Hot on the Highstreet Week 37

The last ten years have seen the geeky Converse sneaker rise to international fame, featuring on some of the hottest feet around. But these are shoes not just for the stars - they are affordable, comfortable, and fashionable… and androgynous enough to be suitable for women or men. Adaptable to so many looks and ages, they are rivalled by no other footwear, not even the dreaded UGGs – you could say they are the shoe of our generation.

Most designers have had their turn at customising the classic design. Even desirable Louboutin have their own style of studded shoe that is undoubtedly derived from the Converse model. But though they try, no-one can beat the timeless original.

I always shied away from these trainers convinced they were unflattering and clunky on me. However a few months back, while browsing in the new Selfridges shoe heaven a pair of irressistably sparkly shoes caught my eye. Sequinned Converse, silver and glittering; I was captivated by them.

Needless to say I bought them, and have worn them everyday since. They don’t go unnoticed, random passers by notice my sparkly feet, and I’ve had many enquiries about them.

They aren’t easy to find but the occasional Office stocks them and they are available on their website here. Priced at £44.99, you get a lot of sequins for your money.

The classic Converse but with all the glitter, glamour and glitz a girl could need.

The Seagull at The Oxford Playhouse

A chance to see Chekhov should never be missed... and so, when invited to see my friend in The Seagull at the Oxford Playhouse, I accepted, despite the inconvenient location and the fact that I was reaching near exhaustion.

I was picked up by car straight after work in an attempt to get to Oxford on time. We were immediately confronted by ghastly traffic crawling along at an excruciatingly slow pace. Taking deep breaths, the calmer passengers suggested we begin preparing for the worst – we may not make the first half. And yet, we did make it, with two minutes to spare, just in time to see the exciting raising of the curtain.

Chekhov's work explores behaviour and feeling, poignantly put in his statement: ‘All I wanted to say to people quite honestly was: Look at yourselves.’

On that premise we are introduced, in The Seagull, to a wildly enthusiastic writer who tries in vain to make his mark on the world. A tortured soul, he faces rejection from the two women he adores: his selfish melodramatic mother (once a great actress) and a young girl, Nina (aspires to be a great actress) with whom he is hopelessly in love and for whom he writes his scripts.

The student cast is exceptionally strong, with not a hesitant line spoken or a foot out of place. No-one can deny the talent of these young adults. I found the female characters particularly impressive. Bella Hammad is breathtaking as the young Nina, the writer’s sweetheart. She has a fresh unassuming beauty, and tall stature that makes her immediately striking on stage. Her final speech is mesmerising; she has the ability to stand still and portray the character’s despair with complete clarity, no movement is needed.

I also loved watching Ruby Thomas as the sullen Masha, she acts with a natural ease. Her voice is deep and moody and suits the role; wearing all black, she reminded me of the mysterious Wednesday from the Addams Family. Music graduate Laura Nakhla is tremendous as the mean mother Irina Nikolayevna Arkadina toying with the men in her life with hilarious malice and melodrama. Her voice didn’t seem to quite hold out, sounding a little weak at times, I wondered if she was getting ill.

Of the men, I was most enthralled by Matt Gavan as the old and weary Peter Sorin. Complete with his very own real beard and fuzzy hair, he looks just the part. I was told he used the walking stick around Oxford for weeks before the show to familiarise himself with it, and I have to say this bit of method acting pays off – he is scarily convincing as a senior citizen!

An amazingly professional production of a timeless classic, these are certainly young talents to watch out for. I am so glad I went.

Singing at Zizzi Restaurant

Lemon Golf Club was the name we decided on as a temporary title for our little jazz band, though there were many other possibilities. We were offered our first gig at Zizzi Restaurant and with the three of us all super busy rushed to confirm these minor details.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts the newest branch of the Zizzi Restaurant empire at St Giles is striving to become known, not just for its delectable pizzas, but also as a happening jazz venue. Every Thursday host Becki Biggins introduces a young artist or artists, who then perform as the restaurant fills up - light entertainment for the diners, great experience for young musicians. It is a brilliant idea, and one that is already gathering momentum - when we played there last week, every table in the expansive room was full.

