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TABOO ... Cafe De Paris... My London trip April 24 - April 29...

Story - Page 1

Story - Page 2

Photos - Cafe De Paris

Photos - Taboo crowd

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Photos - Cast photos

Photos - the last show

The next morning (or afternoon, more likely) I woke up and really felt the previous two extremely late nights and all the alcohol. I felt it and I looked it. I went for a walk (which was totally unnecessary in all that rain). I wanted to buy some things, went to some bookstores, got some cards and gift bags. See, I had brought something for George from Latvia. Just little something that Latvian people always bring to everywhere abroad - our national drink. I bought it at the airport before leaving, already knowing I will want to give George one. For some ridiculous reason I bought two. Just out of the impulse, I don't know. But that Friday morning I realised I have two and it was all very clear the other one goes to Euan. I returned to the hotel, wrote the cards for George and Euan (where I am sure I embarrassed myself to unbelievable, but I am not sure any more what exactly I wrote�)
Knowing I am sitting at the very front that day, I did my best to dress up (out of a poor content of my suitcase, I hadn't planned it before at all) and put on some tons of make-up to hide some obvious signs of the lack of sleep. I chose red - red dress, red scarf, red eyebrows and red eyeliner. Red bindi on my face to add an extra touch. I got some weird looks on the tube. I didn't even realise why. I was very much in oblivion.

I arrived at the Venue pretty early, hoping to buy a ticket to the last Saturday's matinee. I already had left it for the last possible moment and I didn't want to miss out on it. I had already seen two extra shows than I had planned but I just had to see the Saturday's matinee and I am very glad I did. ;)
It was shortly before 6 when I went up to a tickets office. Still got a pretty good seat for the next day's matinee. Probably cause I was on my own, it is always easier to get a good ticket if you are on your own.
I stood there in the door putting my ticket in my bag� I had an extra bag with those presents for George and Euan. It was raining outside. No other fans out there. Well maybe because of the rain. I stayed inside of the venue, just by the tickets office, thinking what to do. I didn't feel like going anywhere in that rain, I already felt I've got a bad cold. Gary and someone else from the cast walked out and suddenly it was George. Boy George walking in the Venue, and no one else around, at 6 o'clock. I hadn't seen him arrive earlier than just some minutes before the show starts...

Me outside of the venue. Thanks Fleur for this pic.

� And if I was hoping to meet somewhere there, it was Euan. I was actually thinking I might get a chance to give that present to Euan before the show and I was thinking I might just give George's present to someone else to give it to George. But well, he was there, just in front of me. He was sort of passing by but I called his name and he stopped and turned to me. He had an interview with someone, some kind of promotion downstairs at the Venue, so he was actually in a hurry, but he took my present, looked inside, sniffed the bag� lol � and said, "uh, it's alcohol" � ;) I told him how much I enjoyed the Caf� De Paris performance the night before. He smiled, thanked and said it was a really great audience. My turn to thank. ;) He was already walking down the stairs smiling, said something about the fans already knowing the new songs, and disappeared around the corner laughing and telling something I didn't quite understood... Again I had a chance to see him without much make up, no hat, just George. Bold head. Beautiful eyes. Genuine smile.
Rosie O'Donnel followed him soon and just before they opened the door to the theatre, Rosie was interviewing George and Euan on Taboo stage.

It was so cold and rainy that I walked inside and took my seat as soon as they opened the door. Friday night was the show I had the best seat. The first row, right in the middle. "Stranger in this world" was sung right into my face. Lump in my throat. Couldn't believe it.

I was sitting next to Julio and George approached him during Ich Bin Kunst and stood right in front of us. Glitter glitter. His eyes still so evidently blue under the layers and layers of green make up. He was once again funny. Can't really re-tell much of those jokes, it is never that funny when you are just trying to explain. I guess you just had to be there. Doesn't make much sense otherwise. I don't know if he did it before, but he sang, "look at Leigh" instead of "look at me" during Ich bin kunst.

The hit of the night was Sue not being able to close George's top before "Touched by the hand of cool". A real scream. She fumbled with a zipper for a while and George said something along the lines of her being a new girl and that she will get fired, to what she replied, "I think I will be!" and that point everyone realized she really can't close the zipper. LOL. Loud cheers from the audience and eventually they had to put the towel down and reveal George with an open zipper on his back. It was quite a laugh, and all the following dialogues between George and Sue were changed accordingly, displaying George's feelings towards her at that particular moment. George manoeuvring across the stage trying not to turn his back to the audience was comic and caused a lot of laughing, of course he couldn't escape turning his half-naked back to the audience at some point.

