Local laughs

Tonight as I hobbled to the station (from sore feet thanks to new shoes), I felt half asleep and it has to be said a bit fed up.

So going to see a comedy at the theatre I knew was going to be hit and miss. It could be just what the doctor ordered and cheer me up (even if temporarily), or it could just make me more angry than I currently feel right now and not make me laugh at all.

Thankfully, due to the genius that is Cut to the chase and the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch, tonight's entertainment choice turned out to be a hit.

Sadly, the last of my 'Jump the Q' offerings, the third and final show of the season is Run For Your Wife.

This production tells the tale of a cabbie who lives a double life - two homes and two wives. After being involved in a random accident his schedule of taxi shifts and moreover wife shifts gets muddled up.

There begins the journey we follow him on as he gets himself deeper and deeper into more and more outrageous lies.

True British farce, the gags were non stop and the laughter was constant.

Each character was loveable and hilarious in their own way and the Queen's made good use of the small space, with a great set as always.

And hats off to the lead character who we were informed at the start of the show had torn tendons in his leg and was still performing, despite being advised to rest up. He simply acted his part but added a further prop - a stick - to help him along. Since the character is meant to have been in an accident this only added to his acting and certainly didn't impact the show in any negative way.

One thing I love about our local theatre is the way when you go to see a show you always find at least one actor/actress you recognise from before. I'm always amazed how totally different a character they're playing each time.

Yet again the acting, timing, costumes and set were a hit.

Each scene was full of giggles and the two hours (including interval) flew by.

I also love how the team are so natural, a couple of small blips were dealt with so seamlessly and just added to the laughs.

Once again another hit for this wonderful local theatre. In fact I'm quite sad to have finished my selection of shows there for now.

Here's to the next batch!

Ladies night with a difference

Recently I paid a visit to my local theatre, this year I've been trying to experience new things and attempt to enjoy a bit more culture.

Last month I saw a play - A Passionate Woman - with my Mum and Auntie. I was back in the same venue the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch, near where I live, and this time it was just me and my Auntie and an absolutely packed audience filling the seats.

So what did I go to view this time? An opera? A ballet? A heartwrenching dramatic play?

Erm....not quite. No I went to see something a little different, a bit inventive and rather revealing... Puppetry of the Penis.

Yes you read it right I went to see a show (with my Auntie!) involving men, their bits and some 'puppetry'.

As you might expect we ended up having more than just one or two glasses of wine before hitting the theatre, and we were safely placed in row K, a whole eleven rows from the antics on stage. Well, I didn't want us getting pulled up on stage as volunteers did I? Although I admit I also started to have concerns if we would be too far back (no, I am not explaining that in more detail!)

My Auntie had wondered how long the show was going to take and what exactly it'd involve, I had a fair idea, but assumed the show would be relatively short.

Yes the show involved naked men - two Australians to be exact - and the audience were as you'd expect mainly female. We spent most of the show giggling like schoolchildren and watching from behind our hand/between our fingers. It was very funny and we had a good laugh, yes it was childish fun, but it did us good.

However, before these two guys decided to strut their stuff on stage, waving their dangly bits about for all to see, we had a first half. And that first half didn't involve nakedness nor body parts contorted into odd shapes and styles. In fact it didn't involve men at all.

The first half was a stand up comedy set, something I didn't even know was going to be on offer. I'm so pleased it was, we were treated to a 45-50 minute set from Tiff Stevenson, a female comedian I remember seeing on TV a while back on Show Me The Funny (a program trying to find the next big stand up comedian).

Tiff treated us to a host of funny jokes, admittedly rather swayed towards the female audience - but she had us in stitches, really good comedy you could relate to. I was a big fan and what a great surprise for our night - two acts for the price of 1.

It's funny isn't it, you hear about females going to see a naughty show, getting the opportunity to 'act like men' and ogle bodies and sexual parts on the opposite sex. Okay it wasn't a sexual experience, it was meant to be comical too (and it was funny and squirm-worthy as well!) But do you know what I loved most about the night?

The female stand up at the start that I wasn't even going to see originally.

Don't get me wrong a like a bit of smut like the next Essex girl, but in terms of entertainment men may be pleased to hear making a girl laugh is a very key talent to hold!

Bookworm: Life... On A High by Nick Spalding

Wow. I started reading this book on my lunch break on Thursday and fast forward to Friday morning and I'd finished it.

