tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72809155274647486952024-02-19T09:40:06.388+00:00Cornelius and His Flying Machine: A Steampunk AdventureAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-58104071025685622412018-01-15T17:01:00.001+00:002018-01-18T17:28:48.981+00:00The Fear of Starting Again<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I haven’t
written since I handed in my dissertation five months ago. Well, I haven’t
written anything to do with the ideas I’m storing in my head. I’ve done a few
short stories when I’ve been set a deadline but, when faced with the vast abyss
that is unemployment, I haven’t properly sat down and thought “I will write
today.” And now I’m wondering why that is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being
unemployed should have given me that kick to write – I have nothing else to
fill my time, why not start a project I’ve been mulling over for years?
However, I’ve felt a bit like a dried up, useless sponge over the past few
months, with the shortest of stories becoming a drain on my mental capacity.
Even this blog post has taken me three months to finish writing. And with most
of my mental capacity going into job applications, it’s become even harder to
work my way up to write for me and not for potential employers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the last
few weeks leading up to my graduation, I thought I would give writing another
go again, believing I had some ideas I would like to try out. However, within a
few minutes of (not really) starting, I am overwhelmed with a sense of dread
and decide that everything I write is terrible, cliché, or has been done before
and, in true self-pitying mode, declared “what’s the point? Why bother?”,
deleted everything and turned on Netflix instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This post
doesn’t really have a story – I’m still struggling to write and I’m still
technically unemployed. I am doing some volunteering though which allows me to
be creative in different ways, through digital media and photography, and by
researching things I’m interested in. I hope that this writer’s block or
whatever it is lifts and I’ll be able to push on with ideas I want to actually
flesh out. I guess it’s just a waiting game. Though if anyone has any ideas on
how to move forward then I would be immensely grateful to hear them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This post
was originally called The Fear of Failure, but I’m not sure if that’s correct.
Failure suggests an attempt to start something which I haven’t even managed to
do yet. I haven’t even reached the first hurdle to fall at. I think I’m worried
about being given the time and the opportunity to do something I’ve been
wanting and waiting to do but suddenly it feels like I don’t have the time to
achieve it all. The idea of starting means that I have to finish which is much scarier
to me than failing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-35789120563617851842017-10-15T11:38:00.000+01:002017-10-15T11:38:10.285+01:00Cicatrice Journal Launch Event<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxtKrCcHDCTqNkS9sZrKUrICbzHrzdd7tgIi48N9P7k2ZAkgZuWNmFwlAgabM2FrCXbK13aXQbNB3YPSh6ZkwdTUPaSws342EEJBuYCUJSUQgcnF6Ed-acfktMDJbsMlYYBuSROrnOy0h/s1600/22448168_130665504252646_2756280811541035131_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="842" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxtKrCcHDCTqNkS9sZrKUrICbzHrzdd7tgIi48N9P7k2ZAkgZuWNmFwlAgabM2FrCXbK13aXQbNB3YPSh6ZkwdTUPaSws342EEJBuYCUJSUQgcnF6Ed-acfktMDJbsMlYYBuSROrnOy0h/s640/22448168_130665504252646_2756280811541035131_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The journal cover page done by illustrator Ollie Hayes.<br />Check out his webcomic here - <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="http://badpudding.com/" rel="noopener " style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" target="">http://badpudding.com</a><br />And his illustrations here - <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="http://www.hayesillustration.co.uk/" rel="noopener " style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" target="">http://www.hayesillustration.co.uk</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Wednesday
18<sup>th</sup> of October, past and present University of Sheffield English
Literature MA and PhD students, along with MFA students from the Ohio State
University Creative Writing program, will join together to launch the online
journal, <i>Cicatrice</i>. Made up of prose,
poetry and creative non-fiction, <i>Cicatrice</i>
imagines the inhospitable landscapes which are traversed across cultures and
eras. We would like to invite you to the launch event taking place in Jessop
West, Room G03, from 18:00 onwards on the 18<sup>th</sup> of October, where
there will be readings, wine, snacks, and a particularly special, possibly cat
related, quiz with prizes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNXVVnizR7RR6-owW9qmJzM6RhJ11qBPQJwKa2OWP6sJwGh16z4X-g9qtbuV0puBXPwqugswaiekVfWzF3SwCZKXKp_DqnpNtgm36CJGnirHbp0BA7lIBPSuCpraKtBitwzAIpbV3U7Ff/s1600/IMG_20171014_113822973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="763" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNXVVnizR7RR6-owW9qmJzM6RhJ11qBPQJwKa2OWP6sJwGh16z4X-g9qtbuV0puBXPwqugswaiekVfWzF3SwCZKXKp_DqnpNtgm36CJGnirHbp0BA7lIBPSuCpraKtBitwzAIpbV3U7Ff/s320/IMG_20171014_113822973.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cicatrice</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> takes its name from the Latin
meaning scar; it is a haunting reminder of past wounds that will never heal. The
journal’s theme is inspired by the scars, both physical and mental, a world can
create. These creative pieces delve into the harsh environments the personae become
trapped in, sometimes unwittingly, or construct for others. They are the
extremes of their worlds in which nothing, and no one, can grow, and eventually
become scars on the landscape. <i>Cicatrice</i>
brings together these cruel environments in a clash of cities, countries and
centuries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0LFjUeq7IjqLxqg3tKrWiTjUC9nvfly_5rScqtV_2mI1J1XMstwJgejKRLfdgYiNi2mhv33DUBF0mKyoBAC006hO_NJjnvEoVB2dMZKlZ1QUGfsRBmxY1nY3D8EkY_1cBWaMwuIa1x09/s1600/IMG_20171014_120136459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0LFjUeq7IjqLxqg3tKrWiTjUC9nvfly_5rScqtV_2mI1J1XMstwJgejKRLfdgYiNi2mhv33DUBF0mKyoBAC006hO_NJjnvEoVB2dMZKlZ1QUGfsRBmxY1nY3D8EkY_1cBWaMwuIa1x09/s400/IMG_20171014_120136459.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the
past year, our MA class at the University of Sheffield has looked at the theory
and practice of writing prose and poetry, as well as the creation of elements such
as form and convention, and structure and perspective. Within our second
semester, the focus was placed on world building which allowed us to grow and
develop an idea through workshops in order to create a fully realised world,
characters, and narrative. <i>Cicatrice</i>
is the culmination of this work, alongside PhD students and MFA students from
Ohio State University, giving us the chance to show off our freshly honed
talents within a journal of our own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PTwcnxPwE_-Klz5nn9fPBKOIUqSaKAd5552yhY-R1FWPi2K2wbYzwSXAlH6eh-ltrDW7l5IPwhI22hRTXXFYkku9wZ1sgiXZFzLULKwHdzIS4HI_0ON7OV2C5cHMDG_cHjhwa8jRKzeR/s1600/IMG_20171014_120539407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PTwcnxPwE_-Klz5nn9fPBKOIUqSaKAd5552yhY-R1FWPi2K2wbYzwSXAlH6eh-ltrDW7l5IPwhI22hRTXXFYkku9wZ1sgiXZFzLULKwHdzIS4HI_0ON7OV2C5cHMDG_cHjhwa8jRKzeR/s400/IMG_20171014_120539407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We would
like to welcome you to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1842071352769960/?ti=cl">launch event</a> on the 18<sup>th</sup> of October in
Jessop West, Room G.03 from 18:00 onwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-65268854617584190542017-05-10T23:03:00.001+01:002017-05-10T23:03:13.034+01:00Jane Eyre<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bristol Old
Vic’s production of <i>Jane Eyre</i> started
its tour two years after its transfer to the National Theatre in London in
2015. The company devised the piece based on the themes and characters they
thought were important to include from the book. Although the book is so well
known and has taken on almost legendary status, the play gives the story a
modern twist through set and choreography. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The set is very minimal, consisting only of a wooden structure and ladders, with
additional pieces of set and props such as chairs only being brought on when
needed. For a tale as well-known as <i>Jane
Eyre</i>, there wasn’t the need for anymore. An onstage band provided music and
sound effects during the play – the music was totally one of my favourite parts
of the whole production. It was evocative and cinematic as a mixture of period
pieces and contemporary songs. All the choreography was slick, especially for
the carriage sequences, and gave the production bursts of ferocity – much like
Jane herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyhLovp0OCx4VVTJGIv1lJiDtFKhfqRP5kEAPPw7lcqIWzUEO-J6c9fyjk7YRkxGmeb5Eo31xJKZS-56M6OitpamgQUaewfnGmAAvpAGTzATXwZhwa07mLI2FWJwqHT3kMvtP3tJq0Dgu/s1600/IMG_20170510_225908591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyhLovp0OCx4VVTJGIv1lJiDtFKhfqRP5kEAPPw7lcqIWzUEO-J6c9fyjk7YRkxGmeb5Eo31xJKZS-56M6OitpamgQUaewfnGmAAvpAGTzATXwZhwa07mLI2FWJwqHT3kMvtP3tJq0Dgu/s320/IMG_20170510_225908591.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nadia
Clifford’s Jane Eyre is both strong and vulnerable. She is so certain of
herself that it’s hard not to be bowled over by her force of character.
