Scenes from Cnr Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street Sunday 20:25 - on break...
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Musical: Mary Poppins - supercalisassystarturn
The opportunity came up to see Mary Poppins The Musical Friday night so I took it. Now that Billy Elliot has opened it will lose some of its "must see" status no doubt, but it is a very classy show (well, classy for something that is part music hall, part panto and part dance musical) using some of the best talent in the UK. Of note:
The opportunity came up to see Mary Poppins The Musical Friday night so I took it. Now that Billy Elliot has opened it will lose some of its "must see" status no doubt, but it is a very classy show (well, classy for something that is part music hall, part panto and part dance musical) using some of the best talent in the UK. Of note:
- This was a dark and sassy Mary Poppins. Laura Michelle Kelly as the lead was quite sinister dispensing with a nasty nanny, and also siccing the children's toys on them when they annoyed her. The latter must have led to the warning against bringing very young children to the theatre, but for a show that clocks up three hours, there should be another warning that only children on Ritalin would last that long without getting bored.
- Kelly's performance however is great and it is easy to see how people are finally seeing her as the next big thing. When she isn't on the stage however, it isn't as much fun, the character of the parents are just annoying, and the cook and the servant are meant to provide the comic relief but strain to do so.
- The show is not a duplication of the movie as it also goes back to the original stories of PJ Travers. Apart from making the story a lot darker (and at times less coherent) it enables things such as the animated sequences in the park being replaced by dancing statues.
- New songs have been written and the old ones have been adapted (and lyrics completely replaced). This makes for a much better musical story, although alas "Sister Suffragette" (among others) gets cut...
- No musical nowadays is complete without one cast member flying off into the wings. This time, there was a half-baked excuse since Mary is supposed to fly, and so she did... Three times. Each time the audience applauded, and loudest the last time as she flew over some of the audience in the stalls as she left Cherry Tree Lane for good. Nothing like an actor suspended by cables to get the punters excited. They do it in Billy Elliot too (for some reason).
- The other big event is in the second act number "Step in Time" when Gavin Lee tapdances upside down on the proscenium. Tap dancing upside down is probably something that won't catch on as much as flying about the stage, but it fitted with the story and again got the punters awfully excited.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
News: Not the glass
Camden Town is one of those areas of London where people confuse threats to personal safety, petty crime and crack users on the streets for gritty urban chic. It is a fine place if you want to get a bong or a t-shirt, but not for much else. So the people who sell the tat at the famous Camden Markets are none too impressed by a new glass tower, which threatens to introduce more high street chain stores into the area. Of course you can never have too many high street chain stores...
Camden Town is one of those areas of London where people confuse threats to personal safety, petty crime and crack users on the streets for gritty urban chic. It is a fine place if you want to get a bong or a t-shirt, but not for much else. So the people who sell the tat at the famous Camden Markets are none too impressed by a new glass tower, which threatens to introduce more high street chain stores into the area. Of course you can never have too many high street chain stores...
Movie: Palindromes
Saw Palindromes this week. As a Todd Solondz movie it was not surprising that it was a story about a 12 year old girl who falls pregnant and is forced to have an abortion by her parents. But then she goes on a journey involving abortion doctor killers, strange freaks and killers. Sort of a modern day Grimms fairy tale... Apparently... It did take a while to make sense of it all, particularly as the lead girl kept changing along with the lighting and quality of the camerawork. The best thing about the movie however was the poster, which first caught my eye after seeing the play at the Kings Head earlier this week...
Saw Palindromes this week. As a Todd Solondz movie it was not surprising that it was a story about a 12 year old girl who falls pregnant and is forced to have an abortion by her parents. But then she goes on a journey involving abortion doctor killers, strange freaks and killers. Sort of a modern day Grimms fairy tale... Apparently... It did take a while to make sense of it all, particularly as the lead girl kept changing along with the lighting and quality of the camerawork. The best thing about the movie however was the poster, which first caught my eye after seeing the play at the Kings Head earlier this week...
News: Hitting home...
Mild hysteria erupted this week over reports that a craze that started in the dreadful bowels of all things evil - South London - now is spreading nation wide. It is called Happy Slapping and involves teenagers ganging up on an individual and hitting them, while taking photos of the victim with their mobile phones, before running off into the sunset, to post the pictures on the internet. It's supposed to be a new form of techno-bullying, but Does 'happy slapping' exist?. Well if it does, it is bound to spread to every mild-manered unsuspecting town in the near future...
Billy Elliotopened this week at the Victoria Palace to amazing reviews and some declaring it one of the best shows ever...
And finally, Kath and Kim premiered on BBC2 Thursday night. For those in the know (and with Sky), it has been broadcast for the past year here but now it is on free-to-air television it is getting a much broader audience. I suspect it will do well here, and it made the pick of the day in many newspaper TV reviews. I keep telling people that it is exactly how Australians live - although Melbournians wear darker colours usually - and aren't so much into shoulder pads anymore...
Potato, potato; pasta, pasta; plaque, plaque
Speaking of accents, noice and unewsual... I have found...
You don't say:
I'm having Paahsta for lunch
You say:
I'm having Passta for lunch
But I still say paaahsta. In fact, now I say paaaaaaaaaaaaahsta because it gets such a reaction... My colleagues make allowances for foreigners though...
