Tinkerbell's Pages

On things that go bump in the night...

Happy Halloween! Tonight's the night to watch out for all those hoodies with ASBOs who might come knocking at your door, threatening to vandalise your home if you don't give them money, drugs or alcohol! Or maybe that's just what it's like where I live - not really! Am sure I freaked out loads of kids in my class today by telling them the school is haunted and that I will soon be sued by their parents for terrorising them, but never mind! Teacher has to have a little bit of fun with her class sometimes!

On the subject of spooky things - went to see The Mousetrap for Mum and Aunt's birthday at the weekend. It was a really good bit of old-fashioned murder mystery and the venue (St. Martin's Theatre) was really cool. I didn't guess 'whodunnit' and I'm afraid I can't divulge the answer because it's in the tradition of the play to keep the indentity of the murderer to youself once it has been revealed to you! The play is about a group of strangers stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm - and one of them is a murderer. The suspects include the newly-married couple who run the house, a spinster with a strange background, an architect (who in this particular production was extremely camp), a retired Army major, a strange Italian man who claims his car has overturned in a snowdrift and a judge who makes life miserable for everyone. It's only when a police officer arrives at the house that the mystery is eventually uncovered. Excellent stuff that will confuse you and keep you guessing right up until the very end. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it. The play has been performed over 22 thousand times and is the longest running play in the West End, so don't miss out!

On a wickedly sparkling night out...

Big sis and I went to see Wicked last night and what a fantastic night it turned out to be! Firstly, since it was the beginning of half term, we both managed to escape from our schools a little bit earlier than usual. We thought we'd go and grab a bite to eat before the musical started at 7.30pm. However, since we were quite early and since there were several shops to be investigated, I ended up getting some really cool bargains. Two pairs of pink sparkly shoes (different styles and different hues of pink of course!) which I thought were going to cost me a grand total of seventeen pounds (in the sale), but actually cost me a mere eight. Yes, that's right, a mere eight pounds for two pairs of shoes! Somehow I knew this was destined to be a really good night!

The musical itself - well, what can I say?! There were some belting numbers which sis and I are now planning to spend our half term learning and performing as a duo (she's going to be Elphaba and I'm going to be Glinda). It was all very cheesy of course, but great fun and the special effects and costumes were really cool. The atmosphere was unlike anything we had experienced at a musical before - it seemed like 90% of the audience had been to see it before and were American (cue lots of whooping, whistling, screaming and clapping before it had even begun and at several key points all the way through). I was quite surprised to see how many men had turned up to see it too (and they weren't gay either, they were with their wives or girlfriends) and even they seemed to be enjoying it. There's no way on earth the boyfriend would have been seen dead there, although I think he would have secretly enjoyed it if he had gone. After all, he likes the original movie.

Anyway, would thoroughly recommend it if you haven't seen it. A great night out which is a lot of fun and spectacular to watch. Now big sis and I have just got to get hold of the soundtrack and warm up the vocal chords. Apparently, next Sunday (October 29th) in Covent Garden it's Wicked Day and it's the final round of a big Wicked singing competition! I fear it is to late for us to showcase our talents now. Check it out at: http://www.wickedday.co.uk/wickedday.php

On going to see Russell Brand...

The boyfriend and I went to see Russell Brand's live stand-up show at the Shepherds Bush Empire last night. What an interesting night it turned out to be! We somehow didn't manage to get home until almost 1 o'clock this morning and I was up for work at 6.30am, so am feeling a little bit tired today. Still haven't got rid of this damn cold either. Anyway, I digress...

The show was 'interesting' to say the least. The warm-up guy was a man called Trevor 'Cocky' Locky who apparently co-hosts a radio show with Russell on BBC 6 Live. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that he was the unfunniest stand-up comedian I have experienced in my life (and I have had experience of quite a few!) I was not the only one who thought this either. Out of the audience of what must of been at least a couple of thousand people, there were literally only two people laughing at his pathetic jokes and it just so happened that they were sitting in the seats next to me! And they were very, very pissed (more of which later!). It was embarrassing. Some people were walking out to get drinks from the bar. Other people were just sitting in their seats chatting, yawning or looking thoroughly unamused. His punchlines were met with a stony silence (apart from the pissed birds who cackled their way through the whole thing) and I'm sure at one point I even saw a tumbleweed rolling past me ... When his 'act' (mercifully) finished he was greeted by applause, but that was only because the audience were so pleased he was leaving  the stage. Someone actually shouted "Get off the stage" - I didn't think things happened like that in REAL LIFE!

Russell Brand, however, was in a totally different class. He is skinnier and has even bigger hair than it looks like on TV. I laughed at him until it hurt, but then again, that didn't take much because each time I started laughing I was overcome by a powerful coughing fit! That's what you get for going out on a school night when you're not well (and a Monday come to that - very naughty of me). Right at the beginning of his act the pissed birds somehow managed to get into a 'confrontation' with a very aggressive girl who was sitting in front of them and she was threatening to fight them and 'take it outside'. The boyfriend and I honestly didn't know where to look - with such a variety of entertainment going on all around us! In the end, the pissed birds and very aggressive girl were all thrown out and they were still arguing with the security guys as we were coming out of the theatre about two hours later!!! Class.

Oh and by the way, the audience were being filmed for the DVD which is being released later this month (unfortunately none of the pissed birds v. very aggressive girl fight footage will be on there!), but I'm going to look out for the boyfriend and I on it - you never know : )

On spotting Susan at the comedy club...

