Category: Review

THEATRE REVIEW | Shopping and F*cking

★ | Shopping and F***ing

What’s not to like about shopping and f***ing? They’re two fine occupations. The answer is a that there’s a hell of a lot not to like in this messy and deeply flawed adaptation of Mark Ravenhill’s 1996 play. This is a world where sex and consumerism are distinctly unfunny, painfully dull and are a chore to watch.

The play concerns Mark, a heroin addict who’s just failed in rehab, his lover Robbie and their flatmate Lulu. Emotionally deadened and reduced to seeing everything through a lens of consumerism, they’ve lost the ability to connect emotionally. Cue the arrival of Gary, a teenage rent boy who’s the victim of sexual abuse and now wants to be owned and a messy situation with a drug dealer. Events only serve to deepen their jaded worldview.

Thematically the play has become more, rather than less relevant in the 20 years since it was first staged at The Royal Court. The world feels more mechanical and glassy eyed with the rise in the usage of the Internet. The play should work as well as it did when it was first written. The problem here is that director Sean Holmes’ attempts at a clever staging have swamped the play to such a degree that it’s almost unwatchable and the script feels buried beneath a high sheen.

The Lyric has been transformed into a TV studio with a change in seating, green screens and cameras. It’s like a 90’s late night crap TV show with bouncy fake enthusiasm crossed with a surreal shopping channel. Runners appear, there are interludes where the cast try to sell tat to the audience and breaks for shameless nostalgia fests with 90’s pop music, one where Robbie gets off his face on E. It feels sloppy and cheap and not in any intentional way. Back projections of porn, scenes of rimming with associated anal bleeding, characters vomiting on stage, karaoke, audience participation, nudity, on-stage sex, drug-use, splatters of body fluid: I’d list more of the multitude of things that this production has thrown clumsily on stage but I’m starting to get flashbacks of boredom.

It feels sloppy and cheap and not in any intentional way. Back projections of porn, scenes of rimming with associated anal bleeding, characters vomiting on stage, karaoke, audience participation, nudity, on-stage sex, drug-use, splatters of body fluid: I’d list more of the multitude of things that this production has thrown clumsily on stage but I’m starting to get flashbacks of boredom.

This could have worked and could have been an arch and witty adaptation that slammed home the message of the play and emphasised the caustic wit of the piece. Instead, it just feels juvenile and tiresome with nothing to compel you to watch. It’s about as dull as spending an hour and a half listening to Gary Barlow’s monotone voice (if you hadn’t noticed, the characters are named after Take That).

Really disappointing work from The Lyric.

Shopping and F*cking plays at The Lyric until the 5th November

Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

14th October 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Lotus

There is a small Indian restaurant on Charing Cross Road that is doing amazing things with their food – Indian food Par excellence!

CREDIT: PR Supplied
Voted the best Indian Restaurant at this year’s LUX 2016 Hospitality Awards, Lotus is a restaurant everyone must experience. If you’re a huge fan (or not) of Indian food, put this restaurant on your radar because it will make you re-think how Indian food is being served, cooked, and eaten.

I’ve never been a fan of Indian food. I’ve always found that in any Indian restaurant you go to in London the food is very spicy and how can one enjoy a meal when you are sweating with your tongue on fire and the need to drink bucketloads of water? Well, at Lotus, the spiciness of the food is not even an issue. The food is so delicious that you will forget all you know about Indian food and will immensely enjoy their incredible food sensations.

