The White Bear and Theatre -- A Recommendation
A week or so back I had the great pleasure of watching "The Importance of Being Earnest" at a delightful theatre above a very nice pub in Kennington.
Before the show, I enjoyed a couple of pints of Proper Job, and a delicious meal of venison sausages and colcannon mash, served with ale gravy and a strip of pork crackling.
I must say that the staff at The White Bear were extremely friendly, and the food was lovely. It was not cheap -- didn't see much change from twenty quid -- but the quality was superb, and you don't begrudge paying a decent whack for flavoursome food prepared by someone clearly skilled at the art. (Booking is usually advisable, although I was very early and almost had the place to myself!)
The theatre is a curiosity, but as I have found, far from unique in London. Directly above the main bar is an L-shaped room seating about fifty people. The walls, ceiling, floor, and even the seats, are all black, with an intriguing tangle of audio-visual paraphernalia suspended above our heads. The stage, if you can call it that, is just the clear space in the corner. 'Intimate' would be one word to describe it, but its compact form is just right for small scale theatre and comedy, and there's a regular programme of shows put on.
This was my introduction to Oscar Wilde, and a very enjoyable evening it was too.
The White Bear
138 Kennington Park Rd, London SE11 4DJ
https://www.whitebearkennington.co.uk/
Before the show, I enjoyed a couple of pints of Proper Job, and a delicious meal of venison sausages and colcannon mash, served with ale gravy and a strip of pork crackling.
I must say that the staff at The White Bear were extremely friendly, and the food was lovely. It was not cheap -- didn't see much change from twenty quid -- but the quality was superb, and you don't begrudge paying a decent whack for flavoursome food prepared by someone clearly skilled at the art. (Booking is usually advisable, although I was very early and almost had the place to myself!)
The theatre is a curiosity, but as I have found, far from unique in London. Directly above the main bar is an L-shaped room seating about fifty people. The walls, ceiling, floor, and even the seats, are all black, with an intriguing tangle of audio-visual paraphernalia suspended above our heads. The stage, if you can call it that, is just the clear space in the corner. 'Intimate' would be one word to describe it, but its compact form is just right for small scale theatre and comedy, and there's a regular programme of shows put on.
This was my introduction to Oscar Wilde, and a very enjoyable evening it was too.
The White Bear
138 Kennington Park Rd, London SE11 4DJ
https://www.whitebearkennington.co.uk/
