BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL Review by Tom Morris As I went into Billy Elliot at the WMC, I asked my Nan, who I was with, what she thought about the two questions on my mind. That is; how would the play be better than the film, and is Billy supposed to be gay? By the final curtain, these questions couldnÔÇÖt be further from my mind. … Continue reading Review: Billy Elliot, WMC
Review by Sam Walker The 39 Steps is an unusual beast. Following the novel written by John Buchan , the story has been adapted for film many times, most notably in 1935 by Alfred Hitchcock. While┬áthe Master of SuspenseÔÇÖs name may appear on the posters for this stage adaptation, the actual result could not be more different. While HitchcockÔÇÖs film is a tense thriller, this … Continue reading Review: The 39 Steps, New Theatre
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 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 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’?
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
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
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.
Here at Quench Culture we love a good offering of home-grown talent, and perhaps thereÔÇÖs no better than┬á’Parallel Lines’. Cardiff-based playwright Katherine Chandler created ‘Parallel Lines’ in 2012, and the following year it ran for fourteen nights at Chapter (arguably our cityÔÇÖs best venue for independent art and drama). Since then, popular demand has meant itÔÇÖs been re-adapted by Dirty Protest, an award-winning Welsh theatre … Continue reading Review: Parallel Lines, Chapter Arts
As Winter draws to a close, we look back over the past year which saw some wonderful commemorative events to mark the centenary of WWI. December 2014 bore witness to artistic and cultural events in West Flanders which commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the Christmas Truce during the First World War and Quench Culture attended┬áto see the events in all their glory. In December … Continue reading Centenary Of The Christmas Truce
The first issue of BUTT was published in 2001, but it wasnÔÇÖt until 2006 when the BUTT BOOK was published and became a bestseller that the magazine solidified it place in public psyche. Now, they have returned with a new hardback instalment to the series, FOREVER BUTT. This bold book, not out of place on the shelves of an urban independent bookshop or urban outfitters … Continue reading Book Review: FOREVER BUTT
The great British public love a good curry, so much so that chicken tikka masala was BritainÔÇÖs favourite dish in 2011. But, in reality, how authentic is our much loved adoptive cuisine? Amandeep Turna unveils the curry culture clash sheÔÇÖs experienced since moving to Cardiff. Before coming to University I never would have thought that curry could be a subjective topicÔǪ Oh how wrong I … Continue reading Curry Culture Clash
