Please sir, I want some more...

Here, rather belatedly is my review of Oliver! which we saw the Friday before last.

One of the difficulties of theatre going in London is always how the hell you manage to feed yourself (and in this case four hungry offspring). As most shows start around 7.30, grazing with the young has to take place around 6pm, which is a bit of a bugger when you've got a train to catch. If not circumscribed by small people you then have to go hungry throughout the evening (and hope your rumbling stomach doesn't annoy your neighbours too much), and THEN leg it for the last train with a very full stomach. Neither option is exactly enticing, but it trying to work out the food thing often makes a night at the theatre a right pain in the butt.

Happily, I went to see Dirty Dancing in January, and a friend of mine and I stumbled on this place.

It is hidden behind the Theatre Royal where Oliver! is showing which was handy, and by dint of having everyone ready, the minute Spouse walked through the door we were able to leg it up to London and get there for 6.15pm, allowing us enough time to have a main course and a drink each.

The food itself - a bit of a mediterrenean/Turkish combo wasn't (I didn't think) that much to right home about. I had beef bourginon and Spouse had stir fry and we both felt a bit short changed to be spending a tenner on something we cook for a couple of quid at home. However, you don't visit Sarastro simply for the food. The place itself offers a positively magical and unique experience all its own. It is billed as The Show After The Show, and it's not hard to see why.

As you walk into the restaurant you will see a line of tables in the middle, and on either side little alcoves, with tables in. So far, so normal. But then your eye is drawn to the ladders at the side, and you realise that above each of the alcoves is a balcony, with a set of tables and chairs in it. Although it's clearly meant to represent the boxes in a theatre, it also rather reminded me of the poop deck of a pirate ship, particularly as the decor is a combination of the gaudy and ornate. We were lucky enough to get a balcony table, and I kept expecting to see Johnny Depp swing above our heads.

I'm not at all sure I can do justice to the decor, but the table cloths were a red velvety material - even the napkins were velvet, while the lampshades varied from the sort you see in Spanish bars, to those funny little tasselly things I always associate with old ladies. The walls were painted in gold, and red and decorated with ornate carvings. It is one of the most bizarre and fascinating restaurants I've ever been in. The kids thought it was fabulous, and I'd certainly recommend going there, although next time, I'd like to experience after theatre dining, as pre theatre meals are always a bit fast food for my liking.

Still because of the proximity to the theatre we were in our seats by 7.10pm, which felt nice and relaxing (we had a rather stressful yomp from the bottom of Shaftesbury Avenue to The Palladium to see the Sound of Music last year, so this was quite a nice change).

As I mentioned, we chose to go to see Oliver! the same night that Jacko did, which was rather weird, as for everyone was hanging over the edge of the balcony for ten minutes before the show started, and again at the interval. At one point I thought some of them weren't even going to sit down. I'm glad they did as I wouldn't have liked to have started a punch up at the theatre...

As a family we're big fans of Oliver! Spouse is particularly fond of the Mark Lester version and his favourite song in that is Who Will Buy?, which I'm also rather partial too.

So we were never going to not like this really.

However, I have to say, of the three West End musicals we've seen in the last couple of years, Oliver! does knock the spots of the other two (and I thought nothing could beat the brilliant dancing in Mary Poppins).

From the minute we met the workhouse boys singing Food Glorious Food, we were dazzled by a a fantastic set, which moved steps, bridges, houses up down and sideways, some incredible choreography (there must have been FIFTY kids in that first number) and the sheer exuberance of the cast, who were all uniformly good.

The kids were disappointed of course that we didn't get Jodie, having voted for her in I'll Do Anything, but sneakily I thought the understudy, whose name I don't know because we lost our programme was better.

They also wanted Oliver to be either Gwion (little Welsh boy who they favoured on the TV show) or the boy who plays the mute in the Roman Mysteries , but instead we got the Other One, whose name I also don't know. Didn't matter again, because he was quite brilliant. His rendition of Where is Love? was heartrending.

We also really enjoyed the song That's Your Funeral with the Sowerberrys, which isn't in the film (though I couldn't stop myself from fretting about Oliver being stuck in the coffin while the Sowerberry's sat on him), and Oliver's spirited self defence.

Getting to London, the fabulous sets changed again, and a London street seemed to appear from nowhere. The kid playing the Artful Dodger was great, and his exchange with Oliver very funny. The children were all enthralled as the rest of Fagin's gang appeared one by one from the back of a statue to sing Consider Yourself.

Of course, what everyone was waiting for was the appearance of Rowan Atkinson as Fagin (now I would have been disappointed if he hadn't been in it!). I'd forgotten what a relatively long time it is till he pitches up, but they teased us with a glimpse of him, high on a gantry, before he finally stepped from behind a curtain in his den to rapturous applause.

What can I say about Rowan Atkinson's Fagin? He does play it for laughs more then pathos, but oh he is sooooo good. I was entranced by his every move, and mesmerised by his presence. And he is so bendy! I realise watching him on tv he has the ability to be very supple and flexible, but watching him on stage was a real eyeopener. He contorts himself into the most impossible positions. My favourite moments were his version of You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two, during which he was hilariously shadowed by Nipper - the smallest of small boys who tried to steal his hankie, and even better was the way he sang (well ok, sing might be a bit generous, think of the way he sings in the Lion King and you'll get the picture) I'm Reviewing the Situation had me crying with laughter. The kids loved the moment where he took out his jewels and was speaking to them as to old friends, and concluded that he was part Fagin/part Mr Bean which was probably a fair assessment of it. But brilliant anyway.

