trace_of_scarlet

I’ve been tossing around the idea of doing a picspam of John Barrowman as Albin/Zaza in La Cage Aux Folles for some time now – ever since the promotional images started surfacing on the net, in fact. His run in the show has combined my current twin fangirl obsessions perfectly, even if he doesn’t make as good an Albin as Roger Allam. He’s good, yes, but Roger Allam pretty much achieved perfection.

Anyway. Like I said, I’ve been meaning to do the John-as-Zaza picspam for a while, and have finally been spurred into it to cheer an upset person on Journalfen’s Unfunnybusiness comm up. And while I’m at it, I figured, gorgeous men dressed as gorgeous women in sparkly outfits and with fantastic legs... like you can ever get enough, right? Plus, more people should know the genius that was the Roger Allam and Philip Quast run in La Cage. So this is not just the Johnspam, it’s the La Cage Aux Folles picspam!

I’ve divided it up into sections separated by LJ cuts, but be warned: THIS THING IS HUGE. Between the joint efforts of me, plum177 and niblick_iii, we must have acquired if not all the photos of Quast and Allam’s run on the net, then at least the majority. I haven’t used them all here, but I have used a hell of a lot.

And so, messieurs-dames, I give you... La Cage Aux Folles!



( First up, a few random Zazas that I’ve acquired photos of. Includes Grahame Norton, Douglas Hodge, the Zaza (and Georges) in the current Parisian production, and at least one whose name I don’t know. )

( Next, some shots of the supporting cast, all from various 2008/2009 London productions. Smaller section this time. )

( The first La Cages cast I ever saw, and the original reason for my obsession: Philip Quast as Georges and Roger Allam as Zaza. )

And that’s all for this post, folks! Second instalment: John Barrowman and the Cagelles!

My loan went in. :D Thank God. Also, have just received an email from one of my lecturers granting me a day's extension on one of my two essays due on the 12th. I asked because I also have an exam on the 12th and did NOT want to be running around handing stuff in when I could be revising and generally getting into an exam-friendly mood, so YAY. Fingers crossed the other lecturer will also agree, but if one will then clearly it wasn't an unreasonable request, so I'm very hopeful.

Maybe non-fannish stuff is looking up. *crosses fingers*

And on the subject of RL things, a few people asked for photos from Nat's wedding, so here's three of the very few that I actually like:

Me and my shiny, shiny, professionally-done hair from just before the ceremony, hence my still wearing normal clothing.


Cheers! With seren_cymraeg, who looked fantastic, at the reception.


And giggling drunkenly with Alex and Louse rather later. I think the effects of the free bar were beginning to be felt at this point...


Also, I still totally need a good moodtheme. Am still trying to find a Ten-Martha-Jack one...

I HAVE PRETTY FLIPPY HAIR.

Lookit! Is all pretty and flippy and such.



:D

Oh, I have missed having nice hair. How I have missed it. *twirls*

(In a sidenote that should rejoice the heart of kali921 and others: Yes, that's a Wonder Woman t-shirt I'm wearing. Is pretty!)

...I got another hug from John Barrowman tonight.

It made running like hell all the way from work (stopping in the house first to pick up supplies - did I mention it was freezing?) and all the waiting around we've done this week totally worth it. I've just got to the Bay and am running like hell trying to find Michelle and Emma ---- and then suddenly there's a John Barrowman, in full costume and overcoat, walking past me. This time my brain DIDN'T go kaput, happily, and I said "Hi John!"

He turns and says hi, and I laugh and say that I was the daft girl who couldn't talk to him at the last filming, and could I please have another hug? And he ignores the security guard saying no (to him and to me) and his own "I really, really shouldn't... They'll all want one, etc." to hold out his arms.

He left not long after, so there's no way I would have had any other chance. He brought a couple of his dogs down in the car with him, and was playing with them just before he left. OMG SO CUTE. Eeeeeeee. Emma and I offered him pizza, but alas didn't get him to do the "Who the hell orders pizza in the name of Torchwood?" line. WOE.

Good God that man is beautiful. Seriously, seriously beautiful.

(AND SOMEONE GOT FILM OF HIM HUGGING ME. IT'S GOING TO BE UP ON YOUTUBE. :D!!!)

In conclusion: YAY ME. Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic city. <3333

So, right. We got off the train at about 9pm in Cardiff, instead of the 2am that Lauren and I should have been getting in at. And since we could take about ten minutes off the journey time by walking through the city centre and getting a taxi from the theatre, we decide to do that and save money, since we weren't particularly tired. skitty_kat left because her place was in a different direction, and so did nevaendinstorey, so it was just me, plum177 and requiem2adream who were fussing over whether or not a minivan-sized taxi would be more expensive than an ordinary-sized one when there's a voice behind us: "'Scuse, are you getting this taxi?"

And we turn around.