Mild hysteria erupted this week over reports that a craze that started in the dreadful bowels of all things evil - South London - now is spreading nation wide. It is called Happy Slapping and involves teenagers ganging up on an individual and hitting them, while taking photos of the victim with their mobile phones, before running off into the sunset, to post the pictures on the internet. It's supposed to be a new form of techno-bullying, but Does 'happy slapping' exist?. Well if it does, it is bound to spread to every mild-manered unsuspecting town in the near future...
Billy Elliotopened this week at the Victoria Palace to amazing reviews and some declaring it one of the best shows ever...
And finally, Kath and Kim premiered on BBC2 Thursday night. For those in the know (and with Sky), it has been broadcast for the past year here but now it is on free-to-air television it is getting a much broader audience. I suspect it will do well here, and it made the pick of the day in many newspaper TV reviews. I keep telling people that it is exactly how Australians live - although Melbournians wear darker colours usually - and aren't so much into shoulder pads anymore...
Potato, potato; pasta, pasta; plaque, plaque
Speaking of accents, noice and unewsual... I have found...
You don't say:
I'm having Paahsta for lunch
You say:
I'm having Passta for lunch
But I still say paaahsta. In fact, now I say paaaaaaaaaaaaahsta because it gets such a reaction... My colleagues make allowances for foreigners though...
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Theatre: A patch of blue
Last week I decided to claim credit for F voting for the first time (it was all that incessant chatting about political processes that did it), so this week I taking credit for getting F and A to the Kings Head Theatre to see A Patch of Blue. I pointed out that apart from being a culturally enriching outing, we would be supporting one of the few surviving theatre pubs in London, before Wetherspoons or some other antiseptic chain moved in and took away its character and turned the theatre space into a restaurant… Well it may not get like that just yet, but the theatre's long-term future is hardly certain.
Anyway back to the play. It was originally a book, then a film with Sidney Poitier and Shelley Winters about a blind girl living in an abusive home meeting a black man and falling in love. Oh and it is the Deep South (America). The end result wasn't as predictable as all the situation might have alluded to however. The acting was also terrific which helped give everything some credibility…
The staging wasn't bad for the confined space of the theatre either. Although there were two issues I had:
Leaving the theatre I asked F and A if they were glad they went. There was general agreement that it was worth the effort, although F thought that the poster made the lead far more attractive than he was in real life. I disagreed suggesting that if there was a problem it was because he wore the same shirt and trousers throughout the play and we didn't get a good perspective of his range. A commented that as she prefers café au lait men more anyway she wasn't in a position to make a final call on this…
Last week I decided to claim credit for F voting for the first time (it was all that incessant chatting about political processes that did it), so this week I taking credit for getting F and A to the Kings Head Theatre to see A Patch of Blue. I pointed out that apart from being a culturally enriching outing, we would be supporting one of the few surviving theatre pubs in London, before Wetherspoons or some other antiseptic chain moved in and took away its character and turned the theatre space into a restaurant… Well it may not get like that just yet, but the theatre's long-term future is hardly certain.
Anyway back to the play. It was originally a book, then a film with Sidney Poitier and Shelley Winters about a blind girl living in an abusive home meeting a black man and falling in love. Oh and it is the Deep South (America). The end result wasn't as predictable as all the situation might have alluded to however. The acting was also terrific which helped give everything some credibility…
The staging wasn't bad for the confined space of the theatre either. Although there were two issues I had:
- There was an extended sequence at the beginning where the blind girl is raped. It probably wasn't necessary to inflict the small audience with two minutes of screaming and rape… but we got it anyway…
- Towards the end of the first act, a clap of thunder which was part of the story had me jumping out of my seat and exclaiming "Jeeeezus", much to the amusement of F and A. In a desperate effort to regain some dignity, I tried to explain that I was just getting caught up in the drama but they didn't buy it.
Leaving the theatre I asked F and A if they were glad they went. There was general agreement that it was worth the effort, although F thought that the poster made the lead far more attractive than he was in real life. I disagreed suggesting that if there was a problem it was because he wore the same shirt and trousers throughout the play and we didn't get a good perspective of his range. A commented that as she prefers café au lait men more anyway she wasn't in a position to make a final call on this…
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
News: VE Day - Mit a bang, mit a boom
Sunday night was the BBC extravaganza in Trafalgar Square to commemorate VE Day 60th anniversary. As big extravaganzas go it was entertaining, although jumping in the fountains was not re-enacted - it was too cold. Meanwhile the German ambassador has suggested the country is obsessed with Nazis. Well at least West End producers and members of the Royal Family perhaps... Of course the impact of the war still looms large in the city. I walk past two bomb shelters on the way to the tube...
Sunday night was the BBC extravaganza in Trafalgar Square to commemorate VE Day 60th anniversary. As big extravaganzas go it was entertaining, although jumping in the fountains was not re-enacted - it was too cold. Meanwhile the German ambassador has suggested the country is obsessed with Nazis. Well at least West End producers and members of the Royal Family perhaps... Of course the impact of the war still looms large in the city. I walk past two bomb shelters on the way to the tube...
