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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

Theatre: Marguerite

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I wasn't planning on heading out to see some musical theatre on Friday night, but the prospect of a bargain basement ticket to see Marguerite was too good to pass up. Fortunately the power of web advertising which was playing a excerpts the show on the internet while randomly browsing theatre websites on Friday (as you do) prompted the hunt for cheap tickets... It didn't take long to find them... The fact that the show is selling tickets for as little as £12.50 suggests that the economy is hurting the West End, the punters don't want to see a show updating the story of La Traviata or Camille to occupied France, or both... I suspect it is both. This is a pity as there is a fabulous cast headed by Ruthie Henshaw and Julian Ovenden (pictured left) as the two lovers Marguerite and Armand. I was last distracted seeing Ovenden in Grand Hotel and here he gets to play a bit of jazz, run around in boxer shorts and get into a bad temper... I challenge anyone not to go "

Overheard at the gym Wednesday...

Man #1: How about we give it to you at the Clapham Street Party ? Man #2: Do you think I'm the type of dizzy scene queen that would be seen at a street party? Man #1: Well yes... Man #2: Yeah you're right...

Tight scenes in Soho Saturday...

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210620086276 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Hmm... That's deliciously naughty...

Scenes from West End Live Saturday 15:30

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London Gay Men's Chorus at West End Live , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . Saturday the London Gay Men's Chorus took part in West End Live in Leicester Square. Not only was it a preview of the upcoming show Songs of Innocence and Experience at Cadogan Hall (July 4 and 5), but it was a chance to show off the new chorus uniform of coloured shirt... And chinos... Tickets on sale now for our concert and West End Live continues Sunday... West End Live is a great showcase for what's currently on stage and well worth checking out... The rather fit cast from High School Musical on stage preceded our Saturday afternoon slot certainly got our attention...

Theatre: Lord of the Rings (finally)

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Lord of the Rings , originally uploaded by Anika :) . As I suspected... There is a photo on flickr posted by someone who sat in a similar seat as I did when they saw Lord of the Rings - the overproduced, spectacular (bit like Wicked ) but woefully acted (unlike Wicked) musical on stage spectacular that is playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until mid July. Arriving at the theatre Wednesday night, It was quite a sight to be greeted with hobbits playing around. But more intriguing was the scene that was unfolding right behind me. An usher, after telling an old Italian woman that she could not take photos, wanted to confiscate the camera and return it to her after the show after he caught her taking another photo. She was having none of that and so someone more senior was called and harsh words including "breach of copyright" and "£20,000 fine". The woman didn't speak much English and as the show started and the harsh words continued, I started asking

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?