THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Swan Lake – St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre – London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Swan Lake – St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre – London

    ★★★★★| Swan Lake – St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre – London Coliseum

    You’ve only got until Saturday September 1st to see perhaps one of the most amazing, and beautiful, ballet performances you’ll ever see this year, and perhaps in many years.
    The internationally acclaimed St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre have made their return to the London Coliseum with their production of Swan Lake. And what a production it is! With picture perfect ballet performances, amazing costumes, and even more amazing sets, you will sit spell-bound as you watch the performers dance to one, if the not the most, famous ballet pieces of all time.
    The St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre 2015 season was a sell out with over 25,000 seats sold. So due to huge demand, the company has graced London with 9 performances. This strictly limited 2018 season now takes place between Wednesday 22nd August and Sunday 2nd September 2018.
    Founded in 1994, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre is renowned globally not just for its beautiful Vaganova trained dancers, but also for its stunning full-length productions. The company travels internationally performing classical masterpieces from its repertoire includingGiselle,Don Quixote,The NutcrackerandSleeping Beauty. The incredibly popular Company is in such demand that it gives over 200 performances every year.
    Irina Kolesnikova, prima ballerinaat St Petersburg Ballet Theatre since the age of 21, leads the Company that continues to have remarkable successes around the world – from Sydney to Johannesburg, from Paris to Istanbul. And she is truly astonishing in the role.
    Kolesnikova will be joined by guest stars including the Bolshoi Balletprincipals Denis Rodkin and Alexander Volchkov . Both will dance the role of Prince Siegfried. TheMariinsky Theatre’sprincipal dancer, Kimin Kimwill also dance Siegfried. Also joining isBolshoiprincipal dancerYulia Stepanova, who will also dance the role of Odette/Odile.
    Swan Lake, if you don’t know the story, tells the classic love story of Prince Siegfried and Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. St Petersburg Ballet Theatre will perform this balletic masterpiece as it was meant to be seen, boasting gorgeous traditionally painted backdrops, Tchaikovsky’s moving score, a full-sized orchestra and critically acclaimed dancers performing the full-length production for London audiences.Swan Lakeis undoubtedly a production everyone must experience at least once in their life.
    It’s really an amazing production, and will leave you breathless and speechless. I highly recommend getting tickets as soon as possible as the short run, might, and will probably, sell out.
    Production:St Petersburg Ballet Theatre Present Swan Lake
    Venue:London Coliseum,St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4ES
    Dates:Wednesday 22ndAugust – Sunday 2ndSeptember 2018
    Performances:Tuesday – Sunday Evenings 19:30, Thursday & Saturday Matinees 14:30, Wednesday 29thAugust & Sunday 2ndSeptember Matinee 14.30
    Prices:£20 – £95 plus booking fee.
    Booking:https://londoncoliseum.org/swan-lake-st-petersburg-ballet-theatre
    Performance Schedule*
    Odette/Odile
    Irina Kolesnikova Aug 22ndeve, 23rdeve, 25thmat, 26thmat, 28theve, 29theve, 30theve, Sept 1stmat,
      2ndSept mat
    Yulia Stepanova Aug 23rdmat, 24theve, 25theve, 29thmat, 30thmat, 31steve, Sept 1steve
    Prince Siegfried
    Denis Rodkin Aug 22ndeve, 23rdeve, 25thmat, 26thmat, 28theve,
    Kimin Kim Aug 23rdmat, 24theve, 25theve, 30thmat, 31steve, Sept 1steve, 2ndeve
    Alexander Volchov Aug 29thmat, 29theve, 30theve, Sept 1stmat
    *The Producers reserve the right to substitute any named artist(s) at any scheduled performance(s).
  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Indian Accent, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Indian Accent, London

    ★★★★★| Indian Accent, London

    Why settle for a brunch of steak and eggs with champagne or ordinary American-style pancakes when you can have an exquisitely unique and totally different brunch of Indian food at a reasonable price?

    Then Indian Accent is the place for you. Nestled amongst high end shops (including Paul Smith) in Mayfair on Albermale Street and across the street from Brown’s Hotel, Indian Accent is now serving a weekend brunch that takes its inspiration from regional dishes, but with a twist of fusion which redefines Indian food where the food is not at all spicy yet very delicious and, dare I say it, perfect.

