With the beginning of the Welsh National OperaÔÇÖs new season; ÔÇÿFallen WomenÔÇÖ, in Wales Millennium Centre next week, the subject of operaÔÇÖs place in the young adultÔÇÖs life is questioned. Jordan Nicholls takes us through some of the myths that have popped up around opera, and why theyÔÇÖre false. Many young adults are culturally curious, and enjoy activities such as trips to the museum and … Continue reading Fallen Women, Falling Myths
A brand new, and very well-publicised comedy night has come to Buffalo Bar. Sitting right on the doorstep of Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs student populous, Buffalo comedy promised to bring a professional comedy night with value for money, and it has already delivered with its first instalment. The room feels like home for stand-up comedy; its capacity balances intimacy and gathering perfectly, and the acoustics make every … Continue reading Review: Buffalo Comedy, Buffalo Bar
Although there is a focus on monetary success, Why WasnÔÇÖt I Taught This At School? aims to bring an all-round feeling of success which stretches from career to personal life. The central idea is that change is possible, but only if it comes from within; that thinking like a winner leads to acting like a winner, leads to being a winner. Reynolds adopts a Nurture … Continue reading Book Review: ‘Why WasnÔÇÖt I Taught This At School?’ by Dave Reynolds
Culture are on a mission to debunk the myths that make opera seem boring and unapproachable. Vaiva Seskeviciute reviews the dramatic story of La traviata, where the courtesan ViolettaÔÇÖs rise and tragic fall is spellbindingly presented through dance, music and song. Images courtesy of┬áRoger Donovan A string orchestra, and the mysterious walk of Alfredo opened the scene of La traviata, VerdiÔÇÖs most famous opera. The … Continue reading Review: La traviata, WMC
Paul Michael Glaser, star of ÔÇÿ70s cop thriller ÔÇÿStarsky and HutchÔÇÖ, leads the talented cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye which is on at the New Theatre until Saturday 8th February. Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, Fiddler tells the story of Tevye, the father of five daughters who attempts to preserve his family and Jewish traditions in the face of the Tsar … Continue reading Review: Fiddler on the Roof – The New Theatre
Every year, CardiffÔÇÖs Malaysian Students Society puts on an extravaganza of a show, called Festival of Diversity. MalaysocÔÇÖs FOD director Xue Ying Tan tells us how this meaningful occasion comes to be. Cr: Shermin.T Photography Malaysia, Truly Asia – thatÔÇÖs what they said about this kaleidoscopic country. This is the land of paradise ÔÇô a heartwarming country with the perfect tropical climate and abundance of … Continue reading Festival of Diversity: How Culture Leads to Art
For such a colourfully titled show, Canoe TheatreÔÇÖs Blue/Orange is set in a blandly sterile consultation room, illuminated by fluorescent lights. The audience is placed in the round ÔÇô except itÔÇÖs not round, but quadrilateral, perhaps reflecting the rigidly technocratic themes of the story. The technocracy in this case is the British healthcare system, and its inherent problems in trying to cater for a large … Continue reading Review: Blue/Orange, Sherman Cymru
After a successful three year stint on the LondonÔÇÖs West End and a transfer to Broadway, Priscilla Queen of the DesertÔÇÖs next stop on its UK tour began in Cardiff on Tuesday. Jordan Nicholls goes to see what the glittery hubbub is all about. Based on the 1994 Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, starring Terrence Stamp and Hugo Weaving, the … Continue reading Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wales Millennium Centre
The Russian National Ballet and Russian State Ballet of Siberia returns to Cardiff for another spectacular repertoire of classics ÔÇô The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and not to mention, the epitome of Romantic ballet with a longstanding history of some 135 years, Swan Lake. Performed to the fascinatingly engaging melodies of TchaikovskyÔÇÖs first ever ballet score, the melancholic adaptation of Swan Lake tells the tale of … Continue reading Review: Swan Lake, St DavidÔÇÖs Hall
A jam is a highlight in any b-boy or b-girlÔÇÖs diary. ItÔÇÖs an event for breakdancers to showcase their skills often with a live DJ and a big audience. Sophie Lodge tells us about Battle Time 3, a jam that recently took place in Newport. My expectations of a jam were what I had seen on terrible street dance films from the 2000s; bad 90s … Continue reading Battle Time Breakdancing