However, she still has those human moments of doubt which are so perfectly
shown through the ensemble becoming the voices in her head. Clifford is Jane
from childhood to adult and never falters in her passion and strength as she
remains on stage for the entirety of the three hour play. Jane’s coming of age
is violent, isolated and constricting, all of which she fights against in order
to become the person she knows she is. As a school teacher, she is
compassionate – a direct contrast to the way she and her schoolmates were
treated – and as a governess, she is stern but fair and softens to her young
charge, Adele’s, enthusiastic energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Within this
production, the focus is not put on Jane and Rochester’s relationship, but on
their human emotions. The struggle for them to be together and to admit their
feelings for one another is far too relevant for a modern audience. Tim Delap’s
Rochester is angry, brooding and is an imposing figure, yet he never overwhelms
or overpowers Clifford’s Jane. They are perfect sparring partners – finding common
ground with their wit and their words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But let’s
talk about Bertha – Rochester’s first wife. Melanie Marshall is compelling to
watch and stays on stage for almost the entire play. She is a figure in Jane’s
life from childhood, always watching over her and she remains a shadowy figure
in the background even after Jane and Rochester get their happy ending. Forever
seen as the ‘mad woman in the attic’, Marshall’s Bertha shows no sign of
insanity; she knows exactly what she is doing and that makes her dangerous, not
mad. Whilst all the other characters wear dark blues, Marshall is resplendent
in a bright red dress. She is the fire that consumes the house. And what a
singing voice! Although Bertha has no lines within the play, Marshall sings a
mixture of folk and contemporary pop songs with the onstage band as she
reinforces herself throughout Jane’s life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jane Eyre</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> was a really good production and I’m
so glad I managed to catch this production live and for £5 too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-8770534354099514922017-02-20T12:30:00.000+00:002017-02-20T12:30:19.780+00:00Everybody's Talking About Jamie<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Based on the
BBC Three documentary, ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’, the Crucible’s new musical <i>Everybody’s Talking About Jamie</i> is a
riot of fabulous, feel good sass! Set in Sheffield about a teenage boy trying
to break into the drag scene, <i>Everybody’s
Talking About Jamie</i> is a coming of age story about acceptance and staying
true to yourself. Yet Dan Gillespie Sells’ toe-tapping soundtrack and Tom
MacRae’s quick witted script stops it from becoming too clichéd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hiWyYkEvYqU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hiWyYkEvYqU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John McCrea’s
Jamie has an easy confidence and humour which makes it hard for the audience
not to love him within the first few minutes of the first act, and very easy
for him to outmanoeuvre the school bully and the conformist views of the school
later on in the play. Jamie knows exactly who he is and what he wants to do
(quite the feat for a sixteen year old!). However, because of this, he soon
bulldozes through his friends and family to make sure that everybody <i>is</i> talking about him – producing at
times some outraged gasps from the audience. The journey that Jamie goes on
isn’t one of self-acceptance but one of compassion and acceptance of other
people’s choices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_h3KXO8gV56IqJNai1wEleCibtZKISu43LKYT_P1UXMkUJbVwRHkIJaCGQySwk1KdlCDuAandpbjh_ROYA-UbeBlhJ9xh9eE5iXnc8AULC4bSGnoL54bJB0hy17G7Q8op_TZjvFtcXp-/s1600/2.+John+McCrea+and+the+cast+of+Everybody%2527s+Talking+About+Jamie.++Credit+Johan+Persson..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_h3KXO8gV56IqJNai1wEleCibtZKISu43LKYT_P1UXMkUJbVwRHkIJaCGQySwk1KdlCDuAandpbjh_ROYA-UbeBlhJ9xh9eE5iXnc8AULC4bSGnoL54bJB0hy17G7Q8op_TZjvFtcXp-/s320/2.+John+McCrea+and+the+cast+of+Everybody%2527s+Talking+About+Jamie.++Credit+Johan+Persson..jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John McCrea and the cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie. <br />Credit Johan Persson.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jamie’s mother,
Margaret (brilliantly played by Josie Walker), is truly a hero throughout the
play. She encourages Jamie throughout and never lets anything stand in his way;
even if her protection can sometimes backfire. Walker’s solos are full of raw
emotion; handling her vulnerability as she tries to do everything for her son
and the love she feels for him. Even though she doesn’t take part in the big
group numbers, she demands the audience’s attention when she is onstage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lucie
Shorthouse is quietly brilliant as Pritti Pasha, Jamie’s studious best friend.
Although she takes part in the larger group numbers, it is her solo in the
second half when she is given the chance to truly shine. She is not as loud and
extroverted as Jamie is but she has a fierceness which is unleashed in the
final confrontation with the school bully and elicited many a cheer from the
audience – she basically said what I’m sure many of those bullied would have
liked to have said!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although it
is the big group pop numbers that get everyone dancing along and leaves the
audience on a high, it is the slower, softer songs which really get to the
heart of the play. Like I said at the start of this post, <i>Everybody’s Talking About Jamie</i> is about acceptance and it is not
just Jamie who is looking for it. The characters all have their own obstacles
to overcome and it is Jamie’s passion which inspires them to all become
superstars in their own right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the
success in recent years of other original musicals – <i>This is My Family </i>and <i>Flowers
for Mrs Harris</i> – <i>Everybody’s Talking
About Jamie</i> is just another example of how strong Sheffield Theatres’
musical game is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-38400963084165036252017-01-14T19:46:00.000+00:002017-01-14T19:46:15.711+00:00There's No Business Like Show Business!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This
is a very late post but there is still one week left to catch <i>Annie Get Your Gun</i> at The Crucible</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
that time of year again – the Christmas musical at The Crucible is in full
swing! This year it is Irving Berlin’s <i>Annie
Get Your Gun</i>, (very loosely) based on the life of Annie Oakley and Buffalo
Bill’s ‘Wild West Show’. This year’s musical was extra special for me as I got
to go on a behind the scenes social media event a week before the musical
opened which was hugely exciting and I enjoyed every minute of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This
behind the scenes look encompassed seeing the costume sketches and the costumes
themselves being made as well as watching a small section from the technical
rehearsal and getting a sneak peek at the set. It was huge amounts of fun to
see how a musical is put on stage and listening to some of the music live under
the stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp0g_CQdfuZnAKLOX1IPacZvLVEkyfmEt-sNT8DvftalOYZN5oMdvPsC8NaelU00RA4rk7e11Qmeu5JtSdv5MiUerSNVzb4ImsfvHJH10xUDvypWtiQb_tVdla4-QHdol2B2skIMyqkFJ/s1600/IMG_20161205_180545.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp0g_CQdfuZnAKLOX1IPacZvLVEkyfmEt-sNT8DvftalOYZN5oMdvPsC8NaelU00RA4rk7e11Qmeu5JtSdv5MiUerSNVzb4ImsfvHJH10xUDvypWtiQb_tVdla4-QHdol2B2skIMyqkFJ/s320/IMG_20161205_180545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM2RDfZsqtf_0tjKuTyVOY5pl-46pw0SCN0NjM2YothlWfez9KmA5pnCaZKw4Re8fodVKv7zznmqyclmtU5kYZnGNj8h-jhwVpopRuRhUZ8Yup9JKl2HatMsDxbBIlE_IxZKq5Fx3RwjS/s1600/IMG_20161205_183049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM2RDfZsqtf_0tjKuTyVOY5pl-46pw0SCN0NjM2YothlWfez9KmA5pnCaZKw4Re8fodVKv7zznmqyclmtU5kYZnGNj8h-jhwVpopRuRhUZ8Yup9JKl2HatMsDxbBIlE_IxZKq5Fx3RwjS/s320/IMG_20161205_183049.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Chaps on Chaps' has to be my favourite thing ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk through the <i>Annie Get Your Gun</i> doors!</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Annie Get Your Gun</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> is a high energy, fast paced and action packed
production which can’t help but put a smile on your face! Anna-Jane Casey takes
centre stage as Annie and is at once feisty and vulnerable – reminding everyone
that although she is new to the business of show business, she still has claws.
She seems to have unlimited energy in the number ‘I Got the Sun in the Morning’
which she sings, dances and is hoisted into the air. She is absolutely magnetic
upon the stage and her voice is incredibly powerful. Ben Lewis is the proud
Frank Butler and gets the show off to a joyful start with ‘There’s No Business
Like Show Business’. Cleve September and Lauren Hall are beautiful as Winnie
and Tommy, a young couple kept apart by Winnie’s older sister. The ensemble is
fabulous and I am insanely jealous of all of their acrobatic skills! <i>Annie Get Your Gun</i> has a lot of heart
and there is still one week left to see it so I would definitely recommend it
if you want something to brighten your day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-26139079469394133222016-11-12T13:14:00.000+00:002016-11-12T13:14:24.132+00:00The Wipers Times<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has been
quite a while since I last wrote, hasn’t it? Life has got pretty busy with the
start of my MA course but with my first portfolio handed in and done with for
now, I will chat to you lovely folks about <i>The
Wipers Times</i> which I saw at Sheffield’s Lyceum a week ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Wipers Times</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> tells the true story of soldiers
from the 12th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters who, during the First World War,
find an abandoned printing press in the Belgian town of Ypres (called Wipers by
the British soldiers) and decide to print a satirical paper about the war. Left
in the very capable hands, and the obvious heirs to <i>The Wipers Times</i>’ humour, of <i>Private
Eye</i>’s Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, the soldiers’ voices and the magazine’s
jokes shine through without being overly sentimental or nostalgic – in fact,
the jokes are all too relatable, even 100 years on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The play is
a theatrical rewrite of Hislop’s and Newman’s 2014 television screenplay of <i>The Wipers Times</i> (I checked – it’s on
Netflix and definitely worth a watch!). The TV film obviously has the advantage
of being able to use different locations and very helpful subtitles to let the
viewer know when and where the action is taking place. However the play handled
all of these changes really well by the soldiers moving the composite set to
represent the newspaper office post-war as well as all the war time locations.