    Their brunch menu, at two courses for a mere £25, or the shared brunch which features nine dishes for £40 per person, has food that you will find to be totally unique and totally wonderful.

    It was a bit difficult to choose dishes from the £25 menu as I don’t usually make a beeline for Indian restaurants, but luckily my brunch companion was Indian and knew the dishes on the menu to save me asking the wait staff what each dish was. Of the nine first course choices, I ordered the Lamb Seekh Kebab with cumin potato and stilton – and it was delicious. The two pieces of lamb were shaped like two sausages with chutney and was a very good choice for a starter. My friend had the Chilli Crab Cheese Toast, with summer cucumber pickle and a dollop of tamarind ketchup, where he said was good but a bit too cheddary. It was, however, the mains where Indian Accent proved to be one of a kind.

    My Paper Roast Dosa, Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts was just superb. The mushrooms and chestnuts are served under a teepee-style covering in a beautifully designed dish. The mushrooms and chestnuts go so well together and are served in an oil and is perhaps one of the best dishes I’ve had all year. Also excellent was the Chicken Chilli Dabba Gosht (Indian Mutton), Baked egg and Paratha (fried dough bread) that my friend had. The Mutton, even though it was chicken, had a ground beef taste, and the egg was a nice touch, to make a beautifully-tasting dish that is just so so different. We were also treated to the Potato Sphere Chaat – which is a street-style Indian street crunchy snack food that is just wonderful! For those of you who are Indian or who have been to India you would know what these are, but I had never had one before and I am now hooked! They are delicious!

    The main courses, by the way, come with nan (kulcha) so you will be quite full after your two courses. But you are craving a typical bacon dish, then the flatbread naan-style dish (Kulcha) stuffed with bacon will be your dish.

    But wait! You must order dessert! I luckily had the ‘aamras’ (beautiful) cardamom sauce with summer berries on a bed of mango sauce littered with pineapples – absolute heaven and perhaps the best dessert I’ve had all year! And it was not heavy at all! What looked heavy was my friend’s Makhan Malai made with saffron milk cream – a beautiful mound of all these ingredients sprinkled with almonds and rose petal jiggery brittle – it’s quite large but actually very light, and I might add very delicious. Two five stars for the desserts – they both almost made us cry!

    Of course, their brunch menu has more options to choose from, as does their lunch, dinner and Pre-Theatre menu, and all can be viewed here: http://indianaccent.com/london/#menuID– but we feel that we had the perfect combination of food on the brunch menu, and I highly recommend you have the same dishes as well.

    But of course, there are drinks to be had as well. And of course, the drinks we were given were just perfect. The Transcendental Meditation drink, made with Honey Infused Gin, Mountain Sage Liqueur and Thyme & Lavender, and served in a copper cup, was absolutely divine, delicious, refreshing and perfect. And the wines chosen for us – the chardonnay Macon-Vinzelles Clos de Grand Pere and the Barbera d’Alba DOC by Francesco Rinaldi (Italian Red Wine) were just superb.

    Indian Accent is chic, elegant, modern, with great prices and food that is top notch. Chef Manish Mehrotra puts his unique spin on brunch with expertly spiced, imaginative plates and the restaurant has won much critical acclaim since opening just a few months ago and with the arrival of brunch alongside a whole host of new menus – including the arrival of the Summer menus earlier this month, a 45-minute £19 business lunch and a two course pre-theatre at £28. Indian Accent is firmly establishing itself as a restaurant for all occasions. I urge you to go…excellent food at excellent prices.

    16 ALBEMARLE STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON

    +44 207-629-9802
    Restaurant Hours:
    Dinner: Sunday – Thursday; 5:30pm – 10:00pm; 10:30pm on Friday & Saturday
    Lunch: Monday – Thursday; 12 noon – 2:00 pm; 2:30 pm on Friday
    Brunch: Saturday – Sunday; 12 noon – 2:30pm
    Pre-Theatre: Monday –Thursday; 5:30pm – 6:00pm (One Hour Seating)

    http://indianaccent.com/london/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Play That Goes Wrong, Princess Theatre Torquay

    ★★★☆☆ | The Play That Goes Wrong

    The Play That Goes Wrong, Princess Theatre Torquay

    There is an old saying in theatre that “the show must go on” and nowhere is that old adage put more to the test than in The Play That Goes Wrong, a comedy of errors which collates every actor’s worst nightmare and throws them at the cast who are determined to carry on regardless.

