Clive Anderson - What a star!

Now I'm a total radio addict, I have the radio on throughout the day. I am now becoming an enormous fan of Clive Anderson. He's been filling in for Parkinson on his Radio 2 show on Sunday mornings, and I have to say he does that kind of show tremendously well - talking about the papers, entertainment, theatre, music and films. Now he's filling in for Sandi Toksvig on the News Quiz. Now I love Sandi - she is so good on this show, chairing with an infectious laugh, but I have to say Clive is probably even better - and funnier.

In search of the nuclear umbrella

Having taken the decision to renew trident when the prsent system reaches its' 'use by' date, now Britain appears to be in a desperate auction with the American government to become the setting for a new anti-missile/missile system. We're told that the United States are convinced that before too long a rogue state (Iran?) will develop a nuclear warhead and will inevitably aim them at U S cities and hold the American government to hostage. A system, being called 'the son of star wars' to show it is a different version of the failed experiments under the Reagan Presidency, is ready to be deployed. This system will, at a stroke, be launched from a site in Europe to head for a point shortly before an enemy missile whilst it is cruising just beyond the atmosphere. As if by magic the American missile will shed the pointed end and 'negate' the nuclear missile harmlessly before it re-enters.

Tony Blair is eagerly shouting 'me, me, me' whilst waving his hand at George W demanding that this system is placed somewhere in North Yorkshire. Unfortunately for poor Tony the Poles are the front runners. How times have changed since Soviet days!

Underneath the Lintel

Starring Richard Schiff - previously seen on TV's 'The West Wing'. This play is currently been performed at London's Duchess Theatre. An amazing one-man show - only one act but Richard Schiff is on stage (alone) for 80 minutes - and how well he does it too! He holds the audience from the moment he walks on stage. This is a voyage of self discovery. The play begins with the actor arriving on stage with the pretence of giving a lecture about what? An ex-librarian becomes obsessed with discovery the truth behind the book he finds in the returns file - it is over a century overdue. He then attempts to trace the owner of the book through a dry cleaning ticket from London, a tram ticket from Bonn, and so on and so on. This is good, old-fashioned story telling, and depends so much on the abilities of the actor - it is a monologue but Schiff uses his voice and body and the few artifacts with tremendous skill. There are a few visual aids, and some sound effects, but remarkably understated. Schiff's self discovery is about religion, the existence of God and about a man finding out about himself and his relationship with the world.
A remarkably good play. Rating: 8/10

Richard & Judy scandal?

I derived some pleasure from the discovery that the Richard & Judy Show 'quiz' 'You Say We Pay' has been fixed. The successful candidate to appear on the show is selected early in the live programme but the hosts (unaware of the fact - we're told) continue to urge viewers to phone a premium rate number to get on the quiz. I do have another objection. Most of the 'selector questions' are so bleeding obvious that there is no skill required at all. Of course that is intentional to get more people to phone up. Premium phone lines generate huge sums for Channel 4 - so call me cynical but I'm hardly surprised that they want to have overwhelming numbers of callers. It also illustrates to me that Channel 4 do not deserve to be considered a Public Service Broadcaster. After the Big Brother troubles earlier this year (another scheme to get money from phone calls) Channel 4 should be thinking long and hard about their programme ethics.

The Scandal of the Blue Badge

I qualify for a blue badge. I qualify because I receive Disability Living Allowance, and find it very hard to walk very far. The blue badge is a godsend too me. However, a report recently has discovered that 50% of blue badges are being used illegally. They are worth over £1000 on the open market - they can allow the user to avoid parking charges and fines. Many blue badges are stolen every day, and some holders lend the badges to friends or members of their families. However, local authorities do have the power to check the usage and prosecute those who are using them illegally. Liverpool City Council has been very successful in wiping out conterfeit and stolen badges within their City.
As a genuine user it annoys me enormously to see the misuse of the badges - and the able bodies (without badges) blocking disabled spaces. On the other hand I also condemn blue badge holders who park without consideration - just because they can.

