Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Menier Chocolate Factory Review
Manuel Puig’s story of two men incarcerated in a brutal Argentinian prison is a funny and moving take on masculinity and oppression. Molina is a campy window dresser with a love of old B movies who’s inside for ‘gross indecency’ whilst Valentin is a gruff political activist, bristling with macho ego. It’s a claustrophobic piece and at 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval, you’re pretty much imprisoned with them, watching their relationship develop in a grim cell.
Kiss of the Spiderwoman has had many adaptations since it was written as a novel in 1976 including stage plays, the Oscar-winning 1985 film and a Kander and Ebb musical. This new version is beautifully scripted but somehow the play as a whole doesn’t feel quite there. Samuel Barnett almost captures the endearing feyness of Molina but there’s something slightly undercooked about the portrayal. Declan Bennett seems to struggle a little and the lines occasionally feel stilted. It’s more hit than miss but the piece doesn’t quite feel as tight as it should and the chemistry between the two isn’t always present.
The set is grimily evocative and the back projections of Molina’s flights of celluloid fancy work well. Overall it’s an endearing piece and worth seeing for the glimpses of what it could have been. There are achingly poignant moments which are something to embrace.
Runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 5th of May 2018
★★★★| The Little Mermaid – Edinburgh Festival Theatre
*This review was taken from the Leeds Grand Theatre review*
Northern Ballet return with their third new ballet this year, The Little Mermaid. Based on the much loved fairy-tale, the ballet tells the story of Marilla, the little mermaid who dreams of life above the waves, and who falls in love with Prince Adir after she saves him from drowning. But her love is unrequited; as the Prince falls in love with another young woman who he mistakenly believes saved him. Exchanging her tail for legs, and with her voice lost, Marilla sets about trying to win his heart.
David Nixon’s choreography is well conceived, and executed, with a keen eye for detail and a style that lends itself well to the underwater setting. The nuances of the choreography are impressive, with a real fluidity of movement in the underwater setting, reflecting life beneath the ocean and the gentle swaying of the current. Nothing stays still underwater, whether it is the beautifully designed flowing costumes, the mermaids held aloft as they weave and bob across the stage, or the ever-active limbs of the ensemble cast, with the sequential movement of the dancers accurately depicting the ebb and flow of the tide. But perhaps the crowning glory to this is Nixon’s use of the ensemble cast at one entity – the sea – and using these multiple bodies as one to form the ocean into a character in itself.
The original score, which has been composed by Sally Beamish, flits between the primarily light and playful to the romantic and finally to the dramatic, feeling cinematic and engaging. The costumes work very well, with long flowing skirts that accentuate the gesticulation and mobility of the cast. Joseph Taylor was engaging and charismatic as Prince Adair, whilst Abigail Prudames enchanted as the titular character and the delicate movements of the cast as a whole was technically well executed.
The ballet itself appears deceptively simple. The demarcation between land and sea seems to be little more than a lighting change, and two large concave structures are used to good effect to set each location; thrusting the narrative to the forefront and portraying that with ease and clarity. The narrative is decidedly darker than the familiar saccharine Disney version, adhering more closely to the source material, but is all the better for it. What the audience is left with is a production which requires very little thought as a viewer, allowing you to simply be able to be swept away by the music and movement on stage.
Vivienne Westwood – she truly is an icon, punk, activist and an inspiration to us all. Westwood called this documentary mediocre, but she is far from mediocre.
Clothing Designer Vivienne Westwood has denounced the new documentary about her saying that the film does not at all focus on her activism but instead is ‘made up of archive fashion footage.’
In the first few minutes of Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist, Westwood tells the camera, and the interviewer, that she doesn’t want to talk about certain important bits of her life. And that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of this 83-minute documentary.
Filmmaker Lorna Tucker spent three years with the fashion designer trying to get Westwood to tell her life story, and the documentary could’ve been so much more, but we still are presented with a fascinating look at a fascinating woman who changed the course of British fashion with her non-conservative designs and her extreme personality.
