The main element is to watch some of the comedy television before Jools Holland turns up with his amazingly eclectic selection of musical performances. This year was no exception and whilst most are close to the host's Rhythm and Blues background, there is a much wider choice which this time included Michael Buble.
After hearing the guests on the show counting down to the midnight hour (tricky for the producers to coordinate as the show is actually recorded earlier in the month, we understand) it was back over to BBC 1 for the fireworks at the London Eye. Even though we were watching them on a small screen the display was just amazing, only made possible by the use of very complex electronics. Because they were using the large structure to full effect. some fireworks not only went upwards but others downwards - in fact in a ring towards the centre of the Eye. We were convinced that the design has moved on considerably even from last year's spectacular. No wonder the tickets to see the show live were sold out some time back.
After a toast to each other and to the New Year and a little more music we gradually wended our way to bed - reluctantly!
Even more reluctant was next morning and, apart from a few household chores, little was really on the agenda until lunchtime. In fact, none of us made much show of life until it was time to get ready to drive over to Stratford.
It is only just over half an hour but we planned not only the theatre visit (tickets were booked way back in the summer) but also a meal out beforehand. The first task on arrival was to find a suitable car park. After being put off initially by the very high charges on the tariff board at the main car park by the shops we looked for another but, with it seeming to be a longer walk and just the same charges as the first we returned to the first one.
Luckily we went immediately to check out an eating place as the first one which Christine and Alice had used earlier in the year when they came to see Macbeth had no room for us. So we now had to look around - one which had been recommended was unfortunately shut this evening. In the end we took went into Ask Italian which did have spare tables although by the time we had ordered our food there were very few left! (Jess reports that the upper floor was entirely empty as it was not being used today)
(One picture included Christine but she has censored it)
Pasta dishes were ordered by three of us whilst Jess opted for a gigantic pizza which eventually disappeared in its entirety. There was no time for a pud but we were promised an ice cream in the interval at the theatre. Overall, the reaction to the meal was very positive!
We walked to the theatre, stopping briefly to buy a belated newspaper from Sainsbury. Along the way we admired the excellent street illuminations (not that a camera phone does them justice).
We arrived at the theatre and found the way to our seats. Two of us were familiar with the inside but for Mike and Jess it was a new experience. We were seated on the middle level (Circle) and in the front row to one side. We managed a quick shot (not very good) before turning off our phones just in case they were tempted to ring during the performance! The performance takes place principally on the large open thrust stage so that everyone can see. We were quite early - time to read the programme properly - but only a very small number of single seats were left empty by the time the first actors came onto the stage (just as well we booked early - even then there was no choice of which day we went)
The production was A Christmas Carol in which Charles Dickens and his friend discuss the circumstances in which the author was persuaded to tackle the very difficult political issues of child and family poverty in a time of considerable change and not a little personal greed.
Although the story was intertwined with the personal story of Dickens, whose own father spent time in a debtors prison when the writer was about 12, most of the action followed the famous story with the ghosts of the past, the present and the future all leading Scrooge from a complete lack of sympathy for the plight of his clerk and his family, including the sick and disabled Tiny Tim, to a greater understanding.
This is a performance with very high production values. Much of the time there were around 26 performers on stage and in the ensemble pieces the choreography was very complex. There was a small musical band to provide a little background music (but carefully chosen for when it was appropriate, not scattered around like unwanted confetti) and some singing from the cast, but the main emphasis was on the acting and the action. The props were amazing and very detailed - not many stage productions bother to make sure that a character actually has coins in pocket to hand over to someone else, instead of just pretending. It is so often the small things that help to bring stage action to life and a lot of time in design and rehearsal must have been spent to think through so much detail.
Of course, by the end, Scrooge had been redeemed but at some no little personal cost along the way, not just to his purse, but to his emotions as well. "You can only see if first you feel" was a theme throughout the script - there were many echoes of the current political agenda, especially how (or even whether) to tackle the serious inequalities in society (all the more poignant as we passed several people sleeping rough in Stratford, including just outside the theatre).
In the interval we had our promised ice cream - whilst not quite up to the standard of Churchfield, it was nevertheless distinctly above the norm at theatres with a significant choice of flavours.
Back for the second part and we continued to be enthralled by the production which built to its eventual climax. However, the script does not allow the watchers to wallow in good-feel at the end as, even though Scrooge dished out money fro the Cratchitt family, contributed to a new trust fund to help families in trouble as well as cancelling the debts of some of his poorest clients, we were not allowed to forget that many of the wider problems still remained. But after the main closing applause there was a short but complex dance routine which sent us all away into the night with some hope of a better future - but only if we all play our parts.
The drive back, albeit in the dark, was quite smooth (thanks to Sat Nav even if we did make one small mis-turn) and we were back on the boat once more.
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