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Post by emsworthian on Aug 19, 2021 9:57:57 GMT
I went to the socially distanced matinee yesterday. As you can imagine the audience was mainly elderly, even by Chichester standards (and I say that as a pensioner myself). Staff were good at ensuring masks were worn.
I thought the audience rather slow to respond at first. No applause after A Cockeyed Optimist but Julian's rendition of Some Enchanted Evening won them over and at the end about half stood for an ovation. There were a couple of titters when Nellie asked Emile who's children they were, but I thought this was mainly at Nellie's naivety.
I am sorry if this isn't a more incisive critique of the production but it was simply wonderful to be back in a theatre with performers and an orchestra. A couple of times during Some Enchanted Evening I was in tears.
Two off-stage memories I take away from it:
An elderly chap behind me wondering if the leading lady who was a "bit on the chubby side" might possibly be pregnant? Afterwards as I was coming away from the theatre, a couple were walking down North Street in the road with the 80-something woman singing off-key: "Younger Than Springtime Am I", oblivious to a car behind trying to get through.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jul 31, 2021 16:21:25 GMT
If you are staying near The Barbican, how about a visit to St Giles Without Cripplegate, the church within the Barbican? Milton was buried there, Oliver Cromwell married there and Rick Wakeman recorded part of his "Six Wives of Henry VIII" on the organ there.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on May 24, 2021 10:22:21 GMT
Right Said Fred are camp enough for Eurovision and are popular in eastern Europe (my brother went to one of their concerts in one of the Baltic states). Are they still performing? Unlikely to be chosen at this stage given their participation in anti-lockdown protests, anti-mask position and their statement that Covid vaccinations are a farce. OK. I'd lost track of what they have been up to.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on May 24, 2021 9:10:59 GMT
Right Said Fred are camp enough for Eurovision and are popular in eastern Europe (my brother went to one of their concerts in one of the Baltic states). Are they still performing?
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 11, 2020 10:13:40 GMT
I seem to remember that it was fashionable in the 80s and featured on restaurant menus. I assume for individual portions they use a section of lemon rather than a whole one.
As OxfordSimon said, it is not that difficult to do. I was surprised that they seem thrown by pleating the grease-proof paper as that is a fairly basic skill and yet the contestants achieve complex technical tasks in other challenges that I couldn't possibly do.
I once served Sussex Pond Pudding it to my family and the air inside the lemon made the suet pudding pulsate as if it were alive, which freaked out my father.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Oct 20, 2020 9:35:17 GMT
Hare writes a poor man’s version of House of Cards, packs it full of cliches and tries to make some good actors get their mouths around some clunky dialogue and say things in ways their characters just wouldn’t. It seemed so old fashioned. A Government Minister may have fathered an illegitimate child. Are we supposed to be shocked? It hasn't held Boris back. The illegitimate daugher's mother was black. Again are we supposed to be shocked?
I think the title "Roadkill" is appropriate. It is a horrible mess and I shouldn't look at it but I probably will.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jun 22, 2020 9:43:29 GMT
Instead of Sunday in the Park with George, it will be Wednesday stuck at home with my husband.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jun 12, 2020 13:07:11 GMT
I was going to see "We Will Rock You" at the Kings, Southsea, tomorrow.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jun 6, 2020 6:20:52 GMT
I loved it. Great story (I had never heard of the strike before this musical), songs I found myself singing along to (sometimes not being in the theatre has its advantages) and really energetic dancing (I can understand why American sometimes complain that West End musicals lack the energy of Broadway musicals).
Out of the 3 musicals I've watched during lockdown, "Curtains", "Love Never Dies" and "Newsies", this was by far the best.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on May 25, 2020 17:52:16 GMT
Yesterday we had fresh English asparagus with melted butter - the first we've had this year. Then roast lamb with new potatoes, carrots plus leeks in white sauce with gravy and mint sauce. We were due to have homemade rhubarb and apple crumble and custard for pudding but were so full that we had that in the evening.
The reason I mention this is every now and then I feel a bit down and sorry for myself in lockdown and then I think about Helen Dunmore's "The Seige", which describes the seige of Leningrad and how people were reduced by starvation to cutting bits off a leather belt to boil with water to make a soup.
Then I think: "Maybe life isn't that bad."
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Apr 25, 2020 14:37:14 GMT
I enjoyed it. I thought some of the music was lovely. Although at times there did seem to be a bit of a jar between the Christine/Raoul/Phantom scenes and the circus scenes.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Apr 14, 2020 21:20:05 GMT
I enjoyed "Curtains". Not up to the standard of the great Kander and Ebb classics but entertaining enough and my son and I laughed out loud quite a few times.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Apr 10, 2020 11:25:01 GMT
Apologies if already posted somewhere but Chichester FT is streaming "Flowers For Mrs. Harris."
