Long term readers will be aware that one of my many loves is the city of London. No matter how many times I visit, the capital never feels old, dull, drab and melancholy. When Samuel Johnson said ‘when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’, he could not have been more correct. I never fail to be thrilled by London’s potential and the sense of external opportunity always in place, even though I have enough self-awareness to recognise that my feelings might slightly sour were I permanently living there.
Indeed, it was because of repeated lockdowns and coronavirus restrictions that I haven’t been able to visit London since last August. In that brief summer, which is reminiscent of the levels of freedom we enjoy today, I briefly escaped to Twickenham for a fortnight to attend a journalism summer school, an experience that was wholly worth it. That were were able to socialise indoors without any mask wearing at all, despite social distancing, seems like a nostalgic experience that occurred a century ago. It’s been even longer since I last sat in a theatre. Though able to visit the cinema a few times between lockdowns, the live aspect of the theatre is something I’ve so missed. Watching those National Theatre Live performances online during the first lockdown was a brilliant form of escapism - but it was always second best to being in the theatre itself as the drama unfolded. So, when I had the opportunity to both visit London and go in a West End theatre, you can be sure that I was going to take it up. The occasion involved seeing Matt Forde live at the Garrick Theatre interview Sayeeda Warsi and Peter Mandelson, two titans of their respective parties. I’ve long been a fan of Matt Forde’s podcast. Though my politics are different to his, that doesn’t stop every episode being wry, engaging and showing his utter obsession with politics, something I can very much relate to. I knew that Forde was probably desperate to return to the theatre himself. Given that the Political Party episodes used to be live, he presented a TV show on Dave and would regularly tour the Edinburgh Fringe, it’s obvious that Matt enjoys being in front of an audience. Recording things with just two people, not even in the same room, comes nowhere near regarding the intimacy of discussion. So it was that a university friend and I headed down to the capital one Monday afternoon. Yes, you might think we’re bonkers for going in the middle of exam season, but, having events to break up the revision timetable, like writing this blog, can only make me more productive and focused when I’m purely engaged in revision. It was something we booked weeks in advance as a motivation for completing university exams and numerous essays. The train from Leamington Spa down to the capital was prompt, comfortable and hardly overcrowded. Granted, a combination of Covid and travelling off-peak will have reduced the intensity of passengers, but I thought Chiltern Railways did a fine job indeed. Why not put them in charge of Great British Railways? I always like to have things to tick off my bucket list and arriving into Marylebone, a station I had never previously visited, was one of those. We had around three hours to kill between arriving in London and needing to queue outside the Garrick Theatre for the evening itself. As devout politicos, how an Earth could we avoid Westminster?! Even though the Elizabeth Tower remains full of scaffolding, with no chimes from Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster is a beauty that never gets old. We walked down past College Green, imagining working for media organisations broadcasting from there in decades to come. Of course, one of the key games was playing ‘Where’s the Politician?’ In a fairly substandard performance, we only saw three: Sammy Wilson (who I initially mistook for Jeffery Donaldson), Daniel Hannan and Ed Vaizey (not Davey!). Though initially we wanted to find an independent restaurant for dinner, we recognised that, being the central of London, that is both highly unlikely and would cost a fortune were we to stumble across one. Such are the rent prices for space in the capital, I imagine only the main chains can even begin to afford what landlords would be charging. After initially trying to avoid an Italian, we succumbed to the delights of Bella Italia. A decent two course meal for only £12.99 combined with excellent service was I thought the perfect preparation for the evening ahead. What I remember most about Matt Forde’s live show was the sheer buzz of being in a crowded room full of people. Individuals not from the same household or bubble were slightly distanced from one another, meaning there were inevitable gaps in seating. Otherwise, the theatre felt packed full of people. In all the times I was lucky enough to be in the cinema between lockdowns, it never felt busy whatsoever. Here, everyone felt all close and huddled together. It was brilliant. The Garrick Theatre had taken many safety precautions. Seats were socially distanced, individuals had to hand over their details, caution was of the upmost. But God was it great to be back. You don’t realise just how much you’ve missed things until the opportunity to explore them again returns. Matt Forde I think was equally delighted by this - the first few minutes of his show were not his stand up routine with brilliant impressions but simply an amazement at being back in a room with other people. His guests were brilliant and didn’t let any nerves show. Sayeeda Warsi, though a member of the House of Lords, had the privilege of being a backbencher, which meant she wasn’t bound to anything the government were saying. Recently, she had taken part in a Channel 4 show seeking to become a stand-up, in order to raise money for Stand Up to Cancer. That clearly put her at ease, with many brilliant lines with Matt Forde causing him to chuckle as much as the rest of us. While political issues and ideas were definitely covered, it was made obvious that this was an evening of fun first and foremost. I have to admit, I did wonder whether Peter Mandelson would be able to enjoy himself as much as Sayeeda Warsi. There are of course the myths and stereotypes about him being the Prince of Darkness under New Labour and, certainly in the media, he always had an air of seriousness and reservation about him. I needn’t have worried. His segment was one of the most comic, bizarre things I’ve seen in the theatre for a long time. Gout, the quality of red wine, visiting London…you had to be there to understand it. Thankfully, Mandelson’s section has been released on the Political Party podcast. Listening to it is most definitely a good use of your time. Forde and Mandelson were clearly having so much fun (their political allegiance is the same) that the show ran over by 20 minutes. This created a slightly stressful situation rushing back to Charing Cross tube to get the Bakerloo tube northbound (not southbound) to Marylebone station. Arriving in Leamington at precisely midnight, it had been quite the afternoon and evening. What a brilliant time to get out of the Midlands and temporarily explore the capital. Whatever the costs, it was worth every second.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author:Noah enjoys writing a blog and drinking tea Archives
September 2022
Categories
All
|