A Busy Few Days

It’s been a busy few days, starting on Thursday evening in the Coach House for a drink with friends. It was a good night but I was surprised at how quiet it was in the pub. Usually Thursday nights are quite busy but even the town centre seemed quieter than usual.

On Friday Clare and I went to The Royal Spa Centre in Leamington to see The Holly & The Ivy written by Wynyard Browne and starring Stuart McGugan and Corrine Wicks.

Set in a Norfolk vicarage on Christmas Eve 1947, the vicar's family gather for the festive season. Peace and goodwill radiates from the warm-hearted elderly vicar, cared for by his young daughter. But with the arrival of two irritable aunts and an errant daughter the emotional veneer is skilfully peeled away. As skeletons tumble from closets and stones are turned over, family members are forced to confront their regrets and secret anxieties. Even the lovable vicar is not immune to the stresses and strains of a normal family life.

The play is split into 3 parts and after a slow start I found myself being drawn further and further in. The cast were superb (with the exception of one aunt’s dodgy Irish accent, which could be forgiven) and although the whole play took place in the one room the set looked fantastic!

It’s a shame that it wasn’t a full house. It deserves to be sold out each night. However, the fact that it wasn’t worked well for me as it enabled me to move seats during the first interval. Having been hemmed in for the first part we asked if we were able to move during the break and we ended up with nearly an entire row to ourselves!

One last thing, the staff, at the centre, are great, friendly, polite and willing to help. It is how a theatre should be run!

Saturday

An early start. The 8.05 to London was quite busy but I’m glad we went at the time we did as England were playing Spain at Wembley later in the day so if it was busy when we went it would have been horrendous as the day went on!

Arriving in London we headed straight for the National History Museum (having stopped on Baker Street for a sandwich and cup of coffee).

We arrived and made our way to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 exhibition. There were some fantastic photos. Favourites included Moonlight Over Aloba by Marsel Van Oosten, Polar Power by Joe Bunni, The Assassin by Steve Mills, The Coming by Sven Zacek, False Killers Disguised Dolphin by Clark Miller, Sinuousness by Macro Columbo and Trust by Klaus Echle. There were also one or two that seemed either a little clichéd or, in at least a couple of cases, it seemed to me not worthy of entry but then again what do I know!!

Having spent the best part of 2 hours in there we decided we would save the rest of the museum for another visit and headed off to Tate Modern. I was amazed at the queue to get in!!! If you are going to go then get there early!

With parts of the tube closed for Engineering Work we headed to Embankment and walked along the river towards the Tate. With the mild weather it was lovely and we browsed the books of at The South Bank Market before continuing our stroll.

We arrived and immediately headed for The Turbine Hall to see the installation by Tacita Dean. Having first viewed it from the Level 1 we headed downstairs and whilst most people kept a respectable distance Clare and I went in for a closer look. I’m not sure what I made of it to be honest. I was impressed by it’s size but can’t say it spoke to me.

Upstairs we happened to stumble on A Living Man Declared Dead And Other Chapters  I - XVIII by Taryn Simon.

This was a great exhibition, photographs of families from around the world depicting bloodlines. In some cases, blank spaces were generations have been lost, refused to participate or were banned from participating on religious grounds etc.

Not only was it interesting but also very moving. A Brazilian family torn apart be a long running feud, a Bosnian family who lost many of their men folk during the massacre at Srebrenica and children from an Ukrainian orphanage are just some of the subjects.

We left Tate Modern and headed across the bridge towards St Paul’s and the tube station. Passing the Anti-Capitalist occupation at the steps of the cathedral. We also saw a few of the floats that were used in the Lord Mayor’s Parade which had also taken place that day and had been rerouted because of the demo.

Tate Britain houses a work by Constable that both Clare and I wanted to see. It is a picture of the deer park at Malvern Hall or as we know it now, Solihull Nature Reserve. We headed over to Pimlico and to Tate Britain. We wandered the galleries dismissing most of the other works and eventually found the Constable collection but unfortunately the canvas did not seem to be on display. A quick look at Henry Wallis’ The Death of Chatterton (a larger version than the one in Birmingham) and then we were off again. Walking back along the river, up through Westminster, along The Strand and then to Convent Garden and Piccadilly Circus before finding some place to eat.

