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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...
Conversation at the Cloakroom of the National Theatre

The day after July 7, things are a little different. I was staying overnight in Streatham so I had a larger rucksack than usual...

Security: You will have to open your bag for inspection before you can leave it at the cloakroom.
Paul: Ok I just have a change of clothes in here...
Security: You will have to open up your bag and show me what's inside.
Paul: Ok well there is a polo shirt...
Security: And what's under your shirt?
Paul: That is just my jeans and a pair of shoes...
Security: Ok now open up the front zipper section.
Paul: Ok well in there are just my toiletries...
Security (also seeing several packets of Lemsip and Syndol): ... Hmm and medications...
A (walks over to Paul after observing this dialogue from a distance): Darling just tell them its your slag bag and so we can all be done with it...

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