Reviewed by Matthew Lee Schneider Splashing legs sweep with forceful grace, weaving droplets of rain into curtains which drape across the audience. ┬áA relentlessly rotating rainbow of umbrella navels frolic up and down, left to right, round and round. ┬áTwirling, swirling, tapping, clapping, falling (in love), dancing, jumping, singing, yelling; this is SinginÔÇÖ in the Rain. ┬áArriving at the Millennium Centre by way of the … Continue reading Review: Singin’ In The Rain, WMC
On the 30th November, Cardiff University Operatic Society performed their ÔÇÿOpera Through The AgesÔÇÖ Gala Concert, which took the audience through the entire history of opera in solos, ensembles and choruses. The diverse programme showed what an exciting line-up was laid out ahead. The evening began with a very confident start, with the blend of Lucy Hannam, Katharine Blackwell, Donald Montgomery, Conall Keaveney and Benjamin … Continue reading Review: Operatic Society Gala Concert
Making a piece of physical theatre is a complicated, lengthy process; Culture editors Amy Pay and Sum Sze Tam spoke to Tracy Gentles, the producer of upcoming physical theatre production An Anatomie in Four Quarters, to find out how such a complex work of art comes into being An Anatomie in Four Quarters is showing soon in the WMC. Can you tell us a little … Continue reading Clod Ensemble: An Anatomie in Four Quarters
If I really wanted to upset the Daily Mail, I would probably call up Tracey Emin and ask her if she would be willing to collaborate with Greenpeace. “Green” seemed to be the big buzz-word of the pre-recession zeitgeist, but in a time of austerity, the environment sadly seems to have taken something of a back seat, retreating once more into the composting bins of … Continue reading Land Art: Making the Environment Relevant Again?
The stage: traditionally a foundation for acting, singing or dancing. Then, physical theatre came along and integrated the disciplines, the primary idea being that performers tell a story through physical means. What is it? Where does it come from? How is it put together? This month, Sophie Barnes unravels these questions As physical theatreÔÇÖs popularity grows, so does its following. This is owed to the … Continue reading Physical Theatre: More Than Dancey Acting?
This month saw the publication of Autobiography, the long-awaited memoir of Morrissey ÔÇô bequiffed singer, lyricist and iconoclast famed for fronting the 1980ÔÇÖs alt-rock band The Smiths. Owen Spalding tells us his views on the Penguin Classic Usually reserved for such literary luminaries as Plato, Hardy and Nabokov, Autobiography was published, at MorrisseyÔÇÖs request, by PenguinÔÇÖs venerable Classics imprint. The news that the memoir would … Continue reading This Charming Man
Bridget Jones: diary-writer, mother, Twitter user… we love her just the way she is; a character who embodies the woman of our time, supposedly. Anne Porter explores what makes her, and many other notable female literary figures, such an exceptional personality Helen FieldingÔÇÖs character first emerged in a newspaper column in the 1990s, with the witty columnÔÇÖs popularity leading to the characterÔÇÖs life stories expanding … Continue reading Women of Fiction
Reviewed by Matthew Lee Schneider Comedy. ┬áIt manifests through seemingly infinite methods and mediums, all striving towards one goal: to be funny. ┬áWhen oneÔÇÖs divine judge manifests in the form of fifteen minutes of memorized material alone in front of a dimly lit sea of strangers, one will find arguably the most daunting form of comedy, stand-up. In the world of stand-up, the common theme … Continue reading Review: The Invisible Dot New Wave Tour 2013, Chapter
Reviewed by Vaiva Seskeviciute Ballet Cymru challenged itself by producing an adaptation of ShakespeareÔÇÖs most famous masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet, at Wales Millennium Centre this November. The Weston Studio was fully seated and excitement was felt in the air. Classical strings music opened the show as the characters were introduced. Even though Romeo and his relatives owned the stage for the first few minutes, throughout … Continue reading Review: Romeo and Juliet (Ballet Cymru), WMC
Words by Laura Carter IÔÇÖm sure I wasnÔÇÖt the only one to be absolutely horrified at the news that Helen Fielding had killed off Mark Darcy in her new book Mad About The Boy. The last time we read about dear Bridget, she was about to embark on married life with Mr Darcy himself. I know what youÔÇÖre going to say: ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs only a bookÔǪ … Continue reading Opinion: Why Burst Bridget Jones’ Bubble?
