London: Posh or Common? Part 3 (6/25-27/25)

After returning to the room after our V&A Museum visit yesterday, we relaxed in the room for a bit before prepping for our theater outing. We walked to the Gloucester Square station to catch the District line to the Embankment station. We left a bit early, so we had some time before the doors opened (3:15 for the 4:00 show), so we walked around the area a bit.

The Victoria Embankment Gardens made for a nice, mostly shaded walk.

The musical “Six” is about the six wives of Henry VIII — Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr, two of whom he divorced, two of whom he had beheaded, one who died of natural causes while they were married, and one who outlived him and remarried.

The majority of the quick, upbeat 80 minute performance has each of the wives telling the story of their marriage to see which one had the worst situation. They then decide to reclaim their legacy, as each obviously was their own person with a life before their marriage and some had a life after as well.

It’s a fun show with a bit of history thrown in. It also has connections with Cambridge and Scotland, as it was written in 2017 by two Cambridge University students and had its world debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The cast and the onstage band are all female.

On the way to the show we had passed the Savoy Hotel, which Bob remembered had The American Bar, which was on the list of the best bars in London. We thought we’d try again for a Vesper cocktail even though we were both still collarless.

We headed there after the show, and the staff could not have been friendlier. So, we ended up having our very posh drink in a very posh place with some fun history. It is one of the longest surviving American bars which came to prominence in London in the ‘20s and ‘30s.

Harry Craddock, an English bartender, was a pivotal figure in the bar during the Prohibition period in America. He is best known for compiling the “Savoy Cocktail Book,” and for popularizing American-style cocktails in London. In 1934, he also co-founded the United Kingdom’s Bartender’s Guild. A fun history-filled afternoon!

Our dalliance with poshness is coming to a close. We’ll be back to our commonhood tomorrow or at least by the time we leave London.