Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire were dead funny in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead! (Spoiler Alert)

So I had the pleasure of seeing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as a live feed from the Tyneside Cinema on the 26th April.  The performance staring Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire, was being taking place in the Old Vic Theatre in London.

My Thoughts

I did not know what to expect from the play so I was watching the play with an open mind.

Plot, Characters and Script

The plot to this play was slow to start at first so the first act was just introducing us to the characters. It was not until the second act where we got a better idea of the two main characters roles in the screen play.  So naturally, I found myself a little bored in the first half as there was little to follow, this however improved as the play went on.

The opening of the show introduced us to our two main characters – Rosencrantz as Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire as Guildenstern. They were amusing themselves with a coin flipping game, in which Rosencrantz had landed 90 heads in a row. Whether this was genuine or just double sided coins, I was not sure.

Rosencrantz – Daniel Radcliffe (right) and Joshua McGuire – Guildenstern (left)

This was an intellectual introduction and as the script went on, I found myself having to concentrate harder into what they were talking about. Topics such as death, complex probability – a lot of it went over my head, but it showed how clever these two characters were.

I also found their relationship throughout the play very similar to two brothers. Their bond allowed them to be open with each other with conflicting opinions, yet still get on. They are bit like bread and butter – they go very well together and make each other better.

This play was directed by Katie Moore and based on a script play by Tom Stoppard, who had the opportunity to sit in the audience. This definitely would have added some adrenaline for the actors, as they were performing in front of the play write himself.

Even with the script being very intellectual, there were still a lot of humorous one liners. Viewers (including myself) were laughing throughout the play by Radcliffe and McGuire’s witty comebacks. One being very focused on the direction of the wind, which became a repetitive joke up until the end.

Costumes and Set

Something that did stand out for me was the costumes – all over the top and extremely realistic. One of these costumes belonged to the main player in a band (played by David Haig) who was a big burst of sound, energy and enthusiasm! His costume was vintage like those worn by Radcliffe and McGuire but more colourful with bursts of red.

Main player – David Haig (right front) with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (both left)

However the best costume of all, in my opinion was worn by Alfred (played by Matthew Durkan). He was half naked in the first act, however changed into a vintage dress with a ruff collar and a white powdered face in the second act. He looked as fantastic as the female actors on the stage.

The set contrasted to the costumes and was very minimal, including two chairs randomly  spaced out, two backpacks and a ladder. The stage was opened up into space normally used behind the wings to give the actors a lot more space to work with. This also made them look very small on the stage when they were in solo scenes.

Final Note

The play was a pleasure to see, even if I saw it on a live feed. The acting was exquisite and passionate and I thoroughly enjoyed it by the end, despite the complex script and slow plot.

If you have any comments, please let me know!

Bye guys 🙂

 

 

S3, E4: When more evidence was uncovered, Miller and Hardy had to face some hard truths and some were difficult to swallow (Spoiler Alert).

The case continued and it became more complex than they thought…

The plot

Trish relived the night by going back to the crime scene. She wanted to remember what happened. This was her story:

We saw Trish walk in on the night of the incident, and she was happy. She remembered going into the kitchen and had attempted to help with the plates, despite the chefs dismay. At the party she was happy and was drinking and smoking. She had a cheeky look at Ed, before she went outside. She went out for a smoke, had an argument with Ian and then turned away. She heard her voice a few minutes later (one she did not recognise) and was then hit on the back of the head.

While visiting the crime scene, she lay down where she had been that night and remembered the horror. She told the detectives that she saw a light, probably from the cottage. Beth and the detectives were with her the whole time as she recited her memories.

This is what Cath’s story of that night:

Cath arrived just after 6, and people started to arrive at 7.30. She was at the door most of the time, and saw Trish and Ian have an argument over his girlfriend Sarah. Trish spent time with Ed too, and he would spend all night with Trish if he could….

Cath also said that Jim, her husband had disappeared from 11.30 onwards and she was not aware of his whereabouts. He was not in the kitchen, hall or in the grounds.

Meanwhile….

Hardy found the wooden bat that may have hit her on the head that night in a wheelbarrow in the corridor. The wheelbarrow was there and full of nicknacks for the children. The other bat was missing. Could this have been the missing weapon?

A sexual predator off the sexual offenders list was released 10 weeks ago and his last victim was raped and gagged just like trish. Hardy and Miller went and visit Aron. He committed the crime in in the 50s and the 27 year old women freaked out and she started to accuse him of things. He was fishing the night of Trish’s murder… his wife would check his alibi.  He had read the case in the paper but said that he had nothing to do with it.