During these set changes, the cast sing a range of spoof First World War songs
which Nick Green so expertly crafts to add to the gallows humour of the play. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Wipers Times</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> smoothly combines plot with sketches
based on actual ads from the paper with a music hall variety act tone – “do you
suffer from optimism?” probably being the most well-known. Definitely one of my
top moments had to be the miracle at Christmas tale with a very aggressive
Father Christmas literally pelting a hapless soldier with snow – it tickled me
a lot! The satire is just spot on and pretty much all the jokes made within the
play are the soldiers’ own from the paper. Even if you have next to no
knowledge of the First World War, I would still recommend going to watch it! During
a Q&A session after the performance, Ian Hislop commented that it was easy
to dismiss or patronise humour from history but the humour of <i>The Wipers Times </i>is just so cuttingly
British that it will make anyone laugh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The production
is touring until the 19<sup>th</sup> of November so definitely go if you can –
if you can’t, I would highly recommend the TV film available on Netflix
instead. And if you're interested in reading <i>The Wipers Times</i> then the original documents have been digitised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-89122668437353009002016-09-18T18:08:00.002+01:002016-09-18T18:08:41.883+01:00Operation Crucible: A Testament to Sheffield's Strength<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello again! This blog was written for Sheffield Theatres about <i>Operation Crucible</i>.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Operation Crucible</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> tells the story of four steel
workers who become trapped in the basement of Sheffield’s Marples Hotel which
was bombed during the winter of 1940. The Crucible’s Studio space becomes the
workers’ foundry and their prison. Although the story of the workers is
fictionalised, the emotions behind it are unequivocally human and real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kieran
Knowles’ debut play is fast paced and combines physical theatre with energetic
dialogue. The four male characters’ camaraderie is formed within the foundry
and remains unbreakable even with football rivalries, and this provides a great
deal of good-natured teasing. However the moments of stillness throughout the
play cut through this and remind the audience why this story is being told. The
lighting effects are superb and cut very quickly from bright flashbacks to the
darkness and silence of being trapped with only candlelight to see. The audio
track of falling rubble and bombs in the distance also emphasises the
claustrophobic nature of being buried and makes the long silences all the more
deafening. The audience are reached out to and engaged directly by being
brought into the story from the very start through the characters’ reflections
on Sheffield’s industrial heritage. The sparse set allows the actors to become
everyone and everything they encounter – the machines within the foundry and
the people working within them. The actors themselves become Sheffield. The
play is as much a celebration of Sheffield’s industrial heritage as it is a
lament for those who lost their lives within the Blitz. The title, <i>Operation Crucible</i>, takes its name from
the German codename for the strategic bombing of Sheffield and other cities
known for their munitions factories. These characters’ professions were
protected because of their importance to the war effort and this is addressed
within the play as the men contemplate whether or not they would have wanted to
join the army. However the play does not just focus on the impact on the male
workers; the women of steel also have their moment. Their scene highlights how
the foundry was incredibly important for everyone who lived in Sheffield and how
the women were just as capable at their jobs as the men. The teasing, fast
dialogue continues right through. <i>Operation
Crucible</i> is a play that at its heart celebrates the strength of Sheffield
to carry on in spite of adversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Funnily
enough, the play premiered in the Finborough theatre in London before coming to
Sheffield, which saw the play receiving different reactions from the audiences
and humour being found in different places. Sheffield is a proud city and this
sentiment carries out into the audience; most of whom are from Sheffield and
were either alive or knew someone alive during the Blitz. The human experiences
told build and gather momentum throughout the play and so the audience become
totally invested in the lives of these four men. <i>Operation Crucible</i> received a standing ovation from the audience
and it is an emotive piece of theatre that everyone living in or from Sheffield
should definitely go see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As young
ambassadors, we had the privilege of meeting the cast – Salvatore D’Aquilla,
Kieran Knowles, Paul Tinto and James Wallwork – for a Q&A session after the
performance. This was really interesting because we were able to hear in detail
about the research process for the production and how the storylines of the
characters changed from men who were unable to go to war because of medical
reasons after finding the story of the Marples hotel and how steel workers’
professions were protected. It became important to tell this story as Sheffield
was beginning to forget its own history and this was the biggest loss of life
on a single night within the city. The steel heart of Sheffield beats once
again as this significant event in the history of the city is relived through the
eyes of ordinary working men and tells the story of Sheffield’s industrial
heritage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-16710137468785061462016-08-13T15:40:00.001+01:002016-08-14T18:35:31.947+01:00A Knight to Remember<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Normally I
would use this blog as an attempt to sign people up for Live for 5 by chatting
about the latest play I’d seen. Well, I hope that I will still be able to do
that this time even though there are no more tickets left for this play – let
alone Live for 5 tickets! The play I am talking about is <i>No Man’s Land</i> by Harold Pinter with the two lead roles being filled
by two Knights of the Realm – Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart! This
was the hottest ticket in town and I’m pretty sure half of Sheffield is going
to the theatre over the course of the week. These two men could literally talk
about toilet paper and people would still pay the money to go! You might
remember from a previous blog post about my own experience trying to get these
tickets on the day that they were released to the public back in March and, as
I found out over the course of this week by doing some work experience with
Sheffield Theatres, we were very lucky to get them when we did. I think for
every performance, the theatre was full! So, although the run in Sheffield is
now drawing to an end, <i>No Man’s Land</i>
continues to tour round the UK and remember that if you are in Sheffield and
aged between 16 and 26, then sign up for Live for 5 and you could see legends
come to the theatre for just a fiver!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xNt2uJbAtDVfVkjaA7iXknDhQaEtMR1DYQRfEAWuHtVcg4mu-3nwxEajeBo-1fF-KobOadit4PMCureDkXMQ5sTMIJG-qvNtUKugStkUg2E4InaZx5YLcHRu6wYUUwukR0jXD3Lg5TlR/s1600/IMG_20160319_101059583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xNt2uJbAtDVfVkjaA7iXknDhQaEtMR1DYQRfEAWuHtVcg4mu-3nwxEajeBo-1fF-KobOadit4PMCureDkXMQ5sTMIJG-qvNtUKugStkUg2E4InaZx5YLcHRu6wYUUwukR0jXD3Lg5TlR/s320/IMG_20160319_101059583.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The joy when we first got the tickets!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The play
itself was actually surprisingly funny – I’ve never seen or read a Pinter play before
but he seems to be of a similar ilk to Beckett. I didn’t expect to laugh quite
as much as I did – I was more expecting a dramatic conversation between two men
rather than a comedy. But the timing and the chemistry between all four of the
actors really kept the play fast paced and witty. From my point of view, I
thought the play was all about memory and senility and set in the 1970s in a
grand old house which I took to be like a care home, though none of the
characters ever said as much. I’m not going to lie, I was never really too sure
what was going on but I think the point was that the audience just sees a
snapshot of these men’s lives at the moment that they intertwine – it’s not a complete
story. The best way I can describe the plot (with a little help from
Wikipedia!) is Spooner (Ian McKellen), a down-on-his-luck poet, is invited back
to Hirst’s (Patrick Stewart) grand house after a night of drinking at the pub
and becomes his house guest. In the morning, Hirst becomes adamant that he knew
Spooner whilst at university and begins to reminisce about mutual acquaintances.
All the while Briggs and Foster (Owen Teale and Damien Molony), Hirst’s man
servants, also join in on the drinking and interrogate Spooner about his
identity and his friendship with Hirst. It seems like such a complex plot for a
play set in one room of a house and it is a very wordy play but the chemistry
between the actors helps the audience to keep afloat of what’s happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of
the actors, obviously Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart were great! I mean, I
think everyone was there at the theatre because of them (myself included) but
Owen Teale and Damien Molony were also brilliant! Owen Teale was great as a
slightly terrifying man servant and bodyguard – I think that has to be the most
aggressive “we’re out of bread” I’ve ever heard, made even better with the frilly
apron! Damien Molony as Foster actively encouraged Hirst’s drinking because it
kept him in his position of power and he would try to move all obstacles so it
would stay that way. Molony played Foster as a ‘Jack the lad’ type but one who ultimately
just wanted power and leverage – which, you know, brought a bit of dark humour
into things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">No Man’s Land</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a witty play about, well, nothing
and everything! And Sean Mathias’ version really brings that to light with the
failings of human memory, whilst, you know, the comedic timing stops the
audience from falling into the dangerous trap of an existential crisis! I would
definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of a slower – though still
funny – evening at the theatre and for anyone wanting to see stage and screen
legends! Though be warned, tickets will sell out very fast for this one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You can
follow <i>No Man’s Land</i> on Twitter
(@NoMansLandPlay) for updates about the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stay tuned
here for a <i>Lady Chatterley’s Lover</i>
update (Live for 5 tickets available!) in September and for any random
adventures I might go on in the meantime!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-84237638224982905542016-07-23T14:06:00.002+01:002016-07-23T21:47:27.728+01:00I Didn't Fall Over! A Graduate's Tale<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This week I
graduated from The University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in English Literature
and, as were many people I suppose, I was very scared I was going to fall over
on stage or at least forget where I was going. However neither of these
happened and in all honesty, no one fell over at all during the ceremony! So,
in this blog post, I thought I would sum up a bit of my university experience
and someone somewhere might find it useful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEc57NJC0fmDhxwz2XzM39hBqXnnXlj6KoYErkFiRIwc3mUIl1b0LBx6a4TRAu0PJZ6QYRh4CZOT7tlLTiDWnuU34qeExHGexqbn0fvPNwa0QOZXp2R_SR8eIgb5g1MHe7x6YBeH-iEd6/s1600/IMG_20160722_150528555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEc57NJC0fmDhxwz2XzM39hBqXnnXlj6KoYErkFiRIwc3mUIl1b0LBx6a4TRAu0PJZ6QYRh4CZOT7tlLTiDWnuU34qeExHGexqbn0fvPNwa0QOZXp2R_SR8eIgb5g1MHe7x6YBeH-iEd6/s320/IMG_20160722_150528555.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah and I have managed to get a collection started!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">University
is hard. There are so many changes within the three years and suddenly, after
eighteen years of support at home and at school, we’re left to our own devices.
