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Two Ladies: La Bella Bimba at Barons Court Theatre / Canal Cafe Theatre

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T hey sing. They dance. They clown around. They even wash clothes! Such is the story of La Bella Bimba, part of the Voila Theatre Festival, which highlights new and emerging artists. A tale of two Italian ladies who land in 1920s New York, trying to break into Broadway without speaking a word of English. It’s harmless, primarily even if a little nonsensical, and is currently playing as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival .  I caught the performance at the Barons Court Theatre , where the intimate setting created an evocative atmosphere reminiscent of dark New York alleyways. The space was almost claustrophobic with a distinct smell of rising damp, making you feel immersed in the story of two Ladies hanging around the theatre doors of Broadway. On the plus side, the theatre has some of the most comfortable seats you will find in any pub theatre in London. As the naive and hopeful singers, Co-creator Lucrezia Galeone as Carlotta and Sarah Silvestri as Cecilia are fine singers with co...

Hot news this week in London...

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'I've been trying to die in Southwark for the past two weeks but I just can't afford it' , originally uploaded by rensenbrink78 . Well London is so expensive no matter what you want to do...

Overheard in the bathroom department of Habitat Monday

Man: Oh take a look at that. Now you won't like that will you? Woman: Oh no... No! NO!

Movies: The Orphanage

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The Orphanage was a funny sort of film to be watching on Easter Sunday... A movie about dead orphans that don't seem to be dead. But since it was in Spanish it had an art house feel to what is essentially a mystery about a boy who disappears while his parents are moving in to the old orphanage his mother went to. To give away any more of the story would be to ruin the fun(?), thrills(?) of the film. Of course, if you have seen The Others or The Sixth Sense, you will know that dead people are not to be feared as they are your friends (or at the very least they just have a few issues like the Maitlands in Beetlejuice ). Bearing this in mind I didn't find it scary. But it still was a creepy way to spend a few hours in the dark... Particularly with that kid (pictured above) popping in every now and then...

Scenes from Albert Embankment Friday

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210320084275 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Albert Embankment is the best place where one can admire the natural beauty of London and its iconic architecture...

Music: Maria Frieman Re-Arranged

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Meeting Maria Friedman , originally uploaded by Andrew Orange . I don't normally go for photos with performers but West End Whinger Andrew made me do it since he hassled Maria Friedman enough to get her to pose for photos. Why not blind her in the process? I don't quite recall what the distraction was... Nor why I am covering my mouth... Anyway, Maria Friedman has just started doing a concert series at the Menier Chocolate Factory through until May. Maria has been around for ages (particularly if you note her very long timeline on her website), and I had seen her in the concert version of Follies last year. But not being a Friedman devotee (or should that be groupie?), I wasn't particularly won over by the music, performance or banter of the first half of the show. I wasn't alone with this view either, since the guy next to me fell asleep. By the second half however, the show picked up the pace and turned out to be quite a treat. Particular highlights were he...

Overheard at the gym Monday...

Man #1: You go to Trade yesterday Man #2: Nah. Couldn't get tickets. Went to Joiners Arms instead... Man #1: You went to... Vaginas??? Man #2: No we didn't go there. Joiners not vaginas! Joiners Arms... It's in Shoreditch...

Scenes from Royal Festival Hall Sunday...

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160320084215 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Well... the best service comes from the automated ticket machines there anyway...