Eartha Kitt dies aged 81

Eartha Kitt, the singer, cabaret star and actress once described by Orson Welles as "the most exciting woman in the world", died on Christmas Day, aged 81, after a battle with colon cancer.

In a wildly varied life Kitt, born in the cotton fields of Carolina, played Catwoman in the Batman TV series, starred opposite Sidney Poitier on the silver screen, played both the Fairy Godmother and Wicked Witch Of The West in stage productions of Cinderella and The Wizard Of Oz respectively, voiced Kaa the python in a BBC radio adaptation of The Jungle Book, worked with Bronski Beat on the 1989 hit Cha-Cha Heels and gave several benefit concerts supporting HIV/AIDS organisations. 

The woman who defined the term "sex kitten" performed her final London shows in 2008 at the Pigalle Club in Piccadilly.

Edinburgh Fringe: And the award goes to...

So the fringe is almost over and exhaustion has set in.  But just as you’re settling down to your cup of cocoa trying to beat off the festival flu along comes the hype of the if.comeddie awards nominations.

And I’m so plugged into the scene this year that I haven’t seen any of them.  But I am very excited that I do have tickets to see the favourite for the main award, Rhod Gilbert.  From what everyone’s saying he’s created something amazing and people aren’t saying that about much this year.

David O’Doherty is a lovely musical comic and I do normally try and catch him, but I’ve usually found his stand-up between the songs has taken the shine off the hour a wee bit, so typically this year I’ve missed the show where he’s, seemingly, got everything right.

Of the newcomers, I’d guess Sarah Millican would be the best bet.  Haven’t seen any of the actual shows, but I have seen Sarah a few times and she is brilliant.  Pippa Evans’ character comedy has gone down well here, but, as with so many similar shows, hasn’t blown people away with the full hour of material.  If you can prove your talent as a performer, however, the effort is certainly worthwhile and a nomination goes a long way.

Elsewhere I am taking it easy-ish, hanging out in my lovely pub venue and the Pleasance Courtyard.  Had a lovely show yesterday – it looked like it was going to be quiet so I got everyone to move to the front and then it filled up, so the atmosphere was cracking.  That buzz was followed by a lukewarm review of the previous day’s show which was very quiet, though not terrible by any means.  If it is possible to have a nice two star review, then I got one, which sounds weird, but it’s true.  So far I have discovered that I am either ‘well-meaning’ but not funny, have ‘a deal of charisma… (but) not yet all that funny,’ or ‘He’s funny…. If we were all Tiller boys and Tiller girls the world would be a lighter place.’  Make of that what you will, but I’m making the most of the last one, it’s the only thing a right-thinking man would do.

Tonight I may take in one fringe show, but am also off to see a band tonight, Paul Vickers and the Leg, which should be a welcome relief from fringe madness.  I met Paul through his work on a project entitled Recording the Impossible, which combines beautiful soundscapes, music and comedy and is truly a work of art.  I’m looking forward to the gig.

Ta for now.

Matt

Edinburgh Fringe: Kitson

At last, I’ve been to a proper theatre.  I have found culture and it truly is beautiful.  Okay, it’s a bit of a cheat it wasn’t a full play or anything...  I went to see Daniel Kitson’s

66a Church Road: A Lament Made Of Memories And Kept in Suitcases.

It was a wonderful piece of comic melancholy, beautifully told.  Touching and funny it reminded me of the love/hate relationship I had with my first car, a brown Vauxhall Nova saloon (with beige interior).  It comes from the poetic heart of a pedantic, romantic personality that would much rather spew forth his feelings for a flat in Crystal Palace than any of his human loves.  And to me this seems a more honest, credible and moral thing to do.  Think of those artists who have left hearts already bruised, further battered by their one sided musings in songs, novels, plays and, probably even worse, in stand-up.

The staging, using beaten suitcases and an old rug is wonderfully lo-fi, though Kitson apologises at the end for their size and the fact that beyond the first few rows you can’t see the detail that’s been put into the design.  But you can come down and have a look and take pictures at the end.  I tried with my phone, but they came out blurry.  But trust me they look very sweet.

I have to run off now…  sorry.  Will post more about other shows I’ve seen like Nick Mohammed (very good), Idiots of Ants (good performers, but style over substance) soon.  Promise.

Lots of Love

xx

Edinburgh Fringe: Office Politics

In a bid to conceal my social embarrassment at attending the Office Party alone, I tried to do one of those minute-by-minute, as it happens blogs from my mobile.  Unfortunately I couldn’t work it out – started one and then it all went wobbly, so I tried to enjoy myself instead.

Had it worked, the blog would have gone something like this…

20:03 Enter the big room where the party is happening.  Try to work out what’s going on.  People are getting name badges.  Head straight for the bar.  It’s quickly dawning on me that this could be a great opportunity for me to chat awkwardly to strangers or stand in a corner swearing to myself.  I’ve only got a tenner on me.  Hope that will see me through.

20:07 Wander towards the table with the name badges and spot Cathy from Domestic Services (actress Janice Connolly, who is fabulous and absolutely meant for this type of show).  She sorts my badge out and introduces me to two people.  We exchange brief niceties.  They wander off.  I find a seat and try to blog.  Fail.

20:13 It all starts to kick off.  We are divided into groups – the different divisions of the company – Executives (boo), Creatives (tossers), Marketing (?), Accounts (avoid), Domestic Services (the lifeblood of this bleeding company!).  There’s one other I’ve forgotten. We, the cleaners, are taken into the Gents where Cathy gees us up and gets everyone singing with one voice over a glass of sherry.  One woman throws her sherry in the urinal.  I give her a disapproving look – this is the office party, take any free booze you can get, madam. 

And so it goes on.  Actors lead each group and stand-up Glen Wool is fantastic as the arrogant Chief Exec.  There’s guilty pleasure dancing, entertainment, games and stunts, which are generally good fun, though the attempt to recreate a real office party descends into some kind of horrific Swindon/Ibiza hybrid when we’re asked for a member of each group to strip off.  Not my kind of thing.

This show should come with a warning.  It’s not a brilliantly crafted interactive theatre show.  It’s the kind of thing that English people attend to loosen their ties after a few drinks and embarrass themselves.  If that’s what you fancy then go, you will enjoy it, if not don’t.  It is an office party.  I didn’t spot a photocopier, though - I think they missed a trick.

xx