Even the orchestra is beautiful

Cabaret? Brilliant. Sleazier, *far* sleazier than the film, and the play's plot's a bit different - for instance, the Nazis are more prevalent as a presence/threat (you get the feeling it's set a couple of years later than the film), the Jewish subplot is actually the landlady and a bloke she's romancing, Sally is english and far less talented, the writer giving English lessons is American and queer and it's all far, far more depressing by the end of the play - you're left with the metaphorical breath knocked out of you, whereas in the film you're left with at least some hope that people got out. The end image at the club... gah.

James Dreyfus as EmCee is... oh, perfectly disgusting and creepy. Put on weight for the role so he looks worse, especially when he takes off the corset. (he's normally an absolute beanpole - if you need an image, think Carmen Ghia (the director's boyfriend) in The Producers, which he played for most of its run in the West End) And in further adventures of Heather feeds the orchestra, the orchestra were at the back, in shorts and satin knickers and suspenders and masks and stupid little hats and corsets as the Kit Kat Club band - y'know, the normal middle-aged West End orchestra? But it really, really works. But to make up for not feeding the orchestra sugar, that bit in the film where the EmCee shakes hands with the audience is replicated - shaking hands with people in the front row - we proffered the sweets. See Dreyfus grin, take a couple, then use it to make the last farewell line on Wilkommen *more* disgusting as he's very blatantly chewing on the haribo bottle sticking out of his mouth as he says his farewells. And then Viktor (one of the chorus) did the same a bit later on. And took a handful, greedy sod. Though as Megs said, 'I think we made a friend'.

Though. Um. What convention-going does to you. All the chorus are in fishnet and spangles and satin shorts and stockings and straps and interesting makeup (think a bit like Chicago but boys and girls and far sleazier) and gyrating and groping and lounging all over each other and stretched over furniture and it's clearly meant to be degenerate and shocking and I'm sitting there going 'huh, looks just like the end of the night in the bar/disco at conventions...' I'm serious. It looks just like some of our photos. Up to and including the spanking and squealing. And it really, really doesn't help that Harriet Thorpe (trust me, you'd recognise her if you've ever watched UK tv) done up as Fraulein Kost bears a pretty good resemblance to wiccachik. And yes, Taz, you can have all her sailor boys.

Oh, and we've proved that feeding Heather sugar and musicals leads to what looks like drunken reeling through the west end singing at the tops of our voices while Jane tries to imply by body language that she's not with us. SRSLY. I walked into a bollard in Cambridge Circus because I didn't notice it, being far too busy singing 'Mein Herr' with Megs and Jen.

cidercupcakes? My mate passed filming on Saturday at St. Pauls. For National Treasure 2. Just thought you should know. :g: