A Writers Budget Guide to visiting London.

Visiting London for the First Time

Many of the world's greatest authors and writers have called London their home. This is why we created the London Literary Pub Crawl. We love the area, but we are perhaps a little biased. So we asked travel writer Kevin Palin to write a blog for first time writer visitors to London. He's not seen our show, so we're rather glad he included The Newmans, the Marquis of Granby and, of course, our home, the Fitzroy Tavern.

Read on, newbie!



London is the setting for many great works of literature. If you are an aspiring writer, looking for a little inspiration then what better place to visit than London? As a writer, we understand that you may be on a tighter budget, which is why we have put together this budget-friendly guide for your first trip to the city.


Where to stay

London is certainly not a cheap city to stay in, so if you are on a really tight budget, your best bet may be to book a room in a hostel. Some hostels offer private rooms, whereas others offer shared. There are hostels all over London so you shouldn’t find it too difficult to get a room. We have seen prices for as little as £10.00 a night for a shared room. If you are planning on staying in a hostel, always read the reviews first. Some hostels are better than others, so try and do a little research before making your booking.

When it comes to hotels in London, most of them are pretty expensive. You may find that you can get a cheap deal using a website offering last minute bookings. Again, make sure you do a little research so you can get an idea of whether the price justifies the quality of the service.

If you find that you can afford to spend a little more on a hotel, we would highly recommend Hazlitt’s which is located just off Soho Square. This hotel was once the home of essayist and biographer William Hazlitt and is extremely popular with writers today. There you will find a sitting room with a fabulous literary collection that houses many signed copies of books left by visiting authors. Although rates can be a little pricey, they do regularly have offers on, especially in quiet months like January.

Where to eat

The Newman Arms in Fitzrovia is one of the best places an aspiring writer can go to enjoy a pie and a pint. This particular pub was said to be a favourite of both George Orwell and Dylan Thomas. It is the only family run establishment in Fitzrovia and specialises in serving home-baked pies made with seasonal ingredients.

The Marquis of Granby is also another fantastic pub that we highly recommend to writers due to its association with T.S. Elliot. The pub is known for its hearty, classic British dishes and fine selection of cask ales. It boasts heaps of character and a welcoming atmosphere.



The Fitzroy Tavern in Central London has had many famous literary visitors over the years, including Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas and George Orwell. The establishment was originally a coffee house, before it was turned into a pub in 1883. Downstairs you will find the writer’s bar which has a lively yet relaxed atmosphere. On the menu you will find traditional pub food at purse friendly prices.


Attractions

One of the best free attractions for lovers of the literary is the Treasure of the British Library exhibition at the British Library. There you will find a permanent collection of literary works from the likes of Shakespeare, Yeats, Wordsworth, Charlotte Bronte, Virginia Woolf and Lewis Carroll.

If you are looking for another budget friendly attraction, we highly recommend visiting Keats’ House. The beautiful setting is said to have inspired some of his most famous poems including ‘Ode to a Nightingale.’ Inside the house you will find a collection of Keats’ original material, including some of his letters and poetry. Throughout the year organisers regularly put on workshops and tours, so be sure to check those out if you happen to be in London at the time. The entrance fee costs just five pounds.

Another great place to visit is Dr Johnson’s three hundred year old townhouse. Dr Samuel Johnson lived in the townhouse during the 18th Century and it is the place where he created the Dictionary of the English Language. The house is open to the public and costs just five pounds for a ticket. Once inside, be sure to visit the research library where you can find some of Dr Johnson’s original work. Lectures, talks and exhibitions also take place throughout the year.




If you have a little more money to spend on attractions, we highly recommend visiting Shakespeare’s Globe which is situated on the South Bank of the Thames, next to the Tate Modern. The tour costs £13.50 and is a great experience for all aspiring writers. Although the original theatre was demolished in 1644, it was rebuilt and kept faithful to its historic origins. Although the tour is a little pricey, you can watch plays for as cheap as £5.00 for a standing ticket. There are also regular events taking place at the Globe including sonnet walks and talks from various visiting authors and playwrights.

