Humans like to gather
We always have
Gathered together to be together, to eat and drink together
To laugh and cry – to sing and dance
Together…
London was alive with life and activity on Saturday afternoon, as Anadi and I walked through Green Park and up the Mall to the West End in the bright keen cold autumn light.
We reached our destination early
On our way to see ‘The Choir of Man’ – Thank you Cecilia for the recommend!
We popped into ‘Ole and Steen’ nearby for an open sandwich, and a chance to sit and and gaze at the theatre of life before us – before the real live theatre…
There was drama in the loo, someone impatient to ‘go’ knocked loudly and disturbed the one ‘going’… He wasn’t happy…
A family enjoyed their lunch on one side of us – two young women worked or played on laptops on the other.
A big ‘March for Freedom’ went on outside, streams and streams of people walked by for thirty minutes at least – maybe more – with police quietly walking beside…
We arrived in ‘The Arts Cafe’ where there was already a rowdy feel good vibe, people drinking pints, and jostling and laughing as if we were in a regular pub – waiting for the regular band to start up…
We were soon called to enter the intimate theatre, red velvety and warm – with a pub as the set.
The barman arrived (on stage!) and started to ready the space, bar stools turned the right way up, jacket off, lights on
And then the audience were invited to come and drink a pint or two before the music began…
And so there we all were
In the pub
Our life
With our pub band – who turned out to be very highly skilled and talented in dancers, musicians, poets, singers – telling us the story of their lives;
All of us together in the space of joyous uplifting sound, amazing tap dancing! And ‘the audience, or rather all of us – ‘in the pub’ enjoyed the rising rousing rowdiness of us gathered together
Being together
Loving and living together
In a public house.