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Belters and bohemians: Opera Locos @Sadlers_wells

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At the start of the Opera Locos performance, the announcement says that they really are singing. You could be forgiven for wondering that, given the amplification turns up the backing track and the voices so loud that you can't always tell what's real. But this is a mostly harmless and slightly eccentric blend of opera classics fused with the occasional pop classic. However, recognising the pop tunes would help if you were over a certain age. The most recent of them dates back twenty years. It's currently playing at the Peacock Theatre .  Five performers play out a variety of archetype opera characters. There's the worn-out tenor (Jesús Álvarez), the macho baritone (Enrique Sánchez-Ramos), the eccentric counter-tenor (Michaël Kone), the dreamy soprano (María Rey-Joly) and the wild mezzo-soprano (Mayca Teba). Since my singing days, I haven't recognised these types of performers. However, once, I recall a conductor saying he wanted no mezzo-sopranos singing with the s
News: Crime's up and Prats are down The yellow signs that pop up around London at the scenes of recent crimes are to be reviewed after they have been attributed to increasing fear of crime across the city . Perhaps they shouldn't always have in bold letters "MURDER" "STABBING" "GUN CRIME" emblazoned across them... And the text of the boards "A gruesome bloody murder took place at this location last night..." Perhaps should be reviewed. Ok it doesn't usually say that on the boards, but you can read between the lines (and use your immagination with these things... And from crimes on the street to crimes against the city, it has almost been a week of posturing and hissy fits between the South Bank Centre and the endless number of supporters lining up for the London Eye which the Centre has threatened with closure (as the Eye sits on part of the South Bank Centre's land), Ken Livingstone has called South Bank Centre Chair a pr
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Scenes from the Piccadilly Theatre Tuesday 20:16... House full again... 
News: Bargains It's true, you can really get a shoebox in Central London for £135-a-week as a former cupboard goes back on the rental market... The previous occupant was small... And didn't spend too many nights at home...
Musical: Guys and Dolls and Ewan Last night I caught a preview of the Donmar's production of Guys and Dolls The Musical staring Ewan McGregor, Jane Krakowski, Douglas Hodge and Jenna Russell. It wasn't until I got to the theatre and noticed the "house full" sign up that I realised what may lie in store... While they had only been playing in front of an audience since last Thursday, to describe this show as sensational would have to be an understatement. What sets it apart from the other star vehicles that have come to the West End, is that this is a great piece of music theatre. People were actually enjoying the music as well. Afterall a show with songs such as "Luck be a Lady" "A Bushel and A Peck" "I've Never Been In Love Before" and "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat" is a bit hard not to like. Especially with lyrics such as: Marry the man today Give him the girlish laughter Give him your hand today And save the
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Scenes from the Jubilee Bridge Saturday 18:51. London Eye and Shell Building in the background 
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Scenes from the South Bank Saturday 18:59 - woman in black dress on bike 
Theatre: Blood and guts at Theatre of Blood Caught Theatre of Blood last night at the National Theatre with Jim Broadbent as the lead. It is based on an old Vincent Price / Diana Rigg film where a ham actor Edward Lionheart seeks revenge on all the critics that have savaged him over the years by locking them in an old abandoned theatre and doing away with them one by one. The murders are committed in the style of murders that appear in Shakespeare's texts. The selected texts were also the plays Lionheart performed in his final season of Shakespeare before jumping to his death from a critics appartment after he was overlooked for a drama award... Or so it seemed... It is gruesome and very black comedy including: When the first critic is disposed of in the style of Julius Caesar, blood showers out all over the stage... Most of the audience laughed at this sight Shylock this time takes his pound of flesh by removing the heart of another (it's just over a pound until