Bound @ the Southwark Playhouse - take 2

This is the 2nd time me and Mrs T have seen Bound. The 1st was an intense encounter in a small performance space to a full house at the Edinburgh Fringe. We loved it. Since then I have been following the Bear Trap production company online as it has toured the country doing one night stands over the last 2 years.

Tonight we saw them at the grungy Southwark Playhouse Vault venue sadly to an almost empty house. The show was good but that original impact could not be repeated. The same actors with only modest changes to the 80 minute show made one realise that acting is just as much a trade as an art.

Well worth a visit. They will be touring the UK again after their run at the Playhouse has finished. 6/10 on second viewing.

The Playboy of the Western World, Old Vic | Theatre | The Arts Desk

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Playboy of the Western World @ The Old Vic

Playboy of the Western World @The Old Vic. An earthy, warm Irish tale of courting & gbh: a sons murderous loathing of his father & blarney fuelled allure to the ladies 7/10.

Good debut by leading actor.

Several members of the audience left at the interval. Not sure why. Perhaps they did not know the play was set in a 19th century small irish community with accents.

I found the 2nd half as entertaining as the first. Always a relief since so many plays fail to sustain their initial engagement.

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Wanstead Arts Trail

A 75 venue exhibition of what appeared to be amateur artists' works in churches, shops, cafes, community centres, a pub, a library and a golf course. Sunday was probably not the best day to do the trail since many venues were shut and the art could only be viewed through their windows. This particular Sunday was also open house day in London and neighbouring Leytonstones car free day.  The art I saw revealed that many in our community participate in this rewarding past time. The quality was variable which was to be expected. The standout pieces for me were to be found in Majestics (the vintners) and in particular works by Brian O'Leary. As a community venture 8/10, as a feast of art 5/10 and in term of accessibility.

Breakfast briefing by John Armitt. Chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority

Very good breakfast briefing by John Armitt Chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority 8/10. A massive achievement already and the games are still 47 Thursdays away. Art? Well it is a massive creative exercise and it certainly provokes a human reaction. So it must be.