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An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Bruce Dessau's rating
Reader rating
Description: The presenter and writer talks about his new book and answers audience questions.
Trains: Tube: Finchley Central/Woodside Park 
Phone: 0208369 5454
Within a few minutes of arriving on stage Clive James pointed out that he was not a stand-up comedian. He was unable to be that economical and precise with words. This may explain why this enjoyable two-hour slice of anecdotage overran and why his latest book, Cultural Amnesia, is 896 hernia-inducing pages.
Many of his stories were extremely cherishable. This self-deprecating know-all actually has a winning way with language, he just seemed unsettled, maybe distracted by sound problems.
His reflections on the British gift for failure segued awkwardly into his hopes for Obama before, via further digressions, he recalled arriving in Sixties England with a cardboard suitcase full of Hawaiian shirts.
Elsewhere, to paraphrase one of his own lines, his Bush-whacking felt furry, like a yoghurt in the fridge too long. Yet whenever things headed off-track he pulled a great gag out of the bag.
His Marks & Spencer outfit helped — his black shirt, he joked, was from their “neo‑fascist range”. Later he announced that a sponsorship deal had been struck. M&S would pay him not to wear their clothes.
The post-interval section was intended to be Q&A, but James kept talking. One minute he was brilliantly critiquing Tom Cruise, then Bruce Willis, Daniel Craig, Michael Caine and Peter Sellers. Fascinating? Yes. Seamless? No.
In the end there was time for a few questions and the revelation that he turned down I’m A Celebrity. He grew up in the Aussie jungle, why return? When James was discussing the art of comedy he cited Ken Dodd as the master of the perfectly crafted joke, a skill he envied. But he clearly had one thing in common with Dodd last night. He could not quit when he was ahead.
Touring, www.clivejamesevening.com.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
