Review - Aura Cocktail Bar

Several weeks ago I was invited to visit a cocktail bar in Kettering called 'Aura'. I had liaised with them a fair bit via our respective Twitter accounts and finally at last the dates all matched up and I went down on a Friday evening which coincided with a music night they were holding featuring local singer Olivia Winterflood.

The evening promised much as I had heard good things about the entertainment and atmosphere at Aura but I hadn't heard a great deal on the food front as it's a fairly new addition to their offering and that can always be a dubious time to visit. When another local bar/restaurant opened a few months back (it shall remain nameless) Facebook was awash with bad reviews about the food, prices and service. Not good, especially with several well known restaurants located closeby in Prezzo and Chimichanga. It's a brave move, but a calculated one when you consider that in a place like Kettering, the vast majority of the town's nightlife is situated in a half mile radius.

Being the hapless singleton that I am I took one of my good theatre friends Megan along with me to gauge her response also and to give me some needed company should the food and entertainment be found wanting!

My initial thoughts entering Aura were that it was somewhere I felt quite at home and welcome. It has that sort of atmosphere that few places locally produce, which remain me of some of my old uni haunts. The music wasn't booming out from speakers and the venue had a good amount of people swilling about. The worst thing when reviewing is when your the only person in the place and you can hear a pin drop. The staff were all really friendly  when we were ordering our first drinks before they could be 'warned' I was reviewing the place, which can cause an artificial reaction.

We decided to skip starters and go straight for the mains which offered (at time of visiting) a limited selection, whilst still providing good meat / vegetarian options. To be honest, I prefer the smaller menu when somewhere initially starts offering food as it can prove unwieldy to the kitchen and I'd prefer somewhere doing 10-15 dishes well rather then 30+ to an okay standard. I point out here that since visiting Aura have added several new additions to the menu including a really tasty looking handmade steak and ale pie and that classic favourite of a generation, ham, egg and chips. I like the new choices as they offer something more 'earthy' and 'British'.

I went for the Char Grilled Steak Ciabatta, with onion confit and beer mustard mayonaise. It came with a portion of fries, small side salad and coleslaw, all presented sumptuously and separated by individual serving bowls. I like this touch as I've lost count of conversation I've overhead when something like coleslaw was added to a dish without the customer saying they didn't want it and the whole plate having to be returned etc. It's also a very clean, considered way of presenting food, rather then shoving a great pile of different food types all on one plate.

It was all really very good. All the food was hot and ready to be devoured (I hate when half the plate is luke warm to cold as it shows inadequacies in the kitchen). The salad was light, fresh with a lively dressing and the coleslaw was creamy and crunchy, just what I would expect when eating out. The whole plate was bursting with flavour and freshness, and I found myself skipping from one thing to another as I couldn't make up my mind which I liked more. The steak was probably the only thing I could pick fault with. I was offered rare or well done when I ordered so I opted for rare (I usually have my steak medium-rare so little to squabble about), but I did find it too chewy, especially towards the end of the meal. It tasted great still don't get me wrong, but I am a steak snob and I think offering a 'medium' option would eliminate this in the future.

Megan choose the Roast Chicken Salad, with coz, baby gem lettuce, garlic croutons, tomato and creamy dressing. I'll keep this part of the review relatively short, she ate it all and refused to share any of it with me. That should tell you enough, but for the more avid reader I will develop this somewhat but saying the presentation matched mine and again the chicken was flavoursome and tender, with the salad mirroring mine in freshness (not a limp leaf in sight!).

The evening developed when the live music started, being provided by Olivia Plus One at 10pm. I had seen Olivia performed once before, as Eponine in a local youth production of 'Les Mis', where I thought she was outstanding. Hearing her sing, years after that theatre production, I can safely say she's even better then she was before and is probably one of the best local singers of her age in the area. I can make this bold claim having performed in over 35 local theatre productions, gone to countless open mics and now owning my own theatre company, so I'd like to think myself relatively qualified.




The sound quality and acoustics at Aura lend itself well to this kind of music and scope, with the place full by the time the first song was being sung. In hindsight I'm not that surprised, not only does Aura look good on the outside, but offering live music on a Friday night in a central town location is a good attraction. Most open mic nights for instance that I go to are on when the pubs are generally quiet and to draw a few extra people in. Maybe they should try mixing the open mics with live music events such as this to develop an audience so that the people who are in on a busy weekend night return during the week if they enjoyed themselves.

