Present Laughter - Old Vic - Review

                                               
Present Laughter a comedy written by Noel Coward in 1939 but wasn't performed until 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II.  The title is from a song in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: "present mirth hath present laughter."  It is centred around a few days in the life of possibly arrogant comedic actor, Gary Essendine (Andrew Scott) who is visited by many people at his flat.  Including Daphne (Kitty Archer) who claims to have stayed in the spare room overnight as she lost her latch key.  Oft repeated several times during the play.  She claims to love him, but is also after a part alongside him in a play. As well as visits from his wife, Liz (Indira Verma) as she tries to also juggle his 'conquests' with tongue-in-cheek innuendos.  As well as his pot-upon secretary, Moira (Sophie Thompson) who read a few letters from fans and others, surrounded by a trolley full of mail, thrown around by Gary towards the end as it all comes to a head.

He's preparing to travel to Africa and in the midst of the chaos, the door bell never stops ringing, pursued by an errant 'fan' and playwright Roland Maule (Luke Thallon) (whose name must've been intentional) who is in love with him having watched him 47 times.  Gary tells him to go away, write twenty plays and stage the twenty-first one.  Women want to seduce him, as does Joe (Enzo Cilenti) who gets his way.  After claiming he doesn't have feelings for Morris.  As Morris (Abdul Sallis) and Helen (Susie Toase) look for a theatre to stage one of Gary's plays.  As he doesn't want the venues they suggest.  All this and coping with an impending mid-life crisis as he's just turned 40 (thought that came at 50!)  Age being mentioned a few times here too.

Finally it all gets too much for Gary and after much boozing, everyone farcically decides they will accompany him to Africa too, Gary loses it and tells everyone to get out.  Suffering a panic attack as Liz tells him she's coming back to him!  Appears Noel Coward may have been a little obsessed with seances and mediums as they're mentioned here and also he wrote the play Blythe Spirit (1941). Made into a film in 1945 with Rex Harrison and Margaret Rutherford.

This is a thoroughly modern production, but still retaining the time period with it's art deco set was exceptionally funny and thrilling to watch.  As Gary said, he's surrounded by "intrigue!"  Seems all they did was make money from him as an actor.  Never being able to tell if he was still acting or being serious, as the mask didn't drop that often.  Due to the audiences of the day back then and laws against homosexuality, Joe as he was named here was played by a man, but the character was named Joanna back then.  As were most of the characters who would have been marvellously portrayed as gay.

Andrew once again excelled in his performance, not only funny but vulnerable at times.  As he realizes who his friends are at one point when he's left alone and asks Monica to stay to keep him company, but she rushed off home.  Even striking up a conversation with the hired help, who obliges in return for a cigarette.  Lavish costumes and exuberant at times, especially with Gary's pyjamas, as he later finally wears bow tie and tux, as well as suave slacks and sunglasses to gasps by the audience.  Great production. 
Last year Andrew played in Sea Wall here and I said to him this year, see him same place, same time next year!

Another must-see production - runs until 10th August at the Old Vic!

Private Eyes 1.1 "The Code"

                                           
Although it aired in the UK two years ago on Universal Channel not everyone has it so some had to wait for the DVD or for Five USA to air it this year.  Even better than all the reviews you might have read.  It's much more than Moonlighting, Moon Over Miami, as far as TV detective shows go.  Private Eyes is more the modern version of all the film moir classics you've ever watched and the TV 'tecs in books! It's definitely one we've been waiting for a long while.  Stars Jason Priestly and Cindy Sampson as the put upon owner of the Everett Detective Agency, taken over from her late father, who was also a policeman.  Matt Shade (Jason Priestly) stumbles upon Angie (Cindy Sampson) when his father, Don (Barry Flatman) hires her to get to the bottom of one of how one of Matt's picks (in his career as a hockey scout) Cory, collapses on the ice at the Intercontinental Professional Hockey League Try-Outs.

Plenty of laughs, action, emotion along the way, but hopefully not much romance cos that's what always happens in such shows and they end up going downhill.  We like the tension, the possibility; but not yet.  Considering it's been renewed for season 4.  Reminds me more of Remington Steele than any of the other shows out there.  Very similar in premise with Angie having the agency, at least it was already established and she didn't need to make up a fictional male boss to get work as did Laura Holt.  Yet he turned up to assume the role of Rem.  Here Angie has to contend with Matt also showing up to become a part of her agency and a fellow PI; seeing it as a career transition.