This takes a while to get used to and to really feel at home at university –
this is totally normal. People take things at different paces and personally,
Freshers’ Week in my first year was incredibly hard for me to deal with. As an
introvert, I found the week draining and, although I tried to make an effort
talking to people and throwing myself into the life expected of me as a
student, it did take a huge toll on me. I remember halfway through the week
calling my mum in tears because I was just so overwhelmed. Thankfully I had
really great flatmates who, at the end (or near the end) of our degrees, I’m
still in contact with and they really helped me to settle in and we will always
know six o’clock to be tea time! So don’t be worried if you don’t magically
settle in as soon as you move in – you will fall into a good group of people
eventually. If you are worried, don’t be afraid to find help. There are those
support services in place at university so use them! And they’re free so even
more reason to use them if you need to. The support is there to be used so
never pass up the opportunity if the occasion calls for it. And never forget
the support that your family and friends will be able to give you as well –
university is scary for everyone, people will be able to understand your
worries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When people
think of students, what comes to mind is drinking and nights out, and I’m not
going to lie, there is the expectation that that will happen. However, never
feel pressured into fulfilling that stereotype. It may sound cliché but you do
you. I didn’t go out out in my first Freshers’ Week and I managed to make some
great friends by doing other things – we watched movies and went out to lunch
and went shopping. And also, no one cares if you don’t want to drink and if
they do, they are not worth being around. I’ve had plenty of sober nights out
and I’ve been able to enjoy myself so if you’re with the right group of people
then how sober you are doesn’t matter – you have a good time whatever. Then
again, if you do want to drink then know your limits – no one wants to be
saddled with that really drunk friend who does stupid things. I have been that
friend a couple of times and I have not lived it down (sorry guys – you know
what I’m talking about!). But, in the midst of partying, remember you’ve also
come to university to work. And your degree is something that you want to do –
remember that. Let no one put you down about it. If it interests you and helps
you in what you want to do in later life then that’s all that matters. This may
sound contradictory but also remember that you have to relax at some point as
well. Yes, university is about the work but you’ve got to blow off steam when
exams and assessments are getting you down. Find a society that interests you
and gets you out of the house. In my three years of being at university, my
biggest regret is probably that I didn’t join in more with societies. I always
said I would but just never pushed myself that far. So go do something. Carry
on with something that you did before university or start something completely
new! Employers like to see well-rounded CVs so, even though the final grade
helps, remember that that’s not everything. The experiences and the
opportunities offered to you during your degree are just as important as they
give you the chance to learn new skills which might be more applicable to the
career path you want to take. And remember to have fun! As the chancellor of my
university told us at our graduation – university is not the best years of your
life. You have your whole life ahead of you. You take the path you want to
take. I have no big life plan honestly – I know I want to be a writer at some
point, but other than that I don’t really know what I’m doing! I’m twenty-one
and I burst into tears on the phone just the other day trying to sort out bills
for my flat. Yes, university sets you up with some skills for life but there
are some that can’t be taught – you just have to live them. Other career paths
and choices do that as well so if you know that university isn’t for you then
you will learn all you need to know to look like you know how to adult and
perhaps even quicker than those at university. And as a very wise friend told
me last month – no one has their dream job in their twenties, so don’t panic of
things don’t suddenly fall at your feet. It takes a while just to set up how
you want to live your life and you may find that your dream job changes or
adapts depending on where life takes you. Nothing is set in stone so, although
it’s easier said than done, do not worry about what the future might hold. You
have the power to control your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeaMYHhHSRDV8-FqCuVS6z0xNUmIb8zUQb7uGy-_4uIuvBUVvYg9r8H7BOb4OWE-KnEhEPzvTlb9QkbGp8hQZLrqUzo67hFQIWd84JwJQ80jcn0NB9L8j2PSYKL6lPPz5Yhag2l7733pu/s1600/DSC04214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeaMYHhHSRDV8-FqCuVS6z0xNUmIb8zUQb7uGy-_4uIuvBUVvYg9r8H7BOb4OWE-KnEhEPzvTlb9QkbGp8hQZLrqUzo67hFQIWd84JwJQ80jcn0NB9L8j2PSYKL6lPPz5Yhag2l7733pu/s320/DSC04214.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my favourite picture of the day because its not posed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, on a
more personal note, anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely reserved when
it comes to emotions, so if you’ve been my friend whilst at university, you may
not know just how much you mean to me. Whilst I’ve been at university, I’ve
realised that I’m not cute, I’m practical and personally, I find it quite
embarrassing to say things like I love you even to people I’ve known for my
entire life so, although I know it is extremely cowardly to do it online and in
writing where you may never see it, just know that I do care about you guys and
I have really appreciated the support and the wonderful memories that I have of
us all. And I am extremely proud of us for getting this far – we graduated and
I couldn’t have done it without you all helping me through the ups and the
downs! So thank you, it’s been a pleasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Personally,
I think university has been the best experience and the worst experience of my
life so far. I have never felt more exhausted and drained but then I have also
never felt more confident, more self-assured and happy with where and who I am
at this point in my life – even if I still can’t talk to people over the phone!
It sounds so ridiculously cheesy but it’s the truth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-91136838097701848032016-07-03T12:54:00.003+01:002017-02-21T12:39:28.937+00:00Just Another Day At The Office<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These
past few weeks, I have been despairing and getting increasingly frustrated at
numerous job applications and I have felt like I have been getting nowhere. If
you have read my last few blog posts, you’ll know that I received an offer to
do a Masters in Creative Writing. Ever since I got the offer, I have been
unsure whether I wanted to take it – there were many things to consider like
did I want to take out another loan to pay for the course or was I better off
trying to get a job? I applied for many scholarships but I didn’t think
anything would come from it. However, yesterday I got an email back from the
university’s financial services offering me a scholarship that will cover my
tuition fees and part of my living costs for the next year. So basically this
gives me a chance to do my MA without worrying too much about how I’m going to
pay for everything! I can’t put into words how happy I am about this unexpected
surprise. I genuinely did not expect to receive this scholarship and am
incredibly humbled that I have. And I can’t wait now to get back to Sheffield
and start my Creative Writing course!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
So in-between all of this frustration and eventually excitement, I went to the
theatre twice and saw two plays based in and around offices. The first one last
week was The Government Inspector by Gogol. This was a good old Russian farce;
a corrupt town anticipates the arrival of a government inspector and mistakenly
think a broke middle class writer is the said inspector. This performance is
part of Ramps On The Moon, a project which brings together seven major theatre
companies and incorporates sign language, audio description and subtitles into
their performances. Disabled artists and audiences are given centre stage and
stimulates positive change and awareness within arts and culture. The inclusion
of sign language and subtitles within the performance really added to the
hilarity of the farcical nature of the play. Mistaken identity and
miscommunication is at the heart of this play and the addition of sign
language, which the majority of the audience was not able to understand, added
an extra layer which was not prevalent in the original text. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The set was like a matchstick town, representing how easy it was to bowl over
its inhabitants. Kiruna Stamell was perfect as the Mayor's wife, Anna. She
brought the vain, superficial character to life through affecting a French
accent for certain words to make herself seem more than just a provincial
mayor's wife. David Carlyle as the Mayor himself got gradually more unstable as
the play went on. He was beset by a crisis of faith and uncertainty as he tried
to maintain the way of life the town had built for itself based on corruption
and bribery as well as his own conscience. Gogol's satirical comedy has stood
the test of time and is still relevant and humourous today and through the
Ramps On The Moon project, theatre has become even more relevant and accessible
to an increasingly diverse audience. That is something that I hope can
continue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The next play I saw one week later (and a week that had changed my life) was
Mike Bartlett's new play, Contractions. It took the style of 3-5 minute
interviews between Emma, a sales rep, and her unnamed manager. By forming a
romantic relationship with a co-worker, Emma is informed that the relationship
is in breach of the company's contract. This interview style of the play made
it feel very fast paced as there was a lot to fit into a short space of an hour
and the stark revolving stage echoed the revolving nature of the production.
The audience voiced their own frustration and disbelief at key moments of the
play, which is proof that it certainly held our attention. Sara Stewart was
chillingly terrifying as the manager who was impassively corporate and
extremely hard to read. Rose Leslie took the audience on an emotional journey
as a woman stuck in a job that she couldn't leave and it had ruined her life.
