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Ruthless People: Ruthless - Arches Lane Theatre

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What is it about the Madoff’s that writers can’t resist writing about? Sure, it may have been the largest Ponzi scheme to collapse (so far), but there isn’t much more to explore. Or is there? In Ruthless by writer Roger Steinmann, Ruth Madoff is imagined as a wronged, gun-toting woman anchored in the past while trying to move on with her life. It’s not entirely successful but a fascinating look at life and wig choices, It’s currently playing at the theatre now known as the Arches Lane Theatre in Battersea. Ruth Madoff, played by Emily Swain, is here wearing a wig. I thought it was an odd look until I reviewed how closely it matched the photo of her interview in  The New York Times .  Typically, it’s the sort of wig you might see worn by Ladies on a night out in central London, not someone who once had over $80m in assets. With Bernie in Jail and both her sons now dead - one by suicide and one due to cancer, she is setting a table for the men who have left her. And ordering p...

Events: Snow Patrol at the O2


One of the great things about London is the range of sensible and not so sensible events on offer at any time of the year. All you need is a decent London Guide to start planning things. A frosty Saturday evening seemed very appropriate to catch Snow Patrol's second of three sellout concerts at the O2.

Snow Patrol are best categorised as an alternative rock group from Northern Island via Scotland (where they originally formed), but they have evolved to be firmly in the mainstream fare and ensuring mega stardom. That isn't such a bad thing as an audience of 15,000 singing (surprisingly in tune) the chorus of their song Run is certainly an experience to take in. It is also amazing to see the glow from hundreds of camera phones across the venue recording footage like the clip above. Given you can't smoke indoors anymore, they are the modern equivalent of the lighter wave.


All their big hits featured in Snow Patrol's 100 minute show, along with music from their new album Fallen Empires. It was fairly simple staging that was supplemented by projections and a moving lights and a giant snowflake. But the main thing was the music.

There was a little cute repartee as lead singer Gary Lightbody paid tribute to his mother and his four year old niece in the audience. It was the second show for his niece and he was sure she was going to get tinnitus. He also wore (briefly) an animal hat that was offered to him by someone in the front row. It was an unusual look for a rock star, but then again it was that sort of night out.

The O2 is a great venue for concerts as they sound great and they look great too. The venue gets better every time I visit with more bars and restaurants and developments opening up nearby, and it is less than 20 minutes from Westminster tube station.

Also f you can get a seat in one of the VIP lounges it's even better as you get your own dedicated slave barman, coat check, an area to chill out, and a few more dining options.  And if you're not staying at one of the nearby hotels and have to face getting the Jubilee line home, you're closer to the exit than everyone else... Of course the tube ride home was an opportunity to get close to the fans of the group. But the burning question I had for them was why they all looked like they dressed themselves from charity bins? Surely the music can't be blamed for that...

As an added bonus for the evening, one of the support acts was indie group Everything Everything, who with their catchy beats and dreamy music won quite a few new fans and were worth getting there early to see...

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