Monday, May 09, 2005
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Cabaret: Janie Dee
Caught Janie Dee in concert tonight. She is an awfully talented singer, dancer, actor from the British stage and it seemed like various odd sorts of theatre types came out of the woodwork to see her perform at the Shaw Theatre. The Shaw Theatre is just around the corner from where I live so it was very handy to get to...
Her choice of music was varied and often was new music. Some of it was worth hearing as well. She also premiered a new Andrew Lloyd-Webber song "All the love I have". Well the music has been around for a while - I have the previous version on CD - it was just given new lyrics and a different orchestration (apparently this counts for a new song). But aside from an unfortunate foray into Ave Maria and a song called "No-one believes in a Mermaid" it was a great evening.
Overheard at the Theatre Friday night:
Old Luvvie (to female companion): Well there are three men who are very talented who are vying for the leadership so the Jewish one with the immigrant parents had to do something.
Caught Janie Dee in concert tonight. She is an awfully talented singer, dancer, actor from the British stage and it seemed like various odd sorts of theatre types came out of the woodwork to see her perform at the Shaw Theatre. The Shaw Theatre is just around the corner from where I live so it was very handy to get to...
Her choice of music was varied and often was new music. Some of it was worth hearing as well. She also premiered a new Andrew Lloyd-Webber song "All the love I have". Well the music has been around for a while - I have the previous version on CD - it was just given new lyrics and a different orchestration (apparently this counts for a new song). But aside from an unfortunate foray into Ave Maria and a song called "No-one believes in a Mermaid" it was a great evening.
Overheard at the Theatre Friday night:
Old Luvvie (to female companion): Well there are three men who are very talented who are vying for the leadership so the Jewish one with the immigrant parents had to do something.
Politics in Britain... The little things that are different
Its a bit gay (except for the BNP)
Stayed up late on Thursday night watching the election results (as one does, although I wasn't wearing an anorak)... Fell asleep at one point in front of the television only to wake up to see lovable Schools Minister and Member for Enfield and Southgate Stephen Twigg concede defeat. He looked very glum. It was a bit of a shock. Mainly because I was so close to the television and I woke up and saw his glum face in widescreen. I certainly wasn't expecting to see that. I sort of met Twigg at the start of this year (I was in the same room he was and he was talking to a friend of mine briefly). My brush with a man with a red box. Smart man, in politics and openly gay. Being gay and in politics in Britain is expected as politics is pretty gay. And with all those Westminster traditions you can't get much gayer than the oldest democracy of them all.
People here can't believe it when I tell them that you can't be openly gay and in politics in Australia. Well at least not in a major party. I tell them you can wear smart suits and dabble in the Arts, but that's as far as it goes. You must have a show wife, force her to live upstairs from you, trot her out for photo ops, then dump her when you are defeated... Whereas at this election in Brighton, all three candidates were gay and trying to outgay themselves. The Tories were playing up just how gay they really were too...
Paxman takes on the grub
There was much talk today about Jeremy Paxman's "interview" of George Galloway. Journalists here love to be antagonistic, but Paxman is the best at this sort of interview. Galloway ran in the East End against black (and Jewish) New Labour Oona King. This electorate has a high proporion of Muslims and so he made it a referendum on the war in Iraq. It was a grubby and bitter campaign so it was nice to hear Paxman start the interview by asking: "Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?"
Tactical voting
You are elected by a first past the post system here so voters have learned how to vote tactically - and vote for the person most likely to defeat a candidate - even if that means Labour voters who didn't like Blair ending up voting Tory... Backingblair.co.uk describes the process.
Political tv advertising
It doesn't exist. And the debate seems a bit more intelligent for not having it.
When is a 60 seat margin still not good enough?
When you have a core of 30-40 MPs in your own party who will vote against you at (almost) every turn. They are old Labour, and very few of them lost last night. The new parliament will be very different from the last...
Its a bit gay (except for the BNP)
Stayed up late on Thursday night watching the election results (as one does, although I wasn't wearing an anorak)... Fell asleep at one point in front of the television only to wake up to see lovable Schools Minister and Member for Enfield and Southgate Stephen Twigg concede defeat. He looked very glum. It was a bit of a shock. Mainly because I was so close to the television and I woke up and saw his glum face in widescreen. I certainly wasn't expecting to see that. I sort of met Twigg at the start of this year (I was in the same room he was and he was talking to a friend of mine briefly). My brush with a man with a red box. Smart man, in politics and openly gay. Being gay and in politics in Britain is expected as politics is pretty gay. And with all those Westminster traditions you can't get much gayer than the oldest democracy of them all.
People here can't believe it when I tell them that you can't be openly gay and in politics in Australia. Well at least not in a major party. I tell them you can wear smart suits and dabble in the Arts, but that's as far as it goes. You must have a show wife, force her to live upstairs from you, trot her out for photo ops, then dump her when you are defeated... Whereas at this election in Brighton, all three candidates were gay and trying to outgay themselves. The Tories were playing up just how gay they really were too...
Paxman takes on the grub
There was much talk today about Jeremy Paxman's "interview" of George Galloway. Journalists here love to be antagonistic, but Paxman is the best at this sort of interview. Galloway ran in the East End against black (and Jewish) New Labour Oona King. This electorate has a high proporion of Muslims and so he made it a referendum on the war in Iraq. It was a grubby and bitter campaign so it was nice to hear Paxman start the interview by asking: "Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?"