Conclusion

So there we have it, our budget-friendly guide for an aspiring writer or literary lover’s first trip to London! We hope you have a fantastic time and enjoy all the city has to offer.





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'Under Milk Wood'. We did it, then, Bach!

Or at least the final blog of this particular production. What can I say! We’ve just finished and I’ve just got back from the last night.  And the consumption of a few drinks with the cast makes this not the best time to write this, perhaps! But it became a big deal for me. As you may have gathered from the previous blogs, I had a number of concerns with this production. Although small in scale it was large in ambition and my first toe in the West End water.  I only actually got to watch the show once myself - because after the dress rehearsal we sold out! Director Katie Merritt did a great job in a very short time. We had some exceptionally talented cast members, especially bearing in mind we were all doing it for no money. Or at least we were supposed to. Fortunately, so many people turned up we were able to pay all the costs, help Maverick and pay everyone some expenses.

                                                                "We Few, We Happy, Milk Wood Few..."

But the real return on this, for me anyway, was more emotional. To feel so close to Dylan Thomas, to welcome world-class artists like Cerys Matthews and her family into our little cramped space above the pub, the kindness and professionalism of the pub staff, the real warmth and appreciation of the audiences, the dedication of the cast and the general willingness of everyone to help out.  It felt like a community. This was a play that became an event and it was so much bigger than the sum of its parts. 

I loved working out with Katie how we were going to make this play work - how we were going to have a female First Voice - everyone naturally thinks of Richard Burton - and how we should spin the story in the style of Shakespeare's ‘Chorus'; how as a play for voices we were going to make it all work without theatrical lights or sound effects. And then how Pretty Polly's song made numerous members of the audience cry!

And on the final performance today the Dylan Thomas Society came to us after a wreath-laying ceremony at Westminster Abbey.  They know every word of ‘Under Milk Wood’ which makes their praise for how we did it even more genuine and touching.

Our production was in so many ways raw and emotional. It was completely 'Maverick Theatre' in its execution.  In a brutal, commercial world we - artists and audiences all - came together in a little pub in London where Dylan met his wife, to share his passing.  The passing of a great writer. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less.  It was special. It's so why I got into this business.  And perhaps the greatest praise finally came from Cerys Matthews. The Welsh former singer and writer from Catatonia, BBC dj, judge of the Dylan Thomas Prize and general culture vulture, tweeted the actors after the show, "You did Dylan proud!"  And my eyes grew as misty as a Welsh valley…!

How to commit Theatrical Suicide with Dylan Thomas - Part One.

I love this image we are using for Under Milk Wood.  It has a wistful quality to it and that is how I feel about some of our writers - especially Dylan Thomas, who was taken from us so tragically early. I also love Wales, and this image kind of sums up my schoolboy holidays in out-of-season seaside towns. This bench has seen a lot, you can just tell.  And it quietly waits for the next joyful - or maybe melancholy - experience. 

But enough wooden bench and more Milk Wood.  He was a smart cooky, was our Dylan, and like most successful people he was also VERY focused.  I think it's fair to say he was single minded and loved the notion of the drunken poet. Perhaps more than was the reality, but that is for another time.  The current excitement is preparing for our Under Milk Wood. We have less than a month.

It might sound trite, but I really feel privileged that I am able to present this incredible play for voices in the very pub where Dylan met his wife, on the anniversary of the day, sixty years ago, that he left us. That was why I wanted to do it at this time and at this place.  I want to feel closer to Dylan Thomas and this just feels like a cool thing to do. Spiritual almost. 

BUT there is a big problem doing this play at this place.  And like most things it comes down to money! I've managed to secure the rights, which is great, but that costs.  Then there are the three unshakeable elements of any theatrical production. Size of Cast and Cost of Production, Ticket Price and Size of Venue and Length of Run.