    Borrowing heavily from The Mousetrap, The Play That Goes Wrong is a scattergun comedy set around the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, who is performing The Murder at Haversham Manor, a murder mystery set in the roaring twenties. Despite the best endeavours of the cast, nothing quite goes right for them, as scenery collapses, actors are knocked unconscious, props break and unprepared understudies stand in.

    With a varied blend of visual gags, slapstick, farce, wordplay, one-liners, missed cues and a rather more animated corpse than one would expect, the gags come thick and fast; some hitting the bullseye and others missing the target; but the whole thing is so fast-paced, that there is always another gag heading your way imminently. Garnering some genuine laugh out loud moments, the show has a sensible one hour forty minute runtime meaning that even if a few of the gags begin to outstay their welcome, the show does not.

    Whilst there is plenty of fun to be found and a lot of chuckles, guffaws and belly-laughs to be had, the ending of the show descends into a rather shouty and chaotic handful of closing scenes which, unfortunately, slightly takes the edge off of what has come before. But that said, the cast is delightful, in particular, Kazeem Tosin Amore; and there is some excellent split second comedic timing and plenty of physical dexterity on offer as the fictional cast try desperately to keep their faces straight, their upper lips stiff and prevent the performance collapsing into a catastrophe.

    *This review was taken from the Sheffield production*

    Book tickets for Princess Theatre Torquay through our ticketing partner ATG Tickets

     

  • FILM REVIEW | The Meg

    ★★★★☆ | The Meg

    Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

    THE MEG – Sex God Jason Statham takes on the biggest nastiest shark in cinema history in the ultimate muscular monster movie showdown an instant camp & cult classic & he’s never looked hotter.

    Nutshell – Firstly this is a thriller, not a horror and the ultimate progression of The Stath’s career-long mano et mano film genre he has made all his own. A deep sea mission unwittingly releases the biggest beast known to man but a very big fish indeed. Can our hero stop the modern day Jaws from killing his crew and then hitting the nearby popular South East Asian beach?  It’s a non-stop, well thought out water bound action with serious bite, you will feel tense throughout but not scared.

    Running Time – 113 Minutes – Cert 12A. That family-friendly certificate obviously takes a lot of blood and the gore out of the movie – this is not the new Jaws nor sets out to be.

    Tagline – ‘Before Chasing Sea Monsters, Check Your Place On The Food Chain’

    The Gay UK Factor – This is the one we have been waiting for all Summer, Jason Statham topless for two hours in swimming trunks or even less. Slipping on the tightest wetsuit ever seems to show every bulge and muscle ripple he has.  The original 1950’s Kinsey report & test of whether you were gay or not is now officially replaced by this movie. Is there a big shark in it? As we didn’t notice.

    Cast – Jason Statham and no-one else you have ever heard of (Unless you watch endless Resident Evils) but frankly that is all you need, the others are just fish food, except the little dog as we loved him but oh dear he has fallen in the water too so now what will happen?

    Key Player – This is a one-man show. The movie wouldn’t have been greenlit, made and got past its first studio meeting without the hunky star’s signature. The UK’s biggest movie star probably of the last decade just gets action movies made around him like no other actor and they always hit at the box office – Our island should be very proud of the guy who now has a record-breaking six movie franchises to his name. Tom Cruise has one.

    Budget – $130 Million and in one week it has made double that back in profit totally pissing all over the other one man band Summer blockbuster Dwayne Johnson’s Skyscraper. This is the last big hit of the summer and fans are fucking lapping it up big time… but may not want to go back in the water for a bit!

    Best Bit – 0.47 mins; The Stath has to get a GPS tracker attached to the giant killer fish which means he has to swim real close to it. Cue the best heart-stopping scene of the film before the crazy good mad as a box of frogs climax.

    Worst Bit – 0.05 mins; The opening prologue sets the scene some months before the main action and it’s OK but is nothing special. Film reviewers often use the term ‘Roller Coaster Ride’ and it has never fitted better here. Once you get over the initial warm up its non-stop excitement until you breathlessly hit the credits. One more rider please and Scream if you want to go faster!

    Little Secret – Spot the Jaws music used here in the underwater cage scene plus numerous references to all four Jaws films & The Abyss. This was originally meant for George Clooney then when it was offered to director Eli Roth (Hostel and Inglorious Bastards etc) who wanted to cast himself as the hero but as an actor, his biggest role was as Frowny The Clown in a horror film so a star with more box office whoomph was sought.

