The Confessions Of Novice Angel Helle
Veteran Angel Kathryn and I, novice Helle, met for the first time outside the Albery Theatre some hours before the performance. We soon squeezed ourselves into a pub, got some drinks and a table at the back and just started chatting. The couple sitting next to us also got involved in the conversation. I said at some point to Kathryn that I would love to go around Cornwall on my bike - which made the young lady next to me say that she was from Cornwall - which sort of kicked off a very promoting conversation about Charlie and the filming of LiL. It was really good fun.
The play - Harold Pinter's 'Celebration' - was hilarious. At some point, even the actors seemed to find it difficult not to start laughing. And it was just wonderful to hear Charlie using his 'theatre' voice.
Right after the play we headed for the stage door and waited for Charlie. The atmosphere there was quite expectant as there were little groups of people waiting for different members of the cast. When Michael Gambon came out, Kathryn asked him if Charlie was still in there. 'Yes, he is' replied Gambon 'He's drunk. He's always drunk...'
Well, no he wasn't! When Charlie appeared at the door he looked around the group, and when he spotted Kathryn he came over to us immediately.
Kathryn introduced me and arranged the taking of a photo. Need I say I felt I was in good hands all the time? I mean, also in Charlie's when Kathryn took the photo...?!!!
I asked Kathryn if I should take a photo of her, but: 'No thank you. I got millions of photos of me and Charlie'. Right.
Charlie was off to dinner (at the Ivy?), and we tried to get a table at Jo Allen's. Another important Angel Flight 'ingredient' I realised. It was fully booked, however, so instead we ended up in a very nice restaurant eating seafood. Kathryn taught me how to crack crab claws without injuring myself. And I swear that the snail (seafood?!) I put it into my mouth moved just before I did it....
We parted at Covent Garden Underground Station after a lovely evening, and I intended to walk home to my hotel near Piccadilly Circus. But getting near my hotel I still felt flying, and I was not tired at all. So I took the tube to the other side of the Thames and walked back via Hungerford Bridge. There is such a nice spot on the half way where you are sort of cut off from the city and still it's there in the distance with all the lights and noise....Well, I just love London. And this was definitely the best trip I had ever done yet.
Love Helle
