Old Reviews 3: The Philadelphia Story ( Old Vic) Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre) The Woman in White (Palace Theatre) ( June 2005)

Me and Anna have been funning it up in London this week.
We go to London every so often to see a bunch of shows, last time we went to see The Producers and before that I saw Round the Horne Revisited, Journey's End and The Goat, and before that My Fair Lady (starring Anthony Andrews without fat suit)...
Anyway, monday night we saw The Philadelphia Story with Kevin Spacey, who I wasn't that impressed with, though the supporting cast were good. Anna and I were in the front row, which was pretty painful on the old neck but great for being a metre away from Kevin Spacey- I tried to remember films I've seen him in and thought were excellent and all I could remember was American Beauty, and unfortunately K-Pax- which was awful, then I remembered Hey! What about Glengarry Glen Ross, I love that film! "You Fairy, You asshole."
Speaking of Jonathan Pryce, we were greatly amused to find the Pickering to his Higgins, Nicholas Le Prevost, in The Philadelphia story, I must say he stole that show and as soon as he came on stage me and Anna were in fits of giggles, nudging each other and the like, and at the end I swear he looked straight at us during the bows... Anna and I have whispered to each other in despair that we might have to go and see everything he's in from now on becuase he was so wonderful.
The Woman in White, had lovely music, we realise now, listening to the cast recording, but the sets were a big let down, it was all just cgi projected onto the backdrop, what a gyp!! Just like that Nigel Havers play!!! But Antoine was amazing! Anna and I were surprised!! When we saw him in MFL he didn't sing, he did a Rex Harrison, after Jonathan had sung it all, and that other guy, the guy who got the Olivier, I forget his name, sorry mate. Anyway, we were expecting another shouting performance but no, he sang, he sang excellent well.
Next day! We saw Ewan McGregor in Guys And Dolls, but we didn't get spat on, shame. He did not disappoint especially when singing Luck be a Lady Tonight, that was a great number- and that bird from Sex and the City was very good, and so was all the cast!! It was just a great show all round!! And good sets!! We got a great set on The Philadelphia Story.

2011 Author's Note: We did then go to see everything he was ever in and over the years I managed to befriend him and as it happens I was talking to him just yesterday. Funny old life, eh?

Old Reviews 2: Rebecca (a Glasgow Theatre, March 2005)

Play time! I went to the theatre and everyone else in the audience was over 65, millions of old women, probably Nigel Havers' groupies, and no one my age- or even under 65 to be honest. I had a good seat in the Dress Circle in the middle near the front. The play started and Nigel is just so thin. And as I remembered the story I thought 'This is such a terrible play for him to be doing', in the whole first act it's like his wife died and he never got over it. Nigel's wife just died!! (last year) This must be awful for him, why is he doing it!?'
So Anyway, the girl playing the new wife was Paul McGann's love interest in that Poirot episode that I watched with Lauren one night!! The set was kind of cool too just a screen with different backdrops projected on it, but props were very minimalistic.
I liked the smooching scenes.
I bumped into Evil Dave on the way home, apparently food makes him burn things so he's not coming to the meal, but he is coming to the party afterwards.

2011 Author's Note: So begins my friendship with Evil Dave.

Old Reviews 1: Look Back in Anger (Feb 2005, Edinburgh Lyceum)

So we saw the tall and very thin David Tennant today in Edinburgh in the play Look Back in Anger... It was an ace play, and wonderful set design! But what a bastard Dave played! And the whole premise of the play was people living in a flat and feeling smothered, very appropriate for me at the mo, but in the play it was because David Tennant's character was such a bastard!
Ok, but here's the important bit!
We parked outside the theatre at about 12 and the show wasn't til half two, I said we should go look at the posters in the window, my dad saw the big poster and he said "Oh look he's a rapist!" And then he said "Oh wow, look! It's the guy!" And it was!!! It was David Tennant going into the theatre!! But me and Anna were totally scared that Dad-Y would embarrass us so we ran away as Dave walked into the theatre! He was so tall and handsome looking with lovely glasses on!! And Anna was totally grinning. But by the time Dad-Y had decided to "grab him" (as he put it) Dave had already gone back stage. So Moo-pa hung around outside for a while in case he came back out- to tell him that Anna was his biggest fan and could he sign the flyer- but he didn't...

2011 Author's Note: I was having trouble living with someone at the time. This was the first time I saw anything at the Edinburgh Lyceum (I was living in Dundee at the time) and it was not the last, every play I've seen there has been absolutely excellent- maybe there'll be more reviews in the livejournal. Also it was the first time we saw pre-Who, pre-Potter even, DT on stage, having seen him on telly only in He Knew He Was Right where he played a flared-nostrilled flirty vicar. He was extremely good, and he did sign our flyers when we posted them to him, Anna got two kisses, I only got one.

Old Livejournal "Reviews"

Once upon a time, from 2004-2009 to be exact, I kept a livejournal, or rather, I didn't keep it, I had one and every so often I'd post some awful opinions on something or another or some screenshots of actors I rather fancied or drawings I'd done. It had no structure! And it was not updated regularly. I decided after getting this blog (which you'll admit despite it's lack of content, I do update quite regularly and obviously enjoy keeping) that I would delete my livejournal because I'd stopped using it and more importantly there might be some incriminating content on it. Hey ho!
But before I delete it I thought I'd read it and see if there are any amusing reviews of theatre, TV, radio, film etc. That I could transfer over here and then remember in the future (and the present- my memory is so shocking) and not destroy forever.
I've looked at my first entry, October 2004 and it's a review of Anthony Andrews' performance in an American TV film of David Copperfield. I don't remember watching it but it appears he attended the Mr Gently Benevolent School of Evil and was extremely camp as the villain of the piece. I will not be including it here.

The Rite (2011)

Shite. But look how beautiful the boy who stars is! Seriously! I was watching it thinking "my god, he might actually be perfect!" Something of the Joseph Fiennes about him methinks... but even better!

The first half of the film was ok, I thought they might actually be trying to do a "realistic" exorcism film. The pregnant girl being possessed seemed quite well done, and as we kept on being told, there is no physical evidence, you (the priest) have to just believe... But then loads of physical evidence started to happen; coughing up nails, doors cracking open, candles blowing out, bracelets being chucked all over the shop. Like, surely someone would say "Hey, this is physical evidence, isn't it?"

And if all the possessed folk just shout "fuck off priest!" how come when Anthony Hopkins is possessed he's extremely eloquent? He's Hannibal Lector again! I reckon that was just the way he taught every priest how to be an exorcist, just pretend to be possessed and let the kid say all the spells. "Well done, you passed! Next!"

Christ on a Bike (Richard Herring)

Richard Herring! I was saving myself for something good to make the 200th post in this blog that no one reads, I could have reviewed Bramwell, the Victorian lady doctor (she fails at everything! Women shouldn't be doctors!) but I waited for this.

Anna, Lauren and I went to see Richard Herring at the venue under the cinema last night. He'd finished the first show, literally forty minutes before coming on and doing it all over again, but he did not seem tired at all, phew!

At Lauren's request we sat in the front row of the tiny venue, Rich was practically doing the show on top of us. I don't like sitting in the front row but I was completely at ease being in the front last night, creepily it's probably because of listening to [sometimes during the year] three podcasts a week starring young Richard I think of him as a pal of mine, I mean I know what he's up to all the time without even reading his blog or stalking him (makes a change). Let me tell you Lauren, we're not sitting in the front for Greg Davis next week, I'd be far too scared of him massively looming all over me and grimacing...

Christ on a Bike was brilliantly entertaining. Seeing one of Richard Herring's shows is like seeing a lecture given by a scarily intelligent manic child with a beard. He has so much energy and is so enthusiastic about his subject, he has really researched, but when grown-up reasoning with dream-Jesus fails, knob jokes are always there to fall back on. Also, Rich doesn't grimace.

I enjoyed the show as much as Hitler Moustache, but it was more gentle, tackling Jesus is safer than tackling Hitler, after all Jesus would most likely let you have the ball but Hitler would have SS surrounding him at all time and you'd never be allowed on the pitch. I'd still find the image of Jesus handing me the ball so much more infuriating though... Smug git!

That Thing You Do (1996)

Tom Hanks directs a boy who looks sort of like how he used to. Like Robert Redford directing Brad Pitt, except Brad Pitt is really good and where is this boy now? Colin Hanks on the other hand, who I noticed had an non-speaking role as Liv Tyler's escort and screen time of two seconds, has done some ok comedy films and was in series two of Mad Men, he's probably more likely to be his father's protégé, but still, do we really need a new Tom Hanks?

I saw this film when it came out and now I've rewatched it 15 years later, it was nothing special. But you know, I do like that song. I downloaded that song about five years ago after hearing it used over a montage in an episode of Third Rock from the Sun (Dick, Mary and Strudwick bunk off school and go go-carting etc. Those episodes with Strudwick were the best!!)

They play the song fully about six times during the film.

Imagine how awful the film would have been if the song had been shit! The song makes the film. It's an ok film, apart from the last three seconds, which is the hotel porter grinning knowingly at the camera. What the fuck!?

Nine minutes in. Absolutely brilliant.