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Bear with me: Sun Bear @ParkTheatre

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If The Light House is an uplifting tale of survival, Sarah Richardson’s Sun Bear gives a contrasting take on this. Sarah plays Katy. We’re introduced to Katy as she runs through a list of pet office peeves with her endlessly perky coworkers, particularly about coworkers stealing her pens. It’s a hilarious opening monologue that would have you wishing you had her as a coworker to help relieve you from the boredom of petty office politics.  But something is not quite right in the perfect petty office, where people work together well. And that is her. And despite her protesting that she is fine, the pet peeves and the outbursts are becoming more frequent. As the piece progresses, maybe the problem lies in a past relationship, where Katy had to be home by a particular hour, not stay out late with office colleagues and not be drunk enough not to answer his calls. Perhaps the perky office colleagues are trying to help, and perhaps Katy is trying to reach out for help. It has simple staging

Scenes from an over-engineered office Thursday 16:23

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Scenes from an over-engineered office Thursday 16:23 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . I was in a meeting room on Thursday and after going "What the f---" managed to take this little memento... I think they are sitting in water but it could be that stuff hairdressers sit their combs in...

The art of Feedburning...

Adding Feedburner to my site has unearthed some interesting things about who reads my blog. For instance if you search Google using the following terms my blog is (apparently) of assistance: Nearest IKEA store to Finsbury Park (but I prefer John Lewis !) Catherine Naglestad Tosca Covent Garden 2006 (fair enough I did write about that) Paul Lange Australia address (who the fuck is that?) BFI Southbank (fair enough I have been there a bit in the past week) THE RISING BALLAD OF MANGAL PANDEY (there's no need to shout!) Testicle torture Daniel Craig (what?) Hampstead Heath gay exact location (what am I George Michael's personal assistant?) And alas if you type "Paul in London" and "motherfucker" in Google I somehow top the list...

Scenes from BFI Southbank Bar Wednesday 23:22

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Scenes from BFI Southbank Bar Wednesday 23:22 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Perhaps one has stayed too long at the bar when they start putting up the chairs around you...

Movies: Only Connect / Bermondsey

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How many cheap jumpers can one take in an evening? Well I guess it was the 1970s... And it was Bermondsey... Wednesday evening I caught a double bill of 1970s television movies at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. I was dreading the experience thinking that it would feature a lot of cheap woolen knits and moaning about socialism. It did of course, but the treat of the evening was catching the 30 minute play Bermondsey which was described in the programme as Brokeback Mountain in a south east London Pub. It was a bit more sophisticated than that, and told the story about a love triangle and how the wife and gay lover conspire to keep a man from running off with his mistress. Written by Sir John Mortimer and filmed in 1972 it was definitely a cut above the usual fare that is served up at these festivals. There was plenty to talk about over post cinema drinks at the smart new bar at the BFI Southbank (not that an excuse was really needed for that anyway)...

News: Tube skis

In a slow news day like today, police are warning people not to attempt to recreate the stunt of skiing down the Angel Tube escalator, which is the longest escalator on the tube network. The video below was recorded over a year ago which means that it is too late to prosecute under railway by-laws. Filmed with just a helmet camera, it captures the 1992 station refurb quite nicely I thought...

Scenes from the Southbank Monday 18:03

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DSC04660 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . The evenings are getting longer... A series of plantings of pansies along the Southbank is commemorating the murder of David Morley in 2004 .

Movies: Le Long Weekend

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Scene from "Eating Out 2". That is Adrian in the centre... Guy from American Idol and Rebekah Kochan are either side... All has been quiet over the past few days as I have been taking a few days off work and just enjoying springtime in London. I have also caught a couple of screenings at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Fest at the newly refurbished BFI Southbank On Sunday it was a collection of shorts filmed in Britain, but it really should have been called Made in London. Most interesting of the films was one called Le Weekend which featured an irritating and sexually ambivalent Frenchman (is that a tautology?) who also is a film maker. The premise is that he comes to London to do a film school assignment and ends up wandering around central London with the help of a friendly (and rather fit) local. It all ends in tears (sort of) but in the meantime there are some great locations of Soho and surrounding areas. On Monday it was a charming film called Eating Out 2: Sloppy S

News: Abercrombie and Fitch

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Abercrombie & Fitch , originally uploaded by 8lettersuk . The new Abercrombie and Fitch store has opened as of Thursday and the signature features of a flagship store are there: low level lighting and two male store greeters with washboard stomachs (if you look hard they are in this photo from a Flickr user 8lettersuk ). A&F has been big here for a number of years (particularly amongst gay men) thanks to e-bay and online orders. Will be interesting to see if classic American tailoring with a twist now explodes across London... Particularly on Savile Row which is not known for its casual wear... Mental note: must get Fierce . Have run out...

