Guildford Youth Theatre present polished performance

Romeo & Juliet
by The Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre at the Mill Studio

Embarking on a full length Shakespearean play can be daunting for any theatre group, so it was a particularly brave choice for the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre, most of whom may have read Shakespeare at school but few had ever performed it.
Directors Adam Forde and Lucy Betts were confident that the group could do justice to Romeo and Juliet and, after months of dedicated rehearsing, they presented six highly polished performances at the Mill Studio, Guildford.
Setting the play in the 1920s felt appropriate as a time of revolution yet afforded touches of fun. Costumes were simplified and moments of 20s music created atmosphere. When the whole troupe broke into a well choreographed dance routine at Lord Montague’s masked party, I wanted to stand up and cheer. It is a clever scene; Romeo and his friends, having gate-crashed the party, move gaily through the crowd creating little scenarios which are delightful to observe.
The first half was tremendous with good pace and moments of gaiety that tumbled into darkness as the houses of Montague and Capulet fell foul of each other. Fight scenes directed by Daniel Hill were incredibly realistic, and the whole cast worked well together, whether dancing, fighting or falling in love. The second act revealed some moving scenes from the young lovers and tangible feelings of despair from those close to them.
It is no mean feat learning Shakespeare’s lines but this young cast were almost word perfect, and any small stumbles were covered with skill and confidence. Theo Toksvig-Stewart was impressive as Romeo, delivering his lines clearly and displaying immense energy and passion. His love for Juliet, played with delightful charm by Jo Parker, was sensitively portrayed.
Cameron Manson played a convincing Mercutio, unnervingly provocative throughout the first act, yet vulnerable and tragic in his final scene.
There were so many notable performances, indeed too many to name individually. All the cast were major players in this production - they worked well together, smoothly moving from one scene to the next, concentrating on each others lines, displaying credible expressions of hate, love and despair.
In her director’s notes, Lucy Betts says, “The group has embraced the project with relish. Every member has been faced with new challenges and the cast has risen to the demands of the text with great passion.”
I think it showed. This was a remarkable production - in fact I enjoyed it so much, I bought a ticket for the following night.

Tinx Newton

Wanted: Big & Danish on Bargain Hunt

In the interest of supporting all forms of arts and media I took part in BBC's Bargain Hunt last week. (does that count as research?)
On a very cold and damp Tuesday morning my team mate Penny & I turned up at Ardingly Show ground in Sussex, prepared for some kind of participation, but not entirely sure what to expect!
If you haven't seen Bargain Hunt, let me explain - it involves 2 teams each being given £300 and an hour to spend it on 3 potentially good money-making bargains at a given antiques fair. Both teams set off at the same time with their own dedicated film crew and the aim is a) to make the most money and b) provide entertainment!
"Just keep talking" the director told us - Penny & I had no problem with that, and neither did the antiques 'expert' who went with us. The hugely entertaining Mark Stacey kept us (the red team) entertained and under control for well over an hour. And he seemed to know his stuff - the proof will be at the auction day in March when our chosen goods will compete against the blue team's items.
What did we buy in the end? A small 'bureau' with a crack in the top, a huge but lovely Games table and er - a ship. yes a ship! - that's when you see us starting to have a tiff on camera! It may have only been 40 quid but it was 5 feet long and the mast, sails and half the hull were missing.
Later ( it's kind of filmed the wrong way round) we were interviewed on camera by the charismatic Tim Wonnacott who asked us lots of jolly questions about our lives and we tried hard not to sound crass or twee and to be super-bright, arty and informed!
As always I take my hat off to the film crew - friendly, funny, and full of energy even when the wind howled around us and some of stall-holders hurled abuse. Only once did they tell us off, gently reminding us that we were filming for day time TV. Penny did mention a few times that she was after something Big and Danish (and I was after small and British) - now what's wrong with that?!

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

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

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