    Further Viewing – Jaws 1-4, Piranha, The Deep, Open Water, Croc, Lake Placid, Orca, Deep Blue Sea and The Stath’s greatest hits Transporter, Crank. The Expendables, Fast & Furious 8, Spy, The Italian Job, The Pink Panther & of course Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

    Any Good – You don’t need a review to know whether this is for you or not. If you like the actor or this type of monster film then this is a really great one. If you want some fun escapism then you will be very happy but if you thought I, Daniel Blake was the greatest movie of all time or worship at the feet of Dame Maggie Smith then move along.

    Rating – 70/100

  • CAR REVIEW | Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC EX 

    CAR REVIEW | Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC EX 

    ★★★☆☆ | Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC EX

    What Have We Got

    Here is Honda’s 10th generation Civic. It is the humble family car that has been a staple from Honda since the 70s. Now let’s be honest, before 2006’s 8th generation Civic, it had been largely thought of as a competent car and one that’s just alright.

    That all changed and again with this all-new Civic 10. Design-wise it is an elegant looking car that takes generation 8 Civic to a new level ignoring generation 9’s dumpy potato look. And it has paid off because the Civic 10 is a looker.

    Driving

    It’s a puzzler. Civic comes with two driving modes, normal and sport. The usual attributes happen when you press the button with the steering becoming artificially stiffer along with the damper rates, and throttle response is sharpened. What then would be nice is for a softer ride in normal mode. It isn’t a hard ride at all and on most surfaces, it is always composed, and very little throws it off its course. A softer ride though might just quieten the road noise and add some luxury quality.

    The diesel engine is rather torquey and once spinning, it will reach the rev limiter quickly. It catches you out too for a car with a 0-60 of over 10 seconds, so you need to be quick on first three gears. Thankfully the clutch is light with good feel, and the gear stick precise and slick.

    What I did find was the fuel economy a little disappointing at the pumps. Honda claim 80.7mpg for the combined. I was lucky to get 49mpg over my week with Civic. That’s some way off their claim.

    Inside

    Inside you are treated to a well-made interior. It all fits well together, and the controls are logically laid out. The infotainment system isn’t as clunky to use as some though it takes a bit of time to build up familiarity with it particularly with the heating. I’m in a 50/50 kind of mind if I like the split screen and button use for it. Screen de-mist is a button under the infotainment screen while the other setups are all contained within the touchscreen.

    Interior is also very dark with its use of black is everywhere. Some of the joins where one material meets another are not always successful. What is though is the centre console that is well made. All this black would become unbearable if it weren’t for two things. The big retractable glass roof and the masses of shoulder space. Depending on your build you’ll find there is either too much shoulder space, or the door armrests are not large enough. I found I was having to spread my arms out like having a broom shoved down my sleeves and holding the steering wheel at the precisely 5:35.

    Living with it

    I have a few gripes about the Civic as mentioned above. The hatchback opening is large and wide, and a neat feature that I do like is the fold away parcel shelf blind that when compacted looks like a printer ink cartridge. It’s genius thinking. The problem with a hatchback is the problem of where do you put the parcel shelf. 10/10 Honda.

    I also like the sense of space. Despite my moan about shoulder space, the car doesn’t feel too wide to drive through town. It’s quite nice to pilot around.

    Verdict?

    I’d have one. I wouldn’t feel cheated if I was thrown the keys and told, “That’s yours, get on with it”. You can’t argue with the cost and spec over its nearest rivals. Spec for spec, it’s cheaper than a Golf and better equipped than the Astra. The technology works well too. What I will say though is don’t rule out the zippy petrol version.

    Love

    Price

    Spec

    Looks

    Loathe

    Unrealistic fuel figures

    Heating controls

    Turbo lag

    The Lowdown

    Car – Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC EX

    Cost – £26,574 (as tested)

    MPG – 80.7 mpg (combined)

    Power – 120ps

    0-62mph – 10.2 seconds

    Top Speed – 125mph

    Co2 – 93 (g/km)

  • MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    ★★★★★ | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

    The bike

    One of the most unusual bikes I’ve ridden is the Suzuki Burgman 650. On one hand, it’s a twist and go scooter, on the other, it’s a luxurious tourer. In reality, it’s a bit of both. It’s one of the new crop of maxi scooters.

