Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts

Monday, 31 May 2010

Spring Storm


One of Tennessee Williams' fairly unknown and early works written when he was anIowa university student in 1937 is currently playing at the Cottesloe, at the National Theatre. It is a wonder that this is its British premier as it is an enchanting and beautifully written piece of drama.

Spring Storm follows the life of Heavenly Critchfield; a young, extrovert girl who finds herself torn between two admires each with their own qualities, the handsome Dick Miles or rich and successful Arthur Shannon. The pinnacle of the play sees Heavenly choose, but with consequences even she did not foresee. The underlying themes of loneliness echo hauntingly throughout the play and between the comedic moments it is Anna Tolputt’s beautiful and poignant scene in the library which truly emphasises this as well as the reoccurring thought of ‘sitting out on the porch in a white dress waiting for a man to come along.’

The comedy however is stolen by Jacqueline King who plays Heavenly’s mother. Her floating, flower dress and her perfect hair emphasise the very difference between these two characters and it is the relationship between them which creates many comedy moments at times when the audience least expect it.

Liz White’s acting as Heavenly is incredibly moving and believable; the audience can sit with ease and watch her create the story to which they become completely absorbed in.

Sunday, 25 April 2010

Enron and Doctor Who

Today is marathon day in London. I really wish I could run the marathon. Technically I could if I want to, it would take me an eternity, but it would be awesome. I like to think that in the summer I am doing a marathon equivalent, 54 miles on a bike. A bit easier, but double a marathon all the way from London to Brighton. I really too excited about the prospects of being part of the IB London to Brighton bike team!

So I figured out my exam timetable after so much confusion about the whole thing. It's alright, 1 exam Thursday, day off Friday, 2 exams Monday. THEN it goes crazy. I have about 3 or 4 exams a day for 4 days and some of them I have to sit on my own because I am the only person doing my selection of subjects. Ah the outsider. Revision is coming to a slow down. Partly due to the fact that I just can't be bothered anymore and my attention span has dwindled epically, and also partly down to the fact that I have a good feeling about finishing it all on time. So yay, time to myself!

I went up to London yesterday, went for a spot of much needed summer-clothes-shopping, which turned out pretty successful and I came away with some good buys and feeling somewhat smug that I got 10% off with my student card (though really there is nothing to be smug about as it's a perfectly legitimate and normal thing for students to do. They even advertise it!). Then the family split. I have been raving about War Horse ever since I saw it at the National Theatre two years ago with my dad. So naturally I booked tickets for my mum and sister to go and see it, whilst my dad and I went to see Enron, a play based of the true story of Enron, the energy company's fall. It was all about the economy and things I didn't have a clue about before seeing the show, and I think I was just about the youngest person there in an auditorium filled with 30 year old high earners or old people. I would have been bored out of my skull and reluctant to listen and watch if it wasn't for the amazing staging. I mean the person who directed the show is a genius! Seriously, it was so spectacular and fascinating to watch what was going on, on stage. I came away with a new found knowledge about the company and other economic terms, which I told Charlotte and my mum about on the way home. If you are in London or nearby go and see Enron, even if you are like me and know nothing about the world of stock markets and profits and general business. You may become that little bit wiser, whilst enjoying watching business men dancing round with lightsabers, listening to a song composed only of stock market figures and watching dinosaurs eating the company's debt.

I also missed Doctor Who last night due to being in London. Despite mine and Charlotte's constant reminder to ourselves to record the show we forgot. Like last week. So this morning we watched it on iplayer. Oh my gosh! I'm so glad I watched it in day light. I would have been so scared otherwise. I get scared by films and such really easily so I was hiding behind and cushion and anticipating the worst the whole way through. This episode was the first of a two parter to the series, and now I really just want to watch the next episode! It was so so so so so so good. I really enjoyed the whole plot line, especially as it's also a sort of development from the last time the weeping angels were in the show. They seem a whole lot more dangerous now. Not only can they send you back in time where you were left to die on your own accord whilst living your life in a totally different era, but there is something new about them. Not only can they kill and somehow take the voice from the people who fall victim to them, but they can also affect a person with their cold stone eyes, in a way that we don't exactly know what is yet. I still love the whole relationship with River Song and the Doctor. It's so mysterious, we don't really know what it is, and it seems that they too are in some way confused by it. I am also really enjoying Amy and the Doctor's relationship. I don't know what it is about them, but they already seem to be so close to each other, and I think that's partly due to the fact that Amy has 'sort of' known the Doctor for her whole life, whilst he has seemingly only known her for a short period of time. She seems to get away with more things for example calling him 'Mr grumpy face', yet he seems to be still trying to in a way win her over and prove something, maybe his loyalty to her, by always encouraging her. I thought there was a moment in this episode where you see Amy's weak side come out, which we haven't really seen in this series so far. She has done a lot of the 'saving the world things' with her simple human mind, whilst the Doctor often confuses and makes things far too complex.

Okay that turned into a very reviewey post, but what the hell! I like Doctor Who and theatre.



Friday, 20 June 2008

Messin' with Mozart

Well ok, i know it was a while back I admit, but I have finally got round to writing about Messin' With Mozart.


We had rehersals all weekend at our school, which went on for hours upon hours on end!
The on THE DAY we went to the central theatre and rehersed under lights and technical stuff. We added the London Sinfonia Orchestra in and it sounded super good! I feel sorry for westend actors though being up there in costumes makeup singing dancing acting and not dying! The lights are so hot! I very nearly almost melted!
We also had the delight of having someone with a camera follow us all day! JOY! Its fun at first but annoying when every 2 seconds they stick the camera in you face and say "A few words?!"
The concert went really well and everyone enjoyed it loads although it was nice to go back home and collapse in bed! =]