Weird how suddenly sitting at the front I noticed some outfits and some details I hadn't noticed before. Everything seemed different from there. I enjoyed the evening enormously. I know it's weird, but there was a moment in Guttersnipe that literally took my breath away - "I want my own sky scraper", something about the way Euan threw his arms up� I couldn't get over it. Hadn't noticed the move before and it totally hypnotised me.

After the show, at the Venue bar, I finally was able to give Euan the present I had for him. He had his hands full of presents and flowers. He looked so tired but quite happy.

Afterwards, when I was outside the Venue again talking to other fans and just hanging around, Euan walked out and took his time taking pictures with everyone and signing autographs for everyone. Poor sod, it always took him at least half an hour just to leave. I had a picture taken with him too and he had obviously looked at the present and read the card. He was so sweet telling me, "oh, thank you so much for that!!! So nice of you!", and some other sweet small talk. He was truly an angel to everyone out there.

I returned to the hotel once again tired and feeling really ill. I desperately needed some good sleep. And I wanted to be at the Venue early the next day, for the last day. Still I didn't get to sleep till 2 a.m. And the next morning I woke up really sick. At the moment my senses returned to me around 11 o'clock, I really didn't think I am going to make it to the theatre that day, so bad I felt physically. Still I went through the motions, got ready, repeated my last night's outfit, adding some more red colour to the face, and around 1 o'clock I was at the Venue. On my way I went to a pharmacy and asked for something really strong for my fever and cold that wouldn't knock me out and make me sleepy. With some help of medications and the atmosphere I was back in shape as soon as I entered the Venue. I walked in early and just took my seat. I hadn't seen a matinee before. I was into some surprises! Firstly I didn't think George is gonna be in it but probably cause it was the last day, he was! Oh the laugh of it all!!! Some ad-libs were quite unbelievable, people laughed like crazy. Changes to the cast's regular lines made people roar with laughing. At one point Philip said, "some people have seen the show before and if you can't understand what is all the laughing about, just laugh along, believe me, it's funny. Or ask for a refund on the way out." I don't know how much sense it all made if you hadn't seen it before, but I'd guess - absolutely none!

George's poetry book at the first scene with Billy and Kim was replaced by a porn magazine. Billy read "choose my colours thousand times" from a porn mag with such a straight face I was almost pissing myself laughing.

And then there was "Stranger in this world". When Euan took off his hat and turned around, instead of familiar blondish head he revealed bright blue hair! Such a sad beautiful song� But giggles wouldn't stop all through the audience, I can't believe he kept his face stone serious during all the song, the reaction to the hair was amazing.

Gary walked out on stage as a cleaner during Josie and Derek's scene before "Talk amongst themselves" and Josie and Derek just continued their dialogue while Gary waltzed around cleaning the floor. Josie did lose it a few times and started laughing. It was impossible not to! When Derek was supposed to leave, Josie told him "don't leave me!" instead of her usual silence and then she started "Talk amongst themselves" and Gary joined in. They ended up dancing and singing it together, Josie not being able to sing towards the end and just laughing. She said, "Oh it's all emotions!"

A big round of applause to Gary for those daring outfits Saturday afternoon. Hope you've seen some pictures, cause it's not really possible to explain. He was truly amazing and made the audience scream on the top of their lungs for him. Hats off, he was amazing. I talked to him after the evening show and he asked if I saw the both shows, I said yes and complimented him on the revealing numbers he wore at the matinee. He said they were "naughty". Well maybe they were naughty, but they were also hot. ;)
For Out Of Fashion Gary walked out in a footballer's uniform. Nothing to add to that one.

Then George made a few surprise appearances on stage during Selfridges's scene. He just walked across the stage in his tights and green skirt thing� Then walked back. Making absolutely no sense. Being absolutely brilliant.

During George and Marilyn scene on the sofa, Gary was wearing a spiky blond wig instead of dreadlocks. Dreadlocks were on Billy when he walked into the scene and started singing "I See Through You". Also, one of the most tragic moments of the show, people were laughing their heads off cause Billy was doing "do you really want to hurt me" moves singing "I See Through You", dreadlocks and hat giving him such a hilarious dork image.

