Scissorhandz @ Southwark Playhouse Elephant…

Last night, Darren, Stuart, and I went to see jukebox musical Scissorhandz at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant. 

 

Jukebox musicals can be fun. Can be. 

 

This one, that repurposes Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands as a non-binary ‘weirdo’, is as good as any other. 

 

There are lots of millennial whoops, a spirited cast, and some singers that certainly know how to give it some welly. 

 

But the jumble of songs, played by an admittedly tight band, never really quite seems to find a solid sound and the relationships between characters don’t all convince. 

 

It’s a fun and heartfelt show though if still retaining the air of a work-in-progress, as unfinished as perhaps our scissor-handed child themselves. 

 

The Producers @ Menier Chocolate Factory...

Last night Roger and I went to see Mel Brooks's musical satire The Producers at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London's glitzy London Bridge.

 

First time I saw The Producers was 21 years ago. I loved it then. I love it still.

 

In the play Jewish producer Max Bialystock (Andy Nyman, excellent) and his nervy accountant Leo Bloom (Marc Antolin, brilliant) try to produce a sure fire Broadway flop to keep all the investment money for themselves. Fortunately for us, but not for them, in real life Mel Brooks has done just that but made it a hit. Who knew a musical tribute to Adolf Hitler would ever become such a comedy smash? 

 

Director Patrick Marber gets the tone just right. We are laughing with the right people, and laughing at the wrong 'uns.

 

Speaking of which, Franz Liebkind (Michael Franks, perfect comic timing) the Nazi sympathiser, steals every scene he is in. As does Swedish actor-cum-secretary Ulla (Joanna Woodward, stupendous voice).

 

Trevor Ashley (monstrously delightful) plays Roger de Bris, the ultra camp director of the Broadway show who becomes a last-minute fill-in for the part of the Führer. When he appears, complete with gold dress and chariot, the comedy reaches its hysterical pitch.

 

The songs are great too. Not a dud; the wide-eyed I Wanna Be a Producer, the fabulous Keep It Gay, the hopeful We Can Do It and the deadly catchy Springtime for Hitler. The barrage of fantastically satirical lyrics keep coming too: "Don’t be stupid, be a smartie, come and join the Nazi party," sing high-kicking sparkly hot-panted stormtroopers.

 

I've not laughed so long and so hard in ages. The songs were fantastic and the whole production left us lost for words. 

The current run is sold out. But when it transferred to the West End as it is sure to do….  Go, go, go!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 

 

Trey and Jonathan…

 Lovely to catch up with Trey and Jonathan on their flying visit. ❤️

🎵We’re Arsenal through and through 🎶

Roberta Flack RIP...

Roberta Flack. She’ll be much missed. Great voice. Some amazing songs.

But for me, my favourite single of hers is “Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)”. 

It had me tearing up the dancefloor in 1989.  Steve Hurley remixing at his best.

“I know a goodbye when I hear one…”

Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)

Backstroke @ Donmar Warehouse… L

Last Friday night, Stuart and I went to see Backstroke at the Donmar Warehouse in London’s glitzy West End.   

The excellent Celia Imrie and Tamsin Greig play mother Beth and daughter Bo in this kaleidoscopic and compassionate new play, written and directed by Anna Mackmin.  

Bo is busy - balancing the pressures of work and the needs of her own struggling daughter. When her mother, the irrepressible force-of-nature Beth, is admitted to hospital following a stroke a lot of repressed issues bubble to the surface    

Imrie plays Beth as a sort of Edina Monsoon, and Greig’s Bo is a strait-laced Saffy. Only it’s nowhere near as funny as Absolutely Fabulous.  

The content advice for the play might give you some sort of idea of the content and tone:   

Strong language and comments about body image. There are depictions of stroke, and dementia/alzheimer's. There are references to drip removal, catheter insertions, thrush, blood, rectal pain relief, child abuse, injury during childbirth and abortion.  

You have been warned! 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Arsenal 0 - 1 West Ham...

Bollocks!  What a shit result it was yesterday! When a loss feels like a catastrophe. 

I wore red, the team wore red, I saw red, the fans saw red, Lewis-Skelly got a red. 

What a scarlet disaster!

I know people will blame individual players, or the substitution choices, will blame the manager, will blame themselves.  But the simple thing is, we played badly and we lost. Only two shots on target.

Our title chances are not so much dented as a write-off. 

On the positive side, it was lovely to see the happy smiling gaygooners at the meet-up before kickoff and welcome a few newbies along too. 

And Carl bought cake! 

 

Onwards and upwards my friends. 

 

@Arsenal

@gaygooners

#ARSWHU

Richard II @ Bridge Theatre…

Last night Stuart and I went to see super sexy Jonathan Bailey in Nicolas Hytner’s production of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre in London’s glitzy Tower Bridge quarter. 

 

My verdict? A crowning achievement.  

 

Bailey glides onto the stage like he owns the place — because, well, he does. At least for now. His Richard II is a king with a poet’s soul and a diva’s ego, tossing out Shakespeare’s verse like it’s his own personal mixtape. One moment he’s smugly untouchable, the next he’s crumbling faster than a soggy digestive in the biscuit game.

 

The “hollow crown” speech? Pure heartbreak. His slow-motion realisation that he’s being well and truly dethroned? Deliciously tragic. 

 

As power slips through his fingers like sand in an hourglass, Bailey’s Richard is both mesmerising and tragic, proving that while some kings may fall, his star only continues to rise.

 

An absolute masterclass in ruling, reigning, and ruining it all in spectacular fashion.

 

Go see. 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Prague…

Yesterday, Darce treated me to a day out - a trip to Prague.  

I’d never been there before so it came as a pleasant surprise. And flying out business class made it even more special. 🎩

We flew out of Heathrow T3 about 10am so had enough time to whiz round the different airport lounges too (more on that later). 

Then having landed in Prague, we found ourselves in a field surrounded by snow within about 10 minutes. So don’t trust my directions in future, right? 😂

Back at the airport again, we jumped in a taxi. It turns out taxis are amazingly cheap in Prague.

We went to cathedral first (impressive), then the Charles Bridge (equally impressive but packed full of tourists), the Old Town square (beautiful), an Irish bar (I was drinking, Darce wasn’t as he’s doing dry February), the Hard Rock Cafe (to collect a glass as a memento), and finally to a restaurant that serves its food and drinks using a mini railway track. The way you do. The trains were better than the food though.  But it was a fun thing to do. And Darce found a souvenir for Stuart!

Then the flight back - which was fast and really smooth. 

Actually in both directions (out and back) the BA crew really looked after us. I’d go as far to say that they spoiled us. They gave us four little bottles of gin, some tonics, some glasses, and a bottle of champagne to take off the plane. ✈️ 🍾

A lovely little day trip.  Thanks Darce!