Very over excited

My blog has been a bit neglected of late. Mainly because I haven't been doing anything! This has been due to ill health, rather than the recession but it has had a favourable effect on my bank balance.

So last night I spent some of my cash and went to the London Follies, a stage show that consisted of mixology, musical burlesque, machete juggling, and the apparent fastest tap dancer in the world, who looked, and dressed, like our mate from down the pub.

I really enjoyed it, perhaps enhanced by it being the first time I have been out in a month, and the fact that we supped some wine at the wondrous cork and bottle first.

Anyway... Its also a lovely venue. The bar is inside the theatre (result!) and it has a nice horseshoe shape so the acts can come to you. My only criticism was that it only lasted an hour and a half. Which at £35 a go might be considered a little steep.

Gay shame goes girly

I had a fabulous night at Duckie, Brixton Academy on Saturday. They had surpassed themselves with the side shows. My favourite was the girls world care bear stall. You could get a wig and a make over from bears, dressed in fluffy care bear outfits with fluffy slippers.

Other delights included having a bed bath, a wax, learning how to sew, visiting the lipstick museum, buying a handbag, posing nude, or clothed, having your nipples cast in chocolate, or, eating the nipples cast in chocolate. There was also people going around as slummy mummies with tracksuits and pushchairs, and someone selling tupperware. Genius.

Gaffer tape madness

All the focus of the Haywood exhibition 'Windows in my mind' has been focused on the spotty lady. So, imagine my surprise at the series of tunnels created with gaffer tape, featuring the blowing up of philosophical texts, and silver foil adorned figures, torsos and tiny people. Quite disorientating and pretty inspired. We had to go in twice, just to make sure we hadn't missed anything.

The spotty room was wonderfully spotty. It made your eyes go a bit mental, and I started seeing spots between the spots. It took a while for my eyes to adjust and take in the black web room with the white dresses. Spooky and lovely.

I wasn't so convinced about the dark room with the disembodied voice going 'You are a butterfly', but maybe its just me.

Laughing cows

Not an insult, but the name of the comedy club I went to last night. We went to see the wonderful V G Lee. Author of such classics as 'The woman in Beige' and 'Diary of a provincial lesbian', who has decided to become a stand up comedienne.

What a brave move, I envy her ability to put herself in the position of scaring herself stupid. Not that she need worry. She was great, and very funny, very observant humour.

We also saw Zoe Lyons, who was practising her Edinburgh material. She was good, witty, sharp and a little bit rude.

It was a good night. I wasn't quite as impressed with the venue - private eye's dining room - as I thought I would be, and the lack of mike may have affected some performances, but I would definitely go again.

Edinburgh rocks

I spent last weekend in Edinburgh. Town of extreme weather and a haar at the drop of a hat. It was nice to go back to the familiar - Royal Mile - but also to see some new things - we stayed in Broughton, and walked to Leith to see the Royal Yacht Britannia.

I rediscovered my love for fudge, tried tablet and Edinburgh rock (I don't normally have such a sweet tooth, honest!)

I also discovered that it was pride weekend. Turning up for the march 15 minutes late (I have never known a pride start on time) we discovered a small patch of ground with leaflets and balloons on. It had been, gone, and was nowhere to be seen.

We made up for this with some post pride bar hopping and also bumped into the other parade of the day - forces day - luckily we did not get the two confused.

Jason Donovan's crotch...

...was a bit too close to me the other night when I went to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert. We had front row seats you see. It made things quite interesting. Especially when Jason had a wardrobe malfunction with his wrap-around skirt. Revealing himself in a leotard, lets just say that he doesn't tuck it in.

But, we'll made a drag queen of him yet. It was fantastic, all the characters were brilliant and Jason is a very good actor, albeit an adequate singer.

My friend is still traumatised by the fact that they bought a kiddie on stage. She may need therapy for that. And those moments were a little cheesy. All in all though a fab night out, made all the better by the wine in the cork and bottle before hand.

Bit of culture and Brazil

Saturday started off with a trip to the Kuniyoshi exhibition which was amazing. We went round backwards as it was already busy when it opened at 10. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the end (or the beginning) the 11 o'clockers had arrived and it got a bit congested. The prints are very detailed so you need to be up close. One (slightly crazy) guy was running from one to another when no one else was there, and declaring loudly - this one!

Next was a trip to the Barbican to see the Brazilian dancers, Balé de Rua. It was a bit mental. It consisted of a group of men, and one woman. In the first scene they were all in men's suits, in the second, all in women's dresses. Then they all came on in their pants! The screaming harpies behind me, seemed to think that they were somewhere else at this point.

They did a lot of acrobatic stuff, then covered each other in paint, including spitting it at each other. The piece de resistance was them wearing bras with flowers on, also with flowers on their knees and heads. They did a little dance, reappeared in their pajamas, and that was the end.

This critique may sound like I didn't like it but the dancing was amazing, it was just quite eccentric, at one point one of the dancers sang a song. Dancing in your pants is one thing, singing in your pants, its just creepy!