Gorgeous as the Sun at Midsummer

I ventured over to the West Midlands, now that's not somewhere I venture all that often. I mainly went for middle class reasons, to go to see some of that Shakespeare in that there Stratford-upon-Avon. I saw me a Henry IV Part One and a Henry IV Part Two. Now call me churlish, but I'm not certain that anything actually happened in H4.2, it just seemed to be lots of chat followed by an unsatisfying conclusion.  I just didn't really get it. I think I might have been a bit spoilt by all the other Henry's which are back to back action chock full of wars and stuffs. Hmmm.

Still Stratford was lovely, full of parks and rivers and sun. I saw Shakespeare's grave and loads of shops with Shakespearean pun names.  Didn't pass a Millets, but I'm fairly sure if I had the sign in the window would have said "Now is the Discount of our Winter Tents."

Whilst I was out west I visited Coventry for the first time. I don't mean to do it down, but I've probably been to prettier cities than Coventry. I almost felt like the big bright shiny sun was doing the city a disservice - I feel that the post communist chic would have benefited from snow. Or at least fog.

Feelgood Theatre

I saw Blood Brothers last night.  It was very good, but I can't help but feel I've been missold. I was expecting a heartwarming tale of inter-class friendship; that is not what I got. What I got fell very much into the "less than heartwarming" category.

Bit of a contrast to the last theatre trip.  I went to see The Play That Goes Wrong at the weekend. It made me laugh. A lot. Probably the most I laughed since the last time I saw Mischief Theatre do a something. They're touring at the moment - Essex types I urge you to go to see it in The Palace in June - everyone else you'll have to go to Darlington. Or wait til it gets another run in the West End in the Autumn.  Either way see it. 

A Local Post for Local People

Morning, happy bank holiday to you all. And apologies if this post is a bit Chelmsford-centric. Not certain why I feel like I need to apologise for that any more than my normal London-centric offerings, but I do. Something about the provincial hinterland, I guess.

Have you seen Smith Hughes Close? Of course you haven't.  There is no reason why you should. It's off Kings Road, just up from the Coop. And it looks awesome. Hip architecture in a fairly grim estate. Is this the start of gentrification? Is it only a matter of time before the New Barn reopens as a gastropod and the phone unlocking shop starts selling pancetta?

Talking of pancetta, I went to Sapori for the first time this week.  Thought I would try out that Tastecard thing. Turns out that 2 for 1 doesn't work if you double up on starters instead of getting dessert. That irked me more than it should. Especially as dessert starter was nowhere near as nice as starter 1. Crikey that's a middle class problem.

Blood And Revenge Are Hammering

I went to see Titus Andronicus.  It was brutal. It was proper B-Movie ultraviolence - a nice tale of rape, mutilation and mum jokes - but cultural because it was Shakespeare. One of the most fun things I've seen at the Globe - and with a lot of the action happening in the crowd, one of the most memorable too.

The lights here go off at midnight. Fairly sure I've cycled in the dark before, but this time it seemed really dark - I guess there was limited mooniness. Kinda weird, knowing that you can be seen from a fair way away but that you can't see anyone else around. Kinda sinister.

Urine For A Treat

I saw that there Urinetown.  I'm not going to lie to you, I saw it on the basis of its name alone. Urinetown? They actually called it that. Still it was strangely fun. And very much not like any other musicals I've seen. It had a tremendous body count.  You don't get that in Cats.

I saw Phil Wang's Edinburgh Warm Up show last night.  The crowd didn't seem to get him, which was a bit of a shame.  Not least because on more than one occasion I was the only person laughing, which always makes you feel a bit like a simpleton.

And I'd like to think I'm not.  Even if I did go to see a show because it had urine in the title.

Hip London Stuff

I did one of those hip London things the other day, but I had to sign the Citizens of Beaumont Official Secrets Act, so can't tell you anything about it. Which doesn't make for that interesting a blog post.

Hip London stuff like that, though, does make me pretty grateful that I live close enough to a city where stuff like that happens.  There really can't be many places in the world where everything (by which I mean people with the inclination and resources to put something on and people with the disposable wealth to participate) aligns so that something like that can exist.

Ultimate Warrior died this week. When I was ten he was pretty much my hero.

Quiche, Quinoa and Quail Eggs

Why is it only middle-class foods that begin with Q?

That wasn't really what I meant to start this post with, but it was bugging me today. I'm not sure if I'd be less bothered if they used the Qs properly, rather than had them as la-di-da Ks: keesh and keen-wa just doesn't sound as hoity toity.

Anyway, what I actually meant to do was add to my increasing mountain of Kate Tempest flattery. It seems like there's nothing she can't do. I saw her latest play this weekend, it was ace.  Fun and funny and powerful and emotional and all round better than it had any right to be. And it had Michelle Gayle in it.  And she's not aged since my sweetness was her weakness twenty years ago. Only one slight criticism: the title. Hopelessly Devoted - I can't hear it without hearing Stockard Channing wailing.

I saw that I Can't Sing thing too. Not certain that I need to write too much about it, as a whole heap seems to have been written. It was a mighty silly slice of lowest common denominator fun and trying to read any more than that into it seems to be missing the point somewhat.

_____________________

Here's a conversation:
- "Have you read the Cappuccino Years?"
- "No, I never read Adrian Mole as a kid and I feel that it's a bit late to read it now.  It seems a bit time dependent."
- "What are you reading now?"
- "..."
- "Sorry I didn't hear that."
- "Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging."