Noel Coward, when asked for his opinion after a show would, I believe, come back with that most wonderful of responses - "Darling, you did it again". I might be paraphrasing slightly, so if you're in internet-land and looking for the right quote and indeed the right person to attribute it to, please research a bit more deeply.
This factoid (half remembered though it is) was brought to mind just now as I'm going to report of my trip to see a friend perform in a show. I think that this is an unusual thing for me to do. I'll qualify that. I frequently see people perform. I have a bunch of friends from the world of comedy, whom I may see perform their usual schtick, or even see perform in a slightly different context. However, there are not many people I term friends, from outside the world of comedy, whom I get to see perform... in other words, I don't often get to see shows with people for whom performing is not a regular, or even defining thing.
But tonight was Christmas panto night in Southampton and I went along, with a friend of mine, to watch a mutual friend and some other people we know through that friend, performing their hearts out in a panto in a pub. £5 in. Panto in pub. Simple. You can't say fairer than that.
There had been some "will they won't they" on the journey to Southampton. I'd started my trip from the Reading area and had gone by a sat-nav recommended route, which I think I disagreed with. I also didn't quite know whether some horrific traffic jam might suddenly at 30 minutes to my journey, getting me there "just in time" or whether I'd get to Southampton in plenty of time to pick up my friend to take her with.
Ooh. The dilemma. In the end, 30 minutes before I was due to arrive in Southampton according to the sat-nav (ignorant of traffic) we had to make the decision. If I didn't come and get her, she had about an hour of bus travel to do, so the decision point was so early. After a lot of musing - some would say an inordinate amount of it - I decided that I could pick my friend up. This proved, in the end, to be the right choice.
Such a drama over nothing.
The panto was enjoyed by all and we did audience participation and everything. The post show chit chat was also a pleasure, giving me the chance to get to know some new people, or to know some people I sort of knew a bit more.
Then the long drive home. On a school night and everything.
I was feeling a bit in need of company on the ride home, so I rang a friend in Reading and we chatted on the way back, which culminated in a trip to the late night garage for items which I dropped round at my friend's place as I headed home. A chat for some sweets - a fair swap, I think.
Though things always go round and round my head on a loop, where friends are concerned, I think the night was worth attended, especially in preference to the office party which I'd originally planned to go to and then dropped in favour of this pub-based event.
This factoid (half remembered though it is) was brought to mind just now as I'm going to report of my trip to see a friend perform in a show. I think that this is an unusual thing for me to do. I'll qualify that. I frequently see people perform. I have a bunch of friends from the world of comedy, whom I may see perform their usual schtick, or even see perform in a slightly different context. However, there are not many people I term friends, from outside the world of comedy, whom I get to see perform... in other words, I don't often get to see shows with people for whom performing is not a regular, or even defining thing.
But tonight was Christmas panto night in Southampton and I went along, with a friend of mine, to watch a mutual friend and some other people we know through that friend, performing their hearts out in a panto in a pub. £5 in. Panto in pub. Simple. You can't say fairer than that.
There had been some "will they won't they" on the journey to Southampton. I'd started my trip from the Reading area and had gone by a sat-nav recommended route, which I think I disagreed with. I also didn't quite know whether some horrific traffic jam might suddenly at 30 minutes to my journey, getting me there "just in time" or whether I'd get to Southampton in plenty of time to pick up my friend to take her with.
Ooh. The dilemma. In the end, 30 minutes before I was due to arrive in Southampton according to the sat-nav (ignorant of traffic) we had to make the decision. If I didn't come and get her, she had about an hour of bus travel to do, so the decision point was so early. After a lot of musing - some would say an inordinate amount of it - I decided that I could pick my friend up. This proved, in the end, to be the right choice.
Such a drama over nothing.
The panto was enjoyed by all and we did audience participation and everything. The post show chit chat was also a pleasure, giving me the chance to get to know some new people, or to know some people I sort of knew a bit more.
Then the long drive home. On a school night and everything.
I was feeling a bit in need of company on the ride home, so I rang a friend in Reading and we chatted on the way back, which culminated in a trip to the late night garage for items which I dropped round at my friend's place as I headed home. A chat for some sweets - a fair swap, I think.
Though things always go round and round my head on a loop, where friends are concerned, I think the night was worth attended, especially in preference to the office party which I'd originally planned to go to and then dropped in favour of this pub-based event.
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