Day 3: Mexico City: The Spanish vs The Aztecs, and Frida Kahlo...

Our second full day in Mexico City was one in full-on tourist mode.

The Spanish vs The Aztecs

Firstly we took a tour of the historic downtown zooming (well, as fast as the traffic would allow) along the main boulevard Paseo de la Reforma to the Centro Histórico. Mexico's explosive past is very well depicted by its central plaza, the Zócalo, which is the third largest plaza in the world. Surrounded by some of the finest buildings of the colonial era lie the remnants of one of the Aztecs' principal monuments, the Templo Mayor - now crushed under foot by the invading Spanish and their Catholic cathedral. 

The pre-Hispanic civilisations that flourished throughout Mexico long ago and most of Mexico’s turbulent history since are beautifully depicted in the murals at the Palacio Nacional, which were painted by the famous Mexican artist and husband of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera. 

Afterwards we visited the famous Anthropological Museum. Architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez's distinguished design provides the proper home for one of the finest archaeological collections in the world. Each salon on the museum's two floors displays artefacts from a particular Mexican geographic region or culture. The collection is so extensive - covering some 10,000 square metres - that you could easily spend a day here, and that might be barely adequate. We headed straight for the Aztec room though - death, decay, destruction, incredible stonework, human sacrifice, and fabulous feathers. What’s not to like?

Frida Kahlo

After our tour finished we headed over to the Frida Kahlo museum - stopping on the way for some classic Mexican street food and coffee as we fought off the last of our jet lag. 

What an amazing woman Frida Kahlo was...? Painter, poet, potter, photographer, and pioneer. Disabled by polio at 6, seriously maimed in a vehicle accident at 18, abused by her husband, she lived a bohemian life of art, politics, and passion. 

The museum is very popular (top tip: buy your ticket online) but very well organised. We didn’t feel crowded out and there was lots to marvel at. Her paintings of course but also her house, her remarkable clothes, and even the mirror and chair wear she painted her amazing self-portraits. 

No trip to Mexico City would be complete without a trip here. 

Day 2: Mexico City: Pyramids, Congestion, and Corruption...

Our first full day in Mexico City was a bit of a whistlestop tour. 

Pyramids

After an earlier Mexican breakfast our guide picked us up at our hotel to take us to the ancient Toltec city of Teotihuacan, where we visited (and climbed!) both the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, and walked the Calle de los Muertos (Road of Death). Yes, my friends, we were in human sacrifice territory.

Constructed from two centuries BC Teotihuacan quickly became the largest and most populous urban centre in the New World and the massive pyramids were their defining feature. Each addition platform stage of the pyramids were built every 52 years at the time of each eclipse creating an extra platform upon the last. There are no tombs or graves inside, just monuments to the moon and the sun. And a place to offer up human sacrifice. 

The city seems to have functioned for centuries until its rather sudden collapse, possibly in the 7th century. The place was called Teotihuacan, by Nahuatl speakers, several centuries after the city's fall, but its original name, the language or languages spoken there, and the ethnic groups who built the city are still a mystery. There is prominent sign on display to reassure the idiots - "this place was built by man, not aliens." Ha, ha.

The pyramids of the sun and moon here are said to rival those of Giza in Egypt, and at the city's peak of power, between AD 350-650, it had many influences over other now ancient sites throughout Mexico and Guatemala, especially in relation to the pottery, sculpture and architecture.

The pyramids were certainly amazing and worth the trip to Mexico alone.

Congestion

There are a lot of cars in Mexico City. And that is possibly the biggest understatement of the year. Traffic jams, pollution and crazy driving is a way of life here it seems. A car journey might take 30 minutes or 300 minutes - you have no idea until you hit the road. We spent many an hour sitting in traffic with our tour guide looking at other cars. 

They have tried various schemes here to control the congestion; free bike hire, car-free days, only allowing cars whose number plates end in certain numbers etc. but nothing seems to work. 

As the greater Mexico City population is 21 million people and with such high car ownership I can't see it being solved any time soon. 

Still, with all the extra time in the car our guide got to tell us about a darker side on Mexico City life...

Corruption

Police, local officials, government officials, traffic cops, state politicians... You name it, we heard dozens of hair-raising stories of either bribery, fraud, corruption, intimidation, threats or death. Kick-backs, back-handers, brides, suitcases of cash, the stories we heard varied from simply turning a blind eye to having someone (or their family) killed if they didn't comply.

