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Showing posts from April, 2009

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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...

Theatre Week... Oh the drama...

Last week was a week for Theatre. Four plays and one Musical. This is what happens when friends who are mad theatre-goers drop in to London and have been dying for some cultural pursuits... Well Adrian comes from Melbourne where all they have been playing down there of late I think is re-runs of Menopause the Musical and Phantom of the Opera, so his desperation for some culture was understandable... First play up was Rookery Nook at the Menier Chocolate Factory . It was still in preview last Tuesday and I couldn't help but think that they had yet to get the pacing right. Part of the problem might have been sitting so close to the action. While it was harder to fall asleep, it also meant that the over the top acting and other shenanigans was right in your face. Sometimes a little distance helps. Still the flag seller, the dog and the biscuits strewn across the floor kept me intrigued with the show. Perhaps a trim of the play might have helped with the levels of enjoyment. I left Adr...

Hot News This Week In London...

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Killer Flu Reaches Europe , originally uploaded by LinkMachineGo . Oink oink oink...

Photo shots: Princi...

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Posted via email from paulinlondon's posterous

Photo shots: I really like your shoes...

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Odd goings on in soho... Posted via email from paulinlondon's posterous

Theatre: Rookery Nook

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First impressions now with Adrian from Melbourne... More later... Listen!

Hot news this week in London

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SLP: Kitty Tikka , originally uploaded by Ronald Hackston . Another unintelligible headline from the South London Press...

Idle banter at the movies Sunday

Paul: Let the Right One In isn't that scary when you think about it... David: You kidding? I hadn't heard you hyperventilating so much since that aborted landing flying back from Edinburgh... Paul: Well okay... Still the central message of the movie seems to be that everyone needs a guardian angel... Of death...

Scenes from the Northern Line Tuesday

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img_0833 , originally uploaded by Paul-in-London . What those crazy kids get up to on the Northern Line Tuesday... Or not... Close inspection suggested it had not been used...

Scenes from a Tuesday night rehearsal

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Slouching basses... Posted via email from paulinlondon's posterous

Idle chatter in the front row at Cadogan Hall Tuesday

Gio: I don't think much of their pirate outfits ... Paul: Hmm no but check out the camel toe on the violinist... Gio: Ok come interval we're leaving... Paul: I am finding it strangely intriguing already...