My band, Mark Ellen, John Butler and I prepared a set of five songs for the Zizzi crowd. A mixture of old blues and jazz classics like ‘Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?’ and 'Ain’t Misbehavin’'. We sat in our usual trio formation with a group of loyal family and friends surrounding us as we played; there was a lovely atmosphere and it felt wonderful to be sharing our music with others. I found it a little daunting using an unfamiliar microphone, I’m so used to belting out without any amplification. The compliments afterwards assured me that the microphone had improved my performance despite my niggling worries; hopefully next time it will feel a little more natural. The talented guitarists on either side of me put on a great show, both showing real flair in their solos, unique improvisations I am still in awe of.

Afterwards we were treated to a hearty meal and some much needed wine. If music be the food of love, sing on, and this we did. Here’s to the next Lemon Golf Club gig... bring it on!

The Square Restaurant

The Square is one of the select restaurants in London to have retained two Michelin stars for a substantial length of time. With a fabulously reasonable weekday lunch menu, £30 for two courses or £35 for three, this culinary experience is now more accessible for the average foodie. No-one should miss out on food of this standard.

The restaurant must be doing well to remain comfortable in such a pricey location. The Square sits on Bruton Street, just off New Bond Street, blissfully (or dangerously) near to the top luxury shops. There were four of us on our visit to the Square, all food lovers, eager to try.

The restaurant is very light, which is definitely preferable for dining; I always like to be able to see what I’m eating. Set out clearly in an open plan room, the decor is plain and inoffensive. When we were seated, just after 1pm the restaurant was relatively empty with just a few business lunches going on around us, making the ambience feel more corporate than intimate. The waiter was attentive and brought us freshly baked bread from the oven (all made on the premises) with our glasses of bubbly. Note to butter lovers – salted AND unsalted butter were brought to the table!

Wine arrived, a Provencal Rose, of the prettiest pale peach shade: it was one of the best glasses of wine I have ever tasted. We all opted for the set lunch menu, cleverly designed with nicely contrasting choices. Everyone chose three courses except for me. I only had two to avoid overfilling and therefore under-enjoying, and anyhow food always tastes better when ‘borrowed’ from another’s plate. Before the starters arrived we were treated to a tiny shot glass of foie gras with raisin and parmesan foam. Once I’d forgotten it was foie gras I managed to really enjoy this entree, a delicate mousse with a deep flavour.

SET LUNCH

Tuesday 25th January 2011

Tartare of Aged Beef Fillet with Truffle and Pickled Mushrooms

Sea Kale and lobster claws

Fillet of Cod with Crushed Root Vegetables,

and a Vinaigrette of Cockles, Clams and Winkles

Coq au Vin with Creamed Potato and Glazed Carrots

Chocolate Fondant with Milk Ice Cream

Walnut parfait with poached spiced pear

Or

Cheese

(£10.00 Supplement or £15.00 as an extra course)

The dishes were presented in a no fuss fashion - none of that splattering of sauces that can often make high quality food look naff. As a non fish eater I didn’t try any of those options but was assured by my companions that both fish courses were ‘delish’. Coq au Vin is a classic dish that I often avoid in restaurants, bullying myself that it is too boring a choice. On this occasion I tried it, and it was far from dull. The perfect portion of chicken with a deep red sauce that was so scrumptious I was very tempted to lick my plate. The silkiest creamed potatoes made an ideal accompaniment and the veg were deliciously cooked too.

Pudding wasn’t AS good as the main, but it was still good enough to finish and want more. I preferred the chocolate fondant that was light and airy with the gooiest of middles. The walnut parfait was a comforting dessert with warm and spicy flavours. The extra fresh pastry on the side was a sweet touch. Much to my delight our coffees came with a generous portion of mini pistachio nougats, chewy and sweet, dusted lightly with icing sugar. On seeing the plate cleared, the kind waiter brought along a second plate, which he sweetly packaged in miniature square takeaway boxes when we couldn’t finish them all.

I really admire a top notch restaurant that avoids stuffiness, and in this respect the Square achieved top marks. The service was impeccable but very discreet, which I definitely appreciated – I cannot bear it when the main course is disturbed constantly with enquiries about whether everything is okay. My friend visited the Square for her birthday supper a few nights ago and it was interesting to compare our experiences. Dinner costs £80 for three courses, which seems like a grand step up from £35 for lunch, but when I heard about her meal it sounded 100% worth the extra pennies! I felt strong food envy particularly hearing about the complimentary little chocolate lollipops they were given at the end of their meal.

Careful attention to detail and exquisite individual touches make the Square truly outstanding in its field. With unfaltering service and such delectable food, I now understand why the Square is consistently rated one of London’s finest dining experiences.

