Musical: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Back to London, and this evening, back with Up in the Cheap Seats in Soho Place for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - a musical based on the true story of a boy in Malawi who built a wind turbine from scrap materials and provided necessary power to his community. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who starred in, and directed, the film, is executive producer. I got my ticket on Seatplan, which I used a Seatplan voucher for, and which garners me extra Seatplan points! Booked to eat in Bistro1 beforehand.

Was in perfect time for the bus.. which, despite a stop to even out the gaps in the service, plus the inevitable wait while drivers changed over, still got me there 10 minutes early! I was debating the wisdom of booking at all when I went in - the place was almost empty - but the wisdom was soon proved about half an hour later, with several groups arriving: and listening as they came in, it seemed that, like me, most - if not all - had booked with The Fork! Not surprising, when they gave a 50% discount on food ordered from the a la carte..

Carefully avoiding the calamari, which I've always found rubbery, I had the deep fried brie - which had a nice, crispy coating. The beef bourgignon was as tasty as ever - and I was early enough to have some ice cream. A short walk then to the theatre..

Everyone complains about the signage here - you'd think they'd do something about it. My first problem tonight was when I schlepped all the way up to the Second Balcony Bar (virtuously taking the stairs), only to discover it closed, so I had to schlep down a level for a drink. A sign warning me about that before I made the climb would've been nice. When I came up again, the group had started to arrive - and the first topics of conversation were this week's Tube strikes (now, suddenly, not happening), and the woeful Meetup app, which has taken to apparently forgetting users' data: such as what groups you're a member of, what events you're attending. Sometimes it recovers itself, sometimes you need to log out and log in again.. Meetup's help page suggests, if that doesn't work, uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Varying levels, then, of turning it off and on again..

And so, back to the woeful signage when it came time to go in. I had no door number on my ticket, but the others suggested it was probably at the other end from them, as my seat number was high, and theirs were low. Off I went - only to discover that the numbers were so low over there, I must have to go right back to where I'd started. As I exited to go and find my door, I ran into an usher, to whom I complained that there was no information on the signs. She insisted that yes there was.. yeah, well not seat numbers. So I went in Door A, and guessed (correctly) that my seat was near the end of that row.. ended up pushing past a lot of people. As it transpired, there was yet another door I could have gone through, at the corner, past the toilets, a lot closer to my seat.. which I did at the interval. I was lucky though - someone said afterwards that the corresponding door on the other side was locked..

Terrific musical, terrifically staged - great songs, great puppetry to represent the animals, and so colourful.. you're plunged right into a colourful, busy, noisy market at the beginning. You're introduced to the main characters.. and the change when the weather changes, the harvests fail, and famine looms, is stark.

Only one thing I had an issue with was a couple of the singers - the boy's father, in particular, didn't do justice, I felt, to the big number he had, which could have been amazing in the right, well, voice. But that doesn't take away from what is a great piece of work.. and it's so moving, so feel-good, as he finally gets support for his project and people start to see the benefits it brings. Highly recommended.. not least as a reminder of what people can achieve if given the right kind of help. Runs to the 18th of July.

Tomorrow, I'm with TAC for Way Upstream, a dark comedy performed by final year students at the Court Theatre Training Company, at their onsite theatre, The Courtyard. Eating beforehand in Schnitzel Heaven.

On Wednesday, yet more storytelling from the Crick Crack Club (CCC)! This one is Downright Rude! with TUUP (wow, it's ages since I've seen him), Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and Nell Phoenix, in Folklore. (How they'll all fit in there, I dunno - it's tiny!) Eating beforehand in The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch.

On Thursday, back with CT at the Backyard Comedy Club.

On Friday, Movie Roadhouse London are finally having a social again! Ah, it's been so long.. so, back at the BFI Balcony Bar, and I've booked to eat at The Archduke beforehand. I tell you, without the main organiser in town, these things don't happen.. strange that numbers are limited, mind- never happened before.. Sadly, it isn't in conjunction with The Hideout any more, and also the cap on numbers means some were excluded.. 

On Saturday, The Hideout organiser is talking about heading to a cat cafe.. watch this space. Anyway, that evening I've signed up to go with him, and The Hideout, to a new slasher, Corporate Retreat - details TBA.

On Sunday, talking about heading back to The Lanesborough for sachertorte, this time with Mark and Martin.. our monthly catch-up. Waiting on Martin to confirm a time.

Next Monday, going to see Player with CT at Riverside Studios.

On the 26th, back at last with Rune for a medieval concert in St. Bartholomew the Great - this one is Saints and Miracles. I've booked to eat beforehand in the Old Red Cow.

On the 27th, taking instruction from LGBTQ Culture Lovers again, who kindly shared that CT has cheap tickets for a performance of The Creation by Haydn, in the Royal Festival Hall. So, headed to that (solo), and eating in The Archduke beforehand.

Then I have two appropriately vampiric days! On the 28th, I'm back with The Hideout for Vampire's Kiss, an old comedy with Nicholas Cage, in which he thinks he's been dating a vampire, and is now turning into one himself. Showing in the Prince Charles of course, and we're meeting in Victory House beforehand. I've booked to eat in Bella Italia before that - took two goes though, the site was down the first time!

And on the 29th - well, one of the things LoMAZ were talking about doing for the series of Dracula events was going to a ballet - and sure enough, there is a Dracula ballet in town! Supposed to be good, with a classical soundtrack - and sure enough, when I checked, it was almost completely booked up. The only tickets left were on the evening of the 26th - which I couldn't manage - and the matinees of the 27th and 29th - so I'm taking the 29th off, being a Friday, and will go to it that day! Can't see I'll persuade anyone to go with me though - they'd either have to take time off work, or if not, they might not be in work, and might baulk at the price! Showing in the Palladium - I had to take the Second Circle to get the lowest price, and as legroom is reportedly tight, I made sure to get an aisle seat. Eating in the Shakespeare's Head (Soho) afterwards.

On the 30th - back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for his Nooks and Crannies of London walk - and damnit, Meetup is charging for RSVP again! (plus an extra charge, of course). And afterwards, back with The Hideout for Backrooms - the film version of Backrooms on Creepypasta, a series of liminal horror stories about featureless, unending rooms and corridors, sometimes with hostile beings in them.. stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, as his psychiatrist, as - well, he might be expected to need one, with this kind of tale. Details TBA.

Then, two days with CT.. On the 31st, I got a cheap ticket for the Sunday concert at Conway Hall, with Francesca Dego and Alessandro Taverna.

And on the 1st, back with Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Company, first Monday of every month in the Hen & Chickens.

On the 2nd, back with London Fun for Churchill's Urinal, about a female Chancellor of the Exchequer wanting the urinal in No. 10 removed.. showing in the King's Head. The organiser bought the tickets - and later informed us we'd been upgraded. As he says, another reason to buy the cheap tickets!

And on the 3rd, the last scheduled from the CCC's Story Pick + Mix in Next Door at Theatre Deli - this time, it's We Are Fox, with Alys Torrance and Lucy Lill.