Annie Get Your Gun – Union Theatre, Southwark

Last night, and I trucked off to the deep wilds South o’ the River to see Annie Get Your Gun. The Union Theatre is an adorable and tiny space built under some spare railway arch, which meant several songs received unexpected dramatic emphasis from the rumbling of the “building” as steel behemoths lumbered overhead. The show itself was the kind of show I thought was often done really well in Seattle – a small, highly talented cast jammed into a tiny space, with live music (piano, guitar, violin, and occasional addition percussion from the actors) and even lots of fun dance numbers. They made imaginitive use of a small budget in regards to costuming and sets, and I bought the whole thing. They were on a train! They were at a fancy party! They were travelling on a boat full of cows! It was great, though it might have been hard to kill those Irving Berlin showstoppers – one brilliant song after another. (Note to self: get soundtrack, practice “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun.”) I also related to the lead character rather a lot – sassy and independent, but prone to pissing people off because she doesn’t follow “tradition.” Go, Annie Oakley!

Aforehand (to borrow the vernacular of the show, pure Hollywood “corn pone”), we had dinner at Bangalore Express, a new joint that opened across the street from Waterloo in the space formerly occupied by Thai Silk (103 Waterloo Road, website appears to be not built yet). It’s got all of the shoulder to shoulder shared tables I hate, but also an adorable “bunk bed” dining section where you have to walk up a ladder to get to the tables. (I’m not sure how they serve people up there, but when J’s foot heals, we’ll find out.) Their menu was $3 for sides, $4 for small mains, and $8 for large mains (okay it’s supposed to be pound signs but I don’t have that on this computer). We got a “regular” duck and potato dosa for $4 and a “large” combo plate (spicy coconut curry tandoori chicken on rice with a small side of sweet potato salad) for $8, and walked out of the door _with leftovers_ for $12. (We also didn’t buy drinks as we were feeling cheap.)

Er, in theater news, Summer Strallen of Drowsy Chaperone is now going to be Maria in the West End Sound of Music. I don’t really want to see that show, but I adore her so maybe I will. Also, three of the guys up for the local theatrical awards (Oliviers) are ones I saw in the roles they are nominated for this year – in Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello – pretty cool! I think I vote Patrick Stewart as the best of the lot.

This review is for a performance on February 7th.