‘What’s the Buzz?’ – volume 4
Theatre
We look forward to seeing Hymn to Love at the tiny Jermyn Street Theatre. It is such an intimate space (75 seats) that we shall almost be in the NY hotel suite with Edith Piaf – she is the subject of the play, brilliantly portrayed by Elizabeth Mansfield with more than a dozen songs. We only have a handful of tickets and it would great, if TLC members wish, to eat together locally beforehand.
Restaurants
We hadn’t been for years – last week we were reminded why we enjoy Brumus for pre-theatre supper. The set menu is delicious and affordable, the room (designed with Kit Kemp’s unique decorative style) is great fun and service is good – our waiter asked which play we were seeing so that he could gauge how much time we’d need to get to the theatre without rushing our meal.
Books
Kit Kemp’s style is pure joy. I have her two books, Every Room Tells a Story and A Living Space, and they are such a delight to dip into. She is a high priestess of bright colours in private and public spaces after decades of restraint. She also embraces fun in interiors, textiles and china, as seen in her wonderful collection of Wedgwood designs, Mythical Creatures. Fun, Kit Kemp says, is her ‘sixth sense of design.’
Music
If you can, beg, borrow or steal a ticket for the production of La Traviata at Opera Holland Park in the next few days. Personally I can’t get enough of my favourite opera but this is an outstanding production, with sensational singing from Luaren Fagan and real pathos as the tragedy unfolds. The setting is magical and the set superb. It has whet my appetite for more of La Traviata in October.
Television
A Very English Scandal was, for many of us, compulsive viewing. However, you may have missed Tom Mangold’s Panorama documentary, The Jeremy Thorpe Scandal, which was finally aired last week, almost 40 years after it had been ‘shelved’ (or hushed up!). It is gripping stuff (you can find it on BBC iPlayer) and it does much to endorse the performances of Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw.
Buzzlets
Respect! In the BBC television drama, A Very English Scandal, having listened in court to the graphic details of her husband’s sexual proclivities, Marion Thorpe (formerly Countess of Harewood) showed what it means to have a stiff upper lip. She ‘welcomed’ her husband home with the words, ‘I’ve made cod in parsley sauce for supper.’
Buzzlets
The greatest respect, however, goes to Her Majesty. Last week I wrote (‘Happy and glorious, long to rain over us…‘) that, when we saw her at a Garden Party, The Queen looked ‘seriously cool in her sunglasses’ and she did. Now we know that she was recovering from a cataract operation I wish I had written, ‘cool and courageous’ and I’d like to raise a glass to her limitless commitment to duty. Respect indeed.
The opinions in Maria Says are Maria’s (with some input from Julian). There is no intention to offend or to suggest that other views might not work just as well for others – we live by learning. However we steer away from politics, religion and intolerance. Also, we do not receive any reward for recommendations; we decided years ago to remain independent and not carry advertising or promote places, goods or services because we are paid to do so and we shall stick to that.