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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

Movies: No Country For Old Men


no_country_for_old_men, originally uploaded by Sky-Hunter.

My friend Adam decided to see No Country For Old Men without me saying that watching it me would be an awful experience as I would be gasping for air and yelling out "fuck" all the time in the theatre. Well I really do get carried away with what gets put up on the big screen so I couldn't blame him. So instead I caught the film with Mandy, who doesn't mind my quirks in the theatre as much as she likes to munch on the noisiest snacks you can buy at the candy bar. Tonight it was chilli flavoured rice snacks.

Anyway, both of us had long stressful days so nothing like an intensive taught thriller about a sociopath with a cattlegun to ease your nerves... Half way through the film Mandy hissed at me to be quiet because my deep breathing was disturbing her. Mind you, she had pulled her sweater almost over her head to avoid some scenes. It wasn't that it was particularly gruesome... But it was a particularly intense night out at the movies.

By the end of it we couldn't work out what the hell had happened. But I was somewhat relieved to find that I am not alone. Actually I was confused at many parts of the film. Following the plot of a movie isn't one of my strong points and I kept getting distracted by all sorts of things including wondering what was the motivation was behind Josh Brolin's moustache. Still this is a brilliant film that had Mandy and I re-enacting the "heads or tails" scenes on our way to the bar which went something like this:
Paul: Call it! Heads or tails bitch!
Mandy: No you're gonna make the decision anyway!
Paul: Oh whatever now do you Merlot or Pinot Grigio?
Bar lady: Well actually we're out of Merlot...
Well that's fate and chance for you...

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