Hello again, I hope you had a nice Easter! And welcome to my latest roundup, which is an ‘out and about’ special, because I’ve had a very eventful month, with a couple of theatre shows, a couple of stand-up comedy gigs and a couple of tasty free meals that I want to talk about. I paid for the theatre and comedy shows myself, while the meals were free PR invites for my friend Emily to review, but all opinions are my own regardless. So I hope you enjoy this month’s post and video!
Contents
Theatre Plays
Just For One Day
Over Easter I posted an in-depth review of Live Aid, the iconic global jukebox event held on 13 July 1985, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in aid of the victims of the devastating famine in Ethiopia. Given the scale of the two main concerts in London and Philadelphia, the number of huge stars who performed for free, the speed in which it was all set up, and the many technological challenges involved, the outcome was truly impressive and remarkable.
I wasn’t old enough to see that incredible spectacle at the time, so it was only later in my childhood that I started to hear about it. And it was only when a DVD was released in 2004 that I was finally able to get a proper sense of what it was like, and there have been more clips released online since then.
Video footage isn’t the same as being there of course, but a recent production at the legendary Old Vic Theatre helped to bridge that gap a little bit, by evoking some of the atmosphere surrounding that special occasion.
The show, which finished its far too short 2-month run at the end of March, is called Just For One Day, taking its title from a lyric in David Bowie’s classic song Heroes. It tells the story of how Bob Geldof created the Band Aid single and organised the Live Aid concerts, incorporating lots of songs from the event along the way. The musical was staged with the permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, who have been given 10% from the ticket sales, which is good to know.
I went to the audio described performance, as a member of their access scheme, which started with a touch tour. There were a lot of us there on this occasion, including a large gathering from the Eye Matter social group as well as other people like myself, but the ushers and describers ensured that everything was very well organised, so we all had a chance to see everything.
To begin with we were introduced to the actors who played Bob Geldof (Craige Els) and PM Margaret Thatcher (Julie Atherton), who described their costumes and demonstrated their voices. So that was very kind of them to give up some of their time for us.
They were both excellent in the show as well. Bob is played quite faithfully, including the fact that he swears like a trooper, and I know the real Bob was closely involved with the production and gave it his approval. The portrayal of the former Prime Minister is more on the comedic side, so she’s often very funny, and there are amusing sequences where she and Bob talk in a rap-like rhyming style. But ultimately the two characters address a far more serious point that plays a big part in the show, regarding the lengths Bob had to go to in reality to convince the government to be more supportive, instead of them taking money in taxes from the fundraising effort.
Anyway, after those two actors left to go and get ready, we were then divided up so that half of us went on stage to look at parts of the set, while the rest sat in the stalls and were given various props and costumes to look at, and then we swapped over.
There were three main things to look at on the stage, the first of which was a counter representing a record shop with a turntable, vintage posters of 80s bands and a rotary phone. This was where a young lady called Suzanne (Hope Kenna) worked with her friend Tim (Joe Edgar). An older incarnation of Suzanne (Jackie Clune) acted as our entry point into the show, as someone who attended Live Aid, by convincing a reluctant Bob to tell a young lady from the current generation about the event, as inspiration for them to take action against the injustices of today’s world. So as part of those recollections we got to see the younger Suzanne getting all excited about Live Aid, in contrast to a less convinced Tim who wasn’t so keen on the show but did have a crush on her.
The other two set pieces related to the Band Aid single, with a huge mixing desk adorned with post-it notes to indicate the recording studio, and then another smaller mixing desk on a counter for the Radio 1 studio that plays the song. Both mixing desks had headphones with them of course, as well as fake cups of tea as props. The Radio 1 desk also had a push button phone on it. And at the back of the stage was a raised platform where the band performed, but we didn’t go up there, as there wasn’t any room with all the equipment.
Back down in the stalls, meanwhile, we got to see items including Mrs Thatcher’s jacket and handbag, a top worn for a David Bowie performance, a strap worn by someone portraying Freddie Mercury, a replica of the cassette tape on which Do They Know It’s Christmas? was first recorded, and other bits and pieces.
So altogether the tour helped to give a really good sense of the fashions, technology and other items that played important roles in the show. And there was an online audio Introduction we could listen to in advance at home to further set the scene, which was also read to us live via our headsets in the auditorium before the show started. One of the describers was Roz Chalmers, who I’ve met several times and get on very well with, and her colleague Rosie Preston was lovely too. They didn’t describe things during the songs themselves, because they were often quite loud to give the feel of a rock concert, but they filled us in on important information immediately afterwards, and during gaps in the dialogue elsewhere as usual. So I got all the detail I needed to fully enjoy the production.
And the show was amazing, with the story summarised very nicely and in an entertaining way. There was lots of good humour and great music, alongside moving scenes that reminded us of the underlying purpose of the event. And visually it was pretty impressive, with a three-walled screen behind the band’s platform that showed photos, footage and animations to complement the musical numbers, including views of the original crowds at Wembley Stadium.
Most importantly, as well as Do They Know It’s Christmas? and the related charity single We Are The World from the USA, the musical used many songs that were performed at Live Aid itself, slotting them in at appropriate junctures during the story. There were nearly 40 songs altogether, each chosen for a reason and each getting their moment to shine. There were even occasional mashups where two or more songs were creatively combined in some way.
The key thing was that they weren’t trying to impersonate the artists or replicate the original live performances. Instead, each song had been given its own modern theatrical adaptation, often sounding completely different to the versions everyone knows, yet not in a bad way. The new takes on Bob Dylan’s Blowing In The Wind and The Who’s My Generation, for instance, were very memorable and effective in the context of the story, and I was very happy to see a few Queen songs throughout the production.
Tracks by Status Quo, The Boomtown Rats, Ultravox, U2, The Cars, The Police, The Pretenders, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Sade, Elton John and Paul McCartney were among others to be featured. So it was a fabulous selection of songs, which you’ll be able to hear on an upcoming cast album that I’m really looking forward to.
So all in all I thoroughly enjoyed the musical. I thought it paid tribute to the work of Bob Geldof and Band Aid very well, and gave a wonderful insight into the experience of Live Aid, evoking a wonderful atmosphere in the theatre. It’s a shame it was only on for a couple of months, but if it ever returns to the Old Vic or appears elsewhere or goes on tour, I definitely recommend seeing it.
Nye
The other show I saw this month was also an entertaining look at an important real life story that had, and continues to have, a hugely beneficial impact on millions of people’s lives.
The simply-titled Nye, at the National Theatre, is all about the life of Aneurin Bevan, commonly known as Nye Bevan. He was the Minister of Health who launched the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK on 5 July 1948, despite the strong opposition of fellow politicians and many doctors. It was based on the simple principles that it would meet the needs of everyone, be free at the point of delivery, and be based on clinical need instead of the ability to pay. We take its existence completely for granted today, but its creation was far from simple.
Amazingly, this is the first time I’ve been to a show at the National Theatre since moving to London over 7 years ago – not for any particular reason, it’s just how things have worked out. As a kid I saw Wind In The Willows there, which made excellent use of the revolving stage, while during lockdown I saw a few of their online shows, plus 5 years ago I did have a great backstage tour in person. But this is the first time I’ve actually been to a show there by myself. Far too long overdue, but certainly well worth the wait.
Throughout my visit I was looked after by a wonderful guy called Laurence, who deserves a shoutout as he was cheerful, chatty and friendly, nothing was too much trouble for him, he was keen to get feedback about how things could be improved, and he may well be reading this as I gave him the link to my blog, so hi! Likewise his colleague Emily, who guided me in and out of the auditorium before and after the show, was also brilliant for the same reasons. So I felt very welcome and comfortable in what can be quite a confusing place when you’re seeing a show there for the first time, as it’s a bit of a maze inside that huge building and the lighting in some parts isn’t great.