And it's DAVID FUCKING TENNANT.

Who promptly got mobbed. I was shockingly coherent, all things considered, and he was very nice and very understanding of the three squeeing fangirls he was suddenly surrounded by. Amy squeaked "Gosh, you're awfully tall!" and he laughed and said something along the lines of "...Er, I suppose so. Sorry!" and I managed to gabble something about where we'd just been.

And, of course, he posed for photos, although the girlfriend was rather grumpy about it.

( PROOF, BABY! )

Then we let him get away, and Lauren and I clung together and squealed and, apparently, missed him turning around in the taxi to wave! Luckily Amy didn't, and waved back.

David Tennant, baby. *still grinning!*

Then this Monday Natasha and I were due to meet up in Cardiff for some shopping-and-gossip therapy. Only she was late, so at 3ish I'm waiting for her outside Howells in the middle of Cardiff, and then this tall bloke walks past me into the shop. And I double take.

And then, of course, I follow him in, to see if it really is who I think it is, and being Cardiff, indeed it is one Mr Russell T. Davies Esq., who when I went up to him to say hi and that I'm a huge fan of Doctor Who and Torchwood bounced at me gleefully and wrung my hand several times and asked my name, and was quite happy to have a chat and a photo. Even though, as he put it, "...Oh, damnit, I'm in the bloody make-up section!", and even though I told him off about the lack of Martha, and that I liked her better than Catherine Tate or Billie Piper. And he was a vair nice man, and I liked him muchly.

( So, of course, photo. )

I also got ordered to watch Torchwood tonight and Doctor Who tomorrow. Then I say thank you and trot off to met Natasha, and then a few shops later, upstairs in HMV, I turn around AND THERE HE IS AGAIN.

I got stalked by Russell T. Davies. God, I love Cardiff.

And at the time, having met him, I was going to agree with oz_the_bobble who said that after meeting him she'd forgiven him all his cock-ups.

And then I saw Torchwood, and my rough non-spoilery summary would be : DAMN YOU, DAVIES. D:

Man, I fail tonight. I meant to say in my last post: first of all, anybody wanna make me an icon of the me-photo? My current me-icon is vair vair old.

Secondly, also in light of the me-photo, have a sorta meme: If you read this, comment and tell me what you look like. Even if I've already met you, tell me what you think you look like.

Pass it on.

I totally should update this thing, shouldn't I?

Yes, Bethan, you totally should.

Hokay, then. History coursework, forever may it be damned, has gone in forever. MuahahahahthankGodforthat. Not that it was particularly difficult to write 4000 words (not including sources; mine was actually in the region of 5120 words) on the causes of the Holocaust, but man, it was Not Fun. I loathe Daniel Jonah Fuckin' Goldhagen, and his horrible horrible disgusting book. I loathe it greatly.

UCAS form has also been sent off. I've since been sent Conditional Offers by Exeter, Aston and Leicester, woo, and two interviews by Swansea (I applied for two courses there- French/English and French/Language Studies). But nowt from Cardiff, which makes me wibbly. Also, one of the Swansea interviews (in which I will have to speak French, at least for part of the time) is scheduled for like two hours after my January Module English Language exam finishes next month. JAYSUS. My mother insisted I attend anyway, so I am. HELP.

Um. The parents went away for their week in Gran Canaria, as scheduled, had a whale of a time and have apparently bought timeshare. It all looks very lovely, but it also sounds WAY TOO FUCKING HOT. Also, I wanted to go to America next year, like they'd been talking about. Or possibly France again. Not Gran Canaria. Which I'm sure is very lovely, but dude. AMERICA, DAMNIT.  Preferably America at the time of Millicon, is that bad? >.<
Speaking of Millicons, many things about staying home went to hell in a handbasket and not in the fun way. Out of the three or four reasons why I chose to stay home: Millicon, fun on the last day of term, Christmas Party at mine on the Monday, last school Christmas Concert, only the Millicon actually happened. Which is possibly partially because my RL friends suck, sometimes. They had nothing to do with the concert, admittedly- that was my sucky school. BUT. Party, damnit! *whinges* ;_;

