Indeed. Went to the matinée of La Cage aux Folles today. My last visit. At least that's what I thought, until the end where I just knew I have to see it again. Unfortunately, the ticket system on the ATG website is pretty dire and simply doesn't want my fifty-five pounds, so it can fuck off. Anyhoo, I was very pleased to not notice anything particularly less energetic in their performance today as opposed to any of the...eight evening performances I have seen, which was a BIG plus! Lots of OAPs there, though, so they got more response than usual when The Best of Times came on (read: Sing-along time!)

Just need to utter a Happy Birthday to Reece Shearsmith (according to Wikipedia, which has been known to make up things in the past)--was just looking for info on Catterick when I stumbled upon his page. Yes, I am finally watching Catterick. At first I couldn't understand why I hadn't until now, but then it hit me; it first aired in 2004, when I hadn't quite moved to the UK yet, and then by the time the Scandie channels would have been able to afford importing it, I had moved to the UK and forgotten all about it. So far, two episodes in, it's great fun. And yes, it was brought on by the return of Shooting Stars yesterday. (I am usually very pleased with my Amazon Prime membership...next day delivery FTW!) (Although today they delivered only Catterick, which was dispatched after the two items I ordered the night before...it's the luck of the draw, I guess.)

In other news, I think a Nurofen capsule dissolved in a rather unfortunate manner earlier today due to the lack of readily available water, and my throat is now burning every time I swallow. Nice.

Labels: comedy, league of gentlemen, musicals, online shopping, personal, philip quast, roger allam, technology, theatre

G.I. Joe PSA - Mimimimimi. Wonderful.

Labels: humour, time wasting

Yep, I should probably 'kiddieproof' this blog, but I'm rebelling against those US-enforced parental lock thingies. Anarchy in your face!

Quick update on the dream front: The other night I dreamt that Jared Padalecki and Chad Michael Murray had joined forces and were fighting electricity for the benefit of humankind. Please bear in mind I don't watch Supernatural or One Tree Hill and actually had to look up their names to figure out who they were; I guess the power of the TV trail is tremendous!

The following night I dreamt about a new, revolutionary product called iLean. Probably manufactured by Apple. It was a gizmo you wore and which would beam info to the headquarters of iLean (again, presumably to the Apple HQ) every time you leaned on something or someone. You could actually earn up to £7,500 a year on this thing. I woke up feeling rather angry my new-found extra source of income turned out to be imaginary.

In between these dreams we went to the embassy in order to vote in the general election, which takes place in September back in Norway. I tried out a new party this time. Well, a new one for me, but as far as I know, the oldest one in the kingdom. I am worried about the right-wing parties, though, which seem to be getting a stronger grip on the population. There's a lot of hatred there. It's scary to see how they condemn right-wing election results in Austria and Denmark when the exact same thing is happening in their own country.

After having voted we went down to Canary Wharf to take in the view, eat at Jamie Oliver's brand new restaurant and then pay Waitrose a visit. We got home very happy and with lots of chocolate. I then realised I had managed to be in the sun long enough to sport a permanent clown mouth (well, hopefully it'll disappear within a week), and so spent the next two hours on the balcony trying to perfect the silly look by showing only my right profile to the sun. We had fun, anyway, doing our best to remember which British comedy shows we've seen (both before and after we moved here). A rather surprisingly large number of shows, I must say! Anyone remember Chalk? Written by the clever Steven Moffat (Press Gang, Coupling, Jekyll, some Murder Most Horrid and Doctor Who). I watched it because of David Bamber (naturally). He also inadvertently (and not literally) kicked my butt so that I finally noticed (and quickly became a huge fan of) The League of Gentlemen.

Speaking of britcom, I also started watching Peep Show the other day (hence the "cockmunchers" in the title). Fun and embarrassing at the same time. I don't often feel I have to look away because the situation depicted is increasingly excruciating to watch, but with this series it happens frequently. Probably also because it is filmed the way it is, so that it immediately feels more personal. With other shows I can just tell myself 'it isn't happening to me', but these guys are staring right at me, damnit!

Enhance your calm.

Labels: comedy, current affairs, david bamber, dreams, league of gentlemen, personal, TV

Enjoying this series immensely. It's rather mellow, but the characters really draw me in. Yesterday's episode was particularly exciting for a French & Saunders fan, as they were finally enjoying a whole scene together, just the two of them. Also, I have to keep telling myself Dawn French really isn't like Rosie in real life. It just seems so...realistic, somehow. Which I suppose is a compliment to her acting skills. If one is to take my criticisms to heart, of course (certain people shouldn't).

Fave quote from yesterday; between the Vicar (played by Patrick Barlow) and Caroline (one of the posher inhabitants, played by Jennifer Saunders):

- I'm just delivering a leaflet about the recital Veronica is giving next month.
- Oh, Veronica, your singer friend.
- Yes.
- Oh, John will love that, he was very taken with her areolas.
- Really...

Labels: comedy, TV

I am getting fed up of you now. This morning, all the seats in my carriage was taken by young and middle-aged men of all creeds, all pretending to be asleep to avoid the scornful looks they were given by the 20+ women having to remain standing. You keep going on and on about how much stronger you are compared to us, so why don't you get your lazy arses out of those seats and stand instead? You also keep moaning about women wanting both male chivalry and equal rights; tell you what: When we DO have equal rights (and that definitely includes getting paid the same amount as men for doing the exact same job), you can sit back down.

