ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå by Olly Hearn Freedom – an obtainable right or just a bedtime story? Can we choose our own destiny, or must we simply accept what we are given by fate and circumstance? This is one of many questions posed by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, the play on which Lenard Bernstein based ÔÇÿWest Side StoryÔÇÖ. Abandoning the attitudes and conduct of their family in … Continue reading REVIEW: “West Side Story” at the New Theatre
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå by Maxwell Modell Director Abdul ShayekÔÇÖs production of Death and the Maiden is a good if unexceptional adaptation of electrifying source material. Throughout the show it is always clear that the director and actors are accomplished in their craft, however, it always felt as if something was missing. It is an adaption of Ariel DorfmanÔÇÖs Oliver award-winning play, set in the house of the … Continue reading REVIEW: “Death and the Maiden” at The Other Room
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Hannah Stait This Sunday, musical lovers flocked to the well known and much loved St. DavidÔÇÖs Hall to see some of the stages most loved performers sing some of the most well-known songs from an array of musicals. Settling into the gorgeous theatre, we were welcomed to the show by the amazing David Mahoney of Only Men Aloud who did a fabulous job … Continue reading REVIEW: A Night At The Musicals
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Lauren Daly The Corbyn craze is only getting crazier! It’s Corbyn but as you’ve never seen him before, in true superhero style in ÔÇÿthe Corbyn comic bookÔÇÖ. Granted he’s not your typical superhero; heÔÇÖs got a bit of a dad bod, he makes jam in his spare time and I wouldn’t really like to think of him wearing his pants over his trousers … Continue reading Review: Corbyn Corbyn HeÔÇÖs Our Man, Can He Save Us? Jezz He Can!
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Bethan Linnane On Wednesday 18th October an odd yet refreshing new take on the classic tale Of Mice and Men was performed. First impressions of the performance area were odd, with a black curtain and three walls comprising the small room it definitely felt snug ÔÇô even the seating layout was strange, with many audience members sat facing one another or with only … Continue reading REVIEW: Of Mice and Men
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå by Molly Wyatt ÔÇ£Perhaps man has a hundred senses, and when he dies only the five senses that we know perish with him, and the other ninety-five remain alive.ÔÇØ ItÔÇÖs the early 80s, just before ThatcherÔÇÖs upsurge in power and a family are confronted with the prospect of cutting down their cherished cherry orchard as a solution to financial uncertainty. Set in Pembrokeshire, the … Continue reading REVIEW: The Cherry Orchard
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå by Seema Boksh Performed by Shannon Keogh at The Other Room this October, she gave a moving yet liberal performance on stage. Reflecting upon the late Rachel Corrie as a peaceful protester in Gaza on January 2003. The show started off inside a dark room, Keogh as Rachel Corrie sleeping on her couch with clothes, books, shoes, everywhere and sand on the floor. Yes, … Continue reading REVIEW: “My Name is Rachel Corrie” at The Other Room
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Lianne Potts As a long-time listener to ongoing podcast series ÔÇÿWelcome to Night ValeÔÇÖ, it has been an ambition of mine to see one of their live shows for myself for years now, and IÔÇÖm happy to say that the performance they gave on Monday night did not disappoint. ÔÇÿWelcome To Night ValeÔÇÖ is a twice-monthly podcast created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey … Continue reading REVIEW: “Welcome to Night Vale”
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå by Andrea Gaini Seeing a show for the first time is very difficult. Musicals, in particular, because sometimes it takes a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with the music and the constant change from acting to singing. Last night at the New Theatre in Cardiff was my first time ever seeing Blood Brothers, the tear-jerking story of two brothers separated at birth, … Continue reading REVIEW: “Blood Brothers” at the New Theatre
ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå by Andrea Gaini The houselights go off, a man walks in the dark and as he steps up on a crate, a single light illuminates his long body. Michael Mears, playing James Brightmore, reads aloud a letter he is writing to his family, explaining the condition he is forced to live in the cell he has been put in for being a Conscientious Objector. … Continue reading REVIEW: “This Evil Thing” at the Sherman Theatre
By Maxwell Modell This year was my first year at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and seeing as I had no expectation going in it could be argued that everything was a surprise. However, with some shows, I knew what I was going to get, this particularly tends to be the case with the big shows containing famous performers as they are a known quantity to … Continue reading The 3 Biggest Surprises of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017
by Maxwell Modell The Edinburgh Fringe festival is not just an event, it is the event. It is possibly the biggest draw for the performing arts community every year, with the calendars of fans and performers alike blocked off for the period of August. 2017 marks the 70 annual Edinburgh Fringe festival and is set to be the biggest yet. Last yearÔÇÖs festival consisted of … Continue reading Review: Creatives at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017
Alexandre Pr├®vert takes the audience of the Church of St. Edward through a journey of music and poetry. ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå By Andrea Gaini The duo, music and poetry, is a very powerful one. The first clears up your mind of any thoughts and worries filling it with peace and tranquillity. The second stimulates your neurons to look at the world through the eyes of the writer … Continue reading ALEXANDRE PR├ëVERT – A JOURNEY OF MUSIC AND POETRY REVIEW
Legally Blonde, Monday 10th April, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, reviewer: Penelope Barnes ItÔÇÖs a production we all know and love. Blonde sorority queen Elle Woods adores college sweetheart Warner, said ÔÇÿsweetheartÔÇÖ doesnÔÇÖt turn out to be sweet at all, and Elle gets serious and ends up discovering sheÔÇÖs destined for more than a life as a shopaholic with a shoe addiction. Underneath … Continue reading Review: Legally Blonde, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
One of my pet hates in life is when people give away the plot line to a book. This pet hate is only heightened when it turns to drama. Not really knowing what to expect before entering, The Play That Goes Wrong is quite frankly what it says on the tin. Letting us in on the world of unsuccessful and extremely humorous amateur dramatics, Mark … Continue reading Review: The Play That Goes Wrong, The New Theatre
You’ve Got a Friend, Thursday 6th April, St David’s Hall, reviewer: Sarah Harris James Taylor and Carole King are arguably two of the most influential and most successful singer/songwriters of the last few decades. From the same people who created the outstanding West End masterpiece, The Simon & Garfunkel Story, YouÔÇÖve Got A Friend┬áshowcases the music and work on Taylor and King and celebrates the … Continue reading Review: You’ve Got a Friend, St David’s Hall
ÔÇ£1940s Baltimore and itÔÇÖs opÔÇÖninÔÇÖ night of a musical version of┬áThe Taming of the Shrew. Rehearsals are over, costumes donned and thereÔÇÖs a 10 minute curtain call. What youÔÇÖre about to witness is a whole lot more than ShakespeareÔÇÖs comic love storyÔǪÔÇØ Welsh National OperaÔÇÖs Autumn season featured three productions inspired by William Shakespeare, as part of the official Shakespeare 400 celebrations to commemorate the … Continue reading Preview: Welsh National Opera, Kiss Me, Kate
I went into this play not knowing what to expect other than the basics. The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play written by Agatha Christie. It is set in an old manor house, which the owners have recently converted into a guesthouse. It begins on a cold, winter afternoon with the guests being introduced one by one. However, as the days go on, the guests … Continue reading Review: The Mousetrap, New Theatre
ÔÇ£WickedÔÇØ as a story itself is essentially one of the most successful fanfictions ever written. Based off the 1995 story ÔÇ£The Wizard of OzÔÇØ by L. Frank Baum, ÔÇ£Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestÔÇØ, is a novel written by Gregory Maguire and it tells the untold story of the witches of Oz: Glinda the Good and Elphaba the Wicked … Continue reading Review: Wicked the MusicalÔÇÖs 10th Anniversary in London
As Mrs BrownÔÇÖs Boys is voted the best sitcom of the 21st Century, I argue the case for the shows it beat- and what this says about the state of British comedy today. Picture the scene. The camera opens on a mock-up of a traditional kitchen. Old worktops, shelves cluttered with pots and pans, and there, sat at the table, is quite clearly a man … Continue reading No Laughing Matter