The revelation of the show for Spouse and I was Burn Gorman's Bill Sykes. (If you watch Torchwood you'll know him as Owen). Burn Gorman is hardly a beefy type, and we had our doubts as to whether he could pull it off, but he surprised us by oozing menace, and being so thoroughly unpleasant we felt like cheering when he fell off the roof. The violence with which he killed Nancy (carefully choreographed so you didn't see anything, but you felt the power of it) was terrifying. And given that I am not a dog lover the presence of Bill Sykes' dog on stage added to the effect (amazingly they even got the animal to run across stage without jumping out into the audience).

Overall it was one of the best musicals I've ever seen on stage, and after thinking it was going to be impossible to top the film version of Who Will Buy? they triumphed there too.

Very definitely well worth seeing. Though if you want to catch Rowan, you'd better be quick as I think he's out of it in April.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this. Quite simply one of the most breathtaking and beautiful musical scenes going.

Show time!

So last night we went to see this

Which meant we saw him

And him.

Bad sadly not her....

Amazing isn't it? Not only are we the family who can bring rain to every holiday destination we ever visit, but now it appears we are also responsible for bringing plague and pestilence to West End stars as soon as we decide to go and watch them in a starring role.

But never mind.

We did pick the night that he was in the audience...

We only realised that Wacko had arrived because suddenly all the people in the front rows of the Upper Circle where we were sitting rushed forward and started leaning over the balcony. I thought the show had started, but then someone said Michael Jackson had just turned up. Cue much amusement from the audience when the stage manager announced the show was about to begin and the taking of photographs was strictly forbidden...

I did wonder why so many paparazzi seemed to be hanging around the stage door...

We didn't get to see the Legend himself, though the two big ones tried to catch a glimpse during the interval, and no 2 swears she saw his profile because she recognised the oddity of his nose...

What was more amusing was watching the antics of the people leaning over the balcony trying to get a look at him as if he were some kind of interesting zoo specimen. There was a near riot because no one would sit down when asked to, and the poor harrassed door girls were threatening to call security unless people did as they were told. It's probably the oddest thing I've ever seen in a theatre.

As we left, photographers were hanging from the scaffolding opposite the theatre, and the road was jampacked with rickshaws and taxis, and it looked like the big silver Jackomobile waiting outside was going nowhere fast. I suspect he was still inside being inflicted on the poor undeserving of such an honour cast, so we decided we wouldn't waste the rest of our evening hanging round waiting for a glimpse of the Nose.

All I can think is, what ON EARTH did Rowan Atkinson find to say to him? I wonder if Jacko gets British sarcasm? I suspect not, which probably means Rowan got to say exactly what he liked. I do hope so...

I will review the show properly but no time today or tomorrow. But suffice to say Rowan Atkinson was an hilarious Fagin, if perhaps missing alot of the pathos of the role, Burn Gorman was surprisingly menacing as Bill Sikes, poor understudy who shall have to remain nameless as I have no idea who she was, was a great Nancy (and I'd better whisper this as the kids will kill me) BETTER then Jodie, our Oliver (not Gwion who the kids wanted, or the boy who's in Roman Mysteries, but the Other One who shall also remain nameless as I lost our programme) was wonderful, as was the Artful Dodger.

Definitely a must see London production if you're into musicals.

And you never know WHO is going to be in the audience...

The Downside...

...of the kids going to Stagecoach all week is that they are putting on a show this afternoon, and I have had to put up with them singing this every day...




Although I have to say I'd prefer listening to A Hard Knock Life then that bloody Tomorrow song...

And I don't mind this one. But then I'm a big fan of Oliver!



Although truth be known my favourite song is this one, which I find terribly affecting. It must be Mark Lester's cute little face...



No4 is also delighted to be singing this, as after having seen The Sound of Music she decided as the youngest in the family she is destined to play Gretl. Although, alas, not today...




They have also quite hilariously tried to demonstrate this one to me this morning no 4 dressed as a tiger and no 3 as a lion. No 1 refused to take part because she hates her off the shoulder leopardskin costume so much I am banned from videoing this afternoon's great performance. No2 sang the first bit then decided the whole thing was too embarrassing for words so marched off. I have a feeling Disney did it somewhat better...



There has been much excitement in the house about this great event - despite nos 1&2 inevitably bitching about the unfairness of not having major roles (that's showbusiness, kids, get used to it!). No 4 has been obsessing about her costumes since Monday. Most of it's provided (thank god), but I had to find some ripped shirts and rub them with coal (Coal???? who has coal in these centrally heated times?). I provided an old school shirt, but this wasn't good enough, so no 4 unilaterally decided to cut up another shirt which wasn't quite so old. Nos 2&3 spent yesterday afternoon sewing patches on their orphan dresses (I will no doubt be sitting on needles for months), and then no3 spent a happy time in the vegetable patch rolling hers in mud, while no 2 squeezed teabags over hers to get the desired raggedy look effect.

I could have done without the costume palaver, but they've had a blast.

And on the upside I've written 10 000 words this week, and am nearly at the 30 000 mark. I'm roughly a quarter of the way through, which means if I can keep doing little bits over the summer I won't be in such dire straits as I was at the start of last school year when I stopped writing for about six weeks, got stuck very heavily into no 1's startingsecondaryschool traumas which left me no emotional energy and severely dented my ability to write, and had a panicky time trying to meet my deadline.

On the other hand, knowing how my life works, I'm sure there'll be a new domestic crisis which will bite me on the backside just to make sure I end up racing to the end at breakneck speed.

Still, I probably couldn't do it all if I actually had TIME to...