Tag Archives: out and about

February 4, 2013 · 8:17 pm

A varied weekend.

This weekend was pretty busy, with a cinema trip and two theatre visits, all for completely different things and all utterly brilliant in their own way.

LincolnFor starters came Lincoln. Whilst I enjoy films I have a huge number of gaps in my film knowledge / experiences, so this was my first ever experience of seeing Daniel Day Lewis in a film. I was very, very impressed by him and by the film overall. I hadn’t read much about the film but had seen mentions of “Sorkin-esque moments” – having finished watching The West Wing last week I was thrilled by the similarities between the two, I hadn’t expected the film to focus so strongly on the political machinations of passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The story the film tells is hugely interesting and I was impressed by the way I was still tense and fretting over the vote even when I knew the outcome.

MNGThe middle piece of weekend entertainment was the local pantomime put on by the Monday Night Group. They put on a panto every year and raise thousands of pounds for local community groups. The show was very entertaining, it was a little odd seeing people I’d been at school with and not seen for more than 10 years appearing on stage, but they were all very good. The panto was Jack and the Beanstalk, they put in lots of modern twists and references and had more audience participation than I can remember seeing at any other pantomime. There were plenty of youth groups in the audience meaning the laughs were loud and long – everyone left having had a brilliant time.

RockyHorrorLast but by no means least was a trip into Birmingham to see the 40th anniversary tour of The Rocky Horror Show. I’d seen the film many years ago but never seen the stage show, whilst I was really looking forward to seeing it a small part of me was also wondering what the experience would be like. We didn’t dress up, the combination of it being a matinee (albeit one that started at 5.30pm) and the middle of winter made the idea of costumes unappealing – having now seen the audience and the wide variety of costumes we will definitely give it a go next time, though we will also choose a performance in the summer! The show was brilliant, every member of the cast was excellent, and the audience was an absolute hoot. I had no idea about the level of audience participation – when the whole place joined in with The Usherette singing Science Fiction / Double Feature it was a bit of a surprise, so when they all joined in with the dialogue it was a real surprise. The high level of interactivity meant that it was one of the funniest theatre experiences I’ve ever had.

I think this is one of the most varied weekends I’ve had in quite a while. Next weekend has some range to its plans already but I don’t think it’s going to match this one!

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April 19, 2011 · 11:26 am

London Book Fair 2011.

I’ve been a bad blogger for the last few days, I’ve been pretty tired and I’m afraid blogging has been the last thing I’ve thought about doing. I have been doing plenty of reading though so there are some great reviews coming up over the next few weeks. I finished the second semester at uni on the 9th and travelled home for a day before going straight off to London to attend the London Book Fair (LBF) between the 11th and 13th.

I read a blog post some weeks back saying that one thing aspiring authors should do is to attend things like LBF. I didn’t know much about the event but when I looked into it there seemed little doubt that it would be an event I would get plenty out of attending. I booked my ticket and looked forward to three days of book related fun.

LBF took over Earls Court 1 and 2, including a number of conference rooms and meeting rooms. In addition to the exhibition floor (there were over 750 stands to explore) there were more than 150 seminars to choose between attending. I spent a long time whittling down the list of seminars, frustratingly for me there were some slots with not seminar that really appealed and then other slots when there were two or more that I had to pick between – particularly annoying when two of the small number of library themed seminars were scheduled at the same time.

Over the three days I attended the following seminars:

  • The Future Face of Publishing: How Diverse Will It Be?
  • Graphic Novels as Literature.
  • Children and Young Adult Books: Bestsellers, Top Movies and Brands. The Secret of Success.
  • E-Books and the User: In the Library, on the Desktop and on the Device.
  • The Importance of Prizes in Children’s Literature.
  • Through the Looking Glass: Interactive Reading Communities for Young People.
  • Library 2020 – Where Next for Libraries’ Digital Reading Offer?
  • Graphic Novels for the Boys.
  • How to Get into Publishing.
  • School Libraries: Who Needs Them?
  • Lauren Child and Anthony Browne in Conversation.
  • Drawing Out New Talent: Booktrust’s Best New Illustrators 2011.

Over the three days I learned a huge amount from the seminars. I picked the ones that interested me most both as a library studies student and as someone who hopes to become a published author for children and/or young people. The two seminars that surprised me the most were the final two I attended, both concentrated on picture books – something I’d never thought much about before. By the end of the two panels I found myself thinking about picture books in a whole new light and am now considering whether they are something I could write for.

In addition to attending so many seminars I spent plenty of time exploring the exhibition side of the event. I had some very useful chats with publishers and collected a mountain of book catalogues. I’ve only begun to browse through them but I’m already seeing lots of books due to be published later this year that I’m going to be adding to my wishlist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the event and found it to be a very valuable way to spend three days. I’ve already got next year’s pencilled into my diary.

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March 25, 2011 · 8:55 pm

Out and About : Frankenstein.

What?Frankenstein.
Where?The National Theatre, London.
How much? Tickets range between £12 and £45 for adults, discounts are available.
When?The play runs until 2nd May 2011. It is sold out but returns and day tickets may be available.

