Scenes from Piccadilly Circus Saturday

London Naked Bike Ride, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.

Just what London needs more of... Full frontal nudity... This time it was the World Naked Bike Ride in London to protest against oil dependency (timely as strikes close some petrol stations) and getting back to nature... It certainly stopped traffic... And there were all sorts of body shapes and slogans like "more ass, less gas" on display... It was all done in the best possible taste...

Theatre: 2000 Feet Away

Publicity still for 2000 Feet Away: Phyllis Logan, Joseph Fiennes and Ian Hart
Source:offwestend.com

I was talking to an actor recently who was horrified to learn that out there in the blogosphere, there are bloggers that go to previews and review the work before the official press night... He was initially horrified and then angry. After slowly stepping away from the actor and getting back to the real world, I thought it must be strange for some people to comprehend how people pay for a show and then talk about it afterwards... It is as if the phrase "word of mouth"didn't exist before blogging... It seems to be the latest thing for actors to moan about bloggers even if it is what they have to appear in that is at fault...

So with all that in mind, I am blogging about going to a preview of 2000 Feet away by Anthony Weigh on Friday night at the Bush Theatre. I don't know what made me want to go see this play about sex offenders and a local sheriff responsible for enforcing a law keeping them away places where children may gather... But I am glad that I did. It must have been the power of some great email marketing in late May that did it. I didn't even realise that the cast included Joseph Fiennes. Richard joined me to see the play. I saw Dina Martina at the Soho Theatre with him and he thought there was a common theme in the sort of entertainment we have been seeing together: sexual abuse... If we keep that up the mind boggles thinking about what we are going to see next...

This play was first presented in Sydney last year and there was a view then it had nine scenes yet to make a coherent play. I am assuming it developed further (or that reviewer was bonkers), as what we were presented with was a very cleverly put together series of scenes that while may have been stylistic, were always sharp and funny... And there never was a dull moment... All the performances were amazing including by the young cast members. It was also interesting that this cast seemed to fare better than most in London in being able to perform with genuine American accents.

Being Bush Theatre virgins and having spent a little longer at the bar next door, we had to take one of the unreserved seats closer to the performance area. I noticed those who appeared more experienced with seeing productions here took the seats further back. However sitting on one of the sides does have its advantages as you can check out the rest of the audience while pretending to be watching the play... You also were so close to the performers you could reach out and touch them... Not that you would want to try that, but you could see every detail and nuance of the performances. So much so that Richard informed me afterwards he was sure Joseph was wearing boxer briefs.

Earlier this week when it was a bit warmer, a luvvie had also told me I better wear a t-shirt and shorts going to the Bush Theatre as it is hot... I can gladly report that this advice was out of date... While the weather had cooled by the end of the week, the Bush Theatre also now has air conditioning.

So all told, I saw the play in preview... But I thought it was great... I'm sure by the time press night rolls around tomorrow night it will be amazing... Unsurprisingly it has sold out but day seats remain available... It must be that good word of mouth...

Hot news this week in London...

Car Wash Boss Rapist Jailed, Stoke Newington, originally uploaded by Fin Fahey.

It all happens in Stoke Newington... Except basic sub editing skills...

Overheard on Clapham High Street Wednesday

Woman on phone: Yeah and he like followed me all the way to where I was getting my eyebrows done... Can you believe that? Can you? Can you?

Scenes from the South Bank Sunday

010620085909, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.

How low can a lowrider go?

Scenes from the Underground Saturday Evening (burp)

Party on the tube, originally uploaded by kujunu.

It was a classy night on the tube as people took advantage of the last night it was legal to drink alcohol on public transport... I guess that marks the end of that trick where you stand on a Circle Line train holding nothing but a can of beer and you keep going around and around until you keel over or pass out or vomit... Footage set to the music of "Dancing Queen" also on Youtube...

Movies: Sex and the City

Sex and the City the movie, originally uploaded by annalyn.

I nearly didn't catch Sex and The City on Thursday night with Fliss as the first three cinemas I tried, it had already sold out... It is obviously the movie of the week. Fortunately the O2 centre had some seats and so that is where we caught it. With around 700 die hard fans of the series. Who were mostly women. With a smattering of self-conscious boyfriends... And a few gays... Fliss had to explain to her men-folk that she was going to this movie with her gay friend because she knew they wouldn't want to see it. One of them is jealous of our relationship but that's just because he doesn't have a filthy mind or a sense of humour...

Actually I was disappointed with the gay turnout for a movie about (to borrow from a Simpsons episode) four gay men living in New York city... Played by women... But then again this is North Greenwich... As the film started people started cheering. I don't understand the cheering. I think these women need to get out more...

Anyway is the film any good? Well being a fan of the series (having watched every episode at least twice) I guess I could forgive its flaws such as:

• Lack of credible plot and ludicrous dialogue
  
• Really unflattering lighting of the leading ladies (is this a trend nowadays to make ladies on screen look as bad as possible? Like they are getting on, but do we need to see how the plastic surgery and botox is desperately trying to work?)
  
• Wondering if Kim Cattrall was wearing horse hair (was this SJP's revenge for the fact they hate each other?)
  
