Tea, TEA!...

Everything is Shiiiit!...

From the makers of Cards Against Humanity come some rude cards. So Bryn, Stuart and I hopped all over London the other Saturday being childish, immature and silly with them... but blimey Charlie how we laughed.

The Art of the Brick...

Last Friday Bryn, Darren and I went to The Art of the Brick exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery. It was great fun. Lego-tastic!

The Ruling Class...

Last night Stuart and I went to see the hunky James McAvoy starring in Peter Barnes' satirical play The Ruling Class at the Trafalgar Studios in London's glitzy West End.

The (black) humour of the play hinges on one of two things; (1) whether you find the idea of a paranoid schizophrenic psychopath British nobleman inheriting a peerage funny, or (2) whether you find a talented actor playing a paranoid schizophrenic psychopath British nobleman inheriting a peerage funny. We are in 'laugh at' vs 'laugh with' territory again.

For me the answer to (1) was "not really."
The answer to (2) was (as the actor in question is James McAvoy) "largely, yes."

So here it was - a rather broad, rather blunt attack on those who rule us (clue: they all talk in posh accents, went to Eton, own country estates, and hate the poor.)

When the play worked it was fine - the action was zany and madcap with Mr McAvoy sparkling as mad Jack. He got to show us his unicycling skills, his ripped bod, his demon smile and his underwear.

When it didn't work (especially in the 2nd half) it rather reminded me of a 'trendy vicar' routine I used to do when I was a member of the Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society (CULES) back in 1982 - cringingly old hat.

3 stars (mainly for Mr McAvoy's spirited performance and evil grin)

Cereal Killer Cafe...

As part of our hipster cafe tour last week Bryn, Darren and I went to Cereal Killer Cafe at 139 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SB.  We plumped for cereal cocktails - Unicorn Poop, Don't Have A Cinnaman and cocoa puffs. Scrummy.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium...

First up on Bryn and my hipster cafe tour was Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium @ 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6DG. We played with the 12 moggies. Especially loved fluffy 5 month old Alice. Awww, can we get a kitten Stuart?

Curses...

Sarah and I went to Pizza Express Thursday lunchtime - their oven broke down. Stu, Andy and I went to Studio 6 Thursday night for dinner - their kitchen closed due to a gas leak. Bryn and I went to the cat cafe on Friday - their coffee machine broke down as we arrived. We then went to Cereal Killer Cafe later - their till broke as I went to pay. Later Friday night our central heating broke down. On Saturday evening the bus we got on... the ticket machine broke.

Anyone need an establishment cursing just let me know. ‪#‎curses‬

Stephen Fry...

So if Stephen Fry has married a man 30 years younger than him we can't really call him a Cougar, can we? He's a Pink Panther.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown...

Last night Stuart, Andy and I went to see new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Playhouse Theatre in London's glitzy West End.

With theatre and TV star Tamsin Greig in a leading role of Pepa Marcos this manic, frantic, neurotic whirlwind of a musical simply beats you into enjoying it.

And this was pretty high drama; love, betrayal, revenge, a gun, a terrorist, attempted suicide, a china duck...

But for high drama to be funny it either needs to take itself so seriously that it allows the farce to come punching out (we are laughing *at*) or the characters need to realise the situation that they are in is absurd and encourage the audience in on the joke (we are laughing *with*). Here things perhaps trod rather dangerously near that laughing at/with line.

But that minor quibble aside it was great fun - once you got up to its energy levels.

And the singing was perfectly respectable if the songs instantly forgettable. "Tasmin Sings!" should be on the poster. Because she does so. Very well.

The plot was enjoyably confusing and very funny, but then it would be based on the fantastic Pedro Almodóvar film.

In fact the whole production was perfectly serviceable; the set was rather spartan but quite in keeping with 1987 Madrid.

What raised things up was Tamsin Greig herself. The character she plays is the heart and soul of the piece and she plays it note perfect. You are with her from the get-go and wanting everything to work out for her. This really sells the piece.

Apart from Ms Greig the other standout player is Haydn Gwynne as jealous ex-lover Lucía. She is a comic creation that could standalone. She is passionate, wronged, contradictory, and very funny. Ms Gwynne brings all this out in spades.

So my verdict. Recommended (but with minor reservations.)

Google Translate...

Update to the Google Translate smart phone app is amazing. Real-time language to language audio translation, text in image translation etc. Don't even need to be online. Douglas Adams would have loved it. It's a blooming Babel fish!

Gavin Birthday Drinks..

We helped Gavin celebrate his birthday last night with a quick pint at the Welly.

Robert Mugabe...

Robert Mugabe backwards is what a Yorkshireman says when he finally finds a shop selling extra strong mints.

Henry IV Part I & II...

