Something For The Weekend

Katie on: city of rainbows

What do you get if you cross Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Elton John, Peter Tatchell and half a million gay and lesbian marchers?

A hell of a lot of fun for starters...

For the first time ever, the EuroPride Parade on Saturday 1st July 2006 will set off down the world famous Oxford Street.

Europride is Europe’s biggest gay and lesbian event, held in a different European city each year and this time, Londoners have drawn the lucky straw.

Put your glad rags on, Trafalgar Square won't know what's hit it when the crowds march in for the post parade rally. There'll be stalls, music, guest speakers, entertainment and muscles galore. If those red speedos are anything to go by, I'll be there for the eye candy alone.

The parade itself kicks of at Oxford Street at 1pm and will make its colourful way along Oxford Street to Oxford Circus, turning right down Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus; from there the route moves on to Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall to pass the Houses of Parliament, before dispersing along Victoria Embankment.  Not since the lumbering elephant exhibition have roads had such an excuse for closure.

There's also a Prides Against Prejudice Conference on Friday 30th June - open to all so check out the website for details.

Ooh la la.

where's the Hoff when you need him?

If you don’t mind getting a bit of sand in your cracks, there’s something cool a-coming to Finsbury Square on July 3rd. lastminute.com have decided that all work and no play makes Jack, Tom, Terry, Peter and,… well, all the workaholic males we can think of, extremely dull boys. And women who spend their lunch hours shoe shopping on eBay instead of frolicking in the sunshine? BORING.

So,… we’re setting up a beach in Finsbury Square from the 3rd – 7th July. We’ve even created our own sand from a zillion sprinkles of highly difficult to obtain fairy dust, so bring your buckets and spades. Unfortunately we had to cancel the ocean-import order due to the hosepipe bans and some arrogant bloke from the council, but still, it could be very nice if you bring some bottled water and throw it on your friends instead. Especially the ladies in white shirts – (tip for blokes - this season’s fashions are tantalisingly transparent. Just add water).

As well as lots of lovely sand to bury your most hated colleague in, there’s a ton of groovy stuff going on all week. We’ll be attempting to beat the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest beach ball. There will also be fitness demonstrations from our waaaay-too-hot-to-be-real friends at Homes Place, a beach fashion show by Chantelle (OH MY GOD) and beach games including swing ball, boules and a Giant Connect 4. You can even eat your way through your lunch box to the sounds of International DJ Rob Chapman, or hold out for the Bongo maestro Dan Cross of Ondo. No, seriously.

All we need now is the Hoff belting out pop songs in a pair of circa 1982 speedos and we’d have the whole thing to ourselves.  He was busy making dodgy music videos for Germany though, so it’s sure to reel in a crowd. 

Don’t miss a taste of the tropics right here in Blighty. Lunch breaks don’t get any better than this where you work!

All aboard for some nautical nosh...

***RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH***

Café Fish - 36-40 Rupert Street, London, W1D 6DW

Being English we know a good portion of fish and chips when we see one.  But perhaps the thing to look for in a restaurant serving seafood, is the absence of that fishy fragrance when you first walk in.  That’s how you know it’s all fresh.  Reassuringly there’s no such smell in Café Fish - even though the first thing you notice when you cross the threshold of this roomy restaurant are the generous plates of lobster, crab, cockles and mussels being handed over the counter from the kitchen. Being at the front there’s no disguising the chef’s antics – they’ll even shoot you a smile if they find a spare second between frying, dicing, shelling and slicing those oceanic delights. Mmm, my mouth was watering before I even sat down!

It’s hard to decide on a starter once you’ve been served a basket of freshly baked breads and salmon pate to tease the tastebuds. Our own little spot last night was at the base of a giant ship-shaped wall in the corner of the back section – the perfect place to people-watch and observe the live jazz pianist in action.  After an uuuming and aaahing session, during which we downed half a bottle of Chardonnay, I decided on the scallops and Thai noodles (squidgy and soft, yummy with the sesame seed sauce). Dan chose the crab fishcakes, which were a little crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy in the middle – a bit like him, really.  They worked a treat with the dipping sauce (and another half bottle of wine, of course).

We liked the way the tables were situated quite close to each other, so that everyone could stare in envy at their neighbours’ food! It made the place quite an intimate and enjoyable escape from the usual West End Theatre haunts.  As we guzzled our mains of Mexican style monkfish and giant tiger prawns with crunchy mange tout, it looked as though everyone else was more than satisfied with their menu choices, too.  We watched plate after plate of delicious seafood arrive and vanish as the restaurant buzzed with a holiday atmosphere – perhaps it comes naturally with the seaside theme?

