Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy

As a big fan of The Mighty Boosh and Noel Fielding I was eagerly anticipating the release of his new show. When I sat down to watch the show, I admit, I really wanted to like it, and thankfully I found I did. As the ending credits rolled the overruling emotion I felt was confusion, even for a seasoned Mighty Boosh viewer the show takes a while to get your head around. Those talking about the show's unconventionality have tended to focus on wacky scenarios and crazy characters but it also defies the format of most sketch comedy shows. The show has a loose plot-line which focuses around Noel and his life in a tree house with an anteater for a butler, a robotic version of Andy Warhol for a cleaner, and the trendy girl who lives next door.

These scenes were actually some of my favourite parts of the show. Unlike your conventional sketch show which has lots of quick fire sketches, each a few minutes long, Luxury Comedy featured what would probably be better described as four short stories interwoven through the main plot-line. I loved the character Daran C'ash the inventor of the colouring in pencil, who cuts a dashing figure in his tails, and Renny and Gavikson's psychedelic cooking show. There were some bits which I thought did go on for too long, Raymond Boombox the New York cop, and Dondylion, for example. 

Visually the show is amazing, a mix of animation and film, you'd expect nothing less from Noel Fielding. Nigel Coan, who supplied lots of the animation for the Boosh directed and and animated the show does a brilliant job of bringing Noel's imaginary world to life. 

As a Kasabian fan I was really looking forward to hearing the music Sergio Pizzorno's had written for the show. Unfortunately, it didn't play a large role in the first episode. Apparently the second episode is going to feature a lot more of it. So that's something to look forward to!

Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy is not The Mighty Boosh, although fans should look out for a cameo from the moon, it's stranger and more colourful and a great show in its own right. My only criticism of the show was that some of the sketches ran too long and started to drag. I'm looking forward to the next episode. I can't wait to see what it will hold, and really that could be just about anything.

For anyone who hasn't seen it here's a trailer for the series.

                                 

All pictures taken from https://www.e4.com/luxury/pictures-characters.html

Five Favourite French Books

In just five short days I will be on my way to France, and three weeks of European summer! Although I’ve travelled a fair bit I’ve never been to Europe. Apart from wanting to live in England one day, I’ve always wanted to visit France. Probably since the first time I saw Madeline, when I was about six, I’ve wanted to go there. It’s a school trip and I’m extremely excited. We are going to Paris, Rennes, Bordeaux, Nimes, La Ciotat, St Malo, Tours, Carcassonne, Arles and Nice. As there are five days to go I decided to make a list of my top five favourite books set in or about France.


1. Memoirs of a Showgirl - Shay Stafford

Shay Stafford was a girl from Brisbane who moved to Paris to work at the Moulin Rouge and then the Lido. I happen to love this book so much because not only is it about moving to Paris it’s a showbiz memoir. The fact she comes from the same city as I do also makes me realise anything’s possible! She wrote the book with the help of her husband who wrote the next book on my list.





2. A Town Like Paris: Falling in Love in the City of Light - Bryce Corbett

Bryce Corbett (wife to Shay Stafford) is an Australian journalist who moved to Paris when he applied for a job there, on a whim, while working in London. One of my favourite chapters in this book is when he talks about going to Italy one weekend for a festival where there is a huge tomato fight in the streets.





3. Madeline - Ludwig Bellman

As I mentioned earlier, as a child I loved Madeline. The fact that I’ve wanted to go to France for so long and the fact I chose to study French in high school I put down entirely to Madeline’s influence. I wanted to live in a house “all covered in vines” so badly. I can still recite bits of dialogue from the TV show by heart, let alone the songs.





4. Eloise in Paris – Kay Thompson

I love Eloise no matter where it is set, but Eloise in Paris is my favourite of the series. Eloise is a girl after my own heart. How can you not love someone who thinks linguine makes admirable fake nails? The fact I love these books may point to me having a slightly childish sense of humour, but I’m not bothered. If you have seen the movie but not read the books I would urge you too. The movie – even if it does have both Gavin Creel and Julie Andrews in it- is, in my opinion, not nearly as good as the books.





5. Phantom of the Opera – Gaston Leroux

Written in 1909 this book was, of course, the inspiration for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical. I think this book is a must read for any fans of the musical. However, don’t expect it to be like the musical, it’s much more gruesome. It’s a gothic horror rather than a romance. The plot of the musical does also differ quite a bit from the original novel. Even if you’re not a fan of the musical I would recommend this book. It’s nice and creepy without being terrifying or totally disgusting.