Scenes from Oxford Saturday


Scenes from Oxford Saturday
Originally uploaded by Pauly_.

Black face Morris dancing is strangely popular in Oxford...

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Put on a little mascara: Pretty Ugly at Camden People’s Theatre

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  Many shows explore living in the present and leaving the past behind. Theo Chen’s Pretty Ugly is about finding who you are and accepting it. Even if you have a lingering doubt or two about your life, there’s no time like the present. Including dressing up and putting on a show. And isn’t that what anyone wants from a performer? It has concluded a short run at the Camden People’s Theatre .  Pretty Ugly explores the inner demons and self-doubt that mark Theo’s journey from Singapore to taking on the world. With a little sparkle and a smattering of songs, it’s a warm, musical journey through Theo’s life so far. It also includes plenty of Sondheim. Sondheim's music can change your life , and it clearly left a strong impression on young Chen from age twelve onward.  Theo Chen takes us through self-doubt, high school friendships that end in tears and wandering about the cruising grounds of New York City. As he recounts the latter and strikes up a conversation with someone the...
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Bare emotions: Gods and Monsters @swkplay

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By his own admission, it took about 30 years to bring this song collection to the stage, but Don Black’s From the Heart has been worth the wait. With a vibe designed to evoke a New York cabaret venue, albeit on a slightly grander scale, the piece showcases Black’s ingenuity in creating deceptively simple lyrics, along with his love of music and comedy. It’s running for a limited time at the Garrick Theatre .  The premise is simple: to capture the feel of New York’s cabaret venues. A series of songs, mostly new ones written for the show, run through a variety of moods. With each song running a little more than three minutes, the show moves briskly. Each offers a chance to appreciate Black’s economical lyrics, flashes of deadpan comedy, and occasional inspired choices, such as rhyming sex with the (artist) Lautrec.  A classy ensemble also brings these songs (and the stories they tell) to life. Clive Rowe delivers the first laughs with a song about doctors. The song is simpl...
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