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Still here: While They Were Waiting - Upstairs At The Gatehouse

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As the song goes, time heals everything. Or as another song says, it's time after time. Yet waiting—for a moment, a minute, or even a while—can feel like a chore. In Gary Wilmot’s slightly absurd and silly While They Were Waiting, the focus is on waiting and wordplay. No opportunity is missed to find more than one meaning in what is said. A debate arises about the difference between a smidge and a whisker. There's a playful riff on how you can be here and over there at the same time, depending on your standpoint. If this piece has a point at all, it depends on what you find funny. The concept of waiting-related language is, in itself, amusing, and there is plenty to laugh about in this show. It’s currently playing at Upstairs at the Gatehouse . The premise is simple: Mulbery (Steve Furst) arrives for an appointment and is kept waiting. What the appointment is for, we are not clear about but he is waiting for a yellow door to open. Nobody answers when he rings. He’s joined by th...

Music: Michael Feinstein

I caught Michael Feinstein's final concert at the Leicester Square theatre and he is sounding as good as ever. The last time I saw him he was performing with a big band at the Palladium. There was much gushing and gratuitous cameo celebrity appearances. This time around things were much smaller scale and far more enjoyable...

The programme included a selection of songs from the likes of Gershwin and Porter, which is now classified as "The American Songbook" A rather generic label for any song that is old (in danger of being lost), with a pleasant tune, and lyrics that are usually well written.


While his performance introduced a few new songs into the mix, what is nice about listening to Feinstein is his ability to give these songs a new lease of life. Even for songs you have heard him sing before he manages to make them sound as fresh and as interesting as they could ever be.

He has two new albums out as well - one with Barbara Cook and the other Fly Me To the Moon with guitarist Joe Negri. I still like his songs by the Gershwin's album best, Nice Work If You Can Get It. It must be fun travelling around singing this songs. And for a man in his fifties he is looking good for his age and in great shape... Maybe that is the trick to looking young and fit by being surrounded by audiences that are older and fatter... Or perhaps a sign that his fanbase could be broader...

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