By Rhian Lock Ôÿà Ôÿà As a big fan of Gothic horror and theatre respectively, Rona MunroÔÇÖs theatrical reworking of Frankenstein was a show that I had been desperate to catch. Rather than leaving Mary Shelley – the author of Frankenstein – behind the pen, Munro transports her into the play itself, lending her the driving narrative. Eilidh Loan is zany as Shelley, manically whizzing … Continue reading Frankenstein | Theatre Review
by Tabitha Jukes Another year, another Iris comes and goes and, being my first, it certainly wonÔÇÖt be my last. The weeklong Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival saw Cardiff transform once more into a vibrant carnival of LGBT+ film celebration. Embracing both diverse stories and people, this global Festival connects Cardiff to an array of new friends and talent from the British Born makers to … Continue reading A Look Back on IRIS 2019 | Film Festival Review
Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Mozart in Paris is a compelling graphic novel by French creator Frantz Duchazeau, recounting MozartÔÇÖs adventures in Paris. The 22-year-old Austrian composer notoriously sought refuge in the French capital after being disappointed by the scarce recognition he was getting in his hometown of Salzburg. Mozart travels to Paris with a bag full of hopes and dreams, which, however, are quickly shattered by … Continue reading Graphic Novel Review: Mozart in Paris
By Charlie Sawyer and Natascha Ng Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Coming to Cardiff from Broadway, On Your Feet! brings the Latino passion and spirit of Gloria Estefan to the stage once again. This production follows the story of Estefan’s rise to fame. From her Cuban origins and the streets of Miami to finally capturing her world-wide success on the global stage. The production centres in on … Continue reading On Your Feet! | Theatre Review
by Andrea Drobna Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà First seen on stage in 1971, Grease the musical features a group of teenagers tackling their last year of high school, battling with issues surrounding bullying, adolescence, and sexuality. Set in 1959, the musical portrays the teen culture of the time where boys rocked greased back hair and leather jackets, and girls sported candy-floss hair and frilly dresses. The … Continue reading Grease | Theatre Review
By Vittoria Zerbini Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Isadora, written by Julie Birmant and illustrated by Cl├®ment Oubrerie, is a graphic novel depicting the life and scandals of the ÔÇÿMother of Modern DanceÔÇÖ Isadora Duncan (published by SelfMadeHero, paperback, 144 pages). Isadora was born in America and by the age of 22 she became an acclaimed dancer throughout Europe. Her fame was due to the visceral, free-flowing … Continue reading Graphic Novel Review: Isadora
by Andrea Gaini Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà The Welsh National Opera is well-known for bold and often politically active productions, and this yearÔÇÖs Autumn Season is especially rich of sensational themes with both Carmen and Rigoletto carrying powerful messages. James MacDonaldÔÇÖs adaptation of Rigoletto to the KennedyÔÇÖs era embraces the core ideologies and beliefs shared by the #MeToo movement in retelling the story of the … Continue reading Rigoletto at the Millennium Centre: WNO embraces the #MeToo movement in iconic new setting of VerdiÔÇÖs masterpiece | Review
By Sofia Brizio Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà My love for BizetÔÇÖs Carmen dates back to my early childhood. Growing up in an Italian household meant that opera and classical music in one form or the other were always playing, to the point that during long and warm summer nights I used to be unable to fall asleep without some soothing opera-singing in the background. … Continue reading Carmen | Review
By Rhiannon Humphreys Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà The Story is a psychological thriller by young Welsh playwright Tess Berry-Head, inspired by her time doing humanitarian work with refugees from AssadÔÇÖs jails and Libyan prisons. It has a two-person live cast ÔÇô X (played by Siwan Morris, known for her role as Angie in Skins) and V (played by Hannah McPake) ÔÇô but also uses four screens … Continue reading The Story | Theatre Review
By Sofia Brizio Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà The International Concert Series opened last night at St DavidÔÇÖs Hall with an unforgettable performance by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Expectations were high as the program featured great names (such as Peter Donhoe on the piano) and a vast repertoire, from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninov and Kachaturian. Not only were these expectations met, but conductor Yuri Simonov went above … Continue reading Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (International Concert Series 2019/20) | Review