Book your meal at The Square here.

La Boheme at The Soho Theatre

After receiving rave reviews at Kilburn’s Cock Tavern, Opera Up Close has transferred its production of La Boheme to the Soho Theatre in the very heart of London. With a new English libretto by Robin Norton-Hale, this show is contemporary and relevant while leaving Puccini’s sublime music untouched.

The Soho Theatre has a great vibe. Everyone sits on long benches that are surprisingly comfortable. Andrew Charity, musical director, plays with great gusto on the piano, replacing the orchestra. He does an excellent job and showing off his dexterity and intimate knowledge of the score. The cast are strong and work well as a team. The biggest roles are quadruple cast, I saw Elinor Jane Moran as the frail Mimi: she has a sweet tone and sings well throughout, but is a very meek stage presence until the final heart-wrenching scene.

I really enjoyed watching the boisterous boys mucking around as the poor suffering students (no money for food, and yet they could afford a swish Mac laptop!). Philip Lee is an exceptionally strong singer-actor as Rodolfo and Nicolas Dwyer provides good support as a leather clad Marcello.

After the first act the applause was broken by a bellowing voice behind us, everyone was instructed to immediately leave the auditorium and make our way downstairs to the large chaotic bar area. The bar was dark, crowded and loud and reminded me of my student union at university. I noticed a dodgy DVD seller hawknig his wares on the sly and wondered how he’d managed to get into such a place. Then from nowhere a spotlight shone over us, the pianist began playing in the corner of the room and the singers appeared pushing through the crowds... the second act was underway. Using the bar as the cafe Momus is an inspired idea and works extremely well in this venue. We were back upstairs for the final act. It is an intense display that shows the performers at their very best. I found the final moments of the play very affecting, and looked round to see that I was not the only person weeping.

I fully support Opera Up Close’s work, and cannot stress how important I believe it is to bring Operatic repertoire to those who cannot afford the grandeur and cost of the ROH and ENO. However I find it strange that Puccini is a popular choice for this young company. Of all the operatic repertoire, Puccini scores entail some of the trickiest music, usually left for mature singers to tackle later in their careers. And as much as I enjoyed this production I feel the singers occasionally struggle in a way they perhaps wouldn't with a Rossini aria, or a Mozart ensemble.

The efforts of the artistic team behind this production must be commended, on a thoroughly modern and yet comprehensive version of La Boheme. A show that I thought was in many ways more believable than a more conventional Puccini staging. As expected, the vocal talent is not as impressive as the stars found in the renowned opera houses; however these are young performers who may one day find themselves in the major London theatres, and it is a pleasure to support them on their journey there.

Book tickets here.

Gabriel Orozco at The Tate Modern

At the age of 48, Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco is being heralded as one of the most influential creatives of this decade, and probably of the next one too. A retrospective of his work has just opened at Tate Modern showing some of his most familiar works alongside others less well known; I visited on my day off earlier this week.

There is a level of interaction for visitors at this exhibition. Various wacky sculptures are on display and you are encouraged to investigate the magic of these pieces yourself. An escalator lift sits stationary on the floor; you walk in to discover it only has a floor 1 option button, so even if it could move there would be nowhere to go. There is a fabulous ‘squashed Citroen car’ (see above) that despite having all four wheels is only one person wide. I couldn’t stop staring at it, and wanted to take it home as my car, though I’m sure as the driver you would feel embarrassingly like Noddy.

My favourite piece though was the moving billiards game that occupied me for a good while. The table has two standard white balls, and one red ball that hangs from the ceiling on a thin flexible string. One must attempt to hit the red ball with one of the white balls; cues stand nearby for one's use. Once hit, the red ball begins to swing, and the game continues. I’m no expert at average boring billiards, but I seemed to be pretty good at this propelling game, hitting the ball high in the sky,much to my delight. Richard Dorment of the Telegraph aptly puts it: ‘Orozco likes games – as long as he gets to set the rules.’

All these works are a contemporary take on Surrealism; Orozco explores the creative possibilities of often banal objects, altering them and imagining new configurations. This is particularly true of the empty white shoebox that sits undescribed in the centre of the main room, baffling passers by.

It is not just objects and sculptures though - there are a large number of photographs and drawings and these too are an important part of Orozco’s art. Sometimes it is just photographic documentation of a transient work that is long gone. The drawings are thoughtful and measured, and with little rational explanation they become very abstract. I particularly liked the Bubble drawing series that are displayed together in a small room. They are fascinating to study and resemble precise molecular diagrams.

