tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72979995448197588662024-03-13T02:10:15.303+00:00Not quite a yummy mummyReviews, interviews and days out Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.comBlogger610125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-35778920338523909012021-03-25T11:10:00.000+00:002021-03-25T11:10:05.994+00:00National Theatre to re-open in June!<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Good news for theatre lovers as the National Theatre announced today (March 25) plans to reopen in June. It will be the first time the South London theatre will have welcomed audiences since closing last December. </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The Dorfman theatre will be the first to reopen on June 2 with the previously announced co-production with Headlong, After Life written by Jack Thorne and directed by Jeremy Herrin. Based on the film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, with concept by Bunny Christie, Jeremy Herrin and Jack Thorne, After Life is a surreal and powerfully human look at the way we live our lives, asking who you would choose to live with for eternity. Initial casting includes Olatunji Ayofe, Danielle Henry, Maddie Holliday, Togo Igawa, Anoushka Lucas, Kevin McMonagle, Simon Startin, Luke Thallon, June Watson and Millicent Wong. It will be the first time the theatre has opened since February 2020.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The first play to be staged at the Olivier Theatre will be Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, opening on June 16. It will be directed by NT Associate Lyndsey Turner and will star Michael Sheen, Susan Brown, Ifan Huw Dafydd, Alan David, Michael Elwyn, Kezrena James, Karl Johnson, Gaynor Morgan Rees, Anthony O'Donnell, Siân Phillips and Cleo Sylvestre. The production will be performed in-the-round and the theatre will remain in this configuration for further productions until early 2022. </p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Both productions will run until 24 July, with socially-distanced seating for the entire run of the productions. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 30. </p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Rufus Norris</b>, NT Director said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for theatre, but I’m delighted to be able to confirm our reopening plans today and to be sharing the news of our first two productions that will reopen the National Theatre in June. In our transformed Olivier theatre, Lyndsey Turner will share her new staging of Dylan Thomas’s masterful Under Milk Wood with Michael Sheen joining the company. We’re also very excited to reopen the Dorfman theatre for the first time since February 2020 with Jack Thorne’s new adaptation of the film After Life, with concept by Bunny Christie, Jeremy Herrin and Jack Thorne. Both shows will play to socially-distanced audiences and we look forward with cautious optimism to welcoming back larger audiences across our theatres soon. Sharing our work online and on television over the last year has enabled us to reach millions of people and continue to keep culture alive, but the magic of live theatre is what we can now begin to look towards: to creating work with our freelance artists and colleagues, to supporting young people’s creativity, and to bringing joy to audiences and communities through imaginative and inspiring live performance.” </p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The Olivier theatre will have a capacity of approximately 500, whilst the Dorfman capacity will be 120. For <i>Under Milk Wood</i> over 200 tickets will be available at £20, whilst nearly half the house for <i>After Life</i> will be at £20. Tickets will be available to purchase as singles, pairs or in threes or fours and with social distancing measures in place. There will also be a number of Access performances for each production.</p>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-6527413651143183722021-01-27T11:18:00.002+00:002021-01-27T11:24:27.475+00:00My mum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Kby1AlsqJp2JydHJQRBRXMIMv4h624fgX2HdRXYZbTuBKL0XWyaHAZiYeTSoWutAohDqFAf6E50Yr03fz3c_st0oMAT1Ozgy2Ognzwb8kRrbN9sEMjEMxCirx_yttvN37LaNveUxq1wh/s2048/Mum80.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Kby1AlsqJp2JydHJQRBRXMIMv4h624fgX2HdRXYZbTuBKL0XWyaHAZiYeTSoWutAohDqFAf6E50Yr03fz3c_st0oMAT1Ozgy2Ognzwb8kRrbN9sEMjEMxCirx_yttvN37LaNveUxq1wh/s320/Mum80.jpg" /></a></div><p>I'm a journalist, a wordsmith by trade, and so words are my thing. Or they should be. But today I am struggling. Not just with the news that we have reached such a horrendous milestone in the numbers of those who have died due to Covid. Not just the fact we are in a worse position now than we were 10 months ago, listening to friends on the NHS frontline who are telling of unimaginable horrors they are dealing with day in day out while being on their knees with exhaustion. Nor the homeschooling, watching my two kids struggle with online learning for the second time, missing their mates, missing the school and, dare I say it, their teachers - who incidentally have been nothing short of amazing throughout this whole hideous nightmare.</p><p>No, I am struggling because I should be writing the eulogy for my mum's funeral which is tomorrow. Mum, Gill Gould, died on December 1 last year, not to Covid but following a stroke she had in July. That it's taken so long to organise the funeral is a result of Covid, Christmas and the huge number of people in the area who have also perished in the last couple of months.</p><p>Whenever I start to write something, I either well up or my mind goes off on a tangent, remembering that particular anecdote or her face or a comment that she had made at the time. I remember her love of life, always making the most of things and opportunities. I remember her warmth, her generosity of spirit and her love of nature, her garden, the environment, her intellect, her love of learning new things, always curious and always keen to share with others that which she has learned, seen or heard.</p><p>She grew up in rural Shropshire and so a love, and appreciation of nature was there from the off. But she was also a lover of literature, proudly telling my daughter Lucy who is studying the play for GCSE, that she could recite Macbeth off by heart. She taught English until her rheumatoid arthritis, which plagued her for most of her adult life, forced early retirement. She always said one of her treasured memories and achievements was helping a young Hong Kong Chinese girl, who initially couldn't speak or write English, gain a very good pass at English O Level. </p><p>She was a voracious reader and always had a few books on the go - growing up we were surrounded by books as we lived above my father's bookshop so reading was a thing. And even after he retired, her passion for literature and reading never wavered. She was hugely proud of my younger brother Charlie when he went into the bookselling business and ended up working at the LRB. It didn't matter what the subject was - history, autobiography, fiction, etc, she would be gripped by most subjects and the more intellectually stimulating the better. However, although she loved all kinds of literature, it was poetry that she loved and inspired her the most.</p><p>She and I were blown away when the actor Samuel West read some Tennyson for her in his series of Pandemic Poems and she delighted in being able to accompany me from time to time to various press nights at theatres on the South Bank. She particularly enjoyed King Lear with Simon Russell Beale in the title role and Othello in which Rory Kinnear played Iago, both at the National. It was while we were in the interval for one play at the National that she spied Rory Kinnear in the foyer talking to Sir Nick Hytner and others. My heart fell and my heartbeat quickened as I knew exactly what was to follow...... As soon as the bell went for the play to resume, walking ahead of me, she glided up to Rory Kinnear, touched his arm gently and said: "Your Iago was one of the best I've ever seen," before gliding off - giving him practically no time to acknowledge her! Embarrassment averted - only she could have pulled it off so successfully. </p><p>As well as all things literary, she enjoyed history, regaling my son Tom about archaeology, the Greek and Roman myths and inspiring him to learn more about them.</p><p>Gardening was another great passion, and she was tickled pink when my first job in journalism was as a staff reporter on the trade title, Nurseryman & Garden Centre. Going to the Chelsea Flower Show with her was an education in itself and wonderful to see her so animated and alive. Her garden was her sanctuary and she loved hunting out exotic species of plants and those which were old or on the "in danger of extinction" list. She grew fruit, including apple and pair trees and despite the vole population exploding after the cat died, and subsequently causing grief for the trees, she would not hear of ways to cull them - she loved nothing more than to see them scamper in the undergrowth and watch the birds at the bird feeders.</p><p>And when Tom was tasked by his Biology teacher last year to do a project on a tree, he chose her hazel tree as inspiration - a tree she had grown from a nut found in a local park and which was now well over 10ft tall. The fact she never got to find out what his teachers thought of his project, which he dedicated to her, is a real sadness.</p><p>She also had a generosity of spirit - many were the times she'd befriend someone whether it was meeting them in Church and then inviting them back for Sunday lunch or talking to them in a cafe, shop or anywhere really. She made lifelong friendships from these encounters, many of whom live overseas, and it's been heartbreaking to tell them the news of her death.</p><p>I could go on and tell you how she took up lace making because my father's forebears were big in the lace making business and one of them even made some of the lace on Queen Victoria's wedding dress. I could also tell you how she was determined to sew and knit despite her arthritis and made clothes, curtains and even reupholstered her chesterfield settee. She went on a pottery making course, sang in a local choir for a time and supported my father in his business as a bookseller and when he developed Parkinson's Disease.</p><p>But most of all she was my mum. Always there for me and for my two brothers and latterly my kids. She has supported us all in all ways, instilled in us the values she felt are important and the tools to lead our lives in a good way. If I am half the mum to my kids as she was to me I feel I will have done well. I miss her more than I can say - her wisdom, warmth, kindness and love. The world is not the same without her.</p>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-70153762060126191802020-08-06T09:28:00.003+01:002020-08-06T09:28:26.490+01:00Moment of Grace - review<p>Moment of Grace</p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Four stars</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In 1987, Diana Princess of Wales visited London’s first AIDS Unit. It was a hugely significant and important event as during the visit she shook hands with a patient without wearing gloves. This historic moment was captured on film and the powerful image triggered a momentous shift in public and media perception of people living with HIV and AIDS.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This visit, now more than 30 years ago, forms the basis of a play written by Bren Gosling.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Moment of Grace is told from the viewpoint of three individuals - Andrew a patient at the Unit, scared about his diagnosis and who worries about the impact his coming out would have on his family and friends but who is excited about the prospect of a visit from the Princess; Jade, a nurse on the ward looking after HIV-infected patients, caring and empathetic but who keeps her job a secret from her friends and family for fear of what they might think; and Donnie, a fireman married to his childhood sweetheart, yet who is estranged from his only son and who has his own rather bigoted and ignorant views on homosexuality, HIV and women. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As well as exploring the impact the Princess’s visit has on the three characters, Moment of Grace also takes inspiration from the oral history testimonies collected by the National HIV Story Trust’s archives and other original interview material.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The play was originally due to run at The Actors Centre’s Tristan Bates Theatre but thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic it has now been reimagined for the screen and is being streamed for a limited period.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the three actors shot the scenes in their own homes using a single phone camera, with no crew and using remote direction by Nicky Allpress. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The result is a film/theatre hybrid beautifully shot and sensitively told, treating the issues of HIV raised at the time - ignorance, prejudice and lack of medical knowledge in how to treat it - with compassion and sensitivity. It manages to intertwine the lives of the three people whose story it tells in a way that has you smiling and then welling up throughout. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The three actors - Luke Dayhill as Andrew, Lucy Walker-Evans as Jude and Andrew Paul as Donnie - are terrific and seeing their faces so close, with all the emotions etched onto them, adds to the intensity of the piece.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Engaging, powerful and full of emotion, in short it is storytelling at its best.</p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Moment of Grace is available to watch via <a href="https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/theatre/moment-of-grace">The Actors Centre website </a>until August 9. Tickets cost £6.</p><div><br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-24929416136060902952020-05-26T19:36:00.001+01:002020-05-26T19:36:51.486+01:00Millionaire ShortbreadsI don't normally do recipes. Anyone who knows me knows I don't cook. I bake cakes but that's about as far as it goes. However, this recipe was made by my 11 year old son who is great at cooking/baking. He made these on Friday and they are awesome. So I thought I should share the recipe. We used rice flour which was actually a bit past its sell by date and a mix of dark and milk chocolate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRBlNm-csG0JYx8pTnTjeHhVpDEU1HpQ6OhMWYSPGdym8JRO3Ezi_pyQ6TtPr-YN2eQ1Whs93TrFQlphT9ED930vYmWLh3Iag5ds0ypQTYJ7UsXAIiO4Ck2HGG3QeUmdHpup6RohZ5Q1T/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRBlNm-csG0JYx8pTnTjeHhVpDEU1HpQ6OhMWYSPGdym8JRO3Ezi_pyQ6TtPr-YN2eQ1Whs93TrFQlphT9ED930vYmWLh3Iag5ds0ypQTYJ7UsXAIiO4Ck2HGG3QeUmdHpup6RohZ5Q1T/s320/IMG_6703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div aria-level="4" class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{137}" paraid="2038030763" role="heading" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: maroon; margin-right: 37px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Ingredients</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559737":567,"335559738":240,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">(makes about 24) </span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{147}" paraid="1856277354" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">For the shortbread:</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559738":120,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{153}" paraid="965038682" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">200g plain flour</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">100g medium cornmeal, semolina or rice flour</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">100g granulated sugar</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">1/4 tsp fine salt</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">200g butter, cut into pieces</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{167}" paraid="1253379955" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">For the topping:</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559738":120,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{173}" paraid="522098414" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">175g butter</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">175g sugar</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">60ml golden syrup</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">400g condensed milk</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">1/2 tsp fine salt</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">200g dark (40% cocoa solids) chocolate (or milk chocolate)</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div aria-level="4" class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{189}" paraid="1938878046" role="heading" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: maroon; margin-right: 37px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Essential equipment:</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559737":567,"335559738":240,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{193}" paraid="437614604" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">20x20cm / 8inch square (or similar) baking tin.</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{199}" paraid="1152068970" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Something to smooth the caramel, depending on your tin: e.g. spatula, plastic lid with a straight edge etc. </span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div aria-level="4" class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{205}" paraid="1979324714" role="heading" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: maroon; margin-right: 37px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Preparation</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559737":567,"335559738":240,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW61994394 BCX4" role="list" start="1" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; cursor: text; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px;">
<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{209}" paraid="379871849" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Heat the oven to 180oC/350F/gas mark four. </span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559685":283,"335559739":120,"335559740":240,"335559991":357}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW61994394 BCX4" role="list" start="2" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; cursor: text; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px;">
<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{216}" paraid="996154689" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Grease a tin about 20x20cm (or line with baking paper). </span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559685":283,"335559739":120,"335559740":240,"335559991":357}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW61994394 BCX4" role="list" start="3" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; cursor: text; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px;">
<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{223}" paraid="1901004940" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Put the flour and cornmeal into a bowl with the sugar and salt and mix well, then cut in the butter and mix to form a dough. </span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559685":283,"335559739":120,"335559740":240,"335559991":357}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.847); font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{230}" paraid="515346" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Press into the tin, prick all over with a fork and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and crisp. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="DE-DE" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="DE-DE">Allow to cool.</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559685":283,"335559739":120,"335559740":240,"335559991":357}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{237}" paraid="1220065512" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Put the remaining butter and sugar in a wide, heavy-based pan with the syrup, condensed milk and salt, and heat gently, stirring to melt the butter.</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre !important;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until thick and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="SpellingError SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-parastyle="prep list" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">fudgey</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Pour over the shortbread and smooth with a spatula. Leave to set.</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<li aria-setsize="-1" class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX4 SCXW61994394" data-aria-level="1" data-aria-posinset="6" data-font=""Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy" data-leveltext="%1." data-listid="1" role="listitem" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: "Comic Sans MS", "Comic Sans MS_MSFontService", fantasy; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px 0px 0px -5px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="Paragraph SCXW61994394 BCX4" paraeid="{372feb1b-b6d5-4858-8636-3d71db0e4dfb}{252}" paraid="1905945869" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; color: black; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="ContextualSpellingAndGrammarError SCXW61994394 BCX4" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">microwave, and</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> spread evenly over the set caramel. Leave until solid, then turn out and cut into squares.</span><span class="EOP SCXW61994394 BCX4" data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559685":283,"335559739":120,"335559740":240,"335559991":357}" style="-webkit-nbsp-mode: normal !important; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-user-select: text; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-16738164110728256322020-04-23T15:20:00.004+01:002020-04-23T15:20:56.209+01:00Up next from the National Theatre - Frankenstein and Antony and Cleopatra <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The next two National Theatre productions to be streamed live on YouTube will be Danny Boyle's production of Frankenstein - filmed at the NT in 2001 and screened on Thursday April 30 and Friday May 1 - and Antony and Cleopatra on May 7.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">They will be screened at 7pm via the National Theatre’s</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ntdiscovertheatre" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">YouTube channel</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">as part of National Theatre at Home; the new initiative to bring content to the public accessed from their homes during coronavirus.</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>Frankenstein </em>sees <strong>Benedict Cumberbatch</strong> and <strong>Jonny Lee Miller</strong> alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The two versions will be shown across two nights: <strong>30 April </strong>and <strong>1 May</strong>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Simon Godwin</strong>’s sell-out production of Shakespeare’s <em>Antony & Cleopatra</em> featuring the Evening Standard Theatre Award-winning performances by <strong>Ralph Fiennes</strong> and <strong>Sophie Okonedo </strong>as the famous lovers will be streamed on<strong> 7 May</strong>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Today also sees the launch of the <strong>National Theatre at Home Quiz</strong>, to be played from home featuring familiar faces from the world of stage and screen as the quizmasters. Each quiz will include rounds of five questions on a wide variety of topics. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On the final Monday of each month people will be able join the virtual quiz directly from their homes via the NT’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ntdiscovertheatre">YouTube channel</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nationaltheatre/">Facebook page</a> live at 7pm. The first quiz will be on <strong>Monday 27 April</strong> with quizmasters <strong>Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Lenny Henry, Lesley Manville</strong>, and <strong>Sir Ian McKellen</strong> asking questions on topics including history, sport, nature, and of course, the National Theatre. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Rufus Norris</strong> Director and Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre said “We’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response to National Theatre at Home since we launched at the start of April. We know that these are difficult and challenging times for many, and we hope that through this initiative we’re able to supply a weekly slice of entertainment for people to enjoy together, albeit digitally, when each production goes out at 7pm on Thursdays. We’re thrilled to be announcing the next two titles today, <em>Frankenstein </em>and <em>Antony & Cleopatra</em>which both feature award-winning performances and I’m sure will be enjoyed by all. We’re also pleased today to be launching the <strong>National Theatre at Home Quiz</strong> featuring some familiar faces posing the tricky questions. I’d like to thank all the artists and creatives who have continued to support us in being able to deliver this programme for free and also the public for tuning in every week and sharing their experiences of National Theatre at Home from right across the world.”</span></span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-17700940579095789172020-04-23T15:15:00.001+01:002020-04-23T15:15:17.232+01:00Southwark Stayhouse <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><b>Southwark Stayhouse</b> is a brand new online streaming service from Southwark Playhouse where the theatre be sharing shows and exclusive video content until its doors are able to open again on Newington Causeway. All shows are free, so you can watch them whenever you want.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">First up is <i>Wasted</i>, a new rock musical about the Brontë siblings in 2018. </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">It’s directed by Adam Lenson with music by Christopher Ash and book and lyrics by Carl Miller. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Also</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> on </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">the</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> list is the riotously fun take on </span></span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Twelfth Night</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">, set at a music festival (Ilyria, obv) which was staged in 2019, directed by Anna Girvan as part of our Shakespeare for Schools programme. Also in the mix is </span></span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Bound</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> by Jesse Briton </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">which premiered in the theatre's former old Vault space at London Bridge and went on to be nominated for an Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Alongside these three full-length shows Southwark Playhouse will be releasing more content fortnightly plus any projects their pals are doing like Philip Ridley’s <i>The Beast Will Rise</i> monologues – from the world premiere of <i>The Beast of Blue Yonder</i> which was due to open at the beginning of April.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">The online link is </span><a href="http://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/streaming/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/streaming/</span></a></div>
Happy watching!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-91504194985438315532020-04-16T09:32:00.001+01:002020-04-16T09:32:05.887+01:00Share Your Shakespeare - with the RSC<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">I love Shakespeare. I grew up near his home town of Stratford and spent most of my childhood at the RSC watching his plays being acted out. I fell in love with the language, the stories and the characters.</span>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thanks to my job I’ve spent most of the last seven years in and around theatre, writing about it, reviewing plays and interviewing those amazing actors who grace the stage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Unfortunately the COVID-19 crisis has stopped all that - at least temporarily. However, the RSC has come up with a great way for us to stay connected with its Share Your Shakespeare initiative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">They are asking people of all ages to film or photograph your Shakespeare in any way you like and then upload to social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter or YouTube tagging @theRSC and using the hashtag #ShareYourShakespeare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ideas put forward can be a performance of a famous Shakespeare speech or sonnet, painting a picture, or baking a cake with a quote written on the top in icing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A speech, quote or sonnet should be one that speaks to you, or makes you laugh, cry or shed a tear, or it could be one that reminds you of somebody or something.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">here are a few the RSC has come up with:</span></div>
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<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Bake a cake with your favourite quote in the icing</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Recreate the <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> balcony scene with vegetables</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Perform “All the world’s a stage” line by line with your family on Zoom</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Draw or paint your favourite scene</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Feeling musical? Why not re-write a Shakespeare speech as a song?</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Shout your speech over the fence to your neighbours (two metres apart of course)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Act out a moment through the medium of dance on Tik Tok</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Get your pets involved</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #363832; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Tell a Shakespeare story in emojis </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">No idea is too silly! So, what are you waiting for? Get bold. Get creative. Get involved!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Whatever it is have a go - the RSC will share its favourites on its social media platforms over the next few weeks and in the run up to Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23.</span></div>
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<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-77879208913584665392020-04-08T18:00:00.000+01:002020-04-08T18:00:11.159+01:00Royal Albert Hall shows direct to your living room!<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some exciting news from the Royal Albert Hall today! Rufus Wainwright, Alfie Boe, Baxter Dury and Ayanna Witter-Johnson will be the first artists to take part in Royal Albert Home when it opens its virtual doors this week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">One of the world’s most iconic venues, the Royal Albert Hall building may be physically closed but it will come direct to audiences from artists’ living rooms with a programme of exclusive shows </span><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">starting</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> tomorrow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Rufus Wainwright<b> </b>will launch the series and keep the venue’s spirit alive during its closure by presenting the first of what is hoped to be lots of free sessions from performers’ homes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The specially-curated opening week will also feature celebrated tenor <strong>Alfie Boe</strong>, indie sensation <strong>Baxter Dury</strong> and Idlewild frontman <strong>Roddy Woomble</strong>, as well as singer-songwriter <strong>Ayanna Witter-Johnson</strong>, spoken word act <strong>Toby Thompson</strong> – performing a specially reworked version of his Edinburgh Fringe show – and cellist <strong>Peter Gregson</strong>, renowned for his reinterpretations of Bach.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">On Monday 13 April, Hard-Fi frontman <strong>Richard Archer</strong> and vocalist <strong>Krysten Cummings </strong>will perform Hard-Fi hits alongside songs from their new collaboration, OffWorld.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Hall will also present at-home versions of shows which have had to be cancelled, ensuring that the talent and practice that went into developing these events can be shared with the world. Following an enhanced screening of the hit British comedy-drama, <em>Brassed Off </em>on Wednesday 15 April,</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> conductor <strong>Moritz Gnann</strong> will present <strong>Isata Kanneh-Mason</strong> and <strong>Eldbjørg Hemsing </strong>performing <em>Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Saint-Saëns</em> (Sat 18 Apr), before <strong>Robin Ince</strong>, <strong>Dr Helen Czerski</strong> and <strong>Steve Backshall</strong> are joined by a host of special guests for <em>Sea Shambles </em>(Sun 17 May).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And an upcoming programme of family matinees will include classical music, opera and jazz concerts for kids presented by performers from the venue’s in-house group, Albert’s Band.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Rufus Wainwright said<strong>: </strong>“When push comes to shove, the Royal Albert Hall is my favourite venue in the UK. It is the perfect mix of both formal and fun. It is grand and intimate at the same time. Also it is where my mother Kate McGarrigle did her last concert in 2009. I am proud to be one of the first artists to give a Royal Albert Home concert from my home in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“I will try to be your ‘Gay Messiah’ in these difficult times, serve you some ‘Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk’, give you hopefully a ‘Peaceful Afternoon’, maybe pray a little ‘Agnus Dei’, hold you virtually ‘In My Arms’, take you to ‘Sanssouci’ in your mind, show you some ‘Pretty Things’ and make your ‘Alone Time’ uplifting, funny, hilarious, beautiful and bearable. In short, I will take you through my repertoire and my life, and preview some of my new material from my upcoming album, ‘Unfollow the Rules’, which we are now releasing on 10 July.