Where are you going tonight?

[clapton is god]

Went to Home last night, which is a pretty silly name for the new theatre and cinema complex replacing The Cornerhouse in Manchester. It's just a two minute walk from Castlefield.

The building itself is very modern with a great buzzy atmosphere to it. You can eat there before a show, of course, and hang out in the bar afterwards and last night the cast mingled with the audience in the bar, which was nice.

There was a very imaginative set design in the theatre, but it is end-on only and cannot be altered to suit the production. I have to say that I much, much prefer our own Octagon in that regard.

The production we were there for was Macbeth, but Macbeth as you've never seen it before. It was a strange mix of Shakespeare dialogue in a modern (1960's?) setting but mixed with contemporary dance. The witches were on stage almost throughout the play and yet the cauldron scene never happened. In fact whole chunks of the play were just missing seemingly to get more dance in there. It was very odd and it just didn't work for me, although as a play I suppose I enjoyed it.

Some will remember the Greek Generals in a Shakespeare play at the Octagon and I always thought they nailed it but this was just a bit of a mess really.

Its a great venue and we will visit often, but the good old Octagon wins hands down as a theatre.

[Gary the Enfield]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

[Worthy4England]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

All that will be lost, when the pictures hit the solicitors...

[Bruce Rioja]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

All that will be lost, when the pictures hit the solicitors...

...this forum

[Worthy4England]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

All that will be lost, when the pictures hit the solicitors...

...this forum

Oh that too!

[Gary the Enfield]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

All that will be lost, when the pictures hit the solicitors...

...this forum

Oh that too!

Not a chance. My IT skills are just not up to it.

[LeverEnd]

Just back from a Lucero gig at The Ruby Lounge in Manc.
Really interesting band, tattooed American country rock with a singer who sounds like he gargles bleach daily. Enjoyed the band but not so much the venue.

[clapton is god]

Oh, heck. I know someone who won't be happy at this news!

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/142 ... ?ref=fbshr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TANGODANCER]

Oh, heck. I know someone who won't be happy at this news!

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/142 ... ?ref=fbshr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not happy Clapton, that's for sure, but resigned to the fact that restoring the Palais as a dance hall was always a wistful pipe-dream. We lived and were brought up on dance. We went along to church social dances with our parents, youth-clubs about dance and a social scene that revolved around it. Rock and Roll and Ballroom were the reason the Palais lasted so long and it started a slow death from the seventies once it became a series of clubs. Land and real estate are money in the bank and I never really expected anything else than demolition from an era that never knew the magical one we had based on dance. I so hope that at least that magnificent fascade cane be saved. I'm not really that hopeful based on reports of its deterioration, but I'll sure sign any petitions to do so.

[Gary the Enfield]

On Friday I'm going to watch my friend's daughter get naked. At the suggestion of, and paid for by my wife.

All that will be lost, when the pictures hit the solicitors...

...this forum

Oh that too!

Not a chance. My IT skills are just not up to it.

Well that was superb. Went to see Mrs Henderson presents at the Noel Coward theatre last with more full frontal nudity than Friday night in the early days of Channel 4. Phwoar!

[Worthy4England]

How is your friends daughter?

[Burnden Paddock]

How is your friends daughter?

Something about a red triangle ......

[clapton is god]

Its been a good two weeks for theatre with two visits to the Octagon and two visits to Home, but the Octagon is by far the best!

Last night we were there for Two 2, the follow-up to Two set in the same premises some 15yrs after the original.

I'll keep it brief because I run out of superlatives for this set of two plays. They are absolutely superb, theatre of the very highest order and anyone who doesn't normally do theatre is well advised to go and try it out. It is not necessary to have seen the first to enjoy this one.

Same actors in the same pub setting but now with a different set of clientele. More of the same? Not quite. Different problems but brilliantly acted out from start to finish. Much more audience participation this time around and we had a crowd in that was prepared to get involved, which in turn was making the actors laugh out loud, or corpse, several times.

Just great!

Oh, and I personally get a name check in the script. Listen out for it!

[Gary the Enfield]

How is your friends daughter?

Perky. As are the rest of the girls.

[Worthy4England]

How is your friends daughter?

Perky. As are the rest of the girls.

[Bruce Rioja]

More a case of where I'm not going tonight. Have been really looking forward to seeing Two 2 at The Octagon tonight but am having to cry off with man flu. Gutted. The reviews are amongst some of the best I've ever read.

[bobo the clown]

The dentist.

[clapton is god]

That's a shame, Bruce. It's on to the 27th so still time. Do your best to get there, it's in my top three all time best at the Octagon.

[Bruce Rioja]

That's a shame, Bruce. It's on to the 27th so still time. Do your best to get there, it's in my top three all time best at the Octagon.

That good? Wowzers. Will definitely find time for it even if it means going alone. The buggers at the box office wouldn't allow me to swap dates though, which does irk a little.

[twilight]

Birthday time again (nearly) so a few of us are going to The Pit Smokehouse in Culcheth. Been recommended it and looking forward to it