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Wired For Sound
Jul. 31st, 2014 09:20 pmMy cousin Sam and her boyfriend Dave (no, they didn't launch into a rendition of Soul Man) came up from Malvern on Tuesday evening. As arranged, we met at the MK Theatre - when we planned the meet months ago, they had Last Of The Duty Free scheduled, but then the tour of that got cancelled so we were offered tickets for the show taking its place, Agatha Christie's Murder On Air. Although a little deflated that we wouldn't be seeing a comedy we decided to go for it.
Sam was standing in the foyer when I arrived, we kissed and hugged, and she led me over to their table and we went up for drinks. I handed her her birthday gifts from my mum and me, and we chatted about their journey over. Sam said they were up for seeing Fascinating Aïda at Malvern in October and asked if I was OK with her friend Gill, whom I'd met in Scotland in 2010, joining us; I agreed. We also agreed we'd meet again at MK in August next year for Shrek : The Musical - over Dave's groans!
The show consisted of three short Christie plays written for radio, and the stage was set up to replicate a radio studio of those days. The cast all wore black suits or black evening dresses, and were all in a row on chairs, each of them standing when they were prominent in a scene. Tom Conti and Jenny Seagrove headed the cast, both were excellent, and we were impressed with Louise Faulkner, especially in the second play in which she played a restaurant cabaret singer. Star of the show was undoubtedly Alexander S. Bermange, the sound effects man, who stood at an old style radio production deck in the corner, ringing bells, opening and closing a little wooden door, and doing all the other things necessary to make the sounds necessary for the plays, in a way that frequently offered comic relief.
Once Sam heard there was a TGI Friday's 100 yards away there was only one place we were going for our post-theatre nosh, despite Dave not being a fan. Happily they had something on the menu he was happy enough with. At several points during the proceedings Sam squeed with delight at being in a Friday's! I went for chicken strips followed by Jack Daniel's chicken - quite tasty though the Jack Daniel's glaze had a bit of a sting in its tail.
We drove back to Heath and Reach and Sam and Dave retired to their room at the Heath Inn.
I'd booked yesterday as holiday. Sam and Dave ran me into Leighton for my dental check-up. All clear, thank goodness, though after I thought the receptionist was going to leave me standing there all morning as she talked to someone on the phone trying to get her printer to go. She insisted I only had to pay £1, and that was all she would take from me, but I have a feeling that was a computer error and that I'll be getting a bill for the balance soon enough.
After we'd passed the sad empty shell of Creighton's ice cream parlour (felt a sharp pang there) we went for coffee in a cafe attached to a gift shop called Room No. 9 on the High Street. Very tasty flapjack! From there we went for a couple of hours' walking on the Dunstable Downs, then headed on to Tring where we found a pub. They didn't serve Tring ales (wouldn't have thought that possible in the town itself?) but they did have Rekorderlig so I was fine. One of their day's specials was lamb kofte so I couldn't resist that; quite tasty but they were a bit stingy with the accompanying vegetables. A leisurely amble along the nearby canal path, then they dropped me back in Heath and Reach about 3.30 and we said our goodbyes.
I didn't feel like going straight home so just sat in the Heath with a Kopparberg for a little while watching Commonwealth gymnastics, hockey and boxing.
Back to work today, naturally still snowed under.
Sam was standing in the foyer when I arrived, we kissed and hugged, and she led me over to their table and we went up for drinks. I handed her her birthday gifts from my mum and me, and we chatted about their journey over. Sam said they were up for seeing Fascinating Aïda at Malvern in October and asked if I was OK with her friend Gill, whom I'd met in Scotland in 2010, joining us; I agreed. We also agreed we'd meet again at MK in August next year for Shrek : The Musical - over Dave's groans!
The show consisted of three short Christie plays written for radio, and the stage was set up to replicate a radio studio of those days. The cast all wore black suits or black evening dresses, and were all in a row on chairs, each of them standing when they were prominent in a scene. Tom Conti and Jenny Seagrove headed the cast, both were excellent, and we were impressed with Louise Faulkner, especially in the second play in which she played a restaurant cabaret singer. Star of the show was undoubtedly Alexander S. Bermange, the sound effects man, who stood at an old style radio production deck in the corner, ringing bells, opening and closing a little wooden door, and doing all the other things necessary to make the sounds necessary for the plays, in a way that frequently offered comic relief.
Once Sam heard there was a TGI Friday's 100 yards away there was only one place we were going for our post-theatre nosh, despite Dave not being a fan. Happily they had something on the menu he was happy enough with. At several points during the proceedings Sam squeed with delight at being in a Friday's! I went for chicken strips followed by Jack Daniel's chicken - quite tasty though the Jack Daniel's glaze had a bit of a sting in its tail.
We drove back to Heath and Reach and Sam and Dave retired to their room at the Heath Inn.
I'd booked yesterday as holiday. Sam and Dave ran me into Leighton for my dental check-up. All clear, thank goodness, though after I thought the receptionist was going to leave me standing there all morning as she talked to someone on the phone trying to get her printer to go. She insisted I only had to pay £1, and that was all she would take from me, but I have a feeling that was a computer error and that I'll be getting a bill for the balance soon enough.
After we'd passed the sad empty shell of Creighton's ice cream parlour (felt a sharp pang there) we went for coffee in a cafe attached to a gift shop called Room No. 9 on the High Street. Very tasty flapjack! From there we went for a couple of hours' walking on the Dunstable Downs, then headed on to Tring where we found a pub. They didn't serve Tring ales (wouldn't have thought that possible in the town itself?) but they did have Rekorderlig so I was fine. One of their day's specials was lamb kofte so I couldn't resist that; quite tasty but they were a bit stingy with the accompanying vegetables. A leisurely amble along the nearby canal path, then they dropped me back in Heath and Reach about 3.30 and we said our goodbyes.
I didn't feel like going straight home so just sat in the Heath with a Kopparberg for a little while watching Commonwealth gymnastics, hockey and boxing.
Back to work today, naturally still snowed under.
