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Wee liberties: Beauty and The Beast: A Horny Love Story at Charing Cross Theatre

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It may not be a tale as old as time, but it’s still the same old story, almost, with Beauty and the Beast: A Horny Love Story currently playing at the Charing Cross Theatre .  As the title suggests, this is not family holiday entertainment, but neither is it all gay gore. And a surprisingly large number of clever gags, a gorgeous-looking production, costumes, and an ensemble make for a classy night out with the occasional lashing of sluttiness.  It’s been a while since I have seen an adults-only panto. Like many things at the theatre—ticket prices, opening nights, age of social media influencers—things have changed. Happily, things have changed for the better here. The show focuses on assembling an excellent cast. Elaborate costumes by Robert Draper and David Shields’ set pieces help give this adult panto a touch of class. There are the usual lewd jokes and a quick flash of buttocks.   The setting of the story is in the northernmost village of Scotland, Lickmanochers. Not...

Music: Michael Feinstein

I caught Michael Feinstein's final concert at the Leicester Square theatre and he is sounding as good as ever. The last time I saw him he was performing with a big band at the Palladium. There was much gushing and gratuitous cameo celebrity appearances. This time around things were much smaller scale and far more enjoyable...

The programme included a selection of songs from the likes of Gershwin and Porter, which is now classified as "The American Songbook" A rather generic label for any song that is old (in danger of being lost), with a pleasant tune, and lyrics that are usually well written.


While his performance introduced a few new songs into the mix, what is nice about listening to Feinstein is his ability to give these songs a new lease of life. Even for songs you have heard him sing before he manages to make them sound as fresh and as interesting as they could ever be.

He has two new albums out as well - one with Barbara Cook and the other Fly Me To the Moon with guitarist Joe Negri. I still like his songs by the Gershwin's album best, Nice Work If You Can Get It. It must be fun travelling around singing this songs. And for a man in his fifties he is looking good for his age and in great shape... Maybe that is the trick to looking young and fit by being surrounded by audiences that are older and fatter... Or perhaps a sign that his fanbase could be broader...

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