I’ve been sent this cute rundown of Withnail and I as a promotion for the Stella Artois free screening of the film on Brighton beach earlier this year. It’s quite amusing and a good primer if you’ve never seen the movie, or just want to remind yourself. Click here to read it.

I’ve also been sent a review of Food of Love, click here to read it.

Megan has reviewed the Dr Who parody as it’s available on video now, so I’ve included it in the movie section. Click here to read about it.

What’s On Stage.com – 10th December, 1999

Film star Richard E Grant will be appearing at Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre tonight in an effort to raise badly needed funds for the cash-strapped house. The reputed south London fringe venue has been dark for the past five months after running out of money but aims to resume a limited programme in the new year.

Although the Orange Tree has not suffered from any major cuts in grants, like many other small and regional producing theatres, it has been on standstill funding for the past five years while inflationary costs have continued to rise. ‘Like most theatres, it’s always a struggle to manage on the funding that we get,’ administrative director Gillian Thorpe told Whatsonstage.com.

The first production of the new year will be “Winner Takes All”, translated by Reggie Oliver from Georges Feydeau’s French farce La Main Passe. Directed by Sam Walters, it will open on 19 January.

A new play, commissioned by the theatre, will follow. “We have a programme scheduled until June 2000 and we think we can afford to come back for the autumn season,” said Thorpe, “but we may have to have a longish period during the summer when we can’t produce.”

Thorpe continued: “With a little bit more money, we could continue to be a full time producing theatre. Without it, the pattern of having to stop producing for a good part of the year may have to go on.”

Tonight’s event, billed as “Champagne with Richard E Grant”, will be an informal and free-ranging audience with the actor, author and raconteur. Originally from South Africa, Grant appeared at the Orange Tree in one of his early stage appearances in this country. His films include Withnail and I, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Jack and Sarah. His books are the memoir With Nails and the novel By Design.

There are a few tickets left for tonight’s event. They cost £30 and include champagne. For more information, call the Orange Tree box office on +44-181-940-3633.

1999

Rampaging Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson are two comedians who host their own “variety” show here in Australia. They’re actually very tongue in cheek and take the piss out of everything. This year, they decided to take their show to England and have hosted a series of shows from Norwich…hence the title.

On Sat 3rd of October this year, one of their three guests was REG and I’m pleased to say he handled them beautifully. Most of the English guests don’t “get” their humour and get very defensive and start bagging them and Australia. Thankfully REG took them both in his stride and played along beautifully. The only other “overseas” guest I’ve seen handle Roy and H.G. so well was Canadian actor, Mike Myers.

REG went on the show to promote his new novel “By Design”, but of course they didn’t end up talking much about it, as usually happens on talk shows. They did Harare him about his Barbara Streisand obsession however!

Well we all tuned in and were scared witless by REG as a stalker. Here’s the book cover, sent in by both Jenny and Linda. Thanks girls!

Jenny also got a screen shot of a rare poster for Keep The Aspidistra Flying. Her husband was recording the ‘collectors and collections’ programme and this chap had a collection of old movie posters, of which this was one.

A record company approached REG a few years back to recite Shakespeare’s famous speech to music. The result, whilst sounding a bit 80’s to modern ears, is still actually quite entertaining and not nearly as bad as it sounds.

Nice to see outtakes from the With Nails cover photo shoot too.

To listen to the track just click here.

To see some promo pics, click here.