Nelson's Column
Link To Us Bookmark
November
All The World's A Stage 26th November 2008
And all the thesps merely trying to get into the Donmar
Ah, theatre for the masses – images of poncho-wearing Londoners scrabbling over limbs and briefcases whilst waving at their chums, who have managed to procure a patch of concrete on the piazza in Covent Garden to settle down (in torrential rain) to watch a bit of ‘live’ opera – on a screen! Let’s not kid ourselves – this is not theatre for the masses; the bigwigs at the Royal Opera House are not throwing open its revolving doors and saying “Come in, take a seat, have a gin and tonic!” The people squashed together are OUTSIDE, IN THE RAIN and ‘the masses’ are mainly drama students and young professionals from Fulham who think it might be “such fun” to dabble in a tad of Tchaikovsky over their pink fizz and M&S snacks!

Lest we need any more convincing that our beloved London stage is decidedly not for the masses, the Evening Standard Theatre Awards (fanfare please) prove that what we’re really dealing with is elitist, star-studded and starry-eyed theatre. I mean, who really wants Joe Bloggs from the North (we’re not just talking North of the river) coming down to London with his rabble and touching the velvety seats of, say, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with their very un-luvvie bottoms? Just imagine! No, no, it’s best just to keep the riff-raff out and then rub the thesps up the right way with something they can understand – awards exclusive to London with Bollinger, canapés and Dame Judi Dench. The ceremony against the glass backdrop of the Floral Hall at the Royal Opera House (where else?) is nothing short of glittering with a guest list that’s like walking through Madame Tussauds, such is its profusion of Hollywood A-listers and serious actor types (did we mention Dame Judi?).

But the real dichotomy lies in the fact that we secretly love it! It’s the exclusivity of it all that makes it attractive. The very fact that we can’t get a ticket for love nor money (actually, if you really want to throw money at the problem you can re-mortgage your house and get a couple of tickets on eBay) turns the London theatre scene into another world that we can’t quite touch but we can marvel at from afar. It comes as no surprise then that Michael Grandage and his Donmar came out on top at the Awards – ‘Othello’, ‘The Chalk Garden’ and ‘Ivanov’ all picking up honours. Kenneth Branagh was heard proselytising about Grandage’s access for all programme but, in reality, it’s impossible to get access unless you book ten years in advance. They then tantalise the drama students by releasing tickets on the day, which gives it a Charlie and his one-in-a-million ticket to the chocolate factory feel…if you’re prepared to dream – “perchance to dream” as Hamlet or maybe Jude Law or David Tennant said – and get up at 6am to queue round the block, then you might just be in with a chance of witnessing a rare theatrical gem!

