At the moment, in the last throes of sorting stuff before we move to Dolores Delargo Towers #4 on Saturday - I'm with Ezelle!
Aaaaaaaaargh!
CAMP: "A cornucopia of frivolity, incongruity, theatricality, and humour." "A deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love." "The lie that tells the truth." "Ostentatious, exaggerated, affected, theatrical; effeminate or homosexual; pertaining to or characteristic of homosexuals."
Thursday, 25 January 2018
From tiny "eeks!" to nerve-shattering "y-y-y-i-i-i-i-s!"
At the moment, in the last throes of sorting stuff before we move to Dolores Delargo Towers #4 on Saturday - I'm with Ezelle!
Aaaaaaaaargh!
Friday, 19 January 2018
"A bit too early for coffee... I think I'll have Scotch."
One of the greatest camp cult icons of the Swinging Sixties, the ultimate louche "cool dude" (and a direct inspiration on the character Austin Powers), Peter Wyngarde aka Jason King is dead. Many facets of the man's life were shrouded in mystery - not least the date and circumstances of his birth; even his true birth name. Despite becoming wildly popular as the archetypal "ladies' man" on screen, it was a well-known fact in theatrical circles that he was Alan Bates' lover for a decade.
Facts:
- Before his international screen stardom, Mr Wyngarde was a renowned Shakespearean actor; appearing on stage in The Merchant of Venice, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew.
- He and the writer J.G. Ballard were prisoners of the Japanese together during World War II.
- In 1975, he was arrested and convicted for an act of "gross indecency" in the toilets of Gloucester Bus Station; the story made the tabloid headlines and more or less ended his career.
- He released an album titled When Sex Leers Its Inquisitive Head, a copy of which we (inevitably) have in our collection. It is - ahem - unusual, to say the least.
- He once beat Cliff Richard and George Best to be crowned Britain’s best-dressed man.
- Even on his death bed, he told his manager off for buttoning the upper button on his shirt.
RIP Peter Paul Wyngarde (possibly born Cyril Goldbert, c. 1927 – 15th January 2018)
Sunday, 14 January 2018
Bad hair day?
Medusa by Franz Szony
"The terror of the Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. The hair upon the Medusa's head is frequently represented in works of art in the form of snakes, and these once again are derived from the castration complex." - Sigmund Freud
Thursday, 11 January 2018
Been there. And there, and there, and...
Royal Opera House
Savoy Theatre
Wilton's Music Hall
Theatre Royal, Haymarket
St Martin's Theatre
Dominion Theatre bar
Wyndham's Theatre
Fantabulosa photographs of London's magnificent theatres by Peter Dazeley.
London Theatres by Michael Coveney and Peter Dazeley (foreword by Mark Rylance) is available on Amazon.
Monday, 8 January 2018
But that's the way that I was born to be
Our most glittering and beloved of Patron Saints Dame Shirley Bassey is 81 years old today. I have done many a panegyric to the Great Dame over the years, but today I leave the tribute to one David Bowie, with whom she shares a birthday:
“Well, backstage one night I was desperate to use the bathroom. I was dressed in my full, battle finery of Tokyo-spaceboy and a pair of shoes high enough that it induced nose bleeds.Such is the glamorous life of the megastar.
“I went up to the promoter – actually I tottered over to the promoter – and I asked ‘Could you please tell me where the lavatory is?’
“And he said: ‘Yeah, look down that corridor. On the far end of that wall. You see that sink? There you go.’
“I said: ‘My good man, I’m not taking a piss in the sink.’
“He said: ‘Listen, son, if it’s good enough for Shirley Bassey it’s good enough for you.’”
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (born 8th January 1937)
Sunday, 7 January 2018
Once there were sun birds to soar with
The return of the Thin White Duke
Throwing darts in lovers' eyes
Once there were mountains on mountains
And once there were sun birds to soar with
And once I could never be down
Got to keep searching and searching
And oh, what will I be believing
And who will connect me with love?
Wonder who, wonder who, wonder when
Have you sought fortune, evasive and shy?
Drink to the men who protect you and I
Drink, drink, drain your glass, raise your glass high
Cheers.
David Bowie (8th January 1947 – 10th January 2016)
Friday, 5 January 2018
Monday, 1 January 2018
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