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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

Scenes from Piccadilly Circus Saturday

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London Naked Bike Ride , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Just what London needs more of... Full frontal nudity... This time it was the World Naked Bike Ride in London to protest against oil dependency (timely as strikes close some petrol stations ) and getting back to nature... It certainly stopped traffic... And there were all sorts of body shapes and slogans like "more ass, less gas" on display... It was all done in the best possible taste...

Theatre: 2000 Feet Away

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Publicity still for 2000 Feet Away: Phyllis Logan , Joseph Fiennes and Ian Hart Source:offwestend.com I was talking to an actor recently who was horrified to learn that out there in the blogosphere, there are bloggers that go to previews and review the work before the official press night... He was initially horrified and then angry. After slowly stepping away from the actor and getting back to the real world, I thought it must be strange for some people to comprehend how people pay for a show and then talk about it afterwards... It is as if the phrase "word of mouth"didn't exist before blogging... It seems to be the latest thing for actors to moan about bloggers even if it is what they have to appear in that is at fault... So with all that in mind, I am blogging about going to a preview of 2000 Feet away by Anthony Weigh on Friday night at the Bush Theatre . I don't know what made me want to go see this play about sex offenders and a l

Hot news this week in London...

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Car Wash Boss Rapist Jailed, Stoke Newington , originally uploaded by Fin Fahey . It all happens in Stoke Newington... Except basic sub editing skills...

Overheard on Clapham High Street Wednesday

Woman on phone: Yeah and he like followed me all the way to where I was getting my eyebrows done... Can you believe that? Can you? Can you?

Scenes from the South Bank Sunday

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010620085909 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . How low can a lowrider go?

Scenes from the Underground Saturday Evening (burp)

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Party on the tube , originally uploaded by kujunu . It was a classy night on the tube as people took advantage of the last night it was legal to drink alcohol on public transport ... I guess that marks the end of that trick where you stand on a Circle Line train holding nothing but a can of beer and you keep going around and around until you keel over or pass out or vomit... Footage set to the music of "Dancing Queen" also on Youtube ...

Movies: Sex and the City

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Sex and the City the movie , originally uploaded by annalyn . I nearly didn't catch Sex and The City on Thursday night with Fliss as the first three cinemas I tried, it had already sold out... It is obviously the movie of the week. Fortunately the O2 centre had some seats and so that is where we caught it. With around 700 die hard fans of the series. Who were mostly women. With a smattering of self-conscious boyfriends... And a few gays... Fliss had to explain to her men-folk that she was going to this movie with her gay friend because she knew they wouldn't want to see it. One of them is jealous of our relationship but that's just because he doesn't have a filthy mind or a sense of humour... Actually I was disappointed with the gay turnout for a movie about (to borrow from a Simpsons episode) four gay men living in New York city... Played by women... But then again this is North Greenwich ... As the film started people started cheering. I don't understand