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Alfie Boe said: “In this difficult time for all I hope to bring some joy to everyone’s homes and raise some money to help preserve one of my favourite venues. Let’s have a good old sing-along!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lucy Noble, the Hall's artistic director said:<b> </b>“The Hall has always been a place where people come together at times of national crisis. Right now that isn’t possible, but we want to keep the venue’s spirit alive, and provide something that will cheer you, inspire you or just distract you during this difficult time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“These events will reflect the diversity of the shows that we put on each month, allowing audiences not just to spend an evening with a favourite artist, but also to discover new favourites and try something different, whether that’s genre-hopping singer-songwriters, award-winning spoken word, or world-class classical music.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The shows will all be streamable free of charge, but with the option to donate to the venue. The Hall, which turns 150 next year, is closed for the first time since World War Two, meaning that it has no regular income to support staff or its Grade I-listed building.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lucy added:<b> </b>“When times are tough, people’s priorities understandably change, but we know that the Hall holds a unique place in the memories and hearts of millions. We are doing our best to keep entertaining the world during our closure but the building is at risk and the show cannot go on without support and donations. Now is the chance for anyone who loves this place to show their appreciation and protect the future of the Royal Albert Hall.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For full programme details, go to <a href="http://www.royalalberthall.com/rahome">www.royalalberthall.com/rahome</a>. To donate to the Hall, visit <a href="https://www.royalalberthall.com/support">https://www.royalalberthall.com/support</a>. More shows will be announced soon.</span></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-81821940206479338512020-04-03T10:14:00.002+01:002020-04-03T10:14:31.141+01:00Hairspray - from September!<div class="FreeForm" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Some welcome news for theatre lovers! The producers of<b> Hairspray the Musical</b> have announced today (Friday April 3) new performances dates for the multi award-winning smash hit musical at the <b>London Coliseum</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The production will now begin performances on <b>Tuesday 1 September 2020</b> and play a strictly limited 10-week season to Sunday 8 November.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Until Monday 4 May, all existing ticket holders have priority to move their tickets to a new date. All new ticket purchases can be made from Tuesday 5 May. See </span><a href="http://www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk/" style="color: #0563c1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> for all ticket information.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">It will see comic legend Paul Merton make his West End debut as Edna's husband Wilbur. He will be starring alongside Michael Ball who returns as Edna Turnblad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Adam Spiegel, the Co-Producer of Hairspray, said:</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">“</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We are pleased that, with the support of everyone at the London Coliseum, we are able today to announce rescheduled dates for Hairspray. I would also like to thank everyone who has worked to ensure the season is able to take place later in the year, and when we are able to do so, we look forward to welcoming audiences and bringing people together again in a way only the theatre can."</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Marisha Wallace</b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">will take the role of Motormouth. Marisha won rave reviews when she</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">took over from Amber Riley in the smash hit</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Dreamgirls</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">(Savoy Theatre), and also starred in the original West End cast of</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Waitress</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">(Adelphi Theatre).</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Rita Simons</b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">(</span><i style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Eastenders</i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">’ Roxy Mitchell) will star as Velma Von Tussle.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Paul Merton</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> is a founder member of The Comedy Store Players, and still appears at the Comedy Store in London most Sundays. He is a resident guest on BBC Radio 4’s <i>Just A Minute</i> and is an established face on TV shows such as the hugely popular <i>Have I Got News For You, Room 101, Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock </i>(BBC4/2)<i>, Paul Merton’s Birth of Hollywood </i>(BBC 2) and his</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">travel series for Channel Five, <i>Paul Merton’s Adventures</i> which covered his travels in India</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">China and Europe. His Autobiography, <i>Only When I Laugh</i> reached the Sunday Times bestseller Top 10. Paul’s Anthology of funny stories, <i>Funny Ha Ha</i> was named Sunday Times Humour Book of the year in 2019. His first Channel 4 series, <i>Paul Merton The Series,</i> is due to be released on DVD this Spring.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Baltimore, 1962. Tracy Turnblad is a big girl with big hair and big dreams. Can she make it on the local TV dance show, win the heart of teen heartthrob Link Larkin and bring everyone together – whatever their colour, size or hairdo? Well if you want a change, you’ve really got to shake things up!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">With the original award-winning creative team of <b>director Jack O’Brien</b> and <b>choreographer Jerry Mitchell</b>, and featuring the infectiously feel-good songs “Good Morning, Baltimore”, “Big, Blonde and Beautiful” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat”, this inspirational, fun-loving and fabulously uplifting musical sensation is back and bigger than ever.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The original New York production of Hairspray won three <i>Tony Awards</i>, including Best New Musical, whilst the original West End production won four <i>Olivier Awards</i>, also including Best New Musical, as well as giving Michael Ball one of his two <i>Olivier Awards</i> for Best Actor in a Musical.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hairspray is produced by </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Adam Spiegel Productions & Fiery Angel.</span></b></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-40590903870742823332020-03-28T07:33:00.002+00:002020-03-28T07:33:13.799+00:00Lockdown -Saturday, March 28I've lost track of time! It's been a bit of a week. What with our laptop breaking and a complete change in routine and lifestyle it's been tough at times.<br />
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But also what's given me a few rays of joy are the ways in which people are reaching out to help others get through this incredibly difficult time.<br />
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The clapping the other night for all those working on the front line in the NHS was truly uplifting - all our street came out and we were shouting at each other from across our front lawns/yards.<br />
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On a personal level, a tweet I put out a couple of days ago about how I couldn't find sugar or eggs for my mum who can't get out because she is in the high risk group, garnered a level of response that left me truly overwhelmed. The generosity of spirit, togetherness, offers of help - wow, amazing and I was in tears for most of the morning. Everyone was so kind and when I told my mum, she was similarly touched.<br />
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Elsewhere for people like me who love live performances of any kind, finding out that organisations such as the Royal Opera House, National Theatre and RSC were going to stream some of their productions online via their YouTube channels. I have put the links below.<br />
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Stay safe and well<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The RSC link:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Arts lovers can now sign up for a 30-day free* trial on Marquee TV, the performing arts streaming service with a catalogue of more than 400 dance, opera and theatre productions. There are currently </span><a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=MTg0XzM5NTM3Xzk5Njg2MF82Njc4&l=98b2c969-e86d-ea11-bf4f-e41f1345a486&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CS-cvd19-2703-WeeklyUpdate-YES&utm_content=version_A" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">17 of our shows</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> to stream, including </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Richard II</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> and </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">King Lear </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">with David Tennant and Antony Sher in the title roles, respectively. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">*Please note that you will be asked to enter your billing details, but you won't be charged until a month has lapsed (at which point you'll be notified that your trial is coming to an end).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">As part of the BBC's plans to keep bringing arts to audiences during the Coronavirus pandemic, you will be able to </span><a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=MTg0XzM5NTM3Xzk5Njg2MF82Njc4&l=b8bdd62e-2170-ea11-bf4f-e41f1345a486&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CS-cvd19-2703-WeeklyUpdate-YES&utm_content=version_A" style="color: #de382f; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank"><b>watch six of our shows</b></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> from the comfort of your own home between now and September. Further details of the broadcasts will be announced over the next few weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">The Royal Opera House</span></span><br />
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We are pleased to announce a FREE live programme of full-length productions to spread the joy of ballet and opera during these uncertain times. They will be broadcast via our <a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=ODBfNDg1MjdfMTAwOTUzMV83MzU0&l=9589be83-cb6a-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_March_Free_Content_Announcement_Public_Ask&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=49913" style="color: #c60c30; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=ODBfNDg1MjdfMTAwOTUzMV83MzU0&l=9689be83-cb6a-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_March_Free_Content_Announcement_Public_Ask&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=49913" style="color: #c60c30; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YouTube</a> channels allowing you to enjoy them from the comfort of your own home. <a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=ODBfNDg1MjdfMTAwOTUzMV83MzU0&l=9789be83-cb6a-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_March_Free_Content_Announcement_Public_Ask&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=49913" style="color: #c60c30; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">#OurHouseToYourHouse</a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep scrolling to view the full schedule...</span></div>
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Many thanks to our generous supporters, who make work like this possible.<a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=ODBfNDg1MjdfMTAwOTUzMV83MzU0&l=9889be83-cb6a-ea11-bd94-e61f134a8c87&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_March_Free_Content_Announcement_Public_Ask&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=49913" style="color: #c60c30; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Click here if you want to join us, and them, in sharing our artforms whilst we are closed. </a> </div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Peter and the Wolf</span></h1>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">BALLET</span></div>
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27 March 2020, 7pm GMT</div>
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This children's ballet, set to music by Prokofiev, is about a boy who isn't afraid of the big, bad wolf. It is performed by the Royal Ballet School.</div>
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<i>Acis and Galatea</i></h1>
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<b>OPERA/BALLET</b></div>
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3 April 2020, 7pm BST </div>
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A collaboration between the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies, created by Wayne McGregor and set to music by Handel. Based on Greek mythology, it tells the story of a mortal shepherd and a goddess' doomed love.</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Così fan tutte</span></h1>
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10 April 2020, 7pm BST</div>
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This comedy by Mozart sees two men test their girlfriends' faithfulness. Their plan - to disguise themselves in order to try and seduce the other's lover. What could possibly go wrong?</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The Metamorphosis</span></h1>
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17 April 2020, 7pm BST</div>
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A contemporary piece by Arthur Pita, created on Royal Ballet Principal Dancer, Edward Watson. It is based on the novella by Franz Kafka, about how one family reacts when their son wakes up, transformed into a monstrous insect.</div>
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From the National Theatre</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">From Thursday 2 April, a number of productions previously screened in cinemas globally as a part of National Theatre Live will be made available to watch via the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ntdiscovertheatre"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">National Theatre’s YouTube channel</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">. The first production to be broadcast as part of NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME will be Richard Bean’s <em>One Man Two Guvnors</em> featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden. Each production will be free and screened live every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, it will then be available on demand for seven days. Alongside the streamed productions, NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME will also feature accompanying interactive content such as Q&As with cast and creative teams and post-stream talks, with further details of this programme to be announced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Working closely with YouTube, other productions streamed as part of NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME include Sally Cookson’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s <em>Jane Eyre</em> on the 9th April, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s <em>Treasure Island</em> on 16th April, and <em>Twelfth Night</em>on the 23 April featuring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia in Shakespeare's classic comedy, with further titles to be announced.</span></div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-68116327975270712342020-03-26T16:53:00.001+00:002020-03-26T16:53:14.447+00:00Lockdown Day 3<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Things I've learned so far during this lockdown....</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1)Teens do not know the meaning of quiet learning - blame Skype, FaceTime, tech in general. The shouting, cheering, yelling coming from my 15 year old daughter’s room every day is quite something!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">2) My 11 year old son is the biggest fidget in the history of the world - can’t sit let alone sit still for more than a minute - seems to spend his time kneeling on the chair to do his schoolwork or just standing by the table or jigging about.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">3) The absolute worst time a laptop can die is in the midst of a Corona virus lockdown - I should know. Said 11 year old now has to make do with his phone which isn’t ideal as all the other computers in the house are in use by the rest of us. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">4) And our black assassin (aka Darcy) is bringing in voles (dead or alive) daily. She never asks if we'd like them, she merely provides.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-size: 14px;">5) I'm going to have to self isolate from the chocolate / crisps / wine cupboards (delete as appropriate) at some point....</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And breathe....!</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-64446812800556851892020-03-24T09:33:00.000+00:002020-03-24T09:33:31.207+00:00Lockdown - Day 2I've not been doing much on here for the last few months. Mostly this is as a result of a lack of commissions - something that has made me really quite sad. I've been writing about theatre, music, comedy and dance for years and I really miss it. Not being in a theatre as much as I had been has been a sobering experience.<br />