It’s not just the audiences; from proper Shakespearean actorrrrrrr Charles Dance to veritable whippersnapper Josh Hartnett, the stars are falling over each other to get in on the act – or three acts if they can manage it. Of course, it’s only a short Tube journey across town from White City for Mr Dr Who David Tennant and Kevin Spacey accepted his award for reviving the Old Vic (oh, what a fickle bunch those journos are) via video link; apparently he’s just doing a film to pay for his theatre habit. So, it seems our West End is where it’s at, not so much stage to screen but Hollywood A-lister to serious actor type (we’re still not quite sure if Jude Law’s going to make it!) What we do know is that find-a-star-for-an-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-musical TV programmes are out and serious, electric, heart-stopping drama is in. So do anything; queue round the block, make an outrageous bid on ebay, climb through the window of the theatre toilet if you have to – anything for a golden ticket!
Gordon's Out of the Frying Pan…
The potty mouthed ‘F-Word’ two Michelin starred chef and face of Gordon’s gin (phew), Gordon Ramsay is in hot water over an alleged affair with professional mistress Sarah Symonds. Lord Archer’s ex and Ramsay’s secret sidekick since 2001 is not just any old mistress, she’s the lady who wrote the book on the subject – and then appeared on ‘Oprah’ to plug the weighty tome subtitled ‘A Handbook For The Other Woman’. Even better is the News of the World headline: ‘Cheat ‘n’ Two Veg’.
Down with Hip Hop
The question still remains of whether we will ever tire of ridiculing Boris. The problem we always face is that he comes up with such drivel on such a regular basis that we just can’t help ourselves! The latest ‘policy’ - if you can call it that - is out with films and hip hop for youngsters and in with musical instruments that are laying dormant in people’s homes…apparently. Of course, we wouldn’t expect anything less from Boris’s Victorian ways – he probably learnt how to play the lute at Eton – but there’s really no need to inflict a city full of trumpet-honking children on the rest of us when all they really want to be doing is rapping in Trafalgar Square.
Alas, poor Andre!
Surely the furore about David Tennant playing Hamlet hasn’t worn off to such an extent that the Royal Shakespeare Company has had to pull out another marketing ploy to get the attention back on their hot production. Nope, last time we checked it was all sold out so the only conclusion is that director Greg Doran thinks that using a real-life skull for the famous Yorick scene will add a certain grisly realism to Hamlet’s lamenting. It’s an interesting ‘acting’ debut for Polish pianist Andre Tchaikowsky, who bequeathed his skull to the Company for precisely this purpose – 25 years of lolling around in the props cupboard has finally paid off!
October 2009
26th October
Posties Strike a Chord
26th October
Frieze Still Pleases
September 2009
26th September
A River Runs Through It
23rd September
Blogging is Best
August 2009
26th August
When Saturday comes
22nd August
Bring on the Bikes
July 2009
27th July
Against the Clock
20th July
View for a thrill
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
18th February
New Photography Laws
12th February
Glitz and the Pitts
January 2009
27th January
Setting the Standard
21st January
Too Much for Posh Nosh?
December 2008
23rd December
January is on the Horizon
20th December
Merry Christmas
November 2008
26th November
All The World's A Stage
20th November
Surviving the Crunch
October 2008
24th October
Boris v Jingjing
17th October
Soaps in Pole Position
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
23rd April
By George
11th April
Back to the 80s
March 2008
February 2008
20th February
Dark, Satanic Turnmills
6th February
A Diamond in the Drink
January 2008
21st January
People Wanted for Plinth
14th January
Boo! Hiss!
December 2007
28th December
Tate That - A Hirst for Art
20th December
Christmas Shopping
November 2007
27th November
Mind the Gap
26th November
London On A Tray
October 2007
26th October
Leaving the Station
14th October
The Sky's the Limit
September 2007
August 2007
24th August
Heathrow under Siege
17th August
Gormless
10th August
Losing Face
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
23rd March
So, Another Magazine
16th March
Avoiding iContact
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
26th May
Curvaceous Border
12th May
Vegging Out
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
20th January
February Sales
20th January
Moby Sick
13th January
Glass Half Full
3rd January
Three Cheers for the Tube Station Workers
December 2005
22nd December
January Bites
16th December
A Remarkable Year
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
29th July
Moving On From 7/7
22nd July
Get loaded in the park
15th July
Victoire!!
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
30th December
Party Pooper
23rd December
The Second Battle of Trafalgar
16th December
Sadie's Year
November 2004
28th November
Ripper-Watch
21st November
Kinky Boots
14th November
Smoked out
October 2004
22nd October
Yuppie Meal
15th October
Fines of Fury
8th October
No Twist in the Turner
September 2004
17th September
Battleships, bloodsports and Batman
10th September
Clique Week
3rd September
Return of the Bard
August 2004
July 2004
 
Link to All The World's A Stage
To link to this page from your website use this code.
 
 
The link will appear on your page as:
 
Home | Contact us | Terms & Conditions | Link to us | Marketing | Partners | Subscriptions
Sponsor
Our favourite London hotels
May Fair Hotel
Luxury Hotels
 
In Trafalgar Square
20% off
 
At Liverpool Street
50% off
 
At Green Park
35% off
 
Near Covent Garden
30% off
 
Cavendish Hotel
Mid-range Hotels
 
Near Parliament
35% off
 
Near National Gallery
47% off
 
Near Tower Bridge
35% off
 
In Little Venice
40% off
 
Discounted theatre tickets
Chicago
57% off
 
29% off
 
42% off
 
56% off
 
47% off
 
38% off
 
Diner & Theatre Deals
Oliver
from £24.50
 
from £29.00
 
from £32.50
 
from £42.50
 
from £45.00
 
from £27.50
 
London Sightseeing
London Eye
10% off
 
10% off
 
10% off
 
from £8.50
 
from £25.00
 
10% off
 
LondonTown.com has special discounts every week. The amount of discount will vary depending on the dates you are coming and how far in advance you book. All discounts are subject to availability.
Recently viewed Favourites
Recently viewed