There is a lot of street crime in Mexico City. When an area is described as 'safe' that word has a lot of positive connotations to it. People live in such and such area because it is 'safe'. They walk along that street because it is 'safe'. You only eat in 'safe' areas. In ‘unsafe’ areas like the lawless shanty areas cars get stripped to their chassis if left unattended. Knife crime and gun crime is rife. But for me hearing of the widespread corruption was the most alarming. Street crime can be addressed. Corruption destroys a country from within. And it seems everyone is at it. 

So sad to hear. 

Day 1: Mexico City: Arrival...

Stuart and I pitched up at Heathrow T5 nice and early on Thursday to take advantage of the free food, drink and spa treatments in the Concorde Lounge. Having collected enough air miles to stun an ox and with a BA companion voucher to boot we'd booked ourselves a First Class return flight to Mexico for a couple of weeks. 

The journey was fine, long (11 hours), nice enough food etc. Stuart dropped his phone down into the gubbons of his seat though and it took hours to get it out. 

Immigration and security at Mexico City airport was fairly relaxed so we were in our tour guide Francisco's car fairly quickly and on the way to our very glamorous boutique hotel. Free bar, high tech room controls and shower that fought you from all sides were just some of the delights.

Today to start exploring.

Sci-fi Films' Key Predictions or Technologies...

Blade Runner 2049 - Not Terrible - @BladeRunner #BladeRunner2049 ...

*** MILD SPOILERS ***
Premise: Set thirty years after the original Blade Runner film, the story depicts a replicant blade runner named K, who discovers the remains of a once-pregnant replicant. To prevent a possible war between species, K is secretly tasked with finding the child and destroying all evidence related to it, leading him to discover that the child bears a connection to missing blade runner Rick Deckard...

Good points: I liked it. The fact that a sequel to Blade Runner even exists and it's good. It looks great. It sounds fantastic. Ryan Gosling is great. Harrison Ford is good. Nice to see 'Pan Am' back. The plot is fine - albeit with a bit of a lame twist - but we've been there before with I Robot, Metropolis, Demon Seed, etc.

Bad points: Over long. Sexist. Very long. Slightly compromised plot. Too long. Takes 1h 45m before Harrison Ford shows up. Did I mention how long it is? Why is Jared Leto even in it? Long.

Overall impression: Relief that it's not terrible. I don't think I'll rush to watch it again anytime soon. Rather like Dune I think I'll catch it on a wet Saturday afternoon in three years time and think, "Oh I quite liked that".

Against @AlmeidaTheatre Meandering and uneven...

The other Friday night Stuart and I went to see Christopher Shinn's Against at the Almeida Theatre in London's glitzy Islington.

Starring the wonderful Ben Whishaw as Luke - a tech billionaire and a man who now hears the word of God - the play was pretty underwhelming to be honest. Great performances from the excellent cast on stage but the central conceit of a man singly charged with curing violence in a violent world seemed a bit of stretch. If the story had the power of its convictions it would have perhaps had stronger religious themes - twelve modern disciples, a doubting Thomas, a traitor, a death... But the uneven tone, the meandering plot, the three hour running time, and the lack of any resolution seemed more like a play that was underwritten or badly edited than one making a point about there being no cure to violence.

Quite a few people left at the interval too (something I really don’t agree with BTW.)

Weekend Away with The Girls @Amsterdam ...

Stuart and I had a fab weekend away with Kerry, Kerry, Angie, Denise, Kate, Natalie, and Monica in Amsterdam. We stayed at the Boutique Hotel View on Singelgracht near Leidseplein.

Did we have any quiet nights in? Did we bog-roll! Beers aplenty at Lux, an Argentine meal, bar Soho, dancing at Club Nasty(!), and then back to Lux.

On the Sunday we had a quieter one and met up with Claire and Ian for a coffee.

Lovely weekend all round.

Gay Gooners (and me!) on the BBC...

This is us on the BBC being interviewed about homophobia in football. Very proud of all the Gay Gooners who took part, shed a tear for those who ended up in the cutting room floor(!), and genuinely pleased to have played some small part in getting the right message out there.

Pupil’s brain tumour fight inspires teacher’s charity run ...

My beautiful school teacher niece Charlotte is inspired by her pupil's brain tumour fight to do a charity run this weekend. Go Charlotte!

A brave schoolboy’s fight with a rare brain tumour, diabetes and other health problems has inspired one of his teachers to run a half marathon for charity this weekend.

