Bond, Billington and Coleman

In the absence of anything else to do during the early days of 2008 the Whingers have been looking around the Internet at other people’s sites (something they never normally bother doing) and have found some quite extraordinary things.  Really, you should try this Internet thing. It’s outrageous.

Guess who we saw today?

So, anyway, there we were having a quiet drink with Mel Brooks and Roger Bart when who should drop into the bar but Baz Bamigboye, the Daily Mail’s chief show-business reporter. Imagine the Whingers’ excitement.

Review – Hairspray the musical, Shaftesbury Theatre, London

Phil had been waiting a long time for this. Not because the Whingers are fans of the original John Waters film (although they are), nor because they enjoyed the new film version of the musical (although they did), nor even because the Broadway production with Harvey Fierstein [CLUNK] delighted them so much four years ago.

No, it’s a much longer story than that. Andrew – in a peculiar and rate act of largesse – was very quick off the mark many months ago to do his biggest block booking yet: 19 tickets (which Andrew considers a “round number” but Phil thinks it was intended to be 20 but that Andrew had one of his Russ Conway moments and ran out of fingers to count on).

Whatever. It was undoubtedly the single most complicated feat of Whinger logistics ever.

And Phil, of course, just couldn’t wait for the big night.

So that he could witness Andrew’s efforts go all pear-shaped and end in tears.

Michael Ball: from zero to hero

He may offer a very nice line in cork-backed coasters (right) and car tax disc holders but otherwise we have to say that the West End Whingers have never really got the point of Michael Ball.

We’re not against him, particularly, it’s just that we’re not really for him either which has left us in an unusually neutral position over him being cast as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.

But now that we know that he is a man who really doesn’t know or care which side his bread is buttered and is more than happy to bite the hand that feeds him, we’re rather warming to the man.

John Waters, Hairspray, Edna Turnblad and so on

Andrew has been desperate to know what John Waters thinks of the casting of Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad in the forthcoming London production of Hairspray.

But his phone calls having been ignored he was forced to drop in to the NFT (the Whingers will refuse to called it the BFI Southbank even until their dying days) last night avec entourage to ambush Waters as he took part in an “in conversation” plus a preview of his new film This Filthy World (confusingly billed as part of “The Stanley Kubrick Masterclass series” whatever that is).

Review – Hairspray the movie musical

Off-topic, kind of. But by a combination of divine mix-up and Badedas bath moment, Andrew found himself in Leicester Square on Thursday at the world premiere of Hairspray – the movie based on the Broadway musical based on the John Waters film.

It may not be theatre but it was in the West End and Andrew is intent on sharing his experience on the blog because (a) the London production opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 11th October and (b) no-one else will listen.

Michael Ball’s Beard

The Whingers often think about Hair.

Not the iconic musical of the sixties but the stuff that is prone to sprout from the head and face and other places the Whingers are too polite to mention (nose and ears in Andrew’s case).

But actor/singer Michael Ball has been seen out and about recently – including at the opening of The Drowsy Chaperone and presenting This Morning (right) – sporting a glorious beard.

Apparently he’s grown a full set for the upcoming ENO production of Kismet thus keeping costs down for the wig department. But the Whingers feel that hair if not just on his chin, must be very much on Mr Ball’s mind at the moment.

Hairspray casting rumour

The Whingers hear that the lead Hairspray role – the pleasantly plump or chunky Tracy Turnblad- has been filled.