Open for only a year, and located north of Trafalgar Square across from the Garrick Theatre, Lotus is a small quaint restaurant with beautiful upscale decor, and service, with affordable prices. And the food, ah the food, it’s just simply amazing. The menu offers quite a selection – from starters to kebabs to mains, sides and desserts, and let’s not forget the comprehensive wine list. But first, upon arrival, you are given a glass of Timater Ka Shorba – a spiced Indian tomato drink with fresh coriander – it’s an absolutely divine drink with a refreshing (and not spicy) kick.
CREDIT: PR Supplied
As with any Indian restaurant, Poppadums are a must! Lotus serves them with Mango, Apricot, Mint, Red Chilly and Green Tomato Chutney, presented on a rectangular dish, and at only £2.75, a great deal. But it’s the starters and mains where Lotus excels. Rabbit Kheema was a beautifully presented starter with rabbit inside a Green Pepper Corns and Missi Roti-shaped teepee, with coconut sauce. The rabbit was tender and delicious, and at £9.75, worth every penny. The Rattes, Chickpea, Sev and Savory Yogurt, with a warm mélange of potato wth sweet and sour spices, while a bit small for it’s £5.75 price, was very light and very good. As for the Kebabs, the Lamb Chops and Rump (lamb in a ball) are highly recommended. Beautifully seasoned, marinated in Indian spices, accompanied by garlic pickles, Indian onions and Chilli Salad, a bit pricey at £18.75 but again, worth every penny. Another amazing dish served were the golgappas – a snip at £3.75. They were four round fried crisp balls, hollow puri and filled with sweetcorn and coriander accompanied by a small jar of Jaljeera – a cumin, pepper and mint drink with tamarind chutney – that is poured into the golgappas. Eating them whole are an absolute explosion in your mouth! Very yummy!

As for the mains, the Lobster Tail and Scallops were the perfect dish for those who enjoy seafood. Swimming in a ginger, curry leaf and coconut curry sauce, it was a seafood lovers delight. The 23 Karat Gold Lamb Shanks was not at all spicy, and indeed was wrapped in gold foil, is a dish for the meat lover in you. It sits in a khorma sauce, and while it was not as tender as lamb shank should be, and it’s a bit of work to cut the meat off the bone, it’s a great deal at £22.75, plus it comes with roast potato mash, papaya pickles, spices, green cardamom and cashews. Very filling. And last but not least is the dessert. indian restaurants are not known for their good desserts, but at Lotus, they do them differently. The Rose Srikhand with Dumroot Halwa – Rose scented yoghurt in a small bowl coupled with white pumpkin wrapped sushi-style – was absolutely delicious. The Orange Rasgulla and Seviyan – Orange Cottage Cheese with Saffron vermicello – was almost too beautiful and colorful to eat, but again, it was very delicious.
CREDIT: PR Supplied
Wine pairings are served with every course. It’s Debbie, the restaurant’s sommelier, who is THE expert on which wines go with which dish. So if you know, or don’t, your Force Majeurs and Chenin Blancs from your De Loaches, to the Zinfandels from the Heritage Reserve Zinfandels or the Graciano, Vina Zorzal, Navarra – Debbie will perfectly recommend what’s best for each dish, with glasses all between £6 to £8 each. Go ahead and have a taste test, the recommended wines on the menu go smoothly with their respective meals.

I’m Head over heels in love with Lotus – it’s a contemporary Indian restaurant located right in the heart of London – and the meal was one of the best I’ve had all year. It’s also easy on the tongue and easy enough on the wallet. This 65 seat restaurant, named after India’s national flower, is truly exquisite and beautiful, just like the flower.

Chef/Manager Bhaskar Banerjee, who has a culinary career spanning 20 years, masterfully and successfully has won us over.

RESERVATIONS: +44 (0) 207 839 8797
EMAIL: enquiries@lotus.london

Address:
17 Charing Cross, London WC2H 0EP
Monday to Sunday
12:00 – 14:30
17:00pm – 22.30

Star Rating: ★★★★★ (explained)

Cost Rating: ££££ (explained)

Website: http://www.lotus.london

14th October 2016
TV | Red Dwarf XI Episode 4: Officer Rimmer

One moment there is no Chris Barrie on our screens for years next thing you know more than a hundred come along at once …

★★★★★

Red Dwarf XI / DAVE TV

This week’s Red Dwarf sees a return to the classic Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) has illusions of grandeur setting of old. Though this time it’s no illusion as Rimmer finally receives the promotion he has waited for all his life and death. Obviously the rest of the Dwarf Posse are less than happy with this.
An attempt to reign in the power crazy Hologram only makes the situation worse as Rimmer decides on creating a few hundred clones of himself certain that they will obey him if no-one else will.
Sure they will, Arn, sure they will …