The boyfriend and I went to the Covent Garden Comedy Club last night. Just as we were settling into our seats, the boyfriend whispered, "That girl sitting over there with the long dark hair looks really familiar." I had a subtle look and suddenly realised that it was none other than the girl who played Susan in The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe movie. How random. I then spent the majority of the evening staring at her to make sure that it REALLY WAS HER. I think this made her feel a little uncomfortable and somewhat annoyed. Then I realised how unsubtle I was being, so I stopped. I was really tempted to shout 'Mr. Tumnus' suddenly just to see what her reaction would be, but the boyfriend told me not to. I think she was too young to be in there anyway - I don't know if it was alcohol she was drinking, but some of the jokes were VERY rude : )

On getting a bit of culture at Regent's Park ...

Went to see The Taming of the Shrew at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre last night. If you haven't been there before I'd highly recommend it - especially when the weather's as great as it has been recently. There's a brilliant atmosphere and apparently the theatre bar is one of the longest in the world, so you have no problems purchasing pre-, mid- or post-performance drinks! I've been there quite a few times now and it's starting to become a bit of a summer tradition. Hoping to see A Midsummer Night's Dream next because that's really cool to watch as it starts to get dark and all the fairy lights go on everywhere! It was really chilled and with a nice glass of wine in your hand, a really great way to spend a summer's evening in my humble opinion.

The only downside was the fact that the performance unfortunately had a backing track of Foo Fighters for most of the night because of the O2 Music Festival which was apparently going on in Hyde Park at the same time! The train journey home wasn't much fun either because we got jammed into our carriage by the people who had been to Hyde Park for the entire journey home!

On going to see Dylan Moran ...

The boyfriend and I went to see Dylan Moran in Croydon last night and he was great. He's the Irish comedian who starred in with Bill Bailey in Black Books a while ago. We had second row seats, but luckily for us his show doesn't include any discussions with the audience, or I'm sure we would have got picked on because we were right in his eyeline! We wanted to get something to eat before the show, but were quite pushed for time, so we ended up in a cool little Chinese buffet - all you can eat for 5.50. What a bargain! The food was good too, although there was no alcohol (that didn't bother me anyway because I was driving.)

In the car home, on Xfm they were playing highlights from the Radiohead South Park homecoming concert which took place in Oxford back in 2001. The boyfriend and I were there at the time, so some great memories came flooding back. I was suddenly transported back - singing along to all their songs whilst standing in a park in Oxford in the typical English weather, getting absolutely soaking wet ...  The perfect way to end a lovely evening : )

On having a laugh at Dara O'Briain ...

The boyfriend and I went to see the comedian Dara O'Briain at the Theatre Royal last night. He was brilliant! For those of you who don't know, he's the Irish guy who has been hosting Have I Got News For You on and off since Angus Deayton's rather hurried departure from our screens. We nearly didn't make it because we walked right past the theatre first of all (it had a huge board outside advertising The Producers outside and no mention of Dara at all, poor guy). We arrived just as the doors were closing and had to be frog-marched to our seats since the show was being recorded for a DVD and we wouldn't have been allowed to come in and take our seats once the filming had started.

Anyway, it was a great show. I don't think the cameras were on us at all because we were sitting up in the Grand Circle and to one side, so I don't think we'll be featuring highly and having to charge royalties for appearing in the DVD. However, when we went to see Bill Bailey a couple of years ago in Hammersmith they were recording the show for a DVD. The boyfriend and I were sitting down watching it at home one night and I distinctly heard my voice at one point and right at the end you can actually see the boyfriend! So I guess we're kind of famous on the comedy circuit already ...

On seeing The Woman in Black ...

Oooooooh, spooky! The boyfriend and I enjoyed watching The Woman in Black at The Fortune Theatre on Thursday night. It was a real old-fashioned chiller and actually had the audience jumping out of their seats at some points (including me!) It was quite scary, but also very funny in places at times. The theatre itself added to the atmosphere because it was cosy and the traditional type of old London theatre. I would recommend the play to you if you haven't already seen it, especially if you want an alternative night out and don't normally go to the theatre. Make sure you take someone who won't mind you grabbing onto their arm during the spooky bits though! Don't forget the tickets are still half-price from lastminute.com too, so what have you got to lose?!

I managed to ruin the date aspect of the evening slightly though by accepting a drinks invitation from my good friend Miss M. She had texted me earlier in the afternoon saying she was meeting up with a couple of others in Leicester Square for drinks that evening and asked if I wanted to join them. We did have a couple of hours to spare before the play started and wanted to get some food and a couple of drinks, so I agreed we'd join them. The boyfriend kindly gave the date a score of 7 out of 10, but I think this was partly to do with the fact that I paid for everything - tickets, food, drinks, interval snacks etc. I've now decided that it's his turn to arrange a date and pay for everything. Let's see how he does ...

On seeing Chicago and all that jazz ...

Went with both sisters to see Chicago at the Aldelphi Theatre last night as a surprise to celebrate big sis's 30th. She loved it. I even managed to get us front row seats because I am such a dedicated sister! We had a really good time and it was nice for the three of us to get together and watch a good old-fashioned musical for a change. If you haven't seen it yet I would recommend it - the atmosphere was great and it made me realise how living so close to London does give you access to so many cool things to do which I think we sometimes take for granted! There's nothing quite like a good musical on the London stage.

Anyway, my sister turning 30 has been a bit of difficult time for her, just as it was for my brother when he turned 30 18 months ago. I'm kind of beginning to dread it myself and have worked out that it's only 1 year, 4 months and three weeks until I'm the next victim of the big 30th birthday monster! (OK, so I'm not even 29 yet, but I believe that it's important to be prepared.) Have decided to turn it into a positive thing by thinking about all the wonderful presents people can buy me. Suddenly thought yesterday that I'd quite like to go to New York for a long weekend to celebrate my 30th. I've informed the boyfriend of my decision so that he has plenty of time to save up the cash! Now that's me sorted, I've just got to decide what to get him and how I'm going to pay for it - his 30th is in just over three months time ...