• Two overlong clothing montages that lacked the style of The Sweetest Thing
• A collection of the most dreary pop tracks ever inflicted on a chick flick. When Al Green starts singing as two characters meet on the Brooklyn Bridge, you will want to reach for an (empty) popcorn bucket

Still there were some funny moments, and it was nice to see Jennifer Hudson on screen again (even if she just breezes in to fix Carrie's website, give pat advice and get her a decent mobile phone). And while the other male characters are sidelined to bit parts, at least David Eigenberg as Steve manages to prove on the big screen he can still look good naked. Alas one can't say the same for Big, Harry or Smith... And I can't recall seeing a movie before which so trashes a leading man character to the point that you leave the film thinking, "Eeew... she ended up with him!"

All these flaws with the movie don't really matter much however. Even Sex on a bad day is better than nothing . This movie is also going to be huge because all we have had to watch for the past four years are episodes of Desperate Housewives... Interestingly on screen, the year is missing from any dates that are shown (such as emails, newspapers etc). It does feel like the film is trapped in a time warp. It even backs the wrong Democrat... There are references to Hilary on the film but none about Obama. Things have changed since 2004, even if the writers and producers assumed they had not... Anyone who isn't a fan or the series should steer well clear (and girls who drag their boyfriends to this movie will owe them big time)...

Hot news this week in London...

260520085836, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.

Some people don't like the brown word...

Movies: Indiana Jones and something or other about a crystal skull

230520085774, originally uploaded by Paul-in-London.

Friday evening I went to the Odeon Leicester Square to see the latest Indiana Jones and the very long title movie... I am glad they have shortened it to just "Indy" on the posters as that saves a lot of time. Despite the price of the ticket, the Odeon Leicester Square is a great place to go to see a movie with die-hard groupies (and is less likely than most other London Odeon cinemas to smell like a toilet and have bad sound). People cheered and carried on as if it were a football match...

While my friend Adam is a fan of the series, he wasn't as hard core as half the crowd at the sold out Friday evening screening who came wearing brown leather jackets and hats. It was like a window into another world. All throughout London, seemingly normal and straight men had tucked away in their closets an Indiana Jones costume (complete with khaki trousers and shirt). They may have had whips too but I wasn't checking out what was below their belts... For a movie franchise that is all about fun and adventure these guys seem to be taking it very seriously.

As for the movie, it is just as good as the others, but that doesn't mean to say its a great picture. This one suffered from looking like it was shot on a sound stage a few too many times... But it is isn't the dud flick that the internet gossip was suggesting... Nice acting too by Cate Blanchett as the villainess and John Hurt as the crazy man (John Hurt playing John Hurt really)...

Overheard at Clapham Sainsburys Saturday...

Chav man: Shuddup you stupid cow... Don't make a scene...
Woman: Y-y-y-y-y-your a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaastard....

Overheard at the gym Monday...

Man #1: I really enjoyed it on Saturday...
Man #2: Yeah what's it like?
Man #1: Well there's loads of guys. There are the muscle daddies... But they just play with themselves...

Theatre: Pygmalion

Watching Pygmalion at the Old Vic this week it finally dawned on me why it has always felt a little creepy to think that Henry Higgins would end up with Eliza Doolittle. Well it isn't just because (in this production anyway) she is much younger. It is because he is just too camp. Henry Higgins already has a relationship with Colonel Pickering and so Eliza is simply left to pick up the slippers. She never had a chance with those two old poofs... There they were out all night drinking together, gambling together or hanging around in Covent Garden overhearing conversations... Not to mention all those contraptions in the study looking at the mouth... It all makes sense... It's a man's world in the Higgin's household...

This version of Shaw's play goes back to his original version published in 1916. At times it felt like the production was using the original sets with its quaint production values and a taxi car that crawls across the stage (although the looked lovely and weren't intrusive). But in many ways the play seemed as if it was having its first run. It seemed fresh and as if the laughs were being heard for the first time. Well maybe saying "not bloody likely" nowadays is not as scandalous as it was ninety years ago, but it was still darn funny.

Part of the reason this production works so well is that the acting - particularly Tim Piggott-Smith and Michelle Dockery as Higgins and Eliza - was excellent. Special mention also has to go to Barbara Jefford as Mrs Higgins who gave the show a knowing weariness. Well given what we know of her son it all makes sense I suppose. When she chastised her son for hanging out in Covent Garden it just seemed like it was a euphemism for something else... Come to think of it, with all this talk about going out all night and overhearing conversations in Covent Garden I was glad the Whingers and their friends didn't draw parallels to the life of Higgins and a few of us bloggers out there... I thought Shaw's scenario of bachelors living together was a bit disturbing so after the theatre I went home and threw out my cardigans and slippers... I may be more than a few years away from my fifties but you never can be too careful.

And as for the Old Vic, well the Whingers as part of their campaign for better seats at the Old Vic did ask me if I thought the seats were creaking. Either the oil can worked or I didn't notice the noise as I was too busy trying not to pass out from the heat. There is no pleasing some people I suppose but perhaps until that expensive refurbishment happens free ice lollies, suggesting audience members wear shorts and t-shirts and keeping fire doors open before the play and during interval to let the air in might help on those hot summer nights...