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Post by tmesis on Sept 7, 2017 6:01:38 GMT
When leaving Leafy Surrey to further my interest in the business we aficionados call show, at the end of my train journey I am forced to listen to this recorded gem:
'You are now approaching your final destination, London Waterloo, where this train terminates.'
A journey can terminate, a train cannot (well not in the sense they mean.)
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Post by tmesis on Sept 6, 2017 15:13:09 GMT
Using showcase as a verb rather than a noun as in...
'To showcase your talents.'
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Post by tmesis on Sept 6, 2017 15:03:52 GMT
Well, the French never care what they do, actually, as long as they pronounce it properly. tmesis , bugbear twins! And Hebrews learn it backwards which is absolutely frightening.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 6, 2017 14:31:16 GMT
Baemax you beat me to it,
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Post by tmesis on Sept 6, 2017 14:29:35 GMT
Could of... Would of... Should of...
There's a chap on here who does it constantly.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 5, 2017 11:30:56 GMT
Great news.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 3, 2017 12:33:00 GMT
Had a busy day yesterday, matinee of Follies followed by Prom concert in the evening. Sandwiched in between I went to the pre-prom talk given by Hollinghurst. These talks, as some of you will know, last around 45mins and are then edited down to 20 mins to be broadcast that evening, as an interval 'feature' on Radio 3.
Now I'm a great fan of Hollinghurst and have read all his books; he was there really to plug his latest, yet to be published, called The Sparsholt Affair.
It has to be said, it wasn't the most riveting talk but it did make me want to buy the book.
What was most interesting though, was the audience reaction. I would say 50% hadn't a clue who he was. Most of the talks are related to the music that is about to take place in RAH but a fair number, like this are literary or history based. The best bits were when he read out parts of the new novel. There was a bit of fidgeting and embarrassed coughing when he read about a man observing another guy in a window opposite, describing in detail how beautiful his body was, but then in a later extract, the guy in front of me was visually and audibly squirming as he described two guys flirting with each other at a disco, including a bit of nipple licking - my description makes it sound quite tawdry; it was, of course, expressed in Hollinghurst's fabulously elegant prose.
Quite amusing really but also a bit pathetic in 2017. Now I could have understood it if he'd read out bits of The Swimming Pool Library!
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Post by tmesis on Sept 3, 2017 11:34:40 GMT
Regarding the casting of the four main 'leads', which a few here have found wanting, I really don't think it could be, at this moment, better cast than it is.
(Sound of gauntlet being thrown down...)
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Post by tmesis on Sept 3, 2017 8:56:09 GMT
I was at yesterday's matinee. Just a few thoughts since most points have now been aired.
On the whole I enjoyed it but was not blown away; good audience reaction however, with 2/3rds ovating. I think my reaction was more to the problems of the work than individual performances, although a more experienced director of musicals would probably have given it more pace.
I thought Imelda and Janie were very good and both were in excellent voice at the matinee. Imelda floated some exquisite pianissimo high notes at one point, belying some of the criticisms I've read. Janie had none of the vocal problems some have mentioned; she does seem sometimes prone to vocal 'issues' - I remember her virtually speaking through her part in Putting it Together a few years back.
Both leading men were excellent and the smaller parts were well taken. I didn't enjoy Tracy Bennett in I'm Still Here - completely unsubtle and the part lies in the wrong part of the voice. Good job I knew all the words too because they really weren't clear.
(Dame) Josephine Barstow was superb - great to be reminded of her glory days in the 80s at ENO.
