Alice Fairbanks gives us her review of The Cosy Club, a mainstay of Cardiff’s city centre. I had heard that┬áThe Cosy Club┬áwas a genuinely cosy place, and after a sufficient amount of time spent there,┬áI can confirm this. The d├®cor is┬árustic and thrifty, but with a grand entrance to the main restaurant. All of the details and little touches are what charmed me about The … Continue reading Review: The Cosy Club Cardiff – Alice Fairbanks
Originally a novella written by horror-mogul Stephen King, then transformed into the classic cult film over twenty years ago, I pounced on the opportunity to review The Shawshank Redemption production at The New Theatre, Cardiff. While this latest adaption definitely captured the tone of ÔÇÿfear will hold you prisonerÔÇÖ, it struggled to recapitulate the sombre themes explored so elegantly on screen. In a miscarriage of … Continue reading Review: The Shawshank Redemption, New Theatre
Whether you’re a budding first year, eager to explore your new home, or a long term resident of our glorious city. Here is a run-down of the best day trips in and around Cardiff! St Fagans St Fagans is a pretty village in the west of Cardiff, a humble 5 miles from student domain Cathays. If youÔÇÖre living in Cardiff (and you probably are if … Continue reading Exploring Cardiff
When I was told that I was going to see a musical about depression, self harm, anorexia and a girl whoÔÇÖd been sectioned, honestly I feared the worst. Musicals are usually so fun and whimsical that I thought it would be impossible to display the emotional depth required for such a topic. Boy was I wrong. Battle Scars: A New Musical, written and directed by … Continue reading Review: Battle Scars: A New Musical, YMCA Theatre
BizetÔÇÖs gracefully hypnotic, four act opera, Carmen, hit the stage of St DavidÔÇÖs Hall this week and its success was evidently exemplified by the roaring applause upon the final curtain of the performance. The opera revealed a spectacular degree of d├®cor with an all- inclusive account of highly qualified opera stars, multitudes of colorful clothing and just to top it off, a real donkey walking … Continue reading Review: Bizet Carmen, St David’s Hall.
The proof of a good story, whether in film, television or theatre is always the way you feel about the characters come the finale. There have been endless occasions in which protagonists have met their fatal and dramatic deaths, with directors hoping for a weeping audience to mourn the tragedy, only to be met by the realization that no one in the audience really cares. … Continue reading Review: The Glenn Miller Story, New Theatre
Super Tomato: Nestled more or less opposite Tesco on Salisbury Road, Super Tomato houses an AladdinÔÇÖs cave of retro games, manga, toys and awesome imported action figures from Japan. To further satisfy your inner geek and keep you entertained during term time are a wide range of sparkly electronics and cool gadgets. As Super Tomato mainly concentrates on retro games and consoles, not surprisingly much … Continue reading The Gamer’s Guide to Cardiff
After all these years, judging from the buzzing, dancing-in-your-seat atmosphere of the auditorium, Grease certainly is still the one that we want. The nationÔÇÖs favourite musical has hit the stage of The New Theatre, with Orbit Theatre Company bringing us all the classic hits itÔÇÖs famous for- the ones that we all undeniably know the lyrics and all the moves to. Opening the show, the … Continue reading Review: Grease, New Theatre.
