Arsenal 1 - 2 Bournemouth...

Well, that was rubbish. Perhaps nobody expected a thrilling afternoon at the football, but that was the dampest of dampest squibs. With Man City on our tail in the Premiership too, we needed a win. 

What we didn't need was our full-strength side going down to a first-ever home defeat by Bournemouth. 

And we didn’t have one single shot on (or off) target in the last 20 minutes on the pitch. Woeful. 

To further compound the defeat, any momentum we might have had for next Wednesday's pivotal Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris St-Germain was dealt a blow by yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Cherries. 

To salvage any glory this season we need to head to the French capital to overturn a 1-0 loss from the first leg.

So, a miracle, please. Or at least a ‘bon effort’. 

All that aside, it was lovely to meet the @gaygooners before the match. 

Onwards and upwards, my friends.  

And hello to Roger. His first time at the Emirates. 

“Yes, we’re the guys in red, Rog” 😂

@Arsenal  

#COYG  

#ARSBOU

@gaygooners

Here We Are @ Lyttleton Theatre…

Last night, Stuart and I went to see the UK debut of Stephen Sondheim's final musical, 'Here We Are' at the National Theatre on London’s glitzy Southbank. 

Meh. Stuart left at the interval. I ploughed on through. 

It started off ok. The usual Sondheim plotting; a company of characters - played here excellently by Tracie Bennett, Jack Butterworth, Chumisa Dornford-May, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Richard Fleeshman, Harry Hadden-Paton, Cameron Johnson, Jane Krakowski, Denis O’Hare, Martha Plimpton, Paulo Scot, and Rory Kinear - find themselves in an unusual situation and speak/sing about it in an amusing fashion. 

In this case, the musical is inspired by two of Luis Buñuel's films, the Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Avenging Angel. Both of these films are about poshos eating. The first film is about them trying to have a meal out but failing as there is no food, and the second film is about posh people trying to leave a room after a meal but again failing. 

Indeed, when the musical tries to blend in some of the surrealism from those films with Sondheim's signature style it just looks stupid. Posh people behaving badly can be funny - but add high-heeled shoe obsessed bishop, a gun, a water shortage, a war, a dodgy piano, a death or two, and even a dancing bear and we are on thin ice. I had to check the program to see if the kitchen sink had a walk-on part. 

The pacing felt uneven, with certain sections dragging unnecessarily. Complete plot lines and character developments went absolutely nowhere. It was frustratingly average. Even for Sondheim. 

And the main reason why people come to a musical is to hear people sing, right? What songs we got in Act I were perfectly pleasant, but as far as I can tell there was no singing in Act II at all.

Shame really. 

⭐️⭐️ 

The 80s @ Tate Britain…

Last week Andrew and I went to the Tate Britain in London’s glitzy Pimlico to see their 1980s photograph exhibition. 

The show offers a vivid snapshot of a transformative decade, capturing the era's dynamic energy and cultural shifts. 

The collection showcases many striking images, mainly in black and white, that reflect the bold fashion, political turbulence, and burgeoning pop culture of the time. Each photograph tells its own story, from gritty urban scenes to vibrant portraits, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. 

We both recognised so much of what we saw. 

Street parties, dinner parties, demos, misogyny, racism, homophobia, social deprivation, political unrest are all represented; Greenham Common, Poll Tax riots, Section 28, New Romantics, poverty, art, music, collectivism…. 

The curation is thoughtful, highlighting both iconic moments and lesser-known glimpses into everyday life, making it a compelling experience for both history enthusiasts and art lovers.

We loved it. We lived it. 

I enjoyed it so much, I went again yesterday with Paul.  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️