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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

Theatre: Evita

There is something about the audience at Evita , the new version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical hit from 30 years ago which reminded me of the audience at a dreadful Elaine Paige concert I happened to see in 2004. There was a certain age and a certain style about the people. They didn't look like they were regular theatre goers but they would go to this. I wondered where the hell they bussed this audience in from. I am not exactly a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals (nor Elaine Paige) so it did dawn on me what the hell I was doing at this show. Well it probably was the promise that it was to be a new look at a (tired, dated, sanctimonious) old show. As for what was new in this show… Well there were new orchestrations, but for the most part they sounded more like the ring tones on my mobile phone. Unusually for a Lloyd Webber show, the set didn't fly in or out in spectacular fashion or be projected oddly (although there was one exception for Don't Cry For Me A

Scenes from the Strand Thursday 21:49

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Scenes from the Strand Thursday 21:49 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . I survived Evita. Did you?

Scenes from Covent Garden Monday 21:44

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Scenes from Covent Garden Monday 21:44 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Scaffolding amongst the window shopping...

Crap design in London

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Crap design in London Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . The votes are in for the most hated buildings and public spaces in London , but surely the Charing Cross station subways would also have to rank high in the lousy public space stakes? Orange and brown tiles and the smell of piss pervade throughout...

Scenes from Soho Sunday 19:05

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Scenes from Soho Sunday 19:05 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Some people were rather excited about the outcome of today's World Cup match ...

Scenes from Angel Sunday 13:32

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Scenes from Angel Sunday 13:32 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Smoke 'em...

Scenes from Covent Garden Saturday 21:24

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Scenes from Covent Garden Saturday 21:24 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . A haze across the city from the Royal Opera House balcony with the market below in view... I Was at the Opera House to see two short operas Duke Bluebeard's Castle and Erwartung (by Bartók and Schoenberg respectively), which as to be expected was a great production beautifully performed and sung. Bluebeard's Castle struck me as a polygamists opera but there were so many pschchological layers to the opera such as "why this woman would be interested in some grumpy old man with a mouldy castle?" to keep you on the edge of your seat. Erwartung which was nicely linked through set design and costumes was more one woman's battle with her mind. It wasn't really my cup of tea. At 45 minutes however it didn't really matter... All the opera talk this weekend has been on the Royal Opera's new production of Tosca, which is the first new production they have mounted since Maria Callas was p

Music: Those crazy chicks...

The Dixie Chicks are on BBC TV tonight . They are keen to plug it as the scene of the crime , but all controversy aside their new album Taking the Long Way (which is on my iPOD) has some pretty darn good songs on it. Here's hoping they keep writing about themselves, being themselves and just writin'…   The album really deals about their experiences post 2003 when in an off-hand statement at a London concert they told the crowd they were ashamed to be from the same state of the US as George W Bush. That apparently is disrespecting the President as he was just about to commit troops to the war in Iraq. Every country has its sacred cows, but this album is full of little "fuck yous" to their fans who used to have them with Reba McEntire on their CD changer. Combined with great melodies, great voices who could ask for anything more? Interestingly they are not the only ones disrespecting the President nowadays. Pink has a great song on her latest album Dear Mr President . T