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However, this Coronavirus has put things into perspective. I cannot imagine how directors, actors, writers, production staff, performers and in fact anyone involved in the arts and entertainment industry feel right now - loss of income, loss of the lives they love and a feeling of insecurity - I can only hope they are able to survive, physically, mentally and financially.<br />
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For me, not being able to see my mum as much as I would normally do has been the hardest. She is in the high risk group - her age and underlying health issues. I cannot take the risk and so she is in "splendid isolation" for her sake as much as ours.<br />
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Life as we know it is changing on a daily basis. However, taking it a few days at a time really helps mentally - and as I love a challenge, that's how I'm treating this. Somehow it makes me feel a bit better about things.<br />
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Yesterday for me was all about getting my two kids to follow the work their respective schools have set them for the next two weeks, before what would have been their Easter holidays. My eldest (in Year 10) is great and has embraced home working - really powering through her lessons, live and recorded, plus doing her homework and extra revision.<br />
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For my youngest, in Year 7, it's been harder. He's a natural fidget so getting him to actually sit on a chair to do his work has been tough. Also, he's a highly social animal and is struggling with the concept of not being able to see his friends face to face. However, he did manage to do the work as well as listen to the Head of Year 7 give an audio message.<br />
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Today he and I have done some of the PE exercises the PE teacher set him - Workout of the Week (WOW) - doing a set of exercises per day depending on the letter of the alphabet. It's been fun and we are determined to keep going throughout the next few weeks.<br />
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We are also planning to be creative with lessons such as DT, Art and Music.... and I am determined both my kids will have mastered operation of the washing machine, oven, hob and dishwasher by the time we come out of this weird and surreal time. We will also plant seeds, play games, cook, listen to music and dance along to it, and anything else we can think of to do and keep our minds active and in good spirits.<br />
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At the moment my youngest has a Computer Science lesson - and is watching a video about engineering presented by Jeremy Clarkson.<br />
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#keepwell #keepsafeKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-22151900788470194182019-05-29T08:03:00.000+01:002019-05-29T08:03:16.835+01:00REVIEW Man of La Mancha - THREE STARS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XM6Vzf9Ohkg3xHF3tnY5JlUs9n-2K_a2X6fGMGAz0nSDXXK2_N4Zy9EUKJhmVDc_DrVqq5sau8MDcJlrNqH-nCkRg_tG9AcrOmjKldYwAbchjkNv_ZyDEhyM5BVasrdMMUJyfgGE4Tht/s1600/MOLM_Production_RGB_Cassidy_083+-+RT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XM6Vzf9Ohkg3xHF3tnY5JlUs9n-2K_a2X6fGMGAz0nSDXXK2_N4Zy9EUKJhmVDc_DrVqq5sau8MDcJlrNqH-nCkRg_tG9AcrOmjKldYwAbchjkNv_ZyDEhyM5BVasrdMMUJyfgGE4Tht/s320/MOLM_Production_RGB_Cassidy_083+-+RT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Man of La Mancha</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">THREE STARS</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Man of La Mancha is a curious beast. Often dubbed as one of the classic “lost” musicals, it was last seen in the West End in the 1960s but is currently being revived at the London Coliseum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Based on Cervantes epic novel Don Quixote and set during the Spanish Inquisition, it’s a musical with a play within a play. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To cut a somewhat long story short, Cervantes is thrown in an underground jail with his servant Sancho Panza. As well as his right hand man he brings with him a chest full of treasures including his beloved and unfinished manuscript of Don Quixote. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A kangaroo court is summoned by the inmates of this prison in which he has to defend himself and save his manuscript from being tossed in the fire. He does so by telling the story of Don Quixote the chivalrous wannabe Knight who lives in a fantasy land. But is he mad, delusional or does he just have a rather vivid and overactive imagination?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Interspersed with the action is the music including its most popular hit, The Impossible Dream. It sums up perfectly the age in which we are currently living - that of wanting and hoping for goodness in a corrupt world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The big draw undoubtedly is former Frasier star, Kelsey Grammer, who plays Cervantes/Don Quixote and by and large he delivers a solid performance though he lumbers through some of the scenes. His voice is strong and he raised the roof with his rendition of The Impossible Dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Elsewhere Nicholas Lyndhurst raises more than a chuckle with his blotto innkeeper and Peter Polycarpou is a delight as Sancho. Cassidy Janson - who shares the role with Danielle de Niese - as the tavern wench Aldonza and in whom Don Quixote reimagines as the romantic heroine Dulcinea, brings a warmth and energy to the stage which is lacking elsewhere. It is a shame many of the scenes she is in see her being pawed over by the men in the tavern resulting in her being beaten and raped by them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite this, and some oddly and perhaps not intentionally humorous moments, I rather liked it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Man of La Mancha is on at the London Coliseum until June 8. Tickets from £15. Call the box office on 020 7845 9300.</span></div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-46920359762195169072019-02-13T19:45:00.001+00:002019-02-13T19:45:16.372+00:00INTERVIEW Dan Whitlam starring in Tobacco Road at the Vault Festival<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span>Dan Whitlam, courtesy of Ruth Crafer</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">They say life imitates art but there are times when the reverse can also be true. And this has certainly been the case for actor Dan Whitlam.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The 23-year-old from Clapham is starring in Tobacco Road, a play that shines a light on London’s criminal underworld as the country emerges from the shadows of the First World War.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The hour-long production is being staged by Incognito Theatre Company who will bring it to the VAULT Festival in Waterloo between February 13 and 19.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Devised by the company, it tells the stories of five young men and women who try and find fame and fortune, not to mention just staying alive, in the cutthroat society of thugs and conmen they inhabit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Violence is never far away and it is this aspect that has brought back some painful memories for Dan from his own youth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I was stabbed when I was 16,” he tells me candidly as we chat about the show. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I was with some friends and we were coming out of an audition at the Pleasance Theatre in North London. One of my friends got mugged and I ran to help. There was a fight and I got stabbed with a screwdriver.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I was taken to hospital with a collapsed lung.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Looking back it seems surreal but it was the classic case of wrong place, wrong time,” he adds ruefully. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thankfully Dan is now recovered from his physical injuries and was able to pursue his dream of an acting career, graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama three months ago. But it’s clear emotionally it has had a profound effect on him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Looking back I think the guy who stabbed me was a victim of circumstance,” he says. “Since doing this play I have been trying to see this whole issue of gangs and the violence that often goes with it, from both sides. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Why would someone get into a culture like that and carry a knife? They are often scared and vulnerable - it must be a terrifying situation to be in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Whenever I see another child who’s been stabbed and injured or killed it’s a horrible reminder of the dangers in London. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I don’t know what the answer is though,” he adds quietly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not surprisingly it’s his first hand experience which drew him to being part of the production. However the fact it is set in his home turf of South East London was an added bonus. And he says the company uncovered some surprising and fascinating facts during their research.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I felt compelled really as it’s obviously a subject so close to home,” he explains. “Geographically too as I live in Clapham and it’s all based in Lambeth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“But it’s also a fascinating period in history when both men and women were drawn to the criminal underworld.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“During the First World War, women survived as there were jobs suddenly available to them that hadn’t been before. They were earning money, were independent and had responsibility. But when the men came back and took back some of those jobs, many women struggled and some turned to crime just to survive - they felt they had no other option.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Similarly today many young people feel they have no other option but to carry a knife or be part of a gang.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“What’s interesting is when people think about gangs of the period, and particularly with the likes of [TV show] Peaky Blinders, they think about the men and the violence,” he adds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“However women played their part too - there were plenty driven by power and money who were also involved in gang culture at the time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“When we were devising the show, we wanted to show people the role they played, how powerful they were and how they were seen as equal to the men - something not often told in history books. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Here women are very much driving the story.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tobacco Road’s protagonists, five small time crooks who join forces, are also based on real people. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Elsie and Freda are inspired by the ruthless female gang leader, Alice Diamond and her followers,Tommy Carlisle is based on the bare-knuckle boxers of Lambeth, Alfie on the thousands of young men left deeply traumatised by the effects of the First World War and the ambitious Felix is inspired by the bloodthirsty young men who were driven to succeed by their unerring determination. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“My character Alfie isn’t the brightest,” laughs Dan. “He’s a happy go lucky kind of guy and would run into a fight without knowing why or what the repercussions will be. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“All the characters want to be in gangs for different reasons but Alfie doesn’t. He is obsessed with Westerns and would much rather leave London and his associates and that life behind, go to America and become a film producer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I can relate to his love of films as I’m equally obsessed and would to work in that field at some point!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In describing the characters Dan is clear the play is far from doom and gloom. Rather it is full of fast paced action, humour and poignancy. And after a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer he hopes for similar reactions when it opens at the Vault Festival.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Being part of the Vault Festival is amazing and we are all so excited to bring this show to the part of London where these stories took place,” he says. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“There is so much history woven into the fabric of this area and it’s been fantastic to bring it to the stage in this way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Tobacco Road is gritty and dramatic but there is a real depth and balance to it. I hope audiences will be entertained but I’d like to think they will also see the parallels with what’s happening in London now and gain a greater degree of understanding of what it must be like to be part of that culture.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tobacco Road is on at the VAULT Festival, Network Theatre, 246A Lower Road, between Wednesday February 13 and Sunday February 17. Visit <a href="http://www.vaultfestival.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.vaultfestival.com</span></a> for tickets.</span></span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-22199106402597132582018-11-25T22:22:00.000+00:002018-11-25T22:22:03.614+00:00INTERVIEW - Sarah Spence in Seussical<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">The fantastical and magical world of Dr Seuss will burst into South London with a riot of colour, feathers, music and pizazz this month thanks to a major stage show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Featuring some of his most endearing and much loved characters - Horton the elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and of course the infamous Cat In The Hat - Seussical will take over the Southwark Playhouse’s Large stage with a feel good music fest for all the family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Included in the 12-strong cast is Clapham-based Sarah Spence who will take on the role of Bird Girl. Having just graduated from drama school, the 25-year-old says it’s a dream job and one she can’t wait to bring to audiences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“We have just started rehearsals and it’s already a joy to be part of this amazing ensemble,” she enthuses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s such a feel good show, high octane with music from the get go that doesn’t stop and that audiences will be tapping their feet to all the way through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I play one of the Bird Girls in Maisie’s troupe. I have some great songs to sing so for a first job I couldn’t be happier. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s also amazing to be here at the Southwark Playhouse as it’s a fantastic theatre and one of my favourites - the productions they put on are incredible.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Without giving away too many spoilers Sarah tells me Seussical is an amalgamation of some of the Dr Seuss stories but with an emphasis on Horton Hears A Who.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a very clever adaptation in which we meet lots of the characters who will be familiar to anyone who has read his books,” she says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“In particular the audience gets to follow Horton the elephant as he journeys through the various different worlds inhabited by Dr Seuss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s full of excitement, lots of fun and non stop action.