About zefrog

Nicolas Chinardet

"Nicolas arrived from his native France (the bit where they make wine and mustard) in July 2000, as part of the ongoing colonising effort started in 1066. Although well aware that English is little more than badly pronounced French, he had taken the precaution of studying the language at university before getting himself kicked out of the country (mostly for being by far too unFrench).The sad and corny truth is that Nicolas fell in love with London a few years before his migration after spending a week walking the streets of this hallowed city. It was like coming home. And so it passed that sarf London became home.During the intervening years, Nicolas has been singing with the London Gay Men's Chorus and has flexed is political muscle by getting involved with his local LGBT network and LGBT History Month. He has also accrued an extensive online presence (read: he doesn't have a life and spends too much time online) centred around his blog (http://www.pinksauce.co.uk).Nicolas likes taking pictures and reviewing things."

All posts by zefrog

Image by Adam Levy showing Charmian Bedford (Mimi) and Christopher Diffey (Rodolfo)

Review: La Bohème @ Cock Tavern Theatre

If you are one of those people whom the sound of the word “opera” sends to sleep more surely than washing down a box of Valium with a pint of camomile, the version of Puccini’s La Bohème currently playing at the Cock Tavern Theatre in …

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In Pictures: Vigil Against Hate Crime @ Trafalgar Square

Around 4000 people gathered last night in Trafalgar Square for a vigil prompted by the homophobic attack in that same square on Ian Baynham on 25 September. Ian died of his injuries a few weeks later. A month later, to the day, James Parkes was …

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Londonist Discovers Normansfield Hospital Entertainment Hall

Hampton Wick in Teddington, south west London, has the dubious claim to fame of having lent its name to a bit of naughty rhyming slang but it is a hidden architectural and historical gem that should keep it in the public psyche. Normansfield Entertainment Hall, …

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LGBT History Month Pre-launch @ British Museum

logo for the 6th edition of the Month The recent campaign for a posthumous official apology to code-breaker and computer genius, Alan Turing for the treatment he received because of his homosexuality has thrown into sharp relief the lack of visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual …

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Theatre Review: Iolanthe @ Pleasance

With the MPs expenses scandal back in full swing in the news, now is as a good a time as any for the Pleasance Theatre and the Charles Court Opera to revive Gilbert and Sullivan’s light-hearted satire, Iolanthe. If you expect deep political insight however, …

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Vigil Against Hate Crimes

A silent candle-lit vigil will be taking place in Trafalgar Square on 30 October between 8 and 10pm. Although the event is about people registering their dislike of all forms of hate crime, it is being organised following the recent homophobic attack that took place …

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Biblio-Text: Any Amount of Books

Continuing our amble round London’s independent bookshops Charing Cross Road used to be the heart of the second-hand book trade in London. One of the all too few remnants of the those glorious days, is Any Amount of Books at No 56. There has been …

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Theatre Review: Speaking in Tongues @ Duke of York’s

Some will already be familiar with the general plot of Andrew Bovell’s Speaking in Tongues thanks to Ray Lawrence’s 2001 film, Lantana. Where the film had the luxury of showing all the action in a linear way, the play is, of course, more restricted but …

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Theatre Review: The York Realist @ Riverside Studios

Peter Gill OBE, founder-director of the Riverside Studios celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this month. As a birthday present, the Studios are reviving his 2001 Oliver-nominated play, The York Realist. And a treat it is for us too. Set in a tiny, womb-like, Yorkshire farm …

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In Pictures: The Tournament @ Trafalgar Square

The Tournament is an installation created by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón for the London Design Festival. The gigantic chess set is made of 2m-high ceramic pieces on a specially created mosaic glass chess board. Each of the 32 chess pieces, the designs of which were …