Travel: From SW4 to New York

And there will be a change in programming as there's a plane that's waiting to take me to New York. I'll be trading in my full English breakfast on the weekend for bagels and coffee no doubt…

Other things I will not have for a week:

• Flatmate throwing hissy fit as I had the clothes dryer on. It was only midnight (your honour) and my room was closest to the utility room!


• Big brother. Not sure what freaks are on the show this time around


• Work!  

Not sure what adventures will be in store but they will be taken up at paulincognito.blogspot.com…  

Theatre: Sunday in the Park with George (West End transfer)

I couldn't resist catching a preview of the transfer of Sunday in the Park with George at Wyndham's Theatre Thursday evening. It starred practically the same cast that I saw at the Chocolate Factory with the exception that the female lead was played by Jenna Russell – who last I saw opposite Ewan Macgregor in Guys and Dolls. Russell gives it a bit more of a "star presence".

Even the technical glitches and the odd microphone dropout couldn't make this production look bad. The audience loved it as well. Sondheim and Lapine are there tomorrow night for a chat about the show and it surely must be a likely candidate for transfer to Broadway. There is a cast album about to come out shortly as well. There are indeed far worse things than sitting through the musical Sunday twice. And did I also hear additional lyrics in the song "Putting it Together"?

Sport of the week: one legged bitches

Sport of the week this week has been slagging off at Heather Mills. After the newsflash yesterday about the divorce, It takes the form of various things on the email rounds…

A poem by Paul McCartneyI lay upon a grassy bank, my hands were all a quiverI slowly removed her suspender beltAnd her leg fell in the river

Or this…

Heather Mills Press statement
Former model, Heather Mills has recently released a press comment to stamp out the allegations of her split from her pop star husband.
A close friend says Heather is hopping mad and although both her and Paul are unaccustomed to knee jerk reactions they have decided to go out on a limb.
"I'm totally stumped" Said Heather today. "We're going through a rough patch but I've no intention of legging it"

Oh and yes, the divorce is expected to cost Paul an arm and a leg…

Scenes from outside the Savoy 17:45

Scenes from outside the Savoy 17:45
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Not much happening...

Scenes from Clapham Common Saturday 12:39

Scenes from Clapham Common Saturday 12:39
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

By day a family friendly location, by night a little area for gentlemen who like to take it outdoors. The tall grass hides an awful amount of litter - which includes an astonishing amount of paper towells and things made of rubber... You do have to watch your step if you stray off the paths...

Incidentally two men who beat to death a man in October last year near this area pleaded guilty yesterday to the crime. One of the men lived in Clapham. While these two will likely receive sentences of 30 years, there are other locals that are likely to continue with this sort of thing...

Weather and hayfever

Everyone is talking about hayfever. After a long winter everything that contains pollen has just exploded out all over the place as warm weather finally arrived. Fortunately there is a cure for hayfever which apparently involves snogging somebody for 30 minutes. Well that seems more fun than sticking Vaseline up your nose (which is what they recommended on the BBC morning show today)…

Theatre: Enemies

In keeping with a week of corporate greed, I had the opportunity to see Gorky's play Enemies performed at the Almeida Theatre on Thursday. It is a new translation by David Hare and it was fantastic (the critics seem to think so as well). As an ensemble piece the actors worked so well together, and they were rather pleasing on the eye as well but I digress…

Gorky's play is about trouble at a Russian factory. When the managing directory of the family-run factory is shot and killed is it the start of a worker uprising or was it just an accident? The family is split between those who see conspiracies and those who sympathise with the oppressed workers, so the drama is set. This translation keeps thing going at a brisk pace and there is enough fiery dialogue in it to keep anybody's attention focussed on the action at hand. The final scene although a tad abrupt, did really sum it all up well (and was accompanied with a slight amount of theatrical flourish)…  It was enough to make you go "oooh". I think I did as I had had too much red wine by this point on an empty stomach…

It is also worth pointing out that the drama takes place on a stage that was gorgeously set - a garden with trees and grass and woodland. Not at all like the cheap set thrown together for the National Theatre's Voysey Inheritance.  

Interestingly at drinks following the play not everyone who saw the play loved it. One rather famous theatre person was pouring shit over the production in between hoovering down the canapés. Perhaps it wasn't his cup of tea as he prefers his Gorky embalmed rather than injected with real drama.  There's no pleasing some people I suppose.

Film: Enron The Smartest Guys in the Room

After Monday's play about corporate greed in Edwardian times, on Wednesday I saw a film Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room which was a play about corporate greed in Bush times. Actually, it was more than greed. It was how a company managed to get away with criminal activity and even prospered with the support of the financial system, banks, regulatory bodies, the media, you name it. While the people at the top are facing criminal charges, others who invested (not always voluntarily) their pensions into the company find that they have no money.