Series 1 pilot saw them getting to the bottom of who was behind Matt's pick deliberately being drugged; with him still coming across those in the same profession and showing how unscrupulous fellow managers etc can be.  (As if we don't already know) and how Matt is even tempted to become a top earning scout which is what he always wanted.  His conscious getting the better of him at the end and to do the right thing.  Nothing at all to do with Angie, but glad the decision to do the right thing turned out to be his and his alone particularly as he's putting his teenage daughter, Jules (Jordyn Negri) through an exclusive private school too.

As the title suggests this one is about how Matt's father instilled a code in him about doing the right thing in a list and how he does the same for his blind daughter, giving it to her in a Braille necklace.  Being the dutiful father whilst her mother cruises her life away (and in some ways her own daughter's too.)  Another star of the show is the Porsche 911T that Matt drives, as Jason said it's as old as he is - the 1969 model.  Again more deja vu for me with this show and the car!!

Don't know about anyone else but I had an eerie sense of deja vu watching this, pretty certain I've seen it before, no not on TV here.  Fans of Jason will love this and even if you're not a fan, it's a great harkback to PI books and this is also based on novel The Code by GB Joyce.  The book differed in that the character's name was Brad Shade and his father was an actual cop, he investigated the murder.  Whereas it was changed for the series.  With Matt being the hockey player and Angie being the PI having the cop father.  Not very good reviews for the book what do people want, blood!  Don't I know how that feels.  Some ranging from calling the author not good at writing PI mysteries and should stick to sports!  As if they can do better, there's never any need to get personal.  As I've said several times, why do books have to be perfect when in reality our own lives aren't.  You don't stand there thinking what shall I say, how should I go forward in reality.  It's all spontaneous typos and mistakes 'n' all.  Which is why I never forgive the harshest critics when complaining about what other people write, something most of them will never do for themselves!  Ranty much?!!  ha.

Also can be seen as a harkbark to Jason's role as Brandon in Beverly Hills 90210 - a whole other lifetime ago and maybe somewhere we can see this as Brandon living the dream as a hockey player after all!  I didn't think much of  Cindy (sorry) in Supernatural as Dean's girlfriend and ex, Lisa.  She just didn't fit in with his character.  Nothing personal!! But she's great here!  Yeah Kimmy Kardashian, you're great!! ha.

Ghost Adventures 18.8 "Mount Wilson Ranch" Review

                                           
An investigation into a ranch in Pioche, Nevada, where sightings of UFO and aliens has been reported to the point where researcher Robert Bigelow, founded of Bigelow Aerospace; bought it to carry out research and employees who lived on the ranch too. A base of operations.  Many of the interviewees had 'experiences' there; paranormal and seeing aliens and lights, but no one really wanted to say much or go on camera.  If they did they weren't that open or forthcoming.  Except for Jeff and his wife, Nicole.  Jeff spoke with Zak on the phone and told him what Bigelow had said to him about the sightings.  Kelly tells him about the Cowboy bathroom but no one's told her what happened there and she was told not to go in.  She couldn't tell him who the two men were who told her this.  She said the entity locked her in the bathroom.  Zak called it a "weird vibe" as no one wanted to say much. 

Ghost Adventures have done investigations involving suspected aliens and UFOs and this one was not quite the same in the sense that from the outset of driving up to see the mountain in person. they heard a whistle which even upset the dog accompanying them.  Especially as it was on a clifftop which wasn't very accessible.  Driving there at night, they came across what looked like lights but actually were coming from a nearby property.  However lights were seen and caught on Aaron's camera.  Almost like being a beacon or as Bigelow told Jeff, a portal for UFOs.  Their static camera by the truck even picked up a dark figure walking past it and then switched over to daylight recording.

