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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

Overheard at the gym Friday

Dude 1: You know, she's pretty lucky having you... Living where she does in the middle of nowhere... Surrounded by sheep and cows... Dude 2: Yeaaaah.... Dude 1: Like, who else would go out with her?

Overheard on the Tube Monday night...

Guy: You fancied that guy didn't ya? Girl: Gehorf he was all o' twenty Guy: Didn't ya! didn't ya! Girl (looking in Paul's direction): Shh I think that guy over there can hear us...

Scenes from the Royal Academy Monday 15:20

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Scenes from the Royal Academy Monday 15:20 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Great views, great location... Probably a bit drafty... I wonder if the RA would consider renting out their Jericho installation...

Scenes from a deli in SW4 Sunday 14:56

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DSC04795 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . We have big butter in Clapham...

Movies: Sunshine

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Murphy looking all wistful... With all the flat hunting that has been taking up my time in the past few weeks I have not had the chance to see any theatre. Such a shame as everytime I write something about the theatre I get at least an extra person reading this site. And I have been informed that my site ranks up there on Google when you type in Elaine Paige's Tits so that gives me good theatre cred surely... Anyway, I did manage to catch the film Sunshine on Saturday. It is part 2001 A Space Odyssey, part Alien and part Stargate. But anyway, Cillian Murphy even looks a bit like Sigourney Weaver (and conjures up a little of Jaye Davidson as Ra in Stargate too). The plot involves a mission to restore the dying sun. It starts off slowly and maintains this pace throughout. Some people have told me they felt the film was boring, pretentious rubbish but anything that plays homage to 2001, while throwing in some strange weirdo alien being that has had a bit too much sun can't be

Scenes from The Green Clerkenwell Friday 15:07

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DSC04765 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Good Friday and good weather...

Scenes from a street in SW8 Tuesday 17:38

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Scenes from an SW8 Street 17:38 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . One of the joys of checking out new properties (as I will be shortly moving) is finding strange and interesting new streets, full of rubbish and debris... I passed on the property in this street... The search continues...

Film: Wrestling with Angels

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Tony Kushner and composer Jeanine Tesori Earlier this week I caught the documentary Wrestling With Angels which was a brilliant snapshot of the life of one of America's great living playwrights and liberal political activists. It captures the period of Kushner's life from September 11 2001 through to the presidential elections in 2004. During this period it traces the filming of his major work Angels in America (by HBO), a book with Maurice Sendak, an opera and the musical Caroline, Or Change. The film ends with Kushner's attempts on election day to ensure that people get to the polling both. You leave the movie with a sense of wanting to go out and do something to change the world. Although given the outcome of the 2004 election, you are inclined to wonder what is the point... Definitely the best movie I caught at the film festival . One to look out for on the film festival circuit...

Bartalk...

Paul: Eww, that man with the beard who keeps smiling at you has missing teeth... Adam: That's okay, I quite like gummy bears ...

Scenes from an over-engineered office Thursday 16:23

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Scenes from an over-engineered office Thursday 16:23 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . I was in a meeting room on Thursday and after going "What the f---" managed to take this little memento... I think they are sitting in water but it could be that stuff hairdressers sit their combs in...