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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 last night...

Man #1: Guess what happened to Graham yesterday? Man #2: No what? Man #1: He missed his flight. Man #2: No... Man #1: Got to Gatwick too late because of mmmmm... Man #2: Really? Man #1: So guess where he had to stay last night? Mmmmmm Man #2: Get outta here... Man #1: Mmmm hmmm. What Graham wants... Graham gets...

Scenes from the Haywood Gallery Monday 20:30

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130820072159 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Waiting in a long line to see the Antony Gormley Blind Light (basically a foggy room). It was fun in a disorienting kinda way... And not without its thrills... I was with Anna and she got unintentionally groped by a woman desperately trying to find the exit in an "Oh my God I've gotta get outta here" moment. The rest of the exhibition was even better. It finishes this week...

Overheard outside South Kensington Tube

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Very nervous woman in car (to man): Excuse me sir... Excuse me. Man on street: Yes Very nervous woman in car: Can you tell me why all these people are heading this way? Man on street: They're coming from a concert at Albert Hall. Very nervous woman in car: Oh Too bad she didn't ask me. I would have told her we just wanted to get the hell out of South Kensington and get on with our lives... Perhaps she had visited the following website...

Overheard leaving Albert Hall

Lady: The wine was actually really nice wine... Not like that old stuff Man: Yes really nice. Really really nice. Not the old stuff at all...

Scenes from Albert Hall Sunday 18:52

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120820072145 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . The crush to get back into the hall in time for Act 2 of Götterdämmerung . Some folks thought they could stop traffic but the black cabs had other ideas... At least an hour for a meal break was provided since it started at 4pm... It had another three hours to go... All things considered (like it was at Albert Hall, the catering is rubbish and it was a concert version), it probably was worth the effort... No chance of snoozing anyway when one was sitting in front of the augmented horns section...

Music: John Dankworth and Cleo Laine

I keep forgetting that I should avoid going to proms concerts. Albert Hall is stuffy, the acoustics are bad, the seats are terrible, and you always have to worry about some old person falling over you with their walking stick as they navigate the steep inclines. I really don't know why so many old age pensioners risk hip replacements coming to these concerts, but they do... Anyway, I found myself among the OAPs watching two OAPs on Wednesday night: John Dankworth and Cleo Laine (well they both turn 80 later this year). Despite the limitations of the hall, they managed to give it a feel as if it were a jazz club and they were just playing some music. The audience loved it and it was a bit of a treat ...

Overheard at Victoria Underground Station

Man: Well you aren't expected to know everything... Woman: Yeah, like... Like... What's it matter that I don't like know who Tony Blair is?

Scenes from Soho Square Sunday 15:20

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050820072026 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Just when the sunbathers were enjoying the sun in the square, these fat bastards come by murdering songs with their guitars and piano accordions. Putting the trash into eurotrash, they were less Gipsy Kings and more Gipsy Queens... They were passing around a hat for money (or was that for doughnuts?) but that seemed to encourage them to stay so I gave them nothing...