Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration & Play: Before I'm Dead
Yesterday, third day in a row of Meetups, I was back with London Museums from A-Z (LoMAZ) for the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which only opened on the 5th! I did get to bed early enough to have a decent night's sleep.. was ever so slightly late to meet the group in the cafe at the centre. Where there was a massive queue. Which I joined, being hungry. Had plenty of time to peruse the menu. Chose a ham & cheese toastie, and a hot chocolate, and was given a number, which I took with me to the table.
The hot chocolate came in due course - and was surprisingly good! No offence intended, I'm picky about hot chocolates. I tell you though, I was in serious doubt that my toastie would arrive in time for me to eat it before we had to go in. It did - just.. I must have been waiting at least 20 minutes for it. Dripping with cheese, it was ever so slightly messy, but oh so good..
When we headed off, we were advised to go to the downstairs gallery first, which was less crowded, and where there was an exhibition of homosexual comic books - Queer as Comics. Good heavens, I honestly never heard of such a thing - but it was fascinating. I suppose it's only natural that Scandinavia would feature:
There were some funny ones:
There were even seats to sit on, and read comics at:
And digital versions!
Highly recommended - runs to the 4th of October. I was quite engrossed in this.. almost finished when we got the word that at least one of the hosts was heading to the main exhibitions - so I decided that was a good idea, and accompanied that group. There are exhibitions on both levels (lift available). And on the first floor is an exhibition of some weird and wacky art by someone I've never heard of - Murugiah:
Honestly, some of it is the stuff of nightmares:
That one runs to the 31st of August. And then we were off upstairs, to the Quentin Blake exhibition - well, the centre is named for him! Now, the whole group were going around reminiscing about all those Roald Dahl books they read as children, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Well, almost the whole group.. I mean, I knew of him - was just never that keen! Enid Blyton was more my thing. I think, by the time Roald Dahl was popular, I'd moved on to authors like Stephen King.. but that doesn't mean I wasn't aware of Roald Dahl, or of Quentin Blake..
And again, it was great to see hands-on material, that we were encouraged to touch!
And again, there were audiovisual exhibits:
I was fascinated by the drawings that were accompanied by the rough sketches created during their composition:
And in general, I appreciated the whimsical nature of his art:
Ah man, there was the coolest series of drawings of characters from Macbeth, represented as birds:
Lovely exhibition - runs to the 1st of April. But the whole place was smaller than we anticipated, and ultimately there was a general movement to the pub. We exited by the giftshop - and aww, look what I found!
A final photoshoot was nearly stymied when the cameraperson wanted us to meet by a windmill that it really seemed she was hallucinating - until someone discovered a sign that indicated that a certain structure in the grounds used to be the base of a windmill! Ah right..
The George and Monkey was booked for afterwards - most came, and most who were coming arrived two hours early! which wasn't a problem. We got a whole section to ourselves - and it was a nice, relaxed place. We were to find that the monkey theme was prevalent.. every time I went to the bar, I saw more of them..
And we had a most convivial chat for the rest of the afternoon. By the time they magicked up a projection screen to show the World Cup, we were getting ready to leave - they did serve pizza, which some people had, but as I say, it doesn't agree with me. So I moseyed off to The Peacock again, where again I had no trouble getting seated, and had a rather good chicken schnitzel. As to the blog? Well, I did get started last night, but hey, I had a helluva backlog..
Tonight, off with CT again to a play called Before I'm Dead at The Glitch. The story of a teenager with a terminal brain tumour, determined to record a eulogy while she has the chance. It was on at 7 - so I could leave early and eat beforehand, or leave later and eat afterwards, as it was only an hour long. The amount of work - and blogging - I had to do meant later was better.
My bus journey in was interesting - the driver drove with maximum prejudice, sharp on the brakes and honking to petrify pedestrians right, left and centre who might have considered jaywalking. Never has the warning to "hold onto the handrails while the bus is moving" been more relevant.
I love Leake Street, it's so vibrant - on the way there, they were dancing to a thumping beat to the side; on the way back, the smell of aerosols indicated that yes, they were adding to the artwork. It's never the same when you come back:
And so to The Glitch:
I got a glass of wine and a packet of crisps, and sat in the cafe until it was time to go to the basement theatre, and the hapless person checking tickets could only look at the confirmations of those of us who'd bought from seat filler sites, and sigh, and say yes, well, it has today's date, so I suppose it's ok..!