It was hard not to feel her desperation and frustration as she tried to hold onto
some semblance of her life. After seeing this play, I'm kind of glad I didn't
get any of the jobs I applied for; if Contractions is a real representation of
an office environment, then I don't think I'm suited to that! Contractions is a
darkly funny play and I would highly recommend going to see it, especially
since Live for 5 tickets are available on all performances!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Anyway, I am taking a well-deserved break from applications and enjoying my
week away on holiday. I haven't got many theatre trips lined up over the summer
but watch this space for updates about whether I fall over at graduation and a
much anticipated performance of No Man's Land with Sir Ian McKellen and Sir
Patrick Stewart in August.</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-9255799553261617062016-05-26T15:11:00.000+01:002016-06-26T20:33:32.468+01:00Flowers for Mrs Harris<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Musical</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Flowers for Mrs Harris</i> *****</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Rachel
Wagstaff and Richard Taylor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crucible
Theatre, Sheffield<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Director:
Daniel Evans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cast
includes: Claire Burt, Anna-Jane Casey, Mark Meadows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dates: 19<sup>th</sup>
May to 4<sup>th</sup> June<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Times: 7:30.
Matinees, 2:30 Wednesdays and Saturdays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Running
Time: 2hrs 40mins including interval<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Review by
Nicola Wallace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">26<sup>th</sup>
May 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When you
first hear about this new musical, it sounds cute but not exactly the most
riveting of topics. Based on the novel </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mrs
Harris Goes To Paris</i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Paul Gallico, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Flowers
for Mrs Harris</i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is about a woman who sees a Dior dress and decides that she
must have one. That is essentially a very barebones synopsis. But, oh my goodness,
it is so much more than that! It’s funny, moving and gives you hope – all
dreams are achievable. Mrs Harris is a cleaning woman in post-war, austerity
era London who, after seeing a Dior dress in one of her clients’ homes, embarks
on a quest to own one herself. She saves up enough money, after a few mishaps,
to fly to Paris and purchase one. By the sheer force and wit of her
personality, she makes a difference not only within her own life, but the
various lives of others. After years of feeling alone after she is left widowed
after the Second World War, she realises that she is not quite so lonely after
all. It is a sentimental fairytale of never giving up hope and not letting
life’s obstacles stand in your way. Through hard work and a good heart, Mrs
Harris achieves her dream. Seriously, there was not a dry eye in the house by
the end! I even shed a few tears myself!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IewOtKzN710/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IewOtKzN710?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is an
outstanding production. Writer Rachel Wagstaff and composer/lyricist Richard
Taylor bring together Mrs Harris’ quest with humour and heart in a whirlwind of
emotions. Seriously, there are a lot of feels in this production! Make sure you
take your tissues. The music is stirring and fits with the overall production
beautifully. There are never songs just
for the sake of them; they always bring something to the action on stage and
move along the production succinctly. The actors themselves are all brilliant
and embody their roles so so well! The casting is perfect and this production
seemed to have been made for them – much like a Dior dress! I bet the costume
department had a whale of a time with all those dresses! I was very jealous of
the actors who got to wear some very gorgeous Dior dresses – would have liked
to have worn a few myself! The revolving stage allows for quick and slick set
changes which never overpower the action on stage. It looks stunning as well.
By the end, the stage is literally alive with colour as Mrs Harris learns of
the good she has done. As Daniel Evan’s final production as artistic director
of the Crucible, he certainly goes out with a standing ovation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob3BOh3vb94EMK2eEGeMvxFQzFcYs-QDW5tAhZN_VdEHA2Qv2eH0JtkG8GYVtHnGLOKwid2z4PLVKlzKqN9CJswcWNFwdEZKlm6-tTGseGbw7GaLHrrJwujFbVw3U4oWAVoDbTDFhx5wt/s1600/IMG_20160525_224617763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob3BOh3vb94EMK2eEGeMvxFQzFcYs-QDW5tAhZN_VdEHA2Qv2eH0JtkG8GYVtHnGLOKwid2z4PLVKlzKqN9CJswcWNFwdEZKlm6-tTGseGbw7GaLHrrJwujFbVw3U4oWAVoDbTDFhx5wt/s320/IMG_20160525_224617763.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, my flowers have died!<br />
And I don't think a penny would bring<br />
them back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you want
to see a fairytale, plenty of gorgeous dresses or just to have a good cry, then
seriously, go see this play! It’s on until the 4<sup>th</sup> of June at the Crucible – more details
can be found <a href="https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/flowers-for-mrs-harris">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also I have
recently got Twitter, so if you want to give me a follow for more random
theatre trips, Live for 5 news or just me ruminating about life, then here you go: <a href="https://twitter.com/nicola_wallace5">@nicola_wallace5</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-39618521466625832702016-05-10T19:20:00.000+01:002016-05-10T19:20:13.944+01:00The James Plays: The Prisoner, The Innocent and The Glam Rock Star<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Its been a while but, in between all the work and the dissertation which is now finally finished, I went to the theatre to see three plays in a day. The James Plays.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This trilogy
of plays has been billed as “Scotland’s answer to Game of Thrones” and it is
certainly as binge-watchable! Though we only had to wait a few hours for the
next instalment, not years. The plays start off with a young James I who, after
been kept prisoner in England for 18 years, has to unite the families of
Scotland and prove himself as king. The drama and familial relationships
develop over 3 generations of the Stewart family who seek war with other
countries, with other families and finally with their own family. It was really
easy to be absorbed into their world; the contemporary language removes the
barrier so often felt with Shakespeare’s history plays and brings to life
stories that have been left out of the literary canon. The writing was witty,
funny and developed the relationships between the characters – both romantic
and platonic alike – fully. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQExIi6HrDvprFSsyylZ3RF-RsyNB3ShRXCCbXwCXAa9_1rBxpL-DaLFTytxLglSw0tosezFiGKRVa5lzosQdbnL1hjrCIEGmiYAXJdf6D55kobeYibMkS6438RafRCMcHwVPw3wHqNH9H/s1600/IMG_20160509_180852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQExIi6HrDvprFSsyylZ3RF-RsyNB3ShRXCCbXwCXAa9_1rBxpL-DaLFTytxLglSw0tosezFiGKRVa5lzosQdbnL1hjrCIEGmiYAXJdf6D55kobeYibMkS6438RafRCMcHwVPw3wHqNH9H/s320/IMG_20160509_180852.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The James Plays</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The plays
gradually become more stylised in their medieval settings with sets and costumes. By the final
play, the medieval world was only invoked by the dipped hems of the back of the
ladies’ dresses and the men’s jackets. Though contemporary elements were
peppered throughout all the plays – modern shoes in the first play and jeans in
the second – creating the sense that these medieval kings and queens were
perhaps not so different than the audience. We were lucky enough to be able to
watch the first play seated on the stage which was just a brilliant experience!
It made the whole play much more intimate, as it would, and made the audience
feel like they were part of the action with the actors walking past you every
so often. There were muttered expletives and secret glances which could only be
seen and heard from the stage seating, and now I can say I had a front row seat
to a monarch’s coronation! That totally counts, right?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP9sY6swGPZrJgT-ZyMxLIYKSsNzyElrOe59udmZsVeLOjDX_BkAEOOG9eL45j1xFKKL27ZAA6jQomttWhSEJxPXFS5pbYt7D-XIC3Pb6e2DgV9KskUglJ5h4VcALH3qsT54Nu_QMzHFN/s1600/IMG_20160508_113510241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP9sY6swGPZrJgT-ZyMxLIYKSsNzyElrOe59udmZsVeLOjDX_BkAEOOG9eL45j1xFKKL27ZAA6jQomttWhSEJxPXFS5pbYt7D-XIC3Pb6e2DgV9KskUglJ5h4VcALH3qsT54Nu_QMzHFN/s320/IMG_20160508_113510241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the first play!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first
James play is all about political intrigue. The Scottish King James is released
from an English prison after 18 years and he must prove himself to the powerful
families of Scotland who are not happy that he has returned and reclaimed the
throne. There is a battle sequence whilst James’ wife, Joan, gives birth in the
midst of it all and a giant sword that drips (or rather, sprays) blood. This
first play was action packed, bloody and full of betrayals.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very sunny Lyceum for part two!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a
testament of a good actor who can go from making me dislike him to finding him
adorable in a matter of hours, so congratulations Andrew Rothney! The play
follows James II (as it would) from his childhood and shows how he grew to
become king. It mainly concerns itself with James’ and his childhood friend’s,
William Douglas, relationship, rather than politics on a grander scale. The
giant sword was now a flame thrower which echoed the destruction of James’ own
childhood – his father being assassinated, becoming king at the age of 6 and being
a pawn in the other families’ games – which continued to haunt him into his
adulthood. This was very well done through the repetition of nightmares that
brought the audience through his early days as king to his taking back of power
succinctly. Also, he spends much of the first act in a box, if you like that