We loved the shiny bar and bar stools against the white-washed walls and flickering candles. Backed up with the jazz, Café Fish held a laid back Rat Pack ambience, easily romantic and definitely relaxed.  Plus, the prices (especially with the special offer through lastminute.com) were more than justified for the size and quality of the food.  Oh, and if you’ve never tried strawberries soaked in balsamic vinegar, make sure you give it a go. Trust me, it’s a taste sensation I wasn’t expecting at all.

Get a three course set menu with a complimentary glass of wine at Café Fish for just £15.95 

Mystic eye on July...

July will bring new and unexpected events to us all. The mystic eye can see into  your future and help you through the month to come*:

Aries 
With Saturn, the “rebellious minion”, in the most volatile area of your chart, it’s best to be cautious around those whom you’ve always considered inferior. One particularly inadequate acquaintance may well show you something you’d rather he kept tucked away.

Taurus
July bodes terribly for the clumsier Taurus. Be sure not to walk under ladders, open umbrellas indoors or “accidentally” miscalculate expenses.

Gemini
The twin in your life may not be biological but they definitely exist. You may already know your twin – seek them out by comparing dreams, fixations and vital statistics with friends.

Cancer
This July you’ll be struck by a growing curiosity connected with new events in your professional life. Just remember that if you open Pandora’s box you may well see Pandora’s lunch.

Leo
July is a time to try new things, embrace changes that may be happening around you and take the plunge where you’ve been hesitant. Those considering a change of career, spouse or gender should take courage and hormone supplements.

Virgo
With Jupiter, the “effeminate father”, in your chart this month you’ll find trouble is on the warpath. To avoid apocalyptic misfortune, you must make every effort to evade eye contact with colleagues and figures of authority.

Libra
Due to an incredibly rare alignment of the planets, July will be a storming success in both your personal and professional life. You’ll find new strengths and hidden talents that leave you feeling satiated and empowered. Enjoy it while it lasts because life can only plummet downhill from here on.

Scorpio
As a Scorpio you are naturally pre-disposed to slothfulness and vice. Keep your raging appetites in check this month by taking life in smaller bites.

Sagittarius
In July, the fragrant aroma of success will follow you round like a faithful Labrador. You’ll notice people standing closer in lifts, queues and on public transport. Be sure to inform them that the whiff is the external manifestation of your inner beauty and not, therefore, transferable.

Capricorn

This month, something you make with your hands will be at the centre of a heated controversy. You’ll find unexpected gratification both in public denial and a well-timed intimate confession. 

Aquarius
As Venus, the goddess of ill-advised infatuations, enters your chart the end of July your personal life could become a little hairy. Remember that although waxing is painful, it's always preferable to an itchy re-growth.

Pisces
As a Pisces you are naturally loyal and protective. However, in July it’s best to allow captive loved-ones to see family and friends, and to let the dog off the lead when indoors.

*Horoscopes are based on a combination of painstaking astrological study and ungrounded speculation.

Roaring drunk: Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell

Women, drinking, gambling. As nights out go, seeing Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell at the Garrick is right up there with Ant and Dec’s stag do for Bacchanalian excess. Swigging from a bottle of vodka throughout, Tom Conti’s Jeffrey Bernard is an urbane alcoholic raconteur, recounting his tales of a life lived with a lingering regret that is never close enough to the surface to spoil a good alcohol-hazed yarn.

Bernard, for the uninitiated, was a journalist of the old school. Long liquid lunches, endless reams of acquaintances and crippling hangovers which often led to unwritten columns, hence the title of the play. Infuriating to editors – he lost his job on Sporting Life after vomiting in front of the Queen Mother – but beloved to readers for his wit, insight and unflinchingly honest depiction of roaring 60s Soho, Bernard was one of a kind. A man ill equipped to deal with anything as perfunctory as day-to-day life or a stable relationship, and yet utterly aware of his own failings.

Keith Waterhouse’s script revolves around a morning after the night before, with Bernard locked in his favourite Soho boozer, the Coach And Horses, having fallen asleep in the gents. As he waits for famously rambunctious landlord Norman to let him out, he slips into reminiscing his rollercoaster life, from his early forays into theatre, to falling out with his various wives, via having his collar felt by the law for illegal bookmaking.

Essentially a one man show, Conti is perfectly cast as the amiable rogue, all knowing glances and raised eyebrows at the ridiculousness of life and his inability to stop being led into temptation from every angle. The supporting set of roles are played out with aplomb, whether playing the women in his life – ‘You make me sick Jeff’ – or drinking and gambling buddies, Bernard revelling in his self-made role as friend to Soho’s wastrels, be them actors, aristocracy or alchies.

Underpinning the lunacy of Swinging London is the poignant sight of man steadily losing his friends to the ravages of age, drink or a lit cigarette in bed and maybe, just maybe, hinting that he would have liked to have done things differently. All of which makes this a West End staple with legs. Which is more than you could say for Jeff Bernard.

