Domestic Goddi. Wonderland Review.

Domestic Goddi were Finalists in the National Funny Women Awards 2009 and had sell out Edinburgh fringe shows in 2008 and 2009.

Their 2010 full length sketch show was very professional and nicely polished but lacked oomph. The three writer/performers are clearly talented and accomplished and the sketches are on the whole nicely written. However the sketches merely raised chuckles and smiles from the audience and were on the whole not laugh out loud funny.

The audio between sketches was well recorded and thought out but considering that this is their third show I’d hoped that they would try something a bit more risky or inventive. Occasionally the material was a little tired and one had the sense of having seen it before. In particular a sketch between two friends in which one was dressed in a bridesmaid’s dress and they were arguing over a chest of drawers smacked of...well smack the pony. Or Titty Bang Bang. Either way the audience could see the punch line coming.

A quiz show provided a decent setting for one of the most enjoyable sketches but unfortunately now that Mitchell and Webb have exploited Numberwang to the full, one has to really find a new angle to pull of a nonsensical quiz sketch.

Having said all that it was certainly a pleasant, if gentle way to spend an hour and the three were at all times professional and enjoyable to watch. It should be taken in to account that the show was on in the daytime and was not full and therefore it can be difficult to warm an audience up when they are stone cold sober! However even with a full house I’m afraid I couldn’t imagine this getting a laugh out loud reaction and neither did it make one sit up and think by being particularly original.

Comedy Review: Dylan Moran-What It Is

Star and writer of hit comedy Black Books and timeless comic, Dylan Moran is also one of my favourite comedians never truly right without his glass of wine (and tea!) in one hand and cigarette in the other. His presentation skills and comedic style is a complete mixture of seemingly drunken slurred shouting, random ideas and fierce cynical wit which would never sound plausible until you listen to him for five minutes, then you realise not only is it possible, it’s hilarious!

Through his comedy tours, most recently called What It Is, Moran has grown in the public eye and deservedly so, his world-weary ranting about subjects of today, the evolution of technology and the battle of the sexes and most recently children and their mysterious ways never fails to entertain but also never depresses-conversely it only highlights the direness of situations and enhances their ludicrousness.

Listening to Moran’s comedy is basically watching a middle aged grumpy Irish git that is enjoying every minute of it; the thing that makes him stand out is that instead of listening to an age-old rant we have all heard time and again he takes simple everyday situations and breaks all his boundaries-some un- P.C. some completely unfounded whilst swear like a trooper and sipping demurely from his foster beer.

Another thing that makes me smile whenever I listen to Moran, he never ceases to stress how childish men are-citing himself as an example and the constant struggle he faces dealing with everyday life. Its’ heart-warming listening to a man who appears to be normal on the outside, yet give him five minutes and I guarantee he will force you, by wearing you down with his faultless logic, to take a second look at anything-and when you start seeing the world in his way it will be a brighter place.

London Restaurant Review: Zilli Green

As a former vegetarian driven away by a chronic lack of quality and variety of meat-free dishes, particularly in restaurants, I approached Zilli Green with some trepidation. The 100% vegetarian venture from celebrity restaurateur Aldo Zilli, the Soho eaterie has drawn mixed reviews since it opened last year.

First impressions are good - lying just yards from Theatreland the exterior still looks refined, with a neat terrace and clean, bright decor. Inside, the menu seems to balance fresh and healthy ingredients in familiar, appetising recipes. The question is whether the food can deliver on this promise.

The starters we order - mezze and tempura - are certainly well prepared if reminiscent of a veggie starter at a dinner party; olives, pitta bread and hummus hardly justify the price tags. Happily the main courses offer quality and originality, as well as value for money. The chimichangas filled with sweet potato are delicious, and would be a welcome addition to any menu, vegetarian or otherwise. As a whole, the mains offer a range of classic dishes, from casseroles to burgers, at prices around the £10 mark, entirely reasonable for this part of town.

