alexsarll | Never admit to anything personal, codify & render general

Over the course of my life I have seen a few things which would shatter frailer minds. But I still never thought I'd see Sir Ian McKellen dressed as Britannia, still less that this would be deemed suitable entertainment for children. His other outfits were all fairly disturbing too, to be frank. If the Brotherhood or the Fellowship saw their boss looking like that, it would all have fallen apart. It's strange seeing a pantomime again once one has reached adulthood - I remember a vague awareness that certain jokes were Rude, and laughing because when you're a kid Rude = Funny, but now I understood them I realised they're actually filthy. I'm still not sure about Angela Carter's more extravagant theories of pantomime but it was great fun. Well, except for the songs, which were mostly bobbins.

stephens described them as "sub Pop Idol" which was fair, and also gave us the idea for hot new talent show Sub Pop Idol.
I'd been sold on attending simply to see Serena as Widow Twankey, but we also got Maureen Lipman as Dim Sum ("37 years in the business and it's come to this"), the wee fresh-faced lad from The Crow Road as Aladdin, 'Allo 'Allo's Sam Kelly as the Emperor, and some bloke called Roger Allam of whom I've never heard as Abanazar. Whom, incidentally, I could barely bring myself to boo since his desire to take over the world seemed so sensible.
Also - panto when you're losing your voice? Bad idea, kids.

I know a mixed-race gay who wore a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party. This is a non-issue. Should anyone who wears a Viking costume apologise to Anglo-Saxons? Should anyone who wears a cat costume apologise to mice? Should William, who apparently went as a lion, apologise to survivors of lion attacks? It is a fancy dress party. If he'd worn it on a state occasion, then yes, that would have been inappropriate. Though still fairly funny.

Meanwhile, as Harry is pilloried for dressing up, the Burglar's Charter is renewed.

Irrelevantly to any of which, Oxford is to take a scientific approach to martyrdom. "Oxford University scientists will carry out experiments on hundreds of people in a bid to understand how the brain works during states of consciousness.
One aspect of the two-year study will involve followers of both religious and secular beliefs being burnt to see if they can handle more pain than others.
Some volunteers will be shown religious symbols such as crucifixes and images of the Virgin Mary during the tests."
Latimer & Ridley, thou shouldst be living at this hour.