The last couple of days.

I'm actually pretty excited - I'm on the I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue mailing list, and a little while back got the latest email, saying that one of the dates in the next series is going to be at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Which is practically local. And also, is on a Sunday evening. And the tickets went on sale on Tuesday morning, i.e. shortly after I'd got paid (as opposed to shortly before I get paid, which is what normally happens). Result! I've got a ticket to go to an ISIHAC recording! Which is the going to be the first time I've gone to one. So yeah, that's got me pretty excited. I shall keep an eye open for the delightful Samantha. I still don't believe Colin Sell is real, though.

Then on Tuesday evening, I went to see The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Radio Show Live in Aylesbury. Met up with gaspode and the folks from the Aylesbury SF group beforehand in the Weatherspoons over the road from the theatre beforehand, which was pleasant. Had fish and chips, just so I could say "so long, and thanks..." *ahem*

The show was very enjoyable, more so than last year's IMO. If there are tickets still available for any performances near you, I thoroughly recommend it - even if you saw it last year, it's a different production this year; and if you *didn't* see it last year, what are you waiting for??! There are a couple of dates I'm thinking of going to, just for the different voices of the book (Anthony Daniels and Colin Baker are doing some dates).

Mark Wing Davey couldn't be in the show this year - something to do with his day job, which involves teaching over in American - and has been replaced with Mitch Benn. Mitch makes an absolutely excellent Zaphod Beeblebrox - obviously channelling his inner Mark Wing Davey, but OTOH different enough that he's clearly putting his own stamp on it. His song The Teleportation Blues is a particular highlight of the show. And deserves to be released as a single. Well, an iTunes download, or whatever format the hip with-it kids are buying these days...

Went round to the stage door afterwards; got my copy of the second H2G2 script book (the Tertiary, Quandry and Quintessential Phases) signed by Geoffrey McGivern, who I'd missed last year as he'd had to leave early), my copy of Mitch's book Terra signed by Mitch (well, duh!), and my copy of the tour book signed by Clive Anderson (that show's Voice of the Book) and Samantha Béart (because, well, she's rather lovely...)

Am now in "being cruel to the cast and crew" mode - would absolutely love there to be a third tour, next year - or maybe a bit later to give them a chance to rest. After all, there's still so much of the radio series that remains unadapted for the stage - IIRC there was an interview with Dirk Maggs recently saying he's disappointed not to have included the "Marvin facing off the Frogstar Robot" sequence (which, after all, was a favourite of Douglas's), and I remain fond of the Bird of Brontitall and the Shoe Event Horizon stuff. Which could probably be its own stage show...

Then yesterday, my CD copy of Big Finish Productions' excellent Fanfare for the Common Men arrived in the post this morning. Yippee! Pity it didn't arrive on Tuesday, as I could have asked Mitch Benn to sign it after seeing him. The accompanying Vortex magazine features a nice little interview with Mitch too.

Spent the day off work yesterday with a headache, which was less good. Spending today off to ostensibly do some tidying up, but am actually catching up on some TV.