kind of thing.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of the final play</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is
there to say about the final James play? Wow. The three words I would use to
describe it would be flamboyant, camp and tight trousers. He was easily the
most dislikeable of all the James’ but definitely the funniest. There was a
change in tone in this final play as it became softer and more about how his
wife, Margaret, was a better ruler than he was. James III was like a glam rock
superstar who was afraid of ever growing old. And I now want a choir to follow
me round all day to announce my presence!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if you
want to see a guy swinging an axe in close proximity to you, a football game on
stage, bagpipe and accordion renditions of Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and The
Human League, or just men in kilts, then these are the plays for you!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Don't forget! You can still sign up for Live f</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">or 5 tickets </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">on line - just click <a href="https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/your-account">here </a>to start! And if you want to see The James Plays, <a href="https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_TheJamesPlays">here's </a>the website to find out where they are touring.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-13401184578238553962016-04-03T12:32:00.001+01:002016-04-03T12:32:59.283+01:00Yet Another Week at the Theatre<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sorry for
the late post; work and the flu has pushed me back a bit! It has been another
busy week in my theatre life as I have managed to fit in 3 shows into the week
and have had the life changing experience of queuing up for tickets when the
new season has gone on sale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crucible all lit up!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last last
Thursday I managed to get a public dress rehearsal ticket to see <i>The Nap</i>, which I was incredibly happy
about because I had missed out on the Live for 5 tickets for the previews. <i>The Nap</i> is a comedy-thriller about
snooker written for and about The Crucible. Sounds like a weird concept, I
know, but I thought it was hilarious! The plot revolves around the up and
coming snooker player, Dylan Spokes (played by Jack O’Connell), who is
blackmailed by a local gangster, Waxy Chuff (played by Louise Gold), to throw a
frame. It also starred Mark Addy (<i>Atlantis</i>
and <i>Game of Thrones</i>) and Ralf Little
(<i>The Royle Family</i>), which, you know,
I was very excited about. Richard Bean, the writer, also wrote <i>One Man, Two Guvnors</i> and that farcical
humour also carried over into The Nap. I mean it was completely crazy but
fabulously so! And hey, I got to see a snooker game at the Crucible (that
totally counts, right?) so not a bad evening all in all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New look tickets for a new play!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My next trip
to the theatre was to see the Northern Ballet’s <i>Swan Lake</i>. This was the first ballet I’d seen live (I’d seen the
Northern Ballet’s version of <i>1984</i> on
BBC Four a few weeks prior) and I really enjoyed it. It was pretty mesmerising
to see the dancers’ strength to be able to lift, contort and hold themselves in
positions that seemed pretty uncomfortable to be in, and make it all look so
easy! Not going to lie, I was a little bit jealous – I’m not a dancer and have
no natural grace! I knew the music of <i>Swan
Lake</i> and, thanks to <i>Black Swan</i>, I
thought I knew the story, but Northern Ballet’s adaptation was updated and
brought the story out of its mythological context and into a more human realm. They’d
set it in an Edwardian New England and this setting worked really well with the
Wilde-ian nature of the homoerotic subplot. It certainly felt more human with
the exploration of themes like unfulfilled desire and loss and grief. And of
course, the music was superb! I do enjoy a bit of Tchaikovsky! I really enjoyed
it all and I will definitely be going to the ballet again (providing I can get
£5 tickets of course!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As an
ambassador for the Crucible, I worked the NT Connections festival which was all
about new writing for young actors. This was a really good opportunity to
highlight the Live for 5 scheme and talk to young people who may not
necessarily have known about it (although it was slightly terrifying having to
talk to lots of people!). The NT Connections festival happens all round the
country so if you’re interesting in writing, performing or just watching, take
a look at the website <a href="http://connections.nationaltheatre.org.uk/">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Queuing for
new season tickets was stressful. That’s it. We got there nice and early – 45 minutes
before the box office at 10 to be precise! – and still managed to end up
queuing for an hour and a half! It had recently been announced that Sir Ian McKellen
and Sir Patrick Stewart were going to be performing <i>No Man’s Land</i> at the Lyceum in Sheffield. That’s what everyone was
queuing for, including us! However, we wanted the Live for 5 tickets and this
put extra pressure on us. We scouted out the queue and quickly realised that we
were the youngest there but there was still quite a lot of people before us in
the queue. A couple of days before, Live for 5 tickets became available online
and, as the clock struck 10, we realised that this might be our only option to
get these tickets. Thank goodness for that! If we had waited it out, those
tickets would have been sold out! After logging in and waiting in an online
queue for 10 minutes, the tickets we wanted were ours! I think the woman at box
office was slightly surprised when we asked for the <i>James Plays</i> tickets rather than <i>No
Man’s Land</i>, though we then did ask to pick up those tickets. So a stressful
morning but well worth it in the end!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just some of the next lot of tickets!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So yeah, you
can now sign up and buy Live for 5 tickets online so literally no one (as long
as you’re aged 16-26!) has an excuse! Click <a href="https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/your-account">here </a>to set up an account and make
sure you include your date of birth so that every time you log in, Live for 5 tickets
will automatically be available for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-79131661318208136322016-03-11T10:51:00.000+00:002016-03-11T11:10:38.623+00:00Happiness is a blanket scarf<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello one
and all! I’m not sure if my title will turn into a weird metaphor by the end of
this post but for the moment I mean it very literally. If you know me, you will
probably know that I basically show no emotions and that it’s actually very
hard for me to show that I’m happy. But how can I be sad when I have a scarf
that is a blanket? That’s basically the pinnacle of life right there. Anyway, I
digress. The point of this post is to give you a bit of background.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjvdt9fvbVGRKYT3hi4NJZZkqh0qa-_dupzrCGXKwEvtKi1SYZsiF8Nho2CYTN7ExUgloDvHdS-cHkOxJyBC_EVipfypjwHcDXWcolCXbCYsj2ffptUp7ZX1j1SU92bD4fGKwntGJnKVY/s1600/IMG_20160307_131846331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjvdt9fvbVGRKYT3hi4NJZZkqh0qa-_dupzrCGXKwEvtKi1SYZsiF8Nho2CYTN7ExUgloDvHdS-cHkOxJyBC_EVipfypjwHcDXWcolCXbCYsj2ffptUp7ZX1j1SU92bD4fGKwntGJnKVY/s200/IMG_20160307_131846331.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much happiness!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I’m a
painfully shy introvert who tends to remain quiet in any social situation –
this much pretty much everyone knows about me and I am always faced with such
questions like “Why are you so quiet?” or “Are you okay? You look upset/angry.”
The only answers I can give to these are “That’s just my personality” or
“That’s just my face – I generally look like I have no desire to be near people
even when I’m actually enjoying myself”. It’s just the way it is and
unfortunately, when it is brought up, it does make me very self-conscious and
ultimately I clam up even more. What you may not know is the fact that I have
struggled with depression and social anxiety since I was about 11. I’m still
not great at expressing this to even my closest friends, even though I have got
so much better in the last few years, so it would appear that the only way I
can actually talk about this is through this blog post, mainly just to avoid
the embarrassment of actually talking about myself to other people. I hope
that, by writing this, people don’t feel like they have to tiptoe round me, I
would just like to make everyone aware of something that I internalise quite a
lot. I appreciate a lot of people will feel very different to how I feel so
this is just my experience and I don’t want to come across selfish or anything.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was
bullied a lot throughout primary and high school and even a bit in college. I mean,
this isn't the entire reason for my depression, I reckon some of it is just my
personality and the way I'm wired anyway, but it certainly contributed. I don’t
think I really realised I had depression until I was about 16/17 and had put my
entire experience down to just being a teenager which probably stopped me from
getting any help sooner or at least expressing how I felt. I always felt like
(and still do sometimes) I didn't belong anywhere. My depression, coupled with social anxiety, has sometimes left me feeling isolated, unappreciated and in constant need of someone to tell me that I am enough and that my friends do actually like me and don't think I'm a burden. I just never seemed to quite
fit in, and so I turned to literature – books, film, TV and music – as a way to
escape. I still do this to an extent, it is one of the ways that I find
happiness. I mean this love of literature has basically shaped my entire life –
I'm doing an English Literature degree and I have an offer for a Creative
Writing MA – and yes, sometimes it is hurtful when people belittle me for
choosing to do an Arts and Humanities degree but I know that this was always
going to be the path that I took. Literature has really helped me through some
pretty dark times of my life and, as I would like to be a writer, if I could
help and offer just one person a way of escaping then it’s all worth it, isn't it?
