Feathers, Fatale and Frolics at Proud Cabaret City

  

Last week, the HOTHOT team were cordially invited to Proud Cabaret’s showing of ‘The Silencing of Miss Scarlett’, a unique Murder Mystery dining experience that combines cabaret, burlesque and scandal.

   Hidden away below the heart of the City, a mirrored staircase beckoned us to enter into the smoky speakeasy, adorned with candelabras, velvet drapes and effortlessly sophisticated 1920’s glamour.

   We were warmly greeted by the maître d’ and swiftly shown to our booth, which was adjacent to the stage. The atmosphere was already electric and we eagerly awaited the opening act. Yet the entertainment had already begun, as we were in awe of the lingerie-clad waiting staff gracefully meandering between the tables, ready to take orders. Our waitress was flirty and fun, constantly ensuring that our needs were fully, erm, addressed (Ahem). Offering us the new spring menu, the classic dishes were reminiscent of the 1920’s and added to the vintage experience.

   The food arrived in good time and was immaculately presented. Unfortunately, taste had been sacrificed for appearance and the meal was average. To start, we ordered the lobster, trout and crab tortellini, which was cold and tough, and braised leeks and mussels. For mains, we opted for the roasted skate wing and roasted pork belly, which didn’t seem to tickle our taste buds. And even the dessert, passion fruit cheesecake and walnut chocolate brownie, couldn’t compensate for the uninspiring previous courses.

   Maybe a bit of burlesque could?? Indeed, we were soon charmed by the compere and the whodunit element totally engaged the audience, as we were encouraged to investigate the murder of the infamous Miss Scarlett. The beautiful dancers got us HOTHOT under the collar, with stunning performances from Beau Rocks, Missy Fatale and Miss Betsy Rose. Each act was the perfect combination of seduction, naughtiness and comedy, with more glitz, feathers and nipple tassels than we could shake a stick at! We were also treated to a variety of other acts, including an acrobatic display from Jonathan Finch, fire-breathing burlesque and popular musical numbers including Anything Goes and Summertime.

   In all, our evening was highly enjoyable. With faultless entertainment, Proud Cabaret guarantees a glamorous night out, full of delights! So, don’t be shy: go ahead and fill your Friday’s with decadence and debauchery. And don’t forget to shake your tail feather.

When: Every Friday evening. Dinner sittings are made between 6.30pm – 8.30pm with the show from 8.30pm till late.

Price: 3-Course Dinner and Show £59 per person

Show-only tickets are also available subject to availability.

Proud Cabaret
No.1 Mark Lane
London
EC3R 7AH

Visit www.proudcabaretcity.com

To book a table call 020 7283 1940

Alternatively email cabaretreservations@proud.co.uk

Gabrielle Aplin Live at Koko, London

20th March 2013

   The 13^th March 2013 marked the beginning of Gabrielle Aplin’s sold-out UK tour for her debut album English Rain. Wednesday evening saw her arrival in London, where she played to an impressive crowd at London’s Koko music venue.

   The 20 year-old Wiltshire-born singer/songwriter is no stranger to the stage, with a wealth of experience under her belt despite her young age. After touring alongside Gotye and Ed Sheeran, she is set to be a rising star in the UK. Her rendition of 80’s classic ‘The Power of Love’, originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, secured her her first UK number one after it featured in John Lewis’ Christmas advertisement. And this faultless performance at Koko proves that she will not be a one-hit wonder.

   Opening with Panic Cord, which will be released as her next single, Gabrielle instantly charmed her audience with her sweet country sound. She was accompanied by guitarists, a drummer and an inspiring string quartet, which brought out the beauty in her simple and honest lyrics. The performance saw her move confidently and effortlessly from guitar to piano, showcasing her endless musical ability. One song was even performed as an acapella trio, complete with mesmerising harmonies. The theatre was in complete silence as the appreciative audience were calmly caressed by Gabrielle’s soothing vocals.

   The old Victorian theatre was perfect for the acoustic sound, with each note resonating through the venue. After she had finished her set, the audience waited in eager anticipation for an encore. They were not disappointed as Gabrielle ended the performance with Home, a clear favourite of the fans as they lovingly sang along with the chorus.

   In all, the evening was an inspirational success, proving Gabrielle to be an artist with an abundance of natural talent, dedication and musical passion. We look forward to her return to the UK in October for what looks to be another sell-out tour.

Gabrielle’s forthcoming album English Rain is available to buy from the 13^th May 2013 and tickets for her next tour are available to pre-book now.

Visit www.gabrielleaplin.co.uk to find out more.