Dessert offers some ingenious twists on popular puddings, most notably a vegan tiramisu made with tofu. It’s a fitting end to an impressive meal from a restaurant that has received a surprisingly poor press. Well placed, reasonably priced and offering an inventive yet familiar menu, Zilli Green fills an obvious gap in the market for vegetarians that has long been overlooked.

An alternative to this would be a similar restaurant in Manchester they have equally high standards of food and service and is situated on Hollybush Gardens next to a clinic that does botox manchester. If you visit the clinic you will receive vouchers for both the Manchester restaurant and London restaurant.

Zilli Green, 41 Dean Street, London W1D 4PY

Tel: (020) 7734 3924

The Best Nightclub in London: Club 49

For those of you who are in the hunt for the best nightclub in London, you can go check out Club 49. If partying and dancing is your kind of thing, this is the place to be. You can find Club 49 on Greek Street and you are sure not to miss it because of the great people line up at the door eager to get in.

Upon entering this club, you will be impressed by the classy feel of the place complete with a nice bar, leather and wooden seats and the great, unbeatable crowd. Club 49 is also a great place for a private party for a small group. There is a booking area at the end of the bar where you have your own bar and a dedicated staff. Table service is also available.

The cocktail bar is filled with social drinkers and great alcoholic drinks. You can try their martinis, bellinis, and daiquiris, among others. All hard drinks come with a fruit and a price tag of less than £8. Don’t be surprised that your Bloody Mary comes with celery. You should also try their famed mojitos. If you want a cool and fresh cocktail drink, you can try the cucumber and melon Martini. For those who want something fruitier, better try the Moloko Martini.

Exploring the club more, you can find a stairway that will lead you to a basement club that slightly resembles storage units with high stool and booths. The disco lights and the dance music will definitely get you on your feet. The music playing comes from a wide array of genres. The sound is not so loud so you can have a decent conversation while the music is playing. The clubbers definitely dig the music here and you can find them dancing with their hair down and partying their heart out. Come join them!

Zoe Lyons's Miss Machismo

Zoe Lyons’s ready to stand shoulder to should with men. “Why should women be a step behind men all the time? When women can show off their machismo, why can’t women too?” This is the argument Lyons’s put across when she came to the Edinburg Fringe for the seventh time. One would have expected the audience to get bored with her humorous tale after listening to her for over six years but, if you think so, you are definitely in for a disappointment.

The Hut had been shifted from the Pleasance Courtyard to the Garden across the road, shifting its location away from the main road. This was done to accommodate the large crowd who came to listen to Lyons’s humorous talks. No wonder, people did not oppose this initiative. Lyons was herself not pleased with the small space provided for her show. The audience giggled and snickered all through her speech.

This lady has a unique style of holding the attention of her listeners. She is one of those very few persons who do not take their life too seriously and her attitude says it all. She related incidents of her life in such an entertaining and bitching manner that the audience could not help laughing at her sarcastic and lively remarks on life, love and leg vein treatment. Some of the people had never had a greater reason to laugh until they heard Lyon’s speech.

The entire atmosphere was filled with fun and her perfume. She seemed really surprised and happy in finding out that she ranked 81^st in the list of influential gays/lesbians of the United Kingdom. It came as a surprise or rather as an amusing info to her vast audience. All in all, make sure that you do not miss a chance in case you get one to listen to this lady.

