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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...

Last thoughts...

As it turns out, today is my last day in London. Tonight I fly back to Australia. Whether this is a permanent arrangement or a temporary one I will find out in a couple of weeks, so it is probably worth making a list of…

Things I will miss (in no particular order):
  • The weather. It has been fine and mild, and as the leaves are now starting to fall it looks all rather pleasant. I will be returning to Australia (Brisbane in particular) where it is hot, sticky and glaringly bright. When I tell English people about this they look at me and say "Oh yes I can see how you just can't stand the prospect of returning…"

  • Public transport that sort of works. Actually even with its problems it is still by far the most civilised public transport I have encountered in all my travels.

  • The parks the greenery and all that goes with that

  • British Television. Series three of Little Britain is about to commence. Darn.

  • Marks and Spencer food. By far the most edible and doesn't taste like they made it with their feet.

  • My gym. Even by London standards it was pretty "out there".

Things I won't miss so much (again in no particular order):
  • A fried chicken store on every corner with that lovely aroma of week-old vegetable shortening wafting out of it

  • Sandwiches that appear to be soaked in mayonnaise.

  • Hard water

  • Being accosted by beggars and Big Issue sellers (wait a moment, that will happen in Brisbane too)  

  • Shitty coffee

So it will be over and out from Paul in London. And over to http://paulincognito.blogspot.com

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