Good, bad, ugly

It's been a mixed week...

Let's start with the bad and ugly. On Tuesday, I attended a talk at the Soho Theatre Studio: Beauty and Lies. The main speakers were former TV presenter Gail Porter and psychologist and writer Susie Orbach. The session was chaired by columnist Kira Cochrane.

Gail Porter - who, like me, is Scottish and just a month younger than me - is not well. It has been well-documented that she has alopecia and periods of (manic) depression. So why do 'her people' (her agent and publisher, I assume) think it's wise to encourage her to make public appearances to promote a book at a time when, if her performance on Tuesday evening was anything to go by, she should be resting? I could say more, but I don't really want to. I know what it's like to be depressed and I feel desperately for Gail. Tuesday was tough on her, very tough on her audience and tough on the event organisers and the other participants. It might well be that the agent did try to deter Gail from attending this event - that I don't know, to be fair. Regardless of whether or not there is a book to be plugged, sometimes it's best to rest. 'Nuff said.

On a more positive note, Susie Orbach, author of Fat is a Feminist Issue, was a model of good grace in the face of a great deal of provocation from her fellow speaker. I'm sure she rose immensely in the esteem of everyone in the room.



On Friday night I had a far more enjoyable evening at the Old Vic where I saw Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey perform in the David Mamet play Speed-the-Plow. Total joy from start to end, I thoroughly recommend it. Jeff Goldblum in particular was incredible with an amazing physique - he is my new (weird) celebrity crush.



Then on Saturday, I went to see the Daniel Day Lewis film There Will Be Blood. It's an epic - if you've read Grapes of Wrath or seen Giant then you know it's wise to pop to the loo before it starts because you're in for a looooong session (there is no dialogue at all for the first twenty minutes). If you have a weak bladder, you might decide to wait for the DVD...