Emma vs Technology

Like Alien vs Predator (though with slightly less gore and rather more swearing), the saga of Emma vs Technology continues.

I may have mentioned this before but, in the present circumstances, I feel it bears repeating: Technology Hates Me. It truly does. From the computer I still think of as 'new' that now insists on blue-screening with increasing regularity, to the mobile broadband that only lives up to half of its name (Mobile? Well, yes. Broadband? Not so much), the technological trappings of the modern world seem to be conspiring against me.

I have, however, managed to stay online with a non-blue screen and working broadband long enough in the last couple of days to get a few things done, including this very update that you see before you. I have turned my Twitter profile picture green in common with 20,000+ others, updated the Athlone Trust website in time for their next fundraising run on July 12th, paid an extremely rare visit to Facebook, exchanged a number of e-mails at a significantly-speedier-than-snail's pace (what joy!) and been able to receive a brilliant e-card featuring a wooden spoon with more talent at cookery than Delia and Jamie combined!


If things continue going my way, I shall soon be back to give you my impressions of Peter Pan, which I am going to see tonight in Kensington Gardens. A belated birthday treat, I have been looking forward to it for ages - fingers crossed that it lives up to the hype!

The 39 Steps

To celebrate my father's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday, Dad!) we went to see The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus.

With a mere four actors playing 139 characters in 100 minutes, the show promised to be funny, fast and furious. And, happily, it kept that promise. Inventive, clever, entertaining, amusing - in many places, laugh-out-loud comical and jaw-droppingly creative - there are an absurd number of adjectives that I could use to describe this production, but I shall attempt to restrain myself!

What I will tell you is that my mother (who is not a huge fan of trekking up to the West End for any reason) considered it the perfect type of show (comedy action adventure), in the perfect location (just next to Piccadilly Circus tube station, so no long changes at Green Park required) and lasting the perfect length of time (1hr 45 mins, including the interval). If it was good enough to convert her, then just imagine what it could do for you... ;-)

No prior knowledge of the book or various film and television adaptations is required. 'Richard Hannay' does a very good job of introducing himself and explaining his situation as the story begins, and the old-style radio broadcasts that punctuate the action thoughout the show keep even the most obtuse audience member up to date as the poor man is chased up and down the country, trying to protect state secrets, unearth foreign spies and escape from a police force determined to arrest him for a murder he did not commit!

After something of a theatrical drought, I now have a few more theatre trips booked for the next couple of months, including Brief Encounter in April and the (hopefully) spectacular Peter Pan for my own birthday in June. If the upcoming shows - all of which I have heard good things about - are anywhere near as impressive as yesterday night's was, I shall be a very happy theatregoer indeed...