So we started off with a touch tour on the stage, which proved to be very popular as there was a lot of us. But we all had plenty of time to explore the set, along with a big rack of costumes and a table full of props, which was very interesting and useful. Several members of the cast also greeted us at the start of the tour, telling us a bit about their characters and costumes, and demonstrating their voices, which was very kind of them, and they enjoyed talking to us.
The audio description during the show itself was also excellent, and was very clear through the headset with no reception issues. I’d had the audio introduction sent to me before the show as well, which was helpful, as I’m a member of their access scheme (which also meant my seat was a more affordable £20, instead of the usual £96!).
Nye is played fantastically by Michael Sheen, who I’ve also enjoyed in TV shows like Staged and Good Omens, bringing so much realism, emotion and even humour to the role. He wasn’t one of the cast members who we saw on the touch tour, but that wasn’t a surprise or a problem. He would have had a lot of preparation to do!
The story centres around Nye’s final days in one of the many hospitals he was responsible for creating, where the pain relief drugs he’s been administered cause him to hallucinate and recall events from his life. So we see him in school and down the mines, before he embarks on his political career with dogged determination to stick up for the everyday working men and women who nobody else seems to care about.
So it’s really interesting to learn about his journey, having known barely anything about him before, including the problems he had with his stammering and how he overcame them, his mining career, his clashes with Prime Ministers and other politicians, and the fight he had on his hands to get the NHS up and running.
The way they present the different locations and scenes is also really clever. The stage is primarily laid out like a hospital, with 4 beds on each side and green curtains separating them, along with the matron’s desk in the middle at the back. But the curtain rails span the entire stage, and can move up and down, so they’re often arranged in different formations, or they can disappear entirely. For example, they’re lowered in staggered levels to represent the green seating in the House of Commons, which is very effective. There are also scenes where the curtains are fully closed, with images projected on to them, showing large groups of doctors or patients who are putting pressure on Bevan.
Likewise, all of the beds are regularly moved around. So sometimes Nye’s bed will be placed in the centre of the stage, with the front green curtain fully closed behind him, to show he’s in a private room. But there are also occasions where the beds are flipped on their sides – with people still in them! – to create desks for council meetings. Meanwhile the matron’s desk doubles up as the desk for the Prime Minister and is remote controlled, so it can move around the stage while the PM is sat on the chair attached to it! There’s also the creative use of laser lights that Bevan interacts with while down the mines, and there’s even a musical number at one point that’s a lot of fun.
So Nye tells the story of Bevan’s life and career in a very engaging, entertaining, enlightening, educational and emotional way, giving you a thought-provoking appreciation of what it took to get one of Britain’s finest and most important institutions off the ground. I can very much recommend seeing it before it finishes on May 11, but if you can’t get there it’s also being screened at various locations around the country as part of National Theatre Live over the next few months. You can also check out my friend Emily’s press review of the play for another perspective.
Stand-Up Comedy
Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer
I had a good laugh with Sarah Millican at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith again this month, having seen her at the same venue during her previous tour a couple of years ago as well.
Just like last time it was easy for me to get in and find my seat, and in fact it was even quicker on this occasion, as they’re very efficient. The long queue outside did start around the side of the theatre where it was quite dark, but I was able to follow the people in front of me anyway and the line moved very quickly. On my previous visit to see Sarah I’d had to empty my pockets to pass through a security scanner just inside the entrance, but on this occasion I didn’t have to do that, as they had scanners outside that the queue was directed through, and it wasn’t necessary to remove anything. I think people with bags still had to have them checked, but I wasn’t carrying one.
The QR code on the ticket on my phone was then scanned at the entrance, and a member of staff at the doors to the auditorium happily helped me to find my seat, which had great legroom. So from joining the queue to sitting down, it took no more than 10 minutes. Likewise it was easy to follow everyone out of the building back to the pedestrian crossing afterwards. So I do like it there, it’s very easy to get around.