Speaking of events I will draw everyone's attention to a charity costume party that Aura are holding on the 1st of November (see poster), with tickets now just £5. As many of you will know I am a massive advocate for helping charities and local community groups and I think events such as these should be be supported to the max. The theatre company I run, C&D Productions (please 'Like' our page on FB by clicking here) has helped countless groups since our inception and I firmly believe that places like Aura doing their bit is a fantastic move in the right direction. I'd urge anyone not doing anything to pop down on the 1st of Nov, there will be a street raffle and all sorts happening.

Before concluding I would like to make a special note of the two young ladies that I dealt with most, Chenience and Becci. Both were amazingly friendly, welcoming and warm, not just to me but to everyone else I could see them speaking with, Chenience in particular was a delight. So, would I go back? Yes! The whole evening was great fun, the food was generally top notch, the music added a really good additional layer of atmosphere and the whole place seemed alive. Also there wasn't a bad pint to be seen and I think Aura offers really good value for money. Well done all, a great success!

* As always I would love if everyone could visit our Facebook page, 'Like' it and continue to support all our work in the community. We've got a bunch of great plays coming up from 'A Christmas Carol' in December, to 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' in February, We are always looking for actors/actresses, or people to help backstage and even direct. If you know anyone who might be interested invite them to 'Like' our page and email us on chris@cd-productions.co.uk - Thanks for reading all and I hope you had a great weekend!

Important links - www.facebook.com/CDProductions.theatre  /  www.cd-productions.co.uk

Why The Rush?

In this age we are always rushing about going from A to D without bothering to stop at B or C to take time to speak to a parent or give yourself 20 minutes to watch the mad speed we all hurtle about in. I took some time out of my day yesterday to take a walk with my mum to visit my nan’s grave, via a shop to buy some flowers. 90 minutes out of my day was a pure delight, we talked about bygone days of my youth and how my mother and hers would walk amongst the graves (visiting my grandfather) and would look for child names from the headstones they passed. Towards the end of our walk I naturally ran up some steps which ended at the top of an embankment which led nowhere, as if half finished. With my mum chuckling to herself I asked what can humoured her and apparently I would make the same mad dash in my very early years. Apparently some things stay with us unconsciously years after they last happened. Was it a trace memory of my childhood that made me run up the steps to see where they led or was it the same curiosity I have held on to since my childhood that urged me into action.

Less about my childhood and more of Chris the adult, I have found myself in the last 6-9 months slowing down a little and trying to appreciate experiences and people more. It’s certainly a hard ask, I work 8:30-5:30 Monday to Friday and have theatre related meetings and rehearsals 3-4 evenings in the average week with a gap of an hour or so between one commitment ending and another beginning. I do try to maximise that time though by eating (always a good idea!) and giving my cat some much needed TLC which he rightly demands when I’m home.

I have a friend who when we used to go into the town centre at the weekends during the day would get really stressed out when people weren’t moving at the same breakneck speed as him. More often than not several curses would utter from his lips as he swerved and veered around and through crowds to reach his destination. This was a very stressed out guy and I’m pleased to report and he has calmed down much since then, but if I asked him now why he was always in such a rush he’d probably just shrug his shoulders in reply.

The same can be experienced when out on the roads driving. I drive at the speed limit. Always. Throughout my life I have been happy to bend the occasion rule and live quite close to the edge, however for some reason I just can’t bring myself to knowingly speed. I’ve actually had people beep and swear at me for doing 30mph in an 30mph zone, why though? Because I’m obeying the legal limit and ensuring I lower the risk of causing or being involved in an accident which could potentially end someone’s life? I just don’t get it. What can’t wait an extra few minutes? I’m always amused when cars zoom past me at 45-50mph in said zone only for me to draw level with them at the traffic lights a little further down the road. The worst is when the cars have young children in them! What example are the parents/guardians setting their kids, by shouting and swearing to high heavens at me for obeying the law. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never unduly slow and ensure that progression is maintained on the roads but I’ll admit I’ve dropped my speed down to further frustrate the odd car behind me when I know they can’t overtake if they've given me loads of grief.

The point I’m trying to get at (and hopefully not overly labour) is that we could all do with slowing down a little and appreciate the people around us. We are only on this Earth for a short time in the grand scheme of things, we never know how long people will be with us or how long relationships or friendships will last. So why not slow down a little, recharge those batteries and give someone you care about a little more time, they might not always be there, appreciate them whilst they are.

