:: Oven-Hoover ::

Another week, another production: only two more performances of this to go:

It's made a change for me, doing sound, painting set (photos soon available to view online) and not acting. Currently there seems to be a competition as to which wag can bastardise the name of the play in the most hilarious fashion. Surely it can't be that hard to pronounce...

I was disappointed to read this week that Pinter is to stop writing for the stage. As I wide-eyed teenager, I witnessed the National Theatre's savage production of The Birthday Party. Seldom has an introduction to a playwright's work been so memorable to me, and I've had a wide admiration for Pinter's work ever since. David Ell directed One for the Road as part of the New Directors' Showcase at South London Theatre last year...

Now, before I pop off, there's time to cover those topics allegedly best avoided at middle class dinner parties: Politics, Religion and Sex. To be honest, I've always found these to be the only suitable topics of conversation at such occasions although not all would agree. I remember that attempts to get my mother to say "cunt" in front of the dinner guests didn't go down to well - I'm nearly ashamed to admit that I was 22 at the time. However, this was during a (vaguely befuddled) conversation about the power of language in which I argued that much of a word's potential to shock was founded in the speaker's intention rather than its inherant definition. I suspect the lawyers in the current Michael Jackson case are indulging in a similar game...

- As far as the mini-Machiavellis are concerned, I relished the fact that Tony Blair was officially snubbed in his attempts to rule Little Britain as well as Great Britain, and the Tories have revealed a secret weapon in the shape of Michael Howard's wife. Let's hope she doesn't stoop to cooing Beatles hits at startled Chinese people.

- Religion? Not much that I care about really. So here's a picture of the Pope on a space hopper

- Sex might have to wait next week (on recent progress - till next year), but you can read all about people losing their virginity on b3ta.

And the burning question of the week for me: What was in the mystery envelope?