Monday 13 December 2010

Time for tears and laughter


A play to make you laugh and make you cry - 'Bea', at the wonderful Soho Theatre, London is a lively, gripping, brilliantly acted play.
Written and directed by Mick Gordon the play tackles the question - can we really understand and empahise with the feelings of others? - especially the case of Bea, a young, lively, lovely girl who is virtually bedridden by ME and wants to die. She asks her carer, Ray, and her mother to help her. The play challenges our morals and our humanity, without sliding into melancholy or sanctimoniosity.
Pippa Nixon is brilliant as Bea, exuding infectious energy one moment then pulling, no, wrenching at our heart strings the next. Such is the intimacy of the Soho Theatre that it was hard NOT to jump onto the stage and throw my arms around her just to make it all better.
Al Weaver brings welcome relief with his energetic portrayal of the Irish carer who is firm but fair and does what he can to bring light and fun into the life of Bea. His one man delivery of A Streetcar Named Desire is brilliant, and the effects of his theatrical extravaganza so cleverly lead to him performing an act that is chokingly moving and so very real.
Paula Wilcox is the perfect 3rd strand in the play - formidable at the start but turning into a character almost as colourful and emotional as the daughter she once had, and now has to decide whether to let her go. With lurching sadness I watched that final scene and was deeply moved by the bond between mother and daughter, and the careful, tender way that Ray hands over the final decision to them.
'Bea' will break your heart in places, but it will also make you think, laugh, sing and importantly, feel very good to be alive.
Bea is at the Soho Theatre until January 8th at 7.3pm. Runs for approx. 80 mins.

Tinx Newton Dec 10



Monday 6 December 2010

Christmas Exhibtion dates extended !


Don't worry if you thought you'd missed the Fircroft Christmas exhibition - it's been extended for a week due to the snow!

Tucked away on Albury Heath, Frank and Christine Taylor host this annual exhibition showing the work of many well-known (and some undiscovered) creative bods featuring ceramics, sculpture, jewellery, glass and of course, paintings.

Frank is a painter himself and his paintings are wonderfully colourful and quirky, his distinctive style portraying fishing boats, jazz musicians, Moroccan sky lines and a daily scene in a cafe.

In the exhibition he gathers together some of his favourite friends and creative contacts and fills this wonderful house with artisitic splendour and festive delights. Hmmm - was that the smell of mulled wine that wafted past as I opened the huge front door?! Indeed it was and inside the merry chatter of friends and new visitors to the legendary Fircroft exhibition made me glad I'd made the effort to get there.

Details - Open daily until Sunday December 12th, 11am to 5pm. Fircroft, off New Road, Albury heath, GU5 9DD. Tel 01483 202333. www.fircroft.info

Tinx Newton Dec 2010

Say what you mean then sit the hell down....


It was with slight trepidation that I signed up to see 14 people, (yes 14!) share their slides with an audience of just 50 people at the Bar des Arts in Guildford last week.

Dubbed PechaKucha (Japanese for chatter) the presentation has a simple set of rules: 20 slides displayed for 20 seconds each. That’s it. Say what you need to say in 6 mins and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and sit the hell down.

I settled myself at a table with a couple of strangers and a large glass of white wine and was totally captivated as each speaker took to the floor.

Pirate radio, volunteering in the Haiti earthquake, an actor, an electric motorbike designer, a festival organiser, the joy of sound - all very different topics spoken about by very normal people with a real passion for their chosen subject. And in the interval a bit of chit chat at the bar.

The atmosphere was excitable, friendly and hugely supportive. This was an event that delivered on so many different levels yet it was organised purely as a social gathering with not a spot of selling or heavy networking in sight.

I loved it. Another Pecha Kucha is planned for February - watch this blog for details.


Tinx Newton Nov 2010

Monday 29 November 2010


It was with slight trepidation that I signed up to see 14 people, (yes 14!) share their slides with an audience of just 50 people at the Bar des Arts in Guildford last week.

Dubbed PechaKucha (Japanese for chatter) the presentation has a simple set of rules: 20 slides displayed for 20 seconds each. That’s it. Say what you need to say in 6 mins and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and sit the hell down.

I settled myself at a table with a couple of strangers and a large glass of white wine and was totally captivated as each speaker took to the floor.

Pirate radio, volunteering in the Haiti earthquake, an actor, an electric motorbike designer, a festival organiser, the joy of sound - all very different topics spoken about by very normal people with a real passion for their chosen subject. And in the interval a bit of chit chat at the bar.

The atmosphere was excitable, friendly and hugely supportive. This was an event that delivered on so many different levels yet it was organised purely as a social gathering with not a spot of selling or heavy networking in sight.

I loved it. Another Pecha Kucha is planned for February - watch this blog for details.


Tinx Newton Nov 2010


Art group exhibitions can send a shudder down the spines of some people. Daffs in vases, children paddling in rock pools, a favourite pussy sitting at a window - these images are all too familiar so it was a joy to discover how adventurous, and indeed talented, many members of the Guildford Art Society are.

John Walker captures light so beautifully it was hard to me to move along the gallery. Wide expanses of foreground loosely painted with daring swathes of mauve contrast with careful, but never laboured, detail of buildings in the distance. Mixed inbetween are glimpses of sunlight creating interest across the whole canvas.

I was excited and fascinated by the mixed media of Nagib Karsan and Liz Clinton - colourful, layered work that jumps off the page. And pictures by the wonderful Juliet Renny always make me smile - I was in her art class a few years back and was struck by how incredibly talented she is in all types of medium.