Red Dwarf XI / DAVE TV

A very different but no less special episode if only for the treat of seeing Chris Barrie do what he does best: playing multiple characters at once. The fact that he manages to act as the same character in at-least twenty different ways is testament to his talent. He is an extremely talented man and it’s a shame he isn’t on our screens more often.
Red Dwarf XI every Thursday at 9PM on Dave

13th October 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Cats – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

★★★ |Cats

Based on the poems of T.S. Elliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s seminal, record breaking musical tells the tale of the gathering of a tribe of cats for their annual “Jellicle Ball”, where they come together to celebrate who they are, and to be chosen by Old Deuteronomy to be the Jellicle Choice to be reborn. Exploding onto the stage in an abundance of colour, choreography and energy and featuring the songs Memory and Magical Mister Mistoffelees, Cats tells of the joys of being a feline and of being an individual.
Photo Credit – Alessandro Pinna

Cats production is impressive. There is no denying that the make-up and costumes are stunning, albeit the leotards are so tight it is not difficult to see which cats have been neutered. The set, based around a rubbish dump, is static and effective, as it spills out of the stage and into the auditorium, littering the edge of the proscenium arch and the aisles leading into the audience. The sound was crisp, clear and pitched at the perfect volume, with a good balance of orchestra and vocals, allowing for the actors clear diction to be heard with ease. The lighting was well thought out and the whole thing was professionally put together.

In terms of performances, they were broadly difficult to fault. Featuring a cast of around 30 very talented actors and dancers, there were some inspired pieces of choreography, both in terms of the feline movement employed by the actors and the show-stopping ensemble pieces which were brilliant at times. The show, despite being first performed in 1981, didn’t feel dated at all, and had an air of freshness about it – it has certainly stood the test of time better than some of Lloyd-Webber’s other musicals from that era.

However, as a show, Cats is a curious beast and even now, I am still not really sure what to make of it. Oddly, and despite its success, it was never a show which really appealed to me. Audiences have lapped up this show for the best part of 35 years, so I was keen to see what has carried this show for so long. There were a few issues with the uneven pacing of the piece throughout; although the second act fared much better than the first. Some of the lyrics and choreography were slightly repetitive and overused and the whole thing felt very surreal indeed. But once you had bought into the premise and suspended your disbelief, the show did hit some highs, and it became clear why Cats has been embraced by the theatre going public. On paper, the show really shouldn’t work; but in reality, it turned out to be nonsense, but really quite fun. Tap dancing cockroaches, cats dressed as dogs and acrobatics aplenty all fed into the slightly odd but absorbing spectacle.

Despite its surreal quality, Cats turned out to be far more enjoyable than I could have anticipated. It did feel, as I left the theatre, like someone had force fed me cheese and heavily sedated me for two and half hours; but ultimately – and surprisingly for me, it won me over and did leave me feline good.

Cats is currently at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until 15^th October 2016 before rounding off its national tour at Milton Keynes and Wimbledon, before heading to Hungary, Dubai and Germany. For details visit www.catsthemusical.com/tour/

11th October 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Confessional

★★ | Confessional

CREDIT: Simon_Annand

If a play is ‘rarely performed’ or ‘an undiscovered gem’ then be wary. There’s often a good reason for that: it’s usually because it’s not a very good play. “Confessional” was an early draft of Tennessee Williams’ later 1972 play “Small Craft Warnings” and is a sprawling elegiac piece laden with dramatic speeches. It concerns a group of low life characters in a bar in a grotty seaside town. Its main point of interest is for scholars and connoisseurs of his work in that this is the first of Williams’ plays where he felt able to include openly gay characters.

The bar is populated by the usual suspects that mark Williams’ later works: a drunken and angry woman, a swaggering stud who has a name for his penis, an alcoholic doctor and a washed up older gay man with a boy who’s he picked up at the roadside. They rant, cry, shout and ramble. It’s beautiful in parts and there are poetic moments but on the whole it feels a bit of a mess.