An Unforgettable HOTHOT Hot Tub Cinema Experience

   Wednesday evening saw the opening night of Hot Tub Cinema’s All-Time Classics film extravaganza. And it was truly a red carpet event… No, really! For one week only, Hot Tub Cinema will be combining film and frolicking as they screen a selection of Modern Greats, while their audience relax in a deliciously HOT hot tub.

    As the HOTHOT team arrived at the factory location in Shoreditch, we naughtily anticipated what we were about to endure. The promise of hot tubs, Austin Powers, alcoholic beverages and a derelict factory space were not a combination that our innocent selves had previously encountered. But what we were greeted by was a velvet rope-led, red carpet runway complete with lighting rigs, stage curtains and Hollywood-inspired props. We felt every bit like we were back stage on a film set!

   After exchanging our cash for food and drink tokens and a waterproof wrist pouch (a very handy item, we must say), we stripped down to semi-nudity and joined our fellow tubbers. There was no need to leave our tub again, as a team of animal-onesie-wearing waiters were at our beck and call, ready to offer their impeccable ‘tub service’. A service that ensured you could stay fed and watered, while staying positively toasty in your tub. 

   Tub number 13 proved to be party central, where we laughed, drank, danced and munched on hotdogs and pop-corn (although it was debatable whether it was salted or sweet... nonetheless, each piece was a tasty surprise!) We also discovered that our Editor-in-Chief does one mean impression of Dr Evil, but we shall save that for another day…

   The factory was buzzing. So much so that it could have been mistaken for a wild Friday night in the height of summer. Wednesday is the new Friday apparently, with no space for thoughts of work or sleep- Only bubbles, booze and bikinis! And what a better way to spend it than getting all lubed up in a tub with your friends!

   The end of the film signalled time to get a-movin’ and a-tubbin’! The HOTHOT team soaked up the atmosphere and joined in with the chaotic water-fuelled fun. Cue whirl-pool-making, childish frolicking and marine-animal antics! And the night would not have been complete without a cheeky grope of the Marilyn Monroe cut out.

   Each evening, the event runs from 6.30pm until 10.30pm, leaving plenty of time to continue partying on into the night (We recommend the Queen of Hoxton). And to ensure that you don’t leave the tub looking like wrinkly 90 year old sun worshipper, obvs.

   You may be thinking that a derelict factory in East London does not sound like a glamorous location for an Oscar-winning event. But it certainly is! So, grab your tickets now and have a tubbin’ good time! This is one cinema showing that you do not want to miss.

Film showings

27^th Feb - Austin Powers

28^th Feb - Grease

1^st March - Top Gun

2^nd March - Pulp Fiction

3^rd March - Dirty Dancing

4^th March - Labyrinth

5^th March - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

For more info and to buy tickets, visit www.hottubcinema.com

Escape to the SenSpa Sensation

   Situated in the heart of the New Forest, Hampshire, Carey’s Manor Hotel and SenSpa is the perfect countryside weekend retreat. What was once a former Royal hunting ground is now a luxurious hotel and spa, offering guests the chance to lose themselves in a truly Thai-inspired environment without having to embark on an 11 hour flight.

   On arrival, the HOTHOT team was greeted with the warmest of welcomes by the staff and we were given a tour of the hotel and spa, before getting down to some serious relaxing. One of the first things we noticed was the unique exotic fragrance of the hotel, which immediately transported us into a realm of requiescence and our daily stresses were instantly forgotten.

   With a choice of bedrooms and suites, there is a room for everyone. Juxtaposing original 19^th Century features with stylish sophistication, each room is immaculately furnished, spacious and provides impeccable comfort steeped in splendour. The HOTHOT team stayed in an Oakwood Garden room, which overlooks the beautiful gardens and naturally captures the serenity of the surroundings. And it pleased us tremendously that we were greeted with complementary champers and chocolates, a very thoughtful gesture!

   The hotel facilities include the Ozone swimming pool, steam room, sauna, relaxation rooms and gymnasium but the hidden gem is the SenSpa. With a very impressive hydrotherapy area covering two floors, it is the perfect place to relax, cleanse and awaken the senses.

   The large hydrotherapy pool relaxed muscles we didn’t even know we had with strategically placed water jets, after which we were caressed by the gentle bubbles of the underwater loungers. The thermal treatment rooms, including a Crystal steam room and less intense herbal sauna, cleansed our skin and bodies of all post-Christmas-and-New-Year toxins. Result!

