Fantasy Island

I have finally chosen this as my costume for Halloween this year. OK, so it ain't very Halloween-ey but who cares, I've had Roman Follies Fantasies since watching Sian Philips snarling as the Lady Livia in I Claudius. Look out Ireland, you're gonna get a bit of Pax Romanis!

Strictly Limited

Two shows have transferred to the West End that I have given, for very different reasons, very poor original notices to. Piaf and La Cage Aux Folles. Whilst they will no doubt acclaim these as triumphant transfers, it is worth noting that they are strictly limited runs – ie they would not dream of thinking they could sell this rubbish indefinitely. I should be surprised if La Cage makes a profit, or even its twelve week run.

Piaf, featuring Elena Roger is running for a strictly limited 100 performances. Everyone agrees this one is a terrible show that many people feel is saved by the Miss Roger – not all of us. If you want to see this story done well, buy the movie and see it ALL done well.

How About This?

For my Halloween Costume? Hmmmm, I may have put on a bit of weight since that movie, though.

So What is his Gaydar Name?

I am assuming that as this is obviously Gerard Butler's gaydar picture!

Closure

Many of you will have read the recent scare-mongering regarding the credit crunch that is affecting the world at the moment. If the collapse of sterling wasn’t enough to convince you then no doubt the closure of The Girl With The Pearl Earring will. Three shows announced their closure in less than a week, namely the above play at the Haymarket, Avenue Q at the Noel Coward and Riflemind at the Whitehall. Newshounds noted how this was a sure sign of how the credit crunch was affecting the West End.

Utter tosh. Avenue Q is closing nearly 2 years after its expected close date. It garnered a lot of good publicity and for a relatively small, limited appeal show, it had a very good run in the West End. It will be making way for Calendar Girls, which is currently enjoying a decent tour and has a strong cast more than capable of attracting custom to the West End.

Riflemind opened in a flurry of hype – directed by Hollywood’s….that guy who played Capote – to universally lame notices. Most people simply observed that the play was boring and the real life escapades of derelict rock bands far more fascinating. Pearl Earring, too, opened recently to really bad notices.

These two plays would be closing in a really good financial climate. Don’t blame bad writing on the credit crunch!

La Clique - Feck!

I adored La Clique.

OK, not being a regular at Edinburgh I realise this makes me a ‘Johnny-come-lately’ but what the heck, I know for a fact that the best that the Edinburgh Festival can produce is aiming for the streets of London. Edinburgh is a means to an end, not a goal, and the sooner it realises this, the better! Anyhow, back to La Clique and the triumphant arrival at The Hippodrome in Leicester Square. La Clique – a form of circus side-show – revel in what I am now calling Dark Ent. (as opposed to Light Ent.) – they are the old ‘spesh’ acts from the variety shows given a sexy revamp – tight bodies, rippling muscles, pierced tongue-in-cheek comedy and a headline venue. It appears this may be the last show at the old Hippodrome as the venue has now been granted its casino licence. Well, let that be an incentive to catch what may be the last show at the old Talk of the Town.

Joining me on this wild and wonderful evening were my dear friends from Belfast David and Vincent - or, as it appears I may have refered to them on the night Deevard nnnn Viinnnnsint. I cannot believe how drunk I got! Apparently, I sailed into the Retro Bar after the show; demanded champagne and eventually fell off my stool in front of a - I am sure - bored and embarrassed Lloyd.

Mmmm, classy! I swear somebody spiked my drink.

Anyway, I have decided to take the boys up on their offer of therapy for my drink problem by joining them in Belfast for Halloween. What fun!

Jermyn Street

Aside from the permanent residency I seem to have taken up at the refurbished Leicester Square Theatre, I have also spent a few evenings at the Jermyn Street Theatre. This teeny-weeny venue has played home to some interesting drama over the years, as well as a fair bit of comedy. Crooked Wood saw Jermyn Street’s first ever ‘in-house’ production and I must say it was frightfully charming. A couple of weeks later it was Informed Consent – an absolute disaster – except for providing us with a performance from the rather gorgeous Brett Goldstein.

I have noticed since that the charming Mr G also performs the occasional stand-up. I shall keep my readers posted as to Brett…mmmm

Top 'n Tail

There seems to have been something deeply frenetic about the opening of the new season here in London. Aside from vague attempts to continue some kind of personal life – more of that later – I seem to have been seeing loads of shows. Sometimes up to four in a week. It’s been mad. It’s almost as if, with the credit crunch looming, producers are desperate to grab your entertainment budget for the rest of the year, before you spend it on food.

To begin with, upon returning from Gran Canaria, I went to see Joan Rivers at the Leicester Square venue, courtesy of PR guru Kevin Wilson. ‘Nana Newface’ was on top form as usual although there was an odd twist to her usual stand-up routine, in that she fashioned and marketed it as a play. It was her usual routine except with a set and 3 other playing the roles of producer, make-up artist and flunky. Whilst I was not reviewing Miss Rivers I was reviewing Miss Barr at the end of October. I was a big fan of Rosanne through the eighties and early nineties, so I was really looking forward to seeing one of my heroines live.

Had I had to buy a ticket to this show I would have been severely disappointed and I can only wonder what Ireland and Amsterdam are going to make of her act. She was only doing two dates in London and the evening I was there, there were plenty of seats available.

Keep On Running

Using this natty little device I have discovered a mile route, ‘around the block’ at home. I am hoping to throw a little bit of running into my keep-fit regime and I have been trying to work out an easy-to-measure plan. This website is perfect.

The Birds

This little delight will make my Irish friends smile with happy memories. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic movie.........and a year since our last Halloween Party, where you can see we had a squawking great time playing with our living Barbie.

Four Weeks Now

I am taking it each day as it comes but it IS getting easier.