Early week bar conversations...

Man in a bar: You have great teeth... Paul: Are you a dentist? Man in a bar: Uh... No...

Overheard on Old Compton Street Sunday

Man #1: Nooo, noo. I've had pills I don't want to eat anything! Man #2: Aw come on... Man #1: Nooo I've had pills...

Music: Thomas no Bryn and Susan no Sarah

You know you might be in for an interesting evening when the director for the Barbican addresses the audience before the start of the concert apologising for the every-changing line-up. Originally it was Thomas Hampson and Susan Graham who were appearing in this concert with the BBC Symphony. In February it was announced Hampson was withdrawing for personal reasons (a curious euphemism up there with gardening leave ) and Bryn Terfel was stepping in as his replacement. Curiously the Barbican expected loads of people to get rid of their tickets at this point and offered replacement. I held on to mine. Then on Friday came the announcement that Sarah Connolly was stepping in to replace Susan Graham. By this point I had lost all interest in the concert, but since I hadn't seen Terfel sing live I figured it was probably worth still going to see. Terfel is a great performer and even in the circle row seat which had some unusual acoustics (you could hear the orchestra like it was bes

Scenes from Waterloo Bridge Saturday 16:19

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Scenes from Waterloo Bridge Saturday 16:19 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . One fine day in March... Bare arms have now been spotted in London...

Good housekeeping

Tonight while I have had a quiet night in, in between playing "Rear Window" with the neighbours in the properties opposite my bedroom window, I have made some minor changes to the blog layout including setting up being able to Subscribe to Paul in London by Email ... So Mum and that other guy from Wichita who reads the blog can know when I update...

Scenes from a rehearsal at Haywood Gallery Thursday 18:29

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Scenes from Haywood Rehearsal Thursday 18:29 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Good quality mineral water and loads of fresh towels... Who could want anything else?

Rehearsal 101

Wednesday evening I took part in rehearsal for a concert the London Gay Mens Chorus is performing at the Hayward Gallery as part of An Evening of Radical Singing . I am not sure how radical it is to sing "Come Fly with Me" and "The Rose" (although I do tend to get the lyrics about the Rose mixed up and get my seeds and bleeds confused so that could sound a bit radical). We will also be doing something interesting involving a bit of movement and free singing with "Wade in the Water" a classic spiritual song. It should put the variety back into Thursday evening anyway...

Theatre: The Glass Menagerie

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Tuesday evening I caught the excellent production of The Glass Menagerie starring Jessica Lange. I thought it was a superbly staged, acted and directed show. For over two hours I was kept alert (no falling asleep in the stalls tonight). Lange was great to see on stage. A simple stare seemed to convey so much. And when in the second act she puts on her best outfit for a gentleman caller you can't help but feel horrified and pity for her as well. The rest of the cast were just as good. There was Ed Stoppard as Tom - the son who always seems to be going to the movies and coming home late (one time with a red handkerchief in his back pocket ... Say no more). And Amanda Hale as the Laura the crippled daughter too nervous to face life and its disappointments... It may not be Tennessee William's best play (some of the flashbacks and the narration is jarring and unnecessary) but there is so much in this story to ponder over (at interval and at the bar after, on the tube home) that it

Scenes from a South Bank subway Saturday 16:46

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Scenes from a South Bank subway Saturday 16:46 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ .

Art: Gilbert and George and poop

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As a tribute to the Tate Modern's excellent Gilbert and George exhibition I thought I would include some imagery of their less confrontational shitty art. An entire floor has been devoted to their work and it isn't hard to do this since as they progressed through the years, they really went for large scale stuff. Some of it is quite impressive, but the period where they were fascinated in bodily functions seems a little quaint these days. Going through the exhibition, a highlight was watching one father point out to his two young sons the bright green and pink buttocks and testicles of the artists in a piece titled. the City Fairies. Judging by the looks of other punters in the gallery they seemed to think this was a bit inappropriate. I guess with parental guidance anything goes these days... All told, it is nice to see that their latest works have moved away from bodily fluids and to the big issues of the day such as terrorism, intolerance and extremism. Besides, turds on a

