Theatrical Update

We continue to enjoy the wonderful London theater scene. Since our last report we have seen three more stage plays. "Whose Life is it Anyway?" starred Kim Catrell (one of the stars, we understand, of the US TV show "Sex and the City") playing a young woman who has been paralyzed in a skiing accident. She did a very nice job of acting in a difficult role. As you might expect it is not a "lighthearted" show -- though a satisfying evening of theater.

On March 12th we attended (at the historic "Old Vic" theater) a presentation of "National Anthems", starring Kevin Spacey. In an effort to turn around falling attendance, the Old Vic hired Spacey about a year ago to be the theater's artistic director. He gets mixed reviews from the British critics, although there are those who say the negative comments tend to come from those who resent the bringing in of an American (horrors!) to run the oldest of British theaters. We, of course, don't know the real story on any of this. We can say that "National Anthems" was a really fine play and that Spacey (who starred in this one) did a fabulous job of acting. In fact, in the over 20 shows we've attended since our arrival here, it was only the second that's gotten a standing ovation at the end. (The other two actors -- Mary Stuart Masterson and Steven Weber (who was in the US sitcom Wings) also gave great performances.)

Yesterday, March 19th, we saw "Man and Boy" at the Duchess Theater. The star of this one is David Suchet who plays Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot in the most recent Poirot series (several other actors have played Poirot in other movies and series). Again, a well-known star delivered a very fine performance. This play, too, was one we found most worthwhile, though the ending was a bit tough for Americans who tend to want happy endings.

So, after eight months in London, we remain among the better customers of the Leicester Square half-price ticket booth.