Afterwards we walked up to Leicester Square and then jumped on the tube back to Marylebone but not before Clare had got herself an ice cream!

We hung around the Departures board, waiting for a platform number to show next to our train and hurried through the turnstiles when the number 2 appeared, in an effort to get a decent seat.

It was a lovely day out and having spent the best part of 12 hours traipsing around London it wasn’t long after arriving home that I headed to bed!!

Sunday

The Rum Diary, written by Hunter S Thompson, is a fictional account of his time working for the San Juan Star. Johnny Depp has now made it into a film.

Although I could have done with something a little more quick paced on a grey Sunday afternoon it wasn’t too long before I settled into the film. It is slick, stylish and looks great. You really do get a sense of the humidity, the hot sticky nights and the rum soaked haze in which the lead characters see it.

A great story (although not much actually happens), superbly acted and beautifully filmed. Not for everyone I should imagine but I really enjoyed it.

The Snow Queen @ Solihull Arts Complex

I’d not been to the ballet before and was worried I would get bored. However, last Wednesday, on the spur of the moment, that's exactly what I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was not a lavish production but the small troupe of Ballet Theatre UK kept me entertained throughout.

The story, by Hans Christian Anderson, is about Gerda and her quest to find her lover Kay, who has been placed under the Snow Queen's spell. Her adventure takes her on a journey where Gerda encounters a band of gypsies, an enchanted reindeer and the mysterious Lapland woman, who tells Gerda to continue travelling north, where she will find Kay and the Snow Queen's palace of ice.

Only Gerda's love for Kay can release him from the spell and break the Snow Queen's curse of eternal winter.

Although not as spectacular as the poster promised I was still drawn in and the time passed really quickly. I can't really comment upon the quality of the dancing, it looked good to me, but as a novice I might well have missed some of the finer points. The two ladies next to me who are regulars at the ballet said it wasn't a bad performance although one or two were playing to the crowd. I could not say whether or not this was the case. I still enjoyed it and I think a trip to the Birmingham Royal Ballet may not be too far away.

Stopping for food before the performance we ended up going to the Handmade Burger Co. A little on the expensive side (luckily we had a 2 for 1 offer) but good food and a large vegetarian selection!

One Man, Two Guvners @ The New Alexandra

No posts for over 2 weeks! This is down to a busy run about a fortnight ago and a lazy streak in recent days.

To bring you up to speed I’d like to go back to Thursday 20th September.

We arrived in Birmingham and, having had something to eat at Pizza Express in the Bullring, made our way to The New Alexandra Theatre to see One Man Two Guvnors starring James Corden.

I was not aware of the story prior to arriving but apparently it is based on an Goldini’s The Servant Of Two Masters. Richard Bean’s version is set in 60's Brighton and tells the story Francis Henshall (James Cordon) who inadvertently ends up working for Rachel Crabbe (disguised as her dead brother) and Stanley Stubbers (lover of Rachel and guilty of the murder of her brother).

I am not really one for farces and there were parts that I thought were predictable (you could see the punchlines coming a mile off) but there was enough here to make me laugh and keep me entertained. James Cordon suited the role and played it very well as did the majority of the supporting cast.

Not the greatest trip to the theatre but not a bad night. I’m not sure it is as good as the reviews make out but, judging by the audience reaction, I might be in the minority when I say that.

Tuesday Nights

The last couple of Tuesday nights have been pretty good. Last night I went along to HMV Institute to see The Jayhawks.  The week before and it was a night in Brueton Park for an outdoor production of Pinocchio.

Clare and I have been to the outdoor theatre for the last few years (last year's production of The Secret Garden  is on here somewhere) and thoroughly enjoy it.  Last week's performance wasn't my favourite but was still a good show.