Aaron and Dakota investigated a cabin where Aaron was spooked by a sound and a breath could be heard.  He also saw the arm of a figure from the window and there weren't any tracks in the snow outside.  As well as both he and Dakota smelling freshly brewed coffee.  The door also flying open suggesting they should get out.  They used the Periscope 360 Plasma which detects free floating static energy, as well as being an electromagnetic pump.  That eerie booming sound, not heard before. Dakota's camera battery dying.  The camera shuts off and comes back on again by itself.  With sounds coming from the laser mic after they left.

Zak feeling touched on his neck, as well as his groin area and both he and Billy getting chilled. When Zak was standing by the bathroom.  Billy using a device that uses electromagnetic energy, indicating Q&As by using the red or green colours.  The flashlight method almost but one they don't use.  At the ranch, Zak caught a light anomaly, as well as becoming unwell.  An orb also went into his body and using the Direct Link Device they got some long sentences and some awesome voices coming through, male at first and then female.

"Listen"
"Around, or ground."  But actually I hear "Brown" when he asks who this is.  It's a 'b' sound. It would be logical if they're communicating with someone at the base, he would reply with his name.

Spirit with us? "yes."
When Zak asks what's touching me, it sounds like "hand."

"We...are...base...couple..."  Again logical as a man's voice is heard first and then a female voice follows.  It's not "help" I hear, but "couple."
Zak: "what do you wanna do with me spirit?"  "Kill."

"Sit."
Female: "Nico"  Doesn't sound female.
"One" spirit.

Very similar to a creepy X-Files ep which gives credence to everything we've watched in shows, as well as documentaries.

Ghost Adventures 18.8 "St Ignatius Hospital"

                                               
Ghost Adventures were called in to investigate this hospital in Colfax, Washington; where the tours were halted due to dark activity and the decision was made to get them in.  I don't even recall the place this rundown since Nick went here back in 2017 for Paranormal Lockdown.  Seems amazing how it was so unrecognizable.  Though they did have dark figures appearing and run ins with Rose and Michael?? it didn't really seem that creepy.  Especially since from this episode it appears something dark has gotten hold of it and have to wonder, ask, whether it has something to do with the people, number of coming in and out of there for investigations, what they may have brought in or unleashed.

As Zak interviewed the docents Nancy and Caleb and Valoree, the executive director of the Colfax Chamber of Commerce who didn't even want to set foot in there and Nancy who was well into her swearing!  With all the noises they heard and the way Jeff was affected and he promised he wouldn't go into Michael's room and he did just that.  Seems like there was something else present there trying to attach itself to him, someone other than Michael.  Which is what Jeff wrote in his text to them.  As well as all three of them, Zak, Billy and Aaron, being physically affected.  Zak feeling something attached to his back, or at least something on his spine, revealing the red mark and bruise.  Aaron being left on his own on the fourth floor when they all agreed to stay together and also feeling nauseous.  And worse still and out of character for Billy, wanting to go back there on his own.  He seemed really out of it.  Particularly if you look into his eyes.

This coming after they caught that stick figure of what appeared to be a child.  Was it, who knows and the female voice on the Direct Link, "I'm stuck in the crypt."  Why would a little girl even say that?  They did invite that entity to interact with them by telling it to appear and to hold Billy's hand.  They really opened themselves up in such a place when it wasn't the right thing to do.  Billy also having to sit down and get the attachment off him.  Which eh later said took up to a week to get rid of the full effects of it.

The amazing capture from Zak on the still camera with that actual full body apparition; was so obvious it was there.

 You can almost see a face there, marked red.

Aside from the banging noises, there wasn't much as far as the spirit box went.  With Billy getting "Killed" and "Attic" on the Puck and Zak catching that mist by the attic stairs when Aaron said he felt touched.  All in all not much conclusion as to what caused the extra negative activity there and it doesn't really seem they did anything about it.
Though Nick did say they felt there were both intelligent and residual presences there.  Perhaps that's what Michael's presence was and the entity that affected Jeff was something more sinister.

