Sunday in the Dark with Biggins and Friedman

No, nothing murky or salacious. But with Biggins seemingly stalking the Whingers it seemed only fair to return the favour. And besides it was for charity. He was giving his BIGgins Night Out at the Richmond Theatre, a variety show with the promise of quick-change artists, magic, puppetry, song and dancing dogs – not to mention liberal helpings of the National Treasure himself. What could possibly not be to like?

Review – Black Watch, Barbican

The Whingers were quite prepared for Black Watch to confront them with the brutalities and the horrors of war but nothing had prepared them for the atrocity they faced on entering the auditorium: the National Theatre of Scotland’s production has converted the Barbican’s traditional(-ish) theatre into a traverse stage. Yes, the proscenium was still there, but the Whingers were actually sitting behind it or under it. They were very confused.

Now, regular readers will know that the Whingers oft-bemoan the absence of a proscenium arch and have been known to take an instant dislike to anything using “alternative” forms of staging: in the round, the square, thrust and – worst of all – traverse. So this was not a good start to the evening.