Director Jack Silver has transposed the action from 1950s American to a pub in Southend in the present day with mixed results. The theatre has been transformed into a pub with the audience dotted around at tables and on banquettes with the actors roaming amongst them. Justin Williams’ set is pitch perfect. This is a pub that you’d probably walk in and walk out of again in a hurry. Sticky looking tables, beer and a burger offers and a sense of dilapidation: it’s a pub we’ve probably all been in and wished we hadn’t. The characters fit in well and you can imagine a pub like this being stalked by enraged beautician Leona yelling at her good for nothing going to seed Chav man Bill and her promiscuous weeping friend Violet.

Where the concept flounders is the language. Characters talk in a style befitting of 1950s Southern California and use old-fashioned America language that doesn’t translate well to the present day. The Jukebox has mournful violin music that Leona plays on repeat. There’s something distinctly dated about their attitudes and stances too/ It often feels jarring and stylistically wrong.

The play is still worth seeing for three reasons: the concept, the set and the acting. The cast are universally strong and there’s something magnetic about Lizzie Stanton and Gavin Brocker (and I don’t just mean his too tight clothing or references to his cock which he has named ‘Junior’). The set is a witty and authentic interpretation. The third factor is the concept of the actors having free range. There’s a script and a set and actors. The rest is the actors’ choice on the night. They stand where they want, cry or don’t cry and choose just how dark or how funny the play is on any given night. Surprisingly, this works and there’s a strong chemistry that comes across with a naturalistic feel to the piece in spite of the incongruous language. That’s quite a feat given such lacklustre raw material.

Confessional plays at the Southwark Playhouse until the 29th October

10th October 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Dirty Bones, Shoreditch

The Americanisation of East London’s restaurant scene continues with the opening of the Shoreditch branch of Dirty Bones.
PR Supplied

Dirty Bones has a presence in both Kensington and Carnaby Street, but with the opening of the new Shoreditch location, it cements itself into a scene so hip even the beards have beards. Nestled conveniently steps away from Brick Lane right on very trendy Bethnal Green Road which includes both Dirty Burger and Cowshed restaurants, Dirty Bones corner location is in a perfect spot for passersby to get a whiff of what’s cooking and to be tempted to sample meals that are out of this world.

Billing itself as ‘New York comfort food served in an environment with the the greatest old school, hip-hop, soul and funk music’, It’s once you’re inside you get the feeling that you’ve stepped into another time and place – high ceilings with a bar that takes centre stage in a room where every table is cozy and comfy in which to settle down and have a great meal. Dirty Bone’s vibe is so mellow that it doesn’t even feel like it’s a restaurant, it feels more like your very wealthy Auntie Bessie’s large living room in a plantation Savannah, Georgia. Dirty Bones has velvet banquettes, comfortably laid back (really laid back) seats and a western-style ambience. But of course, it’s the food that really matters.

It was hard to decide whether to visit for lunch, dinner or for Sunday Roast, so to try something different I and my companion went for the Sunday Roast. But the Sunday Roast menu is not just about roasts; also on offer is a Flat Iron Steak, Spicy Chicken Burger, Baby Back Ribs, plus The Mac Daddy, and for vegetarians the Spiced Roast Veg Salad. We stuck to the roasts as this is what we fancied. I ordered the Fried Chicken Roast – two pieces (one breast and one drumstick) of spiced buttermilk fried chicken with honey spread on top. Two pieces were definiteIy not enough, but they were just perfectly cooked, brown on the outside and white on the inside, and delectable. It was accompanied, as most roasts are, by a huge smoky paprika Yorkshire pudding, truffle road potatoes, buttermilk mash, green beans, and sweet potato which had a bit of a kick to it. All this for £17. My dining companion went with the Brisket & Ox. The brisket was hidden in the Yorkshire pudding – Quelle surprise – and at £18 a good deal. The brisket and ox were, as you would expect, tender, moist and mouth-watering, and plenty of it, alongside the aforementioned accompaniments. We were suggested a side of the Taleggio (Italian cheese) & Smoked Cheddar Mac N’ Cheese, and we were so glad that we ordered it. It was one of the most authentic Mac ’n’ Cheese dishes I’ve had a long time – thick yellow cheese sauce which was consistently perfect – just yummy.
PR Supplied