Film: The Good German

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The Good German poster , originally uploaded by Daryl Van Horne . At one point during The Good German I turned to Ad and said to him, "Forget it Jake it's Potsdam". There was a hint of Chinatown about this movie. The only difference was it wasn't as well acted, directed or with an intelligible story. But there was plenty of confusion as Clooney plays a character called Jake who spends most of the film chasing Lena (Cate Blanchett) all over the American and Russian sectors of 1945 Berlin. Why he pursues a woman with such a badly fitting wig is anyone's guess. She spends most of the movie pouting and talking in slow, low and deliberate voice. Her line "Yuu shud naht huv cum bahk to Berlin" evoked memories of Meryl Streep as Karen Blixen in Out of Africa "Yuu have mede me barrhen"... Tobey Maguire also has a role. He gets to say very non film noir words such as "fuck" and "cunt" in an unusually high pitched voice. Fortun

Idle dinner chatter...

Vegetarian: You don't mind eating vegetarian? Paul: No not at all. I eat vegetables so what's wrong with eating a few more? Vegetarian: Oh... Paul: Besides, any place called Mildred's is my kind of restaurant...

Word for the day

Furphy . To divert attention away from main issue. Until I checked I didn't realise it was more slang from my peoples.

The week that was...

In a packed week I only found out on the weekend that I was quoted in this month's GT . Alas it isn't the Gin and Tonic but the Gay Times - a glossy magazine that for the most part is pretty unreadable advertorial and filler. Fortunately my quote is tucked well into the magazine so I don't expect anybody to be quoting me back anytime soon. I didn't even say something funny (or try to at least)... Such a waste...

Film: Belle Du Jour

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Rather than catch a university revue while I was in Cambridge, there was a new print of Belle Du Jour playing at the local cinema, so I had to see that. Last time I saw the film I didn't quite appreciate the boredom of Deneuve's character with her perfect life. With the new print it (along with those cable-knit jumpers) all seemed to be much clearer...

Scenes from Cambridge Saturday 14:01

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DSC04511 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Ok I spent most of the weekend out of London in Cambridge where there were rowers and loads of bi-cyclists... It's that sort of town really. And only 45 minutes from London (assuming you don't get the train from Kings Cross that goes via Stevenage)...

Film: The Science of Sleep

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Thursday evening while trying to get over some weird head cold I picked up this week I caught The Science of Sleep went with Mandy, who also had a cold. It was a bit of a trippy film that we both wondered whether we should have been under the influence of something stronger than pseudoephedrine hydrochloride to enjoy it. At various points we looked at each other in the film and asked whether the characters were on drugs. Still it was quite an enjoyable and fun tale, with some very imaginative set pieces with the two leads. There was also full frontal nudity of Gael García Bernal which is always good for the punters... I also appreciated his bad haircut and quirky beanies, even if I wasn't convinced that he was supposed to be this timid dreamer (he is too charismatic for that)...

Scenes from outside Criterion Theatre Piccadilly Tuesday 21:41

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Scenes from outside Criterion Theatre Piccadilly Tuesday 21:41 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ .

Theatre: The 39 Steps

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Catching up with all the theatre I hadn't yet seen but should have, on Tuesday night I caught The 39 Steps , which is a sort of sillier version of the Hitchcock classic film from the 1930s. It has been playing for some time and possibly should continue for a while. There is a line at the beginning about the main character feeling bored so he thought he would go for some mindless entertainment in the West End... The jokes keep flying thick and fast as four actors play all the roles. As a bit of a fan of the film, I wasn't quite sure whether I liked this story being treated this way, particularly since the laughs all came from the acting and staging rather than any clever scripting. In the end however I succumbed to the silliness... Adding to the intrigue (well at least for me anyway) was the gay couple to my right. The one next to me seemed to enjoy invading my personal space. Not doing anything to encourage or discourage this, fights for the armrest ensued all throughout the fi

Conversation at Monday's rehearsal

Tenor 1: Where have you been... All my life? Bass: Well, I've been in Luton...

Scenes from the Victoria and Albert Museum Friday 19:34

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DSC04490 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Learning how to dance "Bollywood style" in amongst the Raphael Cartoons ...

Overheard at the café Thursday evening

Lady dog owner: Her dog ended up in the kennel, and my dog was raped... On Valentines Day...

