The Ivy Asia really has got nonsense food down to a fine art. They gave me the most remarkable birthday meal. I hadn’t even really noticed how The The Ivy crept into my neighborhood, in the old Henry J Bean, where teenage Al might have been found dancing the night away opposite Pucci Pizza. Now they’ve tricked it all up in their unique way, even down to the extremely odd fake samurai standing at one of the urinals who says “konichiwa” when you stand next to him.
I didn’t really know what to expect but it all kept coming, with good company and good conversation and good red wine. Having been off that stuff it took me by surprise a little bit. I certainly enjoyed myself but I can’t quite remember getting home. Despite a full belly.
Cake had been made for me and this morning I noticed that almost half of it wasn’t there any more which means I must still have had an appetite, or at least wanted something to soak up the booze before bed.
Cape work in the morning was revelatory. Not just swishing, but some really helpful thoughts about what it might mean to be a senator, comportment etc. I love the luxury of work with time for this detail. Sure, I enjoy just making quick decisions, learning the lines and putting the show on. But there’s delight in mining. Tim doesn’t do table work, which can get out of hand. But he does build the imaginative world. The magic and the logic are coming together now, the literal and the non literal. We are telling a story while pretending to be other people. The deeper the thinking goes the more fleshed out it’ll all feel. I’m still very much game on to be part of this even if it’s not as big a part as I might be used to playing with smaller companies.
Still, I was hungover again. Reluctant on the rainy morning bike. Just a bit slower and gummier than usual. Serves me right, but it was a luxurious spoiling of a birthday meal. Soon I’ll lose my evenings, so let’s grab these moments while they are still possible. Yum. And there’s still some cake left for this evening. It really is quite something.
AlBarclay 