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I Miss The Mountains: Fly More Than You Fall @Swkplay

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Losing a parent when you’re still figuring out who you are and your place in the world seems like a bummer of a topic for a musical. But somehow, Fly More Than You Fall tackles grief and loss with a light touch, catchy music and enthusiastic performances. While it may not offer great insight into the exploration of grief, it gives pause for thought and a few laughs on the way. After all, death doesn’t take a holiday, and nobody gets out of here alive. We just hope it doesn’t happen too soon. It’s currently playing at Southwark Playhouse Elephant .  We first meet Malia as she prepares for summer writers' school. She aspires to be a writer and has a story in development. Encouraged by her mother to keep going, she is looking forward to the summer. But the summer school is cut short when her mother is diagnosed with stage four cancer. Back home so her mother can spend her last days with her family, Malia has to grow up quickly and find her voice while watching her mother slip away.  T

Music meaning and laughs: Tiffany Graves in the house

Closing out the season of Cabaret at Lauderdale House on Highgate Hill, Tiffany Graves delivered a memorably funny and high spirited show last Sunday. Lauderdale House is a former private home that has been transformed into an arts and education centre and has been running Sunday afternoon events for some time.

Graves delivered a wonderfully comedic and powerful collection of songs that she felt reflected her career, her friends and her relationships, which was at times hilarious enough to forget about the miserable weather outside.
It was a particular treat to see her renditions of comics songs including My Simple Christmas Wish (rich, famous and powerful) and If You've Got It, Flaunt It from The Producers. She knows how to get the most out of the songs she chose - musically and comically.  She even made a point of highlighting that she was wearing the same dress as the brochure (depicted above). It is a shame that there are not more opportunities to see Ms Graves perform or sing in London (I was lucky to see her perform in Sweet Charity a few years ago when she was understudy) and there appears to be no recordings available of her performances... For now.

It was a particularly cold and chilly day in London and Highgate Hill looked like a winter wonderland. An inch of snow dusted the grounds of the Lauderdale House making everything seem so lovely that you almost forgot the bitter arctic winds blowing.

The series of cabaret concerts here are very generously presented. Hosted by Broadway and West End actress Valerie Cutko (who could be fun enough to have her own show), she also sings a few numbers. Then there is a support act  and then the main act. Young Howard Jenkins's performance in the first half of the afternoon was entertaining enough although he was on better ground with his parody of being an usher at The Phantom of the Opera and his song Thick Skin than some of his other choices. It probably isn't a good idea to close your set with Once Before I Go from The Boy From Oz ... It feels to me too much like a song that is best sung by an old gay man about to die.

While you may enjoy a long afternoon of cabaret,  perhaps a tighter format with the support acts limited to a few numbers would help those who don't live near Highgate get home at a sensible time. It might also help to keep the cafe downstairs open at least until interval. Locals won't be so bothered by this of course...

The cabaret season has finished for now but there are a range of other concerts planned over the summer that are worth a look. There is also an appeal for funds for much needed works to the building, parts of which date back to 1582. Check their website for what is coming up and look for the return of the Cabaret in October.

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