We knew that the roasts would’ve been plenty of food, but as a starter, we did order the Salt & Pepper Squid, and it was just sumptuous! Perfectly cooked, not too chewy or not too hard, with a delicious chipotle aioli sauce drizzled on top to make this dish the star meal. Though at £8 it’s a bit pricey but worth every penny. We wanted to order the Cheeseburger Dumplings but felt that would’ve been too much food, however, the table next to us ordered them, and yes, they are dumplings stuffed with hamburger meat and cheese. Genius! I’ll have them next time.

I’ll be remiss if I didn’t mention Dirty Bone’s drinks menu because it’s almost a book! My companion sampled quite a few, from the ‘Dirty Mary’ (bloody mary), which she proclaimed it as being very tasty. It was rimmed, surprisingly, not with salt but with crushed pringles. She also went for the Mutt’s Nuts drink which she said was very strong, of course, it would be as it contained Woodford Reserve bourbon along with cinnamon & vanilla infused maple syrup, angostura bitters and a hint of lemon and apple. I went for one of the brunch drinks – the Pine Up – which as you’d guess is pineapple (fresh and juice) with Finlandia Vodka, celery and celery syrup. It was refreshing and fancily served in a long glass. I really wanted to go for the Spiked Iced Coffee – cognac, Mozart Dry Chocolate Spirit, and cream served on ice – but the thought of having a triple espresso drink at 4pm on a Sunday put me off. But Dirty Bones drinks menu really has something for everyone; wine, beer, juices, shakes and soft drinks.

But it’s the food where Dirty Bone excels. It has such a huge menu depending on which time you go. I plan to go back and try dishes off their Dirty Breakfast menu – the Dirty Bun (sausage and bacon sandwich), Matcha Custard French Toast, short-rib crumpets, and lots more all catch my eye as dishes I really want to try. Their lunch & dinner menu is just as exhaustive where you can try the very popular chicken & waffles or classic burgers and hot dogs or alternatively the £10 lunch options which include a 30 day aged steak, the fried chicken or the spiced roast veg salad. Desserts are also a must. We had the Banana Toblerone-tella Waffles – caramelised banana, blueberry jam, peanut butter gelato and crushed nuts on a freshly baked waffle – just divine and a perfect way to finish a meal. We actually ordered two but the waiter only brought us one – oops.

Dirty Bones is the perfect restaurant for its perfect location in an environment where the staff and customers, and especially the room, and the food, are very cool. It’s a former Public House with two upper floors, and this Grade II listed building retains much of its original character, including the eye beguiling staircase which leads to the upper floors. Prior to its current use the property traded as The Knave of Clubs pub which can be traced back to 1735. And there is also a top floor where Dirty Bones hopes to make it into a private bar area just in time for holiday Christmas parties.

The menus at Dirty Bones really has something for everyone, and I plan to go back twice, once to sample their breakfast menu and then again to sample their dinner menu. I can’t wait to get my fingers dirty again!

Address:
1 Club Row, London, E1 6JX – 020 7920 6434
Mon – Wed 8am – 11pm
Thurs – Fri 8am – 12am
Sat 9am – 12am
Sun 9am – 11pm
*Please note last food orders are available 90 min prior to closing times

Website: http://www.dirty-bones.com

Star Rating: ★★★★ (explained)

10th October 2016
REVIEW | Red Dwarf XI, Episode 3, Strongest yet

★★★★ | Red Dwarf, Give and Take

Red Dwarf XI / DAVE TV

Tonight’s episode of Red Dwarf (Thursdays at 9PM on Dave) might be the series strongest yet!
After it’s release on UKTV Play last week fans called it the “Most Dwarfy Episode since series 6”.