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As in the original tales, the show touches on some of today’s most topical issues - such as the power of loyalty, bullying, unrequited love, inclusivity and acceptance - in a funny and moving way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I think the positive affirmations and messages of inclusion and acceptance that run throughout the stories are some of the reasons Dr Seuss is so loved,” says Sarah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The issues he references in the books are still as relevant today as when they were written. So I think we can all relate to these themes which are within the show - certainly working in this industry I’ve felt insecurity from time to time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It makes the show very relevant - it’s wacky, mischievous, wild and hilarious at times but it contains important messages and reminds the audience that a ‘person is a person no matter how small’ and that we should be accepted for who and what we are.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And she insists it’s a production the whole family can enjoy and with the action taking place so close to the audience she says it will be an immersive and thrilling experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a bit like a panto in that respect,” she says warmly. “There are larger than life characters and amazing costumes - I don’t want to give anything away but mine looks fantastic with plenty of feathers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s packed with colour, fun and excitement with the most amazing musical numbers all the way through. The score is incredible as it features a whole range of different styles such as funk, big band, swing, rock n roll as well as the more traditional musical theatre numbers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It goes from light and soft to big rocky numbers so there is definitely something for everyone and the tunes are really catchy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“But there is also real depth to it. It’s inspiring and at times it’ll be really emotional. What makes it even more special is that the audience is so close they can almost touch us and so it will feel really intimate.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The show opens on Tuesday, November 27 and runs until Saturday, December 29 after which Sarah says she hopes to continue working in musical theatre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I was always pestering my parents to sign me up for acting, singing and ballet lessons when I was little,” she laughs. “I always knew this is what I wanted to do - it was definitely a calling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’d love to do TV and film one day but for the time being, the stage is where I want to be and where I feel most comfortable. I can’t imagine doing anything else really so I’m keen to see where my career takes me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’m very lucky to have Seussical as my first job. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous but I’m also hugely excited about it not least because the Southwark Playhouse was on my bucket list to perform at.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“If the rehearsals are anything to go by, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Seussical is on at the Southwark Playhouse, Newington Causeway, from Tuesday November 27 until Saturday, December 29. Visit <a href="http://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk</span></a> or call the box office on 0207 407 0234 for tickets.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-83142245686095344032018-06-07T17:23:00.002+01:002018-06-07T17:23:50.876+01:00Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2018<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I speak to Bradley Hemmings MBE artistic director of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival about what this year’s line up has to offer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">WINDRUSH, votes for women and the ending of World War 1 will be celebrated at this year’s Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now in its 23rd year the annual event takes place at outdoor venues across Greenwich, Docklands and Tower Hamlets between June 21 and July 7.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Part of Royal Greenwich Festivals, GDIF will present an extensive programme of art installations, street theatre, circus, dance and music, produced and performed by home grown acts as well as international artists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This year’s line up includes more than 130 performances which celebrate dreams of love, struggle, ambition and flight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It has been put together by its artistic director Bradley Hemmings MBE who says the hunger for outdoor events as a way of bringing people and communities together is growing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There is no doubt that outdoor arts festivals such as the GDIF are growing in popularity,” he says. “Not only do they give people a chance to engage and connect with one another, be inspired, excited and entertained, they also allow us to reach a great number of people for whom the cultural infrastructure that you find in Zone 1 is not readily accessible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“GDIF itself has gone from strength to strength - last year more than 100,000 people came along which is fantastic.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The inspiration for this year’s line up has come from a variety of sources, not least the areas in which the events takes place and the people who live there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Here in South London we are blessed with some fantastic outside public spaces - some like Greenwich and Woolwich that we have used before as well as some new exciting ones,” explains Bradley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“We also strive to have a mix of local talent as well as artists from other parts of the country and indeed internationally to show the area in a different light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s not like when you go to the theatre and the lights go down and you focus on the performance. Here, outdoors, you can’t help but be aware of the audience and so it’s OK to talk and chat and respond to what is going on. It makes for quite a remarkable experience.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Kicking off proceedings on June 21 will be an extraordinary and magical union of public art and nature. For three nights, a flock of 1,500 specially trained pigeons with tiny LED lights on bands around their legs will take to the sky over Thamesmead at dusk in Duke Riley’s Fly By Night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Bradley says it promises to be a spectacular event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“We worked with the RSPCA on this and it’s going to be quite something,” he says. “The leg bands on the pigeons which have the lights on them were traditionally used in wartime for carrying messages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Just before dusk the LED lights will come on and the birds will fly to create something that will be incredibly special and completely beautiful. It’s going to take place on the edge of land near Crossness which in itself is a fantastic location.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Pic credit Tod Seele</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">For Bradley one of the highlights of the festival is the celebration of the arrival of Empire Windrush 70 years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Outdoor arts have a special role to play in marking moments of public significance and resonance,” he says. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“With Windrush, it’s a local as well as national story. The fact that it’s been in the news so much for other reasons is coincidental but it’s an important part of our history and should be told.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Windrush: 492 is going to be very exciting. It’s a performance which will see the names of those who arrived in that ship transcribed in photoluminscent powder on to the ground around the Cutty Sark Gardens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“As part of this piece we worked with Greenwich playwright Roy Williams who recorded some of the very many stories and memories of those people who were on board the boat and who came to the UK. It will form part of a soundscape around the Cutty Sark and promises to be amazing.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Other elements of the programme take inspiration from global stories of mass movement and migration, including Never Set Eyes On The Land, a new installation from Nutkhut recalling the experience and legacy of Partition in 1947, and the French hip hop company Dyptik, who explore the struggles associated with contemporary border crossings in D-Construction, an emotional production that takes place on and around a symbolic fence structure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) which gave some women in the UK the right to vote, will also be celebrated with performances and participatory events across the Festival.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Undaunted, is a stunning high wire walk from Phoebe Bullzini, the UK’s only female wire-walker and one half of the UK’s leading high-wire duo The Bullzini Family. It has been specially commissioned to mark the ROPA centenary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Woolwich will see the world premiere of Rise! an uplifting local and global story of the continuing struggle by women for equality and rights told by French company L’Homme debout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It will feature giant puppets who will move through the streets of Woolwich - something Bradley says should not be missed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Woolwich will also be the setting for the world premiere of Graeae Theatre Company’s epic outdoor production, This Is Not For You, honouring Britain’s wounded and disabled war veterans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Elsewhere, an established GDIF favourite, The Greenwich Fair will return to delight audiences between Friday June 22 and Sunday June 24.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Highlights include the world première of Icarus from Southpaw Dance Company, co-commissioned with The Place as part of a new outdoor dance initiative called Stomping Ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There is also a playful integration of circus and live painting in PLOCK! by Flemish theatre company Grensgeval, and the London première of Belly Of The Whale, a spectacular new production from circus dance company Ockham’s Razor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Belly Of The Whale. Pic credit Mark Dawson Photography</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At Canary Wharf, this year’s Dancing City programme brings together performances from nine dance companies, including award-winning Catalan Cia Moveo, Candoco Dance Company with a new commission, Dedicated to…, as well as entrancing performances of Dopamine from Ballet Black.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">New productions this year include Bicycle Boy which is aimed at those under 12 and will be staged at the Royal Naval College. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a lovely interactive piece of outdoor theatre, with the performances powered by getting on bicycles!” enthuses Bradley. “I saw it in Brighton and loved it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The finale to this year’s GDIF will be a large-scale, outdoor dance-theatre retelling of Jonathan Harvey’s iconic and landmark LGBTQ play Beautiful Thing, a tale of young love blossoming on a South East London housing estate. The site-specific production, combining spectacular staging and video projection, is staged close to the area of Thamesmead described in the piece and marks the 25th anniversary of the play’s first production.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">With such a varied and packed line up, and many of the events free of charge, Bradley is confident there is “something for everyone”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The Festival is very inclusive and there is plenty for everyone no matter who or what age they are,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There are lots of people who live here who don’t go into the West End or South Bank and so to create quality arts experience on their doorsteps and allow them to become immersed in it all is very special and a privilege.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“For me it’s also about discovering part of the cultural life of this area and shouting about it as much as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There are great things happening in South London including the exciting new cultural quarter of Greenwich which will open in the next 18 months. It’s an incredible area and it’s fantastic to celebrate it in this way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I hope the Festival inspires, delights and amazes.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Greenwich+Docklands International Festival takes place at various sites from June 21 until July 7. Visit <a href="http://www.festival.org/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.festival.org</span></a> for a full line up.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-85002170846711354702018-03-30T10:40:00.002+01:002018-03-30T10:40:40.252+01:00INTERVIEW - ED BYRNE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ed Byrne - pic credit Roslyn Gaunt</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Comedian Ed Byrne has been making us laugh for more than 20 years both on stage and on TV shows such as Mock The Week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The Dublin-born father of two is well known for his genial manner with a delightful bonhomie that has endeared him to millions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So it comes as somewhat of a shock to see him suited and booted whilst brandishing a chainsaw. Fortunately it transpires he’s not branching out to play the villain in the new James Bond film but rather it’s part of the promotional material for the second leg of his latest tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Entitled Spoiler Alert it sees Ed bring his unique blend of gentle wit and observational humour to audiences across the country including Bromley’s Churchill Theatre on April 10 and Wimbledon Theatre on April 21.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In a chat ahead of the gigs he tells me the premis of the show will be exploring the thin line between righteous complaining and brat like whining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s the little things in life,” he muses. “Do we have too much choice and why are things so much easier these days? It makes us lazy - why do we now start a car by pressing a button? What’s wrong with turning a key for goodness sake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Then there are the days when the online banking is down so I can’t pay the bills, or when Netflix doesn’t work, or when the room isn’t ready in my hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s about me asking if we are right to be fed up or are we spoiled? And on the flip side whether we are not spoiled enough, which I would suggest in terms of politics we aren’t and so should act a bit more entitled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a bit more flippant than what I normally do and a bit more complainey.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">To his credit Ed admits he may be part of the problem, and within the act he references his children who he acknowledges have much more than he did when he was a child.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Of course the other side is how I’m contributing to it all,” he says. “I compare my own childhood with that of my children and I realise I’m totally spoiling them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I grew up in the 1970s and 80s in an aspirational but working class background whereas my kids are resoundingly middle class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s not so much about them complaining when the iPad has run out of charge or they’ve had their allotted time on it as that’s progress and I’m happy for them to have these things. But it’s when they ask for stuff that I’ve never heard of - like elderflower cordial and pesto - how do they even know about these things!” he asks in mock astonishment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As well as anecdotes about his two sons, Ed’s routine includes a neat way of bringing Brexit into the conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He tells the story about the time one of his sons wanted to touch an electric fence while Ed was warning him of the dangers of doing so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It occurred to me that it was a bit like the Brexit decision,” he says. “I couldn’t not reference Brexit but at the same time it’s a very divisive subject and you never know how an audience will react. Just like the electric fence, we were all told what a terrible idea Brexit was but people went and voted for it anyway.