Book 72 of 100
Posted: August 31, 2010 Filed under: 30 Things | Tags: 30 things, book, d'urbervilles, hardy, novel, tess, top 100 Leave a comment »Tess of the D’Urbervilles – lush, melodramatic, rich, gothic
World’s Best Cheesecake
Posted: August 31, 2010 Filed under: Running | Tags: cake, cheesecake, dessert, mile, pudding, run Leave a comment »I make the world’s best cheesecake, although not too often because it is fatwap.
But I did do a 10 mile run this weekend, so I was allowed. Om nom nom…
Book 71 of 100
Posted: August 24, 2010 Filed under: 30 Things | Tags: 30 things, book, john irving, novel, owen meany, review, top 100 Leave a comment »A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
I really loved this book. It’s a tall tale about two boys growing up, one of whom believes that he is God’s instrument. It’s funny, the characters are vivid and the story is gripping and moving.
The bit that slowed the story down were the flash forwards to the narrator as an older man – when he rails against the Reagan administration. I suppose that bit made more sense because that bit was contemporary when the book was first published.
Minor Celebrity Spotting #36 and #37 – Edinburgh Edition
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Minor Celebrity Spotting | Tags: ash atalla, chris addison, comedian, Edinburgh, festival, minor celebrity, spot Leave a comment »Mr Beet spotted Chris Addison on crutches on our way in to see Richard Herring (obviously, we then saw Richard Herring, but it doesn’t count if the celebrity is on stage).
We then spotted Ash Atalla waiting for the train back to London.
Edinburgh Review 6 – Jump
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: comedy, Edinburgh, festival, fringe, jump, musical, review Leave a comment »Musical comedy about a man who’s about to commit suicide, with flashbacks explaining how he ended up on the ledge. There’s a pianist, which is fine, but the cast repeatedly play instruments accompanying the piano to no real effect (presumably just because they can). The lead actor even displaces the pianist for some songs when he’s not in a scene, leaving the poor pianist stood there like a lemon. I’m not sure what the point of that was. Did the actor just want to prove he could play the piano? Did he write the music? The pianist didn’t get to join in with the dance routines, so don’t try to muscle in on his job!
Edinburgh Review 5 – Christ on a Bike
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: christ on a bike, comedy. edinburgh, festival, fringe, review, richard herring Leave a comment »Richard Herring, Christ on a Bike
I was attracted by the brilliant poster. I didn’t realise until the end that this was Herring’s first ever solo show and he’s revived it ten years later. Maybe he was a bit more earnest about the “what does it all mean?” parts of his show back in the day. He sort of throws them away now. Some good gags, especially when he re-drafts the Ten Commandments.
Edinburgh Review 4 – The News Revue
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: comedy, Edinburgh, festival, fringe, newsrevue, satire Leave a comment »We picked this on the basis of the excellent poster, which styled Brown, Clegg, Cameron and Obama as the A Team. I didn’t pay attention to the “Revue” bit so was expecting topical satire in the style of Have I got News for You. But it did exactly what it said on the tin and was a full revue – an all-singing, all-dancing case of four performed songs and sketches about the coalition and the BP oil disaster. So a couple of months old but you can’t really expect them to come up with a whole new set of songs and choreography every week I guess. The performances were all very polished, with the performers even handling a puppet version of Nick Clegg.
Edinburgh Review 3 – Piff the Magic Dragon
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: chihuahua, comedy, dragon, Edinburgh, festival, fringe, magic, piff the magic dragon Leave a comment »Comedy magician in a dragon suit accompanied by the amazing Mr Piffles, a daredevil chihuahua. This guy could actually do magic, just the usual card tricks and stuff but he also had genuinely funny schtick to go with it. There was a weird bit in the middle where he talks to loads of cardboard animals - that lost me a bit. The star of the show was of course Mr Piffles, who played the piano, walked the tight rope, read minds and levitated in a thrilling finale.
Edinburgh Review 2 – Cuddly Loser
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: comedy, cuddly loser, damion larkin, Edinburgh, festival, fringe, review, stand up Leave a comment »Traditional stand up from a guy who gave up a career as a stockbroker to try stand up. Just your basic format of him telling us his life story. He seemed fairly comfortable, but I didn’t think his material was very strong.
Edinburgh Review 1 – Magicians! Behind the Magic!!
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: behind the magic, comedy, crawley, Edinburgh, festival, fringe, magic, magician, review, swift Leave a comment »This was sold to us as a show about two magicians who can’t really do magic. “Like Tommy Cooper?” I asked. “Yes – except he actually really could do magic, whereas we actually really can’t,” he said.
The two magicians are the bouffant Fabuloso and the ingenuous Dupont. They perform such feats as magically transforming bread into toast. It’s silly and charming and Mr Beet and I have been saying “Sacre Bleu!” at each other ever since so it can even claim to have a catchphrase.