Big thanks @RealMattLucas as @GayGooners story re-published worldwide #ArsenalForEveryone ...

A big thank you to Matt Lucas as he has helped the Gay Gooners story get published/re-published around the world in English, French and Spanish in India, Pakistan, Kenya, Malaysia, USA, Ecuador, France, UK… so far!

http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/football/Arsenal-Gay-Gooners-Coming-out-still-taboo-for-players/1102-4124432-vy0nx7z/index.html

http://www.arsenalnews.net/story/6371403/coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenas-gay-gooners

http://www.france24.com/en/20171004-coming-out-still-taboo-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners

http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/EnglishPremiership/coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners-20171004 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/football-coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners/articleshow/60932793.cms

https://realestateye.co.ke/coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners/

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/sports/article/coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners

http://www.newslocker.com/en-us/sport/world-soccer/coming-out-still-taboo-for-players-say-arsenals-gay-gooners/

http://www.firstpost.com/sports/premier-league-arsenal-supporters-group-gay-gooners-say-1st-active-footballer-to-come-out-will-be-an-icon-4108303.html

https://sports.yahoo.com/coming-still-taboo-players-arsenals-gay-gooners-113112708--sow.html

http://www.eluniverso.com/deportes/2017/10/04/nota/6414883/homosexualidad-sigue-siendo-tabu-futbol-britanico

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-41506791/matt-lucas-first-openly-gay-footballers-will-be-superstars

Coming out still taboo for players, say @MattLucas and Arsenal's @GayGooners @AFP ...

Video published by AFP on Gay Gooners.



The item has also been picked up and covered by the BBC here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-41506791/matt-lucas-first-openly-gay-footballers-will-be-superstars 

Matt Lucas: First openly gay footballers will be superstars

Matt Lucas says the first openly gay footballers will be icons who'll get "every advertising contract".

The Doctor Who and Little Britain star grew up an Arsenal fan and is now patron of the club's LGBT supporter's group, the Gay Gooners.

He says that, while things are changing in the game, he doesn't expect a professional player to come out for at least five or ten years.

Amazing. When he soared, boy did he soar - @MarcAlmond #ShadowsAndReflections #RFH ...

Last night Stuart and I went to Marc Almond kick off his Shadows and Reflections Tour at the Royal Festival Hall in London's glitzy South Bank Centre.

I simply loved it. I had tears in my eyes for a few of the songs. I love his new album of 1960s covers Shadows and Reflections which he is currently promoting so I guess I was bound to love the show from the get-go. But having a 20-piece orchestra on stage (including a full complement of backing singers) to fully recreate that dramatic exuberance of the songs was just the icing on the cake.

The songs on the album are pure gold written by the likes of Burt Bacharach, The Action, The Yardbirds, Bobby Darlin, Julie Driscoll, Billy Fury and the Young Rascals. Marc had thrown in a couple of self-penned songs too - Embers and No One to Say Goodnight To - that actually stand up quite well to comparison to the standards.

Marc was on good form on stage, a little nervous at times perhaps being the first night, but when he soared boy did he soar. Hey, he even hit some of the right notes (joke!)

The first half was largely recreating the new Shadows and Reflections album plus a few other orchestral versions of favourites tacked on the end including The London Boys, The Days of Pearly Spencer, Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart and closing with I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten.

After a brief pause Marc was back to revisit more of his back catalogue and the full-on orchestral versions were a joy to hear.

He performed songs from the Heart On Snow album including The Storks (now renamed The Cranes), The Sun Will Rise, What Makes a Man a Man, Child Star, If You Go Away, Adored and Explored, My Hand Over My Heart, Jacky, Torch, A Kind of Love, and a glorious mashup finale of Tainted Love and The VelVets' I'm Gotta Find Me Somebody.

Class.

I'm Only In The Bloomin' Arsenal Matchday Programme!...

Last Sunday was a dream come true for me - I was featured in the Arsenal matchday programme in the "My Arsenal" section on the inside back cover. 

Here were my answers...
 

MY ARSENAL

Age: 56
Live in: Highbury, London
Type of Membership: Gold

Why are you an Arsenal fan?

My local team. Destiny!

First Arsenal game? 

My mate Paul took me to a League Cup home game to watch Charlton. We won (I think!) I was too fascinated being at Highbury for the first time

Favourite Arsenal game? 

When we beat Barcelona - "the best team in the world" at the height of their powers - by scoring two in the final 12 minutes. It was that day that I was convinced about fans being the twelfth man. The roar of the crowd willed the ball into the back of the net. 