Theatre: Coram Boy

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I overheard one woman leaving the theatre tonight complaining that she had just seen a three hour epic about infanticide and pedophilia. Well that was partly what Coram Boy is about. It is based on a bestselling (and award-winning) novel set in the eighteenth century. It starts out telling the tale of a man who for a fee takes away unwanted babies and promises to take them the Foundling Hospital. It becomes quickly evident that he is working for his own profit. Soon little graves are found everywhere... There begins an epic tale full of spectacle and the music of Handel. Even with a dark tale as this, there is a lot to enjoy over the three hours and it is not surprising both of its runs have been sellouts (and popular with young people). The music of Handel (and additional music in the style of Handel) underscores the drama and it helps overlook some of the more convenient turns in the plot. In a way it was a shame that more music wasn't used. What is particularly interesting is t

Overheard under Waterloo Bridge after the play...

Lady in black: Well, the salad was okay... Man in red trousers: Never mind that, I need to pee...

Theatre: Thérèse Raquin

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An advised that I could learn a lot from Thérèse Raquin in a similar way that I learned a lot from Belle Du Jour . Well after finally seeing this production I suspect the central message is not to live with your mother in law. Adapted from Emile Zola's play, it is a great story about a woman and her husband's friend who conspire to kill the husband so they can be together. In the opening minutes of the first act, Charlotte Emmerson as Thérèse mostly pouts and isn't given much to do. I was wondering what was the appeal of the pouter. I was also starting to get a little bored with this production. That was until Ben Daniels (as Laurent) stuck his hand up Emmerson's dress. Neither actor is particular attractive but there was this electricity that suddenly made the audience snap to attention. It was a pity there weren't more touches of this throughout. It felt at times to be a bit too polite and mannered as if were a play about herbal teas and dominoes instead of murde

Bar tips 101

Chinese New Year was as good an excuse as any to have a few celebratory drinks this weekend, but: Try not to make too much of a scene when encouraging intoxicated friends to sing key songs from Dreamgirls (although helpful to keep unwanted punters at bay) Don't confuse old blonde woman in bar for Jessica Lange post Glass Menagerie matinée Beware that slightly-familiar yet good looking guy in the bar who is checking you out... He may be the star of a children's programme you avidly watched 15 years ago...

Scenes from Leicester Square Tube Sunday 00:24

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DSC04470 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Missing the last tube from central London after one too many drinks...

Scenes from WC1 Friday 13:55

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DSC04465 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Quiet lunchtime at the recently refurbished Brunswick Centre ... Cinema, chain shops and a Waitrose which goes down very well for the Bloomsbury types...

Idle office chatter...

Paul (eating) : These Sainsburys donuts taste like poop... Colleague 1 : That's the second time you have said that word today, is that a favourite word? Paul : Maybe... Colleague 2 : I bet you also like using the word... Plop...

The day that was...

Today was Valentines Day and the only valentine I got was from an email from a creepy consultant that facilitated the office away day a few months ago. He sent it to everyone that went on the course. But that wasn't widely known until I let out a yelp upon checking my email and much discussion ensued. I was just relieved to know that the message from creepy consultant wasn't all about about me... But the fashion for this years VD if you were single was to go out to dinner with friends . It makes sense. If you are going to blow £50 or more on a dinner you might as well spend it with somebody you don't mind hangin' around... I had to work late so I was having none of that. But I did catch up with An later in the evening for some cheap champagne in a straight bar in Balham. Strange, but I had seen this bar before. It was back in those heady days of 2003 . The fish were still there... So were loads of women. I don't think they were all lesbians. I have it on authority

Theatre: Happy Days

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The first thing you notice when walking into the Lyttelton of this production of Happy Days at the National Theatre is that where there should be a stage there is a huge mound of dirt and a surrounding desertscape. The set is lit by such bright lights that the little old ladies in the row in front were covering their eyes for the first half hour of the production. It was a pity that the ushers didn't offer sunglasses out of a large black handbags. It could have easily been in keeping with the mood of the show... I get the impression Happy Days by Samuel Beckett is the play that is trotted out every now and then to get a great actress to strut her stuff on stage. This time it is Fiona Shaw's turn and she was great to watch as Winnie, the middle-class housewife who has minor worries in life, but is always concerned about whether it will be a happy day. All the time in the first act, she is up to her waist in a mound of dirt. In the second act she is up to her neck in dirt. I h

Overheard in line at the National Theatre Cloakroom

Lady #1 : Oh I'm still a bit jet lagged... Lady #2 : Jet lagged? Lady #1 : Yeah I was in Miami for two days for work and just got back this morning... Lady #2 : Oh... Lady #1 : You know how it is... You're expected to be the party girl out until 1am; then you have to show up the next day at a meeting and say something intelligent...