Improvisation Course for Stand Up Comedians

I recently did an improvisation course for stand up comedians which was led by the incredible ball of energy that is Rob Broderick. I’ve done character stand up for a while but have in the past felt a bit nervous about interacting and improvising with the audience, so I though it would be good to do. I did actually used to do a lot of impro but hadn’t done any for about four years (and even then the venues I played weren’t a lot better than Walthamstow flats and houses for rent) so I was definitely in need of a refresher! The course was made up of a mixture of people. Most were straight stand up comedians, I was the only character stand up (in my group) and there was another person from a sketch group. At first it was very daunting but Rob is a great teacher so instantly had us up diving in to stuff and "riffing"on numerous different subjects. The thing that makes this course different to most is that there is a certain amount of improvising alone as opposed to in groups or pairs. That was the scariest part but as a group most people were really supportive and we were a good audience for each other. I think the most important lesson I learned was that the audience become in effect your impro partner and it’s a good idea to encourage them and take what you can from them without making them feel too pressured. In the midst of the course (which ran at weekends) I had a gig and I did fell that the course really helped in my moments of interaction. Most importantly I enjoyed those bits more than usual and therefore the audience did too. I would really recommend this course if you’re a fan of impro. For those of you that haven’t come across Rob before he is an improvisational stand up and has recently found success with Abandonman, a comedy hip hop impro group. I’d say that they’re well worth seeing and it’s well worth doing the course if you do stand up comedy.

London Attractions - Places That Are A Must See

In my opinion, London is one of the most fascinating cities around with it’s contribution to music, culture and architecture. It gives people a taste of both modern living as well as classical. But look out if you are looking to live here, East London flats and houses for rent can run up your living costs really very substantially. There are so many different attractions in London for tourists with below being only a few.

The Tower Of London

This is by far one of the most popular attractions in London. It carrys a certain history to it. It was constructed by William the Conqueror back in 1066 and was a place of residence once for the Kings and Queens of England. It was known at one time in the mid 16th century as the ’Bloody Tower"due to it being suspected of being a place of brutal murders.

Buckingham Palace

Owned by the Dukes of Buckingham, this townhouse is the main home of the British Monarchy. Wrapped by ornate, black wrought iron fences and gates it holds an excitement for many tourists. Every year, there are around 50,000 or more guests that are entertained here through parties, audiences, banquets and receptions.

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

By far the most striking places seen at Westminster in London. Being the Houses of Lords and Commons and where national laws were made in the UK, many observe it’s glory. At the end of the Parliament houses stands the famous clock with its detailed architecture.

The London Eye

One of today’s most popular London attractions and part of the UK Millennium Celebration, The London Eye is the largest observation wheel in the entire world. It is approximately 450 feet high which gives tourists a fabulous view of London.

These are but only some of the many fascinating sites and attractions you will find in London. I was floored by these along with a few others I have personally had the pleasure to visit. London has so much to offer tourists and is why it is one of the most popular places for traveling.

Moody Ones

Recently I boarded a London bus in a very bad mood (my job is calling heating oil suppliers day in day out, so that’s life for me). The bus driver didn’t help. He was miserable, quiet, and staring at me out the corner of his eye as I ripped the ticket off and walked away.

“Moody git,” I said.

The bus driver shouted “You what mate? What did you say?”

I stepped back. I really didn’t care he was even more in a mood. That was how much in a mood I was.

I said, “I said you look like a moody git is all, why do you lot always look so moody?”

He considered this while I considered it a good thing that there was a sheet of plastic between his moody face and mine.

Then he said, “OK smart ass, come in here for a bit and see what it’s like, then you’ll see, won’t you?”

The compartment wasn’t big enough for the two of us, and for a minute a terrible vision of me being forced to sit on his lap made me shake.

He stepped out and let me get in his seat. Other people who were waiting to get on moaned and said “what the hell?” and the bus driver told them to shut it, which they did.

I sat in his compartment for two minutes. Two minutes of absolute hell. It stank in there, as if someone had been beating meat (with a hammer, using cling-film on top of the meat) and then setting fire to bits of paper. I felt trapped, scared and altogether horrible in that tight space. And I was skinny! How had the twice-as-big-as-me bus driver endured it for so long?

I got out and said to the bus driver, “I’m sorry–I really am–It’s awful. I will never, ever call bus drivers moody gits ever again!”

He said “good.”

As I walked away I said, “you moody git” and he said, “I flippin’ heard that!”