Tactical voting
You are elected by a first past the post system here so voters have learned how to vote tactically - and vote for the person most likely to defeat a candidate - even if that means Labour voters who didn't like Blair ending up voting Tory... Backingblair.co.uk describes the process.
Political tv advertising
It doesn't exist. And the debate seems a bit more intelligent for not having it.
When is a 60 seat margin still not good enough?
When you have a core of 30-40 MPs in your own party who will vote against you at (almost) every turn. They are old Labour, and very few of them lost last night. The new parliament will be very different from the last...
Friday, May 06, 2005
Scenes from Covent Garden 21:35. Polls close at 10pm and people work through to 3am to complete the count... so Friday is a quiet day for many! At 00:35 the swing is on and many Labour MPs will be out before the dawn... Exit polls are projecting a loss of 100 seats for Labour and a majority reduced to 66 seats... Swings against Labour are between 4-6%.but it is early in the evening (only 01:50)...
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Concert: Barenboim plays Bach
Sunday Afternoon caught Daniel Barenboim playing Bach's Preludes and Fugues from Book 1 of 'Das wohltemperite Clavier'. Translated that is "the well-tempered keyboard". The first hour were numbers 1-12, then after intermission there were 13-24.
It was a sellout concert given Barenboim's mega-star status. There was a long queue waiting in vain for returns. Inside the hall, it was just him, the Steinway and the preludes and fugues.
On stage there was magic. There was also a bit of tapping and fancy footwork, which initially was a bit distracting. The hands may do the hard work, but the rest of his body seemed to be locked in a constant struggle with the counterpoint. I didn't have the best vantage point and wished I was sitting on the other side so I could see his hands (rather than the body of the piano) but I guess you can't have everything...
He has just released a CD of this as well, which he was signing at the end of the concert. I assume that with the amount of tapping onstage that he must have worn shoes with rubber soles in the recording studio.
I do think there is a limit to the amount of Bach one can take in in an afternoon and during the second half of the concert my mind began to wander. Scanning the audience I noticed that I wasn't the only one getting restless as there was some serious fidgeting and moving about going on. Running into a colleague from work after the concert there was agreement with this sentiment. I had to go home and listen to something less pretty and complex. So I passed on the signing of his new CD, leaving hundreds of others waiting in line...
And then...
During the Bach concert while my mind was wandering I decided that I would give the memorial service for D that was on today in London a miss. There is nothing like Bach to get your mind straight and your thoughts in order...
Sunday Afternoon caught Daniel Barenboim playing Bach's Preludes and Fugues from Book 1 of 'Das wohltemperite Clavier'. Translated that is "the well-tempered keyboard". The first hour were numbers 1-12, then after intermission there were 13-24.
It was a sellout concert given Barenboim's mega-star status. There was a long queue waiting in vain for returns. Inside the hall, it was just him, the Steinway and the preludes and fugues.
On stage there was magic. There was also a bit of tapping and fancy footwork, which initially was a bit distracting. The hands may do the hard work, but the rest of his body seemed to be locked in a constant struggle with the counterpoint. I didn't have the best vantage point and wished I was sitting on the other side so I could see his hands (rather than the body of the piano) but I guess you can't have everything...
He has just released a CD of this as well, which he was signing at the end of the concert. I assume that with the amount of tapping onstage that he must have worn shoes with rubber soles in the recording studio.
I do think there is a limit to the amount of Bach one can take in in an afternoon and during the second half of the concert my mind began to wander. Scanning the audience I noticed that I wasn't the only one getting restless as there was some serious fidgeting and moving about going on. Running into a colleague from work after the concert there was agreement with this sentiment. I had to go home and listen to something less pretty and complex. So I passed on the signing of his new CD, leaving hundreds of others waiting in line...
And then...
During the Bach concert while my mind was wandering I decided that I would give the memorial service for D that was on today in London a miss. There is nothing like Bach to get your mind straight and your thoughts in order...
Scenes from the Barbican Sunday 14:43. There were plenty of punters out for the sun and the food in the concrete and brown tiled area overlooking the artificial ponds. The ponds act as a sound barrier as the circle line runs directly below it. Only a small portion of the Barbican residential area is seen here, but in the glorious sun it can be seen in its ghastly speldour...
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Musical: Acorn Antiques!
Caught Victoria Wood's Musical based on her popular (and very much loved) sketch-show last night at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Acorn Antiques the soap was about two sisters who ran an antique store in Manchesterford. Mrs Overall (who is working class and from Birmingham) is the help and makes the tea and macaroons while dealing with her osteo-arthritis. It was a parody of soaps full of bad acting, missed cues, ludicrous intrigue and all things awfully British...
Julie Walters plays Mrs Overall, Celia Imre, Duncan Preston, Josie Lawrence, Neil Morrissey and Sally Anne Triplett also star. And it was directed by Trevor Nunn.
