Theatrical weekend

They say: when one thing doesn't happen, it creates an opportunity for something else. Thus, last night faithful audience at the Questors Theatre in Ealing could see three interesting pieces prepared in a short space of time when the originally scheduled performance fell through.

The first performance was an adaptation of  'Woyzeck', probably the most frequently staged German play. As it is 2014, to me setting the play in our times was a way of commemorating the sad centenary anniversary of the First World War outbreak. A gas mask on stage was an immediate clue. Regardless of time and place, the war is always a horror and ordinary people's life are nastily affected, if not taken, whether they want it or not.  An immediate example: after the show, at the theatre pub, I met a guy whose parents or grandparents had to flee Poland after WWII. Why? Poland lost huge territory to the east and gained some to the west. Therefore, German people were forced to leave their abodes and move to Germany. They were replaced by the Poles pushed out from the terrains taken over by the USSR.  Another example: an elderly woman I met on Bornholm many years ago. Her family had to escape from Kolobrzeg fleeing the fast advancing Soviet Army who had no mercy to civilians. Little was known about the atrocities they have on their conscience when Poland was still under the Soviet influence. If the young woman hadn't boarded the ship taking the German civilians to safety, she would have suffered beyond imagination before meeting a martyr's death...

Enough of that!

Let me move on to the second play, based on a few stories from Charles Dicken's book: 'Somebody's Luggage'. Actually, that was the performance I truly wanted to see. It was directed by David Hovatter whom I have a pleasure to know. He was on stage as well. I enjoyed every moment of it and am truly hoping that we could take the play to Poland this year.

The third part of of The Questival was improvisational theatre, and great fun it was.

No pictures as they are not allowed at The Questors. Sorry!

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Now, this Sunday is blessed with serious sunshine again. And there is another show not to be missed today. A friend of mine is trying out his acting skills for the second time on stage, in front of an audience. Here is what our friend has to say about his first appearance:

I don't want to ruin your surprise, but you will see Chris completely different from the Chris you know... Amazing character, who is engaging to have a tet-a-tet appointment with a nice girl. You cannot miss it! 

I told you too much; on the other hand, Chris has worked hard in order to build up the spectacle,, and you will see the glamorous scene and it will be a success like last week!

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And a great success it was! I went to see it with friends. We met at the venue which was a Clenkerwell pub with a werewolf and animal sacrifice history to justify its name: "The Slaughtered Lamb'! I didn't envy my friend having to wait till his turn came. Eleven acts preceded his, from frivolous songs, through Bollywood dancing to skits and stand-up comedy. They played to a full house which proved Chris wrong. He kept assuring us that nobody would come to the show on such a marvelously sunny and warm Sunday afternoon.
Here is what I captured on the way to the pub:

Waiting for the train at Paddington Station:

It took me a lot of effort to get to the right platform in the jungle of the station corridors and passages. Eventually I got onto the right train and arrived at Farringdon Station. This one also changed a lot since I last ' landed' there. Fortunately, getting out and finding the way to the pub was 'easy-peasy' after I spoke to the right man.

Two of the London ladmarks: The Shard and St Pauls Cathedral seen from the railway bridge in Clerkenwell:

Don't you think that such solitary trees look as if they have wandered here completely by chance in built up areas of a city? Anyway, that is the impression that I get.

This is the area where Clerkenwell Square meets Clerkenwell Road, if I am not mistaken:

Again, I have no pictures from the actual performance.  Believe it or not, I became part of the show, between the acts 1 and 2. Fetching a sit from a remote part of the pub room before my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I manged to trip over the corner of the elevated stage and make an unexpected landing. Of course,  what else but my knee had to absorb all the impact of the fall! Immediately my gentleman friends jumped to my rescue. One picked me up and walked to the table while the other removed the chair and put it by our table so I could finally park on it and let the show go on. Anyway, that was the moment I had all the attention!:-)
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It was well after 5 pm when the show finished and there was no more sun for pictures. Hence, I hope you will forgive me the quality of this strange structure on the tree at St James churchyard, Clerkenwell.

I suppose this might be the plaque that marks the site of the original Clerk's Well. Water that used to spring from it was said to have some healing properties and this area used to be a sort of spa in the bygone days!

 It was time for me to head back while my actor friend still had a 7 pm show to appear in.

This time I was changing trains twice: at Baker Street:

and then at Paddington again. There was no way I could fit anything else in the day. The second train was stuck underground between stations. After a while an announcement was made through the speakers. We heard that for some reason the train was sent on a different route and the driver was waiting to see what happens. The guy next to me was highly concerned. He made some reference to a certain aircraft that had disappeared over a week ago. This started quite a conversation....