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Bygone Fields of Gold

 Every weekend I like many other go to the local supermarkets to find food for the week ahead. It’s a well-meaning gesture that I will make lunch myself, save time during my precious hour before work recommences and also save myself a few quid. A gesture though is nothing more than a good intention unless it is followed up by the associated action and it is sustained. The latter is the hardest part of any bargain you make yourself or others as it is easy to use an momentary surge of emotion to force you into action at that precise moment in time. Hours and days after that moment when you bought bags of carrots, celery and grapes you are left with a struggle to keep it up.

The key may be that you don’t buy 10kg of each chosen fruit or veg that you fancy as you’ll undoubtedly get bored of it and if you need to maintain a routine in its infancy then the key is variety and engagement. If I buy small quantities of lots of different things then it allows me control to vastly alter the availability each day and keep the selection on offer fresh. The other option is of course to run the gauntlet and buy the various items on a day to day basis but here’s the rub. If you do this and you’ve had a crap day thus far you then face the temptations of  the aforementioned terrors.

Now I’m not talking ghouls and goblins, wraiths and demons, not at all. I’m talking about those golden arches, that offer sanctity and relief for people across the globe. MacDonald’s is a giant, not to be confused with the jolly green one of yore. It’s invasion and conquest far outstrip the great feats of Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Darius the First all put together. If I want to walk or drive from work to the nearest supermarket which is a mere 5min walk from my offices I have to contest with going past MacDonald’s, Nando’s, Pizza Hut and several others before I reach Tesco. It would be far easier surrendering to the pizza buffet hour or grab a Big Mac then pass the sights and smells these outlets offer and reach the fortress of every little helps.

This isn’t a lecture of saving money or eating healthy, more it has become an article on the invasion of temptation that exists in our culture now. To quote Henry Wotton from Oscar Wilde’s ‘A Picture of Dorian Gray’, “the only way to resist temptation is to yield to it”, that is the message which seems to have conveyed to us all the time. I remember standing in Saint Wenceslaus square in Prague over ten years ago marvelling at the beauty that existed from the ‘Old World’ but also surprised that in a 360 degree turn I could see five separate MacDonald’s outlets glowing gold like a buried treasure suddenly unearthed.

We have allowed convenience to become an excuse for laziness and a lack of care. If I really cared about saving money, losing weight or maximising my lunch break I’d stick to the routine. I read somewhere recently that the human race has slowly started to lose the ability to self-regulate and control our own behaviours. It’s true though.. think back to when you’re parents or grandparents would ‘do without’ this and that, it’s not just a story from the war or great depression, it was them making the decision to stick to their guns. If they had let loose and decided they would indulge ‘want’ they could have gone out and robbed a neighbour’s house or tried swindling someone down the street. The vast majority didn’t though, if they couldn’t have something they simply didn’t, but they survived and carried on. A trip into any store would likely present you with situation after situation of children screaming and crying because they want this or want that. You want to know a secret? If they don’t have that chocolate or Xbox game, they will survive into tomorrow (unless the child is diabetic and needs an emergency sugar boost of course!).

This article was initially entitled ‘Lunchtime Terrors’ but whilst writing it I realised that it’s not just a situation that exists between 12-2, it’s an everyday occurrence and way of life. So next time you say to yourself ‘I need ….’, check yourself, and ask yourself if you really do..

Thanks as always for reading and if you could give my FB page a ‘Like’ I would be forever in your debt! J

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The trouble with Blogging

I love blogging. It allows me to write about anything I’m passionate about and gives me a brief break from reality. I can also write about whatever takes my fancy and feel excited about at that time, be it during a football match, in the run up to a theatre production I’m directing, or even after a hopefully tasty meal at a local restaurant. With the invention of modern technology I can even write articles on the move and away from my computer, which means you can capture the true moment which prompted you to write about it in the first place. So.. what’s the trouble I hear you ask?

Finding bloody time! I hate that life seems to rush by with a thousand things I need to do, which prevents me taking the time to write. The immediate response quite rightly is, ‘you don’t NEED to do anything’, but in my case I beg to differ ever so slightly. I run a theatre company, I direct rehearsals, organise social media and all the other trappings you don’t think about such as make-up and costume. That carries with it a responsibility to my cast to make sure everything is arranged properly and thus deliver the end product – a cracking piece of theatre.