The Musical picks up after the unceremonious axing of the show, after it was unable to compete with the likes of Celebrity Breast Implants From Hell. The principals have been reunited to turn the soap into a musical at the Enoch Powell Arts Centre in Sutton Coldfield. Their careers are in a tailspin so they resort to turning Acorn Antiques into an opera where the store is threatened by controlled parking zones and general urban decay. It is during the rehearsals when Julie Walter's character (who plays Mrs Overall) wins the lotto and uses her winnings to take it to the West End with a much happier storyline (Mrs Overall is the focus) - and more songs and dancing. So cue act two.
For a show that is almost two musicals in one it was hilarious - as funny as anything playing at the moment. Knowing some of the references from the sketch show would help, and at times it was like being in the audience of a sit-com with everyone breaking out into applause when the stars entered, but Julie Walters gives a star turn and it was worth seeing just alone for her amazing performance. She sings, she dances, wears a pinnie, has a hump and varicose veins and still manages to make the tea and macaroons.
While it has been a sellout (with a spare ticket here or there such as front row last night that I snapped up) it is a pity that it will close this month when Julie Walters contract runs out as they had trouble recasting. Perhaps it could return in the near future in a running time under three hours (and one musical rather than two)...
Then again, when the top price ticket is £65 (a new record for the West End) maybe the punters deserve quantity and quality for that price... Definitely a musical curiosity piece. Oh and at the box office you could also purchase Acorn Antiques rubber washing up gloves - aprons too - although no pinnies... Still a nice merchandising touch I thought...
And then...
Caught up with A after the show for drinks. A few hours later we were having a rather early vegetarian breakfast in Soho (I think it was 3am) and I attracted the attention of a passer-by and his friend. How I did this I am not quite sure as I had consumed a few Becks by this time. There seemed to be interest in either me or the grilled tomato, beans and toast, but they didn't join us for the meal. Later we saw him having coffee and a conversation ensued. It turned out the two were from Oxfordshire, in a relationship, and looking for a special guest star for the evening. I said that was lovely and wished them luck. So it all happens in Soho late at night... or doesn't... But it's always nice to meet strange and interesting new people...
Caught Victoria Wood's Musical based on her popular (and very much loved) sketch-show last night at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Acorn Antiques the soap was about two sisters who ran an antique store in Manchesterford. Mrs Overall (who is working class and from Birmingham) is the help and makes the tea and macaroons while dealing with her osteo-arthritis. It was a parody of soaps full of bad acting, missed cues, ludicrous intrigue and all things awfully British...
Julie Walters plays Mrs Overall, Celia Imre, Duncan Preston, Josie Lawrence, Neil Morrissey and Sally Anne Triplett also star. And it was directed by Trevor Nunn.
The Musical picks up after the unceremonious axing of the show, after it was unable to compete with the likes of Celebrity Breast Implants From Hell. The principals have been reunited to turn the soap into a musical at the Enoch Powell Arts Centre in Sutton Coldfield. Their careers are in a tailspin so they resort to turning Acorn Antiques into an opera where the store is threatened by controlled parking zones and general urban decay. It is during the rehearsals when Julie Walter's character (who plays Mrs Overall) wins the lotto and uses her winnings to take it to the West End with a much happier storyline (Mrs Overall is the focus) - and more songs and dancing. So cue act two.
For a show that is almost two musicals in one it was hilarious - as funny as anything playing at the moment. Knowing some of the references from the sketch show would help, and at times it was like being in the audience of a sit-com with everyone breaking out into applause when the stars entered, but Julie Walters gives a star turn and it was worth seeing just alone for her amazing performance. She sings, she dances, wears a pinnie, has a hump and varicose veins and still manages to make the tea and macaroons.
While it has been a sellout (with a spare ticket here or there such as front row last night that I snapped up) it is a pity that it will close this month when Julie Walters contract runs out as they had trouble recasting. Perhaps it could return in the near future in a running time under three hours (and one musical rather than two)...
Then again, when the top price ticket is £65 (a new record for the West End) maybe the punters deserve quantity and quality for that price... Definitely a musical curiosity piece. Oh and at the box office you could also purchase Acorn Antiques rubber washing up gloves - aprons too - although no pinnies... Still a nice merchandising touch I thought...
And then...
Caught up with A after the show for drinks. A few hours later we were having a rather early vegetarian breakfast in Soho (I think it was 3am) and I attracted the attention of a passer-by and his friend. How I did this I am not quite sure as I had consumed a few Becks by this time. There seemed to be interest in either me or the grilled tomato, beans and toast, but they didn't join us for the meal. Later we saw him having coffee and a conversation ensued. It turned out the two were from Oxfordshire, in a relationship, and looking for a special guest star for the evening. I said that was lovely and wished them luck. So it all happens in Soho late at night... or doesn't... But it's always nice to meet strange and interesting new people...
Overheard at the Tate Friday Night:
Man with a woman (to woman #2):Edith has been here once before, but she was sixteen and it was with the nuns...
Art: Turner, Whistler & Monet
Finally caught the blockbuster at the Tate on Friday night of Turner, Whistler and Monet. A room full of Monet's paintings of the Houses of Parliament and of Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross were worth the price of admission. I always have thought Monet's paintings of the Palace of Westminster capture it far better than any photograph. The purpose of the exhibition was to highlight how all three artists explored light and atmosphere in landscapes. A blockbuster exhibition that was well worth the visit...
