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New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Bruce Dessau's rating
Reader rating
Description: The US sitcom star returns to her hard-hitting stand-up roots.
Trains: Tube: Leicester Square, Embankment 
Phone: 0844847 2475
Website: www.leicestersquaretheatre.com
Internet date: Roseanne Barr modestly describes herself as 'shy but assertive'
The last time Roseanne Barr appeared in the UK, in 2006, she delivered a pancake-flat set at the Leicester Comedy Festival. Rumour had it that she thought the booking was in Leicester Square, not 102 miles further north. Last night she was definitely in the right place, geographically and comedically. After the fiasco of fellow American Sarah Silverman’s Sunday gig, Barr showed herself to be an experienced old hand at stand-up.
In fact, age was the overriding theme of her defiant set. With her constant references to being a baby boomer, audience members over 40 got the most out of the rebellious black-clad 56-year-old’s sarcastic moans about troublesome teens, menopausal woes and below-the-waist cosmetic surgery.
Her despair at the state of the planet, however, appealed to everyone. After a few inevitable swipes at Bush and Palin, the sitcom icon aired her contempt for politics in general. “The only time they tell the truth is when they are calling each other liars.”
She is an Obama fan, though would probably have preferred Hillary Clinton.
If Barr aimed at well-worn targets, at least she hit mostly bulls-eyes, skewering the modern obsession with pills for all occasions and revealing how after three failed marriages she has recently tried internet dating, calling herself, somewhat understatedly, “shy but assertive”.
As for body fascism, she is not the first person to note that half the world is starving while the other half is dieting, yet it was still a persuasively spat‑out line.
This was no‑frills stand‑up with wicked smirks and a pithy wind-down in which she answered audience questions with such smart whipcrack comebacks one wondered whether she had a team of writers lurking under her blouse. A closing musical medley was a tad indulgent and a few American references drew blank expressions but this was hugely efficient, intermittently thrilling stuff.
Tonight (0844 847 2475,
www.leicestersquaretheatre.com).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Offer: Roseanne Barr tickets - Leicester Square Theatre - October 21 & 22 - £15 off*
Price: £30.00
Details: One of America's funniest comedians.
...more
* Online booking only