Ian had some content on a Trish’s laptop… stuff he wanted to delete. But what was it that he wanted to hide? Ian was panicky as getting to the laptop would be difficult with Trish around.

Ed approached Beth one morning and wanted to see if Trish was ok. He seemed overly concerned, but I guess that is normal right?

All the town went to a football celebration on the beach, as a way to show the rapist that he could not ruin the fun and everyone was there, even Trish turned up. There seemed to be a bit of tension as Ian, Ed and Mark turned around. It all fell silent and Cath was the only one to welcome her.

Miller noticed the netting on the football goal and it looked familiar. Liam and Ian knew each other (Ian taught him) and that made Liams alibi more important.

Hardy actually had a date one night a women with a women, so let Miller go home early. He bumped into her on the way home, and was alerted to new DNA evidence. They both went to investigate.

Miller got DNA back and there was a trace of a males DNA. It was Jim, the man who went missing from 11.30 onwards on the night of the party. They approached him that night after Hardy’s date and in the station, he claimed it was a mistake. He was disgusted that they thought he would rape her on the night of the party. He had sex with her on Saturday morning – he was the man she slept with. Cath, his wife, described her marriage as loveless and it would be even worse if she knew about Trish.

Results also came back and suggested that Ian sent the message “shut up, shut up or else”. They wanted his computer. Sarah, his girlfriend, used the computer sent the messages to his ex wife Trish. She rudely said that she did not know she had been raped and had little sympathy for her.

There was a final twist…

A women, came into the station and said that she had some information. She was raped in a field two years ago and she never told anyone. Was this the same man?

Questions and Final Thoughts

1. What did Ian want off Trish’s laptop?
2. Where was the light from, which Trish described seeing by the waterfall on the night of the attack?
3. Was Jim involved?
4. Who sent the flowers that were left on her doorstep?
5. Did the same man who raped Lucy two years ago, rape Trish?

All these questions and no real conclusive answer to them. It seemed that this case was more complicated that they both thought. Miller and Hardy had not even narrowed down the potential suspects… ouch. They would have many more long nights to come…

When a second potential victim came to light towards the end of the episode, Miller and Hardy had to face the fact that Trish may not have been the first! It was daunting as they now did not truly know how many women that this man may have hurt!

Hope you enjoyed reading it and feel free to let me know what you thought of the episode or my review!

Bye guys 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Review: Jimmy Carr – Best of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits in York

My view from the front row!

Such a great view for the tour!

I was so excited for this and had been since I booked it in February. It was the end of a long wait and was chuffed about being in the front row!

What did I think of it?

The tour was very funny and included varying levels of jokes – some more rude and direct than others! He had a great stage presence and interacted with the audience well – a poor man in the front row was heckled throughout the show, with your mum jokes.

The tour consisted of jokes that he has developed and used over the last 25 years so if you have watched video clips, you would probably recognise most of them. Despite this they were still funny and worth the price and travel.

Would I recommend it?

His humour is unique and crosses a few lines, but if you like that, than I would totally recommend the tour! You will have a good laugh!

I was worried that he would pick me out in the front row, but he didn’t! I was lucky.

He is still touring and you can see the dates and locations at http://www.jimmycarr.com/live/ .

 

Concert Review: Cats at Sunderland Empire

What is it about?
There was no story line but it showed different “egelical” cats from varying backgrounds. In a way,  they were all individual and a bit like humans.

Their differences were expressed through song and dance – some slow and delicate and others fast and loud. Their costumes and make up were all beautiful and varying,  designed to the smallest of details.

What did I think of the plot?

There was not any  plot so it did get boring at times. The second half was a lot better though, with more memorable cat characters like Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat and  Magic Mr Mystofolies. These were some of my favourite parts as Mr Mystofolies was so glitzy and jazzy and the Skimpleshanks scene was so creative. You could not help but sing along.

What did I enjoy about it the most?

Another part I enjoyed was the series of solos of “Memories” by Elaine Paige. The duo took turns throughout the play to sing parts of the song. Their voices were so different in tone and power but it was breathtaking! By the end, we were blown away by their sheer passion and emotion.

Would I recommend it? 

Despite the slow, if not boring start, I would still recommend the show. Keep watching and wait it out. Soon you will be clapping with the audience and singing along.

For a more in depth review, visit http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/cats.htm

Bye for now 🙂