And then later...
Caught up with M&M for Friday night drinks. A long day and nearly two hours at an exhibition took its toll. Left them both at G-A-Y around 2am. I got a text from M1 Saturday saying:
End a bit of a blur again. Not only did I end up with a Brazilian in my bed but a can of Strongbow on my shelf in the fridge
To which I replied:
I am assuming you mean boy not wax
Well hey, both are a dime-a-dozen in London...
Conversations: Soho and rough parts of town
During the course of Friday evening the following was part of a conversation that took place with two New Yorkers:
Mike: Tom wants to go to The Hoist but the concierge of our very nice hotel says that we shouldn't go there as it is in a rough part of town.
Paul: You are obviously staying at the wrong hotel if the concierge says that. You need to stay at a dodgy one so you can get advice on the dodgy venues.
Tom: So what is open in Soho after 2am?
Paul: Fuck all
Mike: Oh "Fuck All"... I didn't see that venue in the press?
Paul: Yeah it's new so you may not have it in your Spartacus guide...
And so on and so on and so on...
Man with a woman (to woman #2):Edith has been here once before, but she was sixteen and it was with the nuns...
Art: Turner, Whistler & Monet
Finally caught the blockbuster at the Tate on Friday night of Turner, Whistler and Monet. A room full of Monet's paintings of the Houses of Parliament and of Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross were worth the price of admission. I always have thought Monet's paintings of the Palace of Westminster capture it far better than any photograph. The purpose of the exhibition was to highlight how all three artists explored light and atmosphere in landscapes. A blockbuster exhibition that was well worth the visit...
And then later...
Caught up with M&M for Friday night drinks. A long day and nearly two hours at an exhibition took its toll. Left them both at G-A-Y around 2am. I got a text from M1 Saturday saying:
End a bit of a blur again. Not only did I end up with a Brazilian in my bed but a can of Strongbow on my shelf in the fridge
To which I replied:
I am assuming you mean boy not wax
Well hey, both are a dime-a-dozen in London...
Conversations: Soho and rough parts of town
During the course of Friday evening the following was part of a conversation that took place with two New Yorkers:
Mike: Tom wants to go to The Hoist but the concierge of our very nice hotel says that we shouldn't go there as it is in a rough part of town.
Paul: You are obviously staying at the wrong hotel if the concierge says that. You need to stay at a dodgy one so you can get advice on the dodgy venues.
Tom: So what is open in Soho after 2am?
Paul: Fuck all
Mike: Oh "Fuck All"... I didn't see that venue in the press?
Paul: Yeah it's new so you may not have it in your Spartacus guide...
And so on and so on and so on...
Thursday, April 28, 2005
News: swim for your life
This week Hampstead bathers win court case establishing their right to swim in freezing ponds - without a lifeguard - if they wish to do so. Bathers and their supporters hailed it as a victory against the Nanny State (which is very important here, unlike in Australia where people love the government to tell people what they should and shouldn't be doing). The case was seen as a test case against endless regulation and fear of litigation. The judgement paves the way for members or the swimming club to swim at the ponds without life guards on duty - and also protects the Corporation of London from being sued should anything go wrong. That sounds awfully sensible.
This week Hampstead bathers win court case establishing their right to swim in freezing ponds - without a lifeguard - if they wish to do so. Bathers and their supporters hailed it as a victory against the Nanny State (which is very important here, unlike in Australia where people love the government to tell people what they should and shouldn't be doing). The case was seen as a test case against endless regulation and fear of litigation. The judgement paves the way for members or the swimming club to swim at the ponds without life guards on duty - and also protects the Corporation of London from being sued should anything go wrong. That sounds awfully sensible.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Rats
- A rat went scurrying past me in the kitchen last night. He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. This news seemed to be just as shocking to my flatmate as the news that I should vote Tory. I suggested that warfarin would solve the rat problem, but that Tory voters are bound to flourish as Labour continues to stay in office.
- At the National Theatre tonight a rat ran out from under one food counter and hid under the table near me. It then ran back. A few of us watched this rat run with bemusement. Have made mental note to just use the bar at intermission in future.
- They do seem to be getting closer...
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Theatre: History Boys. Pass it on...
Finally caught The History Boys at the National. It was closing night of its extended run and it was another astonishing piece of theatre. As theatre goes, this has to be as good as it can get. At the conclusion, the audience gave a standing ovation to the cast and playwright Alan Bennett.
The play is described as "an unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university". But there is so much more going on here. Broader issues of Education are explored as just the starting point. This is a play that is full of witty barbs and sharp dialogue that surely will have a place in future dictionaries of quotations. A particular favourite of mine in the second act...
Mrs Lintott (a teacher): Our Headmaster is a twat. An impermissible word nowadays but the only one suited to my purpose. A twat. And to go further down the same proscribed path, a condescending cunt.
At a point later in the second act the actor playing this teacher lost the line and had to be rescued by having it called out offstage, which temporarilly broke the spell of the performance. But the cast as an ensemble worked so well together during the near three hours they were onstage, that this stumble was soon forgotten. Besides, there was so much memorable dialogue to take in.
The play is due to go to Broadway and tour Australia next year, but surely this play has even more future in it. I have an autographed hardcover script as well...