Favourite place to eat before a game? 

Piebury Corner.

Favourite place to hang out before kick-off? 

Meet up with the Gay Gooners.

How do you feel when you approach the ground? 

Wonderfully happy. I genuinely believe we are going to win every single game we play. Naïve fool or born optimist? You decide.

Where’s the best place in the stadium to watch a game from? 

Block 6. Brilliant atmos. Best for chanting.

Where’s the furthest you’ve travelled to watch Arsenal play? 

Sunderland. Grim.

Favourite away ground and why? 

White Hart Lane. No really. It is like descending into Dante’s Inferno. The noise, the thrill, the excitement, the Gargoyles! With adrenaline pumping, heart racing, we sing our hearts out. It doesn’t get any better than that.

What’s the most obscure piece of Arsenal memorabilia you own? 

I had a bar of Arsenal soap once. It just didn’t wash (boom, boom)

What do you wear to games? (A current shirt or a vintage one? Arsenal jacket/hat/scarf/lucky pants?) 

Current home shirt and my rainbow laces. Very “on message” me.

Whose name and number do you/would you have on the back of your shirt? 

Lacazette. I got it the day he signed but I didn’t know his number so had to go back to the Arsenal shop to get it added later.

Favourite ever Arsenal shirt? 

Bruised Banana obviously.

Who is your all-time favourite player and why? 

Ian Wright. He loves Arsenal and he lives Arsenal. 

Do you have an Arsenal ‘cult hero’ and why? 

Micky Thomas after his 1989 League title-winner from Alan Smith’s flick-on. We watched it on telly and rushed out into the street afterwards. It went crazy round our place that day!

What’s the best debut performance you’ve ever seen by a new player? 

Most impressive for me was Alexis Sánchez on his first competitive appearance against Man City in the 2014 Community Shield. He didn’t score but we could see he was "the man".

Have you ever met any Arsenal players? If so who, when, where and how?

 Freddie Ljungberg. Quite literally bumped into him on Highbury Corner. Only afterwards do you kick yourself for not talking to him.

Which current Arsenal player would you most like to go for dinner with, and why? 

Jack Wilshire. I just have a feeling he might tell it how it really is!

If you could erase one Arsenal moment from history, what would it be? 

The day Samir Nasri signed for Arsenal.

If you could watch Arsenal play any club side in history, who would it be and why? 

I'd love to see a current on form Arsenal team take on one of Fergie's Fledglings late 1990s teams and thrash them.

If you could play in any Arsenal team in history, which would it be and who would you replace (ie, what position would you like to play in)? 

I'd replace Thierry Henry in any game where he partnered the wonderful Non-Flying Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp so I could say I played with him. Just once. Bragging rights for life.

What makes you proud to be an Arsenal fan? 

Proud that Arsenal work with the community, proud they give their time and money to charity, proud they donate footballs and kit to refugee kids. Proud of their Arsenal For Everyone initiative and proud of their support of LGBT History Month and the Gay Gooners.

Fantastic day @Gaygooners #ArsenalforEveryone @Arsenal (and me!) #PrideInFootball ...

Yesterday was a fantastic day for the Gay Gooners, for the Arsenal for Everyone diversity initiative, for Arsenal Football Club's profile, and for me personally.

Prior to the midday kick-off of Arsenal FC against Brighton and Hove Albion (which we later won 2 - 0) Lea, Chris, Dave, Rosemary, Thierry and I went to the Arsenal Hub to take part in a penalty shootout against the Proud Seagulls (Brighton and Hove Albion's gay supporters group). We didn't score a single goal. Pretty foot work though! Ha! So Arsenal! Jokes all round.

Matt Lucas turned up too which was great so we got to chat with him and take some snaps.

There was some French TV media there as well so being the shy sort of person I am I launched myself at them with my half-baked ideas of how the men's game needs to change to be more welcoming to gay supporters and to look to support any male players should they want to come out. I told them about straight-on-straight homophobic abuse and how that affects gay supporters, how abuse had changed over the years, and bigged up Pride in Football and the Gay Gooners and told them what a great job Arsenal FC did to support us and how Gay Gooners are the biggest and the best gay supporters club in the world. We didn't conduct the interview in French(!) so I'll be intrigued as to how they are going to put French subtitles to some of my Arsenal slang! Oop Ze Arze-nel!