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist, glosses over her younger years, and spends more time in the present where she presides over a global empire that she still can’t believe it’s gotten as big as it has – she doesn’t even know what half her staff does. But that’s the job for Austrian Andreas Kronthaler, who was her former fashion student and is now her husband and creative director for the brand. The documentary shows Westwood in her day-to-day life; looking over models wearing her designs, attending store openings where she says she’s not quite convinced she likes them or not, and shows Westwood cycling around London on her bike when she really should be chauffeured about in a limousine. We see snapshots of her life before she became famous, and the ex-council flat in Clapham where she lived for 30 years until 2000, and her two sons speak at times not so glowingly about their famous mother. Less is mentioned about her time with Malcolm McLaren and the clothing shop where she made punk clothes in the 1970s known as SEX which was controversial and radical for its time. Perhaps that’s a topic for another documentary.
But what’s most fascinating about Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist is her clothes. Whether shown in the workshops or on the fashion runways all over the world, the clothes are really a work of beauty, unique in every sense of the word. And so is Vivienne Westwood – she truly is an icon, punk, activist and an inspiration to us all. Westwood called this documentary mediocre, but she is far from mediocre.
‘Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist’ is in UK cinemas on Friday, March 23rd.
The Astra sells in big numbers because it does what you want a practical car to do and fleet operators like it. With a market so crowded with fierce competition from VW, Skoda, Fiat and the likes, is the new Astra able to hold its own?
There is always some anticipation when getting a new car for review. More often than not I request a model and leave it up to the manufacturer to supply the goods. So there was high anticipation for the new Astra. I hadn’t realised until the day that it was going to be their tourer model. To you and me that means estate. So already I am off to a good start. I like estates.
It was a simple Astra CDTi with few frills at first glance. This would allow me to review the Astra as a car and not the toys. Now in its 7th generation, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s well put together and tough too.
Step into a place where the decor is sumptuous, the staff very nice and attentive, and the food very good. The place is a restaurant called Baluchi.
Baluchi is a restaurant so unlike any other south of the river (literally right next to the road that becomes Tower Bridge). Inside the gorgeous hotel called The LaLit, Baluchi the restaurant is a one-room affair, with stunning chandeliers and plenty of space in between tables so as not to feel overcrowded and busy. And it’s Indian-style menu has all sorts of food for just about anyone, even those who are not quite familiar with Pan Indian food.
We were delighted to choose two very good, and refreshing, drinks to start out with. My dining companion had the Mad Honey while I had the Mango Mai Tai, which was very sweet, which is the way I like my drinks, as well as beautifully coloured, with a dried lime on top for a nice touch!
Amazing food in an amazing location
These two drinks were just a small sampling of what was on offer in their drinks menu – a stunning multi-page book of every type of cocktail you want. While they don’t come cheap (£10 to £15 each), they are worth every penny!
As for the food, you are really and truly spoiled for choice. Dishes from the menu include all sorts, from seafood (Sea Bass, Peterhead Cod, Tandoori Prawns), to the fantastic Vegetarian dishes (Dal Baluchi – Black Lentils, Grilled Tofu) to an amazing array of meat dishes (Butter Chicken, Murg Adraki – Free-range corn-fed chicken, and venison) to lamb, which is what we ordered. I had the splendid and meaty Lamb Chops. At £21.50, I received three very large and perfectly cooked chops, with smoked aubergine and yummy potato mash and an avocado dollop, in a lovely coriander, mint and garlic chutney. I highly recommend this dish. My dining companion ordered the Lamb Shan K Gush Taba (gluten free), and as expected it was tender, moist and extra good in its not too spicy sauce. She and I loved our lamb – superb!!! Mango and coconut-flavoured naan bread was served with our main course – absolutely delicious, along with the mandatory rice.
We had also ordered starters which were presented very beautifully. We wanted the Kamal Kakdi, but unfortunately, they were out, so we ordered the fantastic Subz Kl Thal, which was an amazing array of edibles that included corn tikki, papad and paneer – and suitable for sharing which is what we did. It was a wow dish, and at £14.50, a good bargain. We also ordered the Bharwan Zucchini – a courgette with various sauces. It was a bit small, but nice taste and flavour nonetheless. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the papadums served with berry and tomato chutney – great starters!