I'm going again in late October so will be interested to see how well it shapes up further into the run.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 2, 2017 21:45:50 GMT
We loved this. Our first Follies, and I think all the better for it. Wonderful to see a proper big production on the Olivier stage, cast were great - I had no problems with the singing, Imelda and Philip Qast and Tracie Bennet were all marvellous, and Broadway Baby a highlight. I agree, makes you nostalgic for Sir Trev.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 1, 2017 15:53:05 GMT
Bugger! My main reason for going was to see Sarah Lancashire but Tamsin Greig has been excellent in everything I've seen.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 1, 2017 14:59:07 GMT
Let's face it, it should have been Delia. Well let's face it, we really should be referring to her as Dame Delia. I think I read that Blair wanted to make her Lady Smith, with associated elevation to the Lords but, rather gratifyingly, she turned him down.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 1, 2017 14:12:17 GMT
I seem to remember this was excellent at NT many years ago. I recall Josie Lawrence in the cast, but who were the other two? Angie Watts herself, Miss Anita Dobson (Olivier nominated), and Tom Georgeson. Thanks Ryan and I really should have remembered that as I have the honour of living in the same village as La Dobson, not to mention her badger-loving husband Brian May.
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Post by tmesis on Sept 1, 2017 13:36:52 GMT
I seem to remember this was excellent at NT many years ago. I recall Josie Lawrence in the cast, but who were the other two?
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Post by tmesis on Aug 31, 2017 20:12:44 GMT
I have a ticket for this tomorrow night. However all the discussions about the lack of an interval are so offputting that I'm not sure I want to go, especially as I'm getting flashbacks to the last time I went to the National, when I had a panic attack during The Light Princess. Just the thought of that awful 'musical' gives me nightmares. One of the very worst evenings at the NT.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 31, 2017 15:49:54 GMT
Must depend on which part of Surrey as I'm there today & sunshine has alternated with heavy showers & even thunder. Ah, you have to be in Michael Gove's constituency where the sun always shines.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 31, 2017 15:29:22 GMT
Would the person who has stolen summer please return it. Here in the grim north we seem to have gone from spring straight to autumn. The day got off to a bad start when I had to wear a sweater to eat my breakfast in comfort. Then I spent most of my lunchtime perambulation sheltering from a 'shower' that lasted half an hour. Now, typically, when I am back inside, the sky is a beautiful blue. Meanwhile in 'leafy Surrey' even the weather is smug. It's been beautifully warm and sunny all day.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 30, 2017 16:58:44 GMT
I think it still works because it's really the contestants that make the show rather than the presenters, and God knows why, but you empathise more, and get emotionally drawn into their personal journey (sorry, hate that expression too) than with any other cooking show. All the new presenters were good and better than anticipated. Just the ads are an annoyance but I think I'll get used to that.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 30, 2017 14:26:59 GMT
Well Mr Snow, I do make my own and it is infinitely superior to tinned. This is just a way of using the tinned variety as the basis of something else and I can hearty recommend it.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 30, 2017 12:26:11 GMT
Caused consternation at my local (Sunningdale) Waitrose because there was no tinned ratatouille on the shelves (I know, what a crisis.) Spoke to absolutely lovely customer services lady who instigated a half hour search for said product. "It's usually out on the shelves," "Maybe we're out of stock," contacts three other workers and then "It's been suspended!"
I can't cope! Will I ever recover?
Why? - you ask. Make your own (I do sometimes.) What's so great about tinned ratatouille?
Well I use it all the time,but never straight from the tin,when it's not great compared to home made, but used as a basis for other meals. Here comes my Mary Berry moment:
1) use as a pizza topping with a few additional herbs and cheese. 2) an excellent base for a pasta sauce, add herbs, mushrooms, bacon etc. to enliven 3) use like a cook-in-sauce with beef, pork or chicken to make an excellent casserole 4) a few spoonfuls added to the pan when frying a pork chop or chicken breast
Honestly it's just brilliant (only 80p a can) and will fool any dinner party guest* into thinking you've concocted from scratch.
