Spotted: Tim McMullan

When: Saturday night
Where: Novello Theatre

I'm always pleased to see actors in a theatre. Particularly when its not press night, and they're clearly there because they love what they do.

Tim McMullan, who I've seen playing the melancholy Jaques at The Globe and in Martin Crimp's The Misanthrope in the last couple of years, was in the row in front of us at the Novello on Saturday. We were seeing A Disappearing Number. (More on that to follow, I hope.)

Tim looked brilliantly unstarry. Jeans, converse trainers, and a nicely dishevelled lineny jacket. I'm guessing he was there with his wife or girlfriend, and they made a cool-looking couple.

Hope they enjoyed the show as much as me.

Hot Tin Cats and Celebrity Stalkers

So, I was lucky enough to see and review the star-studded Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello on Wednesday.

It was very good, but never really pitched over into great: at least, that's what I tried to get across in my londonist review.

I rather wished they'd cut it, to be honest. It's not easy for anyone (the stars involved included) to keep the level of excellence / tension / interest / sparkle up for that length of time.

On the other hand, that Tennessee Williams knows a thing or two about writing plays, doesn't he?! They don't hand out those Pulitzer Prizes for peanuts. (Once again I'm aghast at the narrow-but-deep structure to Eng Lit at school / uni which means I can tell you about the different ways ol' MacB can say "Is this a dagger I see before me" and the suggestions behind Sir Toby's "A plague o' these pickled-herring..." but doesn't know the plot of any single Tennessee Williams play. And don't get me started on Chekhov, Brecht or any of the others...)

As well as an amazing front-row-of-the-circle seat, there was other excitement for the evening.

Leaning out over the stalls (no vertigo for me here), I spotted a familiar cream puffa jacket. Yes, Miranda Sawyer is stalking me. She might've come in a long time after me to distract attention from the fact that she is following me to the same cultural engagements, but it's no use. She clearly wants to *be* me. (Ahem.)

Alongside the celebs on stage (Richard Blackwood?!), and the celebs in the audience (there was someone else on my row I really should've recognised, but can't work out who it was: singer? presenter? Ah, well), I rather thought I'd had enough "spotting" for one night.

Then, at London Bridge, who should appear but the lovely Clive Rowe! With a soft black hat pulled firmly down over his eyes (and ears), and his collar up against the rain, he looked a million miles away from the character he must've finished prancing around as in the Hackney Empire just an hour earlier: Widow Twanky.

Poor Clive really wasn't sure which train he needed to get on. Everyone was rushing about in that "last train of the evening" kind of way. I was very close to going to help him out. On the other hand, I was impressed / couldn't believe that London's finest Dame is taking public transport all the way across London every night. I wanted to help... But the Londoner in me took over, and I just watched rather than going to say hello. I tell you, they're all stalking me ;-)

I wonder what he would've made of Cat. He would certainly have made a great Big Daddy, I'm sure.

Theatrical Excitement: An Inspector Calls

I've been excited about this for a while now: happily, I've just secured press tix for An Inspector Calls at the Novello Theatre for Thursday night.

And even better, I've been able to persuade JC to come along.

I have to admit, I know very little about the play: I've been trying to keep it that way, so I can actually see something with fresh eyes for a change. I know, I know: it's the sort of thing people (WG) study at school. My school? No sir. Let's not forget I studied Twelfth Night every (exam) year from the age of 11 to 18. A good play, of course, but a studying schedule that won't encourage breadth on the same scale as depth. There's something to be said for teachers that adhere to the National Curriculum, I think you'll find.

So aside from the rain; the awards; and a lead that comes from theatreland rather than celebland, I'm trying to remain in the dark about the play.

I did read this really interesting profile of Stephen Daldry in the Guardian in May. Sounds like a very interesting chap.

Am reviewing for londonist, so watch this space...

Spotted: Samantha Bond & Harry Enfield

When: earlier tonight, around 6.45ish (Sam); later, during the interval (Harry)
Where: the press night of Spring Awakening @ the Novello

Waiting for CB before the show, I was surprised to see quite a large number of photographers, plus a film crew, forming a funnel of meedja kerfuffle around the entrance to the Novello Theatre.

Who could they possibly be waiting for? A Girl Aloud? A Corr? A Franz Ferdinand?

Nope, a not-quite Bond girl: Samantha Bond. She spoke to the assorted press very nicely, and went on to sign not one, but three, autographs, despite looking a bit like she didn't really want to be there...

Later, during t'interval, CB's mates spotted Harry Enfield returning to his seat at the front of the dress circle. He was looking rather old, and baggy. Possibly because he was wearing a totally awful, baggy-doesn't-really-describe-it, ill-fitting sweater.

Harry: when you get older, you need your clothes to fit you better, not worse.

I wonder if they also thought the last song of the show ("Purple Summer") (for goodness' sake) was one of the most disappointing endings to a good piece of theatre ever. E.V.E.R.

Musical Excitement: Spring Awakening @ The Novello Theatre

After not really understanding about this show, particularly as we were illustrating it with some dodgy rehearsal pics on site, I'm now beside myself with excitement about tonight's press trip.

Then I read some more about it, perused the reviews, and watched Chad work himself up into a suitable lather over the show.

Yes, thanks to my former uni-and-flatmate CB, who's now lucky enough to work for SOLT, I'm tagging along as a plus one to the press night of the transfer of Spring Awakening to the West End. Hurrah.

There have been a few bad ones (Mme De Sade, Obama on My Mind, Dirty Dancing) in the last few weeks. Let's hope this is going to turn it all around...

More to come...