The show began with Sarah’s support act Sally-Anne Hayward, who spoke about staying in hotels and dating as an older lady during her short but amusing set, which got us all in the right mood for a couple of hours of comedy.
Sarah then came on, and her show is called Late Bloomer, where she compares her experiences as a child to her current life as a 48-year-old, to figure out how she got to where she is today and how much she’s changed in that time. She considers herself a Late Bloomer, as do I, based on the criteria she’s developed to figure out if people fall into that category or are an Eager Beaver instead. There are also mugs for each of those phrases as part of her merchandise range.
Beyond that I’m not going to give too much away about the show of course, especially as Sarah’s still touring it for the rest of the year. Suffice to say that it’s very funny, and memorable highlights for me included her routines about items she carries in her bag, a flotation tank, old school reports, her school bully, underwear, periods, dick pics, getting a new mobile phone, and the Channel 4 show Open House.
Finally, it’s also worth noting that this particular performance had BSL interpreters, namely Anna Kitson for Sally and Catherine King for Sarah (the latter can also be seen on the Adam Hills DVDs Happyism and Clown Heart). It must be quite hard for them not to get the giggles sometimes, but they did a great job, and the Apollo had allocated suitable seating for deaf patrons to give them the best view. And at the end of the show we were able to donate to the Samaritans for their work in the local area.
So it’s great that Sarah likes to make things accessible and support people, in the same way that she’s always careful to describe images on social media for her visually impaired followers, which she has fun with sometimes – the alt text for the backstage gang photo after the show was brilliant, for instance.
So it was great to see Sarah Millican live again for the second time. I probably won’t get to every tour she does, as I naturally can’t see every single show by every comedian I like, as cool as that would be. But hopefully I’ll attend another performance of hers in the future.
Ross Noble: Jibber Jabber Jamboree
I’ve been a fan of Ross Noble for a very long time, having bought all of his DVDs and seen some of his online releases, which I’m happily rewatching bit by bit at the moment and I’ll post reviews of them at some point. Plus I’ve enjoyed many of his TV appearances over the years, and his theatrical role in Young Frankenstein back in 2017.
So I’ve wanted to go to one of his stand-up comedy gigs for ages, and finally got around to it this month, catching one of the last few shows on his 21st stand-up tour, called Jibber Jabber Jamboree.
I had booked my ticket quite a while ago, getting in as early as I could when the dates were announced, which meant I was able to secure a front row seat to watch him at the London Palladium. I wouldn’t normally sit right at the front in that venue for a big theatre show, as given the height of the stage you need to be sitting three or four rows back to get a proper view of everything, and it’s not the best spot if you’ve got long legs given the wall of the orchestra pit, although it’s still comfortable enough and I wasn’t cramped. But for a solo performance like this a front row seat is ideal, as it allowed me to see the visual jokes that Ross was doing, which I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate so easily if I’d been too far back.
Unlike most other stand-up comedians who have a set routine for their tours, Ross Noble’s shows are improvised streams of consciousness, riffing on whatever comes to mind, often triggered by people he sees or talks to in the audience, along with anything else that pops into his head. He has this remarkable ability to go off on multiple layers of weird and wonderful tangents, and then come back to things he was talking about earlier in the show, sometimes a lot earlier.
Sure, he’s bound to have some phrases, jokes, anecdotes and mini-routines in mind. whether remembered from previous shows or just gags he has on standby, that he can pull out whenever he likes. But in any case, every individual show on every single tour is unique, which makes them all the more special.
It also means there’s no easy way of describing what he talks about in his shows, as it won’t make a lot of sense if you weren’t present, so the phrase “you had to be there” very much applies. Indeed, in the early minutes of his gigs, there are inevitable moments of amusement when latecomers arrive, because Ross will say things to them that they find completely baffling, but the rest of the audience are fully clued into it. As Ross himself says, his shows reward the punctual!
If you’re wondering about my position in the front row however, which I know is a gamble at comedy gigs (in a good way), Ross didn’t talk to me. He ended up being happily occupied by a woman with an assistance dog at the other end of the central row I was sat in, and a man with a magical backpack across the aisle to my left.
