One of the things E and I have often talked about was how we should go to more plays, being surrounded by such an abundance of theatres.
So as a birthday gift for him, I got us tickets to see The 39 Steps.
I did quite a lot of research to see which play might be a good one for us to go to, and this one came up with mostly rave reviews.
It's a play based on the book by John Buchan, and the film by Alfred Hitchcock. Having neither read nor seen either, all I know of the comparison is that the play takes the general plot, lightens it up with lots of comedy and funny parodical touches from famous Hitchcock moments.
The best thing about the production? All the characters are played by a tiny cast of 4.
The Criterion Theatre itself is a lovely one, an intimate size and with charming, old-school interiors. We killed some time before the performance in the bar, playing around with my camera as usual.
When we sat down in our seats and the opening music started, I got the buzz of excitement that I only get when I'm about to experience a live performance. It's such an amazing feeling, and I vow to go to more of these.
We absolutely loved it. It was hilarious, everyone was laughing at all the funniest moments and it was such a feel-good show. I don't want to give too much away for anyone who is yet to see it, but they were so clever with the staging, and how they embraced the limited cast and made it the central element of the performance.
I know that theatre tickets can sometimes be pricey, but I snapped ours up when lastminute.com was doing a great deal, selling top price tickets for a significant bargain. It's always worth looking around for deals like these, because you can nearly always find something.
We stepped out onto lively Piccadilly Circus with big smiles on our faces. Even with the dodgy weather and the tube strikes, this city is still pretty magical.