By Katie May Huxtable Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà ┬áNO SPOILERS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. For me to reveal the ins and outs of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is classed as the equivalent of treachery in the performing arts industry and, from my knowledge, slip-ups have somehow been avoided. After running for over 60 years ÔÇô and earning the title of the continuous longest-running … Continue reading The Mousetrap | Theatre Review
By Tabitha Jukes The wonderful world of the Iris Prize six-day film Festival returns to Cardiff on the 8th-13th October 2019. Celebrating her 13th birthday, Iris, like the great cinematic genre, is truly coming of age, bigger, brighter and badder than ever before. This year has seen the Iris Prize, which was founded in the Capitol in 2007, grow in both size and excellence. With … Continue reading The Iris Prize Film Festival Returns to Cardiff for Another Year of LGBTQ+ Films
By Sofia Brizio With FresherÔÇÖs Week now in full swing, whether youÔÇÖre a newbie or a final year student, itÔÇÖs time to take the plunge and try new things! But it can be extremely difficult to find something you like in the mayhem of the Societies Fair. I know that when I was a Fresher, I didnÔÇÖt even make it inside the fair as it … Continue reading Best Cardiff Uni Societies for Culture Geeks
By Anastasiia Kropotina Have you ever found yourself standing, say, waiting for a bus, mindlessly scrolling through your feed to pass the time? At some point, you are going to start asking yourself ÔÇ£How many slime compilations does one have to watch before going insane?ÔÇØ. You donÔÇÖt want that. In fact, I donÔÇÖt want that for you, so I have prepared something to jazz up … Continue reading Instagram Artists You Should Definitely Follow
By Molly Govus and Rosa Burston Poetry is one of the most peculiar literary genres and is also extremely beneficial to readers and writers alike. Able to capture the power of language and to go straight to the point, poetry is ideal for every confused millennial trying to survive in this chaotic world and make sense of it. In this article, we recommend 5 books … Continue reading 5 Poetry Books Every Millennial Should Read
by Sai In our modern age, we are always surrounded by images in all forms, whether itÔÇÖs advertising, art, or a photo accompanying an article. Everyone has seen in some form or another, a mass of immigrants being portrayed to push an anti-immigration policy. Instead of women or children, or even just individuals, large numbers of men are used, to invoke a certain feeling with … Continue reading The Power of Photography
By Sai With the Homeless World Cup on the way, Ffotogallery hosted an exhibition about it, showing photos taken by photographer Paul John Roberts. Having been in Paris on a documentary course, Roberts came back to the UK with the mindset of looking to make the familiar strange. After hearing of the Homeless World Cup, which coaligned with his interest in football, he got involved … Continue reading One Match | Review
By Gintare Safigulinaite Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà The production of Jesus Christ Superstar by Everyman Theatre and The Musical Company that debuted last night at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival was a fantastic, ground-breaking show. The 2000-year-old moving story of the last days in the life of Jesus Christ was brought to life in a rock masterpiece without a single dialogue; just songs, one … Continue reading Jesus Christ Superstar | Theatre Review
By Sofia Brizio Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà As a die-hard fan of the film adaptation of this Broadway masterpiece, I had been dreaming of seeing Chicago live for years. So when the Kinetic School of Performing Arts invited me to review their production at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, I immediately thought it was an opportunity I couldnÔÇÖt miss. And after last … Continue reading Chicago | Theatre Review
By Sofia Brizio Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Before last night, all I knew about Kinky Boots was that itÔÇÖs already a Broadway classic even though it only premiered in 2012, and I had a rough idea of the plot. Never would I have imagined that by the end of the musicalÔÇÖs opening night at the Welsh Millennium Centre I would be shedding tears of sadness … Continue reading Kinky Boots | Theatre Review
