West End Girl (for the moment at least!)

I really should have titled this Art in Derelict Spaces. However, since I will, for one month only, be a West End girl I figured I may as well use the title while I can! :-)

Art in derelict spaces refers to the beginning of my weekend. A boy, whom I have never met, though exchanged pleasantries with on Facebook, invited me to check out a theater (or rather I should say theatre) or really more a theatrical/performance art event taking place in an abandon building in the West End. Since I haven't as of yet established a tribe of friends here in London, being at loose ends on a Friday evening I thought I'd check it out....the fact that said boy was going to be in pants (that's underwear in American) and was rather cute was just a bonus!

So armed with a map in my head and dressed in my pinstripe fire pants (and I mean American pants this time, not British pants...oh the pants are making this all confusing!...typical) I headed out into the West End to check out the event. After one slightly wrong turn I managed to find the place, only to find it was 7 quid to get in and then money to "tip" the various events. Back out the door to find a cash point (aka ATM)...at this point I began to question the point of my quest! Why was I going out? To an event with potentially awkward situations, involving odd avante garde theater occurring in front of an audience of two? (where I would be #2) Without a wingman? Solo? ...but I said to myself, "right, Heidi! Don't be a mouse, what's the worst that could happen?!!" (and I didn't allow myself to answer that question)

Cash in hand and back through the door...I wandered down a few hallways searching for something to see...closed doors and theater in progress. At one door they asked if I wanted to play a game. "What kind of game?" I asked cagily. The reply was suitably vague...in for a penny...

The night unfolded in vignettes. The "game" was...confusing, but amusing. The bar area and "live stage" confirmed my nonexistent-audience fears. The "casino" was typically avante garde. The "puppet poker" was fantasic...but I never found the boy in the pants. All too soon the evening was over and I had hardly seen all there was on offer. A quick chat at the bar with an actor from the "game", then out into the night, into the West End...with the boy in his pants nowhere to be scene or rather seen...maybe he was putting on his pants?!