Tickets for Jeffrey Bernard is unwell from £20

Puppet-society shows it's funny, furry underbelly

Prudes, churls and the straight-laced beware! Somewhere in the x-rated depths of London’s
West End, there’s a horde of neon-furred monsters and anatomically-active puppets boozing, schmoozing and reproducing their way to tragicomic glory. Avenue Q, the rampant display of smutty puppetry you didn’t know you’d been waiting for has opened at the Noël Coward Theatre and looks set to be a sell-out.

So what’s it all about? Well, there’s a black one, a gay one, a Jewish one, a prudish one, a housebound pervert, an out-and-out slut… stop me when you can see where this is heading. The main concept of the show revolves around the perversion of wholesome childhood entertainment – TV programmes like Sesame St. While the translation of the saccharine-sweet moral dilemmas of the kids TV shows to the soap-opera-esque “real-life” escapades of the Avenue Q characters is obviously a big jump, it’s actually amazing how similar the adult-version is - they still moralise (with songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “It’s Ok to be Gay”) and you still feel a surprising empathy with the main characters. In fact, rather than a derisive mockery of infant entertainment, the show feels more like a joyful indulgence in a very straightforward form of amusement.  The leap from screen to stage is also surprisingly successful from a technical point of view; there’s no attempt to hide the “magician behind the curtain” and although at first it’s hard not to pay more attention to the actors, after a few minutes the puppets really seem to take on a life of their own and the two heads almost morph into one united character in your mind’s eye. The staging is cleverly compacted, live behind-the-scenes musicians add depth to the sound, the actors are very versatile and overall it’s a consummately slick production.

Avenue Q is not a sophisticated exposé of the modern condition, the humour isn’t dryly ironic and you won’t find poetry in the puppetry – so don’t expect it. What you should expect is a very American comedy (complete with George Bush and anti-Canadian jokes), which they have wisely avoided Europeanising for the London staging. It’s an all-singing, all-dancing explosion of a show with a massive feel-good factor largely attributable to the highly talented cast. It gets top marks for the sheer camp showmanship and, most importantly, it’s a real giggle… just don’t take your gran.

Get in the Q - buy tickets here.

Want to find out more? Visit the Avenue Q site

Sara Sha'ath

Notting Hill's hidden gem...

The Gate (Notting Hill)

This underground bar is discreetly tucked away beneath The Gate Cinema. So discreetly, in fact, that it’s quite hard to find. Inside, the place has an air of exclusivity not entirely attributable to the elusive entrance (though that probably helps); it’s a sleek, chic hangout with a décor that still smacks of its previous members-only status. Sophisticated mood lighting and a live dj set the standard, which the tapas-style menu meets with ease. The dishes are small but delicious, particularly the garlic king prawns and the butternut squash gnocchi with goat cheese, which were both seriously tasty. Though the food is good, and not overpriced, you can tell from the layout that this is primarily a bar/club with a dominant dancefloor and a sexy-looking cocktail bar enflamed in blue lights.

The cocktails themselves take a reassuring length of time to arrive – when they do they’re well-presented, carefully made and extremely potent. All in all, The Gate is the sort of place you’d want to take a second date – young and stylish with an edge to impress.

Sara Sha'ath

London takes the roof off...

People say that the English (particularly me) are obsessed with the weather but I say that the weather is obsessed with England. Why else would our little isle be such a hot spot for the weather to hang out? It’s clearly the place to be if you’re a cumulonimbus looking to meet a nice cirrus or a bunch of tropical downpours trying to hook up with some gales. But I’m not complaining; I like the way it keeps you on your toes. Plus, every now and then, through some happy accident in the climatic social scene, we get a forecast like this---------------------->

Cool and cloudy all week while you’re stuck at work, hot hot hot all weekend - couldn’t be better.

In London, we’re really getting into the swing of this summery weather; everything is moving outdoors – Sunday lunches are becoming barbecues, the Frisbee is the new pool-table and now you can even watch a movie outside – and for free! (Summer obviously brings the philanthropists out of their boardrooms.) This Thursday and Friday check out The Scoop (that mini-amphitheatre on the South Bank by the City Hall). They’ll be showing Blowup  (dark murder-mystery thriller made in the 60s) on Thursday and Walk the Line (incredible story of Johnny Cash’s life) on Friday.  They say you should be there by 9:15, but I think you’d probably be well advised to arrive a bit early.

I’m also really excited about this weekend’s West End Live event. Don’t miss out on this spectacular publicity stunt for the West-End theatres who tend to suffer a downturn in bums-on-seats during the summer months. It’s a free outside performance in Leicester Square from the casts of the Blue Man Group, Chicago, Footloose, Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!, Stomp, The Lion King and The Producers. It’s going to be like a giant thespian circus (runs Saturday and Sunday 12.30-6.00pm).

