then it's three days of film. On Wednesday, I'm thinking of heading to California Schemin' at the Curzon Aldgate. Its' a comedy about two English youngsters trying to break into hip hop, who discover it's much easier if they pretend to be from California! Looks funny.

Then two days with my somewhat neglected horror film group, The Hideout! On Thursday (first of three days with Meetup), we're seeing I Saw the TV Glow, a psychological horror that I was disappointed to miss at the time, now showing in the Prince Charles. Meeting in Victory House beforehand as usual - and yay, I've booked for Bella Italia before that. Leaving an extra hour for eating, after the rush last time, and the organiser is joining me again. And again, I have a £15 voucher for there, lovely..

And on Friday, we're headed to see Lee Cronin's The Mummy - details TBA, but we're apparently having a mummy quiz beforehand!

Finally, on Saturday I'm on another walk with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies -this one is The Backstreets of Islington. And no, the issue where the event demands prepayment with PayPal has NOT been resolved! So he's just keeping an offline list of who's going. 

And that evening, finally back with La Isla Flamenco (having had to miss a couple of theirs) for A Sip of Spain: Flamenco, Folk & Copla at Pulse & Pickle CIC.. tickets from Humanitix.

For Sunday, a friend asked whether I was interested in Patel's Millions 2, a Bollywood-inspired musical comedy (sequel, by the sound of it) about the owner of a corner shop who comes into money, then loses it, but his family are still spending like there's no tomorrow. Does sound good - showing in the Beck Theatre, which I've discovered I can get to in under 1.5 hours. Isn't that nice? However, she's selling two tickets, so she's going to try to sell them as a pair, and will sell one to me if she can't. Failing that option, it'll be cinema again, and I'm looking at My Father's Shadow, in which a father shows his young sons the sights of Lagos during the inflammatory election of 1993 - closest showing to me (that's not too early) is in Picturehouse Hackney.

Next Monday, I'm also looking at film - and thinking of Project Hail Mary at last! It's one of those that a lot of people I know have seen, but I haven't gotten around to it - stars Ryan Gosling in a dystopian future where the sun is dying, and he has to go into space to perform some kind of rescue mission. Along the way he meets a cute little alien being. I've heard people rave about it, and he's always watchable, so perfectly happy to give that a shot! Closest showing to me is in the Everyman Borough Yards.

On the 21st, back with Up in the Cheap Seats to see Heart Wall, a drama about a woman returning to a home where she no longer feels she belongs. Showing in the Bush Theatre.

On the 22nd, back with the Crick Crack Club at Folklore, where Nell Phoenix will be delivering a show called Uncanny, a set of apparently true scary stories. Tickets from Dice, as ever, and I'm eating beforehand in The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch, as usual.

Next, two nights of cheap shows courtesy of CT. On the 23rd, I'n seeing Ancient Grease, a parody of the famous musical, Grease, but - well - set in Ancient Greece! specifically, on Olympus, and focusing on the love affair between Hera and Zeus. Showing in the Vaults Theatre.

And on the 24th, Down to Chance is a comedy play about the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, and a local radio operator's role in helping. Showing at the Pleasance Theatre.

Finally, on the 25th.. well, someone from LoMAZ suggested creating an event to eat sachertorte. Apparently the Lanesborough Hotel is hosting a temporary pop-up, giving you the chance to eat sachertorte and apfelstrudel prepared to the original recipe of the Hotel Sacher in Vienna. No word on a time yet though - and wouldn't you know it, that's the only day this month that suits James to meet! Mind you, he's not averse to joining us for a slice of cake, and neither is Mark.. the group is headed to a ceilidh that evening, but I'll skip it and hang out with James and Mark and Martin, if it suits.. ah, the difficulties of scheduling! If the sachertorte doesn't happen, we can just do our regular thing.. if it does, and is LoMAZ-exclusive, I'll just have to meet them later..