“… Globalisation is complete!

Everywhere, the kids watch the same movies, wear the same fashions and think the same thoughts”

That’s the start of the Queen / Ben Elton musical that has finally hit Hong Kong. Mr Shallot, the Waves and I saw it on Saturday night followed by some quiet beverages in a bar at Wan Chai. Anyone that knows Wan Chai will know that a quiet drink there is not exactly possible so it’s one of my stretches of the truth.

More of an indication of the venue we were at is gained by picturing a fairly non-descript bar, a DJ playing music from the 80s but made to sound like ‘now’ by the use of some different beats, drink prices high enough to make you wonder why anyone would ever come out sober. Enter a gaggle of hens with fluorescent and / or glitter wigs. The girls then jump on the bar to gyrate to a remix of some Shakira number. I can’t believe I recognized the tune. Immediately following them in, drawn by the primeval urge to mate, are the obligatory males who don’t realise what idiots they look with their sunglasses on in a bar gyrating to the tune off beat trying to pick up the aforementioned hens. Did I mention that one of the guys was dressed entirely in white and wearing thongs?

But I digress. I had not intended to see this show (We Will Rock You, not the gyrating chicks and out of time roosters) due to the poor reviews I had heard from friends in Australia when it was on there. That’s a long time for me to remember a poor review.

Then the planets started lining up. I was asked in the dog park if I would be interested in seeing the show to which I replied “I’ve heard bad reviews so I wasn’t planning on it”. A week later there was an article on Queen in the South China Morning Post’s equivalent of the Good Weekend. I started thinking perhaps I would see it. That Thursday a text comes through inviting Mr Shallot and I to a quiz night that night and the musical on Saturday (as well as asking if Doggy Shallot could come over for a play date with Doggy Wave – they are best friends and neither of us have children).

The planets had aligned so I responded, “no (Mr Shallot has running training), ok but Saturday night not the day because I have dragon boat training and yes, she can come over for a play but only for an hour or so”.

With the plans made, the tickets just needed to be booked. Unfortunately we weren’t all able to sit together but it meant that we could discuss our thoughts during interval rather than hushed tones during the show. While not the most riveting story in the history of the world, it was well told, it made me laugh, the singing was great and it was very entertaining. Even Mr Shallot enjoyed it.

I even bought a t-shirt that I can wear to the dog park. It’s easily one of the best shirts ever. It says “No time for losers”.

* Thanks to Queen for the title to this post.