Originally posted on Londonist, here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

10 mg dance, 8mg theatre, 3.75 ml science: Side Effects is a performance exploring society's relationship to medicine. Can it make us feel better about what we take to feel better?

REPORT: patient analysis after one dose of dance-theatre SIDE EFFECTS provided by dANTE OR dIE.

PRESCRIPTION: One hour treatment, evening. Taken with one glass of wine (red).

DISPENSING VENUE: Rich Mix, east London.

MEDICATION: dance-theatre piece exploring society's relationship to medicine.

dANTE OR dIE's latest performance is a series of movement sequences and recitations of a life time intake of drugs. Ibuprofen gel for knee pain, cream for pubic lice, the daily contraceptive pill, antidepressant, Pro-Plus to wake-up, Temazepam to get to sleep... these form the rhythms and rituals of normal, everyday lives. Translated into rhythmic and ritualised movement, set to Yaniv Fridel's moving original score, the performers give us back our casual medical consumption as something special, extraordinary.

SIDE EFFECTS: will not cause drowsiness. Some tenderness may occur.

The five performers range from 20 to 75 years old, representing the full set of medicinal needs and whimsies in one lifetime. They are frank but unconfrontational, confessing what Simon Rice takes to combat hairloss and build up muscle. The touching vulnerability in Antigone Avdi's anti-anxiety medicine sequence, the harrowing effects of Betsy Field's heart attack, Terry O'Donovan's recap of medicine from childhood to adulthood and the significance of the Fraggle Rock theme tune are complemented by Laure Bachelot's private, intimate daily routines. The performance is a complete picture of a society ticking along, quietly medicated, pain-free and getting by on 0.5mg of Xanax per day.

Side Effects is a rare glimpse into the emotional relationship we have with our drugs, without judgement, sentimentalism or sensationalism. This is an uplifting, tender exploration of whether or not we feel better about the medicine we take to feel better.

RE-FILLS: Side Effects, at Rich Mix, Sunday 13 February (7.30pm) and at Laban, Tuesday 1 March (7.30pm).

ZZ Top Rocker Takes The Tube

Originally on Londonist here: I ponder the potential for
tube-based adventures with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top

If you're preparing to head home on the tube, be vigilant for the famous grizzled beard of Billy Gibbons, guitarist of the honourable rock band ZZ Top. He favours the tube over a fancy limo as demonstrated when he played Wembley last week, and took the Metropolitan line there, unaccompanied. Gibbons wanted a taste of the Londoner's everyday public transport... and his wish came true, as the Circle Line broke down the instant he got his ticket.

A bus to Baker Street got him on his way, along with ZZ Top fans coincidentally heading to Wembley for the concert too - and he beat his bandmates by a satisfying 45 minutes. The carriage must have been packed with folks too afraid to sit next to him in case he a) asked for 10p for a cup of tea, or b) was actually Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Being a god of rock means further forays on public transport are unlikely, but Gibbons won the Marshall 11 award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards this week, and he can frankly do whatever he likes. Except get the Circle Line when it decides not to work or inexplicably turns into a Hammersmith and City Line train at Euston Square. Not even 40 years in ZZ Top can change that.

Tube Passenger #1: Well, that was exciting wasn't it! Rock and roll! On the tube!
Tube Passenger #2: You know... that wasn't him. That's not the guy from ZZ Top
Tube Passenger #1: But... the beard. The beanie hat. It was him, wasn't it?
Tube Passenger #2: No, it was Derelict Messiah. He always gets the tube when it rains.
Tube Passenger #1: But... he signed my paperback. Look, that's his signature.
Tube Passenger #2: That's not his signature, it says "Feck yer arse-face gibbon monkey." And he licked the spine when you were looking for a pen.
Tube Passenger #1: Oh. Oh my god. Oh my god, what do I do with it now?
Tube Passenger #2: Sell it on eBay. Or burn it.
Tube Passenger #1: Ah. Yeah. I'll think about it. Hmm, sticky...