Based on the book of the same name, it traces the rise and collapse of a company that never really made a profit, but managed to state its earnings on the potential for future profits (Arthur Andersen its accountants no longer exist as an accounting firm due to their work with Enron).

The company was good at one thing and that was publicity. And the video footage from the company is the basis for this great documentary. You feel like you want to punch any one of these assholes when they were on the screen. I couldn't help but cheer when a Californian protestor hit the Enron Chief Executive in the face with a blueberry pie during the rolling blackouts that were a direct result of Enron's activities. Whether the crooks get away with all the money is still a matter to be played out in the courts…  

Theatre: The Voysey Inheritance

Monday I caught the Voysey Inheritance at the National. Written in 1905 by Harley Granville Barker (a pioneer of modern directing methods and an advocate of the concept of a national government subsidised theatre one learns from the programme notes), the play is full of great lines and observations of the upper middle classes in Edwardian times. The family at the centre of the drama find out upon the death of their father their wealth was the product of a finance fraud, and it is left to one of the sons to pick up the pieces. The cast helped too with Dominic West (as the son), Julian Glover, Doreen Mantle and Nancy Carroll part of a terrific ensemble.

The production is getting quite a number of raves and given that stories of insider trading, managers raiding pension funds, and financial mismanagement still dominate the news these days there seemed something thoroughly modern about the play as well…

The only downside to the production would have to be the set which not only looked cheap, blocked the view of actors. At one point I didn't realise West was on stage during the fifth act until he spoke. There was also the curious sound of running water that came somewhere from backstage. It was a bit of a distraction, particularly sitting front row…

Scenes from Pall Mall Sunday 16:35

Scenes from Pall Mall Sunday 16:35
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

For the last few days a giant 40-foot mechanical elephant had been parading around Central London. Today was the last day to see it. It was part of a street theatre piece called The Sultan's Elephant. It was free and certainly got the punters into the city. Scantily clad women danced on top of it for some reason (perhaps to entice more father's to take their children to see it ) and the trunk did appear to spray something out over the crowd...

Scenes from Suburban SW4

Scenes from Suburban SW4
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Sunday hedge-pruning anyone?

Scenes from Piccadilly Circus Sunday 00:49

Scenes from Piccadilly Circus Sunday 00:49
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Waiting for the night bus...

Overheard at the gym Thursday

Young boy 1: Oh why does every man you look at thinks you are checking him out?
Young boy 2: Yeah especially that one (pointing to an older guy)…
Young boy 1: Like yeah as if…
Young boy 2: Aw man I have taken too many drugs this week…

Scenes from Soho Thursday 22:59

Scenes from Soho Thursday 22:59
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Late night drinking outside Ronnie Scotts (currently closed for refurbishment)...

Politics: Hot in the city

Today was the first day that felt like summer was on the way as temperatures hovered around 25degrees (even now after 1am it is 16 degrees). By late this evening thousands of people were out on the streets drinking and having fun. They were also out voting. Projected figures suggest that turnout could be around 40% which compared to 30% four years ago is an interesting figure. It also means that it will be a long night for the vote counters, and a long day tomorrow one suspects as well… Some of my best friends are vote counters. Silly bastards.

Housekeeping: back in the room

After over four months I finally have broadband at home, thanks to Be Internet. Wanadoo have still to send me the prepaid returns pouch so I can send back their wireless router to them, so I am using the box to rest my laptop against while I update the blog in my room. At least it has some use…

Scenes from Soho Thursday 22.15

Scenes from Soho Thursday 22.15
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Warm weather makes the place heave...

Scenes from SW4 Monday 19:29

Scenes from SW4 Monday 19:29
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Spring is here at last... And there are blue skies... Even if the

temperature is still hovering around 10degrees...

Conversation in WC1

Paul and Ad are walking down Charlotte Street WC1.
Man in white (to Ad in very low voice as he walks into him coming out of a shop): Oh sorry darling…
Ad: Oh that's ok… Darling…
Paul (to Ad): Darling?

Scenes from Covent Garden Monday 14:43

Scenes from Covent Garden Monday 14:43
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Bank Holiday Monday had all the punters out at the usual places. There

weren't any bargains to be had but people seemed glad to just be out of the

'ouse...

Scenes from Southwark Sunday

Scenes from Southwark Sunday
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Greenery is popular in London. Especially trees with bright foliage...

Scenes from Soho Square Saturday 19.23

Scenes from Soho Square Saturday 19.23
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Sitting...

