An enemy of the people

From Earlston to Penicuik to collect some work trousers from Screwfix. Park up in town just outside the restricted zone and walk through the sunshine to St Andrews Square. I realise that I have left my earphones at home and spend the walk considering how I am going to cope with a five hour train journey to London. 

Lucy shows me round Computashare's meeting area. On the sixth floor it boasts an excellent wraparound view of Edinburgh. This would make an excellent venue for the BCS monthly meeting. 

I get a cheap pair of wired earphones from the station. The train is waiting. I settle in for the familiar journey south. Kate Atkinson's Life After Life keeps me company part of the way, but I give way to the dozing urge. 

Megan meets me at King's Cross. We walk and talk to the Airbnb on Plender Street. She has been up since 3.30 this morning - coming back from a work trip to Poland - so is justifiably weary. But no time to rest, we need to catch a tube from Mornington Crescent!

There's enough time to grab some quick scran at an Egyptian foodery opposite the Duke of York's theatre. And then into this bastion of British culture, heading for the standing spaces at the back of the upper circle. Where we are offered a very reasonable upgrade to the middle of row E of the Royal circle. 

Comfortably seated we enjoy an innovative West End update of Ibsen's exploration of truth and hypocrisy. Excellent staging, energetic acting. A quite painful audience participation piece in part two after Matt Smith's diatribe/rant segues into the finale. It turns out (surprise, surprise) that only Thomas and his wife have the strength to tell the truth - everyone else is swayed by personal wealth. Not an uplifting play at all - especially poignant on the day off Ivalny's death. 

Somewhat brow-beaten, we trudge back to the tube, the Airbnb, and well needed sleep.