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Spoiler Alert started life at the Edinburgh Fringe last year where it won critical acclaim. Ed then took it out on the road for a few months before a well-earned Christmas break. Now refreshed and on the road again, I ask if it’s evolved since the early days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Oh yes,” he says. “I’m constantly tweaking and updating it. It also started out as a one hour show with a support act. Then it was about an hour and 15 and now with this second leg it’s just me on stage for about 90 to 100 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It gets funnier too,” he adds with a chuckle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The stuff about Donald Trump, well that just grows and the punchlines just get better and better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Also, some jokes work better depending on where I am in the country of course. Agas go down better in more well healed spots whereas talking about how I spent my childhood sitting outside pubs eating crisps and drinking lemonade work better in others.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Although he admits it can be tiring criss crossing the country he says he’s looking forward to bringing the show to South London. Indeed when I ask him about the two theatres he will be visiting he immediately consults his diary that is his constant companion when touring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“This is the third tour where I have packed a diary,” he explains. “I like to be reminded of what the audiences were like, the theatre and the dressing room so I write notes after each show. Some places are more fun than others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Sometimes I rock up to a venue and it’s freezing cold and only 60 per cent of the tickets have been sold and I grumble about it, but when I look in my notes I find the audience last time was brilliant.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So what about Bromley and Wimbledon? After some frantic flicking through his oracle he tells me he’s got fond memories of Wimbledon but admits he can’t find a reference to Bromley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I am going to assume I said nice things about Bromley because otherwise I wouldn’t be coming back!” he laughs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Wimbledon was lovely last time I was here so I imagine we will have fun in both places.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Stand up he adds is where he feels most at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I am myself on stage,” he says. “I feel in control in front of an audience and it’s a great feeling when you walk out on stage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“TV is great but it’s about reminding myself that I’m still alive. TV is also heavily edited which I don’t have control of whereas the stand up show is just me and the audience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There is nothing like it and I try and tour every two years or so although the downside is being away from home quite a bit. On balance though over the course of the year I see more of my family than many of those who work a 9 to 5 job - some only see their kids at weekends so I can’t really complain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“With any tour I have to do a photo to publicise it - but I never have any idea at that point what the show will be about. This time I wanted to do a homage to Very Bad Things, a film with Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz, so that’s why this one features me with a dinner suit and a chainsaw - which is mine by the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a sign of my moving into the middle class,” he chuckles. “I’m not really channeling my inner James Bond… but it looks good!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ed Byrne, Spoiler Alert, is on at the Churchill Theatre Bromley on Tuesday, April 10 and at Wimbledon Theatre on Saturday, April 21. Call Bromley 020 3285 6000 or Wimbledon 0844 871 7646 for tickets.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-9007741855599712212017-06-15T11:37:00.003+01:002017-06-15T11:37:17.522+01:00INTERVIEW Susan Calman - the Calman Before The Storm<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">TEN years ago Susan Calman was a top flight corporate lawyer working at places including the United Nations in Geneva.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But she says it was unfulfilling and stressful so she made the decision to give it all up and pursue her long held ambition and become a comedian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, a decade later the somewhat diminutive, smiley and very funny Glaswegian has had the success many in her profession can only dream about. Indeed not only has she conquered the stand up circuit with sold out shows at the Soho Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe, she has also showed off her talents on radio with numerous credits including Radio 4’s The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth and Now Show not to mention presenting Woman’s Hour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And if that wasn’t enough she has appeared on the BBC’s hit shows Have I Got News for You and QI, as well as Show and Tell, The Matt Lucas Awards, Dara O’Briain’s School of Hard Sums, 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Dog Ate My Homework, Would I Lie To You and Mock the Week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">She is currently working on Too Much TV for BBC2, is writing a book and - to underline her appeal to not just adults but the younger generation as well - will soon host 30 episodes of a new quiz show Top Class to be broadcast on the BBC children’s channel CBBC. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Clearly Susan does not like to sit around twiddling her thumbs nor indeed rest on her laurels as in amongst all this she hasn’t forgotten her stand up roots and to prove the point she is currently criss crossing the country dispensing witty anecdotes in a tour of her new show, The Calman Before The Storm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In it she tells me she wants to rip through all the preconceptions about her and challenge the assumptions people have about her political views, her height, her nationality and her sexuality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As part of the tour, the show is heading to South London where she will take to the stage at Greenwich Theatre on Monday, June 26.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What is clear when we chat ahead of the gig is that she is indeed as warm and friendly as she comes across on TV and radio and has plenty to say on most subjects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But first things first, with so much on her professional plate how has she managed to fit the tour in?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I do a lot,” she agrees chuckling. “But I do try and tour every two years or so. It’s hectic but it’s lovely to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve been on the road on and off with this show since March and it’s going well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The joy of stand up in a tour like this is that it’s essentially the same show but every night is different as it depends on what the audience likes and doesn’t like.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And she’s looking forward to her foray into South London.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve never been to Greenwich Theatre before so I’m looking forward to it,” she says warmly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s really exciting to stand up in front of an audience in a venue you don’t know. It makes it quite a thrill as no one is quite sure what’s going to happen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“What’s also nice is that the audience is close to me - I like people to still be able to see the whites of my eyes! It makes it more enjoyable too.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So what will be on the agenda this time I ask. Quite a lot as it turns out including politics and her home life with a liberal sprinkling of personal anecdotes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“This show is basically 90 minutes of observational comedy from a personal point of view,” she explains.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve recently bought a house and it’s quite a change as we are now in a lovely suburban street with some pretty lovely neighbours. It’s great!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“So I’ll talk a bit about this and also stories about me that hopefully people can relate to. I talk about my wife - so much that the audience feels sorry for her!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Although I do talk a bit of politics I don’t dwell on stuff like Trump and Brexit as I think everyone is a bit sick of it. And I don’t want to dwell on how people voted as I want the show to be much more about inclusivity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“So there won’t be any lecturing - it’s going to be a nice jolly evening. I just want people to have a lovely time and get away from all that kind of stuff. So come and see my show and enjoy it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Despite her obvious talent Susan says she is surprised at her longevity and success in what is a notoriously difficult business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Growing up with ambitions of being a stand up after being inspired by the likes of Billy Connelly, Joyce Grenfell and Victoria Wood, she did a degree in law and became a lawyer, but says she knew in her heart that being a corporate lawyer was not for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I didn’t think I would last this long!” she muses. “In many ways this show is really a celebration of my 10 years in comedy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Growing up I was inspired very much by the likes of Billy Connelly. Almost all his stand up featured personal stories which he made so so funny. He did certain things and made fun of himself and was hilarious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I also grew up listening to Victoria Wood - she was the one I loved most and made women funny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“When I started out I saw her at the Royal Albert Hall. It was amazing - she was the greatest comic. But she was also the most amazing actor, writer and musician and if I can do things a quarter as well as her I would be exceeding expectations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“But above all she was a great storyteller and that was what I really loved - I still love listening to other people’s stories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’m not a joke teller - if you want that, people like Jimmy Carr are genius at it but I’m not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I just colour the story in - and hopefully the stories I tell, people can relate to.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Touring and her very busy workload does mean she spends a good deal of time away from her home in Glasgow which she shares with her wife and five cats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Two of them are quite young and I don’t get home an awful lot so when I do I tend to chase them around the room!” she laughs. “What then happens is that they run away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I do miss them all when I’m away but no matter how miserable I am for being away from home I always remember how lucky I am to do this.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And she certainly doesn’t regret her change of direction career wise, even though she admits there were times in the early days it was a “slog”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I had always wanted to be a stand up but in 1992 when I left school it would be ridiculous thing to say I wanted to be a comedian. So I went into law but eventually I just realised that if I didn’t try stand up I was never going to do it. So I started doing gigs - it took a good six years before I got to the point that it wasn’t a slog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I know I’m lucky but I’ve worked hard and I love the variety of doing all the different things like touring, TV and radio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Things couldn’t be going better and I’m incredibly happy!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Susan Calman, The Calman Before The Storm is at Greenwich Theatre on Monday, June 26. Visit <a href="http://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk</span></a> or call the box office on </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10px; line-height: normal;">020 8858 4447 </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">for full listings.</span></div>
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Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-78442436763299453782017-06-13T13:22:00.003+01:002017-06-13T13:22:45.024+01:00FOUR STAR REVIEW - Lettice & Lovage at the Menier Chocolate Factory<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Peter Shaffer’s play Lettice & Lovage was first performed at the Theatre Royal Bath in 1987. Now 30 years later it has been revived by Sir Trevor Nunn at the Menier Chocolate Factory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is set firstly in the Grand Hall of Fustian House, a stately pile in rural Wiltshire, where a certain Lettice Douffet is a guide, taking visitors around on tours of the house. It appears to be a miserable job because nothing of note has ever happened there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, when one of her visitors yawns at the end of one tour she decides to take action to liven things up a bit. Using her theatrical prowess, gained from growing up with an actress mother who spent most of her time in France, she begins to embellish the stories until some of them retain very little, if any, truth. They seem to be successful, so much so, that bowls she puts out to collect “appreciations” begin to overflow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">However, one day a certain Lotte Schoen turns up from the Preservation Trust which employs Lettice, and berates her for telling fibs to bring in the punters. Despite firing Lettice, it is the start of an entertaining friendship between these two very different women which ultimately sees them joining forces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is not the greatest of plays, however there are some very funny moments, including the scene in which they both get sozzled on Lettice’s homemade brew of “verbal and herbal” ingredients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The big draw in this production is the fact it’s been directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and that its two stars are Felicity Kendal as Lettice and Maureen Lipman as Lotte. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Kendal in particular is a delight as the flamboyant, theatrical red headed Lettice whose outlandish and entertaining stories of the dull as dishwater Fustian House are regaled with aplomb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sadly, the full comedic prowess of Lipman is not able to shine through, although this is really down to the script. There are thankfully, a few moments of brilliance, such as when Lotte discovers Lettice has a cat and proceeds to gag as though she is bringing up a fur ball of her own, which brought the house down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ultimately it is a delightful pairing and a treat to see these two great actresses on stage together in what is a hugely entertaining production.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lettice & Lovage is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Southwark Street until July 8. Tickets from £40.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-51815119296715762652017-06-13T13:21:00.001+01:002017-06-13T13:21:23.748+01:00INTERVIEW - Anthony Head<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">People of a certain age will know Anthony Head as the suave coffee drinking chap from the hugely successful Nescafe ads of the 1980s. Others will know him as the Prime Minister in Little Britain, David Whelan in Dominion and of course as Rupert Giles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But the London born actor’s long and illustrious career also includes the stage with stints at the RSC and the National not to mention his West End turn as Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And it is the stage that is his current focus of attention thanks to a production of the critically acclaimed Love In Idleness which has just transferred to the Apollo Theatre from the Menier Chocolate Factory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He tells me the play is actually an amalgamation of two - Terrence Rattigan’s original version, Less Than Kind and actor Alfred Lunts’ reworking of it - by director Sir Trevor Nunn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In it Anthony plays Sir John Fletcher, a tank expert in Churchill’s government during the latter stages of World War Two. Sir John is separated from his much younger wife and is now happily living with Olivia Brown, a vivacious and charismatic widow of two years standing, played by Eve Best. It is clear the pair are besotted with each other. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">However, their idyllic set up is disrupted and put in jeopardy when her firebrand son Michael comes home from Canada from where he was evacuated a few years previously. A young socialist, Michael disapproves entirely of his mother’s relationship with Sir John, who he sees as representing everyone that is wrong with society. He sets about to destroy their relationship - forcing her to choose between her lover and son - and in so doing allows the play to explore the subjects of love, passion, politics, ideology and loyalty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anthony and I chat shortly before the country voted in the general election and it is clear the role and indeed the play has proved to be a fascinating project for him to work on not least given the current political climate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The play is set in 1944 and at a time when life had changed enormously because of the war,” he tells me. “For the first time things looked as though they were going in our favour and that we were going to win the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“At the same time there was a huge political change with the rise in socialism and of course after the war the country elected a Labour government who went on to create the Welfare State and the NHS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s much like today in many ways. We are in the midst of an election, there’s the whole issue of Brexit and it feels as though the political landscape is shifting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Within the play we see how Olivia and Sir John enjoy their dinner parties and taking part in political discussions. It makes this production very current and relevant so I hope audiences will enjoy it and be entertained but also think about the parallels.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But he insists it is not just a platform to discuss politics citing the incredible humour within the piece that have had audiences laughing loudly ever since it opened at the Menier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“What Trevor [Nunn] has done with the two plays is brilliant,” Anthony says warmly. “He’s got the best of both and written it really well. When I saw the script it was clear how extraordinary it was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There are so many genres - it’s got themes of love and what it is to find love and keep it, as well as drama, Noel Coward-esque farce, real sadness, passion and political conscience - with clear and obvious references to Hamlet and elements of Chekhov. It’s very clever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There is also great characterisation. Sir John is an industrialist, a multi millionaire and minister of tank production. It’s likely he is loosely based on Lord Beaverbrook who was Churchill’s right hand man during the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“He is separated but not divorced from his younger trophy wife but has now found his soul mate in Olivia - so everything in his life is hunky dory, that is until Michael comes along!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Michael comes back from Canada, a socialist, with an expectation that his mother will be lonely but finds she is living in this nice house with me hanging around. He is petulant and annoying and sees me as a dreadful capitalist, someone who has seduced his poor defenceless mother - so there is a huge head on collision both culturally, politically and emotionally. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Sir John comes across initially as quiet and modest but he’s got a steely determination and is really a schemer just like Michael and is more than a match for him. You see how underhand he is at the end - though he does what he does with the very best of intentions! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It's a really meaty piece and it’s been such a joy to be part of. In fact it was a no brainer - when you get a call from Sir Trevor Nunn and find out Eve Best is on board, I couldn’t wait to get to rehearsals!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He adds joking that his enthusiasm was tempered somewhat when he realised that they only had four rather than six weeks rehearsal before opening at the Menier. But he needn’t have worried because the reception it got secured it a West End transfer which he describes as “wonderful”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Audiences seem to have found more life in it and have laughed more raucously!” he laughs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He also chuckles as he tells me he now regards himself as something of an “expert in tanks” thanks to the research he did for the role and recommends a visit the Cabinet War Rooms for anyone interested in the history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Churchill was an extraordinary man, and the Cabinet War Rooms is an incredible place,” he says. “Trevor did a lot of research and got Pathe news footage from that period which is cleverly projected onto the stage at various intervals. It shows images from the war as well as afterwards such as when Labour was elected and the subsequent creation of the NHS and Welfare State - something that is now so current for us all.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Although he’s clearly fascinated by politics, it’s acting that has always been in his blood. However, given his illustrious career it comes as a surprise that Anthony undertook acting lessons when he moved to LA just before landing his role in Buffy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He credits his partner Sarah with the idea and says it was “absolutely the right thing to do”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I acknowledge the fact I’ve been hugely fortunate,” he says warmly about his longevity in what is a notoriously tricky business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Sarah encouraged me to go to America to work and when I rang her up after two months of being out there she told me to go and get on with it and go and get acting classes. It led to my first job out there and then Buffy, which in turn led to Little Britain and Dr Who, all of which were very different roles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The bottom line is it’s hard work trying to make sure you are not pigeonholed though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“However, Giles in Buffy was a wonderful step as I’d always been a young romantic lead and he was a real character role. It gave me an ‘in’ to a completely new world. I knew it was going to be good because the writing was so brilliant but I don’t think any of us realised how huge it would be. We had a great time with it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And he says he’d do the coffee ad again. “It changed my life - and the face of advertising - so yes, I’ve been very lucky.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Love In Idleness is on at the Apollo Theatre until July 1. Tickets from £20. Visit www.nimaxtheatres.com/apollo-theatre/love_in_idleness/ for full listings.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-73581515307693422822017-03-24T09:31:00.002+00:002017-03-24T09:31:28.382+00:00FIVE STAR REVIEW - Love In Idleness at the Menier Chocolate Factory<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">FIVE STARS</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A young man, with socialist principles, comes back from living in Canada for four years only to find his widowed mother living rent free with a millionaire who is still not quite divorced from his much younger wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And so begins Terrence Rattigan’s play Love In Idleness which is currently being staged at the Menier Chocolate Factory and directed by Trevor Nunn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is hilariously funny from the off with the characters leading a merry dance around the subjects of love, passion, politics, ideology and loyalty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Set in the latter stages of the Second World War, Olivia Brown is vivacious, charismatic, dippy and ditzy and has been a widow for two years. After her husband dies she falls for Sir John Fletcher, a man with more money than he knows what to do with and who despite being a business man with no political experience, has found himself a member of Churchill’s war cabinet in charge of tanks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He is as besotted with her as she is with him but because of his job he cannot divorce his wife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Her son Michael comes back from Canada and takes an instant dislike to Sir John and eventually, after much conniving and mischief making, forces his mother to make a choice - him or Sir John.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Torn between the two and with distinct references to both Hamlet and Oedipus, she chooses her son over her lover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is directed with panache by Nunn and thanks to a stellar cast this staging of the play works really well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anthony Head as Sir John is terrific, showing off a quiet but steely determination to keep his love, as is Edward Bluemel, fresh from starring in The Halcyon, as Olivia’s sulky, petulant and firebrand son Michael.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But it is Eve Best as Olivia who dazzles her way through the production. She positively bursts with energy and is a delight to watch, capturing Olivia’s ditziness perfectly as well as her dilemma at having to choose between son and lover - particularly when her son has given her such a horrid choice. She lights up the stage whenever she is on, which happily is most of the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Love In Idleness is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Southwark Street until April 29. Visit <a href="http://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.menierchocolatefactory.com</span></a> for full listings.</span></div>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-78516026925402628532017-03-11T07:55:00.004+00:002017-03-11T07:55:51.509+00:00INTERVIEW Paul McGann<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s 30 years since Paul McGann made a name for himself in the classic cult film Withnail & I. Now he’s about to embark on his first UK theatre tour playing German Major Von Pfunz in Gabriel. I caught up with him for a chat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Paul McGann needs no introduction. He’s the man whose portrayal of the eponymous I in the cult classic Withnail & I propelled him to stardom. That was 30 years ago and in the years since his career has gone from strength to strength and he’s become a household name in the process. Indeed his CV is as impressive as it gets showing his versatility as an actor with performances on both stage and screen including in Hornblower and Luther and of course playing the eighth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But he’s never done a UK theatre tour - that is until now. For next month the 57-year-old actor is to pack his bags for an eight-week stint in Moira Buffini’s acclaimed play Gabriel which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Set in 1943 German occupied Guernsey, it tells the story of widow and mother Jeanne who does whatever it takes to keep her adolescent daughter Estelle and daughter-in-law Lily safe on an island filled with danger and fear. However she meets her toughest test in the form of the terrifying Commander Von Pfunz whose romantic advances are dangerous to say the least but which may be the only way to keep her family alive. The tension racks up further when a mysterious young man is washed ashore with no memory of who he is. It transpires he’s fluent in German and English, so the question is, is he an RAF pilot, an SS interrogator, a local boy with amnesia or a saviour sent from heaven? </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Kicking off in Richmond on March 28, the production will cross the country visiting theatres in Greenwich, Liverpool, Windsor, Guildford, Eastbourne and Clwyd, something Paul tells me he’s looking forward to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It will be great to bring the play to all these wonderful theatres like Greenwich, places I’ve never performed at before,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve been to see shows in Greenwich and it’s a lovely theatre so it will be good to actually be on the stage there this time.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We meet in a private members’ club in central London where Paul is spending the day chatting to various journalists about the production before he gets stuck into the rigours of rehearsals. And if he’s understandably growing a bit weary of all the attention and the barrage of questions by the time I arrive, he doesn’t show it. In fact he is as relaxed as they come with an easy going manner, affable charm and a warm sense of humour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So keen is he about the production, and being part of it, that he wastes no time in telling me all about it and about the research he did into the occupation of the island. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s a fascinating piece,” he says. “It’s dark and intense, although it’s not all doom and gloom of course, but it’s a real thriller, exciting and incredibly gripping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s set in Guernsey in the middle of the Second World War, and it’s a great place to set a story. It was a strange time for the islanders as in many respects, life continued as normal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“On the face of it, it was a peaceful occupation. There was no armed resistance nor any uprisings. However food was scarce, there was a thriving black market, and plenty of wheeling and dealing going on. Indeed some people made a fortune. And while some worked the land, most of the men of fighting age were away so it was mainly women left on the island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“So to have the central character in this play a woman is entirely fitting. Jeanne is widowed and has a daughter with whom she lives and a son who is in the forces. Her house is requisitioned by the German so she has to be careful. There are hints that she had a relationship with a German officer who has now been sent away and by all accounts they got on well - and again if you read the history books, this was what happened in many cases.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Into her life comes Von Pfunz, played by Paul, an army officer who has served in Poland but has now been sent to Guernsey and finds himself captivated by Jeanne. “He’s not a nice man, in fact he’s horrible, and he comes on to Jeanne much to her disgust,” he grimaces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“She is repulsed by him and is quite fearful of him, but there is a courage about her that he finds thrilling and intoxicating. It throws her completely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Her dilemma is how to get on with the Germans, keep her family safe and survive without submitting to something she doesn’t want, where a mistake could be fatal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“The tension is ratcheted up even further when a young man appears, washed up on a nearby beach. The girls save him and bring him to Jeanne’s house where he’s hidden. He claims not to know who he is, and when Von Pfunz later discovers him there the boy is able to speak with him in perfect German.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was, Paul says, a play he was instantly drawn to not least by the writing which he describes as “superb”. “The writing is key and is what really attracted me to playing this role,” he says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Von Pfunz is like nobody I’ve played before but it’s the way Moira beautifully weaves these situations and tensions together that is so good. It’s brilliantly told and when you get a really good story as an actor you can’t wait to tell it.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">However, keen not to give away any spoilers Paul simply says the audience will be on the edge of their seats to find out what happens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Jeanne is constantly in danger, the tension builds to a crescendo and she ends up in a really tight corner,” he says eyes twinkling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s clear throughout our chat that Paul still gets a buzz out of being on stage and he says he's excited to be making his debut theatre tour in such a “fantastic play”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve found over the years that the old actor clichè is true that live is best,” he smiles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Doing TV and film is great, and I’ve been jammy enough over the years to do a lot of it, but when you go out on stage and feel the atmosphere and get that instant feedback from the audience, you just can’t beat it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It is also a way of working that teaches you the most.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So why has it taken so long to get out on the road? It seems it’s mainly down to logistics and finding the right vehicle for his talents. This particular role and the fact his two sons are grown up has allowed him the flexibility to take on the challenge of a tour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Many touring shows are musicals and there are few straight dramatic plays. I’ve been offered tours in the past, some of which were tempting, but they tended to last for months so were difficult to commit to.