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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

Sunday phone conversation

Paul : Just what do you say to someone with a Prince Albert? Ad : How about, "Would you take that out for me please?" Paul : Yes it's good to remove the earrings before dinner...

Scenes from Clapham Common Fish pond Saturday 13:37

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Scenes from Clapham Common Fish pond Saturday 13:37 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Afternoon light...

Scenes from Elephant & Castle Saturday 00:15

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Scenes from Elephant & Castle Saturday 00:15 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Waiting for doors to open...

The Week by location

Monday : In Sydney having bad cocktails Monday night : In Brisbane hospital getting saline Tuesday : In Brisbane having lunch Tuesday night : On a plane to Singapore Wednesday morning : Arrive in Singapore 5am have shower at airport and change of clothes having managed to get noodle sauce over my polo shirt. Wednesday morning : Fly out of Singapore. The best thing about Singapore is the plane out of it. Wednesday afternoon : Arrive Heathrow. Wednesday evening : Arrive Clapham. Go to the high street for dinner. Weather curiously the same as I left it in Brisbane. Thursday : Back at work in body. Have cocktails in Brixton after work which gets the taste of the Sydney one's out of my mouth. Friday : Back at work in mind. Saturday : All is zen... Eating tuna sandwich while updating blog...

Taking time out...

No more updates on this blog until October 20... I am in Australia until then (Brisbane to be precise)... Until then check out my travel blog paulincognito.blogspot.com

Celebrity Watching at Covent Garden Saturday 18:15

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Celebrity Watching at Covent Garden Saturday 18:15 Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . You can't say that I don't get the celebs. Here is Frank Langella's shoes in centre shot. He was sitting down talking on his mobile phone outside the Donmar...

Theatre: Frost / Nixon

A perfect antidote to Wednesday's debacle was the excellent play Frost Nixon at the Donmar by Peter Morgan (who also wrote The Queen ). It stars Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost, recreating the interview in 1977 that led to Nixon making some astonishing statements about Watergate and obstruction of justice (including the one above). This was a sensational and gripping two hours in the theatre about a disgraced leader and a fading entertainer both trying to use each other to revive their careers. The drama behind the scenes and in the actual taped interviews is recreated to stunning effect. A bank of television screens suspended above also brings home the impact of the close up on Nixon. The entire cast is perfect but it is Langella and Sheen had you sitting on the edge of your seat. The closing lines of the play are as follows describing a party scene years later hosted by Frost: Walking through the crowds of air-kissing politicians, actors and hi