For many of us starting out or returning back to uni, the drinking and clubbing scene is typically where you’ll find yourself when looking for a fun night out. To make the best of, if and when, that time arrives, here is the inside scoop on what┬áto wear to a pick of the most popular nights out during the week in Cardiff. So embrace … Continue reading A Step into Cardiff Nightlife
A day out at V is For Vintage: An Extravaganza is an ideal alternative to wasting your Sunday in bed. Offering the brilliant, the artistic and the beautiful, the vintage fair took place for the very first time at Depot on Dumballs road on Sunday 18th October and what a successful debut it was. Curated by the wonderful Jessica Keith, the aim of the project … Continue reading V is for Vintage: A Review
As the frames of the face, eyebrows have become the hot topic of conversation in recent times. Whether youÔÇÖre inspired by CaraÔÇÖs bushy power-brows, are bleaching like Kim Kardashian, or are embracing the latest Insta trend; #EyebrowSlit and are coming over all Bow Wow, this month we are bringing you the complete low down so you can put on your strongest brow game face! ┬á … Continue reading HighBrow
Cardiff: the fashion capital of Wales. With three huge shopping centres packed with popular brands and labels, the St DavidÔÇÖs Centre, Capitol Shopping Centre and QueenÔÇÖs Arcade are the go-to mallÔÇÖs for your style desires. However, we have decided to shine some light on the hidden treasures of the fashion scene in and around Cardiff; to open your eyes up to some of the unique … Continue reading Top of the Shops: Best of Cardiff
ÔÇ£So, did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twins? As like each other as two new pins, of one womb born on the self-same day, how one was kept and one given awayÔǪÔÇØ A complex question that is thrown back and forth in the world of theatre is ÔÇÿWhat makes a good show? The answer, though it may seem somewhat ambiguous, usually … Continue reading Review: Blood Brothers, New Theatre.
Beauty writer┬áEm Gates joined in with Superdrug’s Beauty Studio’s first┬ábirthday celebrations. Here is┬áwhat she got up to…┬á If the allure of a free goody bag for being one of the first 50 people into the store doesnÔÇÖt bother most people, that was probably the reason I was first in the queue for the Superdrug Beauty Studio 1st Birthday Party. Not feeling guilty at all for … Continue reading Superdrug Beauty Studio’s 1st Birthday
ÔÇ£Giving pussy to assholes makes them into c**tsÔÇØ. Whilst the above quote is not the most orthodox of ways to begin a review of a performance, it may be the only way of exemplifying the original style of comedy witnessed by several hundred people at St DavidÔÇÖs Hall, Cardiff last night at Reginald. D. HunterÔÇÖs national tour of ÔÇÿThe Man who attempted to do as … Continue reading Review: Reginald. D. Hunter, St David’s Hall
An eclectic mix of youth and experience combine in the New Theatre this week for OrbitÔÇÖs production of the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz. The award winning amateur theatre company which has been entertaining audiences for nearly half a century did not disappoint with their most recent production, pulling out all the stops to provide a heart-warming interpretation of the classic story. Based on … Continue reading Review: The Wizard of Oz, New Theatre
Beautiful chaos; two adjectives that are rarely, if not ever merged together in the same phrase to connote something positive. In spite of the oxymoron, the chaotic elegance of the Pirate of the CarabinaÔÇÖs ÔÇÿFlownÔÇÖ truly represented the chaotic splendour of circus. With personal anecdotes, tense, harmonic vocals and story-telling tight rope walkers, ÔÇÿFlownÔÇÖ can merely be described as a celebration of the surreal yet … Continue reading Review: Pirates of the Carabina’s- ‘Flown’, St David’s Hall.
A sense of self and individual identity is something that all of us take for granted. But what would happen if this was suddenly taken away? In the fight for survival, working class widow Ella Gericke is forced to adopt her husbandÔÇÖs identity during Nazi Germany in this captivating piece of modern theatre, Man To Man. The audience are transported through the 20th century from … Continue reading Review: Man To Man, Weston Studio.
This may sound like a disparate collection of potentially rather unpleasant experiences, but in fact, itÔÇÖs a small insight into a burgeoning band of individuals with some refreshingly genuine interests at heart. Dafydd Haine explores the impressive, decisive rise of CardiffÔÇÖs microbreweries and craft beer community. In the two years or so since IÔÇÖve been living here, Cardiff seems to have exponentially increased its appeal … Continue reading Rebels and Dogs, Pipes and BrainsÔǪ
This month the Quench team headed to one of the cities latest dining hot-spots, Apple Jacks: American Diner Deluxe. Promising to offer some of the best US dishes this side of the Atlantic, all creatively infused with a gastronomic twist, there was no doubt that the States had to be the next stop on our gourmet exploration. So grab your cowboy boots, don the stars … Continue reading Quench Food Evening: Apple Jacks
