Circus on Stage, Circus on TV, Circus on the Dancefloor

[dotinthesky]

There is one scene in Nights at the Circus, close to the end, when a giant two-sided mirror spins on stage while smoke spills underneath it, strobe lights flicker from the sides and spotlights run over the faces in the audience. It can make you want to reach for the paper bag; it can make you feel so queasy that not even a tuna & cheese melt from Liverpool's Weatherspoons can calm your stomach, nor a coca-cola bottle at the launch party for the label defDrive set you straight.

But I don't regret seeing Nights at the Circus. It was like the best of Angela Carter's short stories; it had a cute guy in wet underwear, an abusive clown, tigers, singing, buckets on fire, and a pig sooooo cute you just wanted to "roll her in chocolate and call her a truffle." And Kevin got to meet two of my co-workers, and we got to see something at the Lyric Hammersmith for the first time, and I let myself be seduced by the music, and we weren't too harsh on what we saw as the play's weak points.

It was a mistake, however, to go to defDrive's party at the Great Eastern Hotel. We arrived late, I couldn't drink (because of my antibiotics), and the smell of pot drove me into sad paranoia. Half an hour of standing by a column, jackets on, watching skinny gay men dancing to piercing dance music, then the last tube home, a walk through the desolate office buildings by Paddington's canal, pissing on the stones because I couldn't wait until home, and the happy news on arrival that Chantelle had won Celebrity Big Brother.

Davina: Chantelle, please don't change.
Chantelle: I won't change. I don't even know how to change! I'm just little old me.

And a nation's heart goes bust.

Comments

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to see "Nights at the Circus" actually. I hate the book with a passion but that's largely because of Angela Carter's none-more-purple prose. I actually like the story and can it imagine it looking rather beautiful on stage...

I haven't watched Celebrity Big Brother although I briefly caught the ending, where Chantelle won and thought it was kind of ironic, given she wasn't a celebrity...

[dj-alexander.livejournal.com]

I thought her, hands over mouth "Oh my god!" approach to winning was a little cheesy.

[damiella.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I read Carter's novel a while ago and really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for all things circus-related and I wish I could see this show! Shame it probably won't make it across the pond.

[octoberxswimmer.livejournal.com]

Chantelle and Celebrity Big Brother!

Would you like to be friends? I enjoy your thoughts and references.

Are you currently watching this season of Celebrity Big Brother?