I also have a 9-5 job so my time is severely limited. I think the key word is ‘time’. I remember a conversation I had with a friend recently which in a nutshell was about him having thousands of photos on Facebook of events and places we had gone but couldn’t actually recall the emotions or feelings he experienced at the time as he was so focused on snapping away. We’re all guilty of not giving ourselves enough ‘me’ time which is vital for you to appreciate your life and the people around you. Having time to step back from the spotlight also allows you to decide what things you do or don’t like or enjoy. So often society or the media dictate trends and people we should herald or berate, but why? Because it is fed to us through a drip while we busy ourselves at work or commuting or anything else that doesn’t enrich our lives. It’s easier to be told something then take time to find out for yourself, and thus when having a conversation with someone who asks me my taste in books, music, film or theatre, I tend to give an honest answer which leaves a puzzled look on their face as it’s something they’ve never heard of. I do encourage people to go away and look up whatever my answer was.

The last paragraph gives us an answer to the title of this article, I’ve just written that with a great energy and enthusiasm because I care about the subject matter. Whilst I do welcome people to offer suggestions for articles for me to write I do prefer plucking something out of thin air and typing away for however long and looking at the end result. An article packed with honesty and genuine opinion. I will be reviewing several local restaurants and venues over the next week or two as a nod to all the Northants peeps that read this blog. In any case, farewell for now and speak soon!

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Moving out of your comfort zone

A recent conversation with a member of my theatre company has got me thinking.. The discussion was around the limits and boundaries we have (or in our cases don’t have) when it comes to performance and actor interaction.  I’ve been fortunate enough to have been involved in some fantastic musicals over the years, including two favourites of mine, RENT and Spring Awakening. The subject matter of each can be very hard hitting and at times isn’t for those easily offended. Jumping on tables and singing at the tops of our voices that we celebrate people whatever their sexual orientation in ‘La Vie Boheme’ was a great experience, but it didn’t really challenge me as I have very open opinions about people in general. Sure it might have been uncomfortable for the very minority of the audience, but you wouldn’t go along to watch RENT if you wanted a cute sing-along ‘everyone lives happily ever after’ musical. People live and people die, and it’s the rawness of this and the many messages it conveys that makes it a favourite of those who prefer something a little different.

Spring Awakening is again a musical that deals with hard hitting topics from rape to suicide. It follows the stories of a group of children growing up in Germany at the end of the 19^th century and the rites of passage they individually go through. I won’t go into too much detail as to not ruin the plot for anyone who hasn’t seen it but it was one of the first experiences I had of having my boundaries pushed. I can recall turning up to a rehearsal one day and being told by the director that I would be involved in a scene that had myself and several other chaps pretending to pleasure ourselves in a huddled group. I handled the news fine as in day to day life I have the least physical boundaries of anyone I know, but it did cause a bit of uproar with some of my fellow cast members. I think the point I’m making here is that the actions or dialogue that shock us or make us uncomfortable in our private lives often set the rules of engagement when performing in theatre.

I think this is wrong for several reasons. First of all, as my friend Georgie pointed out, when you perform you are taking on the skin of someone else. Thus it wasn’t ‘me’ that was doing that on stage, it was the character I was portraying. Surely the challenge as a performer is to distance yourself from the role you’ve been given and to build the meat around the bones that have been set out by the director. I take the viewpoint that ‘it’s just acting’ and when you scream and get in someone’s face on stage, there is no personal (or very little) feelings of my own coming across. If you go down the route of recalling past emotions and experiences to make your perform more convincing, does that mean that in fact you are in fact replacing the previous target of your love or hate with the actor in front of you?

If I stand opposite a girl and tell her I love her more than anything in this world, but at that same time try to remember those hazy days when I was first in love, am I mixing the then and now or am I just attempting to mimic those feelings? The other option is to drive straight in and try to form such a bond between you and the love interest that in fact there is some real semblance that feelings exist. Going on dates, walking around in a distance town holding hands and occasionally pulling her close for a smooch would in theory develop a level of feelings, even if they are forced. The question then is how do you protect yourself from allowing any real feelings to grow or do you even need to? I guess the answer depends on whether you’re single or not, if you are then there isn’t anything to worry about because if anything does develop, so what? Of course when you’re in a relationship certain boundaries might need to adhered to, but then you wouldn’t necessarily throw yourself into the role in the same way, or you would do different things to develop the chemistry.