Of course, for those with a sweet tooth, The Baluchi offers quite a few dessert choices. My companion had the Coconut 3 Ways – jelly and espuma, hazelnut mousse and curry leaf smoke – while I had the Carrom Seed Shortbread – an unusual array of a poached guava, guava sorbet, pistachio and caramel popcorn. Both desserts came in at £8 each – respectable because they are different but they did not have the wow factor that we expected.
I almost never write about the coffee but the decaf coffee I was served after the meal was one of the most delicious I have ever had in recent memory, while my dining companion really enjoyed her tea.
Despite a mix up with the bill (the drinks the table next to us had were on our bill), everything about the evening was impeccable, from the presentation of the food to the way it was served to us by the wait staff, from the amazing decor to the gracious chef who paid a visit to our table, and to the extreme care and attentiveness our server was to us. The whole evening was very memorable, and while our bill came to about £150 for the two of us, sometimes it’s worth this kind of money to make the experience memorable and very enjoyable. Baluchi is definitely a one-of-a-kind restaurant that’s practically in its own world right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of London.
Find out more at https://www.thelalit.com/the-lalit-london/eat-and-drink/baluchi/
As her wedding day approaches, Kelly buys her dream wedding dress, even though it is two sizes too small for her.
When Julia Fleshman, the head of a national slimming club chain, comes to town to judge a slimming contest live on TV, Kelly ends up going viral with her body confident comments; and seizing the opportunity for some publicity, Fleshman offers to pay for Kelly’s wedding if she can slim into the dress in time for the big day. But with the wedding only six weeks away, the pressure is on…
Fat Friends is very much a piece of crowd-pleasing theatre. Pulling together multiple stories of the good folk of Headingly, a town near Leeds, the stage is filled with likeable, if slightly caricatured, characters and is a straightforward evening of undemanding fun.
The show boasts a good cast, with Jodie Prenger taking the lead as Kelly, and doing so with a cocky northern confidence and a belting singing voice. Sam Bailey (The X-Factor) is great as Kelly’s Mum and Natasha Hamilton (from Atomic Kitten) is the scheming Julia Fleshman. Thrown into the mix is an affable turn from Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street) and ex-cricketer Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, who takes to the stage and fares better than expected with a slightly stilted, if not tongue in cheek, portrayal of Kevin, Kelly’s nice but dim fiancé.
The songs are amiable enough and used to move the story forward, and whilst they were perfectly pleasant to listen to and shoehorned a few laughs into the lyrics, they served their purpose well enough in terms of keeping up the show upbeat and jolly, but were ultimately fairly forgettable. The live orchestra added to the atmosphere within the theatre and the set design was a colourful cartoonish affair which was well lit and effective in its simplicity.
Written and directed by Kay Mellor, who wrote the original TV series that the show is based on; Fat Friends is a rather loud, boisterous and upbeat show, which really resonates with its target audience. It’s a rather clichéd musical by numbers, with a heavy-handed script, fairly trite lyrics and a rather unsubtle approach to its humour, but what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with likeable characters, a few good belly laughs and buckets-full of near the knuckle, northern charm.
Fat Friends is at the Opera House Manchester until the 24th March 2018, book tickets click here
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a sensational book and it made critical acclaim as a film too, so expectations were always going to be high. Adapted by Matthew Spangler, The Rep play version created a new window to look through the melodrama and tragedy surrounding the life of Amir.
The story centralises itself around Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara who is the son of Ali, Amir’s father’s servant. Hassan is the fastest kite runner the town has ever seen, and he teaches Amir the art, all so Amir can impress his stone-faced father.
This must have been a hard concept to attempt to translate from a novel page to a main house stage, but Barney George’s design painted a very raw picture. The set moulded itself to suit outside and indoors with little effort. Fluid scene changes via media projections, and a curtain in shape of a kite which was used to shield viewers from hard-to-watch moments. Live percussion, performed by Hanif Khan, brought a mystical layer to the melodrama. The sound effects were also harrowing in parts.