This retrospective is Britain’s first major encounter with Orozco. In an amusing exhibition we are given an insight into an artist whose work is clever and original, full of fascinating experiment. It's not to be missed.

Gabriel Orozco continues at Tate Modern until 25 April, 2011, BOOK HERE.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 36

To reward myself for not buying a piece of clothing since imposing my shopping ban, I have allowed myself one little treat... a pair of the "Henry Holland for Pretty Polly Super Suspender Tights", quite a title isn’t it?!

I first saw these sassy tights featured on a blog a few weeks ago... and have desired them ever since. They are a hassle free way to create that sexy suspender look, can be worn as orthodox black tights if worn with a longer skirt or dress, or reveal a little more leg and patterning with a shorter outfit.

Henry Holland has always been a bold designer, pairing up with crazy model starlet Agnes Deyn and creating 80’s inspired t-shirts with catchphrases such as ‘I’ll tell you who’s boss, Kate Moss’. More recently he has joined forces with tights brand Pretty Polly, and their collaborative legwear has been a hit from the start. Last year he brought out some fabulous alphabet tights that were very popular; for 2011 he seems to be branching out into more illusionistic tights.
These Super Suspender tights are made from strong 40/20 denier with a reinforced toe, and a nice matt finish. The price isn’t too painful at £12 a pair; you can buy them here.

It is also worth checking out the Figleaves website where they have some other funky HH tights in their sale for just £2!

Hummingbird Red Velvet Cupcakes

It is disappointing when you spend the whole week looking forward to the weekend, to find these two blessed days off wet and grey. And with no signs of the London weather easing up you must find fun indoor activities to occupy yourself. So last weekend I set to work, and went on an epic trip to Sainsburys in search of all the ingredients for The Hummingbird ‘Red Velvet’ cupcakes. I have had the Hummingbird cookbook for over a year, but never had the time and motivation to actually attempt one of the recipes.

After traipsing round the supermarket I had everything, plus a few other irresistible items, namely pretty but unnecessary cake decorations. The shop came to about £25 which seemed like an awful lot for cake ingredients, but at least I got a handful of nectar points.

When you visit the mouth-watering Hummingbird shops, the cakes look dreamy and impossible to recreate, so I was expecting a challenge. Surprisingly the recipe was very easy to follow correctly and after 45 minutes of preparing and cooking, my little cakes were cooling, looking absolutely perfect. I whipped up the icing and voila! My cakes were complete and appeared just as yummy as the original versions. And it was all brilliant fun too.

For once I sat scoffing a cupcake feeling like I really deserved it.

Here’s the recipe and ingredients for you to make your very own red velvet cupcakes.

Cake:

60 g unsalted butter,

at room temperature

150 g caster sugar

1 egg

10 g cocoa powder

20 ml red food colouring (preferably

Dr. Oetker Red Food Colouring)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

120 ml buttermilk

150 g plain flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1½ teaspoons white wine vinegar

a 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with paper cases

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.

Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and gradually pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Icing:

300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy- for at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

The Troubadour

The Troubadour can make a claim to be Earl’s Court most famous cafe, not that there is much to compete with in the vicinity. It was a cosy refuge on a dreary wet Wednesday night last week when I went with a few school friends. I hadn’t realised when we arranged to rendezvous there that I had been once before.

It is best known as a music venue, and I’ve heard very good things about it on this count. My singer-songwriter cousin often gigs in the basement area, where many happening artists seem to reside, chilling out with a casual beer in hand, humming through relaxed and melancholic music – well I imagine that’s what it’s like. The place has a nostalgic feel with copper pots and pans hanging lopsided from the ceiling and crooked pictures on the walls, a sort of grubby chic charm.

A troubadour was a composer-minstrel in medieval Europe and that’s where the name originates from. This venue was born in 1954 as part of the second great London coffee craze. We booked ahead to ensure we got a table; it tends to suddenly fill up around 8 pm, even midweek. Ravenous, we squeezed into our table and ordered immediately. An interesting assortment of dishes feature on the menu, from veggie burgers to steak, fishcakes to homemade pasta. We made a pact to try them all, for research! I had the ricotta ravioli, which cost a staggering £14.50, expensive despite its homemade qualities. The pasta was cooked to perfection but unfortunately covered in too much oil making it unpleasantly greasy. Luckily the kind waiter was able to meet my request for more parmesan, and brought a charming little potful free of charge. My friend’s dishes were enjoyable but didn’t quite meet expectations considering the high prices. The chips and sweet potato wedges were very good and provided us with grazing food as we continued to natter away. Alongside our meal a good bottle of white wine was reasonably priced.