Back to boundaries, I am sad to say I can’t think of much that would scare or terrify me. Obviously as I’ve said, nothing ‘physical’ would make me flinch, aside from maybe dancing about in my birthday suit! As for topics or subject matter, I’ve played roles ranging from Buttons in pantomime to the physically abused Smike in Nicholas Nickleby and as I mentioned at the start I’ve been in shows that have dealt with HIV and homosexuality. Often the challenge when working with people who are new to theatre or have been very typecast is to bring them out of their comfort zone somewhat and see how they cope. It also depends on their mind-set and how seriously they take theatre and the role they are given. After speaking to Georgie last time I have no doubt she would do practically anything to ensure that a relationship or scene comes across as genuine and believable to the audience. In fact the classic reaction you want is for them to wonder if there is in fact anything going on between actors; such was their chemistry and connection on stage.

Perhaps my most challenging role will be my next in the play I’ve written which will be performed at the Camden Fringe Festival this year. ‘Three Blinks For…’ explores the journey a man and his loved ones go on after he is involved in a drink/drive accident and left nearly completely paralysed. Able to only communicate via blinking, the play looks at the strain of caring for someone with Locked In Syndrome and also the inner torment the sufferer goes through. This is conveyed by lines of ‘Blink’ or ‘Blink Blink’ spoken to replicate the actions, and spoken dialogue (heard only by the audience) expressing his thoughts and feelings that otherwise go unseen. The challenge for me will be a scene with my best mate Dan, who plays an abusive respite carer who takes out his anger and frustration on me to the point of tipping me out of my chair and screaming at me to get up and prove that I’m still a man. The first time we ran this scene it was electric. As I lay prone on the floor with him towering over me the feeling of just how vulnerable I was suddenly struck me and despite trusting him explicitly, the fear that he could do anything and my character would just lie there really hit home the actual reality sufferers go through.

 Of course I’m just grateful that I get to be involved in theatre and work with some of the amazing people that I can consider friends and fellow actors. I’m pleased that the sense of family that exists in our theatre company allows for the freedom for people to be themselves and makes sure the environment is comfortable enough for people to throw caution to the wind and throw themselves in roles. Looking ahead at some of the projects in the pipeline I’m excited for the future, not just for myself but for the other people involved. Having the ethos of developing new talent always has its own challenges, but also means that their journey is often a greater and more fulfilling one when they make progress and inevitably do you proud on stage. I think perhaps the reason I haven’t got much that will put me out of my comfort zone is the trust that I have in everyone I work with at C&D, and if that’s the reason, well I can consider myself very lucky.

Luis Suarez - What punishment would be enough?

source - bbc.co.uk

Today an independent disciplinary committee imposed a nine match ban (international matches) and a four month ban from football on Luis Suarez, the Liverpool forward who bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini. The match ban rules him out of any further participation in the World Cup, which is being held in Brazil, and will have an impact on Uruguay’s future tournament qualification. It’s fair to say that without him, Uruguay haven’t looked in particularly good form and without him I don’t fancy their chances to progress much further. He was the difference against England, scoring both goals in an otherwise drab match and will be greatly missed.

source - telegraph.com

This is nothing new in the world of Luis Suarez, having been found guilty in April 2014 for a similar bite on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. The FA banned him for ten matches and resulted in an apparent change of character, with many people believing he should have been PFA Player of the Year. The new leaf doesn’t seem to have been completely turned over and this latest controversy will surely have a long lasting impact, both on the image of the player and also his football career. Will Liverpool welcome him back with open arms after he has spent the next few weeks on holiday, contemplating his foul actions? If he belonged to my club I wouldn’t want him anywhere near the team as the thought of having someone who thinks its normal to bite someone leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

What ban would have been enough though? Well Fifa had it in their powers to ban him for up to two years and I think a ban of four months isn’t a strong enough sanction. Sure it rules him out of the World Cup, which will have a huge impact on the player himself. It also stops him having any involvement in Liverpool’s Premier League matches until October, but in total this results in only eight or nine matches. I would personally have liked to see him banned for one year, from both domestic and international football. It would have given him plenty of time to repent and try to get the necessary help to control this violent urges on the football pitch.

