On the 15th April, Ibou Tall and Jazzmates played in Caf├® Jazz in Cardiff. They are a Bristol based jazz group with Ibou Tall at the centre of the group writing the songs and playing keyboard. Ibou Tall grew up in Senegal starting up his own jazz bands. After a successful career with the Setsima Band, Ibou Tall set up his current band, working to … Continue reading Ibou Tall and Jazzmates
Review by Greg Barradale I have to admit that I was more than a little bit sceptical before seeing Psychic Sally. The pre-show disclaimer exclaiming ÔÇ£Due to EU regulations we are obliged to tell you that SallyÔÇÖs act hasnÔÇÖt been scientifically provenÔǪbut Sally would say it hasnÔÇÖt been unproven [sic] eitherÔÇØ did nothing to help this, nor the surreal hard house the small medium came … Continue reading Review: Psychic Sally, St David’s Hall
Review by Elis Doyle Thriller ÔÇô Live chronicles the incredibly journey of Michael Jackson from eleven year old musical prot├®g├® of The Jackson Five, to his rise as the world renowned ‘King of Pop’. Frankly speaking, I had never listened to Michael Jackson’s music that frequently until his untimely death on June 25th 2009. It’s one of life’s cruel ironies that I never got to … Continue reading Review: Thriller! Live, New Theatre
Review by Dillon Eastoe AMERICAN IDIOT The New Theatre welcomed a variety┬áof people into its doors for the opening of American Idiot this week. ┬áTeenage fans here for their favourite Green Day songs, their curious parents chaperoning them, and a few who seem like regular theatre goers (you wonder if theyÔÇÖre aware what theyÔÇÖre in for). As the cast make final preparations backstage, a TV … Continue reading Review: American Idiot, New Theatre
Review by Molly Wyatt -UDDERLY FABULOUS- Animal Farm is by no means a simple play to stage; an absolute classic piece of literature, this politically charged story requires a great deal of creativity, commitment and character. Having read (and loved) the book, yet never seeing a stage production of it, I was intrigued to see how this challenging show has been adapted. To say that … Continue reading Review: Animal Farm, Act One
Reviewed by Ellie Philpotts LetÔÇÖs face it ÔÇô sometimes everything can seem like a bit of a stressor. So what better way to mark the start of the Easter holidays after a good few weeks of essays, deadlines and maybe attempted revision than by boogying your way into the 1960s? ┬á Hairspray is somewhat of a classic ÔÇô even if musicals arenÔÇÖt your scene, you … Continue reading Review: Hairspray, The New Theatre.
Review by Molly Wyatt Chronolust is ChronoMUST! Last spring at Act OneÔÇÖs ÔÇÿStaging a CoupÔÇÖ I was lucky enough to watch a fifteen minute play called ÔÇÿChronolust.ÔÇÖ Amazed by the compact production, and mesmerised by the concept, we all left wanting more ÔÇô and last night I was fortunate enough to have that fulfilled. Both written and directed by Sam Walker himself, ÔÇÿChronolustÔÇÖ is a … Continue reading Review: Chronolust, Act One, YMCA Theatre
Review by Dimana Markova The central theme of Harold Pinter’s ‘Betrayal’ is, as the title suggests to some extent, the betrayal in the relationships between a woman, her husband and his best friend. Beginning from the end of the chronological story, the play starts with the moment when Emma shares that her marriage with Robert is over to Jerry- Roberts best friend and also the … Continue reading Review: Betrayal, St David’s Hall.
Review by Amy Butler Footloose is an undeniably classic musical; defined appropriately by its creator Dean Pitchford as a ÔÇÿcultural touchstoneÔÇÖ, even those who havenÔÇÖt seen the adaptations will know the story of the small town in which dancing was made illegal. Based on a bizarre true story, Footloose was first introduced to us through the 1983 film, starring Kevin Bacon as the original Ren … Continue reading Review: Footloose, New Theatre
Becca Stamatis┬átells Quench Culture about the who’s, what’s,┬áwhere’s, when’s and why’s about Amnesty International’s┬áhosting of ‘Jamnesty’,┬áin aid of ‘My Body My Rights campaign’. Jamnesty is Amnesty InternationalÔÇÖs annual jam night, raising money and making noise about the worldÔÇÖs leading human rights organisation. Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs Amnesty International Society is hosting their Jamnesty event at 10 Feet Tall on Thursday 10th March, at 7pm until late. So … Continue reading What is ‘JAMNESTY’?
