Sunday, January 18, 2004
Last Saturday I got up early to line up for tickets to a play at the National Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames. They always keep back a few tickets to sell on the on the day for the performances that afternoon and night. The ticket office opened at 10am so I intended to get into the queue by 9am. Unfortunately I slept in a little and got there at 9.30am and there was already a huge queue. So I read my book and chatted my fellow queue mates. One of the ladies in front of me had been to NZ and loved it, particularly the South Island. After around 1 ½ hours I got to the counter and bought 2 standing tickets for Rae and I. The play was “Mourning becomes Electra”. It was very long (around 4 hours including 2 breaks) and set in the deep south of the USA at the end of the Civil War. Dame Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect, The Cook the Thief, his wife and her lover) was in it and very good. But we both started to get shifty because we were standing and it was a tad melodramatic. I’ve booked to see another play on the West End. It’s a theatre version of “When Harry met Sally” starring, of all a people, Luke Perry (90’s teen heart throb) and Alyson Hannigan aka:Willow of “Buffy the Vampire slayer” fame. I decided to fork out more money for this one so we can be abit closer and be within range of the actors’ emotional output.
Hmmm. After the play there was this dude and his fire sculpture performing. He had constructed a sculpture of long pieces of flexible wood about 5 inches wide and thin which were joined together to look like a roller coaster that climbed the walls of the outside of the National Theatre. He set fire to the structure and we watched the flames make their way across it so it looked like a mini burning roller coaster thingee. But it was art darling! Meanwhile a violinist was scratching and screeching out a dramatic tune.
On the Sunday we caught up with Laurence again and his movie making/oracle developer friend Warren for a pub lunch. Laurence is due home in February.
This past Tuesday we continued on the long journey towards getting a National Insurance number. We went into the Kilburn Job Centre and were told to go to the Harlesdon Job Centre. When we got to Harlesdon we filled out a form and made an appointment to go back in a fortnight for an interview. Apparently after the interview it takes another 6-8 weeks to actually get the number!
This Friday we went to The Last Samurai with Luke and his mum Pamela. I loved it. I think it was because I didn’t go in with high expectations. It was rousing and I love the Oriental mysticism of the Samurai… a bit like the spirituality in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Plus I like it when Oriental’s look cool on the silverscreen (see info on “Infernal Affairs” on one of our entries on Singapore).
Went for a drink in Soho with Jo Granville last night. It was bustling, so many bars and people. I enjoyed people watching. Today we had a lovely walk in Hyde Park. It was a beautiful day and we got a feeling for what it will be like in the Summer. Roll on Summer I say (o: We also went to The Return of the King at the big cinema in Leicester Square. This was my third time! I found myself lingering on small details like the fact that Liv Tyler's nostrils are not the same size.... Hmmm. I did enjoy the great sound system and big screen though.
Hmmm. After the play there was this dude and his fire sculpture performing. He had constructed a sculpture of long pieces of flexible wood about 5 inches wide and thin which were joined together to look like a roller coaster that climbed the walls of the outside of the National Theatre. He set fire to the structure and we watched the flames make their way across it so it looked like a mini burning roller coaster thingee. But it was art darling! Meanwhile a violinist was scratching and screeching out a dramatic tune.
On the Sunday we caught up with Laurence again and his movie making/oracle developer friend Warren for a pub lunch. Laurence is due home in February.
This past Tuesday we continued on the long journey towards getting a National Insurance number. We went into the Kilburn Job Centre and were told to go to the Harlesdon Job Centre. When we got to Harlesdon we filled out a form and made an appointment to go back in a fortnight for an interview. Apparently after the interview it takes another 6-8 weeks to actually get the number!
This Friday we went to The Last Samurai with Luke and his mum Pamela. I loved it. I think it was because I didn’t go in with high expectations. It was rousing and I love the Oriental mysticism of the Samurai… a bit like the spirituality in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Plus I like it when Oriental’s look cool on the silverscreen (see info on “Infernal Affairs” on one of our entries on Singapore).
Went for a drink in Soho with Jo Granville last night. It was bustling, so many bars and people. I enjoyed people watching. Today we had a lovely walk in Hyde Park. It was a beautiful day and we got a feeling for what it will be like in the Summer. Roll on Summer I say (o: We also went to The Return of the King at the big cinema in Leicester Square. This was my third time! I found myself lingering on small details like the fact that Liv Tyler's nostrils are not the same size.... Hmmm. I did enjoy the great sound system and big screen though.
Comments:
Post a Comment
