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Odd Encounter was… well, just that, a very odd encounter. Upon entering the ‘Workshop’ room, I was welcomed by an exceptionally friendly and glittery drag queen, Mysti Valentine, who was to be the one of the stars of the show. The description of this performance was vague at best, so I went in with an open mind and was not disappointed. As Britons do best, … Continue reading Review: Odd Encounter at Exeter Phoenix
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Today, in large part due to Trump’s presidency, the topic of racial hatred seems as prevalent as ever. Films released recently like The Hate U Give or Spike Lee’s brilliant Blackkklansman have attempted to discuss this issue with a loud and angry voice. If Beale Street Could Talk continues this trend but in a more subtle, muted way, elevating intimacy over depictions of racial prejudice. Continue reading Frost on Film: If Beale Street Could Talk
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Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots portrays the relationship between the emponyous figure (Saoirse Ronan) and Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) as less of a rivalry and more of a strained camaraderie. Its focus is far less on placing the two figures in opposition to one another and more on representing them both as strong, independent leaders constrained by circumstances. In a (less historically accurate albeit more feminist) twist … Continue reading Review: Mary Queen of Scots
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Being a frequent Facebook user, I was no stranger to the devilish, black-and-white profile pictures that those involved in Exeter University Shakespeare Society’s production of Doctor Faustus have switched to in recent weeks. Interest sufficiently piqued, I leapt at the opportunity to review the sold-out production, and I can safely say that it was positively spectacular.
Continue reading Review: Shakespeare Society’s ‘Doctor Faustus’
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Having climbed the snowy slope to campus, the brassy warmth of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s presence in the Great Hall was sure to revive the spirits of all who made it there. As were the evening’s three pieces, under the heading of ‘Pastoral Brahms’. Clemens Schuldt was conducting, his second evening with the BSO following his debut the night before. His familiarity with the German Romantic canon was well-suited to the work, with which he displayed a near-frantic excitement throughout. Continue reading Review: BSO’s Pastoral Brahms
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You’ve probably heard of it, watched it, or considered reading it: Atonement. This novel published in 2001 quickly became a highly acclaimed classic, as it deals with family, love, war, and principally, guilt. I have now read this book twice and I would happily read it again. McEwan’s novel explores the dangerous encounter of childhood imagination and grave reality, as the protagonist’s youthful mistake haunts her … Continue reading In My Good Books: ‘Atonement’ by Ian McEwan
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Molly Naylor’s play Lights! Planets! People!, which premiered at the Exeter Phoenix last night, weaves together the titular words in a surprising but congruent way in the character of Maggie Hill, a sixty-year old, gay, bipolar, space scientist. As Maggie (Karen Hill) tackles issues in both her work and personal life, the audience were gripped by Maggie’s progress towards greater self-realisation and acceptance. Continue reading Review: Lights! Planets! People! @ Exeter Phoenix
