Paul in London

Gnomes Invade Chelsea Flower Show , originally uploaded by LinkMachineGo . The invasion of the gnomes starts in Chelsea...

Maybe after watching Angels and Demons on Friday, I was in the mood for something with a little less action, fewer explosions and better dialogue; but I actually enjoyed watching the Saturday matinee performance of Madame De Sade . The play, which is nearing the end of its run, has had largely negative reviews in The Times and The Telegraph (and luke warm reviews in the Guardian and Evening Standard ). The review in the Telegraph prompted Dame Judi Dench to describe the Telegraph's critic as an absolute s--- . Well to be fair to both, the quality of theatre criticism in London is dire, and this will probably not be the most memorable of Dench's performances on stage (as she mostly has to move between being outraged, cunning and just over it all). However all that being said, there is much to go for the play, particularly the quality of the acting, the fabulous costumes, wigs, lighting and set. I had been forewarned that the action takes place off stage and the drama unfolds

Sometimes it is good not to be the first to see some things. In the case of the first preview of La Cage Aux Folles I saw in November 2007 it was hard to tell what would become of it. Particularly since many technical problems (like curtains not coming up and so forth), made it hard to watch. Well last year it transferred to the West End and became one of the big hits of 2008. Having finally caught it in a proper theatre it is easy to see its appeal. Some updated observations: It is a family musical (of sorts) and the enjoyment of the show probably depends on how much you believe the performances by the two male leads. In this case, the run now has Roger Allam and Philip Quast in the lead roles and they can come up with the goods. Within moments from when they appeared on stage and started arguing you could believe that they were a couple who had been living together for over twenty years. The group I was with were initially disappointed that Graham Norton had finished his run, but

img_0893 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . The slow and overly detailed drip of news about MPs expenses continues... Well at least the headlines are sort of entertaining...

Hackney Gazette, Stoke Newington , originally uploaded by Fin Fahey . Or rather... Something for everybody in Stoke Newington...

Last week was a week for Theatre. Four plays and one Musical. This is what happens when friends who are mad theatre-goers drop in to London and have been dying for some cultural pursuits... Well Adrian comes from Melbourne where all they have been playing down there of late I think is re-runs of Menopause the Musical and Phantom of the Opera, so his desperation for some culture was understandable... First play up was Rookery Nook at the Menier Chocolate Factory . It was still in preview last Tuesday and I couldn't help but think that they had yet to get the pacing right. Part of the problem might have been sitting so close to the action. While it was harder to fall asleep, it also meant that the over the top acting and other shenanigans was right in your face. Sometimes a little distance helps. Still the flag seller, the dog and the biscuits strewn across the floor kept me intrigued with the show. Perhaps a trim of the play might have helped with the levels of enjoyment. I left Adr

Killer Flu Reaches Europe , originally uploaded by LinkMachineGo . Oink oink oink...