Heartbreak Productions deserve a lot of credit.  With minimal props they still manage to draw you into the story and keep both the adults and kids entertained.  It was quite a cloudy day and as evening fell so did the temperature.  It's a shame it couldn't have been last night as it was one of those muggy summer evenings.

Saying that, if it had have been last night I wouldn't have been able to go along to see The Jayhawks.

If I'm completely honest I knew nothing of this band despite them being around since the 80s.  A friend asked me to go and I said yes. 

I'd not been to The Institute since it reopened under the HMV brand but despite my reservations about corporate venues the Library (formerly Barfly and before that Dance Factory) has had a decent makeover making it a nice little venue.  The sound wasn't too bad either but apparently that depended on where you were standing.

I arrived later than I would usually  and so missed Mark Olsen's support slot, arriving during the last song of the set.  By the time I'd got a drink and found a spot to stand he was back onstage with the rest of The Jayhawks. Despite not knowing any of their stuff I was bobbing along to their blend of alt. country and was impressed with the harmonies. They haven't rewritten the rule book and I've seen and heard many a band in the same vein but I thought their songs had great melodies.

I haven't been to a venue were they were packed in that tightly since I saw Nick Cave a few years ago.  It seems there have been quite a few waiting for this show and the audience received them really well.  The venue, size of the audience and weather all came together to make for one loud, hot and sweaty evening.  A good old fashioned gig, you can't beat it! 

I have no idea of the set list but the few songs I remember them introducing or have since discovered included Wichita, Two Hearts, Tampa To Tulsa and  Miss Williams' Guitar.  Hopefully, I'll find a full set list on the net but if not I'll be delving into their back catalogue over the coming days and if I recognise any of the songs I'll update my list.

Six Summer Saturdays

Clare and I had a trip into Birmingham yesterday. Clare needed to get a few things in readiness for Moseley Folk next weekend.  After a bit of shopping we headed to The Arcadian to catch a couple of performances from the Six Summer Saturdays programme.

Six Summer Saturdays is the idea of Birmingham Hippodrome and aims to bring the arts to the masses by providing free street entertainment.

We decided to go to Poppy Red, found a table outside and over a couple of bowls of chips watched the acts.

First up was The Spurting Man by Avanti.  A bizarre thing where a man becomes a human fountain set to Ravel's Bolero.  I really enjoyed this if only for the incompetent assistant, who was very funny.

Next came Muchuu. A male/female duo who performed lo-fi ambient music.  It was OK but nothing special and did not pull in the crowd that The Spurting Man did. Background music for the diners around The Arcadian rather than something to stand and watch.

At this point the rain started and so the set was cut short and I decided to go and do some record shopping.  Having bought a couple of Catherine Wheel 12"s and a Caribou promo CD we headed back to The Arcadian.

The last act we saw before heading home was a group of drummers, on stilts and dressed as ants.  They had good rhythm but the whole act consisted of them drumming and walking around in a circle.  A good spectacle for a couple of minutes but it soon runs out of steam.

All in all a mixed bag but a great idea. Let's hope there is more next year.

The Secret Garden - Brueton Park

Went to see an outdoor production of The Secret Garden last night.  Held in Brueton Park it's a lovely way to spend a summer evening.     

If you are unfamiliar with the story it tells tale of a proud and headstrong girl discovering some of life’s lessons as a consequence of stumbling upon her Uncle’s secret garden.

The cast of Heartbreak productions were fantastic and really managed to draw you into the story which is not an easy thing to do with all the distractions of a public park.  They also managed to keep the kids entertained, again not an easy task.

I like that they are already in character when you arrive, directing people to their seats and milling about the crowd. The small cast of 5 were faultless in their performance and the set, although minimal, is a work of engineering genius. You go from garden to bedroom and back again with just one or two panels been put up or taken down.

I don't know much about the company other than that they perform outdoor events throughout the summer.  You can check out their website here.

We sat near the front of the stage, on blankets. People seated on chairs sat behind.  There was a good turnout, a mixture of all ages.  Family groups, couples and friends. All of whom seemed to enjoy it.