The Thirty Nine Steps

Today I went to see a performance of 'The Thirty Nine Steps' at the Criterion Theatre at Piccadilly Circus. Based (extremely loosely) on the John Buchan story of daring-do, espionage and international politics.
This version, however, bears much more resemblance to the Alfred Hitchcock film of 1935. I think when I tell you that 4 actors (3 men and 1 woman) play 120 characters you'll begin to understand that this production is for laughs rather than tension or thrills. I won't give away how they achieve the feat of reproducing a crashing biplane - on stage with sound and fury.
Tracing Richard Hannay's adventures in pursuit of those in possession of 'state secrets' before they can be taken abroad, we travel from a West End theatre via his private apartment (including a dead lady picked up at the show), unlikely disguise as a milkman, a highspeed rail journey (including the famous scene on the Forth Bridge), a Highlands workman's cottage, a crashing plane, high speed car chases and a return to the theatre for the denouement. All this is done with remarkably few items of scenary.
A fun afternoon for anyone with a sense of humour. The run has been extended - and the theatre was packed. My rating 8/10

Showtunes - Radio 2

Sunday afternoons have been a bit of a problem on Radio 2. Normally Elaine Paige presents a programme of tunes from the shows - the West End, Broadway and Hollywood. She is awful - I like the tunes but NOT her - everything about her drives me mad!

However, John Barrowman took over this week - and how wonderful he is! Paul O'Grady (who was on the previous couple of weeks) was pretty good too, but John is just too good to be true!

Aida

I was in the audience for the Chisinau National Opera appearance at the Hackney Empire last night (11th February). As always a remarkable performance and production. The soloists are always tremendous. The scenary is always remarkable. However, on this occasion the scenary changes were so extensive that it led to several very long pauses of silence between scenes. The stage at the Hackney Empire isn't enormous and this is also a problem when staging an opera like 'Aida'. This is a truly monumental opera and requires for the grand marches dozens of performers to represent armies and captured soldiers and hostages. This company could only muster three spear carriers, two archers and four infantry men - they had to keep walking across the stage, round the back and then marching across again.

On the other hand there was plenty of dramatic singing, excellent ballets to cover the long instrumental passages, and good use of a group of children. Some nice pyrotechnics too.

Overall another good production from a good company - and the three main soloists were terrific. My rating : 8/10

David Cameron - Did he Inhale?

So it turns out that the leader of the Conservative Party indulged in the odd spliff whilst at school in that non-state Comprehensive just outside Windsor (Eton College to the unitiated). The newspapers love it - because during the election campaign he refused to confirm or deny - so they've got a victim in their sights. He says no one should be interested in something he did a quarter of a century ago before he entered politics.

Various thoughts cross my mind though. OK so most people who were young from the 1960s onwards have dabbled in drugs of some kind or other. Before the 1960s young men probably got drunk before the legal age. Most young people (after the introduction and widespread consumption of the contraceptive pill and easy availability of condoms) indulged in sex before the age of 16. Trouble is all of these things are illegal. Where do we draw the line. Would we consider it of interest if a politician had done some joy riding at the age of 16? How about an abortion (even though it was legal)? How about gay sex before it was legal? Privacy is a tricky issue. Trouble is we elect people not only because of the party they belong to, but also because of the experience of life they bring to the office. Does an ex-serviceman not bring a certain experience to the post of Defence Minister, a parent has a certain viewpoint regarding child benefit, someone whose relative has suffered from senility will have a view on the NHS.

None of this invalid, but perhaps the electorate should be aware of an agenda. Has David Cameron's experience given him a view on the criminalisation of drugs?

Life on the Tube

Travelling on the tube in London (something I do quite frequently) is always an education. People watching can be such fun. The other day this emminently respectable middle aged woman suddenly appeared through the connecting door between carriages to ask (in a very low voice) for money to let her get home. All of us rapidly looked down to examine books, newspapers, shoes, the floor or anything to exhibit non-compliance. She the left to go through to the next carriage, even though we were travelling dangerously fast - everyone in the carriage watching her leave. This prompted various thoughts: How did she get onto the train without money - perhaps she has an Oyster Card with insufficient funds? How quickly foreigners learn how to behave on the tube - no talking, no looking at each other, no eye contact EVER! Confidence and reading is the rule. I've seen Polish workers reading the Highway Code, Lithuanians checking out the questions for the driving test, Japanese reading 'War and Peace' and various London newspapers in a variety of languages - Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

Yesterday though I saw someone breaking all the rules. A man - probably nearer to 40 than 30 - got on the train. He had a streak of red hair like a cockscomb, bunches of multicoloured hair tied in coloured ribbons, various facial piercings. He was clutching an enormous holdall to his chest (always something to cause nervous tension on the tube). He resolutely stared around the carriage demanding attention. And then I saw them - his earlobes had been replaced by large plastic tubes, reminding me of the cheesy snacks called hula hoops. I began to know what the mouse feels like when confronted by a cobra - awful fascination - repulsive, and yet drawing the attention. As the journey progressed passengers got on, filled the empty seat beside him, looked at him, and then quickly got up. His face got redder and redder as each station passed.