In other news, I'm actually not that cross. :-)

Labels: personal

I've just updated all the links on the right-hand side there. Apparently the BBC are cutting down on their comedy coverage (yes, I don't get it, either), so Wikipedia, here we come!

Anyway, now they should all work. I also added a couple I discovered recently (i.e. within the last year or so). Feel free to sling abuse my way.

Labels: comedy, TV

The people behind the killing of Baby P have been named. What a history they have.

I'm really losing faith in humanity.

Labels: current affairs

Another depressing documentary from Louis Theroux tonight; this time about crystal meth abusers. I wonder what on earth makes people think it's cool to take drugs when we've known for decades how they affect you and the people around you (before people start bashing me; I know the people in that documentary had some 'interesting' personal histories which quite probably played a big part in their addiction). Also, after more than a decade of eye-opening documentaries 'on the edge', I think Mr. Theroux should be awarded a KBE for not bitch-slapping any of his interviewees. In fact, he may be on drugs himself. Valium, most probably.

I think tomorrow's Panorama may be interesting, as may Tuesday's documentary about an autistic guy (on BBC3, I believe).

Yesterday we went to see Billy Elliot - the dancers were good, but damn! It lasted too long. I mean, how on earth did they manage to make that rather straightforward and not-very-fleshy story drag out for nearly three hours? Our seats may have had something to do with it, though; we were in the Grand Circle and quite obviously being punished for not buying tickets sooner. We were really cramped. Literally. I have rather long legs, and they were not happy.

Today, having a day off, I started re-watching The League of Gentlemen, this time with the commentary track on (I am sensing a repeat of what I went through with Red Dwarf--which classic comedy-series-missed-by-me-the-first-time-round comes next, I wonder?) I have started fancying myself as a comedy writer. Yes, you may laugh. Actually, please do.

Well, enough of that nonsense; back to The Last Remnant (game) before watching the last bit of Shaun of the Dead (a film I have seen five times...soon).

Labels: comedy, gaming, league of gentlemen, musicals, red dwarf, theatre, TV

Twitter. It's been coughing now for hours. My über-funny tweet around lunch time was never published, and the world has suffered a great loss because of that.

The National Lottery. Because all I ever win (with a couple of measly exceptions), if I do, is my stake.

The weather. Because it is suddenly raining and I have no raincoat with me.

I bet you that by the time I get home, the fucking neighbour has turned up his fucking music again and left me with no alternative than to push him off his own balcony. The cunt.

Why bother, really?

Labels: personal

My favourite quote this month, and it's only just begun:

'Now, if you're anything like me, you can often be found standing in the street, laughing at the severely disabled.' (Rev. Bernice (Reece Shearsmith), The League of Gentlemen Live at Drury Lane)

Considering how my life is quickly spiralling downwards due to the noisy neighbour and his nasty ASBO friends, a constant stream of good comedy is necessary. This has led to an almost overdose of The League of Gentlemen (much like Red Dwarf earlier in the year), but it's definitely worth it. The neighbour should be pleased, as it keeps me away from the kitchen knives.

Labels: comedy, league of gentlemen, personal, red dwarf

Thank you for making it such a great show. The audience were really getting into it, and the performers clearly fed off of that energy. It was the best performance I have seen to date (it was my 18th La Cage visit overall), and I was thrilled to be part of a standing ovation (with the mandatory bruised hand from all the applauding, of course). More, more! Well, there won't be much more for me, as I only have one ticket left for this run (I am going to avoid Burke/Barrowman--I believe I am way too biased to find any other pairing than Quast/Allam remotely interesting from now on (apart from Quast/Storhøi, but the likelihood of that happening is on par with my becoming an astronaut and colonising another planet all on my own))--this ticket is for a matinée towards the end of the run, so I'm worried they won't all be there etc. Such a let-down that would be (no offense to the rest of the cast; it's just that by the 19th time it's no longer the play I come to see, to be honest), and it's happened before. Oh, well.

I was sitting behind Graham Norton yesterday and had to restrain myself so that I wouldn't poke him in the back and whisper 'now don't you start booing and hissing every time Allam's on' (to the uninitiated: He played Albin/Zaza earlier in the year). He laughed a lot, though, so clearly enjoying the performance, like the rest of us mere mortals.

Oh, and to the poor lady sitting next to me: 1. Sorry for leaning on you (but that's what happens when you don't participate), and 2. when I looked at you just as I got up for the standing ovation, I did NOT glare at you because you didn't get up, only checking I wasn't standing on anyone's bags.

To the nice New Zealanders on the other side of me: Thanks for getting into the spirit of things by the second act so I didn't feel like such a loser for being perhaps a tad too involved, and thanks for immediately joining me during the standing ovation, even though you weren't very mobile.

And to the guy sitting behind me: The girl you came with may have sounded impressed and in awe of everything you said, but the rest of us thought you behaved like a twat with all your pathetic name-dropping. We don't CARE if you're a stage hand at some touring company and may have almost met a few big names.

I think that should have covered everyone sitting around me yesterday. Let's do it again some time.

I did get a surprise later on, though; I had been sure there must have been a contingent of avid Allam fans in the audience (due to some excessive applauding at times), and yet we were basically on our own by the stage door afterwards. Perhaps they had a train to catch. Or some pensioners to mug. As you know, Allam fans are rough. In the same way fans of Chuck Norris are mainly effeminate men.

Hopefully this will be my only post featuring Chuck Norris.

Labels: musicals, name-dropping, philip quast, roger allam, theatre