As you probably noticed I went to London for a nice 3 day break last week, mainly because I had tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child something which I had booked nearly a full year before the actual date. I just so happened to book this on the same day that the BFI London Film Festival was going to be on, great timing! My original plan was to stay for 3 nights and get in as many films (and theatre) as possible. But due to cost I changed my mind on this as the hotel was pretty expensive.
I did choose to stay in Covent Garden/Lecister Square due to it being central to everywhere I had to be and that meant I did not have to travel on the tube at all other than from getting the train to and from Kings Cross! Therefore actually saving money in that regard at least. I found a very cool new venture from Premier Inn which is the Hub hotel, very technology based! I would massively recommend them as such a great place to stay! Handy when you want to write reviews and blog whilst on your trip. The photo used above was in the very cool deli/bar that was on offer, and when I was sat having my breakfast on Friday morning I just happened to look and read the quote and I certainly think that sums up all of my London trips. As they all manage to have at least one Theatre trip involved in it!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is well epic! Split into two parts but luckily I was going to see them both in one day. Even the couple of hours in-between felt like forever I’d hated if I had to do it two nights in a row! Due to crowd control you have to queue right the way the outside of the theater and at that moment the excitement really starts to build as everyone cannot wait to get inside. It doesn’t take too long and just to check bags on the way in. I was a little disappointed about the merchandise as was expecting a lot more choice, so I only actually bought the programme. Here are my thoughts on Part One and Part Two. That took up nearly all of Wednesday but I obviously had plenty of food before and after! I did spend a lot on food, oops.
Thursday started off with a trip to the Odeon in Leicester Square to see A United Kingdom which opened the BFI Film Festival the night before. It was a wonderful film and an important part of history as well, a history that I doubt many people are aware of! Brilliant performances and will be well worth seeing when it gets full release next month. In the meantime you can read my review here!
From the film finishing I had less than an hour for another theater trip this time to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Which was a bargain when I managed to secure a day seat for almost half the original price, £39.50 instead of £72. So you know sometimes it really is worth waiting until the day of the show, did I mention it was in the front row and a fantastic view? If you want to read more on my thoughts on this musical, you can find my review here.
I then went for some more expensive food in TGI Friday’s as they were getting ready for the Gala Premiere for A Monster Calls, it was quite amusing watching the flashing of the cameras whilst sitting in the restaurant. Then seeing a couple of the stars on the red carpet when popping back across to my hotel.
I took a chance on my final theater experience of the trip in New Musical Murder Ballad. A rock musical, my attention and reasons for getting a ticket were that the cast are incredible. Playing at the Arts Theatre which is a small venue it was great to hear how amazing they all were vocally! A quite strange and different musical, but that is certainly not a bad thing at all. You can read my review here.
That pretty much sums up my trip although I was supposed to attend another film at the Festival that being A Monster Calls. I had the ticket and everything but it started at 11:30am and I had a 2:30pm train back to Newcastle and I thought it would end up rather tight picking up my bags and making the train. Only myself to blame for changing my train thinking the film started at 11am. So I will have to wait until that is on general release to catch up.
I wish I could have kept my original plan and stayed the three nights and caught La La Land, although if I had paid the £28 for the Gala and then with Ryan Gosling turning up at the screening the following morning I would have been even more disappointed! I certainly think next year I need to try and sort out being in London solely to see the Film Festival I just get so distracted by the many theatres and wonderful choices of shows.
I have one more day trip to London in December to see the always brilliant Mark Rylance in Nice Fish, so that is one more London Theatre trip to look forward to in 2016!