Monday 21 September 2015

Storytelling: The Fate We Bring Ourselves

Ah, back with that unique Meetup group, the Crick Crack Storytelling Club! Tonight was a talk entitled The Fate We Bring Ourselves, a retelling of Greek legends, staged in the Soho Theatre. And I was delighted to book - I absolutely love a good story, well told.

So off I went tonight, in good time - it takes me about 45 minutes to get there from home. I missed the rain we'd had all day, although I did get dripped on a bit from awnings I passed under. Made the theatre with five minutes to spare - not enough time to meet my fellow club members, a couple of whom made sociable conversation on the event page, but enough time that I didn't have to give myself a coronary climbing all those stairs. There is a lift, which some used, but well.. every now and then I do like to take the healthy option. An usher, seeing me on my own, directed me to a lone seat at the end of a row - rather unnecessarily, as there were several empty seats.

Just before the start, a woman to the side sneezed in quite the most melodramatic fashion I think I've ever heard. We applauded. And in short order, our storyteller, Ben Haggarty, arrived. He turned out to be the guy that I think is in charge of the club - minus his black hat tonight. And, for once, he explained the club chant to us. Well, kind of. He says "crick", we say "crack". He says "honour", we say "respect". 'Tis more explanation than I got on my first attendance!

And we were off. Good storytelling is a gift, and we spent the next 75 minutes or so enraptured in the spell that he wove with his stories, and the way he had of telling them. I couldn't keep the smile off my face, his words were so delightful. He could have been reading the phone book, such was his talent. Instead, he treated us to three tales I hadn't heard before, and one I had - the birth of Dionysus. Really, these meetings are special.. flock to them if you get the chance!

For tomorrow, I'm pessimistic about the weather - so much for my plans to go to the Scoop again. Instead, I managed to source a cheap ticket to Edward IV, an amalgamation of the various instalments of Shakespeare's story of Henry VI, at the Rose Theatre in Kingston. Bit far out, but royalty always attracts me.. On Wednesday, there's a profusion of comedy! but honestly, not one of the line-ups appealed. I'm picky about my comedy. Instead, perusing the list of events and unable to decide, I simply decided on the closest, and am headed (on another cheap ticket) to Simpatico, at the Tabard. Gosh, haven't been there since I lived within walking distance! (I moved because of the mice.)

On Thursday, I'm on a tour of London's Ghostly Haunts, with Free London Events and Talks again. I'm a sucker for ghosties as much as for royalty. And the weather's supposed to improve. On Friday, I'm off to the Boat Show at last. Hopefully! I finally found a comedy line-up that appealed - last month - and booked, only to discover, quite by accident, by clicking on the website the night before, that the show was cancelled! I complained, and secured myself a free ticket to this Friday's performance (the next night that a line-up appealed). And a free glass of bubbly. Mind you, the organisation seems so ditzy that I'll consider myself lucky to see anything..

On Saturday, Helen and I are headed - finally - to a show booked long ago. We're off to see Dara O' Briain in the Hammersmith Apollo. On Sunday, I'm off on another walk - Transportation in London: Meat, Mortality and Mail, courtesy of London's Secrets, Tales and Legends. I was booked on the morning walk, but when they - conveniently - scheduled another in the afternoon, I changed to that. :-)

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