'Sweet Charity' at The Choccy Factory

Last night we went to see the new production of 'Sweet Charity' at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Tamzin Outhwaite in the title role as Charity Hope Valentine. I'm familiar with the film and saw it years on telly, but I've never seen it on the stage. If you've seen the film, and the stage show is very similar to the film, then you know what you're getting and it all comes down to the performances.

Tamzin Outhwaite has been in loads of things on telly, unfortunately, loads of things I haven't seen other than 'Eastenders'. But I did see her in 'Boeing Boeing' on stage a few years back. I thought she was excellent as Charity - old enough to have a past but young enough to be the wide-eyed ingenue with hope for the future. She had the right touch of knowing humour and a big smile with, a couple of times, tears in her eyes. She sang and danced a treat (there was lots of dancing) and she ably held her own leading the professional dancers in the cast.

The main support was provided by Josefina Gabrielle and Tiffany Graves as Charity's best mates in the dancehall, cynical and sentimental by turn, with great moves and voices. I was particularly taken with their threesome on 'There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This' when Josefina sings about aspiring to be a receptionist. Their voices worked well together as did the warmth between them, friends for years in a seedy dancehall but believing in each other and wanting the best for their friends, with a touch of bawdiness too.

I'd also single out Ebony Molina for her totally aloof and energetic dancing in the 'Rich Man's Frug' in the nightclub scene - no-one is cool enough to dance with her. She also won the most sparkly dress on the night award.

Of the men, well, can anyone compete with Sammy Davis Jnr as Daddy? the answer is 'no'.

I'm afraid I sometimes suffer from excessive suspension of disbelief in plays when the character is real to me. And that's how I view the love interest, Oscar, played by Mark Umbar. He starts off as a neurotic geek who Charity befriends and we see their love grow but then, at the end, he's a nasty bastard. How dare he? He also played Charity's other love interests throughout the play, all of whom either let her down or will let her down. Therefore I don't like him. Enough said.

Big songs, big set pieces, short short mini-frocks, big smiles and some tears. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Tamzin is great, the musicians and singers are great and there's some great dancing. Go along and laugh and cry. I did, and I think I'd like to go back again and see it further into its run.

Christmas on Carnaby Street

Call me potty, but I enjoy public Christmas decorations, or, rather, I enjoy *good* public Christmas decorations. In recent years I've learned to use Carnaby Street as a measure of excellence - whoever does the decorations in and around Carnaby Street has continued to thrill and generate wonder with the originality of the decorations at Christmas and, thankfully, this year is no different.

I've only got a couple of photos from when I took a short-cut from Regents Street to HMV on Oxford Street last night and these don't convey the fun of the street, so I clearly need to go back with a camera rather than just my phone.

I have a theory about the theme this year - it's a history of Carnaby Street since the '60s. There are the 'love hearts' from the peace and love and total swingingness of the street in the '60s and then there are the small plastic colourful Christmas trees hanging down everywhere and the great big blow-up pink reindeer from the late '70s and '80s when the street was full of tacky tourist shops selling, um, tacky tat. No doubt there'll me more motifs further down the street that I didn't see. I love it!

I couldn't help but break into a big grin when I saw Pinky The Reindeer, ever so proud that he's made of plastic, and I wouldn't have him any other way. He's obviously the patron saint of Christmas tat and I must worship. I need to go back with my camera one evening and take some proper photos to show the street in all its Christmas glory. Regent Street? Hang your head in shame.

Whoever you are that designed the decorations this year, thanks v much!

An Open Letter

Dear HMV

I'm sorry to say this, but you've let me down, and let me down not once but twice.

After work I trekked up to Oxford Street to pick up the new Christmas CD from SLADE. With mounting excitement I walked into your emporium and turned to the new CD racks looking for the snow-globe cover of the album, then went to the 'S' shelves, then went to the counter to ask. Yes, you have 60 copies... in the warehouse. There's a certain joy of walking into a record shop, seeing the record you want, picking it up, reading the back and then grasping it firmly, a spring in your step, knowing you have a record you *want*. I know I can go back another day and get it but *that's not the point*!

