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Tiki Chris mailed me a copy of his travelogue, The Law of the Island. It's full of great photographs and interesting tales about his trip to the Navel of the World, Rapa Nui. It's always been on my "must-visit" list, and this book is really whetting my appetite to go there. Chris also maintains a blog about the island called Rapa Nui News. Check it out.
[Link: The Law of the Island]
[Link: Rapa Nui News]
I've been to quite a few plays on London's West End over the years, and the unquestionable highlight was seeing David Suchet as Salieri bring down the house at the Old Vic in Peter Schaffer's, Amadeus.
Tim Curry's King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot doesn't come anywhere near that rareified level of theatrical excellence, but it was still jolly good fun watching Dr. Frank N. Furter hammily urge his motley crew of English kuh-niggits to "find their grail".
Certain bits, like the French Taunting, translated brilliantly to the stage, and others, like the Black Knight and Killer Rabbit, not so well. The book was filled with extended versions of songs from the original film, along with a nicely done lampoon of West End musicals called, "The Song That Goes Like This". The musical lowpoint of the evening was "You Won't Succeed On Broadway" which wanted to be a Mel Brooks-style parody of the ubiquitousness of jews in the entertainment business, but came periously close to genuinely offensive anti-Semitism instead.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention the iron lungs (and Huge Tracts of Land) of the Lady of the Lake, aptly assayed the evening I attended by Amy Field, understudy to Hannah Waddingham. That watery tart can lob a scimitar at me anytime she likes.
Last Sunday, I embarked upon an epic train and tube journey from Reading to Hainault to visit The Cartoonist and his wife, Renate. After being shown the various crime-fighting tools and mysterious alien artifacts that fill every nook and cranny of The Cartoonist's secret lair, I was introduced to the one and only Basil. He has a bone-crushing grip, y'know.
Afterwards, we hopped into the Cartoonistmobile and drove out into the countryside for a lovely Sunday roast at a pub called The Rabbit.
I'm alive and still in England through this weekend. Here are a few highlights of what I've been up to museum-wise in the past week or so:
Power & Taboo: Sacred Objects from the Pacific at the British Museum [Link]
Sixties Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum [Link]
Graphic Designer, Alan Fletcher, at the Design Museum [Link]
Back to work. More later. - Mr. BH