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Prayers and thoughts: The Inseparables @Finboroughtheatre

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The Inseparables brings Simone de Beauvoir’s posthumously published novel to life. It traces a lifelong friendship between Sylve and Andrée, two unconventional girls who grew up in a stifling world where being a woman meant getting married or entering a convent. With a quick pace and engaging performances from the two leads, it is a journey back into the 20th century that captures two unconventional women trapped in a conventional world that will have you reflecting on how much or little things have moved on in the last century. It’s currently playing at the Finborough Theatre .  We’re introduced to Sylve praying for her country, France, to be saved from the war and indoctrinated into the world of faith and obedience. But too smart for all that, her life was full of detached guilt and boredom. But when she meets Andrée, a new arrival at her school, she is struck by how different she is from everyone else. She was burned in a fire and had a passion for life that nobody else she knew...
Dance: Naked (of sorts)

Caught George Piper Dances / The Ballet Boyz preview of their new production Naked at Sadler's Wells last night. Dance, video projection, lighting and music combined to tell a story of love and revenge etc. While I could not follow the full story (short attention span), it certainly looked great, and the dancing was quite exciting and clever at times. Particularly the scene the boys have together in the second act - a stylised fight of sorts - seemed to have everyone on the edge of their seat. Not being a dance afficianado I don't know the significance of the choreographic choices made, but it is fascinating to watch people do things with their bodies that you assumed wasn't possible or legal in some countries...

The production was stopped 10-15 minutes into it as the sound system kept popping and cracking. I actually had thought that was part of the effect but apparently no. The show was delayed for 45 minutes while they sorted it all out and many people took the opportunity to head to the bar for the unscheduled interval. When we got back I couldn't really tell what had been improved (it was that sort of music). Not that there was a problem with the music, it was perfectly suited to this sort of thing, but when there are scratches and cracks and pops throughout it, it is hard to distinguish between what is intended and what is an audio malfunction.

Later, back in Soho for drinks, people were quite interested in the programme cover which depicts two bodies writhing around covered by little pieces of fabric. It all looks very smart and stylistic and sexy so it should be able to pull the punters in for the week it is playing... Oh and is there any garden variety nudity? Well no, not unless you count the video projections that project an enormous set of buttocks in the first act...

Overheard at the bar at the Well...

American Girl: (to barman) Just the house red please. I am American, I don't need classy...

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