Weekend Fun

London Weekend Fun

Theatre, Pub Crawl, Clubbing;
and recovery...

"Monday I have Friday on my mind," and with the Easybeats song in my head I was looking forward all week to the deja-vu sensation of a stage play revisited which I have read and studied three decades ago: An Inspector Calls, by JB Priestley, at the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End.

The play was superbly staged by a great cast and the story is as vivid and urgent today as it was 70 years ago when it had been written. Set in post-Victorian England the play chastises hypocrisy and moral decay in society, as a wealthy family in the Midlands is confronted with the suicide of a young woman, a death that had much to do with each member of the family, despite early denials at the beginning of an inquest conducted by an anonymous inspector. In the end, long after the investigator has left the house, the family descends into chaos, opening deep fault lines between members across generations on the heels of mutual accusations, attacks and blame.

We were six in our party, evenly split by genders, and we continued a lively debate over the play at the Cork & Bottle pub at nearby Leicester Square. This is not just a pub, but rather a fabulous locale to unwind, find a hidden niche underground for undisturbed tête-à-tête and to vent rhetoric that most will find political incorrect. The C&B serves excellent food, has a great wine list, architecturally interesting - catacombs come to mind - and with excellent service, all at a decent price. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I got home shortly after 3:30AM. I did not open the curtains before noon...

In the semi-darkness of my room, only disturbed by the bright lights of Anglochat [sarcasm], I sipped my coffee and plotted Saturday night's venues via phone + texts. So much talk of burgers and other culinary atrocities in Anglo I became overwhelmed by a craving for seafood (how novel is that por moi?). I rallied Danielle, Cory, Kim, Geoffrey and John - conference call style - to first drop by my place 8-ish for some snacks (which worked out fine for all) before heading out to the Kensington Wine Bars, my regular hang-out just around the corner from me. Two drinks later we flagged down a cab to drop in at Trader Vic's to deal with that seafood craving of ours and quench the thirst for rum-based exotics. Full and content we took off for Proud over in Camden, a club themed around Indie, Rock, Pop and Burlesque; the main room had a live act that was brilliant. Time flew by, and by 2:30 we tired out from the rave and dance.

I was thankful for Dani's suggestion to return to my place to chill out for a bit, aware of the playlist on the Spotify, the convenient location for all and the Open Bar sign ... lol. By 4:30 four of the five have left and it was time for bed. It's the kinda weekend you work for all week long. Come Monday and I will have yet again Friday on my mind: a return to the Proud for "Tales Of the Unexpected" - an indie-electro-rock party which promises to be great entertainment too.

Current music: REGINA SPEKTOR  -  Fidelity