This is a great little venue, and has real character. I’ll definitely be coming back for drinks and maybe a gig, but won’t be trying the food again.

Keira Knightley stars in The Children's Hour at The Comedy Theatre

After waiting for fifteen chilly minutes at the stage door I realised... spotting a few celebrities isn’t worth all this. The crowd were told Keira Knightley and cast would be at least another hour before coming out and greeting fans. This was the first night of the new production of The Children’s Hour, the eagerly anticipated play that has just opened at London’s Comedy Theatre.

Press night isn’t until 9^th February so the cast will get a gloriously unscathed three weeks of pressure free performances, before the capital’s culture vultures swoop in to judge its merits. With very few concessions a visit to this play will certainly hit your pocket hard, I was sitting right up at the top and still forked out over £50 for two tickets. I can’t complain too much, I was pretty central and the view was acceptable, it was those in the standing places that really suffered, perhaps they were just paying for the experience of ‘being there’ because they really can’t have seen much of the play. Long gone are the days of the theatre being a comfortable luxury.

I spent much of the performance worrying about my surrounding audience members and their undercover cameras. When we entered the theatre we were bombarded by bossy security guards desperate to know one thing: ‘do you have a camera??’ Luckily I didn’t because I’m sure I would have spent the whole evening feeling guilty if I had. Towards the end of the show a camera incident did occur when a steward and couple argued persistently (all in whispers) about whether or not they would delete the Keira photo they had just taken with their iphone. A photo in which I’m sure she was barely visible considering it was taken from the back of the balcony seats.

The play immediately struck me as having many similarities with Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, both follow the vindictive accusation of a troubled young girl. The Children’s Hour is predominantly about two young women who open a girl’s boarding school in New England in the 1930’s. One of the pupils, Mary Tilford, causes chaos with the shocking charge that the two women are lovers. With the help of her gullible grandmother, the school is closed and everyone’s lives are ruined. I have since discovered that the plot is loosely based on a true case in Edinburgh in 1811.

The schoolgirls (Lisa Backwell, Isabella Brazier-Jones, Poppy Carter, Marama Corlett, Amy Dawson, Isabel Ellison and Eve Ponsonby) are sweet frolicking around at the start of the play, rolling about and giggling. In fact it is a real shame they weren’t used more, as they add another dimension to the story, and without their input in the second half I felt rather distanced to the other characters. Isabella is an old friend, I performed with her years ago in W11 Children’s Opera.

Much to my disappointment the two female leads are not as marvellous as I hoped. Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss is underwhelming as Martha - there is nothing very exciting about her performance. Keira Knightley’s role as Karen is not unlike the part she played in the film, Atonement, although rather less inspiring. Knightley’s accent is her biggest downfall, barely staying in place longer than a sentence or two. She did improve though and I found her final doom stricken speech controlled but strangely affecting. Perhaps these shortcomings are due to the fact that Knightley and Moss have very little stage experience, both succeeding instead in TV and film.

Bryony Hannah, as the hateful liar Mary is positively ghastly and scarily convincing. I previously saw her in the National’s production, ‘Earthquakes of London’ and was once again amazed by her unfalteringly commitment to the character. I also enjoyed watching Tobias Menzies as Karen's kind fiancé, Dr Joseph Cardin. His careful interaction with the rest of the cast makes him compelling to watch, and entirely believable. Award winning actress Ellen Burstyn is brilliant as the child’s grandmother, though occasionally has the tendency to overact.

Artistically I found this production spellbinding with evocative soundscapes by Stephen Warbeck and Paul Groothuis and atmospheric lighting from Neil Austin. The set is well utilized and Mark Thompson had designed it imaginatively.

I fear Knightley’s performance will not go down nearly as well as her part in the Misanthrope role a year ago, and after all the hype she's a little disappointing: having said that there are aspects of The Children’s Hour that I was impressed with. If you are just going for a glimpse of Keira I’d recommend you save the £85 for the extortionately priced ticket, spend the money instead on a nice meal and on your way home visit the Comedy Theatre stage door (at 10.15 ish) to see the star there, I can guarantee you’ll get a better view.

The Children's Hour continues until 30 April 2011, book here.