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Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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I recently had a few parcels go missing from where I live. The first parcel disappeared without a trace. The second parcel's contents were removed, and the box was left alone in the lobby. It's one of the things that you have to put up with living in central London. Apart from complaining to the delivery company and filing a police report, it crossed my mind to think about what would happen if I sent myself something rather unpleasant for a future parcel thief to open up. Well, Dave Florez's new work, The Gift, is in this line of thinking, except that the lead receives an anonymous gift of a turd in the mail rather than sending it to himself. It is lovingly gift-wrapped in a cake box from a posh north London bakery. It's a fascinating and hilarious three-hander currently playing at Park Theatre .  Colin (Nicholas Burns) is a little obsessive at the best of times. He doesn't let things drop quickly and is obsessed with the details behind anything and everythi...

Essential music: Life of the Party @MenChocFactory

For the next couple of weeks, The Life of the Party - A Celebration of the Songs of Andrew Lippa, is playing at the Menier Chocolate Factory. For anyone with the slightest interest in new musical theatre this is a show not to miss.

While Andrew Lippa's shows have not had big West End or Fringe productions (yet), the evening is an opportunity to savour the best of all of them.  

He is joined by Caroline O'Connor, Damian Humbley and Summer Strallen, and it is an opportunity to hear and appreciate his songs, in a more intimate setting and savour the music and intricate lyrics.


The evening ranges from quiet reflection to rolling in the aisles hilarity. But each of the songs are delivered with passion and inventiveness. Over the course of the evening you also get the chance to see Summer Strallen in a dominatrix outfit and Caroline O'Connor playing a jaded lesbian in the show stopping "Old Fashioned Love Story" from The Wild Party.

Lippa's shows include John & Jen, The Wild Party, The Addams Family and Big Fish. There is also an excerpt from his new oratorio I Am Harvey Milk, which was premiered by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.

It also seemed quaint for the Spotify / digital download era we live in, but for anyone that still has such a wonderful contraption for playing music, he signs his CDs after the show as well...

A clip from YouTube where he performs his opening song "Mashall Levin" (albeit in less snazzy attire than at the Menier). The show runs until 14 June.

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