Well it's such a small part of everything funny during that last matinee� But I can't remember much more� Just that I laughed all through it and felt truly lucky to have been there.

(There are some great pics from the last matinee on unofficial Taboo site. Just scroll down the drop-down menu to The Last Matinee pics. It's really worth checking out.)

Below: the last evening crowd. More photos here.

The last evening show� Well it was sad. Many people gathered outside long before the show started. Lots of talks about "saying goodbye" to everyone didn't help the atmosphere much. I have some pictures from outside the Venue, just of the people outside, most of them were taken before the last show. George's mum Dinah was there, I had a pleasure of talking to her very briefly. There were also other members of George's family, but I didn't recognise anyone else.

Below: Me, George's mum Dinah O'Dowd and Kristine. (thanks Kristine for this great pic!)

Lots of presents and flowers given to the cast. Lots of hugs and kisses.

Before the show started, the cast was walking around the stage in their usual manner, but occasionally they just hugged each other. Very emotional. "Tainted love" wouldn't start and they just sang it.

There wasn't much of joking around at the last evening show. They did it all right and perfect. I wish it was filmed, the very last show. I really wish to be able to see it again, but lets not get greedy here� ;) I know I should simply be lucky with having been there.

Audience was half of the show that night. There was one Leigh, one geisha George, a Philip with his hair in horns, Julio had a glitter face make up, people had took their time and really thought about the last show's outfits. Bless Fleur for having guts to ask George to sign her jeans during his Ich Bin Kunst audience cruising. "Some people would do anything to get attention" - was that said by someone who had his bald head painted green? hehe The whole Ich Bin Kunst thing lasted some good 10 minutes more than usual. Indescribable.

Above: Shelly, Kristine and me, just before the last show.
Below: Fleur's jeans just hours before George's hand laid on them ... ;) :P

The standing ovations at the end of course lasted longer than usual. The whole audience got up at the beginning of "Bow Down Mr" already. "Karma Chameleon" was sang twice. George made a speech at the end. Oh emotions emotions. Almost entire cast was crying. George said he felt like crying too but didn't want to ruin his make-up. He thanked every member of the cast. Euan got such loud cheers, he looked at the ground, probably in tears, I don't know, George hugged him and then he sobbed into George's shoulder. Gary was right in front of me and he was crying, too.

At the final speech George said, "When I started this, I had no experience at theatre at all". Well he had to be gorgeous, outrageous, loud, funny, and he had to sing - I'd say he had all the experience he needed. ;)

Below: Euan crying on George's shoulder and Euan and Gary sharing a hug. The end of the last show. Tears flooding! Thanks a million Kristine for letting me use these pics!

Outside of the venue people were still saying the last goodbyes. Every member of the cast (except for George) came out to talk to the fans outside and to take pictures and to sign autographs. Every one of them. Euan did more than once. Every time he walked out, there was someone else who hadn't talked to him yet. And of course everyone wanted a pic of a blue hair Euan.

Many people waited for George but I didn't think he'd come out there. Too many people. Too much fuss. Yes, it would have been nice, cause it was the last show. But he didn't. George and Euan, as I heard, stayed in George's dressing for a long time. Well they are the only two who go to New York.

I didn't want to leave; the whole experience didn't seem to be long enough. I stayed outside with some other fans just to get the feeling once more� I didn't even wait for anyone, I had my pictures taken, I had my goodbyes said, but I didn't feel like leaving yet. The funny moment was when there were just some 6 or 7 of us left, one fan got Sunday Express and read out loud to everyone George's column from the paper. We laughed that George should have walked out at that moment, to a public reading of his column.

3 a.m. I was back at the hotel. Having "I'll have you all" in my head. I had a feeling that with the last show I have seen something very special that won't be repeated, and you can never really tell or explain it to anyone who wasn't there how it really was� It makes it sad but it also makes it special.

Right: the last pic by the door, early hours of the morning, The next day that door was gone,

Summing it all up� I cannot believe there was ever a possibility I would not come to London to see it. The experience was truly priceless, I would not want to miss it for the world and I mean it. It definitely cost me more than I could afford at the time� But well� We don't live for future plans, do we? For a good bank balance? We live for emotions and that's exactly what seeing Taboo was. I'd do it again. Any day. The thought of New York scares me, but then again, I've done scarier things in my life. One thing is for sure - I'm gonna miss the London cast, they were all brilliant!