Whirled Cinema - A movie night with a difference.

What a fantastic weekend... leading to today's recommendation...

Discover a hidden gem in London's cinema scene and head to the Whirled Cinema near Loughborough Junction station. Down a slightly scary alleyway, follow the blue light and you'll end up at a surprisingly large venue.

During the week they play art house movies, and at the weekend you can hire the place for a shindig 7pm until 3am! They have a well-stocked bar, friendly staff and can play any DVD you like as long as you supply it - the only catch is your can't sell tickets. Instead, get a group of friends together and split the cost, the average evening hire cost is £300, and the capacity of the cinema is 60 = £5 each!

With a decent sound system and access to Spotify, you can set the atmosphere pre- and post-movies, and Firezza pizza is nearby for delivery or collection - try the 1/2 meter pizzas for feeding a crowd!

https://www.whirledcinema.com/

'Dara' at the National Theatre - Review

Culture vultures - this one is for you.

Last night I attended the first performance of 'Dara' at the National Theatre. Set in Hindustan (Indian empire) in 1659, it details the struggle for power between two brothers as their father ages.

Why should you see it?
It is fantastically put together. The beautiful and imaginative staging used simple latticed screens to move the scenes from location to location, and although I can't say if the clothing was accurate to the time (I'm not an expert!) I can say the royal's outfits were exquisite. These elements alone would have made the play an interesting watch; yet the best was to come with the actors on stage.

Of particular note was Zubin Varla as the Crown Prince Dara. I won't give away too much, but his delivery of a long and complex argument in one particular scene was enchanting. A few times I looked across and saw the whole row leaning forward in attention and anticipation for the imaginative, perfect metaphors he would use next to illustrate his argument.

The rest of the cast were not outshone by this epic performance though. Vincent Ebrahim as the Emperor and Sargon Yelda as the power hungry brother are also worthy of praise - when all three are on stage their copetition for the limelight reflects and enriches the plot somewhat.

Altogether a fantastic production, made better by the Entry Pass ticket price of £5 - if you are 25 or under and don't have one, you are missing out!

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/dara