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“This one stood out though as it’s so thrilling so I was really up for it. Also I’ll get a chance to discover and visit all these theatres that I’ve never performed in before as well as the different characters of the audiences, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a new experience for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’ll be a bit like running away to the circus!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Paul is endearingly modest about his career and the word “jammy” to describe it crops up often. Indeed it is a surprise when he insists he never wanted to be an actor, instead harboured dreams of being a track and field sportsman. He was eventually persuaded to give acting a shot when he was 17 by one of his teachers. Somewhat alarmingly he also tells me he very nearly didn’t go to the RADA audition that had been organised for him as he was so unsure about whether it was the right thing to do. Fortunately for his legions of fans he didn’t walk past the door but went through it and got in on his first audition. He spent the next few years there “very happy” alongside such notables as Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance and says he has no regrets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I was a 70s kid growing up in Liverpool, left school at 17, not qualified in anything and never thought about being an actor,” he remembers smiling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“However, my teacher saw something in me and helped me prepare my audition to RADA. It was pretty embarrassing and I felt it went terribly. But I got in, and I loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I remember there were plenty of working class kids at RADA then. I think most of us had just fancied being movie stars. Of course that was all pie in the sky as there was no guarantee you’d even get into Equity. I was pretty jammy to get Withnail & I after just five years out. I loved working on it. We were pretty innocent and, in truth, didn’t really know what we were doing. We certainly had no idea how cool it would become.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Theatre has always been my favourite though - it’s what many actors will tell you - and the older I get the more I prefer it although I still get very nervous. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’ve been lucky enough to play some incredible roles over the years and now I get to play Commander Von Pfunz in a play that is stunning. Life couldn’t be better!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Paul McGann plays Commander Von Pfunz in Moira Buffini’s Gabriel, directed by Kate McGregor. Visit www.gabrieltheplay.co.uk for full listings.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-18941848081576249512017-03-09T10:54:00.000+00:002017-03-09T10:54:00.533+00:00FOUR STAR REVIEW - Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Old Vic<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">FOUR STARS</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">IT may be 50 years since Tom Stoppard’s seminal work Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was first staged but a new revival now on at the Old Vic shows it still has plenty of life in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The story is about the two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who find themselves on the outskirts of the play and in many ways, life itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Full of emotion and with an ending that is rather poignant, it has a whiff of Waiting For Godot about it all as the two try and make sense of their lot, with plenty of verbal sparring and discussion as they wait for things to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As their own story develops, a production of Hamlet is staged somewhere in the background, dipping in and out of the proceedings. Added to the mix is a troupe of players who find themselves involved and perform a play for the King.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This particular production stars Mr Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe as Rosencrantz alongside Joshua McGuire as Guildenstern and they complement each other perfectly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Radcliffe is really good, the foil and straight man to McGuire’s fidgety, constantly chatty and more intellectually gifted Guildenstern. With his pauses, vacant stares into the middle distance, shrugs of his shoulder and perfect comic timing, Radcliffe shines in the role.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">McGuire too is equally captivating but for different reasons - he paces the stage, constantly questioning, discussing and dissecting life and there’s an uncanny resemblance to actor Tom Hollander about him too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">They are joined by the ever excellent David Haig who, as the leader of the players, swaggers about the stage giving a masterclass in comic acting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Although undoubtedly for many the draw with be seeing Daniel Radcliffe, this production, directed by David Leveaux, is terrific, and breathes new life into what is a gloriously wordy and brilliant play.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is on at the Old Vic, Waterloo until April 29. Tickets from £12. Visit <a href="http://www.oldvictheatre.com/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.oldvictheatre.com/</span></a> or call the box office on 0844 871 7628 for full listings.</span></div>
Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-34765248560580300682017-03-02T09:34:00.002+00:002017-03-02T09:34:22.173+00:00THREE STAR REVIEW - Ugly Lies The Bone, National Theatre<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">THREE STARS</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">UNLESS you’ve been on a tour of Iraq or Afghanistan as a soldier I would guess it’s almost impossible to imagine what it must be really like to be there and part of military action. The noise, the smells, the injuries and in the worst case, threat of death are ever present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And what must it be like to come home, perhaps horribly injured and to a life that is not the same as it was before?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A new play by American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, and now on at the National Theatre, aims to shed light on this and explore a virtual reality therapy which, according to the programme notes, has been successfully used to reduce pain levels in patients who have suffered serious injuries such as burns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ugly Lies The Bone tells the story of Jess, a woman who has come home to her Florida town of Titusville in the heart of Nasa country, after three tours of Afghanistan. Horribly disfigured thanks to an IED, needing the help of a zimmer frame to move about and in constant pain she finds life is not as she remembers it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Her sister Kacie and Kacie’s doting boyfriend Kelvin have thrown a homecoming party but the one person Jess wanted there, her ex boyfriend Stevie, didn’t show up so she goes to find him. It turns out he’s been fired from his job at Nasa and is now working in a petrol station.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As she tries to reconnect with her old life and in a bid to help her recovery she takes part in a virtual reality therapy programme which aims to help reduce her pain levels. She and the audience are taken into a world of snow capped mountains in the Rockies, where it snows feathers and Jess has to climb and move her body in a way she has hitherto felt unable to because it’s so painful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And so begins her journey of recovery both mentally and physically.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is a short 90 minute piece played out on the expanse of the Lyttelton stage by a strong cast led by an unrecognisable Kate Fleetwood as Jess. It is a physically demanding role not least as she’s on stage almost the entire time. Covered in prosthetics she conveys the awkwardness of her character’s movements as well as the dark humour and frustration she feels. It is a stunning performance. Ralf Little deserves praise as Stevie, bumbling, nervous and always saying the wrong thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">However the play itself does not deliver fully - it’s rather flat in places and there is not enough character development although as a way to showcase what virtual reality therapy can do it does its job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But it’s the set, particularly when Jess is in her virtual world that is the real winner here. Full of visually stunning graphics it is quite mesmerising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ugly Lies The Bone is on at the National Theatre until June 6. Tickets from £15. Visit <a href="http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.nationaltheatre.org.uk</span></a> or call the box office on 020 7452 3000. </span></div>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7297999544819758866.post-60993239902017182892017-03-01T11:42:00.003+00:002017-03-01T11:42:59.244+00:00INTERVIEW - Michelle Collins<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So familiar is her face that meeting Michelle Collins is rather like bumping into an old friend. The 55-year-old actress has graced TV screens in sitting rooms the length and breadth of the country for years thanks to roles such as Walford’s scheming Cindy Beale in EastEnders, Stella Price in Corrie and Abby Wallace in Two Thousand Acres of Sky to name but three.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But she’s much more than a TV actress as stage roles in Calendar Girls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and most recently Mrs Meers in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie attest. Indeed she started her acting career at The Cockpit Youth Theatre in Marylebone when she was in her early teens so the stage is very much her home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And to prove the point - and that she’s long since left soapdom behind - she’s now starring in A Dark Night In Dalston, a gritty two-hander at the Park Theatre in a role she tells me that was specially written for her and that she is also producing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Wearing a smart black suit and with her blonde hair tied back which shows off her amazing cheek bones, she oozes glamour, and greets me with that warm and familiar smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">She’s also refreshingly down to earth and full of energy and joie de vivre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Indeed she’s keen to tell me about the production, written by Stewart Permutt, in which she plays a woman called Gina. It takes place on one Friday night where just outside Gina’s flat, a young Jewish man, Gideon, is attacked. She decides to help him and offers him shelter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As the play progresses, and we find out more about the two characters, it’s clear that Gina is not the woman you first think she is and nor is her life exactly as she describes it. But it’s not just Gina, as Gideon too goes on his own journey of self discovery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Darkly funny it is also intense, poignant and sad with an ending that hits you between the eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I suggest that it’s quite an honour to have a part written for you, and take the lion’s share of the lines. However Michelle says her involvement in it was really driven by her desire to find a “meaty and challenging leading role” given the dearth of such parts once women actors hit their 40s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I had wanted to do something like this for a while and had spent time researching writers before a friend recommended Stewart,” she smiles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“We met and I told him I wanted something challenging and interesting and he went away and came up with this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’m really excited about it because it’s a real character led play with a great script that touches on themes such as mental health and how areas change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Gina is such a great role - she’s a complex character as she’s not all that she seems. She’s an older woman who doesn’t have a career and is living in an area that is changing massively. And although she’s someone who isn’t mentally ill, her situation, where she’s given up a life to care for her husband, has made her vulnerable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“She’s lost in society and finds it hard to fit in thanks to the gentrification that is going on around her which has resulted in different communities coming in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Despite the fact she doesn’t really have a lot going for her, she does see the bright side of life so when she sees Gideon being attacked her natural instinct is to reach out and help,” she adds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Him coming into her life questions things for her and gives her a new start. It also makes Gideon question his own faith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“She also really enjoys his company and as the play progresses we realise they are essentially two lonely people who meet and change each other’s lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s been great to take on this role - it’s very intense and I loved the script although it’s tough because there are just the two of us on stage. I’m really excited about it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It’s clear during our chat that Michelle’s work ethic is strong. She grew up in Hackney and although she says she wasn’t sure how she could act for a living she was determined it was what she wanted to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I loved drama and English at school and went to youth theatre as a teenager and that was it,” she smiles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I say to a lot of young people who want to break into acting to go along and get involved in their local youth theatre. It’s a very good way of getting into it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I didn’t go to stage school though as we couldn’t afford it - it’s worse now and I worry that it’s becoming even more unaffordable for a lot of talented young people which isn’t great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“But I always wanted to be an actor and had a hunger for it so I just didn’t give up.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was her drive and determination that she says enabled her to not only forge a career as an actor but also helped her survive what is a notoriously difficult industry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And it is this drive that she says prompted her to tackle the issue of the lack of strong female leads head on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“It’s so obvious there is a lack of lead roles for actresses my age in both theatre and TV,” she says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“There is also unfortunately a lot of snobbery in this profession where a lot of people think TV actors can’t do theatre. I have never auditioned at the National Theatre or Donmar for example - not because I don’t want to, I’d love to!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“So, I felt that if it wasn’t going to come to me I would create something for me instead which is why this play came about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Besides, I think it’s great to be versatile - I love variety and also I get bored quite easily so I have tried to do everything - including musicals even though I’m not a trained singer! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“But I love theatre, it’s much harder and more demanding and you have to be fit and very focused.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This love of variety has now led Michelle to taking on the role of co-producer, something she made a conscious decision to tackle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I’m getting my head around it but I do like a challenge,” she laughs. “I’m lucky in that we have a great team for this production and we get on really well so I’m really excited about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“I don’t do bucket lists as a rule but this was something I really wanted to do and prove I could. And at least I can say I’ve tried!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">A Dark Night In Dalston is on at the Park Theatre between March 7 and April 1. Tickets cost £18. Visit <a href="http://www.parktheatre.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">www.parktheatre.co.uk</span></a> or call the box office on 020 7870 6876 for full listings.</span></div>
<br />Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00168612831245661732noreply@blogger.com0