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The brown word: Death on the Throne @gatehouselondon

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We’re warned at the start of the show with an upbeat number that this is not the usual sort of musical. And it turns out to be just that. But with boundless enthusiasm and energy from its two leads, who deploy a range of voices and breathtaking energy to create a series of voices for puppet characters, a bedtime story becomes a silly oddball tale about four souls stuck in purgatory. With puppets. And various toilet humour references. It’s currently playing at Upstairs At The Gatehouse . The piece starts as a bedtime story. Daddy (Mark Underwood) is about to read a bedtime story for Louise (Sarah Louise Hughes). But her stomach felt funny, and soon, she went to the bathroom. Then, for reasons that seem to only make sense in the confines of the show, they start telling the story of four people who died in unfortunate circumstances in the bathroom. Depicted as puppets, they’re stuck in purgatory as St Peter doesn’t have enough space for each of them in the afterlife. And so begins a puppe...
Up and down on the Piccadilly Line

Today looked at:
1. A place near Holburn - Excellent place in a sensible London location, but I don't think I will get it as I didn't think I bonded with the person there. Later today saw the guy at the gym I have just joined. We both had iPODs on so follow-up conversation was not required...

2. A place near Earl's Court - Nice place and large room sharing with a couple. It was made clear that the spotless kitchen was "the way it always is". I started having flashbacks to leaving coke cans on kitchen tabletops in Haringey. Still the couple were interesting enough and we chatted for a while. Providing I didn't use the kitchen for anything more than getting a glass of water I guess I could live there.

Actually, the kitchen was in a very odd place. It was an alcove off the living room and there was no dining area. The area they used as a bedroom was the obvious choice to put the kitchen I thought but I guess that would make the place one bedroom rather than two, and being central London they probably need the lodger.

Were less interested in me when they found out I only wanted it for a few months, so I don't think that will be one that will happen either...

3. A place at Finsbury Park - that defies description. I arrived late as I underestimated the time it would take to get there (my usual problem with getting around in London - underestimating the time it takes!) and the next person to look at the place arrived the same time that I did. The place was a basement flat painted white from top to bottom and decked out with mirrors and fluro lights. It looked like the toilet of a nightclub where the lights are deliberately made ultraviolet.

The owner had a connection to Chanel and so there were references to Chanel throughout. Coco would have been horrified. The other guy asked questions quickly and couldn't get out of there soon enough. I decided the place was so baffling that I would stay a little longer and have a small conversation with the owner.

So two strikes and possibly three for today. As for the previous week's efforts, turned down two offered to me (they were a little too far out) and the one I really wanted was not offered as they wanted someone who would stay a bit longer... Such is the situation when you are looking for a flatshare...

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