Follies in London 2017

[Chris L]

We really hope we can get together with all of you guys -- you guys within reasonably easy reach of London, I mean -- and hope we can work something out. Whether we can do so Sunday (which would seem to be the ideal day) depends on when we get into town. I'll have to check on that.

[Stageworks]

Greetings All,

I have tickets for September 21 if anyone is around and would like to have dinner or drinks.

Looking forward!!

[AmyG]

Our Follies tickets are for October 16. And @Chris L, I just added it to our Google calendar.

@AmyG , @Chris L , @Vera Charles  et al ... that's a Monday evening show right? Why don't we tentatively do something on  the day before, the Sunday, that's if you are in London then? Lunch at our house?

That's the day we get back to London and I'm not sure what time we'll be arriving, but if it can be worked out that would be great! (I've heard that food at your house is excellent.)

The evening of the 15th would be doable. We will probably get into London in the afternoon but then will want to check in to our flat. We are staying in Waterloo.

[Chris L]

Our Follies tickets are for October 16. And @Chris L, I just added it to our Google calendar.

@AmyG , @Chris L , @Vera Charles  et al ... that's a Monday evening show right? Why don't we tentatively do something on  the day before, the Sunday, that's if you are in London then? Lunch at our house?

That's the day we get back to London and I'm not sure what time we'll be arriving, but if it can be worked out that would be great! (I've heard that food at your house is excellent.)

The evening of the 15th would be doable. We will probably get into London in the afternoon but then will want to check in to our flat. We are staying in Waterloo.

So we could do dinner, @Gordonb. Would that be feasible?

[Gordonb]

Dinner is certainly feasible @AmyG, @Chris L . That day's chef may impact on the excellence (or not) of the food!

My only caveat is that if you are coming back to London on a long-distance/cross-country train on a Sunday, be prepared for significant delays to your journey time as that is when they carry our track repairs and such-like (Sunday being deemed a quiet day for travelling). Having said that, Waterloo (East) is only a 15 minutes or so train ride to Blackheath, my local station. Whereabouts in Waterloo are you staying?

I am not so sure that non-London people will be quite so keen to come up to town in the evening, but let's brainstorm possibilites @Gsavage14 @Vera Charles @Leighton.

[AmyG]

We are taking the train from Edinburgh but nothing is set in stone. Maybe we should come the day before. Then we could do lunch on Sunday. I would just need to see if we can get another day at our Airbnb or do a one night hotel stay.

Or we could fly. The reason why I didn't want to fly is I kind of though dealing with airports and transportation to and from would be a hassle while the train is relaxing and scenic even if it's a longer time commitment.

I actually love driving but I simply cannot drive on the left side of the road. I'm dyslexic enough without having to tackle that.

We are staying 2 blocks from the Lambeth North Station on Pearman St.

We are thrilled to meet you. I'm sure whatever we have will be great. It would be great to see others too if they can make it but I know that can be difficult, particularly in Leighton's case. Maybe we'll get to Reading. We haven't nailed down all the details yet.

[Leighton]

Reading is close enough to London that I might be able to do a Sunday evening (or any evening really).  It might depend on my Monday teaching timetable for next year, which I won't know for another few weeks.  If my day is light I can probably take a late train out of London fairly comfortably.

It would be great to find a way to get together, it's years since I've had the chance to see fellow Sondheads!

[Gordonb]

Turning to the production itself, the programme for the second half of 2017 announces "Follies"; I quote:

"Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production..."

 This statement is just wrong; they don't "play the Follies", nor are there only 3 Follies "girls". Maybe I am being too picky but I tend to expect more from the National Theatre.

I must have missed earlier that Josephine Barstow is playing Heidi Schiller.

[AmyG]

Turning to the production itself, the programme for the second half of 2017 announces "Follies"; I quote:

"Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production..."

 This statement is just wrong; they don't "play the Follies", nor are there only 3 Follies "girls". Maybe I am being too picky but I tend to expect more from the National Theatre.

I must have missed earlier that Josephine Barstow is playing Heidi Schiller.

They probably have an intern write this stuff. And eventually, it will be written by AI, which could be an improvement.

I can't get another night at our Airbnb so I think we will stick with our plan to get into London on the 15th. So dinner would be great.

[Bobster]

Turning to the production itself, the programme for the second half of 2017 announces "Follies"; I quote:

"Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production..."

 This statement is just wrong; they don't "play the Follies", nor are there only 3 Follies "girls". Maybe I am being too picky but I tend to expect more from the National Theatre.

I must have missed earlier that Josephine Barstow is playing Heidi Schiller.

There is so much of this post that I totes adore.      

[Gordonb]

Turning to the production itself, the programme for the second half of 2017 announces "Follies"; I quote:

"Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production..."

 This statement is just wrong; they don't "play the Follies", nor are there only 3 Follies "girls". Maybe I am being too picky but I tend to expect more from the National Theatre.

I must have missed earlier that Josephine Barstow is playing Heidi Schiller.

There is so much of this post that I totes adore.      

So why aren't you jumping on a plane ...?      

[Vera Charles]

There is so much of this post that I totes adore.      

So why aren't you jumping on a plane ...?      

I second this question. Come on @Bobster, come over and join us.

[MartinG]

"Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production..."

 This statement is just wrong; they don't "play the Follies", nor are there only 3 Follies "girls".

I've mentioned the show to various (non-theatre) people over the years and had the response "Oh yes I remember the 70s TV show..." Erm, no you don't - that was Rock Follies with Julie Covington, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell. Maybe this is where the ill-informed NT prog compiler has gone awry? 😄

[AmyG]

I've mentioned the show to various (non-theatre) people over the years and had the response "Oh yes I remember the 70s TV show..." Erm, no you don't - that was Rock Follies with Julie Covington, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell. Maybe this is where the ill-informed NT prog compiler has gone awry? 😄

Oh, so Rula Lenska actually had a real career? Most of us in the states only know her from  this ad. In fact, "I'm Rula Lenska" was a bit of a catch phrase among me and my friends.

[Chris L]

I've mentioned the show to various (non-theatre) people over the years and had the response "Oh yes I remember the 70s TV show..." Erm, no you don't - that was Rock Follies with Julie Covington, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell. Maybe this is where the ill-informed NT prog compiler has gone awry? 😄

Oh, so Rula Lenska actually had a real career? Most of us in the states only know her from  this ad. In fact, "I'm Rula Lenska" was a bit of a catch phrase among me and my friends.

I actually watched Rock Follies when it was on PBS back in the 70s. (Very good and very sexy.) So I knew who Rula Lenska was. But I have no idea if she did anything else. (I could look it up, but what fun is that?)