    The Burgman is powered by a silky smooth parallel twin 638cc engine putting out 55 bhp and 62 Nm of torque. It’s velvety smooth and it’s mated to a Suzuki Electronic CVT gearbox (Continuously Variable Transmission), that’s a kind of automatic gearbox.

    Riding

    The Burgman is a pleasure to ride. The feet forward riding position takes some getting used to as does the twist and go gearbox, but it’s such an easy bike to ride. It’s lively, It turns in sharply and holds a nice line and is very easy to manoeuvre. The suspension is supple like a French car, and the ride quality is great. Cornering is easy, it’s eager to turn and even fun to throw around. I actually touched down the centre stand a couple of times but I was being a little daring.

    Details


    The dashboard gives more information than you know what to do with, but it’s not intrusive or distracting. It tells you when you need to change the oil, oil level, air temp, water temp, the time, plus there’s a great trip computer with information on fuel consumption, range and more.

    A big seat, loads of storage, heated grips, electric folding mirrors, tall electric screen all add make it feel more like an adventure bike than a maxi scooter. Build quality was excellent, no exposed wires, no dodgy catches or rattling, squeaky panels.

    Living With It

    Brakes are very good, it doesn’t dive or push on. An electrically adjustable tall screen means motorway miles are a breeze, the wind hardly touched me and you sit up straight too which means you can see over the cars in front.

    I took the Burgman it on a 2-day road trip on all sorts of roads, 2 days luggage, my laptop and all manner of stuff crammed in the massive storage compartment under the seat. It’s practical, fun, easy to ride and economical. What’s not to like?

    The Verdict

    The Suzuki Burgman is bristling with equipment, it’s easy to ride, it’s comfortable and even economical. It sounds like the perfect do it all bike then right? It nearly is. The Burgman is a little long in the tooth, it’s a few years old now. It also suffers from an image problem in certain circles; is it a proper bike? But other than that, it really is a do it all motorcycle. Pop to the shops or ride across Europe, the Burgman will eat it up.

    Build quality is great and its pricing is easily comparable with the competition, most of which have smaller engines too.

    Loves

    Comfort

    Practicality

    Easy to live with

    Loathes

    Snatchy at very low speed

    In the company of big bikes, you feel inferior

    It’s very wide when you’re filtering through traffic

    Lowdown

    Motorcycle –  Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
    Price – £9,199
    MPG – 60.5 mpg (combined)
    0-62 – 8.3 seconds
    Power – 55 bhp / 62 Nm of torque
    Top Speed – 110+ mph
    Co2 – 109 (g/km)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

    ★★★★☆ | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

    There’s a human-eating plant in Regents Park, and the more it eats the bigger it gets – and it’s all at the wonderful Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the new show ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’

    On skid row in downtown Manhattan, a flower shop called Mushnik’s is not doing much business. But Seymour Krelborn (a wonderful Marc Antolin), who works at the shop owned by Mr Mushnick (Forbes Masson) has mysteriously acquired a plant, a plant so unlike any in the shop. It’s a plant that looks like a venus flytrap, but this plant is very different. It’s a plant he has called Audrey II (Vicky Vox plays the plant later in the show), named after the co-worker he is secretly in love with Audrey (Jemima Rooper). This plant doesn’t want water like all the other plants in the shop, as discovered by Seymour when he pricks his fingers and drips blood on the plant, and it’s happy drinking his blood. But the more blood Seymour feeds the plant, the bigger it grows, and soon enough Seymour can’t give any more blood to the plant, and it’s grown so huge that’s it’s become a celebrity (and so has Seymour). But how can Seymour continue to keep his plant happy and all the while attaining his new celebrity status (and the money that comes with it?). He has to give Audrey II more blood, and this includes people. The first to go into the plant is Audrey’s abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Matt Willis – of pop group Busted). But who will be next? The plants keeps telling Seymour ‘I’m Hungry’ so he’s at odds as to what to do next. And this all takes place in the beautiful outdoor theatre.
    Playing until Saturday, September 22, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is great fun to watch. Let’s hope the good weather continues until the end of the shows run – as Little Shop of Horrors is best enjoyed when it’s not raining. The cast are all wonderful, and Vicky Vox is larger than life as the plant. With music and lyrics by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, Little Shop of Horrors is still good fun and even better set amongst all those trees in Regent’s Park. Just be careful and don’t get too close to one, it might eat you!
  • BOOK REVIEW | Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1978 – 1985

    BOOK REVIEW | Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1978 – 1985

    ★★★★★ | Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1978 – 1985

    For any Alfa Romeo fan or ‘Alfisti’ as they call themselves, Matteo Licata’s book on the much ignored Giulietta from 77 – 85 is an absolute must. I like the Giulietta and have looked forward to reading a copy since he broadcasted it to his Twitter followers this year.