Millicon, however, was made of win and awesome and crazyfolks. It was a Silly Con. (On second thoughts, let us not have a Millicon. It is a silly con. /Monty Python) I <3 my Millifolken to death. And also the Ellie and Pip who helped make it possible, Ellie in particular for lending money and coming shopping and helping with lifts. There was a Charlotte! And a Lauren! And a Nny! (Who has the best expressions ever. I want a Nny of my very own. Also a Lauren and a Charlotte. *adamant*) But I also didn't get more than five and a half hours' sleep a night for like, five nights. >.> It was insane, in a totally worth it kind of way. I'm so proud of myself for organising it, even if I did spend way too much money on food. And I only cried over organisingomg once, and only then for like thirty seconds, so that was okay, I guess. My parents know that there was a con (they've seen the photos), but they don't know that I had internet people sleeping in the house for two nights. At least, I didn't tell them I did, but they may have figured out from such things as finding Debi's piratey coins down the back of the sofa. After they came home the night con ended, I realised that I had to squee to them about it or risk asploding, so I gave them an edited version and they gave the impression that they wouldn't have minded too much if eight Millipeople (okay, maybe eight would have been pushing it) had slept over, but better safe than sorry. And really, so long as I'm not in trouble for it I don't much care how much they know.
The first night, Thursday, I met Amy, Kate, Debi and Lauren at the train station after school, then we caught the bus back to mine. Pip and Ellie turned up, dealt pretty well with the general geeky mayhem, considering, and we watched Red Dwarf and Spaced and ate pizza and drank booze. And then later we watched Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one) and made fun of it. ("He likes my hat!") Got emails from Marthe and Sal saying they wouldn't be turning up, so Pip talked Jocelyn into taking up the extra pantomime ticket and a fun time was had by all.
Friday morning we went into Cardiff quite late on in the morning, and met first Nny and then Charlotte at the train station. Pip and Jos had shopping to do so they split off from us for most of the time, and we pottered geekily around Cardiff until pantomime. Which was amazing, in that wonderfully crap, campy sort of way the best pantomimes are. John Barrowman is so much love, even (especially) when he's forgetting his words and cracking up with laughter on stage. We didn't get to go down the Bay, very sadly. Nor did we get to meet the lovely JB, but I intend to work on that one. And then, because most of the trains had gone and I severely doubted eight girls, several of whom were in pirate costume, would survive Newport bus station at 11 on a Friday night (someone got stabbed two streets over a couple of weeks back, for instance, and I'm pretty sure they died) we took a huge and absolutely extortionately-priced cab back to mine. Where we geeked out and ate pizza and watched part one of The Hogfather (which was amazing) and then fell asleep.
Saturday we went into Town (Newport) pretty early to drop a Charlotte off at the train station. Her train was ridiculously late, though this was hardly surprising really. It's British Rail, after all. *eyeroll* Then back to mine for a while for more geekery, then into Cardiff to drop the others off- first Nny at the train station, then the rest at Cardiff Castle to meet the Megabus, which was also ridiculously late. Fucking British Rail. And then Ellie came back to mine to help tidy up (note to self: make millibrits    post concerning Things Left At Mine) and then went home, and a few hours later the parents turned up early. And that was Cardiffcon 06. It was amazing and crazy and the best thing ever, but next time? Someone else can organise. Anyone so long as they're not me.




Also? Also Christmas. My work timetable is fucking ridiculous, frankly. I've been handed a load of extra shifts (today, for example, I worked 9-6) and basically been told I either work them or hand in my notice. WTF, Halfords? I am also working New Year's Day, my first year of being legal to drink. FUCKERS. Ugh. But Christmas itself has been pretty great. I got many things, but my big present was a TV/DVD combi from the 'rents. Also I <3 my handmade bag from Charlotte. :D

And that? That is about it. And it is now 1am and my laptop battery and I are dying fast, so I'm going to crash. Peace out, folks, and a merry Christmas to y'all. *sends hugs*

ETA: Please, someone, convince me to stop buying LJ paid accounts now there's an offer on for free extra icons. Someone. Anyone. Please.

Hokay, so. Today was Jeans For Genes day at school, so we all paid a pound and came to school in non-school uniform. It's a charity thing, raises money for genetic diseases, hence a day where everyone wears jeans. And not skirts, thus making a few acrobatic feats possible.

See, when all of us get together in our free lessons or particularly at lunch times, we do odd things. Like try to get our heads to touch the floor whilst still being on the desks (I managed it!), just because Pip happened to wonder if it was possible.

Today, that manifested itself in four of us doing shoulder stands on the desks. Just because. (Though probably again because of Pip.)

And then later in the lunch hour we got kicked out of the classroom we've taken over as a common room, because the Muslim kids are using it as a prayer room during Ramadan. So we went to the Science Block, where some of us had duty (i.e. sitting in the lobby-slash-hall, stopping non-Sixth Formers from coming in which they're not allowed to do during lunch). And, well... we were bored, and there was lots of space, so we decided to build a few human pyramids. So of course there were photos.

I'm the girl in the green minidress with brown hair and glasses.

( Four VERY LARGE photos beneath cut. )

God, I love my friends. :D

All of these were taken by Ellie, as she is far too sensible for such mad things as human pyramids. :P

My green minidress, if anyone's wondering, reads 'HERE COMES TROUBLE'. I feel it's only fair to give people advanced warning. XD

Oh, and while I think of it- I've checked with everyone involved that these photos are okay to put on the net, so this post is gloriously unflocked. Two out of three of the others won't be, as I don't have quite the permission of everyone pictured. *shifty*