And it’s easy to see why: Rimmer (Chris Barrie) is at his most Rimmer-esque while Cat (Danny John-Jules) has never been more Cat-like (both are acting at an almost series 1 to 3 type level).
Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) on the other hand gives off a strong series 5 to 6 vibe as he tries to help Lister (Craig Charles) with a huge problem.

Explaining this episode in detail would be very spoilery as the story is rather intricate and revealing too much would spoil it. Let’s just give you a few keywords: An evil being, time travel a mistaken identity and Rimmer trying to sort through some deeply rooted issues.

With strong and exciting episodes like this you often forget that you are watching a comedy series and wish it would last at least forty instead of thirty minutes.

Red Dwarf continues tonight at 9PM on Dave.

Pre-order Red Dwarf Series XI on Amazon now

6th October 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Boys In The Band

★★★★ | Boys In The Band

“There’s one thing to be said about masturbation: you certainly don’t have to look your best”

What was shocking to American theatre audiences in 1968 (and cinema goers in 1970 when the film was made) isn’t going to be daring or titillating anymore. The only thing that’s shocking is that viewers less than 50 years ago would be so outraged by a play about a group of gay men having a party with a lasagne and salad instead of Crystal Meth. So what does ‘The Boys in the Band’ have to offer to the contemporary viewer? The answer is that the issues facing the men are scarily pertinent, still. The play came under fire from some for its negative portrayal of gay men but there’s something chillingly familiar about these boys.

Uptight materialist Michael (Ian Hallard) has a drink and spending problem, although he’s currently on the wagon from the booze. He’s hosting a birthday party in his New York apartment for waspish self-proclaimed ‘pock-marked fairy Jew’ Harold (played by Hallard’s real life husband Mark Gattiss). Camp and flamboyant Emery has hired a muscular hooker as a gift. Soon to be divorced father of two, Hank is trying to make his relationship work within the constraints of monogamy whilst his partner Larry’s has a distinct inability to keep it in his pants in a world where sex is freely available. Bernard is struggling with the casual racist jibes of his friends and bookish Donald (Daniel Boys) is undergoing analysis to help him come to terms with being gay.

I don’t know about you but these are a lot like the people in my social circle. Issues with drugs and alcohol, poor self-esteem, self-hatred, shame, looking down on effeminate gays, cruising the saunas too much, open-relationships versus monogamy versus the compromise of the odd threesome here and there? The boys of 1968 might have had different drugs and clothes and lived in a more oppressive society but the songs remain the same.

It’s a funny play, starting with a sit-com-like first act where a random heterosexual re-surfaces from Michael’s past and lands at the party like a fly in the ointment. There are one-liners that pack a punch and Gattiss is the master of the arch eyebrow movement and gives a seemingly effortless performance as Harold. Act Two is darker and becomes a sub ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ as the men get steadily more drunk and play a caustic party game. The climax is poignant and dark in equal measures and there are some deeply affecting moments.

Despite the odd patch where the script is heavy-handed, shows its age and the occasional clunky plot device flails, overall this is a great play and a worthwhile revival with a triumphant staging from director Adam Penfold. Well worth a visit.

After the run at The Park Theatre in London the play moves to Manchester from the 3rd to the 6th of November, Brighton from the 8th to the 12th and Leeds from the 14th to the 19th of November.

Follow Chris Bridges on http://www.twitter.com/chrisb715Twitter

5th October 2016
FILM REVIEW | DEEPWATER HORIZON

In what is the best action dramatic thriller you’ll see so far this year, Deepwater Horizon delivers on all levels. It’s also very inspirational and heartbreaking as we all know it’s a true story.

On April 20th, 2010, eleven men were killed when their drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana exploded, creating the worst oil spill in history. Deepwater Horizon tells the events leading up to the disaster, then the actual explosion, and it’s aftermath and impact on the lives of the people who survived, and is also a tribute to the men who lost their lives.

