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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...

More rubbish from Wanadoo...

Wanadoo is having a little trouble being a decent internet service provider with me. Rather than investigate my complaint properly they have offered to give me a technical call-back which one of their call centre consultants mentioned to me was a pointless exercise as they will just tell me to play with the modem and look at the lights. The problem that I am experiencing is more likely to be at the telephone exchange.
 
Anyway, it means they reach their target of responding to written letters within five days. After receiving their I decided to email back an acceptance of their offer so I would not be accused later by them of obstruction. This is how it went.
 
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Your ref:
  
I would like to confirm that I would like a technical callback to take place at 8am on 12 March (giving you five days notice to set up the call back as per your request in the letter).
  
I would also like to point out that if you are unable to tell me when you will be able to connect me to broadband (which Wanadoo has failed to do for four weeks), or successfully identify the problem then this is a pointless exercise.
  
I would also like to state I have been promised two technical call-backs already but that these have failed to eventuate and I have to date had to chase up Wanadoo for their failure to provide a broadband service and had to endure your woeful customer service standards.
  
 I look forward to hearing from you
  
Regards
  
Paul
 
Wed, 08 Mar 2006 13:57:40 +0000
To: "Paul"
Subject: Re: Broadband Account
From: "Wanadoo Offer Acceptance" offer.acceptance@uk.wanadoo.com
   
Dear Paul,
 
Thank you for your email.
 
Unfortunately we are unable to undertake technical call backs during the weekend. Please provide a convenient date and time (09.00 to 21.00) for one of our advisors to contact you (please allow a minimum of 96 hours notice).
 
Wed, 08 Mar 2006 13:57:40 +0000
To Wanadoo Offer Acceptance" <offer.acceptance@uk.wanadoo.com
Subject: Re: Broadband Account
From Paul
 
Why does this not surprise me? Wanadoo's useless service continues. A pity nobody thought to emphasise the inconvenient hours when my complaint was responded to in the first place.
 
I would like a call back then at 9am Tuesday. I trust this gives you enough time to manage your totally incompetent systems and provide me with yet another irritating customer service experience. I simply cannot wait.
 
Regards
Paul

And so it goes. Does anyone else out there have such problems with Wanadoo?

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