Christmas cheer having gone by this time, I went to the soul shelves to get the 'Divas Of Motown' CD and, guess what? It's not there. So I go to ask and I'm told you have 50 copies and the nice girl comes round to show the elderly gentleman where the CD is. She can't find it so gets one of the lads and he can't find it either. He says it might be downstairs in the jazz section. It's not.

So, that's two CDs you have 'in stock' but not in the shop. That's like saying, 'buy it online'. I've shopped in that huge record emporium for over 20 years and will continue to do so - I like browsing in the physical world, not just buying stuff online. And there are so few record shops still open these days. But I feel badly let down.

And then what did you do? You restored my faith in the power of browsing in the real world and I got two Christmas records, one by The Supremes and one by The Temptations - I have a few Christmas songs by both, but not full records and both from the '60s! There are also records in the same series by The Four Tops, the Jackson 5 and (a young) Stevie Wonder. I can't listen to them until next week (Christmas doesn't start until December in my book) but it's nice to have them.


But please, HMV, get your ordering and stock system sorted out? Please?

Motown 50

This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Motown and the emergence in the '60s of a genre of music that still sounds great, soul music that re-defined pop music and pop culture and helped shape music today. And, almost certainly, tomorrow's music as well.

I've been lucky enough to see some of the legends of Motown perform live this year. Indeed, the year started with seeing Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (I've met them, y'know) on Jools Holland's 'Hootenany' telly show in the wee small hours of 1 January 2009 - I'd seen (and met) Martha and the girls a week earlier at the Bloomsbury Ballroom when they were over here recording the show. I will treasure seeing Lois drinking champagne and eating crisps while merrily chatting to fans.


I saw Martha and the girls later in the year at the Motown Legends Revue at Wembley. It wasn't the packed house I'd hoped for but there seemed to be very little publicity about it. Also on the bill were The Miracles and Junior Walker's All Stars. The lead was the impossibly glamorous Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes who helped propell Motown to its global position. Mary was tres fab and sang a touching version of 'I Am Changing' from 'Dreamgirls' for Florence Ballard.


That night saw the news break that Michael Jackson had died, a great Motown star in his younger days.

October saw a return to Wembley, this time to see Gladys Knight with special guest appearance from her brother Bubba, my favourite Pip. The show was being filmed so I hope there'll be a DVD at some point.

The celebrations rounded off with seeing the Divas of Motown at both the Jazz Cafe and at Hammersmith Apollo just last week. Jack Ashford with his tamborine and vibes from the Funk Brothers, Mable John, the great Chris Clark and marvelous Brenda Holloway, those 'former ladies of the Supremes' who were totally over-shadowed by Mary Wilson over the summer (those songs were *hers*, y'know) and the discotastic Thelma Houston! There's also a 'Divas' double CD celebrating the music of the women of Motown. I'm hoping for a DVD since the Hammersmith show was being filmed.


What a Motown year this has been. Lots of re-released CDs, DVDs and live shows. A Temptations show would've been fun even though Otis Williams is the only original. I missed Smokey Robinson at the Roundhouse a couple of months ago (how on earth did that happen?) but saw the show on telly. Finally seeing and meeting Brenda Holloway and Chris Clark was a distinct high point. I'm not sure if anything else is planned for the remainder of the year, but I've enjoyed the ride so far.

Cerys Matthews - 'Bulimic Beats'

This is Cerys doing one of my favourite Catatonia songs. She'd certainly give Rose rose-seller a run for her money in my book.

I'm A Celebrity...

I've just watched the strangely compelling 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here' and Katie Price doing the bushtucker trial for the third day running. Now, I'm not a fan or anything, and she's been rather unpleasant in celeb-land recently, but c'mon people, let her have a night off - stop voting for her.

She was visibly shaking during parts of the trial tonight but, give her credit, she pushed forward with the deeply unpleasant tasks. I hope she's not selected again tomorrow, that would be deeply unfair.

Comanechi - 'Crime Of Love'

Two years ago I saw Comanechi supporting Siouxsie at her Roundhouse gig and, despite early misgivings, by song three I had decided they were the future of rock'n'roll. Thump Thump Wallop!

They've released a few 7" vinyl limited edition records but they will release their first full album on 7 December, 'Crime Of Love'. It's already on iTunes for pre-order so here's hoping it's actually going to be promoted.

Big yay for the Comanechi kidz!