Read here Paranormal Lockdown ep
https://mila255.blogspot.com/2017/01/paranormal-lockdown-24-st-ignatious.html

Ghost Adventures 18.7 "Crescent Hotel Eureka Springs"

                                                      
As in my tweet a few days ago, this place surrounded familiar as it was shown in Mysteries at the Monument 1.12 back in 2013 depicting the gruesome real life tale of charlatan, Norman Baker, who set this place up as a cancer hospital, stealing money from the many for dud cures and false promises.  The building was built in 1886 and served it's community for 50 years as Zak says; before it was bought by Baker, who was man in vaudeville and used what he saw there to swindle people.  He set this place up as a hospital saying the waters would also cure and he wasn't even a doctor.  Zak et al wanting to investigate here for years.  Built on limestone and sandstone, notorious for paranormal activity and the waters containing all sorts of minerals like magnesium, potassium.

Suspected sightings have included a little boy, a lady known as the 'Lady of the Mist', supposedly a student at the ladies college that came after the hospital, as well as a demon, and Michael, a stone cutter who fell to his death and ended up in room 218.  This episode was close to home as Zak lost his father to cancer last year and knows full well the hope offered in medicine and cures, only to be dealt a blow when it doesn't help.  Zak felt ill when he went into the Pain Asylum when they got a vice on the spirit box asking "you got credit?"  Eerily attributing it to being Baker as he was all about the money!  Billy and Zak did feel dizzy in one of the rooms later.

Even before the investigation began, they were getting activity when Jay heard a noise in the morgue and later the curtain was moving by itself.  Billy showing that it wasn't the door being opened and there wasn't any wind.  He left  the morgue quick smart!  As the investigation went on, they heard talking coming from the second floor and thought it could be Michael.  Zak felt scratches on his back/neck but there wasn't anything there, although there did appear to be some redness visible, it was probably his skin colour. 

A voice came through on the spirit box and it sounded like "get him."  As for Michael if that was him, his voice when they were at nerve centre coming from the second floor sounds like "Michael want to dance????"  The voices came from 218 or nearby. They also caught a twisty mist with a voice saying "help me" but it doesn't sound like that!

If you watch the actual footage and pause it, you can see faces around the mist.

The musical box began playing on its own for a long while, with the Trifield meter showing a rise in the energy field.  As well as a figure captured on the SLS. 

They also heard a female voice near the Pain Asylum saying "hello."  But nothing else was captured in the laser experiment.  They did get the words "Alice, mist, tub, rose" on the ovilus and Jay found in the book that there was a cottage named the Alice cottage around which has a Jacuzzi tub so presumably that lady must go there in the Winter months.  However there is also a Rose Cottage nearby, so Rose doesn't necessarily have to be the lady's name.

Oh and Zak, my brother called, he'd like his checked shirt back!!  Everytime Zak said Norman Baker, I had Norman Bates in my head and he said it enough times!  But hey no demon sightings here! 

At 24.53 you can hear voices and at 25.02 you hear a slight banging before Zak says he saw a dark shadow figure.  At 27.5 "cut through that" is what I hear??  Particularly relevant as Michael was a stone cutter.
Aaron gets a class A EVP saying "I'm a victim!" 

The spirit box says "history."  Dakota and Billy hear a voice behind Billy as Baker's portrait can be clearly seen on the morgue door.  Funny it appeared to suddenly show up out of nowhere!  On the Puck Billy asks where Norman is and the puck shuts off.  Gets "spirits" when he asks if there are spirits here.  He gets "NOR" so he was trying to say his name or someone was. 

Apparently bottles/jars with human tissue were found days after the crew had left. 

So anyway was looking at the pics Billy posted and funnily enough you can see faces in the fireplace, but the tip of that fire guard looks like a skull circled in green.  One of the faces on the bricks looks kinda like Zak!! ha.  The one circled blue.  Also the one in red looks creepy.

As for the next pic I know it doesn't really look like it, but the way the photo was taken it looks like there's a figure there and you can just make out the back of an elbow in the gold of the structure.

Rosmersholm Duke of York's Theatre

                                                  
Contains spoilers
Simply stunning and breathtaking, although simply is too vague a word to us!  An amazing cast bringing to life a wonderful take of politics, intrigue and hidden secrets with a climactic ending that's only predictable if you've read the entirety of this fabulous tale based on Henrik Ibsen's play and is considered to be the most darkest of his writings.
Hayley Atwell as Rebecca West and Tom Burke as Johannes Rosmer of the titular character; are so captivating and there is so much sexual chemistry between them.

