In which Helen sees Kenneth Branagh in Ivanov

All in all, a good day.

Woke at 1:00. 12 hour sleep. Not needed, but what the hell.

Ran down to the Donmar Warehouse and bought a ticket for Ivanov, the Chekov play Kenneth Branagh is in. Got standing only, as the show is sold out. So watched the show from the behind the very last row in the third tier with about eight other people. Didn't bother me; more than half of the shows I've seen have been with me standing in the back of the theatre. <----- volunteer usher here.

Phenomenal show. People have been hailing Branagh for it. His best show yet...those sorts of things. (Wouldn't it be nice if I could write something that sounded half-way intelligent). But, whatever, it was good, that's all you need to know.

Gina McKee played his dying wife. You may know her from The Forsyte Saga, where she played the lead role, or a "modern" reference -- she was wheel-chair bound in Notting Hill.



While I walked to the theatre to buy the ticket an intoxicated man in his 60's abouts, with a glass bottle of vodka in his hand (mind you, it was only 2:00 in the afternoon), came up to me, as I was walking, slurred something in Cockney in my direction which I couldn't make out, and patted my right arm. Already walking passed him at the time, I didn't stick around to find out what he wanted. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a Dickens novel.

After I bought the ticket, I went to a local cafe on the South Bank, had scones and read Wuthering Heights, writing extensive notes while doing so. Spent all afternoon there.

How ideal. Buy a ticket for an award winning show (Branagh is up for the Evening Standard Theater Award), stop at a typical London cafe, read probably THE English book while glancing out the window at the drizzle of rain and people walking past with friends, lovers or alone, then rush home to take a shower before walking, in the dark, across the Waterloo Bridge to the theatre. Lights twinkling with the rain.

They sell little ice creams in the intervals. They cost 3 pounds. It is now my ritual to buy one at every performance. The belgian chocolate is the best. A good ritual to have, considering that for some reason I always forget to eat before going to a show.