An Idiot Abroad,Chapter 7: Dinner, A Play and a Protest.

The Protest

The bus ride to the theatre was not without incident. A Gaza protest was taking place all along Whitehall, with thousands participating, along with quite a significant police presence. It was as peaceful and without incident as it was large and I couldn't help but feel in the years to come we are going to see more and more of this all over the world.

The Dinner
 
My perfect meal before a night of the theatre while in college was usually, .05 cent package of Ramen, or a .25 cent box of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Some days I would splurge and have a hot dog. And this was my diet if I was in the play! Now, fifty years later, the prices may have changed but my diet has not changed all much. However, I was in England, and I was not even sure if Europe had boxed Kraft or how I was going to make using only room mattress like they do in prison. No, tonight was going to be something special. 
Attired in my slacks, white shirt, tie, and coat, I bused over to the West End in time to check out the possibilities. I promptly decided on a small little restaurant located very near the theatre that was called Steak and Company. Ah, yes. This would fit the bill quite nicely. It was a smaller restaurant with room for about 30 diners. Getting table for one was no problem and I soon settled in and ordered the following:
Beefeater’s Gin martini up, two olives. A fresh wedge salad with blue cheese and a steak fillet served with French fries. I washed it all down with a glass of French red and was stuffed. No dessert. All in all, the martini was dry, the cut of beef was well above average concerning the price, the chips were adequate, and the wine turned out to be perfect for the price. Five stars! A culinary win! Belly full, I left with a full stomach, a happy heart, and the eternal hope that my night of theatre prove just as rewarding as my meal.
 
The play was produced and performed at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London’s West End. Since I had purchased my tickets last minute, I was forced to use the “Procrastinator Entrance,” which consisted of two flights of rickety old wooden steps that wend their way treacherously up toward the first balcony. I am not exaggerating when I say lives were nearly lost, mainly mine, ascending those stairs. 
If ever I wished to kill someone, my preferred method would be the actual balcony of the Haymarket. In order to provide a great view of the stage below, the incline is at least 90 degrees, which as everyone knows is 32.222 Celsius. By Jove, I’m beginning to think I actually got the hang of all this metric shit. At any rate, white knuckling your armrests is mandatory, if you do not want to tumble down the remaining rows and plummet into the orchestra level.
 
The Play
 
The Score by Oliver Cotton, set in 1747 and starring Brian Cox, concerns the ongoing feud between King Frederick the II and Johan Sebastian Bach. Who knew, right? I didn’t even know they were even acquainted, let alone squabbling. 
In an Act One that moved a bit too slow for my liking, we’re introduced to all of the major characters. Unfortunately, the main antagonist of the piece, King Frederick, gets short shrift in the first. This act is dominated by Cox’s grumpy portrayal of Bach as he readies himself to visit his son who happens to be employed in the King’s Court. Unbeknownst to Bach, the King and others are plotting to challenge the famous composer, forcing him to compose a score with impossible perimeters on the spot. 
Unlike the first, the second act of the play crescendos nicely, with the cat and mouse chess game between Frederick and the composer entertaining and thoughtful. Here the dialogue suddenly becomes barbed sharp, and both Cox and Stephen Hagen, portraying the Emperor of Prussia, clearly enjoy the heated exchange of dialogue and ideas concerning humanity and creative pragmatism.
Ah, but here-in lies the plays fundamental problem. The work simply can’t decide it it is a comedy or a drama. Secondary characters are drawn with such broad strokes; one cannot be sure what exactly the author has in mind. There is one major exception and that is the addition of a delightfully entertaining Voltaire. This character does work and left most of us wanting more of his devilish chicanery. 
Ultimately, it is Cox’s mastery of the craft that saves the night and what I think is a weak play. Without him, this over written, under prepared play will soon be doomed to the purgatory of small studio stages of colleges and small-town community theaters.
 
But, Believe it or not, I did not feel that my evening of the theatre has been cheated or was a waste of any kind. Cox himself once said, and I am paraphrasing, if you get a chance to see an actor you admire, take it. Even if it is a bad play. Well, considering that bit of advice, I came out a winner.