Any excuse for Tom Cruise photo

DSC00604
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Everytime I mention the words "Tom Cruise" on this blog traffic to my site jumps a bit. So in a desperate attempt to drive more traffic to my site, I am including my Tom Cruise photo from Tuesday evening at Leicester Square. Tom is there... Can you see him (get out your glasses)?

I did get within five metres of him. But as I said before I didn't have my water pistol on me so I wasn't going to take a photo...

Theatre: Tom and just Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

How close did I get to Tom Cruise on Tuesday? Well close enough to see that he really is short. Oh and he has great hair. Getting cheap tickets at Leicester Square I had my back mostly turned on him as while it is great he mingles with the fans for hours, star worship isn't my thing… Unless it is Kathleen Turner… Turner and Bill Irwin have reprised their Broadway roles in Edward Albee's modern (now slightly revised) classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" It is about to close after a few months running in the West End and it was well worth seeing.

Turner may not have the looks (or the voice) she once had but she still has got something. Even with her foghorn voice she still managed to fill the stage. So much so you almost forget that there are only four actors that make up the cast in this. Irwin complimented Turner in his subtle and sly delivery.

There is so much fun to be had in watching this show about a sparring marital couple that even if it is a little overlong at three hours (and you wish they would get on with it and smash a few plates or something), you can't say that you weren't fascinated by the whole ordeal. Maybe it has been a while since I have seen the film or read the play, but this version made it very clear Martha invited the young professor and his wife around at 2am so she could fuck the young man. There is probably a central message in their about relationships but I was happy to let it serve as a warning to husbands everywhere when their wife suggests having a party at 2am…

Theatre: Burn not chatroom then citizenship...

Monday night I forgot I was at the National Theatre again to see "Burn, Chatroom and Citizenship" – three new one-act plays. Except that they only perform two and I was stuck with "Burn" during the first half. It was a bit of a bore, although had some nice commentary about social workers and car stealing. The second half was "Citizenship" and it was much more lively and funnier (no surprise when it was written by Mark Ravenhill of "Shopping and Fucking" fame). The tale about a boy who sees a girl and gets her pregnant while looking for a gay relationship was pretty funny. The characters and dialogue were fantastic (even if the plot was a bit suspect)…

The crowd was a very young crowd as these performances were originally performed at the NT last year by school children, and they all have yoof feemes and all that… So once you got past the audience belching and laughing at the wrong parts it was a good night out…  

Scenes from Leicester Square Tuesday

Scenes from Leicester Square Tuesday
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Trying to get cheap ticks to Kathleen Turner's performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" I run into Tom Cruise worship. I got within 5 metres of him but was too busy purchasing theatre tickets to notice how small he really is... Besides I didn't have my water pistol on me...

Scenes from the Thames Monday 22.00

Scenes from the Thames Monday 22.00
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Big Ben strikes 10...

Scenes from SW4 Saturday 19:46

Scenes from SW4 Saturday 19:46
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

It wasn't all grey this weekend. Saturday was mild and sunny. The trees now

have greenery on them too...

Theatre in progress: The Menu

Friday night I caught a "work in progress" at the National Theatre called "The Menu". It is what they are referring to as a scratch performance where in essence they are workshopping a new piece but with an audience. There were enough disclaimers to lower anybody's expectations about what we were about to see but in essence it wasn't that bad. Sure the production was unfinished and there were enough subplots to drive anyone crazy (and some scenes didn't make any sense) but there is the potential there in this play set in the not too distant future Britain, where suicide bombings and lack of liberty are the norm. I thought the satire on the future (newsflash: Prince Harry was reprimanded today for wearing a fake Muslim beard) worked better than the love triangle between the three leads, but others with me went along with it all.

I enticed people to come to it on the premise that it could be the next masterpiece to come out of the National. I don't think we saw the beginnings of Chekhov on Friday night but it could have been a whole lot worse…

Scenes from Clapham Sunday 14.32

Scenes from Clapham Sunday 14.32
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Just what the hell are they doing to the place??

Scenes from Soho Sunday 00.27

Scenes from Soho Sunday 00.27
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Waiting to get inside The Ghetto. It was some wait... Inside it was one of those bars where anything seemed to go... For instance, there were two lesbians getting it on in one corner leaving nothing to the immagination. They were doing it with enough vigour to suggest they had had a few vitamins over the course of the evening. Outside it may have been mild weather but inside it was rather hot. All that cigarette smoke and dancing no doubt contributed to the hot steamy atmosphere... Banal eighties, nineties and naughties music seemed to be the order of the day as well...