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'Is That...Chris Ramsey?' Review

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On the 13 th April 2017, Chris Ramsey’s latest live show ‘Is That…Chris Ramsey?’ toured to the Guildhall, Portsmouth. With just half the seats being filled, I questioned why the rising star of television didn’t sell out such a small venue, especially since recently getting the chance to host his own show on Comedy Central, which is creatively named, ‘The Chris Ramsey Show’. Having watched him for years, including in shows like ‘Live at the Apollo’ and ‘Hebburn’, I expected a sell out; however, I actually enjoyed being part of a smaller and more intimate audience, and I feel as though it really helped out with the more casual feel of the show. Accompanying Chris Ramsey was friend and fellow comedian, Carl Hutchinson, who acted as the supporting act for the evening. It feels rare to have a supporting act which complements the main act of the evening, however, the combination of Chris and Carl was perfect. Carl produced a hilarious, well-timed and relatable set, and I hope he doe...

Hamlet at Almeida Theatre Review *Spoiler Free*

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William Shakespeare is one whom I would commonly refer to as the literary equivalent to marmite: you either love his work with a passion or utterly despise it. I guess you could blame the fact that it is commonly force fed down your throat at school reading ‘thou’ after ‘thus’ until the English lesson finally ends – yet, I feel appreciation would grow more if everyone was taken to the theatre to see Shakespeare’s work where it is at its best, just as I was for Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre, London. Image by Miles Aldridge Having only read a couple of pages of the play, and previously seeing an amateur dramatic group’s rendition, my knowledge only stretched to the basic plot, as well as knowing the common line “to be, or not to be”, but due to the number of deaths that many of my peers have told me about, I knew this would be something of interest to me, not to mention the incredible casting that had been achieved. Surrounding the lead protagonist of Prince Hamlet (Played...

Hamlet at The Almeida Theatre Review and Analysis

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Warning: Spoiler Included For a Spoiler Free Review, CLICK HERE . William Shakespeare is one whom I would commonly refer to as the literary equivalent to marmite: you either love his work with a passion or utterly despise it. I guess you could blame the fact that it is commonly force fed down your throat at school reading ‘thou’ after ‘thus’ until the English lesson finally ends – yet, I feel appreciation would grow more if everyone was taken to the theatre to see Shakespeare’s work where it is at its best, just as I was for Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre, London. Image by Miles Aldridge Having only read a couple of pages of the play, and previously seeing an amateur dramatic group’s rendition, my knowledge only stretched to the basic plot, as well as knowing the common line “to be, or not to be”, but due to the number of deaths that many of my peers have told me about, I knew this would be something of interest to me, not to mention the incredible casting that had been achie...

The Woman In Black Tour Review

Crowding into the small, eerie space of the New Theatre Royal, an anxious audience took to their seats, awaiting the horror and psychological torment that was to haunt their evening. Many years ago, I had saw The Woman In Black in London with my school, and hoped that having previously seen it, some of the fear would be removed…this was not the case. The play tells the story of Arthur Kipps, played by David Acton, an elderly man who writes a manuscript of his previous horrors, in the hope that the psychological torment of his past, and the woman in black, would finally leave him in peace. With the aim of performing to a small audience of friends and family, Arthur seeks help from The Actor, played by Matthew Spencer, to improve his performance, yet the pair then decide that The Actor will play a young Arthur Kipps, whilst Arthur plays supporting roles. In front of your eyes, the pair discuss their plans for their performance, before immersing you deeply into the major plot line it...

Thoroughly Modern Millie 2017 Tour Review

With only a distant memory of the plots skeleton, I found myself being dragged to the King’s Theatre Portsmouth last night, with my family, to endure ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’. Like a moody teenager, dressed in all black with the look of bemusement in my eyes, I took my seat in the half empty theatre and forced a smile to my face, preparing to tolerate almost three hours of overly cheerful torture…and yet, I instead found myself in awe of the spectacle in front of me. Set in a 1920’s New York, a young, ‘modern’ by the name of Millie Dillmount escapes her life from Kansas, with hopes of marrying a rich husband in the big city. With a mind set on money as opposed to love, we see Millie battle between her head and heart as she makes the choice between her rich boss, Mr Graydon, or the attractive, yet penniless, Jimmy Smith. Away from Millie’s love life, a coinciding plot occurs, focusing on the Hotel Priscilla where Millie is staying. Run by Mrs Meers, leader of a white slavery ring...

Clueing for Looks in London

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To celebrate the new year and a new series of Sherlock, the 21st January 2017 saw myself and Natalie embark on an adventure to London for our own, 'custom' Sherlock Tour.  It's sad, we know, but if you are still reading this sentence, then you must still be somewhat intrigued by the concept of where we went and what we did, and, if you haven't seen it already, you can watch some snippets of our day in my vlog:  here .  The Map: 1/14: Waterloo Station 2: 221B Baker Street 3: Landmark Hotel 4: Speedy's Cafe and '221B' 5: St Barts Hospital 6: Old Baily  7: Trafalgar Square 8: The British Academy 9: Buckingham Palace 10: Irene Adler's House 11: New Scotland Yard 12: Big Ben 13: London Eye Relation to the Series: 1/14: Waterloo Station Literally just a train station, but they do have a beer house inside, which is where we spend most of our time in London. 2: 221B Baker Street Although not featured within the series, this is the real 22...

Hillywood's Suicide Squad Parody Review

Securing over two-million views in just over a week, Hannah and Hilly Hindi's latest parody of Suicide Squad defies expectations with its content, quality and overall perfection.  Merging the not-so-popular 2016 release from Warner Brothers with Lady Gaga’s 2011 hit ‘Judas’, the Hillywood Show create one of their most dramatic and stunning videos yet, which easily surpasses the quality of the movie itself. Focusing solely on Harley Quinn (portrayed by Hilly) and her twisted romance with infamous villain The Joker (played by Caine Keenan) the parody displays hidden depths to the damaged duo, which the 2016 movie glazed over in its overcrowded plot. With Harley taking the role of Gaga from the music video, every ounce of her pain, self-torture and insanity is displayed within carefully directed close-ups, without losing her cheerful exterior within the group dance moves. The dances were carefully choreographed to match those of the original video, and the beautiful direc...