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Showing posts from July, 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...

Hot news this week in London

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Don't mess with my tutu , originally uploaded by ian_fromblighty . Flickr user captures Katie Price in Selfridges in a tutu... To publish some book... Nice Aussiebums though...

Brüno in tube

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Posted via email from paulinlondon's posterous

Hot news this week in London

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DOG POO MISERY , originally uploaded by the_moog . It isn't just the swine flu... There is dog poo too...

Opera Opera (and more) Opera

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It has been a a summer of opera for me. And a very enjoyable one as well. After catching Renée Flemming in La Traviata earlier in the season, I caught the opening night performance of The Barber of Seville. This production has to be a highlight of the year and one of the best productions I have seen. While Joyce DiDonato's fall in the first act gathered the headlines, what really was sensational about this production was how great the cast was. Particularly DiDonato, Pietro Spagnoli and of course, Juan Diego Flórez as the Count. Flórez in the final fifteen minutes of the opera was simply amazing, even more so after reading DiDonato's account on her blog , where he was holding her up... Literally. After his final aria, the audience couldn't stop cheering, stamping, hollering (you name it). It is moments like this that you remember why you go to the opera. The other moment of high drama in this opera was when DiDonato fell in the first act. I thought it was those chunky s...

Overheard at the gym Friday night...

Man #1: So we could have salad for dinner... Man #2: Yeah like lettuce? Man #1: Yeah like lettuce... Lettuce and... Chicken...

Scenes from One and Other Trafalgar Square Thursday

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The house dress as art. Discuss. See and download the full gallery on posterous (although trust me, it isn't worth it) Posted via email from paulinlondon's posterous

Theatre: Forbidden Broadway

Initial impressions of Forbidden Broadway which is currently in preview but opens later this week at the Menier Chocolate Factory Listen! It has been a while since I have been to the theatre and blogged about it. Sure I could have written about Frances Ruffelle's cabaret show at Madame Jo Jos saying it was good but after a long day rehearsing with the London Gay Men's Chorus , I wanted something funnier. I could have also written about opening night of La Traviata with Renée Fleming which was also fantastic (overlooking the first act and the over-egged production). But it was the sheer cheap laughs and silliness of Forbidden Broadway that is worth a blog update. While it was a little short side, there were enough fresh barbs at the London theatre scene including Elaine Paige, the West End Whingers , audience members, and even Susan Boyle , along with with material previously performed from the off-Broadway review to keep everyone entertained. Well maybe everyone who is a lit...