Downstairs, seating is all around, tight to the walls, the performers already in place as the audience files in. Sure enough, as I'd predicted, staging is minimal - wooden boxes serve as seats, storage bins for props, and at one stage, a bed. And.. the writing is superb. Witty, entertaining, moving.. a sparky teenager railing against her fate, trying to leave a legacy - and caveat, there are flashing lights periodically, which indicate that her brain tumour is affecting her. Both play guitar and sing, too, although I wasn't much impressed by his singing at that point. As subject matter, there's little about her illness, and much about her relationship with her parents. Very poignant, quite memorable. Runs to Monday. Very highly recommended.
Afterwards to Nando's, and was well fed - they do a lovely, buttery mash.
Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a flamenco show called UnYdos at Sadler's Wells. Eating at The Wilmington beforehand.
Next, two cheap ticket days. On Wednesday, back with CT - which is playing a blinder - for Amores Pasados, a medieval concert with a modern twist, at St. Clement Danes. Performed by the Alternative History Quartet, regular-priced tickets from Ticket Tailor. I'm eating beforehand in Cote Covent Garden.
And on Thursday, back - at last - with TAC for more magic! This one is James Phelan: Showman, playing at Underbelly Boulevard. Yes, the same guy that headlined last Thursday's show.. although watch this space, there could be a change of plan.
Next, three more days of Meetup - on the 19th, I'm with The Hideout for Disclosure Day, in which Emily Blunt plays a TV weather forecaster who suddenly finds herself communicating in a strange, clicking language, which only Josh O' Connor finds he can understand. Colin Firth seems to play a bad guy, as per the trailer. Directed by Spielberg again.. Details TBA, but it'll be in Leicester Square, phew!
And the weekend is LoMAZ again - on Saturday, we have a day in Hever Castle! We're to arrive at St. Peter's Church in time for a guided tour thereof by our accomplished organiser, then spend the afternoon exploring the castle, and its Capturing a Queen exhibition, focusing on what Anne Boleyn, whose childhood home this was, actually looked like. The castle is also hosting a Home Front 1940s exhibition - no thanks, don't think I'll take their invitation to dress up accordingly. Optional drinks afterwards, of course - and travel is convenient for me, with direct trains from London Bridge taking under an hour. Already booked my ticket with Uber, with which I had so much credit, it was nearly free..
And on Sunday - I was thinking of heading to see West End Live, the free performance snippets of West End shows, performed in Trafalgar Square.. always a good one! But recently, on what was a very busy day for Meetup organisers, LoMAZ organised a guided walk! And as it's around my area, I could hardly resist - we're meeting in Starbucks before heading off on a Southwark Hysteries Solstice Special walk, as presented by Herstorical Tours, in the person of someone who glories in the name of Lydia Chlamydia, and is a whore of Ancient Rome.. the Solstice Special includes other actors popping out along the way, and it apparently includes the option of a post-walk drink in a historic pub. I have my suspicions where that might be.. and the person who advertised it to LoMAZ did such a good job of selling it yesterday that she got a good few more takers.
Next Monday, I'm back with TAC for a play called Reel Life in the Etcetera Theatre.
The 23rd is our work summer party, in The Rotunda again, which proved so popular last year.
The next two days are with UITCS - on the 24th, we're at Under the Shadow, a horror play, based on the film, about a mother and daughter, trying to survive in a Tehran that is being bombed, who find themselves being haunted, on top of it all. Showing in the Almeida.
And on the 25th, we're at The Chocolate Soldier, an operetta based on Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw. Playing at Wilton's, and I've booked Cote St. Katharine Docks beforehand.
On the 26th, I'm with CT for Monarchs Anonymous, a farce that places a number of historical figures - with large egos - together for therapy. Showing at The Other Palace, and I've booked to eat in the Bag o' Nails beforehand.
Finally, two more Meetup days. On the 27th, I'm back with The London Sci-Fi / Fantasy Meetup Group for another social - in the Mad Hatter again!
And on the 28th, LoMAZ is supposed to be doing a tour of Brompton Cemetery - possibly including the crypt - as part of the series of Dracula events we're doing for the year. Mind you, it's slightly up in the air.. watch this space. If we do still go, that'll have been every weekend this month with LoMAZ..
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