The Umbrella Organisation

I am playing catch-up today. I have just watched the first episode.

Two observations:
- Huge should out to my favourite male professional dancers Artem Chigvintsev and Brendan Cole. I just love watching both of them and will never tire of watching either of them dance.
- Well done to Russell Grant. Against all my expectations, he stole the show! I love it when people really get into the spirit of the show, and go all out, enjoying themselves and making it entertaining for the audience. Russell definitely did that with his Cha Cha!

Very belatedly I have realised why the face promoting The Kitchen is so familiar:



Tom Brooke, who plays Peter in The Kitchen, was one of the two actors in I Am The Wind, a play which was on at the Young Vic earlier this year and which I loved.



Photo credit: http://oberonbooks.com/modern-plays/i-am-the-wind.html

My feature on I Am The Wind is here:
http://mycroft-brolly.livejournal.com/63040.html

I want to talk about The Kitchen and I promise to do so next week. I saw it when it was being filmed for its NT Live on Thursday and I saw it again this evening (Saturday). I enjoyed it and so I will write about it.

At this point, all I wanted to say was that Tom Brooke is definitely, in my very humble opinion, one to watch. The Kitchen is an ensemble piece and, as this is the National Theatre, all the actors in the ensemble are excellent. That said, when I watched this for the second time (ie today), my attention was constantly drawn towards Tom Brooke. He has such an expressive face and body and I could not take my eyes off him. I definitely want to see more of him!

A hymn that we sang at All Souls today. It is a new hymn for me (I have been singing it since I started attending All Souls) but I love it!

The greatest day in history
Death is beaten, You have rescued me
Sing it out, Jesus is alive

The empty cross, the empty grave
Life eternal, You have won the day
Shout it out, Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh, happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh, happy day, happy day
I'll never be the same
Forever I am changed

When I stand in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am yours, Jesus, You are mine

Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate, Jesus is alive
He's alive

Oh, what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That You have saved me
Oh, what a glorious day
What a glorious name

Still playing catch-up - just watched the second episode.



And I have to give a shout out to two male celebrities whose dancing was HOT - Jason Donovan and Harry Judd. I loved watching both of them and I would not say no to either of them taking me out dancing! I will also do something that I never normally do with Strictly and that is pick a winner in week 1. I predict that either Jason or Harry will take the Strictly Crown this year. Given my age, I am backing Jason! (also I saw him a few times in Joseph live and he was amazing!).

Strictly Come Dancing - Good old-fashioned top quality family entertainment. I talked about Mixed Britannia which fulfills the BBC's remit re educating and informing. Strictly fulfils the BBC's remit re entertaining. When I got SkyPlus over 5 years ago, I realised that well over 80% of the things I was SkyPlusing was BBC output. So let us give it up for Auntie!

I promise to have fully caught up with Strictly by the end of this week. And, from then on, I will stay up-to-date.

Remember ... Keep Dancing!

New International Version (which is the version that my Church uses)

Hebrews 4: 13

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.