After that a BBC TV crew wanted a go with us all so we chatted to them too. When it came to Lea and my turn we played a bit of a double act being interviewed together. It was very funny and hopefully we got some of our points about homophobia, what the clubs need to do and our passion for the game. After the match the TV crew wanted to do some 'pick up' shots so we walked towards the camera and away from the camera a dozen times together feeling very self-conscious. We joked we should have had people doing our hair, our make-up and maybe even a fluffer(!)

During the game itself Arsenal broadcast on numerous occasions the Arsenal for Everyone pitch-side video banner along with its rainbow ending. Then at half time Matt Lucas was interviewed on the pitch about being a gay fan, his support of the Gay Gooners, and how his autobiography was on sale now(!) Our new Gay Gooners banner was shown a couple of times during the piece and my heart swelled with pride. The club I love, in the stadium I love, was very openly telling me I was accepted as a gay man. This made me very happy. Very.

And during the game or especially during the half-time interview there was no homophobic chanting near us. I was relieved as it's a lively bunch near me who aren't normally backward about coming forward with their banter. Then I saw someone shaking their head slowly… and I then speak up... oh no... here it comes... a negative comment... and all he said was, "it's meant to be fucking Arsenal for fucking Everyone day and all Matt fucking Lucas is doing is plugging his fucking book!" I almost spat my cola out! We all laughed though. For the right reasons I think. Banter is alive and well at the Emirates! Happy days!

Young Frankenstein #YoungFrankenstein @youngfrankldn ...

Last night Stuart and I went to the London premiere of Mel Brooks's new musical Young Frankenstein at the Garrick Theatre in London's glitzy West End.

Mel Brooks has spent the past year in the laboratory repairing his 2007 Broadway flop Young Frankenstein and to be fair has largely succeeded.

It's very silly. Puerile even. But then that's what we love about Mel Brooks. Lots of cheap laughs. But laugh we did. It's no Producers though, nor Book of Mormon. Actually it's a bit like panto really. The songs aren't particularly memorable either which for a musical is a bit of a handicap. Some of the comic timing was a bit off last night but I think that will improve during the run as they get into the rhythm of it.

Ross Noble is a very good physical Igor and Lesley Joseph is a funny German lied singing Frau Brucker.

People will come if they like the original film I suspect (as we did) but it's not got quite the same sense of timing of that gem of a movie.

I can't see it having a particularly long run in the West End to be honest but you never know, sometimes these shows find an audience beyond people who like the film. And it's bound to tour.

Labour of Love utterly brilliant, inspiring, riotous. #LabourOfLoveThePlay @TamsinGreig #martinFreeman @mrJamesGraham @MichaelGrandage

Last night Stuart and I had the pleasure of seeing the first preview of the world première of James Graham’s new play Labour of Love at the Noël Coward Theatre in London's glitzy West End.

In case you didn't know, James Graham is an outstanding comedic playwright who manages to marry the political and the personal aspects of the human condition in a quite extraordinary way. Two other recent productions of his plays - This House and Ink - opened to rave reviews. And I believe Labour of Love will join them. It's a triumph.

New Labour MP David Lyons (Martin Freeman) cares about modernisation and 'electability' his constituency agent, Old Labour Jean Whittaker (Tamsin Greig) cares about principles and her community. Set away from the Westminster bubble in the party’s traditional northern heartlands, this is a clash of philosophy, culture and class against the backdrop of the Labour Party over 25 years as it moves back and forward from Kinnock through Blair into Corbyn and beyond.

The play is extremely clever as it develops themes of old vs new, pragmatism vs idealism, how to read things both backwards and then forwards, and all this with a razor-sharp wit. It's very rude too and not beyond a bit of board farce. A clever trick to pull off - that the Labour itself struggles with - to be all things to all people.

Go see.

I Made My Mother Cry...

I sent an email reply to my mother yesterday who had sent me her birthday wishes. She was on the phone in tears when she got my reply. Oh Lordy!

Hi Myrtle,

Thanks both, to you and to Dad, for your birthday wishes today.

As you say in your message we certainly do share lots of love and fun times. I think we have a pretty good relationship, don’t we? As I think the whole family does.

You have certainly both brought me up to be an independent man who can fight his corner, knows right from wrong, is happy in his own skin but also knows how to enjoy life and doesn't hold back when I see injustice. You have both given me your keen senses of adventure and travel, your joint social skills, and your senses of humour. Which are invaluable skills in getting the most out of life.