 

source - bbc.co.uk

My verdict is further strengthened by the fact that previous bans of ten matches (in the case of Ivanovic) and seven games when he choose to take a chunk out of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. This sort of wanton crime and tendency clearly have no place in football and Fifa should have really thrown the book at him for this latest assault. I am intrigued by what the ban on ‘football activity’ will actually entail and how enforceable it is. Does this mean he can’t train with the first or youth teams? Is he allowed to kick a football in his spare time? In theory it could be argued that he will actually miss several more Premier League matches as he won’t have any match fitness as a result of missing pre-season and having no involvement in any football matches. Hopefully Uruguay will try to appeal and the ban will be lengthened, as has happened in the past with other football disciplinary processes.

source - bbc.co.uk

July to August usually signals a mad scramble for highly sought after players and before this incident it could be assumed that several big clubs would come with tempting offers to test Liverpool’s willpower. I think clubs will still want to sign Suarez, but will Liverpool have the same determination to keep their prized asset? If I were in Liverpool’s position I would sell him for £60 million+ and buy a less temperamental player, one would who serve as a positive ambassador for the club. Every article being written about Suarez will bring more attached between the words Suarez and Liverpool, and with this being the World Cup, people from across the world will be starting to associate the club will his disgraceful actions. Anyone reading this and thinking I am over the top in my language must clearly believe that biting fellow players has a place in football, that racial abuse has a place in football (he served an eight match ban in the 2011-2012 season for racially abusing Man Utd’s Patrice Evra) and that players can nearly get away with murder. If a criminal receives a light sentence after committing a heinous crime, the general public are usually up in arms clamouring for a heavier punishment; surely the same should be true for Luis Suarez. The fact he tried to clutch at his face and went to the ground as if he was the innocent party in his tussle with Chiellini was outrageous.  

 

source - liverpoolfc.com

Still, the world moves on and hopefully we can continue to enjoy the World Cup of 2014 and remember it for skill and brilliance, not the actions of players such as Suarez and Song (the Cameroonian who punched a Croatian player in the back during their group match-up). There is still a lot of football to be played and I think and hope that Uruguay won’t progress much further. They tried to claim that the calls for punishment from various media sources were a witch hunt and any punishment bestowed would be unfair. Why can’t clubs and football associations look at incidents and replays, see their player has committed an awful tackle/act and own up. David Moyes was guilty of it time after time during his short tenure at Utd, Wenger has done it multiple times at Arsenal and Mourinho.. Well, he’s assaulted fellow coaches on the touchline himself. Could this ban on Suarez set a tone for future sanctions on players and will it prove the cure for his bad behaviour?

Thanks for reading this article on the latest controversy at the World Cup and leave your thoughts and opinions below in the comments field. Bye for now! 

MTA Interview w/ Alice Martin

After a short hiatus battling a super nasty illness, I am back and ready to rock the world of theatre! Before I do that though, I wanted to put up this interview I had with MTA first year student, Alice Martin. I had such a great time putting together the article with Meesha, that I've decided to post at least one interview with a current or former student of the Musical Theatre Academy, each week. If you're reading this and have sent info over to me, again apologises for delay but I'm now sorting through all my backlog! 

Now without any further ado, let's welcome Alice to Theatre Thoughts!

Chris: From Newbury to the Musical Theatre Academy sounds like quite a journey, what was the first production you were ever involved in and what impact did it have on you at the time?

Alice: The first proper production I ever did was when I was 11 and was the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Corn Exchange in Newbury which was a great opportunity and a lot of fun. It was directed by Cal McCrystal and an amazing creative team so I learnt a lot and it gave me a great insight into the industry. I played a gangster rat!

Chris: Working with Cal McCrystal, what lessons as a performer do you think you were first starting to gain, even at that young age?

Alice: Obviously Cal McCrystal is a great comedy director and so I learnt a lot about comedy timing and performance which I love. It was also really interesting seeing how shows are put together and what happens in the rehearsal process as I had never really been a part of something similar before then.

Chris: I know we've spoken previously about you being a member of YMT UK. How long were you part of it and what sort of an experience was it for you?

Alice: I was a member for 4 years so did 4 different shows. With all of the shows we were workshopping a new musical from scratch which was fun as we got a lot of creative input and interesting to see the development of the show. It was also a lot of hard work as we were rehearsing from 9am-9pm every day for two weeks which was intense but such a fun experience that I got to share with other young people who love musical theatre. I made some great friends there.

Chris: The move from home to go to the MTA wasn't too far geographically, but was it an easy decision to up sticks and relocate?

Alice: Yes and no. I was certain that I wanted to be in London and sure that musical theatre was the only thing I wanted to do, so I was more excited than scared about relocating. However it is always a big risk entering into a competitive industry like this, and strange watching all my friends go off to university as I was the only person who chose to pursue a different path. 

Chris: Speaking of the MTA, what element of your studies there have you enjoyed most during your first year?