Clare had packed a lovely picnic and so as the play got underway I sat eating olives and drinking gin and tonic.  It was a perfect evening.  The weather which had been cloudy all day had given way to a lovely evening sky which was great  as last year we got soaked watching Wind in the Willows.

Following the performance we strolled back through the park in the twilight before making our way home.

Half Year Report

So as July arrives and June is confined to history it's time to look back on the first 6 months of 2010.

The weather over the last couple of months has been lovely and so I have spent a lot of time outdoors. Some things I've already written about, but prior to starting the blog I've had some lovely days out with Clare. We have been to Warwick quite a bit and on one occasion did the Castle. Thoroughly enjoyed it too, despite my fear of heights on the ramparts. We have also been to Dudley Zoo and Castle. I'd not been there since I was a child and again had a great day out. A day out at Whixall Moses with friends, wandering the streets of Cheltenham, or just spending time in the park or on the canal tow path. I've enjoyed it all

A day at Packwood House which was spoilt by over zealous staff who seemed to think we could not be trusted to be left alone in a room.  Despite paying to get in and then being the only ones on the guided tour, and obviously showing an interest, they seemed to think we had bad intentions.  It's a shame as the house and gardens are lovely but I was made to feel as if I shouldn't be there.

Outings to Warwick consisted of going to the market, stocking up on food (bread, cheese, fruit etc.) and then eating it by the river.  On one occasion we went with friends and, following the food, we hired a rowing boat which I nearly capsized.  My oar missed a stroke and I fell off my seat. This started the boat rocking and at one point the side of the boat was actually level with the water.  After we had spent time on the river we climbed St Mary's Tower. The highest building in Warwick. This was against the Church Warden's advice as one of our friends was 9 months pregnant at the time. 

A trip to the NEC for an antiques fayre.  Luckily somebody gave us free tickets as would have been extremely upset if we had paid the 12 pound admission price.  The flyer said something for everyone. What it should have said was something for everyone with over 500 pounds to spend!  Despite my lack of wealth I did quite enjoy it.

A disappointing day at Birmingham Mac's opening weekend. Lot's of people milling about but ultimately not much to do. The building itself is OK but I was a bit underwhelmed. For 15 million pounds I'd hoped for something more. Oh, there was an exhibition about defining Birmingham but it seemed to do nothing more than reinforce stereotypes or include phrases and sayings from the Black Country.  I couldn't be bothered to find out who the artist was because whoever it was couldn't be bothered to find out about Birmingham.

Exhibition wise, I enjoyed Ron Terada's Who I think I Am but that was mainly down to the vinyl album that was given away. With tracks by Jens Lekman, Beirut, Magnetic Fields, The Walkmen and Vampire Weekend to name a few he couldn't go wrong. Brigit Riley's Flashback was also good. Susan Collis' Since I Fell For You didn't really work for me although I liked the idea. Coventry Open and West Midlands Open Exhibitions had some really good stuff. Had some of the pieces been within my price range I would have definitely come away with something.

Another really good exhibition was Tom Murray's The Beatles A Mad Day Out, comprising of 23 unseen photographs of the band. There were limited edition prints for sale and at around £400 were quite reasonably priced. I did actually consider buying one for a short time.

It's been quite a quiet year on the gig front. I've managed a few. Half Man Half Biscuit at Leamington Assembly were fantastic. Finlay Quaye at The Rainbow was better than expected and British Sea Power at The Glee Club were excellent. I have also seen local band Hinge play a couple of gigs. Once at Academy 3 when I had a terrible headache and again at the Old Wharf where it was that loud that during the support bands I stood outside. Even from there I could here it perfectly. Little Girl Screaming, a band from Coventry I think, sounded very good.

Have had a couple of trips to the theatre this year. I have already mentioned Noises Off! on this blog. Clare and I also had a trip to Leamington Spa to see The Russian Ice Stars perform Snow White. It was a cold, snowy night in January which actually added to the whole evening.  The performance was amazing.  The way they throw themselves around such a small stage has to be seen to be appreciated.  A nice pub opposite the theatre provided a great place to sit and have a brandy to warm us up.

