Having sadly had to recently wrestle with personal bereavement and subsequent funeral arrangements et al, a two night break to London was a chance to relax a little and recharge the batteries. Coming after Mum’s sad death (October 4th 2012), it was a welcome distraction…
Theatre, Film, Arts
Haunting Julia
Managed to catch Haunting Julia at The Mercury in Colchester. An Alan Ayckbourne ghost story, it’s not necessarily what the playwright is best known for. Although there are a few laughs, they are mainly incidental and the tension builds subtly over some crisp dialogue and ruminations on the pressure of early fame and competitive but well meaning parents. Duncan Preston, Joe McFadden and, especially, Richard …
Yes Prime Minister
Yes Prime Minister at the Trafalgar Studios last week. Still funny after 20 odd years and now nicely updated to reflect the trials and tribulations of coalition government. By turns satirical and farcical, Robert Daws does a nice line in both as the hapless Jim Hacker. Desperate as his political ambitions hang by a thread, his not too infrequent cries of “I must do something” …
The Cemetery Club at Colchester Theatre
What would you do if your husband died? Cherish his memory, and his gravestone, for ever more, try and find another long-term partner, or simply start dating again? That, in essence, is the nub of the Cemetery Club storyline.
The Sunshine Boys
Down to London last week to see the matinee performance of the well reviewed staging of The Sunshine Boys at the Savoy Theatre. Couldn’t help but recall the wonderful George Burns and Walter Matthau film adaptation of the Neil Simon play so intrigued to find out how well it stood up to the tests of time and taste. (Across the board excellent reviews had of course given me more than a gentle hint).
Colchester Comedy
Two very different comedy events in Colchester last week. A theatre production and a stand-up, poles apart in subject matter and approach and both extremely funny…..
Less Than Kind
Less than Kind at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre on Friday night – James Wilby and Sara Crowe took the leads in the Terence Rattigan play. Full of period detail, a lively comedy that had quite a lot to say in an understated and typically British way. Well worth a trip if the production comes anywhere near you (unless you’ve an aversion to some of the slightly …
Three Days In London
Excellent break in London, good hotel at great rate (always a plus for a Yorkshireman), theatre, exhibitions and “attractions”! Very successful combination….
Noises Off at the Old Vic
Noise Off at the Old Vic yesterday. Can’t recommend the production highly enough; great cast, belly laughs galore – I could usually watch farce all day long and hardly raise a smile but Frayn’s 1982 “farce about a farce” is still achingly funny. As an aside, the cast busts a gut for 2 hours every night plus matinees twice a week but footballers “get tired” …
Theatre Binge….
Just totted up that we have booked around ten visits to the theatre over the next three months or so. After due consideration, that’s quite a lot of theatre. Mainly at Colchester’s Mercury with an occasional foray into London. Looking forward them all……..
Tim Vine at the Ipswich Corn Exchange
Sometimes all you need is a barrage of one-liner silliness. You wouldn’t want every comedian to be Tim Vine but you are really pleased that there is at least one! So fast that a dozen jokes can miss the mark and there will still be belly laughs galore in the space of about 60 seconds
The Chosen Ones
Went to see The Chosen Ones at Colchester Mercury last week not really knowing what to expect. Didn’t know the play and with a cast list of four, ex Corrie, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actors to the fore, expectations were perhaps unrealistically low….