Alice: The MTA has a policy that all teachers have to be currently working in the industry, so I have loved the opportunity to work with people I have seen perform and massively respect. I learn a lot from them. We also get amazing opportunities to perform. Each term we do a show in an off-West End venue which gives us a great chance to develop our performance skills. It also pushes us constantly which is exciting.

Chris: Do you have to follow any sort of diet to keep yourself and your voice in good shape

Alice: I don't follow any particular diet I just try and eat healthily. I think it gives you more energy if you eat nice food which I need to get me through a long day at college!

Chris: Aside from the roles you've mentioned when you were younger, which have been the biggest challenges to play?

Alice: With YMT we did a play called According to Brian Haw which was based on the life of the political activist Brian Haw. It focused on some quite difficult subjects such as the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. It involved a lot of research but was also quite emotionally tiring.

Chris: If I could cast you opposite someone in any musical, who would it be and why?

Alice: I've been a huge fan of Elaine Page since I was young so I would have to pick her. I'm sure I would learn plenty from a woman who has been in the industry for 50 years!

Chris: Which out of acting, singing and dancing do you enjoy the most and which have you had to work hardest at perfecting?

Alice: I enjoy them all but id probably say acting is my favourite by a small margin. Tilly Vosburgh who is our head of acting is wonderful and has some fascinating pearls of wisdom! It is also nice as we have a 50/50 split between stage and screen which means we are always doing something new. I'd say I've had to work hardest at dance, just because there are so many aspects to it and always something to improve on.

Chris: Obviously this article is going to feature on my blog. How important do you think social media is for promoting actors and also theatre as a general rule?

Alice: I think social media is such an important tool. It is a great way to connect with people you would otherwise not and also great for publicising plays/concerts. I think an actor can also learn a lot from social media as it can raise our awareness of what is going on in the industry.

Chris: We've seen the closure of 'We Will Rock You' recently in the West End, do you think theatre companies and schools should be doing more to develop new material, like the MTA has done in recent years?

Alice: I think there is already a lot of new material being created but that it may not be getting the recognition it deserves. At the MTA we work a lot with Perfect Pitch who develop new musicals and I always find it so fascinating. As an actor I find it such a great creative outlet. I hope that in the future we see more new musicals appearing on the West End.

Chris: After you've finished your studies, what's the plan?

Alice: I plan to stay in London and keep auditioning for as many things as I can and hopefully make a career for myself!

Chris: I ask everyone this one but.. What advice would you give to anyone out there thinking of pursuing a career in theatre?

Alice: I'd say to always work as hard as you can but whilst working hard try and remember why we do what we do and how much we love it! I would also say to just be nice to everyone as it is so important.

Chris: Thank you so very much for speaking to me for my blog and hopefully I'll bump into you when I visit the MTA a little later in the year!

Billie on Costume Design - pt1

Have you ever decided to try exploring the wonders of stage and costume design? I really hope you answer this with an enthusiastic shout "yes"! When you answer yes I will continue on with my material… Okay so you didn’t shout yes, but I’m still going to finish what I was writing.

When I was in a college production of Blood Brothers, I decided to explore the world of the behind the scenes. While taking on the role of Mrs Lyons. I’m going to guide you through my process of designing the stage and costume.

 

To start off with I researched the eras Blood Brothers was wrote in, I gathered information, hoarded pictures and religiously studied the fashions the formed a scrap book collage of everything I could find. Scrap books for me help me see all thing needed, for others they can do brain maps etc.

 

I also went to see a production done by professionals, but I couldn’t get over the stage presence of Marti Pellow. I loved how they did it all, it gave me unreal expectations of how our stage would look, but in the end I didn’t paint the backgrounds or anything. I shouldn’t be harsh it looked great for our budget, which was next to nothing. However I was so inspired by the costume choices and the ensemble.

I then hit up all of the charity and vintage shops; my favourite one must have seen me at least 30 times in 3 months. We did our production with two casts, so it would be evenly graded, which meant I had to find costumes that fitted and suited two different people. This became super stressful when one of the leads was a 10 and the other was at least a size 16. When designing a costume everything and everyone has to look like they belong. The stage is just as or maybe more important than the actors themselves. You can’t have a set that looks like a rough estate and having the residents dressed to the nines, looking flawless. You can’t have a mansion with the housewife wearing a tracksuit. I had so much trouble getting this into some cast members heads…

We pulled off the show, however I have not being able to contact back from the college to see if they will send me picture from the performance. The show looked good. Not professional but good.

Was this helpful? I’d like to think it was.

