A Short Review: Design for Living (and dress shopping)

Tonight I finally went to the theatre!

This evening's performance was Noel Cowards "Design for Living" at the Old Vic. Most of you know that I am always punctual--early is always better than later in my book. So I was going to leave for the theatre an hour and a half before curtain (it takes about 25 min on the Tube), but I figured "I know this city well enough, and I don't want to stand around the theatre for too long by myself." So I left an hour before the show and ended up stuck on a train because of a delay at a station on the Bakerloo line. So I traveled allllll the way around on the circle line and ended up at the theatre an hour and a half later--a half hour after the curtain went up! Lucky for me, there were 2 intermissions in this play, and I arrived just as the first one started.

So I missed Act I, but for the most part the play was pretty clear. I won't talk plot here (though I suggest you guys read it!) and just say that it was really funny. The writing was brilliant, of course, but the direction and acting of the piece made it laugh-out-loud. There was a lot more physical comedy than I expected. The lighting (David Hersey) was adequate, the sound was subpar, and the "design" (which is the blanket term for the scenic and costume designer--usually one person in Britain)--by Lez Brotherston, was phenomenal.


Design for Living, as the title suggests, relys on the scenic elements heavily in the production. In fact, the scenery is an important character. 3 interiors--Paris, London, and New York apartments--one for each act. They tell as much about the passage of time in this play as the characters do. The Art Deco/Moderne design is naturalistic and historically accurate, while the palette is understated. The costumes blend well with the scenery--hisotric silhouettes with a complimenting palette. There is a collective gasp from the audience as the curtain rises on the third act, and another as our sparkling star emerges.

Kevin Spacey knows how to rake in the big bucks. The seasons big sponsors are American Airlines, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America, funny enough for a historic British theatre. The design is decadent and as costly as a Broadway musical--something not normally seen in this volume at a theatre this size. It's not the most serious or thought-provoking play, but the show is a fun ride and makes you laugh and feel good leaving the theatre. Runs till Nov. 27th.


Now what did I do earlier today? I'm glad you asked--I went to Oxford Street to do a little shopping!

You know, people always say that customer service in Britain isn't very good compared to America. While I agree with them on some counts, when shopping at House Of Fraser today I was bombarded with incredibly nice saleswomen. Now HoF markets itself on selling designer brands--and they do. There are some pretty expensive things there. But they also have reasonably priced items, like dresses for 50-60 pounds that I kind of liked. Seems more like Macys than Nordstrom.

No matter what department I was in, however, the girls were very nice--even in the sections I could not afford. After trying on a few lower quality dresses, I found myself in the Karen Millen section. Let me tell you...
It's my new favorite design house in Britain.

I tried a wide variety of dress styles, and while I think I look good in specific silhouettes, I felt pretty awesome in all the things I tried on. They even offered me a pair of heels to try the eveningwear on with.

I felt so elegant in this draped cupro dress. The pricetag was still shocking though!

Not a silhouette or print I'd normally go for, but I felt like a total rockstar in this backless mini (again, pricetag!)

Next week I think I will try one of their boutique shops and see if I can find anything to my liking on sale. I admit, I splurge but I love having quality pieces over a large quantity. 

Finally, I fell in love with these Swarovski Crystal earrings:

...if only...

xoxo,

Antonia