Directed with much intensity by Peter Berg, a former actor turned director (2013’s Lone Survivor), and starring Mark Wahlberg as the real life Mike Williams – the Transocean chief electronics technician who worked for the company that owned the rig. Williams was the man who was overseeing the rig’s computers and electrical systems at the time of the explosion. ‘Deepwater Horizon’ shows, in detail, how family man Miller was in a race to save as many of the crew as possible, while putting his own life in danger. He also has a wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) and daughter back home he desperately wants to get back to.

On that fateful day, the Deepwater Horizon, an ultra-deep-water, advanced oil rig owned by the Swiss company Transocean and leased by British Petroleum, was drilling deep in a well named Macondo about 40 miles off the Louisiana coast. What’s ironic is that when the explosion occurred executives from British Petroleum (who chartered the rig) were present because the drilling for oil was 43 days and $50 million behind schedule. John Malkovich plays Donald Vidrine, a BP executive who was there to push the men to complete drilling the well as soon as possible. Against the wishes of Deepwater Horizon’s installation manager Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell, very effective and in one of his best performances ever), Vidrine orders the crew to perform negative pressure tests (an attempt to lower the pressure inside the well to ensure that the well can withstand that pressure without any leaks). These tests were the catalyst to what happens next; mud, oil and water starts seeping out of the drills, intensifying and then stabelising, but then tragedy strikes. And when it does, everyone is caught off guard, including Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez), the 23-year old woman who helped operate the rig’s navigation machinery. The BP executives are shell-shocked, and them and the crew scramble for lifeboats that would lead them to safety. These are harrowing scenes of explosions, fire, and survival.

‘Deepwater Horizon’ excels in the way the story is told and shown; we are witness to the emotional and physical impact of the explosion, but we also get to experience it with the flames and crackling of the metal, crashing down and hurting some of the workers, thanks to special effects (with the pulsating soundtrack which adds to the intensity) that doesn’t even look like special effects – they’re that real. The explosions and fire are so intense you can practically feel the heat come off the screen. And while some may blame the film for being about one man whose heroic efforts saved everyone (with Wahlberg in action star mode, perhaps maybe a bit too much), Mike Williams did save lots of lives and this is indeed his story, and this film is the chance to tell that story, and it does so extremely well. Berg’s human centred approach to the story brings us closer to the lives of the people who were caught up in the disaster – it’s the human element to the story that is the takeaway – the survivors as well as the dead.

4th October 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW: VQ Restaurant

If you’ve ever been to America you’ll know that diners are a staple of the culture and way of life. VQ Restaurant, now with three branches in London, is looking to fill a diner gap here in London, and it succeeds.

With already established locations in Bloomsbury and Chelsea, and now Notting Hill, VQ (Vingt-Quartre, or 24) offers American style food in a restaurant with a very modern design which makes you feel that you are not in a greasy spoon cafe but in a very classy and posh diner.

What is not posh are the prices. Like American diners, VQ offers an extreme range of food that you can have anytime, including breakfast. How many restaurants do that? If you fancy buttermilk pancakes, at say, midnight, they’re there to order. If you want a hamburger or pasta or salad at say, 11:00 a.m., feel free! As a matter of fact, VQ has just one menu, and not separate menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner – brilliant!