The week that was...

Looking back over the week it was striking the number of single people who in the cold, opted for sleeping with their cats. Maybe I just know a lot of cat people, but what is wrong with sleeping with a hot water bottle with a faux fur cover ? It was the week for the cat people I guess as one by one they all proudly announced how their cat kept them warm to anyone who wanted (or didn't want) to hear.

Overheard at Saturday Brunch in Clapham

Abbeville Man ( to woman) : ...And worse than that, she is a complete lesbian. And I had to baby sit her boyfriend the other night...

Culture Shock

The phrase "run dead" is not commonly used here. As in, he was ambivalent about the ethical treatment of animals so he decided to run dead on the issue in the campaign. Add that to the list of other words including Scuttlebutt and Cassandra ...

Scenes from SW4 Thursday 08:38

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DSC04419 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . The neighbours got into the seasonal spirit as more than 5cm of snow fell overnight... Snow continued to fall throughout the morning. This evening while snow still remained on cars and a heavy frost was moving in, the snowman had moved out... A bit of carrot and a few twigs were lying on the ground nearby...

Theatre: Rock and Roll

Finally caught Tom Stoppard's play Rock 'N' Roll before it closes at the end of this month. It has been playing since last summer and has caught the imagination of the critics and the punters. The background of the story is the velvet revolution in Czechoslovakia, and the links a family in Cambridge have to the country. The central message is that there is no freedom without creative freedom and that's something that I could agree with. There is a wonderful scene where an old British communist after the collapse of the old regimes in 1990 smashes a plate. Was it all just a waste of time? Or do the new democracies appreciate what they have more than those in the west? Who can say but plenty of food for thought... The original cast have moved on but even with the second cast headed by Dominic West (who is terrific) kept the pace going, even when it was a bit on the long side. I get the impression that even though the play finishes its run in February, it's going to

Overheard at the Palladium...

Lady #1: So it is... Good times, and bum times, I've seen it all... Lady #2: ...And my dear... I'm still here. Lady #1: Plush velvet sometimes... Sometimes just... Just wha? Lady #2: ...Pretzels and beer. But I'm here...

Concert: Follies

Sunday evening I caught the Starlight Foundation's Charity Concert of Follies . Some jaded theatregoers had warned me over the weekend it would be a bit dire with its stunning array of B-list stars front lining it, but actually it was quite entertaining. There was something perversely amusing watching the punters in the packed-out Palladium go ape over a series of world famous (well, world famous in Britain) ladies in the 55 plus age bracket. Most I didn't recognise. The show lends itself well to a concert version, as (much as I expected) while the music is great, the story is dire. Two hours of two couples - middle-class, middle-aged has-beens - bickering does not make a night of entertainment, even if that is the point. As a concert version it feels easier to ignore the story. But fortunately the piece has , and with the full orchestra on stage and even the odd cameo by ITV newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald... Even sitting in the cheap seats it was a lot of fun, although I didn&

Overheard underground Wednesday evening...

Bland man : Why am I meeting all these people who look great... But have nothing to say? Bored woman : I dunno...

Scenes from Kennington Monday 22:59

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Scenes from Kennington Monday 22:59 , originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Waiting for the southbound 155... It never came...

Film: Dreamgirls

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DREAMGIRLS , originally uploaded by 浮躁 . Finally caught a preview of Dreamgirls on Sunday (which opens in the UK this Friday officially). I managed to drag Ad, F and S to see it with me based on what was probably about six months of hype that I had been drip feeding (including various podcasts, news updates and songs). Seeing it was closure more than anything else for all of us I am sure. I thought it was two hours and ten minutes of great entertainment. Ad, F and S were not so keen on musicals it turns out. At one point they were exasperating at yet another song. While I wasn't surprised with their objections, these guys really should have their pink cards revoked. Dreamgirls the show has been a cult, a hit and lost musical in the 25 years since it first premiered. The songs from it and the original Broadway soundtrack have been a staple in drag performances, dance clubs, and it even garnered mentions in episodes of Will and Grace. It's a story about black women made by g