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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...
Tory boy and didn't even know it...

I found out from the following website that I should vote Tory if I did bother to register to vote. Actually on my first attempt it suggested because I had such non-committal responses to all their questions I should vote for nobody - so I am doing the right thing by staying out of this one.

Only after I decided on the questionnaire to keep Britain out of the Euro and to believe in tax cuts and ID cards did the site suggest I should vote Conservative. Labour came second. Interesting stuff, although it does not factor in the character of candidates and the type of person you would be more inclined to vote for... Policy, pledges and platforms (for whatever that rubbish is) surely can only get you so far... Personality of the leader will always clinch it for me...

The other thing is that I don't know how I am going to break this to my housemate who did the test and was told he should vote Green... He will be horrified. It was his birthday the other day and there was a birthday card that had TB on it. I had to get it for him as the idea of giving him a card with Blair on it (that also was mild political satire) really amused me...

Who Should You Vote For?
Who should I vote for?
Your expected outcome:Labour
Your actual outcome:

Labour 3
Conservative 7
Liberal Democrat -20
UK Independence Party -6
Green -19


You should vote: Conservative

The Conservative Party is strongly against joining the Euro and against greater use of taxation to fund public services. The party broadly supported the Iraq war and backs greater policing and ID cards. The Tories are against increasing the minimum wage above the rate of inflation, and have committed to abolishing university tuition fees. They support 'virtual vouchers' for private education. And they have a leader who is a bit spooky and known to have a potty mouth

Take the test at Who Should You Vote For


News: Plastic and Glass


  • One of the more perplexing things about the tube is that they have soft cushioned seats. For something that is used by so many millions of people everyday, you have to try not to focus on all those asses (and everything else) that sat down before you. Now it has emerged that plastic seats may be considered on some lines that are a little bit dodgy...
  • A window opens and it falls out of the Gherkin (aka the Swiss Re building in the City) today. That's a big bit of glass to go flying about the city...

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Play ball: Damn Yankees @LandorTheatre

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