The Good Life

I was wandering aimlessly near Leicester Square in London yesterday when I saw a familiar name on a Theatre awning. I remembered that name particularly from The Good Life a British comedy I enjoyed many years ago. As well as starring in The Good Life I also remember watching Felicity in Rosemary & Thyme.

As I had been thinking of checking on the day's matinees I wandered around to the TKTs booth and found tickets available for Alan Ackybourn's play Relatively Speaking with Felicity Kendal for 29.95 pounds. I bought one. Before I set off to the theatre I sat on the fence at Leicester Square, ate my Pret a Manger baguette and people and pigeon watched.

Baguette

Fellow Fence Sitters at Leicester Square

The Alternative Company in Leicester Squar

Wyndham's Theatre

The play venue Wyndham's Theatre was a pretty and well maintained theatre except for the two Ladies loos which didn't flush properly and were totally inadequate for the number of ladies in attendance. My seat in Row L was like economy class so I was reminded how fortunate I was to have had more generous accommodation on the previous evening's long haul flight from Sydney. I am a large lady but I was positively dwarfed by the gentleman who sat on my left, thankfully the man on my right was not so generously proportioned.When a group of ladies filed into the row in front of me I drew the short straw as the tallest in the group sat in front of me obliterating my view of one third of the stage - the centre third. I started daydreaming about sardines. After the play commenced the man on my right moved along to an empty seat and so did I - no more daydreams.

Wyndham's Theatre

The first half of the play was very ordinary while the storylines for the second half were set. I am wondering if the large man on my left was related to the writer, actor or producer as he was one of the few in the theatre who laughed a lot. Thankfully the play improved in the second act with a good amount of genuine laughter coming from the audience.

Wyndham's Theatre

I would not recommend this play as a must see but it was an enjoyable diversion in a pretty venue and I got to see Felicity Kendal and her amazingly skinny legs in the flesh. Thank goodness I didn't pay the full price of over 50 pounds for my ticket. I really would have felt cheated if that would have been the case.