In a way, I don’t know who I would be without my depression, it has come to
shape me as a person but I have got better in the last few years and, although
the scars will probably always be there, I'm slowly becoming the person I actually
want to be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway,
sorry for the slightly longer post and it’ll be business as usual next time as
I have a few theatre visits lined up, and, as I said before, I hope this post
doesn't change anyone’s opinion of me or make it seem like I'm selfish or
anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx">NHS </a>website has some pretty useful information about depression and there’s
a self-check tool there too, as well as links to various charities that offer
help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-293619303586543392016-02-22T21:33:00.000+00:002016-11-11T17:15:05.949+00:00The Trip to Ireland<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Way, way
back in November, my flatmate Megan asked me if I wanted to go to Northern
Ireland to spend the weekend with her and her family at her home for her
birthday. Any normal person would have thought </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">great, a holiday after January exams</i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, but for me, it was a Big
Deal. I had never set foot in an airport, never been on an aeroplane and never
been abroad (although that one is still true). You know that icebreaker that
tutors always like to play – </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">tell us your
name and an interesting fact about yourself</i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> – well those were always my
go-to! But finally, after much cajoling from Megan and my parents, I decided
that well, it </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">couldn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> hurt to go to Ireland on a plane and at least I would be
with someone who knew what they were doing. So the day of the flight came
round, I had had a really bad night’s sleep and was sick with nerves, but I
managed to get to the airport in one piece and I </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">hadn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> burst into tears, which
was always a bonus! I managed to rally after a very sugary drink from a café
and was feeling a bit more up for it by the time our plane was due. But then
disaster struck! Our plane had been delayed by an hour and a half due to bad
weather which just meant that I had more time to worry! But after much support
from Megan, I was slightly calmer by the time we could board the plane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsI6BvbXXLOHEwr5rqkEuNd3x5HhYm0Od_dkrNvFY2Pnm7GIYkYvIrtE9G0gQa_uAO2BpRektdan0XirvnpBn2jQ1VmZjMGiuTYqJWI4Albo39t5TNa5rkQqIMDqUJZ3aGcaHvhjqxZwJ/s1600/IMG_20160129_161218452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsI6BvbXXLOHEwr5rqkEuNd3x5HhYm0Od_dkrNvFY2Pnm7GIYkYvIrtE9G0gQa_uAO2BpRektdan0XirvnpBn2jQ1VmZjMGiuTYqJWI4Albo39t5TNa5rkQqIMDqUJZ3aGcaHvhjqxZwJ/s320/IMG_20160129_161218452.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made it onto the plane in one (not weeping) piece!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This being
my first ever flight, I’m going to bore you with the details of my actual
experience of flying – not that there are too many, it was a pretty
straightforward flight and nothing went wrong! My head swam a bit because of
the air pressure and I never really got the hang of how the seatbelts worked (I
will admit, Megan did have to help me out once we got to Ireland!) but other
than that, flying was a pretty fun experience! It was cloudy and we were just
flying over sea so there </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> that much to see but it was still fun seeing
all the boats and the earth from above! Obviously it was a perspective I had
never seen the earth from! Other than that, I suppose flying is pretty much the
same as travelling on a train really, just a tad faster! The flight back,
however, was less of a fun experience. Once again, our flight was delayed and
the weather could have been better. There was some turbulence which </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> the
greatest and not going to lie, I’ll felt a bit sick. At least, since it was night-time, the lights of the towns were pretty and I managed to get some reading done so
it </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> a complete write-off! And we got back in one piece!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3ynV4qxzBq3ZP-Ay2RgoaHPBX_wZ7sP2mwFAFZS0vZWMRSidyj7XjfJHTApgGY1SpVmymocvqYV2jn2IMEXaiipyB2N7koTON6Zl_XxsJloW0Nh5nhpi7dpHhTEspqqlXaCqKPylLaza/s1600/12636972_1301157963243050_1202596851_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3ynV4qxzBq3ZP-Ay2RgoaHPBX_wZ7sP2mwFAFZS0vZWMRSidyj7XjfJHTApgGY1SpVmymocvqYV2jn2IMEXaiipyB2N7koTON6Zl_XxsJloW0Nh5nhpi7dpHhTEspqqlXaCqKPylLaza/s200/12636972_1301157963243050_1202596851_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genuinely terrified about being blown into the sea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir966FU93JnsWat_jJKdMPNrqCPTWVDcQOp0i6bB0sh_xNRvREAAZj8oh6tmOz-SqWalc8n26ETFCBZdb3oFJYhjvARcggCGIyMBTsZrjSSebL1lCMq-8LABxdfvpYEgD9E5MwxA3EGOfa/s1600/IMG_20160201_122038980_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir966FU93JnsWat_jJKdMPNrqCPTWVDcQOp0i6bB0sh_xNRvREAAZj8oh6tmOz-SqWalc8n26ETFCBZdb3oFJYhjvARcggCGIyMBTsZrjSSebL1lCMq-8LABxdfvpYEgD9E5MwxA3EGOfa/s320/IMG_20160201_122038980_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wild Irish sea at the Giant's Causeway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULjpoDd0nXPRsaxtxOdMHlcR2bF-FQ8wyWSR2GQtDrnoYGZMf9WILPBsdaeWp8-v6ord_v2Zig4wYpMu79Wa4zlg-Ib7ksxhMJzl2aV2oCFeJ3P2xcKHBGnfSZq-h6y3oVRPcouCP2nfZ/s1600/12669381_1301157986576381_1829546529_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULjpoDd0nXPRsaxtxOdMHlcR2bF-FQ8wyWSR2GQtDrnoYGZMf9WILPBsdaeWp8-v6ord_v2Zig4wYpMu79Wa4zlg-Ib7ksxhMJzl2aV2oCFeJ3P2xcKHBGnfSZq-h6y3oVRPcouCP2nfZ/s200/12669381_1301157986576381_1829546529_o.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the Walls at Derry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6STiuwbXCdOILJBjpiSmbieJnGLUDvlL8mUx0YK2j3Zi_oLb1eNoRGrAAejfcDkpyHAd5Y_sm85kAeO7f0YPWqlk0NEBLMU7rPS70fy0Q9AHWMomkZWe7Lfl5AHGyFNa3-6stNnYVFRlo/s1600/IMG_20160130_145318809_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6STiuwbXCdOILJBjpiSmbieJnGLUDvlL8mUx0YK2j3Zi_oLb1eNoRGrAAejfcDkpyHAd5Y_sm85kAeO7f0YPWqlk0NEBLMU7rPS70fy0Q9AHWMomkZWe7Lfl5AHGyFNa3-6stNnYVFRlo/s320/IMG_20160130_145318809_HDR.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dark Hedge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had a
fantastic time in Ireland and being by the sea when the weather was so wild was
a new experience for me. <span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I'm</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> from a landlocked county and have only been by the
sea in the summer so it was great to see it so completely crazy! And it was great just seeing new places and having a Game of Thrones tour of Ireland from my wonderful friend and her family! Definitely
worth getting on a plane for!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-64751961097338030492016-02-04T00:17:00.000+00:002016-02-07T11:42:36.027+00:00My Week at the Theatre<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So this week has been very busy
for me! You'll be getting any other post soon about my recent trip to Northern
Ireland but for now, I'll tell you about my immediate trip to the theatre
tonight. Also check out the new <a href="https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/">Sheffield Theatres</a> website which is very colourful
and full of jaunty angles! It's much easier to navigate and soon there will be
the option to buy Live for 5 tickets online.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "droid sans";"><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFqP1iNF6ty0Qvv79w6Sr529-othjKDkyZlcbfB-qEmP6X03B_QpbJUOcuwOPHQUWy9IbLlySJTHfwIjmWEaGI_nw0ckQBXlep43odipgSi3EO28IBKhs1QiIdBk7BJbwHH63-VgmGxGJ/s1600/IMG_20160203_193559482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFqP1iNF6ty0Qvv79w6Sr529-othjKDkyZlcbfB-qEmP6X03B_QpbJUOcuwOPHQUWy9IbLlySJTHfwIjmWEaGI_nw0ckQBXlep43odipgSi3EO28IBKhs1QiIdBk7BJbwHH63-VgmGxGJ/s320/IMG_20160203_193559482.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crucible and the Lyceum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tonight I went to see <i>King Charles III</i> at the Lyceum. I'm
going to say straight off that I'm still not entirely sure if I enjoyed this
play. I mean, it’s a really clever concept but it felt a bit jolted. The
premise of the play is a pretty simple one: it revolves around the immediate
aftermath of the Queen's death and how Charles can prove himself as a ruler.
But it is executed as if it is a Shakespearean history play, though set in the
future. The writing is very much in that Shakespeare mode - blank verse and
iambic pentameter. It was incredibly self-consciously Shakespearean and I felt
as though it was a mixture of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Richard II.
It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, even though I'm not sure what I was
expecting. The main theme was personal and national identity as all the
characters try to work out who they are within the public and private spheres.