Overheard at the theatre after the play
Mahn #1: I think it is time tea...
Laaydy: Time tea?
Mahn #2: Yes it's the new talk for time to have some tea.
Laaydy: Oh yes well it is probably a good idea since look it's raining now...
Finally caught The History Boys at the National. It was closing night of its extended run and it was another astonishing piece of theatre. As theatre goes, this has to be as good as it can get. At the conclusion, the audience gave a standing ovation to the cast and playwright Alan Bennett.
The play is described as "an unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university". But there is so much more going on here. Broader issues of Education are explored as just the starting point. This is a play that is full of witty barbs and sharp dialogue that surely will have a place in future dictionaries of quotations. A particular favourite of mine in the second act...
Mrs Lintott (a teacher): Our Headmaster is a twat. An impermissible word nowadays but the only one suited to my purpose. A twat. And to go further down the same proscribed path, a condescending cunt.
At a point later in the second act the actor playing this teacher lost the line and had to be rescued by having it called out offstage, which temporarilly broke the spell of the performance. But the cast as an ensemble worked so well together during the near three hours they were onstage, that this stumble was soon forgotten. Besides, there was so much memorable dialogue to take in.
The play is due to go to Broadway and tour Australia next year, but surely this play has even more future in it. I have an autographed hardcover script as well...
Overheard at the theatre after the play
Mahn #1: I think it is time tea...
Laaydy: Time tea?
Mahn #2: Yes it's the new talk for time to have some tea.
Laaydy: Oh yes well it is probably a good idea since look it's raining now...
Monday, April 25, 2005
An open letter to Mother
I had a quiet weekend (not counting getting home at 3am on Saturday and Sunday morning) so I used the time to catch up on some letters from home. Since my mother is probably the only person that reads this I thought I would answers some questions from her recent letters:
I had a quiet weekend (not counting getting home at 3am on Saturday and Sunday morning) so I used the time to catch up on some letters from home. Since my mother is probably the only person that reads this I thought I would answers some questions from her recent letters:
- I don't know anybody that collects stamps. I try not to use the word philately in conversation in case it is misunderstood...
- Don't let Dad leave you outside the men's toilets. It isn't a good look.
- I did hear about the baggage handler who had a camel's head. It is nice to hear that QANTAS employs all sorts...
- When seeing London in only one day, Do breakfast in Soho not Piccadilly, go to the Tate not Saatchi Gallery, and see a £10 play at the National or use the TKTS booth.
Tory boy and didn't even know it...
I found out from the following website that I should vote Tory if I did bother to register to vote. Actually on my first attempt it suggested because I had such non-committal responses to all their questions I should vote for nobody - so I am doing the right thing by staying out of this one.
Only after I decided on the questionnaire to keep Britain out of the Euro and to believe in tax cuts and ID cards did the site suggest I should vote Conservative. Labour came second. Interesting stuff, although it does not factor in the character of candidates and the type of person you would be more inclined to vote for... Policy, pledges and platforms (for whatever that rubbish is) surely can only get you so far... Personality of the leader will always clinch it for me...
The other thing is that I don't know how I am going to break this to my housemate who did the test and was told he should vote Green... He will be horrified. It was his birthday the other day and there was a birthday card that had TB on it. I had to get it for him as the idea of giving him a card with Blair on it (that also was mild political satire) really amused me...
Your expected outcome:Labour
Your actual outcome:
You should vote: Conservative
I found out from the following website that I should vote Tory if I did bother to register to vote. Actually on my first attempt it suggested because I had such non-committal responses to all their questions I should vote for nobody - so I am doing the right thing by staying out of this one.
Only after I decided on the questionnaire to keep Britain out of the Euro and to believe in tax cuts and ID cards did the site suggest I should vote Conservative. Labour came second. Interesting stuff, although it does not factor in the character of candidates and the type of person you would be more inclined to vote for... Policy, pledges and platforms (for whatever that rubbish is) surely can only get you so far... Personality of the leader will always clinch it for me...
The other thing is that I don't know how I am going to break this to my housemate who did the test and was told he should vote Green... He will be horrified. It was his birthday the other day and there was a birthday card that had TB on it. I had to get it for him as the idea of giving him a card with Blair on it (that also was mild political satire) really amused me...
Your expected outcome:Labour
Your actual outcome:
 Labour 3 | |
| Conservative 7 | |
Liberal Democrat -20  | |
| UK Independence Party -6 | |
| Green -19 |
You should vote: Conservative
The Conservative Party is strongly against joining the Euro and against greater use of taxation to fund public services. The party broadly supported the Iraq war and backs greater policing and ID cards. The Tories are against increasing the minimum wage above the rate of inflation, and have committed to abolishing university tuition fees. They support 'virtual vouchers' for private education. And they have a leader who is a bit spooky and known to have a potty mouth
Take the test at Who Should You Vote For
News: Plastic and Glass
- One of the more perplexing things about the tube is that they have soft cushioned seats. For something that is used by so many millions of people everyday, you have to try not to focus on all those asses (and everything else) that sat down before you. Now it has emerged that plastic seats may be considered on some lines that are a little bit dodgy...