You see life on the tube.

Obama v Clinton

So its going to be a contest for the Democratic Nomination between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The only problem with this is that no one seems to be talking policies - instead about the oddity of the next President possibly being either a woman or an African American. But then the Democrats and Republicans are so similar that policies rarely seem to distinguish the parties. Why shouldn't the nomination process come down to personalities?

Barack isn't really a typical African American of course - his father is Kenyan, so doesn't have the 'history' of most African Americans. Hillary is hardly your average woman politician either - the former First Lady wasn't typical in that role either.

Snow in London

There is something about seeing snow in London. Not that it ever lasts for very long - rain is on its' way so it'll disappear by this afternoon I suspect. However, for a lot of the children in East London it is especially exciting because alot of them will never have seen snow before - and they are rushing around collecting it off cars and wherever they can find it to make snowballs and snowmen - although as beginners they aren't always terribly successful. After all there isn't much snow in Somalia, Bangladesh and Jamaica - but the Lithuanians, Estonians Poles and Latvians are doing really well - they are experts.

The Archers

Now I'm a great fan of the Archers - even though it regularly infuriates me (and has so many mysteries - like where has the Vicar disappeared to and why does no one ever mention him any longer?).
At the moment though it is going through one of thos dull patches - we're just waiting for Sam to re-appear (or will he be discovered under the newly hardcored track that David seems to be spending his life working on). When will Brian turn up at home farm to discover his lovechild Rory sitting at the kitchen table awaiting the legacy of his birth right?
Why are all the offspring of Jennifer all so totally unsufferable? How come Lord Winston is advising Hayley and Roy on their infertility problem?
Nice touch though that the appalling husband of the diabolical Shula slipped in a plug from DEFRA about precautions for avian flu - must have been inserted at the last moment. I'm sure can all rest easier in our beds knowing that the Ambridge vet has declared us safe. However, I won't be visiting Suffolk or eating fowl for the foreseeable future, and I'll be denuding Tesco's of tinned goods and dried milk tomorrow!

And for all you fans of the Archers I now have a blog devoted entirely to this wonderful series - access through my profile. The blog is called 'The Archers' (what else?)

A visit to the National Gallery

My friend J visited me from Manchester yesterday, and so I was able to do those tourist type things that those of us who live in London so rarely manage! We started by having a cup of coffee at the cafe actually sited in Trafalgar Square - and what a beautiful cafe it is too. From there we had a leisurely drift around the Manet to Picasso exhibition in the National Gallery (although they seem to have hidden the Picassos). Now I don't often go to art galleries - but when I do I always feel incredible surprise when I actually see famous works of art - the Van Goghs and the Monets, Pizarros and Cezanne. I especially liked the picture shown above. Strangely the rooms full of renaissance religious works affect me not a jot. A very pleasant lunch in a Mexican deserted restaurant was followed by a wander down Whitehall - London was really looking at its' best yesterday. We sat by the Thames opposite the old County Hall for J to write her postcards, and then had tea in the British Museum. I so enjoy living in London - and think I should benefit from all it has to offer more often.

Cash for Peerages

In many ways I'm surprised that anyone is shocked that honours are for sale - I'd always somewhat assumed that if you made enormous financial contributions to a political party not everyone was doing it just to be generous or philanthropic - they really expect something in return. There are two things that bother me though. The House of Lords is part of the legislature. If a couple of million quid just bought a title I for one would have no qualms. But buying a place in one of the two chambers in parliament is really not on. Are these new life peers regular attenders at the House? All life peers should only remain members of the House of Lords provided they turn up and vote (and preferably speak and serve on committees) on a regular basis. If they don't they should be excluded from membership. Paradoxically the reamining hereditary peers are probably making a much greater contibution than many of the new creations - this surely can't be right. Better still it is time that the House of Lords was directly elected - this has been an unfinished job for far too long - lets get on and really reform the second chamber.
And as for the Prime Minister? It increasingly appears that we're moving into a parallel universe - did we really end up with a British Richard Nixon in 1997 - we certainly didn't get a Labour Prime Minister (whether new or old).

Films

This week has been film week for me - I've seen 'Venus'; Bobby; and A Prairie Home Companion. I've done reviews for all three - if you go to my profile look at my list of blogs..