Gypsy jazz and French Maids - how could we lose?

We found our way over to Holborn so Jen could check out a book store.

The Folio Society sells hardcover books they have printed in a very artsy way - little pictures, brilliant covers, expensive ... all things Jen loves in a book.

 Dibley also loves a book.

 Then it was off to a pub for lunch.

I should build that sentence into a blog template so I don't have to type it anymore.

Jen took some underground tube pics.

I look like I'm scared by the steepness of the escalator (which isn't that far off...)

Our night time plans involved a cabaret theatre in Clapham.  Clapham is a bit rubbish, to be honest.  The theatre was hard to get to and in a mild state of disrepair.  

The decor was art nouveau, which we like, but there was something tattered about it.

We were worried about the night.

We had preordered the charcuterie board.  Again, underwhelming.  

We were squished into a table with another party.  Turned out to be the father of the double bass (cello?) player.  We got yelled at for taking pictures.  I can understand not letting people take pictures of museum documents, etc. that could wither under the flash, but come on Brits.  Lighten up.

The cabaret was fashioned after Orpheus.  Jen can explain the plot.  I missed the prologue as I was concentrating elsewhere.  I'll tell you why in a second.

The first act was interestingly weird.  We liked the gypsy jazz, Django Reinhardt music, but the play was odd, random.

Here is why I missed the prologue.  A hen night of French Maids!  There must have been twenty of them all tarted up.  Several of them looked great in their sexy maid outfit.  Most were uncomfortably awkward.  And a few of them looked like Monty Pythoners - men in drag.  Needless to say I was distracted.

This is the panoramic of the stage that got me yelled at for taking pictures.

Jennie looking sweet in her shiny head band thingie.

The lead dude looked like Nicolas Cage to me.  From Raising Arizona, Nicolas Cage.  Fantastic guitarist.  He never said a word but his face told stories.  The rest of the cast was multi talented.  We've been to a few shows like this where someone was a trapeze artist and tuba player in the same show.  This cast could act, dance, sing and play an instrument.

As I said, at intermission we were trying to figure out what just happened in the first act.

The second act began with 25 minutes of gypsy jazz.  Wonderful.  And from there the play and the music crescendoed beautifully.  We loved it.  We even bought the CD.  

Dibley, as always, enjoyed his night out.

Jen and Dibley holding hands on the underground.

 ...Until Dibley says something that got Jen's gander up.  Hmmm... Jen can handle anything crude, so that couldn't be it.  He must have questioned her choice of scarf.

 Dibley and I share a laugh over the scarf comment.