A very odd night at The Old Rep for The Enchanted Burlesque Show.  Not what I was expecting at all.  There were a couple of turns who I thought were very good but the girl who thought dressing up as Margaret Thatcher and stripping to Rule Britannia should have a re think!

 

I've seen a few films at the cinema. Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop and Chris Morris' Four Lions were my favourites but also enjoyed Alice in Wonderland 3D and Avatar 3D.  Iron Man 2 was entertaining but can't see it making any best of lists.

TV has mainly been The World Cup, Cricket, Big Brother and Pineapple Dance Studios.  I have no idea why I took to it but I didn't miss an episode. I also enjoyed Terry Pratchett's Going Postal.

Whilst on the subject of TV, I thoroughly enjoyed Election Night. Watching the TV coverage and having Twitter on the go along with texts from friends made the night a bit of an occasion.  The debates were also good although I became bored with hearing the same rhetoric by the third one. I voted for the first time in years and was glad I did  as my local MP scraped in by less than 200 votes. 

Books and Music.  As I've mentioned before I'm always behind with reading although I have just finished Start The Car, The World According To Bumble.  It is still in the best sellers list!   If you have an interest in cricket then it is definitely worth a read.  Then again, if you have an interest in cricket you would already know that.

Another good book I've read  (thanks to Clare) is Emergency Sex (and Other Desperate Measures): True Stories from a War Zone. Written by by Heidi Postlewait, Kenneth Cain and Doctor Andrew Thomson it is their accounts of their time with the UN during the early 90s. It is a few years old now but is a good read, track it down on Amazon.

LCD Soundsystem's new album is a good listen.  Brought to my attention by their performance on Jools Holland.   Also liking Art Museums. If School Of Seven Bells' new single, Babelonia, is anything to go by I can't wait for the new album.  Lanterns on the Lake have also been a good discovery.

Finally, I must admit that I haven't been very good with the football. I've only managed one trip away with Blues this year.  A trip to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.  It was a freezing cold day, rain, snow flurries and trecherous under foot.  Blues were terrible and could only manage a 0-0 draw.  Will have to make more of an effort in the coming season. The cricket is even worse.  Despite pledging to go to more games I'm yet to make it to Edgbaston this year. Must try harder!

So, that's it then.  Chuck in a few meals out and a few drinks with friends and family and that has been the year to date. Not bad eh?

Noises Off! @ Birmingham Rep

When we booked the tickets for Noises Off! I'd not heard of it. As it turns out, it is a well known and much loved play and if you believe the tributes and write ups, then it is one of the funniest things you will ever see at the theatre.

So last night I arrived at The Rep not knowing very much.  I knew it was a farce within a farce and I also knew it starred Brigit Forsyth (best known as Thelma from Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads). Someone sitting next to me asked if I'd seen the play before and seemed surprised when I said no.  He had seen it on a few occasions and told me that after the first time, he had to see it again "as there is so much going on you miss things first time around"

In the first part of the show, you are front of house watching the final rehearsal of a play before it's opening night. The second half takes you backstage part way through the tour. Things amongst the cast are not going well and you watch as they try to perform the play amidst the chaos behind the scenes.

The show started and although there are plenty of laughs by the time the interval arrived I felt that I had been slightly short changed.  Yes, it was funny but not as funny as I was lead to believe.

Having sat down after the break for more of the same it wasn't long before the audience were laughing again but as one laugh died away the next was upon you. My neighbour was right, there is so much going on that your eyes are darting from one side of the stage to the next to take it all in. It really is laugh a minute.

By the end of the show (which seemed to come around all too quickly) you are left with a broad smile on your face as you leave. Although I'm not sure if it lived up to it's promise of being one of the funniest nights you’ll spend at the theatre, it is most definitely a good night out.

Every member of the cast were fantastic and gave a faultless performance and the set really did put you backstage. A great production!  Something I probably will be seeing again.

One last thing, I left the theatre knowing I'd seen the actor who played Selsdon on TV but could not place where.  I got home and checked.  Selsdon was played by Ian Lindsay who also played George in Men Behaving Badly.