Company

A friend is going today and is desperate to find out if there will be any understudies, but I think it's safe to say that he'll see the full original cast. Unless LuPone decides to take the night off to sing Happy Birthday to Andrew Lloyd Webber 

Thanks! I'll pass the message

The Follies cast did it earlier and was posted on the NT Instagram page

Totally (well mostly) unrelated to Company, but I'm going tomorrow afternoon and have seriously damaged my ankle. Nothing too awful, it just needs rest and ice which obviously I am intending to not do at all because I am not missing this. But I will need to get from St Pancras, arriving at 1.30, to the theatre in time for the matinee, being able only to hobble very slowly and with lots of squeaking. And I hear there's a little march on... What are my chances of getting a taxi, and what are the chances that it won't bankrupt me? Or shall I just grit my teeth and brave the underground?

I don't know about the cost of cabs, but the march will have started 90 minutes earlier than your arrival time and you can get from St Pancras to the West End without having to go near the route, so I think it's doable. An Uber does sound more like the sort of thing you can neatly organise while in transit though. Depending on how badly you're hobbling, the Piccadilly line does go directly from King's Cross St Pancras to Piccadilly Circus without any changes, but I appreciate you might not want to deal with KCSP or the crowds at Piccadilly Circus on foot.

If you have a mobile phone: uberapk.com/download

It will give you a set price for the journey, where to meet at St Pancras, what your car looks like and your drivers name.

A word of warning, as Uber prices are not fixed or regulated by TFL drivers always hike their prices whenever a march is on. It’s called surge pricing and sickeningly, they also do this during emergencies when they know people need to get home. You’ll be charged far more than you would in a taxi, especially as taxi drivers will also know the back roads to avoid the crowds!

You might find there’s little difference between the cost of a black cab and an Uber, and the black cab might be more convenient and easier to get in and out of with a sore foot.

The rank will be signposted, you won’t need to download an app and you won’t be searching for a Prius. (I am not a black cabbie btw, just a fan of the knowledge and the service they provide. I think Ubers are fine if you’re used to using them.)

Citymapper is usually quite reliable about cab costs, it currently says an Uber from St Pancras to the Gielgud is £10 and a black cab is £14.

I looked at buses for you but there’s an 8 min walk at the end of it :-(

Thank you everybody! I'm thinking a black cab is probably my best bet for the sake of a few quid. It won't break the bank and it may stop me weeping in a tube station.

I'm lying in bed trying to work up the courage to try walking. It's still sore!

I'll be there for the matinee too. Drop me a message if you want me to get you anything from the bar etc at the interval so you can stay seated.

I’ve just received mine in today’s post! Lovely production photos in the booklet (when I eventually got it out of the case!). Great to have a hard copy of this one. Recommended the show to a family member who went on Thursday and absolutely raved.