Our Boys

[lolabobs]

It was grand.

The getting there was painless, and timed just right really. I got into London, had time to get food then walked to the theatre and got there with 20 minutes to spare - so time to visit the facilities, buy the programme and script and get comfy. I had a fabulous seat, right in the centre, fourth row back. Perfect view and comfy too - Duchess Theatre is my new favourite venue!

Considering my previous anxieties about doing these things on my own, I didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable sitting there on my own. On the contrary, I felt quite mellow and actually full of anticipation. (Even in the interval I didn't feel out of place.)

There was just one set, which was there and open to the audience throughout. There was appropriate music playing throughout the preamble and the play started in such a low key way, with Laurence Fox walking on stage whilst it was still playing.

I'll get the shallow bit out of the way first: He looked real. I know that sounds stupid, but he looked exactly as he does on tv/in pictures. Which of course means he was looking good! And then (shallowness alert!) he stripped to his Y Fronts. He's so tall and thin and, well, Y Fronts are never a good look are they? But there he was all tall and beautiful and bare and going on forever.

And then you lost that, because it engrossed very quickly and it became about the story and not the stars. (I was so relieved that you didn't get that burst of applause every time a famous face comes on stage.)

It was funny, very much so, right from the outset and naturalistically so. And even though it was a matinee with a smaller audience there was such a good atmosphere. I love watching in an audience that gets it the same as I do, hearing people gasp at the same time as you do, the sharp inhales of breath, shared anticipation...

The shifts between humour and sharp, intense heartbreak were so smooth, felt organic - and the awkward bits - after confrontation and argument, that agonising silence and heavy atmosphere -that was done perfectly too.

Oh it *was* good.

I read the script on the way home and watched it over in my head and have spent the morning investigating, then talking myself out of, going again. I've still not fully convinced myself, but I'm doing my best to be sensible. Following Laurence Fox' twitter isn't helping me!

(Oh and I met a friend after the show for dinner. I'd arranged to meet him outside the main doors of the theatre and cursed myself for being so specific as it meant I wouldn't be able to go and watch the stage door from afar. Turns out the stage door at the Duchess is right next to the main door! So I bimbled out of the theatre after faffing about, going to the loo and sorting bits out, into a crowd of autograph hunters, I passed within a foot of Laurence Fox, then stood there watching the rest of them all posing for photos and signing pics! And then (as my friend was late) watching them coming back from little errands a bit later.

Yay!