Rebecca is a woman who has no means of her own and she states as such, she doesn't even have voting rights and all she has is her body and her mind, but alas no one wants to know a woman or want her for her mind back then.  They're paid a visit by the Governor before the elections and he wants people to vote for a righteous candidate, until he discovers that Rosmer has lost his wife, given up on God, as he was a pastor in another life.  He has guilty feelings over the loss of his wife, Beth who committed suicide by the footbridge visible through the window (but not to the audience).  As the opening scene shows Rebecca looking through that same window, as well as parts being changed in the play as such as this opening scene, whereas in the original version, she is actually crocheting a shawl.  We do get a shawl in the final moments but it's not crocheted.

Sumptuous period costumes, well as sumptuous as you can get in a theatre production, well forget  that I'm not making a big deal out of that and a set portraying Rosmer's financial position too as he says at the end that he doesn't have anything to his name and he has signed everything over to Rebecca, who has her own secrets and is convinced that his love for her will bring Rosmer back to God, his faith and even getting people who find nobility in their lives and for everyone to be equal.

The Governor being Rosmer's brother-in-law, Kroll (Giles Terera) has secrets too, not least in his publication, The Tribune, in rivalry with The Lighthouse, written by a man, Mortensgaard who was also turned into an outcast by the local people helmed by Rosmer and lost his reputation as he was with a woman whose husband had left her and they had a child together who died.  Kroll is also a right wing bigot (very topical as most plays of our time are in their productions.) But Mortensgaard (Jake Fairbrother) who is leftist, isn't portrayed in a good light.  No pun re his publication The Lighthouse, he wants to bring light into the world.

Rosmer is inwardly conflicted and doesn't like the world and its bureaucracy, neither does Rebecca.  Female emancipation and the importance of politics are abundant and once again topical with the world of fake news/Brexit and other political connotations.  Fast paced in places but not so it becomes unintelligible to follow.  Rebecca's line of not being sure if she follows Rosmer or he follows her reminded me of Twitter/social media.  Modern audiences may have a little trouble equating the importance of the value with reputation in public life.  How Kroll erroneously believes Rosmer and Rebecca are having an affair and she should marry him as marriage is important between a man and woman.  As the housekeeper, Mrs Helseth (Lucy Briers) tells her that the Rosmer children never cry, adults never laugh, which Rosmer decides he wants to do.  Explaining his line of being middle aged since he was born! (Which I had the chance to repeat back to Tom!)

Rosmer has many ghosts from his past and his family name eating away at him, as shown by the portraits of the generations looking down at him in his study.  But he wants equality for everyone and the servants had a distinct knack of listening at keyholes.  After he declares his love for Rebecca, she doesn't want him but tells him he should vote and vote with his conscience as she watches him with the Governor taking the long way round and not crossing the footbridge.  Beth's ghost still haunting him too.  After the Governor spills the beans about Rebecca's secret she prepares to leave, she has a sexual history, with her real father and her mother didn't tell her who he was, Dr West.  Which also damns and confines her sexuality as a woman.  At the last moment she decides they should leave together and start over where no one knows them.  As they walk over that footbridge the mill wheel is blocked and the house floods once again as it did when Beth died.

The poster explaining the heady ending!!

Add to that some exceptional dialogue, a reappearance by the tutor who taught Rosmer whom they believed was dead, almost akin to his wife turning up and things not going well for him as no one wants to listen to his lecture in town.  As well as Rosmersholm men never smiling or having any joy which he wants to change and believes he can do that with Rebecca.  As he tells the Governor, he was "born middle aged...I had no childhood..."  As well as wanting his God back.  Powerful stuff!

To me there were echoes of  George Elliot's The Mill On The Floss (1860) re the wheel and the flooding, Jane Eyre (written 1847) with Beth being mad, like the first Mrs Rochester and Mr Rochester's fierce desire for Jane.  As well as a little Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca (though that came after) who committed suicide by scuppering her boat in the sea.  Explains plenty of why it's dark though this was written in 1886 much later than Jane Eyre and The Mill On the Floss.

A must see and not just if you're fans of the leads!  It'll go down as well as their meal of fermented trout!!
Duke of York's theatre, London.  Until 20th July.