On Friday and Saturday nights Stuart and I went to see the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Henry IV Part I & II.

Starring Antony Sher as the infamous comic knight Falstaff we were also treated to Jasper Britton as Henry IV, Alex Hassell as Prince Hal and Paola Dionisotti as Mistress Quickly.

Part I
With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. As his father gets ready to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, reveling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of war, Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne.

Part II
King Henry’s health is failing but he is uncertain Hal is a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Falstaff is sent to the countryside to recruit fresh troops, where he gleefully indulges in the business of lining his own pockets. As the King’s health continues to worsen, Hal must choose between duty and loyalty to an old friend in Shakespeare’s heartbreaking conclusion to this pair of plays.

The production was fine. Classically staged. But not a patch on Phyllida Lloyd's all-female production at the Donmar last year.

City Of Angels...

Last night Stuart and I went to see Josie Rourke's fantastic production of the musical City of Angels at the Donmar Warehouse in London's glitzy West End.

City of Angels, in homage to 1940s noir, is a bitter comedy about the treacherous LA movie industry. It is clever, gloriously stylish and very, very funny.

Two narratives work in complex concert. In the “real” colour world, clacking away on a typewriter, a hack called Stine (Hadley Fraser) is adapting his detective novel City of Angels for the big-screen, at the meddling behest of cigar-chomping producer Buddy Fidler. In the black and white “reel” world, his characters – notably his gumshoe alter-ego, Stone (Tam Mutu) and his sidekick, Oolie (Rebecca Trehearn) – are embroiled in a mystery involving a rich, decaying man with an iron lung, his grasping younger wife and the pair’s missing beautiful femme fatale daughter/step-daughter.

Aside from the parts of Stone and Stine, everyone in the cast plays dual roles that comment on and reflect each other.

It has lines in it of which Raymond Chandler would have been proud, “Only the floor kept her legs from going on forever.” As you can guess its tongue is firmly in its cheek.

This musical comedy first came to London's West End in March 1993 for eight months, winning an Olivier Award in 1994. The revival deserves to repeat the feat.

It's the sold out production it deserves to be - here's hoping it transfers.

Us and Them...

And if there has to be an 'Us and Them' mentality can the Us be the non-murderers and the Them be the murderers? 

Theatre Themes...

When you're as much of a pair of West End Wendies as Stuart and I are you start to see trends in theatrical productions. Over the past few years we've watched trends come and go. So I thought I'd note a few recent ones down.

• A couple of years ago it was all nuns and Nazis (Sister Act, Cabaret, The Sound of Music, The Producers)
• The year before last it was male nudity (Hair, My Night With Reg, Bent, Judas Kiss, Privates on Parade)
• We also had immersive theatre (Secret Cinema, Punch Drunk's A Drowned Man, Fire Hazard's  zombie runs) 
• Last year it was straight-through shows without intervals (Macbeth, most things at the National these days, Henry IV at Donmar, two recent plays at Almeida, The Scottsboro Boys, Ghosts Stories, A Chorus Line)
• And even most recently it's been faux-helicopters (Kate Bush, Miss Saigon, Made In Dagenham, Here Lies Love).

I wonder what the next theatrical fad in 2015 will be?

Where's Wally?...

Last Sunday Paul and I went to see the mighty Arsenal take on Hull FC at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup 3rd round. Thanks to Alexis Sanchez it was a bit of a walk in the park winning, as we did, 2-0.

As part of the Gold Membership pack this season we were all given red and white bobble hats so the stadium looked like a 60,000 strong version of Where's Wally?

Back to Work Blues...

Argh! Back to work blues. I do love my job but a bit of a wrench after 11 days off to get up before sunrise. Still, it will be great to see everyone again and catch up with everyone's Christmas and New Year's news.

New Years Eve Party...

New Years Eve Fancy Dress...

We went to Tim and Andy's fancy dress party on New Year's Eve. The theme was musicals. We went to Lederhosen. Can you guess the tune for our props?

ÉGOÏSTE! ÉGOÏSTE! ÉGOÏSTE! ...

You have to be of a certain age for this one. Stu sells you some perfume...

Derren Brown...

Nice put down by Derren Brown.

Marvel Films...

The correct order to watch the (recent) Marvel films. Oh and maybe start with Howard the Duck.

Happy Boxing Day...

Happy Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day

Happy Christmas...

Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas

Social Mobility...

"I believe that people make their own luck in life. Anyone can achieve anything if they truly want it enough…" - said someone with rich parents. Merry Christmas everyone!

Paris...

Stuart, Tim, Andy and I had a lovely few days in Paris. We ate in some lovely restaurants, popped into a few bars, visited the Louis Vuitton Foundation exhibition space, walked along the Seine and visited the Champs-Élysées Christmas Market. Great fun.