The set and the acting were very good, I'm just a little unsure of the concept
as a whole. This show is a touring production so is only on at the Lyceum for a
couple more days. I would definitely recommend seeing it if you want to see a
play that will make you think and it is a fabulous play to analyse! And for £5
(if you're 16-25) it’s worth it. If you can't make it to Sheffield, the next
performance is on at Brighton Theatre Royal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I will
update this post at the weekend after I have been to see <i>Waiting for Godot</i> at
the Crucible, but make sure to get your Live for 5 tickets for this weekend if
you are at all interested!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiFfpLkCVbIM87aJ9SBn8cYIkQuw8Hsm4KgU_NHMfq5KPaNmS9AW00TH2e66RpmT_JnmszAWEh16z4m-kTzciKY6CTvnZA07ROj9np0-7ru_16vLT5cgcHz_80Z5zrkzQhAEIyOzSfk31/s1600/IMG_20160206_215350844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiFfpLkCVbIM87aJ9SBn8cYIkQuw8Hsm4KgU_NHMfq5KPaNmS9AW00TH2e66RpmT_JnmszAWEh16z4m-kTzciKY6CTvnZA07ROj9np0-7ru_16vLT5cgcHz_80Z5zrkzQhAEIyOzSfk31/s320/IMG_20160206_215350844.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for <i>Waiting for Godot</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So <i>Waiting for Godot</i> is one of those plays
that most people have heard of but not many have seen performed. It’s one of
those standard GCSE/A-Level texts which might put off some people because they’ve
studied it to death, though may never have had the chance to see it live. Honestly,
I think these sorts of texts are better to see live rather than reading them in
a classroom because then you can catch the humour in the text and different
theatre interpretations are always useful to help analyse the text. I find that
Beckett – being an avant-garde writer – is more interested in exploring theatre
rather than narrative and this was portrayed through the use of a very stark
and minimal set – it seemed very post-apocalyptic. The plot is very minimal too
and I think best summed up by the critic Vivian Mercier: "<i>Waiting for Godot</i> has achieved a
theoretical impossibility—a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps
audiences glued to their seats. What's more, since the second act is a subtly
different reprise of the first, Beckett has written a play in which nothing
happens, twice". The plot itself is literally two men waiting for the
unknown Mr. Godot and waiting in vain. The plot is so incredibly frustrating because
they do not remember anything and so a lot of the speech is repeated in a
slightly different way or at slightly different times. The acting was very good
– Lorcan Cranitch and Jeff Rawle, who played Vladimir and Estragon, were on
stage all the time and kept the audiences’ interest, even with the very minimal
plot, through their humour and constant back-and-forth lines. I would
definitely recommend seeing <i>Waiting for
Godot</i> to everyone because it is a funny play, just don’t expect to
understand it! Because Beckett was good friends with James Joyce, I think
anyone doing the Modern Literature module this semester should definitely make
the effort to go to see it because it is a great way to ease yourself into the
crazy world of modern lit! And Live for 5 tickets have been extended to all
performances so no one has any excuses not to go see it! <i>Waiting for Godot</i> is on at the Crucible until the 27<sup>th</sup>
of February. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-18157113020713049772016-01-23T21:40:00.000+00:002016-01-23T21:40:59.113+00:00Oh Sew Fabulous<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sorry for
the brief hiatus, my life has recently been taken over by exams and essays! But
now that I am so very almost free (and whilst we all wait for the new theatre
season to start again), I will share with you a few projects I have started
which I hope to get back to before work overwhelms me once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back in the
summer, I started sewing little plush dolls as a project to keep me from going
completely crazy. My mum taught me how to sew when I was very young and since
then I’ve only ever sewn if a piece of clothing needed a bit of alteration done
to it. These dolls were my first proper BIG project I’d completed and I’ve just
kind of kept going with it, although without the help of a sewing machine (I
hope to get one soon!). A couple of years ago, I went to Comic Con with my
friend and we saw these plush dolls of pop culture figures, which were totally
cool but pretty expensive! A year later, the idea popped into my head that I
could make her a Harley Quinn plushie (she loves Harley Quinn!) for her
birthday at a fraction of the cost. So I did my research, bought my materials, made
a pattern, made a trial run out of an old pillowcase and then actually started
making her. All in all she took about two weeks to make, giving me plenty of
time to send her off to my friend who (I hope!) was pretty happy with Little
Miss Harley Quinn!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGybvLiptakVWjBnQhlNncfGVTYQI8Mer77yv9p7_om_4-4KSUPs9YRqlAhO9fz2PPdTCixVbU5ZgR7c93PbVIgF5a1OITVyu33Pe6_doBfbQA1K6fIOjL_lgDpQMSHFSMbN361lFDB7jh/s1600/IMG_20150816_202404445+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGybvLiptakVWjBnQhlNncfGVTYQI8Mer77yv9p7_om_4-4KSUPs9YRqlAhO9fz2PPdTCixVbU5ZgR7c93PbVIgF5a1OITVyu33Pe6_doBfbQA1K6fIOjL_lgDpQMSHFSMbN361lFDB7jh/s320/IMG_20150816_202404445+%25282%2529.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Miss Harley Quinn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So that’s
the story of how I got into sewing again and since then my collection of sewing
paraphernalia has grown (sans sewing machine) and I started work on a plushie
of Jon Snow, who has been regularly mistaken for Jesus. He’s taken me a little
bit longer to complete, considering I started him back in Freshers’ Week and I
haven’t had the time to pick him back up since, but now is that time! He’s
mostly complete, just missing his cloak and Ghost, so I’m hoping that won’t
take too much longer to do. I’m not sure where he’ll go once he’s finished but
for the moment I think I’ll keep him on my desk and he can just chill with his
very dour expression. As for my next projects, I think the Fellowship of the
Ring is next on the list! I’m not really sure where all of this is going but it’s
become my hobby, which is nice because I’m not a hobby kind of person! I hope
that one day (once I buy a sewing machine) I can actually start making clothes
and costumes and things like that, but, for the moment, sewing plush characters
to stave off mental exhaustion is enough for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUVXH6hz1WSOkoeiFlaMW9yCPETbEPLy4Hw8AYHhV1XygTPiSbKintPTuug_tEdZJgRE0KToWzw8iuoYSfERyH1W1g_4h7O7nnV14qOQr__13vqx1xYbS5BnEVkkA0BeKPCZffvzFbOQl/s1600/IMG_20160123_213335850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUVXH6hz1WSOkoeiFlaMW9yCPETbEPLy4Hw8AYHhV1XygTPiSbKintPTuug_tEdZJgRE0KToWzw8iuoYSfERyH1W1g_4h7O7nnV14qOQr__13vqx1xYbS5BnEVkkA0BeKPCZffvzFbOQl/s320/IMG_20160123_213335850.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Snow knows nothing because his brain is literally toy stuffing! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSz0X7h2YRRs3-JQRaeWWs-QQKPooMzqo_DTLVfuB1zBGjDldKf-WZiFn4e_xdcjEkm42kl1E3rVFuVMc_PpR3z7GQdYbNa20eNrJ1ibPfItuV3GhJZuUaAME-UcRdZ6fRMpryCUEfqPlW/s1600/IMG_20160123_162746298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSz0X7h2YRRs3-JQRaeWWs-QQKPooMzqo_DTLVfuB1zBGjDldKf-WZiFn4e_xdcjEkm42kl1E3rVFuVMc_PpR3z7GQdYbNa20eNrJ1ibPfItuV3GhJZuUaAME-UcRdZ6fRMpryCUEfqPlW/s320/IMG_20160123_162746298.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything I need to sew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks for
reading and check back here very soon for some more theatre exploits!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280915527464748695.post-63412422506361804572015-12-28T14:00:00.000+00:002015-12-28T23:27:32.594+00:00Hello to you!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello and welcome
to my new blog! So as a bit of background, I have started this blog mainly to
share my theatre exploits but, you know, bits of my life might slip through the
net.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Back in
October I became a Young Ambassador for Sheffield Theatres with the aim of
getting more young people to visit the Crucible, Lyceum and Studio that make up
Sheffield Theatres. The Live For 5 scheme they run pretty much does what it
says on the tin – anyone between the ages of 16 and 26 can get up to two
tickets for selected performances on selected dates for £5 each. That’s cheaper
than going to the cinema! Just go to the Crucible Box Office and set up a Live
For 5 account and you’re off! I would also recommend paying in cash just to
avoid the booking fee. If you’re at all interested please click <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/">here</a> </span>for the Sheffield Theatres website, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/your-visit/livefor5/">here</a></span> for the list of Live For 5 shows and <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Live-for-Five-at-Sheffield-Theatres-195201993841348/">here</a></span> for the Live For 5 Facebook page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgY0zDw3PIUpqEsCphWIRemn_Au0w3EmmG4wh2gp9MPi1YMPYxHMmpcDdE15QKBTAkpGFvB8_brhCu-CYkDDibuKZm6aWHLGSzYfCVVSLebaaMEwdL9OUOIqffRvnrbxkFUzjD1R3qOH7/s1600/IMG_20151228_135221107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgY0zDw3PIUpqEsCphWIRemn_Au0w3EmmG4wh2gp9MPi1YMPYxHMmpcDdE15QKBTAkpGFvB8_brhCu-CYkDDibuKZm6aWHLGSzYfCVVSLebaaMEwdL9OUOIqffRvnrbxkFUzjD1R3qOH7/s320/IMG_20151228_135221107.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Showboat' programme! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Christmas musical this year at the Crucible is ‘Showboat’. I’ll admit I was sceptical
when this was first announced. I had only heard of a couple of the songs and didn’t
really know the story. But I was pleasantly surprised when the curtain rose on
the 12<sup>th</sup> of December at 7:15. You really forget how big the Crucible
stage is until you see one of these productions – it’s so immersive as well for
these big productions because you are so close to the stage. The story of
‘Showboat’ follows the floating theatre, the ‘Cotton Blossom’ and spans across
four decades. The play starts in 1880s Mississippi and mainly follows the show
boat’s captain’s daughter as she falls in love with a riverside gambler and
makes a new life in Chicago, only to come back to the boat impoverished.
However, this play is not a simple love story – the story is intrinsically
about race and portrays the exploitation and working conditions faced even
after slavery had been abolished. The themes of family and community are also
closely intertwined with this and makes the musical itself much more complex
and layered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The singers
were also all fantastic but the two I would highlight are Emmanuel Kojo and
Gina Beck who played Joe and Magnolia respectively. Kojo started off the entire
production and his voice was brilliant – just so rich. Beck was just like a
1940s movie star and her voice blended so well with the orchestra. All in all
it was a very good production and if you can get to Sheffield to see it, I
highly recommend it! ‘Showboat’ itself runs until the 23<sup>rd</sup> of January and Live For 5 tickets have been extended for the 2nd of January, the 6th til the 9th of January and the 20th and 21st of January. And if you can’t get to Sheffield to see it live, BBC 2 is showing the 1951
film version on the 29<sup>th</sup> of December starting at 8:45.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oFIab19MgkYz-IRedfrpIE-ZwMen5S78vtm-PDxVHFI2brgYJiHStbPvU9kHb8i3GvEZupjNzQ2ywibVIIQSp23Ahm_DFy4GD2IRlnMu1qeZQJ26ren35-PhYVPjf8hhLqq9PqMJytph/s1600/_20151219_214517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oFIab19MgkYz-IRedfrpIE-ZwMen5S78vtm-PDxVHFI2brgYJiHStbPvU9kHb8i3GvEZupjNzQ2ywibVIIQSp23Ahm_DFy4GD2IRlnMu1qeZQJ26ren35-PhYVPjf8hhLqq9PqMJytph/s320/_20151219_214517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my next season tickets. Still got a few more to get!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So there you
go. Please keep checking back here for more theatre news and reviews and other
random musings. I hope everyone has a happy new year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13483833731356985702noreply@blogger.com0