A Journey in Time

By Wednesday, I am feeling better still, and we enjoy another enriching day in London, starting with the Peru exhibition in the British Museum. We love South America, and Peru was our final destination on last tour there back in 2018. This ‘journey in time’ is both fascinating and beautiful - though often gruesome - spanning over 2000 years of history in which the usual star attraction Incas play but a fleeting part. (The Guardian’s review is here https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/nov/09/peru-a-journey-in-time-british-museum-review) It’s not our favourite London Museum - G feels it’s basically a storehouse for all the artefacts Britain has stolen from the rest of the world - but I do love the Foster Great Court, and know we will spend more time exploring soon.  

Then, after a necessary rest back in the hotel, it’s a performance of Life of Pi. Having opened pre-Covid in Sheffield, the London show has been massively delayed. It officially ‘opens’ on Thursday night, so today’s matinee is the penultimate preview and I find the man who comes to sit next to me is Max Webster, the director. It’s his notebook that gives him away. He’s happy to chat, pleased when I relay the view of Lloyd’s friends who saw the show last week that it was ‘the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen in a theatre’. And so it turns out to be. 

The Guardian described the Sheffield opening as ‘transformative’ - and it really is astounding. Set, lighting, sound, acting - the lead, Hiran Abeysekera, is stunningly good. And, of course, the puppetry is wonderful - think Warhorse, but with Richard Parker (tiger) and a whole variety of zoo animals. It is joyous, enchanting, tragic, moving and philosophical all at once. There us a spontaneous standing ovation and Max looks delighted. ‘It must be amazing to sit here watching your vision brought to life, and bringing so much joy,’ I say to him. ‘It is quite exciting,’ he says modestly. The Guardian review is below, but I’m hoping Friday morning’s papers will be full of equally glowing words. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jul/09/life-of-pi-review-hiran-abeysekera-crucible-sheffield 

We walk back to our hotel through a very Christmasy Seven Dials, full of creative independent shops - we’ve never been in London in December before and I’m really liking the atmosphere, though we’re avoiding Oxford Street and Regent Street.

Tonight it’s just a quiet Turkish meal. I’d love to see another show, but I know my limits and it’s time to stop! 

I had worried about the Covid situation - but it feels far safer than in did in September. Masks, of course, are now everywhere - including theatres despite there being no legislation for this. This afternoon we even had to have our Covid passports to get into the theatre. 

Today’s main is an example of a rare human portrait vessel from the Central Andean Moche (100 - 800 AD) with extras of the exhibition, Life of Pi, and Seven Dials.