   To cool down, we experienced the health showers, which vary in temperature and are designed to invigorate. For the brave, there is the Experience shower. Here, you can stimulate the senses and douse yourself in ice-cold water by emptying a bucket that is suspended from the ceiling all over you. Then step into the Experience shower and choose from tropical rainfall, sea storm or ice storm, and experience being in your own personalised storm, accompanied by exciting sounds and lighting. A personal HOTHOT favourite.

   Finally, you can lose yourself in the Laconicum, another HOTHOT favourite, and relax on the heated benches or perfect your star-fish pose on the heated tiled floor. If you prefer a less humid environment, the Tepidarium is home to heated stone loungers, ideal for a cheeky snooze under the twinkling lights. For even more tranquillity, you can lounge in the Relaxation room or the Quiet room, where there is an endless supply of green tea, water and magazines. Also, if you want to target a particular area of the body, the spa offers a range of treatments with specialist advice given by therapists.

   Fully relaxed, it was time to refuel. The hotel houses two restaurants; the Manor Restaurant and the Zen Garden Restaurant. Our evening meal was in the Manor Restaurant, which is elegantly furnished with subtle hints of timeless glamour. The tables were perfectly presented, each covered with an immaculate white table cloth, adding to the fine dining experience. The waiting staff were friendly and accommodating, and an idyllic ambience was created by the live piano player. However, although presented well, the food was lukewarm, bland and the portion sizes were very small, prompting us to ask for more sides. Unfortunately, the standard of food served didn’t reflect the high standards set by the hotel and spa.

   The following morning, breakfast was at the Zen Garden. The décor kept with the Thai theme and the atmosphere was pleasurable.  Once again, the staff were very eager to please but the food lacked that certain je ne sais quoi. The continental section was fine, but the hot food was overcooked and carelessly presented.

   Overall, HOTHOT’s experience at Carey’s Manor Hotel and SenSpa excelled our expectations. The staff were faultless and attended to all our needs. The entire hotel and spa were immaculate, and the Thai-inspired theme was a charming finishing touch. Indeed, we felt positively relaxed and rejuvenated after our stay. Just a little more consideration and a spoonful of TLC in the kitchen and Carey’s Manor and SenSpa would teasingly tantalise all of the senses.

Rating: 8/10

For Reservations, call 01590 624467

Email: stay@careysmanor.com

Or book online at www.careysmanor.com

Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa
Lyndhurst Road
Brockenhurst
Hampshire
SO42 7RH

Sunday Loving

L is for the way you look at me…

They say that love works in mysterious ways and today, Cupid was definitely lurking about with his Love Gun. Indeed, today was a day of match-making between the Girl Next Door (well, from across the road) and our very own SJ. It all started with that one look (or snowball) in which SJ had caught the attention of ‘Beige-coat-and-wellies’ girl, later to be referred to as LGS. Time stood still as we, the residents of NPM, waited for this beautiful tale to unfold.

O is for the only one I see…

‘Beige-coat-and-wellies’ girl was immediately smitten by the infamous SJ. Her flirtatious waving from her lounge window was confirmation that SJ should make the first move. She was waiting for the bait. Unsure of how to approach the situation, SJ sought guidance from the rest of the male population of NPM and decided that there was only one way to seduce her from afar: to craft a beautifully romantic note…  

V is very very, EXTRAordinary…

Amidst the group of girls, ‘Beige-coat-and-wellies’ girl stood like a rose among thorns. SJ did not want to miss this opportunity and courageously placed his Love Note directly on the window pane that separated him from this precious gem. The excitement on her face was immeasurable as her eyes caressed the tender words of SJ’s note. Within minutes, a knock at our door indicated the arrival of her reply. She was keen: good sign. SJ was not to face rejection.

E is even more than anyone that you adore….

Not only was she keen, she had taken the effort to write her reply on pink paper, signed with a lipstick kiss and finished with a cheeky spritz of Marc Jacob’s Daisy perfume. But more obvious was the fact that she wanted SJ to contact her; she had given him her mobile number. The chemistry was building. However, it all relied in the construction of his next note. SJ decided not to jump straight in with a text and to keep sending hand-written notes.  Giving her his mobile number too, he decided to up the flirting by asking her one simple question: ‘Night in or night out?’ and casually revealed himself to her as SJ. She replied with ‘night in’, naughtily adding ‘clothes on or clothes off?’ also signing it with her initials: LGS. The sexual tension was obvious, but SJ was determined to play it cool (He is a gentleman, after all). He opted for ‘clothes on’ but instigated that he wouldn’t mind seeing what was underneath her beige coat! (Oooh, we love a bit of sauce!)

