My Week With London, Photos : LOCAL LOVES

Hello, hello! It was quiet week this week. Just the one theatre trip and some riverside catch ups with friends. I spent the weekend having some drinks in the garden (which turned into jagerbombs in Brixton, deary me), doing some life-admin and pretending I'm a grown up by buying peonies from Marks and Sparks. 

The weather was lovely though so here are some sunny snaps...

Embankment footbridge

Covent Garden rickshaws

Bobbing along the Thames

National Portrait Gallery

Next week is looking fun - seeing my new fave band in Soho, drinks with an old school friend and a football bbq at mine!

xXx

My Week With London, Photos : LOCAL LOVES

Hi again gang! Hope you've all had lovely sunny weekends - how frickin' good has the weather been?! I am writing this in a slouchy sun dress sitting in my little garden and waiting for my hangover-busting wagamamas delivery to arrive. It was my sister's engagement party last night so I'm feeling a little worse for wear after tottering home at 4am when it was starting to get light and the birds were singing VERY loudly.

It's been a mega busy week again folks - two theatre trips, a friend's gig, an evening at the Oval watching the cricket and a lot of family celebrations. I'm pooped! I think a visit to the outdoor pool in Holborn may be in order in the coming week for a bit of healthy rejuvenation. But let's finish this week first shall we? Here you go...

Amazing breakfast at Dishoom in St Martin's Court - been dreaming about the chai ever since

Coffee on New Row in Covent Garden

Late night tubing after an evening at the Southwark Playhouse

Little lunchtime friend in Leicester Square

Wondering Westminster after a visit to the Savoy Theatre

Sunny signs

Essex vs. Surrey at the Oval, 20 20 

Industrial beauty

xXx

The Roof, Fuel Theatre : LOCAL LOVES

On Friday I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of The Roof – the brand spanking new show from Fuel Theatre. Fuel make great shows by taking risks and this was a big one that totally paid off.

Sitting snugly behind the National Theatre it’s performed in a car park – yes, a car park! Who’d have thought it?? Bugger off cars, we’re going to make some theatre here. Now, what they’ve done is put free-running, contemporary dance and gaming into a big pot, mixed it together and thrown it out onto a ring of rooftops with an audience wearing headphones standing in the middle. True 360 degree theatre. Does it sound like anything you’ve seen before? Didn’t think so!

Because of my job I get to see a lot of theatre (jammy git) but I’ve never seen anything like this. There was such a buzz in the air as we crunched our way across the gravel of the car park and donned our headphones. Walking under an arch and into the ring of roofs we turned up the volume and got in the gaming mood as Nintendo songs were played into our ears.

After a couple of headphone-selfies, and some excellent posing from my sister and her pal...

 .....the lights dimmed and the game began.....

Out of a chimney-like box a player in a red jumpsuit appeared and Level 1 began. He ran and jumped and flipped and climbed over the roofs, killing monsters and winning prizes, buying energy and shooting guns. It was so damn exciting! The skill of the performers was incredible, every single movement was done in the style of a gaming character. Blank faces as they fought, stiff backs as they ran.

I won’t spoil it too much but I have to say the best bit for me was the sound (created using incredibly clever Binaural sound technology) and the way the entire show timed in with it. Absolutely everything you hear is pre-recorded but you’re forever looking over your shoulder and spinning on the spot to see who shouted out from the crowd or shot a gun, led by your ears. The performers had their timing spot on, it must have taken forever to perfect.

It’s on until Saturday 28^th June and you can buy tickets here - tickets for performances before 8^th June are £24.50, then it’s £29.50 thereafter, but if you’re unemployed, a full-time student or under 26 you can get the concession rate of £19.50.

Performances don’t start until 9.30pm as they have to wait for the sun to go down so its the perfect opportunity to explore the Southbank! I’d suggest having dinner or drinks at one of these fine establishments:

• The BFI has two awesome places under it's roof and is the closest place to the show – The Riverfront which is nice and casual or Benuga which is pretty snazzy. Go for burgers and pints.
• The Roof Garden bar at the Southbank Centre – stunning views of the city. Go for pimms.
• The Swan Bar at Shakespeare's Globe, lovely buzzy place – leave about 20mins for the walk back to the show. Go for a gin and tonic.
• The Oxo Tower – if you’re feeling flash! Check out the blog I wrote when I went for my birthday. Go for a cocktail.
• Gordon's Wine Bar – just across the river (so not strictly the Southbank, cheeky). Go for wine and cheese.

If you're going to The Roof or have been I'd love to hear what you think of it so leave a comment below! Has anyone ever seen anything like it?

xXx

My Week With London, Photos : LOCAL LOVES

It's been a busy, busy week in London town. I went to the press night of Bakersfield Mist starring Kathleen Turner, saw Nick Helm at the Soho Theatre, had drinks on the Southbank, went to the first night of The Roof (blog post about that to follow...) at the National and went to a blogging workshop at the Finchley Literary Festival! 

What have you been up to this week? Did you get any good snaps? Leave your instagram links in the comments, I'd love to see them!

Words of wisdom at Embankment Station

Drinks at the BFI on the Southbank

Book stall under Waterloo Bridge

Skatepark under the Southbank Centre

My wonderful chum Ilayda got some great news so flowers were in order

1984 at the Playhouse Theatre

London's north bank, taken from Embankment footbridge

Excited for next week....

xXx