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Mar 28, 2020 17:07:53 GMT
My lunch was positively Sybaritic after 2 days of spam (not the email type). I had a third of a tin of Baxter's Thai vegetable soup (shared with family), a third of a demi French baguette with sliced cheese and tomato and small portion of pork pie with pickle. Then I had a tangerine.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Mar 19, 2020 7:06:30 GMT
I submitted one-liners and sketches to "New Huddlines" back in the 90s. He was such a pro. I remember with pride how in one show he made the punchline from one of my sketches a running gag throughout the show.
He had such a love for the theatre.
RIP Roy.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Mar 15, 2020 17:40:47 GMT
OK. I feel quite cheap writing about my insurance on the ticket but it helps distract me from the wider picture, which is getting increasingly scary.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Mar 15, 2020 17:05:38 GMT
I took out a £2 insurance on my ticket. I may have to check the details.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Mar 3, 2020 11:25:51 GMT
A few tickets now available but hurry.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Feb 29, 2020 10:32:05 GMT
Just grabbed on now, a few more tickets have gone on sale for all dates by the looks of it if people are still trying to get one. I am a bit miffed as the only ticket I could get was for a date which isn't all that convenient for me. Now there are others available, I am wondering whether to try to swop.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Feb 13, 2020 9:46:34 GMT
It would be great if we could see the other side of the door and it had No. 9 on it.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Feb 4, 2020 7:52:31 GMT
I was watching an old 50's black and white film, "Tiger in the Smoke", which I had recorded and I thought: "Gosh. That actor looks like Martin Clunes. He's got the same mannerisms as well." A quick google on IMDB revealed it was Alec Clunes, Martin's dad.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jan 29, 2020 9:50:43 GMT
So can someone confirm the big house musical will be South Pacific? Great show but very uninspired choice especially after safety net if Oklahoma. Why can’t they just do a full blown revival of gentleman prefer blondes, Gigi, or victor/Victoria (don’t ask why I like all Parisian musicals 😂) Really hoping it’s South Pacific but I don’t think they should have a sondheim. Much as I love him to overcooked. Anymore confirmations, rumours? I love the music of "Gigi" but I think it would be problematic these days as it would be seen as a musical about grooming.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Jan 15, 2020 9:44:26 GMT
I had a ticket for "Six" at Chichester FT last night but decided not to risk going with Storm Brendan in full force. It would be that night.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Dec 5, 2019 11:54:44 GMT
Yes, Frosty, it was The Spring.
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Post by emsworthian on Dec 4, 2019 11:33:55 GMT
I saw this as an event cinema production at my local arts centre last night. The centre was packed, although a handful of people left during the interval. I heard quite a few people saying that it was much better than the fairly recent Chichester production with Rufus Hound as the lead. I didn't see that but to me the key point is that Garry should be played by a charismatic actor and the audience should believe that everyone wants to sleep with Garry. Andrew Scott = yes. Rufus Hound = no.
Plus, I agree with justfran about Sophie Thompson's dodgy accent.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 30, 2019 10:09:00 GMT
Several obits have said how with his fearsome intellect,he could be sardonic and cutting but the one time I saw him, he demonstrated another side. He was directing Otello at the Coliseum in St Martin's Lane, and I went to a "Meet the Director" event there when he talked about his forthcoming production and took questions from the audience. One lady asked a question that was rather naive and a couple of members of the audience sniggered. It would have been easy for him to have been dismissive of her question but he answered it politely and respectfully and at reasonable length so it was the sniggers in the audience who were made to look foolish.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 30, 2019 9:55:52 GMT
The Ellen Kent operas usually have a novelty such as a huge eagle in Rigoletto and a horse in Carmen. Yes, I remember a horse - or possibly a donkey - in the production of Carmen I saw at the Kings, Southsea. I also remember a man following it around with a bucket and a shovel.
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 24, 2019 8:16:14 GMT
I thought Thatcher had fewer Etonians than May or Boris. Frankly, pretty terrible whatever. Wasn't the quote at the time that there were more old Estonians in Thatcher's cabinet than old Etonians?
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 6, 2019 10:45:32 GMT
Hi, Learfan. Those two are on my bucket list as well. We have relatives in Ottowa and went out two years ago to stay with them and explore the city and 1,000 islands. They said that the next time they would take us to Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake and see something at The Shaw Festival. However, we are still waiting for the follow-up invitation.
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Post by emsworthian on Nov 4, 2019 11:16:16 GMT
Changing the subject slightly, I saw on Twitter that someone had voted for Saffron 103 times! Was it Saffron's nan?
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