Finally, if you need any more proof that Londoners know how to make the most of the summertime, there seems to be a different festival-type event going on every weekend; this weekend it’s the Tottenham Carnival, which promises all the action and distractions you’d expect of a mini-festival. Among the attractions is the Midsummer Meltdown, which describes itself as a showcase for “some of London's finest untapped urban talent, including dancers, singers, poets, MC's, stand-up comedy, and much more!” All in all it sounds like a reasonable way to idle away a sunny Saturday. If you want to get in on the action get to Bruce Castle Park for 12-7pm on Saturday.

Sara Sha'ath

KATIE ON: Foos meet the Fools

Ever wondered how rock stars spend their evenings when they're not thrashing out chords on a guitar?  Simple really... they're at the theatre. Don't believe me? Well, the proof may not be in the puddin' but it's certainly in the Apollo.

The Apollo Theatre was certainly the place to be last night.  Just ask Dave Grohl, lead singer and guitarist from the Foo Fighters.  He joined the lastminute.com customers for the 'Fool For Love' Q & A night.

No doubt he was there to support his fellow rocker Juliette Lewis in her first West End role. I'm sure he'd agree - the lady of many talents sure does it well. Juliette joined co-stars Martin Henderson, Joe Duttine and Larry Lamb in a gripping new revival of Sam Shephard's classic Fool For Love. The play follows two former lovers who meet at an isolated motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert. The result is a mix of buried passions, lust, violence and cruel betrayals. No wonder the rock stars are hitting the theatre - this explosive story of obsession causes more of a stir than any tower of amplifiers. 

The biggest noise however, was that of the buzzing audience. Last night was no normal night... lastminute.com customers knew they were in for a treat, and the electric excitement of the crowd zapped them in their seats.  Forget Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Big Brother's Golden tickets... the exclusive tickets to the 'third half' of the show were hot property.

As the host for the night, my rear end was perhaps the most thrill-singed of all. There's something surreal about stepping onto a stage with four top class actors; especially when you add a star-studded audience to the equasion. But, in true inquisitive spirit, the fans were quick off the mark with the questions and the cast soon found themselves directly in the firing line. And boy, you sure were a creative bunch of interrogators.

Juliette even turned the questions back on the audience, quizzing one whiskered chap about his unique accent. Pity we didn't understand his answer. Accents rang throughout the Apollo; the American twang of Juliette and her fans (did they really come all that way?), French, Australian and a faithful English contingent. Martin Henderson's New Zealander drawl and friendly demeanour put me at ease before our stint on stage... (did you know he loves to ski?).

This set the scene for a relaxed, humorous question and answer session.  After a gruelling performance (there's no interval so the play has added uninterrupted intensity), the cast did an amazing job engaging with the audience.  There is something refreshing about seeing stars in the flesh, rather than staring at them through the cold glass of a television screen.

As the questions kicked off, we learnt about the techniques used by writer Sam Shephard and Director Lindsay Posner and the cast's feelings about their characters and their motives. We also discussed whether it really hurts when Joe Duttine and Martin Henderson's bodies slam into a wall (you have to see it to believe it). In case you're wondering, Juliette's time off stage is spent a variety of ways; devouring a tuna salad was last night's chosen activity.

When the lights dimmed to signal the final question, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.  The bright lights may have set me on the road to blindness but the mix of characters on stage were so intriguing, it would have been worth the impending darkness. As they made their way out into the night - to do whatever it is that stage Gods do after a performance, I couldn't help but feel honoured to have nabbed a chunk of their evening.  I'd hazard to guess that the lucky lastminute.com customers did too.

We'll see you at the next one.  Who knows who you'll bump into...

Get your 50% off  Fool For Love tickets here.

For all the backstage action, check out our exclusive Fool For Love video diary.
If that rings your theatre bell, we also have video blogs for The Play's The Thing and See How They Run (the video diary of Digby the dog - the hairiest star on stage).

Katie on: 80's lovers unite

As I sat on the tube the other day, I smiled at the cute little old man sitting across from me.  Cute, that was until he spoke. Never before have I heard such filth fire out of one person's wrinkled little mouth.  Either he'd taken one two many illegal drugs during the 80s - or he'd just been to see Market Boy at the National Theatre. To be honest, there's not much difference between the two.

Every now and then a trip to the theatre leaves you stunned. Market Boy, at the National Theatre left me positively dazed.  Whether it was the vibrant, neon club scenes, flashing lights or the sight of Margaret Thatcher (Nicola Blackwell) flying above my head that did it, I still can't be sure. By any means, I couldn't have a better insight into Romford market life of the 80's if I'd been there myself.  I now wish I had...