I won't bore you with the figures, but there is a reason most plays above a pub have only a small cast. The biggest play I have written has four people in it!  And then you want to run if for as long as possible to give yourself a chance of making back the money. And keep ticket prices as high as possible.  

I pondered on this over a pint, sitting in the Wheatsheaf after one of our weekly pub crawls.  Actors Suzi and Kate were doing great work. But the fact is that the even the National Theatre only do Under Milk Wood occasionally, because it has a MASSIVE cast. By pint two I was feeling a bit depressed. We'd never make it work unless we charged hundreds of pounds a ticket. Then by pint three I had the answer. We'd all do it for nothing!  And read the play as it was written, without any fancy sets or movement.  Just read it as Dylan intended.  Build it and they will come! So I booked the dates, got the licence and hunted around for a script.

So far we have 25 tickets sold, no actors or director and less than a month to go. I've been in touch with some fairly well known artists, mind. But we have less than a month to go. The casting call goes out tomorrow. It should have been today, but the casting company got back to me and said "How much are you paying?  Nothing? Well.... okay...!" 

Watch this space. More later in the week. When there will be less than less than a month to go!

Under Milk Wood - Part Deux

This week has been quite interesting in terms of Under Milk Wood.  The decision to do it as a fundraiser has been quite liberating.  It means we're all in the same boat and anybody who wants to be involved with the project will be doing it for the love of the piece and the experience rather than any hard financial reward. Any funds we do raise will go to Maverick in the hope we might be able to resurrect the youth group or The Peoples' Company.

After my last blog I had a Facebook comment that said we should let members of the audience read too if we were short of performers. I quite like that notion - a 'scratch' Milk Wood. My work with Maverick has always been about access for audiences and performers - see People's Company above! But what intrigues me about UMW is not just Dylans' obvious love of the sound of the words and his joy of alliteration, but the potential 'colouring' of the piece by the performers and the degree of humour we decide to portray. And parts are quite bawdy don't y' know! And that all needs a vision, direction and rehearsal. 

So I am meeting two directors this week who have agreed to pile in with us. I have to mention the lovely and talented Mark Rylance. He said he'd love to help out but he was away. Typically understated and gentle. It was a friend who said he's away performing on Broadway!

So the tone of our piece will be decided when I appoint a director this week. As mentioned last week I also ran the ad for actors. We've already had more than 60 applications! So we probably won't need the Audience to join in. But it has given me an idea for another event early next year. Watch this space...

                                           Lit Pub Crawl Actors at rehearsals earlier this year. At the pub before the Wheatsheaf!

Liza, Liza, Liza. by Richard Harris The Tabard Theatre, Bath Road, Chiswick, London W4.

(Someone said 'I never get to see any of your reviews.'  That's because I feel a bit poacher turned gamekeeper. I KNOW how hard it is to even get a production on stage. But okay, if I'm writing them for publication maybe I should bung 'em on here. So I will from now on. Ok, Someone?)

Yes, yes, yes!

Before I saw the Tabard Theatre's latest offering I had to check to see that showbiz icon Liza Minelli is still alive. She is, fortunately for her.

The fact I needed to confirm her mortal status shows I’m not particularly a fan, but Liza Minnelli is one of those global showbiz legends we all know. Or at least we think we do. And just in case you’ve been living on Mars, the daughter of the Hollywood tragi-legend Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli, Liza May Minnelli, was born 12 March, 1946 and is an American actress and singer. She’s won numerous awards and will always be remembered for the high heels and haircuts and the film Cabaret. Her longevity is further confirmed by recent appearances on the US TV cult, ‘Arrested Development.’

This World Premiere is actually a bit of a strange mix. Not quite cabaret, not quite musical, it slips genres somewhat. But although there are some songs and a bit of a Liza-a-long at the end, it’s a rather good, if thin, play. Its pedigree is impeccable, being written by Ealing resident Richard Harris, whose credits include The Avengers, The Sweeney and The Saint on TV but perhaps more importantly, Outside Edge and Stepping Out for the stage. It was when Liza Minnelli joined the cast for the film version of Stepping Out that the idea for this play was born. Harris took documented parts of her story to weave into his presentation of her life.

