A play that goes beyond white men arguing over a white painting. ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Jess Warren Among a crowd of grey hairs and balding heads, one would assume that ÔÇÿArtÔÇÖ was going to be an un-relatable production. Sat in the audience as the lights dimmed and the play began, it would have been easy to predict the performance as being a sitcom of the bygone … Continue reading ÔÇÿArtÔÇÖ, the comical canvas of emotion
Interview by Rowan Lees After publishing a short summary piece for my Issue 168 of Quench, I have since sat on this full interview recording for almost two months. The conversation changed my life. I left the venue in a daze, my phoneÔÇÖs battery voice-noted to its death, and walked for a solid half hour stunned by the unreality of it all. I eventually began … Continue reading ÔÇ£Being an artist is fuckedÔÇØ – a conversation with milo (the rapper)
Mere minutes into Lynne RamseyÔÇÖs You Were Never Really Here, you are completely aware that this is a violent, difficult film. This is a film very much concerned with death, trauma and an uneasy mental state. Joe, (Joaquin Phoenix) a troubled gun for hire, traverses the grimy underbelly of New York (├á la Taxi Driver) to rescue a missing teenage girl from a ring of … Continue reading Review: You Were Never Really Here
The Greatest Showman follows the crazy imagination of American businessman, politician and importantly, a showman. The box office success celebrates PT Barnum and his show business through a whirlwind of music, dancing and sensation. Quench contributors wrote their thoughts… Right from its foot-stomping opening number, The Greatest Showman is a riot of colour, charm and razzmatazz, that cements Hugh JackmanÔÇÖs status as one of the … Continue reading Review: The Greatest Showman
Black Panther has set world records, smashed the box office and started a cultural phenomenon. We asked Quench contributors to tell us their thoughts too… Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film follows TÔÇÖChalla (Chadwick Boseman) as he takes his place as king of Wakanda following the death of his father. T’ChallaÔÇÖs rule is not an easy one, however, as he faces discontentment in the form … Continue reading Review: Black Panther
by Lianne Potts ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà Healthcare Drama SocietyÔÇÖs first ever production opened to a sold-out theatre last Friday night, and itÔÇÖs safe to say they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. As a newly-formed society which has been running less than a year, a lot must have been riding on this debut performance, but IÔÇÖm happy to report that all its membersÔÇÖ hard work truly paid … Continue reading Review: Healthcare Drama Society, ÔÇÿAnd Then There Were NoneÔÇÖ at YMCA Theatre
Words by Rowan Lees Musicians are some of the best placed people to speak about mental health.┬á Hectic tour schedules away from home, life spent constantly in the public eye, and a constant pressure to be ÔÇÿdroppingÔÇÖ new material arenÔÇÖt exactly a recipe for mental acuity. Music Minds Matter found that musicians are three times more likely to be suffering from mental health issues … Continue reading Facing The Music – The State of Mental Health in Music
It took the Arctic Monkeys 5 years to make a come-back. Tranquillity, Base, Hotel & Casino is unexpected, different and an excitingly mysterious album. ItÔÇÖs an evident new step in their career. TheyÔÇÖve grown up and their songs have grown with them. Their new piano-driven, retro vibe, witty lyrics mark the start of a new era for the Sheffield group. The 70ÔÇÖs-like opening track, … Continue reading Tranquillity, Base, Hotel + Casino Album Review
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà by Alice Lintern After watching The Rise and Fall of Little Voice the week before, I had high expectations for Act OneÔÇÖs production of Closer. I was not disappointed. First performed in 1997, Patrick MarberÔÇÖs play holds, at its core, the philosophical narrative that to love another person authentically is to understand them wholly. And that wanting to be loved is the desire to … Continue reading Closer: Sophisticated production pulls off witty and tragic play
When I was invited to review a pop-up cafe on 22 Crwys Road, I had the feeling where I was sure I’d been there before. Waking up after a heavy Juice session, I eagerly skipped off with a hungover stomach that was DYING for an avo-based brunch. And when I got there I found I was at none other than the door of Munchies! If … Continue reading Pop-up Avocado Cafe- A Review