A key figure in the Beat Generation, Allen Ginsberg was the prophet-like poet that significantly influenced a transcendental way of thinking, living and being. In response to the McCarthy-era, Post WWII America, Ginsberg and co. bonded over a non-conformist lifestyle, and sought a ‘New Vision’ for creativity inspired by the poetry of Yeats. Fuelled by this spirit (as well as hallucinogenic drugs) Ginsberg became, and … Continue reading Cultural Icons: Allen Ginsberg
It has been little over twenty-two years since the tragic suicide of Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain. Yet for many he has remained a cultural icon and to some extent the de facto mascot of the punk-grunge era of the nineties. For many, including myself, it was the music that he and his fellow band members were remembered for and was the driving force that catapulted … Continue reading Cultural Icons: Kurt Cobain
Pablo Picasso once defined the artist as ÔÇ£A political being constantly alert to the horrifying, passionate or pleasing events in the world, shaping himself completely in their image.ÔÇØ Throughout history, Politics has influenced many different types of culture. This has happened in literature, like George OrwellÔÇÖs Nineteen Eighty-Four, which contained themes of omnipresent government surveillance. Or in music, such as Dmitri Shostakovich, whose career was … Continue reading Art vs. Culture
Review by Ciara Gillespie Cardiff University’s Act 1 have yet again dazzled audiences with a stunning rendition of Shakespeare’s classic comedy ÔÇ£A Midsummer’s Night DreamÔÇØ. I was┬áperhaps skeptical about going to see the play, mainly because as a newbie to Shakespere I had only heard the name of the play a handful of times but had no clue what it was about. Surely I would … Continue reading Review: A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Llanover Hall, Canton
Review by Elis Doyle The Rocky Horror Show, a musical performance which explores the peculiar and outrageous, with a dash of B-Movie Horror and Sci-fi thrown into the melting pot, is quite the spectacle to behold. In the show, newly-weds Janet and Brad are stranded in the middle of nowhere, and are forced to take refuge in a nearby castle owned by a certain … Continue reading Review: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, New Theatre
Reviewed by Thomas Edwards This book of unpublished essays frequently reiterates itself as the concluding collection of Christopher HitchensÔÇÖ work. It states in the inner jacket how it is the ÔÇÿfinal volumeÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿthe last of the lastÔÇÖ. As a book that is the final product of collecting the last essays from what was a considerably well-stocked vault is surely not indicative of HitchensÔÇÖ work; … Continue reading Book Review: “And Yet…”, Christopher Hitchens.
Reviewed by Emily Jones, Features Editor. In a hauntingly modern conflation of three Shakespeare plays chronicling the Wars of the Roses, the Omidaze theatre company documents the conflicts between the two rival royal Houses of Lancaster and York in their fight for the throne, and the intricate plots that lead to the death of Henry VI. Staged in the Wales Millennium Centre, Henry VI … Continue reading Review: Henry VI, Wales Millenium Centre.
Review by Sarah Davies and Khuram Mahmood Posted by George Caulton The story of a man searching for his wife-to-beÔÇÖs murderer begins slowly and stirs, quite literally, from the underbelly of the theatre. Rehearsal for Murder suffers and succeeds in the same instant, not dissimilar to the state that Alex, the protagonist finds himself in. Alex, a successful playwright, attempts to calm the nerves of … Continue reading Review: Rehearsal for Murder, New Theatre
How does a city express itself? On its walls? In its streets? In its violence? Through its atmosphere? Does it spill out from its people, their screams, their laughter on the streets? Do individuals make the city, or does a city make the individuals what they are, what they can be? The interactions between the people within a city are constantly restrained, there are a … Continue reading Expression in the City
“The Internet is really, really great…” Avenue Q is a musical that makes frequent contemptuous references to black people, Jews, homosexuals, Republicans, pornography and sexÔǪ yet it could not be more hilarious if it tried. Avenue Q hit the New Theatre, Cardiff this week and did not disappoint. Providing a hilarious platform of discussion between puppets, everyday life and a few taboos thrown in for … Continue reading Review: Avenue Q, New Theatre
