After much walking around London yesterday, I eventually got PY, American Colleague and Myself tickets to The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband. It’s on at The New Ambassadors Theatre, which can be an intimate and interesting venue. It stars Alison Steadman and Daisy Donovan.

It’s a three-headed almost-farce like comedy (I was waiting for a Vicar and no trousers) and it’s only mediocre. Firstly, the title gives the game away. Secondly, the story is too weak to be carried for ninety minutes and thirdly, sadly, some of the acting isn’t great. There’s an old adage that everyone’s a critic and at £32 a ticket I think I bloody well deserve to be. Daisy Donovan, who I find hilarious on television, seemed out of place – although maybe that was just me as reviewers seem to think she handled herself well. However, when the main comedic thrust of her role was the comedy dancing – which might work on TV but looks very strange on the stage – I didn’t think she stood a chance. I imagine that Alison Steadman did her best but I think, the material was just not up to it. It didn’t give Daisy Donovan anything to make her West-End debut with and it didn’t give Alison Steadman anything to get her teeth into. This review says all this in a much more articulate way.

Still, despite its shortcomings, it was an OK evening. Middle aged couples and pairs of gay men. There is something faintly disturbing about that mix. And, perhaps, one should always remember that food is as important as sex.

On this day…

2004: Trees On Piccadilly
2003: Thoroughly Modern Manners

I saw The Full Monty at The Prince of Wales Theatre, London, last night. I have to admit that it was a lot better than I expected it to be. The central story that you’d recognise from the film is there but it has been adapted for the stage and re-set in Buffalo, New York.

In particular, the introduction of some new characters (the excellent Lynda Baron as Jeanette and the lovely Julian Essex-Spurrier as Keno, a professional male stripper) helps the story along well. The songs were strong and I shall be looking forward to getting the CD. In my opinion, Ben Richards (Jerry) was excellent as the show’s main character – which is useful, as he does seem to have a majority of the show to carry. The rest of the cast were great: Paul Keating made Ethan into an amusing character, adding a slap-stick dimension to the humour and David Ganly carried Dave’s insecurities and vulnerabilities well.

Without taking anything away from the show I would have liked to see it set back in the UK and the main narrative driver (Jerry’s need for money to keep seeing his son) was somewhat unbelievable (even for a West-End Musical). However, if you fancy an evening in a theatre that is 70% groups of women (although it didn’t seem overly hen-nighty) then I would thoroughly recommend it.

On this day…

No other posts on this day.

Thank God for the internet, for without its vast reach I would not have know that yesterday was Ben Affleck’s birthday. You see how enlightened this connected world makes one?

So in honour I thought I would do a Google on our Ben. Now for the first time in a long time everybody’s favourite Oracle has let me down by putting this (almost one year old news story) near the top of it’s sophisticated ranking.

Still, we can’t all be perfect.

On this day…

2005: Hits Out Of Hell
2004: Email At Work

I got more then you
And you can set it free
I can catch the moon in my hand
Don’t you know who I am
Remember my name

Well for no reason at all, I decided to look up what was the number one UK single on this day in 1982 (I don’t even know why I chose that year). Well, it’s a bit of a minefield as it somewhat depends on which chart you count as being the “official” chart. Still, it would appear that it was Irene Cara and the theme from Fame which is, of course, one of the greatest records from my childhood.

On this day…

2005: Two Minutes Silence
2003: 1789 And All That
2003: Wind Power
2003: Power of the Idea
2002: Ask Homer (and remember HotWired)

And with the news that Glastonbury’s back (and with cutting-edge music from Rod Stewart), I’ll admit I should be in bed.

But before you sleep, you should read this – Rivaldo’s singlet and 48 other reasons why the World Cup is great- (for no real reason whatsoever):

Japanese station cleaners: there with a mop and bucket the moment puke hits platform.

– The Guardian

On this day…

2005: Nightlfe
2005: Summertime In London
2004: A Little Update
2003: Formula One 2003 Race Calendar
2003: London’s Secret Railway
2002: Paris in the Summer

I found this while doing some work today. Do you know what happens when you cut off your head? Strangely compelling.

How long is the interval of consciousness after the head is severed? In France, in the days of the guillotine, some of the condemned were asked to blink their eyes if they were still conscious after the knife fell. Reportedly, their heads blinked for up to 30 seconds after decapitation. How much of this was voluntary and how much due to reflex nerve action is speculation. Most nations with science sophisticated enough to determine this question have long since abandoned decapitation as a legal tool.

And I saw Spiderman last night. Tobey Maguire rocks and looks fantastic in that suit 🙂

On this day…

2004: Two Years Ago
2004: Yahoo Extra Storage
2003: Shrewsbury Carnival 2003 Mobile Pics