Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Day One of Eleven.


Day One.
Its day one of our epic eleven day run of consecutive shows, and tonight we are playing in Dartford. The challenge of these eleven days is to try to appreciate new and interesting things in the UK, while on a gruelling schedule.

And we've made a brilliant start. Last night, we made a trip to London's West End and saw a show. Any show in the West End would do, really, to tick that box. But we saw Warhorse, the show that has been winning awards, and wowing audiences with its incredible storytelling, following the life of a Devon horse who goes to the trenches of France, and using larger than life puppetry to bring it alive. It was a powerful evening of theatre.

We came back to Essex by tube and then car, and spent Day One (today) tying up more details of my June art exhibition, practising, and finally, driving to Dartford Working Men's club over the Dartford Crossing.

Almost full house at Dartford (more than 70), and the opening act was usually a session at the Mick Jagger Centre. They were called Jaggerfolk. Lovely tunes and songs. We enjoyed bringing our new swag of Australian songs to the old Dart, and lots of people sang, and even (shhh) did actions to The Miner's Washing. Sheepskin Creek was requested, we did it. And our dear friend Debbie Carmi, last seen in Brisbane, has moved back to London, and came along with her parents. A delight to see her. She's an acupuncturist and massage therapist and naturopath - anyone need one in London? She loosened up my sore shoulder (too much flute) just while sitting there talking to me.

Now we are at a Travelodge in Maidstone, with the tiniest room I've ever seen at Travelodge, but still bigger than a 3rd floor BnB room we once had in Dorset. Its clean, its comfy, the shower's hot, its two in the morning and time for sleep.

Did I manage something cultural or interesting in all that lot?

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