Yes there are vases of flowers in the exhibition but they are very much the botanical illustration quality. I can't remember if I saw a cat, but there was a fine painting of elephants by Rosemarie de Goede.

More details of the exhibition from www.guildfordhouse.co.uk 01483 444751

Wednesday 3 November 2010


Have decided to rent desk space in order to (hopefully) a) work more efficiently without distractions and b) work more efficiently with more interesting distractions. After 6 years out of an office it's great to share a joke over the photocopier and gather info and opinions from fellow desk spacers. Already I feel a play coming on.....
The desk space is in a very groovy converted chapel in Leatherhead, called, not surprisingly, The Chapel. The interior is awesome - massive stained glass windows, the original organ, and a pervading sense of calm but with a comforting buzz of productivity. Fellow 'spacers' include a couple of marketing agencies, an SEO company, a concierge, a remote PA, a theatre touring company, a cartoonist - all very interesting stuff.
And best of all - a sandwich lady! Surely the most enjoyable job on the street - how wonderful to always be greeted with huge smiles and people digging in their pockets.
So - I'm trying it out for a month - watch this (desk) space....

Tuesday 19 October 2010


Up to London last week to the Portland Gallery to the preview of Alexander Creswell's fab exhibition of his seafaring paintings and other works. The Portland Gallery is a wonderful location to view art - spacious with high ceilings and a luxurious sense of quality and calm. This exhibition, En Plein Air, is a 'collection of new watercolours which juxtaposes the architecture of Venice and sailing yachts, plus supporting sketches, drawings and working methods.'
Alexander lives near Guildford and studied at West Surrey College of Art & Design, Farnham.
His sketches, in charcoal and pencil/chalk on buff paper really capture the feel of yachts ripping through the waves. The lean of the boat, the sails straining against strong winds, the lingering dangers of rough seas are all there in black and white. A video clip of Alexander sketching 'in situ' is thrilling. Strapped to a motor boat he sketches quickly then rolls the paper onwards to sketch again, all the while travelling parallel to the most beautiful yacht. You can view the clip on You Tube
In fact, I almost prefer his sketches to his full colour works - there's somehow more mystery and room for imagination. The colour paintings may be true to life and technically good but the sketches feel less restrained - as free maybe as those beautiful yachts whipping out to sea.
Exhibition details 14 Oct - 5 Nov 2010 - ´EN PLEIN AIR´ - Portland Gallery, London.

Monday 4 October 2010

Not strictly about art - but connected to the arts!
The RGS prizegiving held at Trinity Church last week featured Simon Bird, of Inbetweener's fame, to give a talk and present the prizes. Entertaining, and at times slightly near the edge, his speech had the boys clutching their sides with laughter (while some of the older members of the audience turned slightly pale).
Simon, an actor, writer and comedian, and old RGS boy studied English at Cambridge University.
He showed genuine surprise that he had been invited to present the prizes. "4 years ago" he said, "David Cameron presented the prizes and this year, you've got me, a tin pot comedian with a part in a purile show that is mainly centered around m****** " (word cannot print in my nice blog). Simon showed a great interest in the books chosen by students as their prizes, indeed he positively chortled at some. Following the ceremony, he was mobbed by boys wanting to chat about Inbetweeners and to get a part in the show. A very entertaining and refreshingly different speech day!

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Great Exhibition - Surrey Uni


Sheila Wallis is an artist completely captivated by the rawness of the human condition or as she puts it, ‘the seamier side of life...and human conflict’.
I went to the preview of her exhibition at the Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey. The small but perfectly formed display of her work reveals her incredible talent for capturing not just the physical make-up of the human form, but the often involuntary display of passion and mood within.
For the past year, Sheila has been artist-in-residence at the Watts Gallery, Compton. There the practice of looking, then thinking through doing has been the theme of her work and hence she has called this exhibition - Thinking Through Doing.
I just loved the huge oil paintings showing the naked body, slumped on a bed, half-dozing, faraway in thought. Bold and brave use of greens, blues and grey bring a harsh reality to the paintings - no pretty pinks or soft edges - Sheila captures so much of the model’s spirit by her ruthless honesty.
Brilliant show! - the exhibition continues until September 30 and is open from 10am to 5pm weekdays. use the pay & display in main car park. Sat & Sun by appointment with the Surry Uni arts office - 01483 68 9167 Well worth the slight trek out of town.
More details from University of Surrey and the Watts Gallery.

Saturday 11 September 2010

WISLEY FLOWER SHOW


For garden design inspiration, Wisley is brilliant at this time of year. I went today and there are still masses of flowers in all their glory and fab autumn colours coming into show. This week-end the Wisley Flower Show has more than 40 nurseries and garden trade stands are exhibiting, many of which are Chelsea or Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Gold medal winners. Useful to just poke around the stalls and ask lots of questions. If inspired you can buy plants on the spot.
As a real bonus, the Surrey Sculpture Trail has works on display (until Sept 30) - traditional and contemporary sculptures and all 60 sculptures for sale. More on this in a future post.

Friday 10 September 2010

Guildford Heritage

An amazing number of buildings in Guildford are open to the public this week-end (10 - 12 Sept) as part of Heritage Open Days. Free admission to all those churches, schools, quirky old buildings that always look shut but you want to peek inside. You can also take part in events and join walks and tours.
DON"T MISS - The Spike in Warren Road, a former shelter for the homeless and vagrants, which recently re-opened to the public.
The Royal Grammar School (Chained Library)
Download copy of the brochure if you can't get your mitts on one - www.guildford.gov.uk/heritageopendays.