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Two Ladies: La Bella Bimba at Barons Court Theatre / Canal Cafe Theatre

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T hey sing. They dance. They clown around. They even wash clothes! Such is the story of La Bella Bimba, part of the Voila Theatre Festival, which highlights new and emerging artists. A tale of two Italian ladies who land in 1920s New York, trying to break into Broadway without speaking a word of English. It’s harmless, primarily even if a little nonsensical, and is currently playing as part of the Voila! Theatre Festival .  I caught the performance at the Barons Court Theatre , where the intimate setting created an evocative atmosphere reminiscent of dark New York alleyways. The space was almost claustrophobic with a distinct smell of rising damp, making you feel immersed in the story of two Ladies hanging around the theatre doors of Broadway. On the plus side, the theatre has some of the most comfortable seats you will find in any pub theatre in London. As the naive and hopeful singers, Co-creator Lucrezia Galeone as Carlotta and Sarah Silvestri as Cecilia are fine singers with co...

Random observations about London: The telephone box


London is Calling - An infographic by the team at Marriott London Hotels

The Mariott have developed the following info graphic about the red telephone box in London. Telephone boxes are iconic due to their red colour and design. First installed in Kensington and Holborn, these small phone booths have come to be a well-known symbol of London. They were at their peak during the 1980s when there were around 70,000 boxes throughout the country and alongside police boxes were an acceptable form of street clutter.

But their days have been numbered since most people have mobile phones these days and BT cannot flog advertising space on them as effectively as other their more hideous modern designs can since the primary purpose of phone boxes nowadays is advertising.

You can still see the old phone boxes around central London, particularly on Bow Street in Covent Garden where the background image to this blog has been taken. Curiously they have also adapted to the challenge to be places for advertisements. Nowadays most are stuffed full of postcards advertising  the services of busty blondes and pre-op transexxuals offering cheap thrills and good times. If you are lucky enough you can even see the gollum-like creatures with backpacks full of postcards putting them up. If you are visiting London, it is best to photograph the boxes from outside...

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Play ball: Damn Yankees @LandorTheatre

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