Over the last few weeks I have seen Danny Boyle’s version of Frankenstein twice. Once at the National Theatre and once via NT Live at my local cinema. The theatre visit came first, as soon as I got home from it I booked my cinema ticket to see it again.

The current production of Frankenstein has some very attractive features. The first of these is the fact it is the brainchild of Danny Boyle. He was directing for the theatre before he moved into tv and film so it’s a return to his roots. The second appealing factor was that the script was going to be telling the story of the creature, returning far more to Shelley’s original novel. Finally the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller as the two leads, alternating playing the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature each night was intriguing.

A Tale of Two Creatures
When I saw Frankenstein at the National Theatre Benedict Cumberbatch took the role of Victor and Johnny Lee Miller played the Creature. The NT Live broadcast that I watched had them playing the opposite roles, so Cumberbatch was the Creature and Miller played Victor.

I enjoyed both performances thoroughly, though I would have to say that I preferred the first time that I saw it. I had expected this to work better, both actors were playing the roles that were the more obvious choice for themselves. I did find it interesting that the NT Live broadcast was live in the evening on the same day that the recording had been made for the transmission on the 24th March when the actors played the opposite role. I wonder whether it was hard to switch roles between the two performances – on the days when they normally do a matinee and evening the actors play the same role for both performances.

A Light and Sound Show.
Two of the most effective parts of the play for me were the use of light and sound. There was a lighting feature that hung above the stage with hundreds of light bulbs of all shapes and sizes hanging from it. These were used to punctuate the performance, flashes of light moving across the board in a range of colours and intensities to match the tone of what was happening down below on the stage. There were times when I found myself wondering how a simple looking piece of electronics could have such an effect.

Underworld provided the fantastic musical soundtrack to the play. From the eerie tones that accompany the build up to the beginning of the play to the joyful accompaniment of the Creature’s exploration of the world the soundtrack was stunning throughout. I have found myself humming parts of it at the most random of times, I’m thrilled it has now been released to buy.

Oh no they didn’t!
The only real criticism I could give to the production comes with the script for the minor characters. The scenes when the Creature learns from DeLacey were wonderful but they were interspersed with scenes featuring DeLacey’s son and daughter-in-law that sounded like something from my local pantomime. Elizabeth also suffered from the scripting, she had some weak lines to deliver and was clearly capable of more. This was a real shame as the plotting of the entire play was excellent and the dialogue given to the leads was far far better.

I thoroughly enjoyed this take on Frankenstein and I hope the National Theatre will be releasing the NT Live versions to dvd so I can enjoy it for years to come.

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March 23, 2011 · 8:39 pm

Out and About : Llanerchaeron.

What? Llanerchaeron.
Where? National Trust property approximately 5 miles outside Aberaeron.
How much? Adult £7.10, Child £3.60. Family tickets are available and reduced admission is available if you use a green method of transport.
When? The property is now open Wednesday – Sunday and will be open 7 days a week from 4th April.

Over the weekend I was entertaining a history loving friend. When I was searching for things to do in Ceredigion I discovered there was a National Trust property hidden away. We both love exploring old properties so I knew it was definitely a way for us to spend an afternoon.

The history bit.
Llanerchaeron is a minor gentry estate that dates back to the 18th-century. The house was passed down through the generations until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1989. When they took the house on it was in a poor state so they undertook the necessary restoration work and have returned it to its wonderful original state. In addition to the villa itself there is a courtyard that was used by the service staff with outhouses on the three non house sides of the square that were used for purposes including laundry, cheese storage and meat curing.

Walking round the house we were met at regular intervals by National Trust volunteers. They were all brilliant, they knew lots about the house, the contents of the rooms and the people who had lived in them. Some of the people we spoke to had been with the property since it had first been acquired, they were able to tell us about the restoration work – something we found fascinating.

A tranquil inspiration.
My favourite part of the house was a sitting room on the first floor. This circular room was decorated in a beautiful pale green and felt wonderfully calm and tranquil. Through the window you could see lovely views of the Welsh countryside. There was a desk against one wall and a couple of comfortable chairs. I could instantly picture myself working in this room. The lady who was the volunteer working on the first floor told us that it was a room that the ladies of the house used both for writing and for sewing. Whilst she was telling us about this I began to be able to picture the ladies and now feel tempted to write their story.

More to see than the house.
In addition to the house we were able to explore the walled gardens. At this time of the year they’re getting everything ready, many of the beds were clearly ready for things to be planted in them. I have been told that during the summer months the beds are always full, and the fruit and vegetables that they grow are available for sale. We also had a pleasant stroll around the lake, it has an island in the middle that made us both think of Swallows and Amazon.

We didn’t venture any further than this, but a short walk on from the house and gardens is the Home Farm complex – a working organic farm complete with animals.

I really feel like we uncovered a gem in Llanerchaeron. The house is beautifully restored and the volunteers are very knowledgeable and friendly. I shall certainly be visiting again next time someone comes to visit.

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