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The agony and the misogyny: Banging Denmark @finborough

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Banging Denmark, the comic play by Van Badham, answers the question, what lengths does a misogynistic pickup artist go to date with a frosty Danish librarian? It may be an uneasy farce given the subject matter, but it is made more palatable by the cast assembled to convince you of it. It's currently having its European premiere at the Finborough Theatre .  It opens with Guy DeWitt (Tom Kay) at one end of the stage. His real name is Jake, and he's a part-time podcaster whose expertise is misogyny and playing the role of the pickup artist. That is, someone who attempts to coax women into having sex with a mix of flattery or manipulation. His podcast attracts a variety of involuntarily celibate men (or incels), so call in asking for advice. And while he gives the impression of living the high life, he is in a grimy flat strewn with empty pizza boxes.  At the other end of the stage is feminist academic Ishtar (Rebecca Blackstone). She lives out of the photocopy room, losing all her
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Housekeeping and the Weekend No computer set up at home yet, so have done this update from an internet cafe on the Strand. Oh well, it's nice to get out on a Sunday evening... Even if nobody else does! I will look back at this weekend and think of the fabulous things that could have been done such as: * Russian Orchestra at the Barbican * Walk through the Heath in the light snow * Take coffee throughout Bloomsbury * Major blockbuster Turner, Whistler and Monet at the Tate But no, instead I cleaned the old flat at West Hampstead and after downsizing (ie throwing lots of things out or giving them to Charity) I moved everything else into my new place in Bloomsbury. It was exhausting. You don't want to be carrying an ironing board, two boxes of books and clothes and a wheelie suitcase everyday on the Thameslink. It didn't help that this weekend the Jubilee Line was out for engineering works either. There is no dignity when moving on the cheap. By the time I got to Kings Cross
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Location Location To think I was considering moving to the East End - Mile End to be particular and just yesterday a bit of meat cleaver incident happened at Mile End tube station . WC1 seems so much more sensible. Especially since I have found that there is an Italian cafe nearby that sells the best coffee I have tasted in London for just £1... I am easily pleased... Dialects Was talking about accents to a manager here who is Melbournian and returning to Oz shortly... She was scoffing that neither of us have strong accents and I went... "Naaaooooooooh we doooaaaant". She is so Melbourne with her dark clothes and dark makeup... Actually some people referred to her as the "Ice Queen" so I would just tell them that's what all Melbournians are like... They wear dark clothing and sit in inexpensive restaurants offering quality food while espousing liberalism while downing a double expresso... I tell them as well that you can't do that in B
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The view from the city In some ways the view on the cover of Ian McEwan's novel Saturday is the view I see of the BT Tower. Although it is definitely from another angle since there are none of these homes within visable distance!
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Snow and Lights in the city... BT tower is somewhere there in the clouds as well... 
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News: No snow without ice As no let-up is predicted in Britain's big freeze (and it is snowing outside as I write this), I can confirm that it is cold and London has finally had winter. Its cold but bearable. During a bit of snow last night, I went out last night to get some water and odds and ends at the local M&S and found myself being accosted by Scientologists on Tottenham Court Road. Alas I forgot that I now live just around the corner from the cult and I had to pass it to get to the store. It isn't their centre for celebrities which is Mayfair, this is just their shopfront for plebs so there was no chance of spotting Tom or John or Kirstie or whoever. The pleb-shop's ploy last night was to get perky happy looking people to stop you on the sidewalk outside their lair and offer free personality tests and a break from the snow. But I knew once entering there would be no exiting. So I kept walking. Will this be a regular ordeal to have to pass by... or wil
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News: Ok just this once Youngster Pete Doherty, who rose to new heights of fame in the past few weeks having photos of him drugged out (and possibly drooling) on the front page of most of the tabloid press following a hotel fight will be allowed out late for a gig in Brixton. His previous bail conditions required him to be home between 10pm and 7am. The bad druggie boy image however has just given him more street cred amongst the twenty-something punters... Weather: Brrr It has wavered between sleet and snow today. Snow after lunch and then sleet into the early evening... There is a chance of "significant snow" overnight but anything is possible in a city that has its own weather... It is a great time to be out there moving the last bits and pieces into the new place... Or not...
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Scenes from Bloomsbury 5.26pm: Cold and quiet, but at least the rain and sleet held off as I moved my stuff out today, or rather, this afternoon / tonight 
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