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Wine time: The Frogs - Southwark Playhouse

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For a show called The Frogs, there isn’t much amphibian activity in the piece. But being a show with music by Stephen Sondheim, you could be mistaken for thinking it’s a critical theatrical piece. But like Sondheim’s final musical playing at the National Theatre, while it may not be a musical that fills you with provocative thoughts, it’s a fast-paced romp through hell and back to save the world for the sake of arts. With rousing choruses, thrilling choreography and plenty of cheap laughs, what more can you want from the theatre? It’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse (Borough) . There isn’t much to the plot, except that Dionysus (Dan Buckley), disillusioned by the state of a divided world, and his sidekick and slave, Xanthias (Kevin McHale), cross the river Styx to the underworld to find a great writer who they can return to the world to teach the world about life. He has his mind set on bringing back George Bernard Shaw until he hears the poetry of Shakespeare.  This v...
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...

Who Should You Vote For?
Who should I vote for?
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...

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