Category: Review

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Columns, Editorial Team, Film/TV, Review, Visual Arts

Frost on Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

A not so Fantastic opening weekend

Today, not having seen a Harry Potter film is a marker of peculiarity. The Potter universe stands as one of the largest and most successful series to make it to the big screen and seems to be becoming more popular every year. But the new Fantastic Beasts series, set as a precursor to the eponymous events at Hogwarts, has failed to achieve equal praise. Continue reading Frost on Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

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Editorial Team, Local, Performance Arts, Review, Theatre

Review: Jack and the Beanstalk @ Exeter Northcott

Sitting in the middle of the Northcott theatre last Wednesday evening, the Christmas atmosphere consumed me. Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade was blaring out and an elderly group of women came back from the theatre’s bar with mulled wine. There truly is nothing quite like going to see a pantomime at Christmas. On paper, the premise of a pantomime doesn’t appeal to everybody. Bad jokes and amateur acting often seem like more of a chore than entertainment. In honesty, throughout the rest of the year, I would not feel inclined to watch a pantomime. However, in the festive season, there’s something about the cheesy performances that makes the jolly attitude come out in businessmen and children alike. Continue reading Review: Jack and the Beanstalk @ Exeter Northcott

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Editorial Team, Music, Review, What's Happening

Review: Isaac Gracie @ Exeter Phoenix

Gracie has the ‘last words’ on love. I stood at the bar, beer in hand, amongst the bundle of young people all raring to see the London native swoon his way onto the stage. The fans weren’t rowdy, nor were they uncontrollable. They simply sipped their drinks, with the clinking of glasses and a lingering sense of anticipation in the air. Not one of wondering … Continue reading Review: Isaac Gracie @ Exeter Phoenix

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christmas, Editorial Team, Food, Local, Review

Review: Comptoir Libanais’ Christmas Menu

Fozz: So Katrina, I need to thank you properly for our cute little date night the other day where we got to try the new Christmas menu at Comptoir Libanais! I really enjoyed myself, and the food was pretty good…

Katrina: The food was so good! I’ve never been to Comptoir Libanais so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. As we walked in, I got a really nice vibe from the place straight away and everyone was very friendly. But back to the all important food, what did you think of the menu variety? Continue reading Review: Comptoir Libanais’ Christmas Menu

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Books, Columns, Editorial Team, Review

In My Good Books: ‘The Children Act’ by Ian McEwan

As an avid Ian McEwan fan, I was keen to read The Children Act, published in 2014, and it is safe to say that this novel did not disappoint. What I find most striking about McEwan’s novels is that each of his books is utterly unique. Atonement explores love, war and innocence, The Child In Time describes a man’s emotional and psychological turmoil following the … Continue reading In My Good Books: ‘The Children Act’ by Ian McEwan

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Editorial Team, Exeter Uni, Performance Arts, Review, Theatre

Review: Shotgun Theatre’s Urinetown

I recently attended a talk by the theatre critic Libby Purves, who admitted that it’s difficult to critique musical theatre productions, because “they just do so much”. This is a statement I wholeheartedly agree with, and one which kept running through my mind during Shotgun’s production of the musical Urinetown. Despite certain hallmarks of an amateur production – largely relating to limitations posed by the venue, stage, and equipment – Urinetown comes across as a colourful explosion of work, creativity and talent. It is a synthesis of drama, dance, costume, set, singing, and music – as the onstage band and ever-present figure of the conductor (Ryan Mulgrew) never let the audience forget. Continue reading Review: Shotgun Theatre’s Urinetown

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Editorial Team, Performance Arts, Review, Theatre

Review: Rendezvous in Bratislava @ Exeter Phoenix

Part of the magic of live theatre lies in the sharing of experiences. For a couple of hours, audience and performers are united in one space to share stories, music and emotion. On arrival at the Exeter Phoenix Voo-doo Lounge to see Rendezvous in Bratislava, we were welcomed by a woman dressed as a waitress, carrying a tray and speaking rapidly at us in very chirpy Slovak. She offered us a shot of sloe gin each, which we clinked and drank with surprised glee. A nice bev is of course another thing that is shared at the theatre, and this began our evening which was to be full of shared experiences. Continue reading Review: Rendezvous in Bratislava @ Exeter Phoenix

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