What made this production special was the cast of The Kite Runner. Raj Ghatak, as Amir, really helped us see the character come to life through language, enacting young and older Amir, as well as punchy speeches with sincere conviction. Jo Ben Ayed stole the show, with his portrayal of Hassan, formidable dexterity in playing a young boy while showing mature emotions. Jo’s characterisation contributed to the emotional experience felt in The Rep auditorium. The unrelenting loyalty to Amir was masterfully achieved by Jo. The boys’ fathers Baba and Ali played by Gary Pillai and Rez Kabir respectively, enhanced the sense of tradition and honour. Both actors shone, adding a darker tone to the narrative. Assef was a sickly and revolting character, played expertly by Soroosh Lavisini.
Soroosh’s movement and speech was skin-crawling and made it hard to watch, but this was a true depiction of the nasty and malevolent personality.
This production is close to three hours long, but through gripping action, efficient set, light, sound and everything else involved, The Kite Runner left us with the feeling we could have watched more.
Emma Rice’s tribute to Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter is back after 10 years away and in an unusual venue: a cinema in the West End.
Emma Rice’s tribute to Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter is back after 10 years away and in an unusual venue: a cinema in the West End. Sadly it’s not a triumphant return and is a bit of a mixed bag. Part parody, part homage; it just doesn’t quite know what it is and suffers as result.
If you don’t know the classic David Lean film from 1946 (where have you been?) then it’s a story about two married strangers from the suburbs who conduct a very chaste affair in and around a railway station cafe. It’s characterised by tight dialogue, clipped accents and Celia Johnson smoking an unfeasible amount of fags. It’s very much of its time but also contains beautiful and resonant dialogue. The Kneehigh theatre company’s version is one full of trickery. The cast act out the story against clever back projections, sometimes literally bursting out of the cinema screen. There are cheeky little props, the odd Noel Coward song and lots of deft little touches.
Whilst the two main actors play it straight as the po-faced couple headed for heartache, the rest of the cast camp it up as the remaining bit players. This is where the problem lies. It all becomes too much and a bit panto at times. There’s lots of face pulling, whimsy and larking around. Whilst it works part of the time it all feels a bit much at others. Less is sometimes more.
Overall, it’s a fun show but I’m not sure it’s going to rock anyone’s world.
During the 1960’s Carole King was part of one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the era, writing hits for The Shirelles, The Drifters and Little Eva; leading to success with songs including “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, “The Loco-Motion”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman”, “You’ve Got A Friend” and “I Feel The Earth Move”. But behind the success was a personal struggle for King in trying to make her marriage with Gerry Goffin, her philandering husband and songwriting partner, work; and it is her rise to the top and her troubled home life which form the backbone of the story for this musical biopic.
Beautiful really stands apart from the usual jukebox musical/musical biopics, given the quality of the writing, presentation and performances. The narrative absorbs you straightaway; and there is an abundance of instantly likeable characters, a wonderfully sharp script filled with warmth, humour and personality and a lighting design which really does bring the stage to life, making it feel bright, bubbly and brimming with energy.
But the quality was not reserved only for the look of the piece, but extends to its rather talented cast members. Bronte Barbe was delightfully charismatic as Carole King, projecting a powerful voice without ever having to force a note; and exuding a natural and believable on-stage chemistry with Kane Oliver Parry as King’s husband, Gerry Goffin. Amy Ellen Richardson and Matthew Gonsalves bounced off each other nicely as the bickering Weil and Mann; and the entire cast, including the ensemble, all stepped up the plate in terms of their vocals, alongside some incredibly competent acting, giving rise to very believable performances across the board.
The first act, detailing King’s success within the music industry, brings with it a barrage of 17 musical numbers which are performed with flair and vigour; whilst the second act is slightly more downbeat and more drama focussed, as the decline of King’s marriage and her growth into a solo artist are depicted.
