Rem-ember-ance

Well, that last post was number one hundred for me, and I hadn't even realised. That's ninety-nine entries longer than I've ever managed to keep a diary going for!

I've been back three weeks from holiday and it's taken that long to write it all up. No idea why really, perhaps something to remember it all by in years to come if blogger still exists then.

Check out here for all the pictures. I took everything in digital RAW format but didn't have time to process everything so just bunged them all onto a site for future prosperity. Over time I'll tweak them and save them somewhere a bit more permanent....maybe.

Come Saturday I went along to see a play called "Embers" featuring Jeremy Irons. I paid full whack for a ticket a few days ago as I fancied a bit of culture and was interested by the fact that it was based on a book by a Hungarian author. Annoyingly the day after I bought the ticket I got a mailing from rip-off merchants Ticketmaster advertising the same tickets for half price. Bloody hell! There wasn't much I could do as they don't allow refunds because they don't give a damn about their customers.

Me: "Hey I just got run over and can't make it. Can I get a refund?"
Ticketmaster: "Tough Titties!"
(Obviously fictional, but you get the point.)

I got a nice seat in the fourth row with no seat in front of me, so lots of leg room. That's about as good as it got though. The play was heavy going. I don't know what I was thinking going to a play based on a Hungarian book. Old Hungarians books (and I've read a few, infrequently) aren't exactly known for their light-heartedness. They are full of tragedy or perceived tragedy. Lots of inner monologues and depression. And that's just the good ones.

To be honest, I struggled. It was so unoriginal and uninspiring that I couldn't wait for it to end. Now I know what it feels to be a true Hungarian, I thought to myself.

The first act was mercifully short at less than thirty minutes. My hopes were raised that even though I'd paid a lot for the ticket, I would be out of there quickly. The second act was over an hour long, unfortunately.

And a strange thing happened during the second act. The two protagonists (who were basically the only two people on stage for ninety-nine percent of the time,) were in a scene where they were smoking cigars after an unseen dinner.

The venue, the York Theatre is small/intimate (depending on how creative you are) and the smoke from the cigars basically wafted out over the audience. No surprise then that a couple of people started coughing. Before I'd gone in I noticed a sign warning about strobe lighting (for a short lightning effect) but nothing about passive smoking.

I blocked out the coughing as I was concentrated on the actors but then Jeremy Irons walks up to the front of the stage and talks directly to the audience.

"It's always an option to walk out," he said. And then he carried on with the play.
But the bubble was broken.

We weren't in a castle on the Hungarian plains but back in a small theatre in London town where the star of the show was telling off someone in the audience. I felt so sorry for them. It came across as a bit nasty to single out someone like that.

I was glad when it was all over. I clapped methodically with no real feeling. It was great to get out into the fresh air after. Annoyingly it was raining and cold so the rest of the afternoon/evening was scuppered for outdoor things.

Sunday was just church for Easter in the evening and then a 5k run on the old treadmill (my new year's resolution has kicked in a bit late but better late than never!)

Today, I walked into London (more exercise!) to see an excellent American indie film called "Junebug."

Walking through Notting Hill I passed a Securitas van with an alarm going off declaring in a posh English voice. "This van is being attacked! Please call the police!"

In the front of the van were two men in Securitas uniform looking a bit embarrassed. I guess that everyone assumes that someone else is dealing with it. I couldn't see anyone doing anything so I just walked by too. Hehe.

The photo, taken today, is of the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park.