    Matteo is a lover of sports cars in general and he has a fondness for automotive lost causes. Full-time lover of good life, blogger and writer on Twitter, he’s an automobile enthusiast firstly. He carved a career in car design, graduating from Turin’s Istituto Europeo di Design in 2006. He’s even contributed to the 2006 Giulietta of 2010. So we are in good hands.

    The Giulietta, in general, has been largely overlooked. It was for Alfa Romeo, a short-lived car and as a result has only ever been mentioned in a paragraph or berated for being a cheaper shorter car based on the Alfetta. One of my first books on cars was on Alfa Romeo and that only had a one-page colour spread with two shots of a Giulietta on it. This has finally been addressed.  

    This is Matteo’s first book and l have to say l am impressed with the level of information this book is packed with. As a general rule of thumb, most books on Alfa Romeo are rich in page numbers. For the 58 pages in Matteo’s book, each page packs a punch with knowledge on the Giulietta. It comes in bite-size snippets of information and it works for me. The book is particularly good at capturing the data that you as an enthusiast want without waffle.

    In the beginning, there was a lovely snapshot of the history of Alfa Romeo. Even after all these years of being an ‘Alfisti’ myself, some of it was new news to me. After this, there are eight chapters covering everything from the launch to evolution and ending with the geeky satisfaction in vital statistics.

    Things l had forgotten about Giulietta (read that as didn’t know) was that there were three series in production. Subtle changes here and there are covered along with the confusing array of engine line-ups across Italy and the rest of Europe. And then there are rare photos throughout the book of the car itself including six very rare and spacial models like the Fiorucci Giulietta “Punk” of ’78. It beggars belief!

    A worthy read and addition to your Alfa Romeo library? YES.

    Follow Matteo on twitter: @Roadster_life or on his blog: https://www.roadster-life.com

    Available from Amazon books for £21.87.

  • CAR REVIEW | Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

    CAR REVIEW | Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

    ★★★★☆ | Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

    What Have We Got

    It’s hard to believe that this car as it is, on my driveway is just £3650 more than the Astra we tested recently. And you’ll notice this through other manufacturers. There once was a time when they made more money from their big cars. That doesn’t always seem the case these days but is the Insignia £3650 extra about right or an absolute bargain?

    Driving

    The engine in Insignia is down by 26ps over that fitted to the Astra, and it feels it. It runs out of puff rather quicker to reflecting its leisurely 11+ 0-60 sprint, yet that is the wrong way to drive this version on Vauxhall’s 1598cc turbo diesel. The power of 300Nm on this engine comes in lowly at 1750rpm to 2000rpm. In the Astra, it was higher up at 2000rpm and beyond. This lower engine power suits the Insignia well and here is the reason. It’s a smoother car to drive. The feel of the Insignia is more relaxed. 

    Inside

    The overall ambience of the cabin is of serenity. There is subtle lighting across the tops of the doors and along the dashboard. It’s very in keeping with the current trends. What is also like the tendency is to exclude this nicety from the rear doors. Why the rear passengers are not given this, I do not know. Thankfully the rears are treated to heated seats and have access to two USB ports to charge up the smartphones that will no doubt be connected to Vauxhall’s WiFi hotspot within the car. They are also given vast amounts of legroom too. It’s more than spacious in the rear.

    Living with it

    As estate cars go, there is a load of space in the back. A bulkhead style cargo net comes as standard. It is integrated into two positions. It can be placed in front of the rear seats folded up and down. If you only carry a load that sits below the window line you’ll never appreciate this but for those who carry to the max will, and its fitting and removal are incredibly easy. Just like folding the rear seats to reveal a flat load area. You’ll find the release catch either inside the boot or on top of the seats.  It’s a simple operation.