Granted I'm not feeling well (again!) and so I've been resting up in bed, trying to get rid of these germs and so have been reading more than I would have.

This book was just what I needed (as well as medicine, lots of liquids and a warm cosy duvet!)

I started Mr Spalding's next offering after a recent disappointing read by another writer. I was really hoping to be entertained like last time.

This time the author is on flights to and from Australia and uses his time to tell the reader his opinions and more embarrassing and comical situations he's experienced.

I really enjoy the way Spalding writes, yes he might offend some with a few of his opinions, but I like the way he's open and honest.

The whole writing and 'talking to' the reader I must admit I find a tad cheesy at times. However the laid back style of writing makes a welcome change.

This is another book that makes you laugh and is an easy read. Pretty evident in how quickly I've read this ebook.

Good points
Funny
Honest style
Great to have a nose at other people's experiences and embarrassing moments!

Not so great
Lots of typos in this book which is a bug bear of mine
Sometimes the 'talking to' style is annoying

And...would you believe it after Tweeting about starting this book Mr Spalding finally retweeted me (how funny after yesterday's post!)

I've seen from the writer's previous Tweets that he's just finished writing the third in the Love...series which first introduced me to this author. Something tells me I'll be looking to download that on its release too...

Bookworm: Love...From Both Sides, by Nick Spalding

This brief piece of fiction opens with the phrase "Oh God, her breath smells like the gates of Hell have opened." From then onwards this book didn't fail to keep me laughing.

The story focusses on the love lives of Laura and Jamie describing a host of dating disasters and terrible tales from both the male and the female perspective.

We hear what sorts of issues men get themselves into via Jamie's blog entries and women's worries from Laura's diary entries, addressed to her Mum.

Although this book was very short (one of a selection of short comical life experience offerings from the author) it never felt things were rushed. Stories were told in such a way you couldn't help but relate, laugh and picture the scenes/characters being described in front of you.

Just as the fictional tale started to feel it was going down 'cheesy' territory, Spalding brings it back and has you sniggering again.

Good parts
Makes you laugh throughout
Likable main characters
You want to carry on reading more funny tales after it ends

Not so great bits
Perhaps a tad too short
Said to be based on real dating experiences of the writer's friends and family, but some parts feel a tad far fetched.

Enjoyed whilst flying on my holiday and then hungrily consumed on my first morning on the beach, this was an ideal easy read. Really recommend if you need a bit of a giggle.

I'm planning to download all the others now!

Melican at the theatre: Shakers by John Godber and Jane Thornton.

Last night I visited the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, my local theatre.

I used to attend this venue as a young child on school outings and for pantomimes, but nowadays find I tend to visit to watch something a little different. Because it’s a local theatre I find I’m a lot more open to just trying out what they’ve got on and recent years have seen me watch Shirley Valentine, Busting Out, the Rocky Horror Show and the Vagina Monologues to name a few.

This time I was here to see Shakers. A play set in a nightclub, where the audience are told how things really are by four young women who work there.

The four waitresses – Adele, Carole, Mel and Nicky are played by Natasha Moore (who was also in the Rocky Horror Show), Lucy Thornston, Laure Pitt-Pulford and Rachel Dawson. In fact the whole show centres around these four and there are no other characters or indeed props onstage, bar the nightclub set/scenery.

At first I was unsure when I realised the lack of other scenes and actors/actresses as it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. However, I was soon pleasantly surprised and having a good giggle.

Although the show is only running for two weeks we had been able to get tickets in the third row, so had a great view. This also meant we could clearly see all the mannerisms of the characters and their faces, which was fantastic.

I was really impressed at the actresses acting out of different visitors to the club, in particular when they became some of the male punters. The stance, expressions and general mannerisms were spot on and I found myself in hysterics (this seems to be a regular occurrence now when I attend this theatre!)

What really wowed us was how quickly the cast switched from being ‘City boys’, ‘posh yuppies’, ‘arrogant cheating bigwigs’, ‘young Essex girls partying’, ‘canoodling couples’ and lots more, and then turned round and became their main character of a nightclub waitress.

There are also some deeper moments in the play when the characters come to the forward of the stage and give us an insight into their own private lives and how they’ve ended up doing this job. I found each of them very moving.

Overall I really enjoyed the show, yet again another production from the theatre which challenged my expectations and left me experiencing a range of emotions and witnessing some great acting skills. I’m now looking forward to see what I can go and watch next!