I've learned how to speak in public from Dad - how to say the right thing and occasionally not say anything at all. And Mum you have taught me to see the other person's side in an argument, to put myself in the other person's shoes but also to not let people walk all over me. And that competitive drive to win I get from you - but not at all costs - makes for a full and happy life of playing games sometimes with myself and sometimes with others. It gives me endless joy to play a game - and win! But I don’t mind losing either. It's the playing of the game I enjoy really.

I have very happy life all round - and I put much of that down to how you have both brought me up and the help you have offered me throughout my life. Encouraging me to study, financial help to get on the property ladder, and supporting me when I came out as gay - which I'm sure wasn't easy for either of you. You've never been over-protective and always been there in case I needed you. Which must have been a difficult balancing act for you to get right. But you did. Get it right.

So thank you.

And please don't even think about a birthday present for me. You give me your time and your love and that is all I want or need.

Much love,

Jonce x

Ear-shattering This Is How We Die @AlmeidaTheatre ...

Last Sunday evening Stuart and I went to be shouted at for an hour. And then assaulted by a possibly illegally loud thrash band. Like much of the audience we left with bleeding ear drums.

We were at the Almeida Theatre to see/listen to This Is How We Die, Christopher Brett Bailey's prime slice of surrealist trash, Americana death trip and dizzying exorcism for a world convinced it is dying.

Bailey delivers a motor-mouthed collage of spoken word and storytelling with tales of paranoia, young love and ultra-violence. His spiralling odyssey of pitch-black humour and nightmarish prose is told through a machine gun delivery that bore echoes of Bruce, Burroughs, beat poetry and B-movies.

Our particular favourites were the "my girlfriend, she's so literal" section followed closely by the "go fuck yourself" date with himself.

The final 5 minutes of thrash metal I think probably damaged our ear-drums though and was probably illegal in its volume in such a small venue. Our ears are still ringing days later.

So if you like being sworn at and having your hearing fucked - this is the show for you!

Arsenal Women FC 3 - 2 Birmingham City Ladies FC @ArsenalWFC @BCLFC @FAWSL ...

As a long term Arsenal fan I was rather shamelessly late in going to my first Arsenal WFC game on Sunday at the Boreham Wood FC ground. It was great fun. We sang, we cheered, sang some more.

The Arsenal Women's team were taking on the Birmingham City Ladies' team in the Women's Super League.

A great game saw the reds go from being behind, having someone sent off to pulling back to win 3-2.

Fever Pitch The Opera @HighOpTheatre @UnionChapelUK ...

Last night Ann, Fiona, Val, Val, Olivier, Anders and I went to see high art / beautiful game mashup Fever Pitch The Opera at the Union Chapel in London's glitzy Islington.

The production was a high-spirited, dynamically acted and well intentioned show. It had some genuinely top-notch moments and although it was no Aida it certainly had the whiff of West Side Story about it. The music was good and the singing of a very high standard too. A bit of a shame, the sound quality wasn't quite up to the mark though so we had to strain to hear some of the otherwise very funny lyrics. 

Very pleasingly for we Gooners, the writers - Scott Stroman and Tamsin Collison - included lots of Arsenal chants too; One Nil to the Arsenal, We're the Clock End / North Bank, Good Old Arsenal etc. 

Rather cleverly the actors ran amok throughout the chapel and not only inhabited the stage under the massive ticking Highbury Clock but also occupied the whole of the auditorium and up in the balcony cleverly reimagining football stands. 

The opera itself was based on Nick Hornby's seminal book Fever Pitch - the life of a fan with an obsession and a beautiful hymn to Arsenal. Being an Arsenal fan is as we all know a love / hate relationship. We trust our life to 11 men who we don't know. We give them our happiness. Hornby became a fan in 1968 and, although he didn't know it back then, he had 21 years of hurt and disappointment ahead of him. There was little joy to be had on the windy cold terrace of Highbury. This is the sort of story opera handles very well. The big broad strokes of pain and little ecstasy.

The story takes us through Hornby's school life, teenage years in the 1970s, university life in the early 1980s, trials of trying to teach, attempts to be a writer and eventual epiphany when he goes for counselling in the later 1980s and realises what his Arsenal obsession is all about. SPOILER ALERT: He needs to belong. To be a member of a tribe.

The finale of the show takes us on to 1989 and 'that' pivotal game at Anfield. In seeming real time we relive the game with all it's ups and downs to the incredible rapturous final minutes. A fab end to any show.

Great fun. Very well done. And a very different way to spend a Saturday night.