Meanwhile, some of his other flights of fancy included animals like sheep, cockatoos, ferrets, a hawk and slugs, along with King Charles in hospital, a nice nod to Paul O’Grady, a man with a massive head, an embarrassing story involving his electric razor in a lift, a joke on the school run that upset his wife, unusual interpretations of the hymn Kumbaya he had us sing along to, the game Guess Who, and the Ghostbusters song, among a myriad of other things!
There was an underlying monkey theme too, implying that Ross jabbers on like one, in terms of the title of the show and the design of the set. He didn’t actually say much about monkeys, but before he came on stage there were monkey-themed songs playing (including the title song for the Monkees, obviously). And he’s talked about monkeys in many of his older shows that I’ve seen on DVD and online, as he has an obsession with them.
So while I can’t easily explain how the different subjects above came about, I can say with certainty that it was absolutely hilarious. I was laughing constantly throughout his marvellous two-hour set, because he’s got such a sharp and fast mind with a great sense of humour, and he engages really well with his audiences. It was the perfect way to spend a Friday night, and I’ll definitely try and see him again on a future tour.
Restaurants
I’ve been out for a few very nice meals this month. One was with a friend for their birthday, so I won’t talk about that as it was a private catch-up. But the other two meals were freebies with my friend and colleague Emily Davison from Fashioneyesta, who I’m delighted to say has been shortlisted for the RNIB’s See Differently Award! She very kindly invited me along to another couple of places that she was visiting to review, so we had a lot of nice free food and drink. But all my opinions are my own as usual, and likewise Emily is honest in her articles that I’ve linked to.
Cinnamon Kitchen: House Of Holi (PR Invite)
My first outing with Emily this month was a rather new and unique experience for both of us!
We went to an Indian restaurant called Cinnamon Kitchen, whose food we already knew we liked, having been to their Battersea branch for my birthday last year. But this time we were at their London City venue in Devonshire Square, across the road from Liverpool Street station, for a special event that was running at the restaurant for just over a week.
The restaurant was marking the Holi festival, which is a Hindu celebration of love, renewal and the triumph of good over evil. And what makes it particularly fun is that it’s also known as the Festival Of Colours, where they have a tradition of people throwing coloured powder over each other.
So that’s what we got to do! London’s provided me with some weird and wonderful opportunities already, but I never imagined I would be in a job where I could make a mess of my boss and get away with it! Couldn’t turn that down, right?
The evening started off with Emily and I joining a group of other people who were there for the occasion, including the representatives of the PR company who had invited us all along. So we were able to spend a bit of time chatting over drinks and canapés to start with, which was nice. There was a lovely marzipan-flavoured nibble that I found particularly moreish.
Then the time came to enter the House Of Holi – a large white room set up outside the restaurant, which wasn’t going to stay white for much longer! Once we’d been given a welcoming introduction, we were able to unleash our inner child and literally mess around for half an hour. You can see a couple of clips in the Youtube video accompanying this blog, or if you swipe through my Instagram post.
I found it a surreal experience for sure, having never done anything like this in the past, whereas for the restaurant this was their 7th Holi celebration. But it was a great deal of fun, as we played with vivid shades of red, pink, yellow, green, blue, etc, by blowing or throwing them at one another, wiping them on each other’s faces, hair, arms and clothes, or just tossing them up in the air at random to see who it landed on.
It was all very good-natured. And because it was a very fine, soft powder, made out of some kind of flour mix, it wasn’t irritating if any got in the eyes or on the body, it didn’t taste too bad if any got in your mouth, and it washed off skin, hair and clothes easily afterwards.
As they had recommended, we brought spare clothes with us that we were able to change into before the meal that followed, because they don’t provide coveralls. When I entered the gents toilets to go and change in one of the cubicles, one guy was rather shocked and asked what the hell had happened to me, as he had no idea what had been going on! So that was rather amusing. My face and hair were still a colourful mess (like everyone else’s) when I went home of course, but if anybody on the Tube or in the streets was staring at me, being visually impaired meant I didn’t notice, so I didn’t feel self-conscious.