It’s a neat premise. It also has an excellent cast. Three actors play Liza at different times of her life. There’s wide-eyed optimistic young Liza, played by Stephanie Ticknell-Smith, who has to deal with a difficult childhood and the shouted commands of her mother - sitting at an upstage make-up mirror - as she tries to make her way in the world. Liza 2 is Sabrina Carter, vampy and Cabaret-fishnets. She deals with later Liza - the fame and the demons of drink, drugs and weight problems. And then the whole piece is glued together by a remarkable performance from Felicity Duncan as mature Liza. If Liza Minnelli had shuffled off this mortal coil, you would only have to travel to Chiswick to see her live again. Duncan's depth of humour and breadth of emotion is worth the price of a ticket in itself.

The three Lizas’ question each other about incidents and occurrences from their life, but director Phil Willmott keeps the pace, mood and movement light. Colin Mayes’ design is cleverly ‘showbiz’, using a giant, perspex, ‘Liza’ gushing across the centre of the tiny Tabard stage to provide solid acting areas and focus. The musical direction of Neil MacDonald makes clever use of a piano and an occasional male voice. There’s attractive choreography by Racky Plews - although remember, this is a play, not a musical - and the lighting by Miguel Vicente and sound by James Nicholson are both spot on and blend beautifully with the action.  As you’d expect from a writer of Harris’ pedigree, the script is very solid with some killer lines (“Smoking. It’s one of the leading causes of all statistics!”) and it is a testament to the quality of the writing and the acting that the early Liza-life is actually almost the most interesting. Because cleverly, although we are dealing with showbiz royalty, Harris and Willmott make sure we relate to a very warm, human and sometimes emotional story.  Quality pervades the whole production even if the conflict and drama is somewhat thin by the time we start the second act.

It’s a strong offer of a light piece that sees the Tabard once again punching above its weight. If you are a fan of Liza Minelli, steal a ticket and enjoy an intimate experience with a living legend - you won't want to miss this show.  Even if you’re not a fan, this loving portrait may turn you into one.  Either way if you fancy a humorous, smart, occasionally moving, uplifting night out, come to the (Tabard) Cabaret, old chum!

PS Richard Harris has not told Liza Minnelli that he has written this show. But if it goes well, he says he might. To PROVE that Liza is still kickin', here's her website...  http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com

'Confessions of A Brummie Boy', by Norman Raybone

This first paragraph is one of the reasons why I wanted to publish Norman's memoir - a working class man from Brum.


"For the life of me, I do not know why I am starting this project. I was initially motivated by a telephone conversation with my eldest son, John. He urged me, on behalf of the family, to put down on paper some of the most momentous and interesting incidents of my long life in Birmingham. My sorely neglected education and atrocious spelling proved a deterrent to me attempting such a task. However new technology, the Computer, has made it possible for me to try this crazy idea. I was nervous and 85 years old, but I took a Computer course on Windows 95 at Solihull College. This finally made me decide to try my luck. But now I am in a quandary. How to start? Nervously, I think the best, and only way to start, is at the beginning. Please excuse my bad grammar and repeated words, for my vocabulary is limited."


Kewl, Norman. You have a great story. Although at 85,000 words I've only edited up to 1931 at the moment!

You can reserve a copy and a ticket to the launch party next year - there's GOT to be a party... for £9.99 at www.LondonLiteraryPubCrawl.com

Gertcha! Bostin' our kid.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad. Clever 'ent I!

Location:Chiswick High Road,Hounslow,United Kingdom

Photo of the day

Artist Augustus John's house in Chelsea. Dylan Thomas's wife Caitlin came here - often. His parties were wild affairs, to say the least. He had this house built for him, by a Dutch architect he met in a pub! If this front door could talk...







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Location:Pimlico Road,London,United Kingdom