* "Does anyone still give a dinner party?" To be sung in your best Elaine Stritch voice. ps. You can get it from Tescos
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Post by tmesis on Aug 30, 2017 6:58:41 GMT
I would like to see Simon R B in something really good and contemporary in a theatre with decent seating with say Tom Hollander and Victoria Hamilton and Rachael Stirling. Not a Stoppard or that terrible Pinter about his affair cos I can see you are thinking that would fit but something NEW and really, really good. I'd like to see him back at the NT in anything. After being almost their 'house' actor for years, he now seems out of favour with the new regime.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 30, 2017 6:47:57 GMT
Very interesting comments from Ryan and tonyloco. I'm going on Saturday and although Follies is packed with fab songs,as an evenings entertainment it's one of Sondheim's less satisfactory shows, and nowhere near one of my favourites in his output.
Oh, and by the way, has anyone mentioned before, there's no interval...
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Post by tmesis on Aug 28, 2017 12:07:49 GMT
I hugely enjoyed this yesterday. If you saw the Riverside Studios version it's not quite in that league but it nearly is and some aspects I enjoyed more. The cast were very strong with only a few reservations about the guy playing Timothy; he was a bit underpowered singing-wise and was slightly miscast dramatically; I feel he should have swopped parts with the guy playing Nigel who was very strong. Jane was excellent. The minor roles were very solidly cast and what a talented MD - not only a great pianist but he also acted, sung and danced the role of the tramp really well. Great costumes (they can often be a bit tacky at The Union) and, although minimal scenery; a few leaves, a bit of bunting and a psychedelic piano; it all looked very handsome and fitted the 'new' space better than anything else I've previously seen.
The show really is bonkers, with quite the most preposterous plot of any musical. It needs playing straight with minimal camping-up for it to work, which is what they did, and then this quintessentially English, ridiculously tuneful and above all, touchingly innocent blossom will flower.
**Temperature update** They had excellent air-con on Sunday and Act 1 was really cool. Act 2 was a bit warmer but more than OK
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Post by tmesis on Aug 28, 2017 7:21:40 GMT
Guys and Dolls was just awful. If this show is getting compared to that, I should save my money. This show is NOTHING like that awful Guys and Dolls. If you haven't seen it yet- book your tickets NOW. It's sheer joy. Totally agree. The show is life-enhancing and pure, uncomplicated pleasure from beginning to end. Forgive the awful cliche but it 'should be available on the NHS.'
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Post by tmesis on Aug 27, 2017 22:48:30 GMT
I almost think you could have cardboard cut-outs for the main parts and it would still work since it's all about the fabulous ensemble.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 27, 2017 18:01:03 GMT
I greatly enjoyed AAIP but still prefer Crazy For You, which is a much better structured show. I didn't feel the orchestra sounded thin and I'm usually very sensitive to that - I particularly hate it when they have one or two violins that are amplified to death, with excruciating artificial ambience, as that's going to fool anyone into thinking it's a full section!
42nd Street is still was the best trad. musical in town.
ps. Just about to hear a nice full complement of strings - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at the Proms.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 27, 2017 12:54:00 GMT
Well as the temperature in London is rising my heart is sinking; I'm en route to The Union and last time it was much cooler than this and boarder line unbearable in the auditorium. It's had better be worth it but I adore Salad Days and it's been getting good reviews. Trouble is, I'm going on to the Prom this evening and RAH is not known for its air-con either!
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Post by tmesis on Aug 24, 2017 16:45:08 GMT
One from the past...
My Fair Lady at NT.
Now will Martine be performing tonight?
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Post by tmesis on Aug 23, 2017 20:34:00 GMT
He was 74 when Otello premiered and 80 for Falstaff. With all the advances in medical science today, Sondheim’s 87 years might seem to be at least as young. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Verdi I like Joe Green's final opera with Betty Blackhead singing Mistress Ford.
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Post by tmesis on Aug 23, 2017 19:01:46 GMT
Just on the (interminable) train back from today's matinee. Oh I love the train journey to and from Chichester - I can gaze at some of my favourite walking country and admire landmarks such as Arundel Castle! Having walked the whole of the South Downs Way (and the NDW, but now I'm showing off) I know what you mean, but my journey, although not that far, involves three trains, takes 2 hours 20 minutes and is not that scenically glorious. I'm still on the train now and very bored.
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