Although you may not have heard of Carole King, her music is embedded into popular culture, and with the number of songs that you immediately recognise adorning the stage, you realise just how much of an influential songwriter King really was. Ultimately, this is a story of love, hope and determination, and a production which rises above the usual jukebox musicals with a set of strong central performances, in particularly Bronte, and a polished, professional and quality feel.
As her wedding day approaches, Kelly buys her dream wedding dress, even though it is two sizes too small for her.
When Julia Fleshman, the head of a national slimming club chain, comes to town to judge a slimming contest live on TV, Kelly ends up going viral with her body confident comments; and seizing the opportunity for some publicity, Fleshman offers to pay for Kelly’s wedding if she can slim into the dress in time for the big day. But with the wedding only six weeks away, the pressure is on…
Fat Friends is very much a piece of crowd-pleasing theatre. Pulling together multiple stories of the good folk of Headingly, a town near Leeds, the stage is filled with likeable, if slightly caricatured, characters and is a straightforward evening of undemanding fun.
The show boasts a good cast, with Jodie Prenger taking the lead as Kelly, and doing so with a cocky northern confidence and a belting singing voice. Sam Bailey (The X-Factor) is great as Kelly’s Mum and Natasha Hamilton (from Atomic Kitten) is the scheming Julia Fleshman. Thrown into the mix is an affable turn from Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street) and ex-cricketer Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, who takes to the stage and fares better than expected with a slightly stilted, if not tongue in cheek, portrayal of Kevin, Kelly’s nice but dim fiancé.
The songs are amiable enough and used to move the story forward, and whilst they were perfectly pleasant to listen to and shoehorned a few laughs into the lyrics, they served their purpose well enough in terms of keeping up the show upbeat and jolly, but were ultimately fairly forgettable. The live orchestra added to the atmosphere within the theatre and the set design was a colourful cartoonish affair which was well lit and effective in its simplicity.
Written and directed by Kay Mellor, who wrote the original TV series that the show is based on; Fat Friends is a rather loud, boisterous and upbeat show, which really resonates with its target audience. It’s a rather clichéd musical by numbers, with a heavy-handed script, fairly trite lyrics and a rather unsubtle approach to its humour, but what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with likeable characters, a few good belly laughs and buckets-full of near the knuckle, northern charm.
Fat Friends is at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes until the 10th March 2018, book tickets click here
Daniela Vega gives an award-worthy performance in the Chilean film A Fantastic Woman. Vega’s performance as a woman who, after the death of her lover, is rejected and scorned by his family that is superb.
You see, Vega is transgender, and her character Marina Vidal, who happens to be an aspiring singer, is also, of course, transgender. She and her lover Orlando (Francisco Reyes) had a regular relationship, but his ex-wife and son never truly accepted her nor her relationship with Francesco. But after a birthday celebration where they shared a romantic dinner, a sexy dance in a club, and a night of passion at home, Francisco starts having problems breathing, and after a tense drive to the hospital, Francesco dies, and in panic and a state of confusion, Marina walks away from the hospital. But after a police car picks her up and takes her back to the hospital, she realises that she’s being treated as a suspect in Francesco’s death and not as a grieving partner. To make matter much much worse, Francesco’s grown up son wants her out of Francesco’s apartment, and his ex-wife wants his car and explicitly tells Marina, to her face, that their relationship was perverted and not normal. It’s too much for anyone to take, but Marina is strong, and she will do anything to attend Francesco’s funeral, even when Francesco’s family tries to keep her way. Marina loved Francesco and wants to say a final goodbye.
There’s no doubt about Vega’s performance. We feel her pain, and her anger, and her confusion over the series of events that have happened in her life in a short period of time. Vega is a revelation, and she should’ve been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, nevertheless she’s been nominated for a slew of other awards, and has won Best Actress at the Palm Spring International Film Festival, while the film, written and directed by Sebastiån Lelio, won the prestigious Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. ‘A Fantastic Woman’ is really fantastic, one of the best films of the year, and Vega’s performance will most definitely move you.