A few hours passed, but no reply came. We were disappointed. We decided that we no longer liked the sound of LGS and distracted poor SJ with an episode of Britain’s Brightest, while he contemplated his pie and wedges combo. So to not break SJ’s heart, we did not mention LGS again… until her final note of the evening arrived on our doormat.

L.O.V.E was made for me and you!

She was now playing hard to get, asking for SJ to send her a note during the week. Maybe she was tired. Maybe she was scared that it was all moving too fast. There is still hope for these two after all. Tune in next week to find out SJ’s next move.

 Watch this space : SJ 4 LGS 2K13 NPM

Fighting Temptations

    Last weekend, I experienced the Animal Kingdom in its most primitive form. My location:  The Clothes Show Live, NEC Birmingham. On entering the building, I was met by a copiousness amount of crazed females. Young, old, and fashion-conscious; all of them glowing. Then I realised the reason why. Each one of them, on average, was loaded up with at least 6 generously-sized bags. Envious of the joy that was emanating from these women, I made it my mission to purchase me some hard-core Happiness, at whatever cost. So, I continued on, wading through the female figures until I reached the arena.

   What I encountered, however, was not the fashion haven that I was expecting. I had misread all of the signs of what led me to believe was a harmonic shared experience for females alike. Instead, I had entered a hunting zone; kill or be killed. I saw vultures, circling the stalls, patiently waiting to scavenge whatever they could. I saw the cattiest of cats displaying their razor-sharp claws in warning to the other cats. I saw tarantulas, spinning the most intricate of webs, determined to trap the most innocent. These were not happy females on a shopping trip. They were predators, portraying animalistic qualities associated with survival: hunting, trapping, and killing. Everybody wanted the best bargains. Everybody wanted to get their hands on something unique.  But most of all, everybody wanted to prove to themselves that this was making them happy, because this is what women should be doing.

   And all of this in a day’s work. A Sunday. A day dedicated to lie-ins and roast dinners. But these women had completely eradicated this preconception and showed no signs of stopping, even though they were struggling to fight through their self-inflicted pain. Yet, I had to admire their determination.  Each woman was committed to making this ordeal worthwhile. It’s a dog eat dog world out there and they had all risen to the challenge. Unfortunately, I didn’t. I couldn’t focus. My heart wasn’t in it and so, I chose to abort. Don’t get me wrong, I love clothes and fashion and shopping as much as the next girl, but not to my own detriment. Still, it was an experience, and experience is what makes us who we are. 

Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be... Little Red Riding Hood

   There are two kinds of world that we can live in if we so choose: the physical or the imaginary. Sometimes, we want to live our lives as they appear around us. We want to ‘do’. Other times, we want to consciously create a different life scenario, in which we want to ‘think’. But when these boundaries collide, we are left believing that something real is, in fact, something else. Imaginations are extraordinary concepts. As a young girl, I honestly believed I was a mermaid. I re-enacted the memorable ‘splash-on-the-big-rock’ scene from The Little Mermaid during every bath time (never without the accompanying reprise of ‘Part of that World’, may I add).

   Today was another one of those days: a day when you go about your day as Normal You but the surrounding areas appear to feel somewhat different, transporting you to a Whole New World (cue Jasmine and Aladdin). While taking my usual route to Uni, I felt like I was no longer Rosie Heather Roman. I was no longer just another student in just another student town. I was indeed, Little Red Riding Hood and my mission: Operation Grandma’s.

   I accepted my mission immediately and continued with my journey. I had reached an alleyway. It was the same alleyway that I have walked through every day for 4 months, but it was no longer just an alleyway. It was a forest. It was an obstacle. The way the leaves crunched beneath my feet, the way the mist had settled between the walls and how this felt around me convinced me of my new found fictional character status. And at that point, I became the perfect Little Red Riding Hood archetype, swinging my bag of Uni books at my side.

  Yet, I never reached Grandma’s and my role as Little Red Riding Hood was short-lived. The spell had been broken. The early morning rush hour traffic that signalled the end of the alleyway was also my cue to leave the Little Red Riding Hood persona behind. I was now back in the real world and on my way to my 9am seminar. I was Rosie Heather Roman. I was just another student. And the alleyway was once again, just another alleyway.

   But I was not convinced. It made me realise how influential the imagination is. Still, as an adult, I can be dreamily swept away into the depths of my own thoughts, regardless of the physical world around me. I realised that I can be whoever I want to be, whenever I want to be them. I can create. So, I am not just another student. I am a million ideas waiting for the perfect opportunity.