Words by:┬áLuisa De la Concha Montes Last Friday, Kele Okereke played at Clwb Ifor Bach with an acoustic set in an intimate environment, which is quite contrasting to what he is normally associated with, as the front man of Bloc Party. Many fans still remain unaware that for the last eight years, he has been quite invested in developing his solo career.During an interview back … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Kele Okereke @ Clwb Ifor Bach 26/04/18
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà by Molly Wyatt Act One have pulled it out the bag yet again with their incredibly produced show of Little Voice. Written in the 1990ÔÇÖs, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright was a huge success with a film that followed to be just as popular, so it goes without saying that the amateur production, directed by Emma Lewis had a … Continue reading REVIEW: Little Voice; Big Success
By Molly Wyatt Calling all Gin Lovers: A Gin Festival is coming to Cardiff! We can hear the chime of gingle bellesÔǪ Calling all gin drinkers, gin fantatics, and general gincredible Cardiffians ÔÇô The Great British Gin Festival is coming to Cardiff in July and weÔÇÖve got the lowdown on all you need to knowÔǪ I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of … Continue reading The Great British Gin Festival is Coming to Cardiff!
Words by Rowan Lees Akala made his long awaited return to Cardiff after last year’s succesful Clwb Ifor Bach gig, bringing with him a host of impressive support acts. Proceedings began with Deacon (whose interview with Quench you can read here) who gave a commanding performance on the tricky first slot of the night. We heard the brooding debut ÔÇÿNo EvilÔÇÖ and the crowd fully … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Akala @ The Globe Cardiff 22/04/18
A performance poet with years of experience on the open mic circuit and a history with AkalaÔÇÖs groundbreaking Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, Deacon has this year begun to turn his skills to music. With a debut EP in the works and already making waves online, he kindly sat down for a chat with Quench before his show supporting Akala at The Globe. So how is touring … Continue reading Interview: Deacon
Here at Quench Food & Drink we love being loyal to local and independent businesses, and Wriggle helps us discover the best of the crop. A gem in the city centre is the long standing and authentic Thai House, home to the first ever Thai food brought to Cardiff. Not yet on the student grub map, but definitely a contender for the foodies of us, … Continue reading REVIEW: The Thai House via Wriggle
The Wales One World festival celebrates eclectic worldwide cinema and has been since 2001. This rich selection of film, adventures across Welsh cinemas every March and aims to bring people together in the reflection of the wonders of moving pictures from around the world. WoW films prioritise the echoing of the ways of our world and the ways in which we ultimately live in – … Continue reading WoW Festival Review: Mary and the Witch’s Flower
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Maxwell Modell I remember receiving a flyer for Cathy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year. It was a show I wished I could have seen then, but short on time and money, I couldn’t fit in into my schedule. Fast forward 8 months and itÔÇÖs at the Wales Millennium Centre and I finally had my opportunity to see it. It didn’t disappoint. … Continue reading Cathy review: visceral, poignant and compelling documentary theatre
Greeted with a pink cocktail to match AmyÔÇÖs hair, I walked into the top floor of the Castle Emporium, where people were enjoying live music, glitter make overs, and a gorgeous photo wall with Summer of Self Love spelled out in pink balloons.Her launch party took place at the independent business hub in Cardiff city centre, where she showcased the pieces she was hand sowing … Continue reading Summer of Self-Love
Known in some parts of the world only as a war, Vietnam is by far the most surprising country IÔÇÖve visited. Prior to my trip I was met with constant worrying from my parents. It wasnÔÇÖt my first solo trip or my first time in Asia, but for some reason they were more anxious than ever before. We think of Vietnam and we think bombs, … Continue reading Vietnam- A Backpacker’s Paradise