A friend and I visited the new Notting Hill branch, just a few steps away from the tube, and were placed in a very cozy table in the back, next to a wall that reminded us of a lava-lamp. Since the menu is so big, and with sections such as Burgers Hot Dogs and Sandwiches, Classics (Fish & Chips, Chicken Milanese, Ribeye Steak and Ribs), Omelettes and 24 hour breakfast, not including the starters and sides, plus drinks, it took a bit of time for us to decide. I went with the Club Sandwich with sweet potato fries. What I received was a massive club sliced in four sections containing chicken, bacon, melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mustard mayonnaise. It was so big I could not finish it all, though it didn’t help that I had also ordered the chorizo sautéed new potatoes and red onions as a delicious starter which was a meal in itself. And at only £9.95, the club sandwich is a excellent deal and could be shared by two people alongside starters or desserts. My friend ordered the breaded butterfly king prawns with sweet chilli sauce as a starter – at £7.95 it was quite a steep price for just four, but they were good. His main course was the ribeye steak, which was cooked to perfection, accompanied by the delicately smooth peppercorn sauce, but at £21.95 it’s not quite a steal. As a side dish (what was I thinking?), I ordered the cole slaw which I thought would be a complement to the sandwich. It was a massive massive portion for just £3.95, but too mayonnaisey for my tastes. Deciding that we could not stuff our faces with banoffee pie, apple crumble, eton mess (you’ll have to go to VQ so they can explain it to you), brownie or drizzle cake, we both went for the fruit salad. It was extremely divine. Soaked in mango juice, with all sorts of fruit in a medium sized bowl, beautifully presented – one of the best fruit salads I’ve had in a very long time. Their drinks menu is just as diverse as their food menu. This includes selections of white rose and red wines, vodka, gin, whiskey blends, bourbons, tequila, rums, a great beer and cider selection, as well as hot iced and soft drinks, plus virgin cocktails. We had what was the best bargain on the menu – fruit smoothies – ranging from £2.95 to £4.50 – served in jam jars. I went for the Six-a-day, which included spinach, banana, melon, pineapple, grape and apple – delicious. My friend went for the Berry Boost, a selection of three berries. Great bargains for very delicious and refreshing drinks.

Having previously visited the Bloomsbury branch, which is open all night, every night, I’ve had the burgers and they are much better than the burgers you get at Five Guys or Shake Shack (and starting at £6.95 a better value as well). They come in several types from chicken to pulled pork to falafel, to of course beef. VQ Restaurants also have great pasta choices (Mac ’n’ Cheese, Penne, Linguine with Smoked Salmon, and Spaghetti Bolognaise), an excellent salad selection (Caesar, Cobb, Salmon Lentil and Quinoa, or the VQ Salad which includes pomegranate, feta, baby beetroot, butternut squash, mixed leaves, honey roasted pine nuts, dijon vinaigrette.

So a visit to VQ is a must, anytime – day or night. Their restaurants are relaxed, friendly and are really cool, all in central locations, and with very friendly and attentive staff. Hats off to Geoff at the Notting Hill branch. A very nice and smart young French man, he took very good care of us, who loves his job, and is perhaps one of the happiest guys in London. And that’s what a visit to VQ diner will make you feel, happy.

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Address: Notting Hill – 24 Pembridge Road, W11 3HL –

020 3745 7224 –

7am every weekday morning (8am Saturday & Sunday) until 3am on Thursday-Saturday, 1am on Monday-Wednesday and midnight on Sunday
Bloomsbury – 111A Great Russell Street London WC1B 3NQ – 020 7636 5888 – 24 hours
Chelsea – 325 Fulham Road London SW10 9QL – 020 7376 7224 – 24 hours

Website: http://www.vqrestaurants.com

Star Rating: ★★★★★ (explained)

VQ Restaurants serve all-day breakfast / brunch, lunch and dinner, with cocktail serve as well

30th September 2016
TV REVIEW | Red Dwarf XI, Episode 2

★★★★★ | Red Dwarf XI, Episode 2

The second episode of Red Dwarf XI (Tonight on Dave at 9PM) is quite different from last weeks fast paced affair.

Red Dwarf XI / DAVE TV

After a brief domestic spat between space couple Rimmer (Chris Barrie) and Lister (Craig Charles) the gang are called together when Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) and Cat (Danny John-Jules) discover a mysterious escape pod.

Soon the foursome find themselves on board of a derelict space ship to investigate a mystery.

Slower and with and with an interesting flashback counterpoint this is another great episode. It is interesting how writer and director Doug Naylor manages to make the series look both familiar and modern at the same time.

What also helps this series is that there are still so many aspects of the relationships between the characters that can be explored.

Guest starring: Maggie Service and Dan Tetsell

28th September 2016