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Articles
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London Theatre ReviewsDateline: 4th June, 2000 It was just a flying visit and, boy, did I fly around! I deliberately chose Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights for my three day stay to fit in as many shows as possible. It's the only time when you can be sure to fit in five shows, for both Wednesdays and Thursdays are matinee days. So, with a bit of judicious juggling, I managed to plan a varied bill of theatrical fare and, as I had an afternoon and a couple of mornings to fill as well, see a few other things too. Top of my non-theatre list was the Tate Modern. What a disappointment! Not that there was anything wrong with this fantastic new mega-gallery, but of course it was half-term and every family group in London seemed out to enjoy this new (free!) attraction. It was absolutely heaving! It was impossible to pause and really look at anything: people were passing in front of you and behind you, bumping into you from all sides. Escalators were crammed; queues for cafes snaked around for what seemed like miles; the massive turbine hall was lined with sitting people and clogged with crowds trying to dodge playing children. Who brings four and five year olds to an art gallery, for goodness' sake? When I was a boy I used to go to football matches at Roker Park in the days when crowds of 60,000 were quite normal. There were moments on Wednesday morning when I felt as though I'd been transported back 45 years! After two hours my feet were aching, my head was pounding, and my temper getting shorter and shorter. I had caught brief glimpses of paintings I would have loved to have the time to study but the sheer press of the crowd kept everyone moving. In the end I gave up. By the way, many hotel staff don't seem to have cottoned on to Tate Modern yet. The only direction I could get from the hotel I stayed in (part of a major chain) was "It's beside a bridge"! So: it's at Bankside, not far from Shakespeare's Globe and a short walk along the river from the National Theatre. The closest tube is probably Blackfriars: just cross Blackfriars Bridge and turn left. You can't miss it. But enough of this non-theatrical waffle! On to the reviews: Dolly West's Kitchen Articles Indices:
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