    The Verdict

    It’s a bargain. As load luggers go, the Insignia carries more as you’d expect. It’s rather nice inside and made for effortless cruising. Considering what I said about it being lower powered compared to the Astra, don’t let that put you off. It all comes together to make for a more cohesive car that carries loads and cruises well. In my mind, that is a better combination. The problem I did find with the estate style body was the height of the rear door. At 6’1” my head brush closely to the underside. Depending on the angle I parked at I did once knock my head on it. It is, however, the price we pay for sleeker looking estate cars.

    Love

    Comfort

    Load-lugging ability

    Ease of converting to full estate

    Loathe

    Low tailgate edge 

    Lack of cabin joy in the rear

    Road noise with the cargo cover missing

    The Lowdown

    Car –  Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer SRi Nav 1.6 110PS Turbo D

    Price – £24,555 (as tested)

    MPG – 65.7 mpg (combined)

    Power – 0-62mph – 11.1 seconds

    Top Speed –  125 mph

    Co2 – 112 (g/km)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Flashdance The Musical, National Tour

    ★★☆☆☆ | Flashdance The Musical

    Back in the 80’s, movie musicals such as Fame and Footloose blazed a trail across cinema screens and into the hearts of foot tapping teens everywhere. But nestled between the two was Flashdance, the story of Alex – a welder by day and a club dancer at night, with a dream to make it into a prestigious to dance school. Now fully embedded in popular culture, being mimicked by Geri Halliwell and Comic Relief; and even making an appearance in The Full Monty, Flashdance now takes to the stage with Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton.

    Based incredibly loosely on the film, the stage show waters down the story of the gritty welder and her struggles to make it, and provides a fairly sanitised version of the story, with plenty of nods to the film, but placing the emphasis on different aspects of the story. The show retains a handful of songs from the film’s soundtrack, including “Maniac”, “Gloria” and “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”; but packs them in tightly with a high number of original songs which are functional, but not particularly memorable.

    Filled with an abundance of day-glow, colourful neon, the show is little more than an excuse for some vibrant dance numbers, nowhere more alive than in Demmileigh Foster’s show-stealing rendition of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, and in the rather upbeat closing medley. Joanne Clifton shows that she can sing as well as dance, and Colin Kiyani was perfectly affable as Nick, Alex’s boss and boyfriend.

    Those wanting a theatrical version of the film (akin to the Dirty Dancing musical) won’t get that here, given the light plot, two dimensional characters and a rather lacklustre script; but this story is really a wraparound device to tie together the musical numbers of which there are plenty; with a few good set pieces and a feel-good ending to be had.

    Flashdance the Musical is at Sheffield Theatres until Saturday 11th August 2018 before continuing on its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Play That Goes Wrong, Blackpool Opera House

    ★★★☆☆ | The Play That Goes Wrong

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Play That Goes Wrong, Blackpool Opera House

    There is an old saying in theatre that “the show must go on” and nowhere is that old adage put more to the test than in The Play That Goes Wrong, a comedy of errors which collates every actor’s worst nightmare and throws them at the cast who are determined to carry on regardless.

    Borrowing heavily from The Mousetrap, The Play That Goes Wrong is a scattergun comedy set around the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, who is performing The Murder at Haversham Manor, a murder mystery set in the roaring twenties. Despite the best endeavours of the cast, nothing quite goes right for them, as scenery collapses, actors are knocked unconscious, props break and unprepared understudies stand in.

    With a varied blend of visual gags, slapstick, farce, wordplay, one-liners, missed cues and a rather more animated corpse than one would expect, the gags come thick and fast; some hitting the bullseye and others missing the target; but the whole thing is so fast-paced, that there is always another gag heading your way imminently. Garnering some genuine laugh out loud moments, the show has a sensible one hour forty minute runtime meaning that even if a few of the gags begin to outstay their welcome, the show does not.

    Whilst there is plenty of fun to be found and a lot of chuckles, guffaws and belly-laughs to be had, the ending of the show descends into a rather shouty and chaotic handful of closing scenes which, unfortunately, slightly takes the edge off of what has come before. But that said, the cast is delightful, in particular, Kazeem Tosin Amore; and there is some excellent split second comedic timing and plenty of physical dexterity on offer as the fictional cast try desperately to keep their faces straight, their upper lips stiff and prevent the performance collapsing into a catastrophe.

    *This review was taken from the Sheffield production*

    Book tickets for Blackpool Opera House through our ticketing partner ATG Tickets