Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
I recall us both rather liking this play, without being bowled over by it.
Some very clever writing and lots of issues to chew over afterwards. A good blend of family comedy/drama and global issues. Very Islington.
Here is a link to the Almeida resource for the play/production.
The trailer below is quite good:
The reviews were, deservedly, good but not great – click here for a search term link. As Woody Allen might have said, “it was a good play, not a great play…”
This was one of the first plays/productions we saw at the Hampstead Downstairs, which helped to cement our view that the small house down there is a happening space.
Here is a link to the Hampstead resource on this play/production.
In truth, this particular piece did not really float our boat – we’ve seen rather a lot of Kafkaesque pieces about absurd bureaucracy, yet there was enough in this one to keep us motivated and wanting to come back for more.
No formal reviews down there, but this search term will find what little informal stuff is floating around on-line.
What better way to enjoy spring in London than a day at the Lord’s test on the Friday…
England v West Indies, 1st Test, Day Two, Lord’s, 18 May 2012
…then following the test match for the rest of the weekend, then rounding off the weekend with some early music at SJSS?
That was a rhetorical question, people. There is NO better way.
We went to see Musica ad Rhenum under Jed Wentz. I always worry about people named Jed, because I am so regularly having my pseudonym, Ged, mis-spelt as Jed. My life would be easier if these J-people chose not to abbreviate their names to Jed. I don’t think I am asking too much there.
But I digress.
The music was mostly Couperin – see extract from the programme below.
It was part of the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music that year – we just chose the one concert. It was one delightful concert too.
Yes, Janie and I did have a giggle at one of the pieces being named “La toilette de Venus”. Yes we can both be very childish.
For some reason, Jed Wentz and Musica ad Rhenum have put an enormous amount of their Couperin instrumental music into the public domain, so you can listen here:
The closest I can get to a sample of the lovely soprano, Andréanne Paquin, is the following choir piece, which includes her, singing Charpentier/Lully – not a million miles from Couperin:
Anyway, the above is a really lovely short vid. If you don’t like it, you can metaphorically flush it down La Metaphorical Toilette de Venus by not playing it.
Our little group for this day of test cricket comprised Charles “Charley The Gent Malloy” Bartlett, Mac Small (who used to look after our cars, Noddy & Nobby, at Ruislip Honda), me and Daisy.
Daisy and I both recall that I was on picnic duty that day, so I no doubt did the smoked salmon bagels thing, plus probably some ham and cheese rolls or something of that ilk.
Everyone brought their wine/beer ration which made for a jolly day in the spring sunshine. Not “o-t ‘ot” but certainly “very very warm for May”. We were either in the Upper Compton or the Upper Edrich – I cannot remember which. Good seats, I do remember.
Here is a link to the scorecard.
Mac hails originally from Barbados. Charley seemed convinced that Mac must be related to the great Gladstone Small. Indeed Chas failed to hide his extreme disappointment when Mac informed him, rather emphatically, that he and Gladstone were not related. Mac and Chas spoke little after that.
In truth, Mac is a fairly quiet chap and seemed to be enjoying his day at Lord’s in a rather Zen style, while Chas and I chatted incessantly about cricket, as usual. Daisy drifted between a quiet state and joining in the conversation.
England were doing rather well, it has to be said. We saw Andrew Strauss score a ton, which was always a bonus for us, especially for Daisy, who single-handedly revived Straussy’s career with a pep talk back in 2008 – a matter to be Ogblogged in the fullness of time.
We vaguely recall that Mac left a little earlier than the rest of us, but not very early. Daisy and I are pretty sure Mac enjoyed his day, as afterwards he often referred to it, in only positive tones.
Here is a vid with some match analysis:
I remember we were really looking forward to this play/production.
Transfers from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in the US are usually top notch, as are Cottesloe productions.
In many ways this was top notch; a well written, well-acted, well-directed piece about suburban America. It just didn’t really light up.
Perhaps we had been spoilt too recently by Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park – another mid-west suburban play…
Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, Royal Court Theatre, 4 September 2010
…or the harder-hitting Neil LaBute’s we’d been enjoying the last few years.
We enjoyed our evening but had been (perhaps unfairly) half-expecting to be wowed, which we were not.
Mixed reviews from the critics – click here for a link.
Below is the RNT trailer – not very revealing…
…this Steppenwolf vid explains more: