Matilda, Cambridge Theatre

For my birthday Anna got me the soundtrack from Matilda, we'd seen in two months previously the day after seeing Henry V. I hadn't really been too bothered, I didn't know what they'd done to it, I only knew Bertie Carvell was supposed to be very good in it. He was. He was! I'm glad we saw it before he left. Matilda was an excellent musical. The songs were great and the story and characters, though a little changed, much more faithful to the book than the sludgy-sentimental-american film. I mean, the Trunchbull was the best thing in the film, it was like Pam Ferris was born to play the part, she was a drill sergeant who had no time for small people, she was practically a big scary man, perfect. Perfect until you see Bertie Carvel. Bertie Carvel, a big scary man, played the Trunchbull like a little girl, her brain not developed enough to understand what's right and wrong, her brain only capable of understanding how to throw the hammer, how to do things by the rules, scared and disturbed by children but with the muscle and gigantic size to accidentally or maybe not accidentally KILL. Fuck, now THAT was terrifying. There were loads of school groups in when we saw the matinee, there was a special needs school in the stalls, every time the Truchbull appeared they all wailed in terror. Christ!!

Henry V, Globe

The Globe finished their World Shakespeare Season with Henry V, and also launched their new season with it. Jamie Parker returned as Hal and was as charming and cocky and young-Kenny-Brannagh as ever. We'd seen Henry IV parts one and two last year at the cinema and my god they were fantastic, so much better than the BBC's Hollow Crown series, Simon Russell Beale can fuck right off, he is a charmless slime-bucket, we love you Roger Allam, your Falstaff is my dream man, I was horrified at his "death scene cameo" (a large covered corpse was carried off) in Henry V. Yes, it was a good show and I'm glad I saw them all, but I miss Falstaff and as soon as it was over we went straight to the shop and bought Henry IV parts one and two on dvd to give to Dad-Y for birthday. Making this June!

Step 9 (of 12), Trafalgar Studios

With a Thursday afternoon to kill in London and all the exhibitions having been seen I got a ticket and and ice cream for this one act play in the Trafalgar Studios teeny intimate theatre. I sat in the front row, which was practically on the set- my feet were in the set, it was up close and personal! And it was a claustraphobic little play! Funny, then tense, then uncomfortable, then terrifying!! I really REALLY enjoyed it. Neil from the Inbetweeners starred and he was very good indeed, that boy has range and I couldn't help but totally fancy him when I realised what talent he has! I'm a sucker for talent. And he reminded me of Rob. He was the same height and shape, but like forty years younger. Ha!

A Marvelous Year for Plums, Chichester Festival Theatre

A matinee in Chichester, I wasn't staying there again, two years previously I stayed in the kind of hotel people get murdered in, mismatched sheets on my twin beds and stains on the walls! Night terrors! I'm glad I managed to see this one, my favourite scene was probably the meeting between Anthony Eden and young John Prescott on board that cruise ship, apparently it's all true! Anthony Andrews was great, very emotional, liked the scene with the breakdown and liked Nick le Prevost and Imogen Stubbs smooching, I've always liked her loads. Don't remember much else, loads of coughing old people as it was a matinee and god it was hot in there, someone even had their westie with them, he looked like he was wilting, all fur in the boiling heat. May was about as hot as it got this year!

Julius Ceasar, Globe

The day after Rufus Alison had to work so I went to see this Italian production of Julius Casear at the Globe as part of their World Shakespeare Season- all the works of Shakespeare in 40 different languages. Anna, who booked the tickets and then couldn't come, speaks Italian. I don't. There were no subtitles but I've seen the play, I know what's happening... I managed to sell my extra ticket to an Italian girl and then we went and watched it. Ok... It was an avant-garde, minamilist sort of thing, modern dress too, but I followed the weak visual puns (lightbulb held over head, writhing in torment, etc.) and I followed the plot. My favourite bit was when they all killed 'Ceasar'... Ceasar was played by a leather chair with the seat punched out. Later on when each character died, they sat in the chair- you know, it's symbolic... Ha!!! It was tripe! And the Italian audience bloody loved it! Actually, my real favourite bit was when the old ladies in front of me who had been following their English texts throughout the performance said after the chair-murder to each other "I think the chap with the moustache is Caesar." That was Brutus!! Caesar had already been killed!! How could they not follow it?! Jeez!

Rufus Wainwright, Lyceum

Rufus Wainwright's new album Out of the Game came out and I went with Alison (not a fan but a last minute replacement for poorly Anna) to see him play at the Lyceum in April. He was wonderous. I love- LOVE- Rufus Wainwright. He's the only musician I think I actually like, I like sad songs and I like poetry and I like sarcastic beautiful gay lads. I had never seen him live before, other than when we saw his opera and he just came on at the end and said thanks, he played the entirety of the album and a lot of favourites, he did three encores including bringing his sister Martha out and making her sing! Bonus! it was ace, I loved it and Alison got her book signed by Mark Gatiss who was sitting in front of us, I think that was the highlight for her, that and Sheekys afterwards.

The Magic Flute, Prague State Opera House

I'm now going to review all the theatre/opera/concerts I've seen since April in chronological order, we should end with Jonathan Pryce's King Lear, which I saw last month, the night my appendicitis kicked in!


Rob and I went to Prague in April, we stayed in a boatel, a boat-hotel, it was amazing, two duvets on a double bed, one each?! Why did I never think of that?! So we did lots of Prague things, saw the sights and the museums and the architecture, ate revolting meat dishes and beer but found the best food was at the opera house. Rob booked the holiday and I booked the opera. Rob had never been to the opera but seeing as he loves the film Amadeus so much, and so much of it was filmed in Prague, I thought it would be nice to see a Mozart at their state opera house! It was fab and funny and had great tunes (the other operas I've been to I found tedious, I think the trick is to see one where you already know the music is to your taste!) At the interval we had ridiculously cheap fab open sandwiches and glasses of champagne. The only downside was the theatre layout, there were no normal seats (stalls, circle, etc) it was all little compartments, each with six seats, we shared our compartment with four Americans. The mum and mum's mate adored it, the dad and teenage daughter were bored and fidgetting throughout, before the cast had even taken their bows the dad said obnoxiously "Well, you've seen a Prague opera, you can cross that off your list!" The wife should have punched him in the nuts! Anyway, they didn't bother us much and it made for a good anecdote.