Review: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Wales Millennium Centre

4th August 2016, Wales Millennium Centre The golden d├®cor of the Millennium Centre merely mirrored the magic that was put before us as the curtains rose to show the world famous Chitty car, winning the grand prix, before crashing into retirement. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is unarguably a classic; with nearing 50 years of fantasmagorical entertainment, this theatre adaptation had some rather large shoes to … Continue reading Review: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Wales Millennium Centre

Hannah HopkinsOctober 24, 2016

Review: Billy Elliot, WMC

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

georgecaultonJuly 10, 2016

Review: The 39 Steps, New Theatre

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

georgecaultonJune 18, 2016

Review: RSC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, New Theatre

Review by George Caulton Combining amateur theatre companies alongside professional theatre companies is something very rarely seen in the world of theatre. Undeniably, it has been done before- but performing Shakespeare and conveying the complexity of the language- in an understandable way to a contemporary audience- is a skill that is typically upheld with highly trained performers. Despite this, the RSC and the Everyman theatre … Continue reading Review: RSC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, New Theatre

georgecaultonMay 29, 2016May 29, 2016

Review: Betrayal, St David’s Hall.

Review by Dimana Markova The central theme of Harold Pinter’s ‘Betrayal’ is, as the title suggests to some extent, the betrayal in the relationships between a woman, her husband and his best friend. Beginning from the end of the chronological story, the play starts with the moment when Emma shares that her marriage with Robert is over to Jerry- Roberts best friend and also the … Continue reading Review: Betrayal, St David’s Hall.

georgecaultonMarch 5, 2016

Review: A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Llanover Hall, Canton

Review by Ciara Gillespie Cardiff University’s Act 1 have yet again dazzled audiences with a stunning rendition of Shakespeare’s classic comedy ÔÇ£A Midsummer’s Night DreamÔÇØ. I was┬áperhaps skeptical about going to see the play, mainly because as a newbie to Shakespere I had only heard the name of the play a handful of times but had no clue what it was about. Surely I would … Continue reading Review: A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Llanover Hall, Canton

georgecaultonFebruary 12, 2016

Review: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, New Theatre

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

georgecaultonFebruary 9, 2016

Review: Henry VI, Wales Millenium Centre.

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.

georgecaultonFebruary 7, 2016

Play/Silence: a double bill at Porter’s Bar

PorterÔÇÖs, a bar on Bute Terrace close to the Motorpoint Arena, on a barren stretch of road encased within CardiffÔÇÖs transport links, (the beer garden is almost sheltered by the concrete pillars that hold up the railway) is a stylish venue with an understated film/theatre aesthetic. It often screens films and theatre productions in The Other Room; a tiny back room of 20 or so … Continue reading Play/Silence: a double bill at Porter’s Bar

Beau BeakhouseJanuary 25, 2016January 25, 2016

Review: Bizet Carmen, St David’s Hall.

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.

georgecaultonNovember 12, 2015

Review: Parallel Lines, Chapter Arts

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

georgecaultonOctober 25, 2015October 28, 2015

Review: Blood Brothers, New Theatre.

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 awayÔÇªÔÇØ 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.

georgecaultonOctober 1, 2015

Review: Not Safe For Work, Chapter Arts.

In todayÔÇÖs society, the concept of privacy seems to go amiss as social media, publications and news all focus in some way on the human form and how ┬áit appeals to audiences. Lucy Kirkwood (best known for her stunningly observed work as a writer on gritty teen drama Skins and Sky OneÔÇÖs The Smoke) writes NSFW. Kirkwood┬áprovides a┬ásnappy and shocking insight┬áwhich solely focuses on the … Continue reading Review: Not Safe For Work, Chapter Arts.

georgecaultonSeptember 29, 2015

Review: Dark Vanilla Jungle, Chapter Arts Centre

Ciara Rafter explores humankind’s need to belong with the help of Philip Ridley’s gripping┬áDark Vanilla Jungle, performed by Wales’ own Company of SIrens. Playwright Phillip RidleyÔÇÖs critically acclaimed Dark Vanilla Jungle premiered at Edinburgh Festival in 2013, featuring Gemma Whelan of Game of Thrones, stunning viewers with a powerful performance on the topic of home and belonging, and the opposition of this concept ÔÇô isolation. … Continue reading Review: Dark Vanilla Jungle, Chapter Arts Centre

webteamMarch 9, 2015March 12, 2015

Wicked the musical in the Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff during Spring 2014

Hidden Gems for the Curious Student

Culture editors Jasmine Freeman and Elouise Hobbs bring you ten of CardiffÔÇÖs cultural treasures you wish you knew about. Go unearth them! I want to do something different Ever fancied watching an opera? Well, the Welsh National Opera offers 50 ┬ú5 tickets in the top three price bands for Under 30s for every performance. What’s more, for some performances there are free Pre-Performance Talks that … Continue reading Hidden Gems for the Curious Student

Sum Sze TamSeptember 13, 2014September 10, 2014

Review: Curtain Call (by Broadway Dance Society), The Gate

Last week the Broadway Dance Society performed their annual showcase, featuring popular musicals like Wicked, Mamma Mia, Billy Elliott, and The Lord of the Rings. Vaiva Seskeviciute reviews the studentsÔÇÖ powerful performance Broadway Dance Society performed ÔÇ£Curtain CallÔÇØ last Saturday at The Gate Arts Centre where viewers could enjoy tap, jazz, ballet, Irish, American high-kick and contemporary dance. During the two-hour show the audience was … Continue reading Review: Curtain Call (by Broadway Dance Society), The Gate

CharlieApril 10, 201420 Comments

Review: Major Tom, WMC

A one-woman, one-dog show has come like a whirlwind into Cardiff, and itÔÇÖs a story of celebrity culture and the consequences of putting yourself in the public eye, all wrapped up with plenty of sparkling, simple humour Major Tom is an original one-woman show created and performed by Victoria Melody, detailing her and her bassett houndÔÇÖs (the title character) adventures in beauty pageants and dog … Continue reading Review: Major Tom, WMC

CharlieMarch 24, 2014March 24, 20142 Comments

Review: Wicked, Wales Millenium Centre

WickedÔÇÖs fourth stop on its UK-wide tour flew into CardiffÔÇÖs Wales Millennium Centre on March 12th and will remain there until 26th April. Jordan Nicholls went to see whether this production defied gravity or not Based on the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Wicked traces ultimately how Glinda earns her title of Glinda the … Continue reading Review: Wicked, Wales Millenium Centre

CharlieMarch 17, 2014March 19, 201422 Comments

Into the Stream

There’s been a recent trend in broadcasting theatre, either live or recorded, on the internet or in cinemas. But people have been debating about whether this encourages people and shows, or discourages them and just allows them to stay at home. Jasmine Freeman tells us both sides of the story. The latest trend of streaming live theatre is breaking down the barriers between the masses … Continue reading Into the Stream

CharlieFebruary 28, 2014February 28, 2014Leave a comment

Review: La traviata, WMC

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

CharlieFebruary 18, 2014February 20, 20141,599 Comments