- A window opens and it falls out of the Gherkin (aka the Swiss Re building in the City) today. That's a big bit of glass to go flying about the city...
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Rubbing it in...
At after-work drinks last night, J mentioned he was going to his partner's place and was looking forward to a night in. Massage was mentioned as part of the night in. I commented that it had been some time since I had that... The massage, not the night in... So J told my mission for the evening was to get a massage - without having to pay for it (as that would be too easy)...
Today I texted J: Mission Accomplished
London is like that... When it works, it works very well...
At after-work drinks last night, J mentioned he was going to his partner's place and was looking forward to a night in. Massage was mentioned as part of the night in. I commented that it had been some time since I had that... The massage, not the night in... So J told my mission for the evening was to get a massage - without having to pay for it (as that would be too easy)...
Today I texted J: Mission Accomplished
London is like that... When it works, it works very well...
Friday, April 22, 2005
News: Flounders and Flowers
- Variety called it "Les Miz lite" and others have been even less unkind. So much so that The Independent suggests there is a curse of the Shaftesbury theatre... Or at least a curse of crap productions playing in it...
- Oh and Kew Gardens has a big, smelly flower
- And lock your doors, Violent crime in London is up, although crime overall is down. Part of the increase in certain stats is that they are now being recorded. For instance, sexual offences are up, as indecent exposure now is a criminal offence and is recorded. Fascinating stats are available across all of London to enthrall.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
News: The Sun endorses Labour
The Sun Newspaper - not to be outdone by the conclave in Italy - set up its own chimney and set off a puff of smoke today in London. The smoke was red indicating it will support Labour for its third term. Oh and the front page today read "From Hitler Youth to Papa Razi"... Boom boom!
The Sun Newspaper - not to be outdone by the conclave in Italy - set up its own chimney and set off a puff of smoke today in London. The smoke was red indicating it will support Labour for its third term. Oh and the front page today read "From Hitler Youth to Papa Razi"... Boom boom!
Post France
The weekend trip has had a positive impact on me.
Il suffisait de marcher
Le lambeth walk
C'était pas compliqué
He !
So I now have the French version of "The Lambeth Walk"... And I never did have enough eighties French pop in my collection...
The weekend trip has had a positive impact on me.
- I have been drinking more French red... It helps with the cold I still have...
- I have been enthralling colleagues with photos from France.
- Plus since returning I have downloaded some music off iTunes by Dalida.
Il suffisait de marcher
Le lambeth walk
C'était pas compliqué
He !
So I now have the French version of "The Lambeth Walk"... And I never did have enough eighties French pop in my collection...
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Scenes from the National Theatre 19:18 - Book signing with Julian Clary. After a talk tonight that I attended I picked up a copy of the book as well... and got Julian to sign it... Up close he doesn't look half bad. However his good hair stylist and tailoring made one feel downright shabby so avoided any conversation...
Bad news...
Hearing about the death of a friend today has put blogging a little on hold... But coming home on the tube tonight I did listen to a song by William Finn which contains some great lyrics:
I believe,
And I have found,
Hyperbole, is not what makes the world go round,
Just living, just navigating firm and level ground,
Has power to astound,
I have found.
It's been said,
And I have heard,
That quiet, doesn't have to be a dirty word,
Just talking,is often more expressive than a shriek,
Its nice to merely speak,
I have found.
Look around
Contentment it seems,
Simply happens
It appears
Accompanied by no grovels
And no tears
from "I have found" - William Finn
And so life goes on...
Hearing about the death of a friend today has put blogging a little on hold... But coming home on the tube tonight I did listen to a song by William Finn which contains some great lyrics:
I believe,
And I have found,
Hyperbole, is not what makes the world go round,
Just living, just navigating firm and level ground,
Has power to astound,
I have found.
It's been said,
And I have heard,
That quiet, doesn't have to be a dirty word,
Just talking,is often more expressive than a shriek,
Its nice to merely speak,
I have found.
Look around
Contentment it seems,
Simply happens
It appears
Accompanied by no grovels
And no tears
from "I have found" - William Finn
And so life goes on...
Sunday, April 17, 2005
untitled
Paul's Travelling Tips Miscellany
More on my weekend later but first my observations travelling 300kph out of Paris:
- A trip to Paris, then on to Angers need not be tiring... Just travel first class. My return leg was in a solo seat so I did not have to play footsie with anybody... The seats are bigger and the cars are quieter... And in general the cars have much better looking people in them... Although the only attractive people in my car tonight are the women...
- You also get nicer messages on the PA system, and the crew are much more polite. Unless of course you are Grace Jones trying to get a free upgrade, or the Asian woman at Gare Du Nord who showed her ticket to the smart French gent after me and got: "YOU ARE CAR THREE THIS IS CAR TWELVE! MOVE ALONG!"
- I am typing this while having a nice glass of champagne. There is a bottle of Bordeaux waiting after that as well...
- The 3pm train out of Waterloo is a good one to catch if you wish to pick up a Gaelic Businessman returning to Paris. I just didn't try hard enough, but then again I only had the Perrier as an aperitif...
- I am enjoying myself more as I type this and quaff champagne...
- Oh and check the Price differential between 1st and 2nd class when you book... For me it was only £20 so I figured that was a bargain...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)