Anyway, after our playtime we then sat down for the Holi Feast, a delicious 9-course meal created by Executive Chef and CEO Vivek Singh, consisting of:
Starters:
- Dahi Bhalla Papdi Chaat – Sweet yoghurt & lentil sorbet
- Tandoori Chicken Leg Tikka – Mustard and honey, coriander chutney
- Sea Bream Bhaja – Bengali style fried fish fillet, kasundi mustard
Main Course:
- Paneer Butter Masala – Punjabi style paneer and peas in rich sauce
- Kadhi Pithod Saag – Chickpea and yoghurt gnocchi, spinach sauce
- Lamb Rogan Josh – Kashmiri lamb curry with aromatic spices
- Bengali Style Shrimp Malai Curry – Cardamom and coconut
- Sides – Garlic naan, green pea pulao & curried white peas
Dessert:
- Holi Mithai – Trio of Kulfi, Rasmalai thandhai tres leches and Malpua
Obviously, being 9 courses, these weren’t huge, full-size dishes, but the portions were generous enough that Emily and I could share them between us.
The lamb dish and the desserts were my favourite items, while the sea bream had too many little bones in it for my liking, but it was all very nice on the whole. And I had a couple of cocktails with the meal too – a Coconut King and a Mango Sour – which were both really nice.
So altogether it was a very unusual and enjoyable evening. It illustrates perfectly why I love living in London and am grateful for the perks of my job, because of these opportunities to try new things, learn about other cultures and eat a lot of tasty food! Check out Emily’s article for her perspective on it.
Bingham Riverhouse (PR Invite)
The other meal I had with Emily was dinner in Richmond, at the Bingham Riverhouse. This is a new restaurant with a seasonally changing menu by award-winning chef Vanessa Marx, and we had a lovely time.
The venue, which is also a hotel, has a cosy and relaxed atmosphere, beautiful decor, a lovely view of the Thames, very friendly staff, and delicious food. We started off by relaxing with a drink in the lounge, where I had a Dark & Stormy cocktail that contains ginger beer, before making our way into the dining room.
To begin with we were invited to try some Bierbrood (beer bread), which was very nice indeed. Then for the 3-course meal itself I had artichoke soup (also with some bread and a glass of white wine), a succulent portion of Haye Farm organic steak with fries (accompanied by a glass of red wine), and a big slice of baked cheesecake with Horlicks caramel.
It was all very tasty and filling, in a very pleasant environment that was comfortable, well-lit, and with quiet ambient music that gently added to the atmosphere while also allowing us to have a normal conversation. So we came away from there very satisfied, it made for a lovely afternoon. Check out Emily’s review for her thoughts, as she tried some different items to me.
Conclusion
And that’s it. I’m not doing a section on TV this time, as there isn’t anything major to mention on that front. I’ve been enjoying The Last Leg and the extended editions of QI as usual, along with the final episodes of Gladiators (which I’m pleased will be returning for a second series), plus the new series of Taskmaster has only just started so I’ll talk more about that in a later post. I didn’t bother with Comic Relief, as that doesn’t interest me these days, but Lenny Henry’s departure is a big loss for them. Other than that, looking through lots of Live Aid stuff has kept me quite busy. And there is something else I’ve seen online, but it’s not time-sensitive and will fit better in my next Favourites post, given some other related things I plan to watch in April.
Indeed, looking ahead, April shouldn’t be quite so busy. I will be going to see another show that’s been on my bucket list for a while, and there’s an interesting theatre-related project I’ve been invited to help out with, but I don’t have any major plans beyond that. So it’ll be nice to have a relatively relaxing month. And I hope you have a lovely month as well, whatever you get up to!
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Well Eye Never 
We had a nice month too!
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Glad to hear it! 🙂
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