Cry me a River

20/12

Christmas cheer, spicy "dry aged" hamburgers and duck-fat chips with CM at The Morrison. He was off to a preview of "Jack Reacher", while yours truly was bound for the "Doctor Who" Symphonic Spectacular at the Opera House...

Conducted by Ben Foster, an orchestra, a choir, and male and female solo vocalists performed pieces from Seasons 3-6, all composed by Murray Gold (also in attendance). The dazzling Alex Kingston (River Song) and thoroughly likeable Mark Williams (Brian Williams) provided live introductions. Big-screen highlight reels from the series gave context to the tunes and were well matched by the lighting. At relevant points, monsters appeared in/marched through different sections of the auditorium - a Judoon, Silurians, Saturnyne (Venetian vamps), Cybermen, an Ood, one of The Silence, The Impossible Astronaut in a cloud of smoke, a blinking Weeping Angel. The production was briefly hijacked by Daleks who demanded that Foster play "Dalek music" and who revealed to us in minute detail the function of the Eternal Dalek. That second claim might be a fib.

Overall, the Symphonic Spectacular made for an unusual and memorable night out. Gold's themes can definitely hold their own in a classical setting. The weakest aspect was the backing footage, which - much as I heart Doc Eleven, Amy, Rory, etc. - only served to highlight the nonsensicality of the recent stories. I realise, however, based on the hysterical reactions of the teenage component of the audience, that mine is increasingly a minority view.

21/12

Additional Christmas cheer, plus Doughboy's Scarlett salad and Quattro Funghi pizza, with sister AK, bro'-in-law VK and my nieces. The kids unwrapped some pressies and the overgrown kids did, too :-)


CD: "Doctor Who - The Edge Of Destruction" (2011 audiobook of 1988 novelisation of 1964 serial). A tedious, if splendidly written, exercise in paranoia. I cannot recommend what amounts to four discs of conclusion jumping and recriminations.

"JL8" by Yale Stewart is an adorable little comic that reimagines the Justice League and their foes as elementary schoolers. Even the Endless get a look-in (ta for the link, PG): limbero.org/jl8/1

Music clip for B. and R.: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ku8KpJVfRM