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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

Hot news this week in London...

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WELCOME TO SUNNY SOUTH LONDON , originally uploaded by the_moog . It isn't true that all of South London is in the clutches of this... Just Crystal Meth Palace ...

Overheard on the London Eye Tuesday...

Man #1: You see I told him... You come to this company... You do some time here and those that really make their mark are the ones who get the networks running... Get the contacts... Man #2: Yeah... And... Woman #1 (interrupting): You're not all talking business here are you?

Scenes from West End Whingers Party

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West End Whingers Party , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . I went to the West End Whingers Party and all I got was smarm... That's about right...

Overheard at the gym Saturday...

Man #1: What would you say if I called you skinny boy? Would ya like that? Would ya? Man #2: Uh... No...

Theatre: Gone With the Wind

One of the fun things about going to the theatre and blogging about it is that you can pick up the buzz and excitement about new productions as they hit town. Sadly this was not the case with Gone With the Wind . When asking around about it over the last month, the only responses I got back about it were forced smiles and phrases like... "Well... It's innnnteresting". Well now after seeing a preview of it on Tuesday night I can confirm what they are saying. It is innnteresting... And for those that don't know theatre-speak... That means it is rubbish. First of all starting with the leads. It was a curious choice to put Darius Danesh and Jill Paice in the lead roles of Rhett and Scarlett. Despite the efforts of Darius to make his voice boom and disguise with sideburns the fact he is in his twenties, he still looks like he is playing dress-up and wearing his dad's clothes. Paice doesn't fare much better either and together to pair give the show the kind of ear

Housekeeping: I'm ready...

Tomorrow night I am going to the theatre and the production is so long who knows when I will get home... Such is the odyssey that one particular production is currently enduring in the West End. Bearing that in mind I plan to use twitter as my means of communication to the outside world... Oh and I will stay awake if I can find a new energy drink called Pussy ... Now that's a drink with a name that's going to take off...

Hot news this week in London...

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Stoolball and Secrets , originally uploaded by dayglowill . Stoolball and secret children... It all happens in London...