Guest Blog - Royal Armouries Visit

 

Hello lovelies, I’m so happy to be here and doing this guest blog for Chris, I hope you will enjoy it. Oh by the way I’m Kelly. Hello.

So, me and my partner went on a day out with his family to the royal armouries as his little brother and sister had wanted to go. It was a great sunny day which made it perfect for going out and making most of the warm weather before it changed, like the typical British weather.

 

 

It has to be said I had fun to learn a little more about past times and how they work with their weapons and everything along with it, but I believe it was more fun to watch my partner’s younger siblings walking around and getting excited at the little things. Especially with having a younger boy there his face lit up with all the weapons and armour.

 

While we were there they had a little show on for us. This was explaining how they fought and what techniques work well and which wouldn’t have. It was honestly great to watch as it was people who clearly loved there job ad what things that it entailed, which if you ask me makes it better than someone who doesn’t like their job. But saying that who wouldn’t love their job if they got to play around with swords and put shows on for people who will appreciate it? It had defiantly brought memories back from history lessons at work, which I was never the best at but I had fun in those lesson and I loved to learn about how different things are now to what they was years and years ago. I did love all the little screens they have there as well so you can watch and learn as well as reading the signs.

 

 

 

I would definitely tell people to go there if they were in the Leeds area and love that kind of thing about olden times and all the weapons and the way that they worked. But me being like I am I would defiantly go again just for the little show they had on. They do also have a great little gift shop where you can find some amazing gifts for yourself or to get to other people as presents.

I hope you all enjoy this little post. If you have ever been to the Royal Armouries leave a comment let me know what you thought.

Love Kelly xo

http://www.beautynthenails.com/

 

 

(As always, I want to thank Kelly for putting together a great article about a lovely place I visited a fair bit when I lived in Leeds for three years. It's a great place for all the family and is only a short walk from the city centre. If anyone reading has any places they've been and would like to write about, please do drop me an email or twitter message!)

MTA Interview w/ Meesha Lyth

Today I'm joined by Meesha Lyth for my very first MTA student interview. Over the coming weeks and months I'm going to be speaking to a vast array of students, ambassadors and staff from the Musical Theatre Academy about their experiences. So, without any further ado.. 

Meesha, Welcome to Theatre Thoughts!  

Chris: Now before I go straight for the jugular about ask you for all your innermost secrets, I was wondering how a girl from Middlesborough ended up at the MTA?

Meesha: I've known what I've wanted to do for quite a long time, and although my parents don't come from a performing background, they've luckily always been really supportive probably because I'd be useless at anything else I tried! I'd been auditioning at a few other schools when I saw that the MTA had won stage school of the year 2012 in the stage, I started looking it up and found that I really liked how it was run and so I auditioned. My mum did originally say there was no way that id be able to go because they didn't offer any kind of scholarship. However when I got in and loved the place we, as a family, worked hard and so I was able to go and I've always been really grateful for it.  

Chris: What training and prep work did you do before the audition day? I read that it's quite an intensive? What actually happens? 

Meesha: You arrive at 9am and have a short introduction then it's straight into dance. A quick warmup, a few corner exercises then a routine, which is then performed in small groups of around 4. It's hard to feel relaxed in an audition scenario but the staff do really put you at ease and encourage you to just have a laugh. Then we do a few acting exercises followed by a 1 minute introduction about yourself, I can't even remember what I said about myself, I was so nervous. Then it's lunch, usually there are students and ambassadors about to have a chat which is really lovely! Then after lunch you sing a song you've prepared and a monologue. It's such a long day but you really get a feel for the place and whether it's for you or not. 

Chris: When did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in theatre? Was it a particular event that sparked your interest? 

Meesha: I had always been a mad child, watching home videos of our holidays when I was little and I'm jumping about doing made up routines. So it was obvious by that point I was going to do something like this. But it was probably when I was in year 6 in primary school and I was cast as Tullulah in Bugsy Malone, I actually loved it apart from having to sit on a boys knee and thinking it was disgusting!  

Chris: I know you've been in quite a few productions, which part do you think was the most challenging and why? 

Meesha: I was lucky enough to be part of Cool Rider Live at the Lyric Theatre in January as a Dancer. It was my first West end gig that I wasn't just stood singing as part of a large group. There were 11 of us dancing and 8 singers and so it was very challenging to get ourselves ready, we rehearsed for 2 weeks intensely and we did 2 evening performances one at 7pm and one at 11pm. The audience reaction was absolutely mental, with standing ovations and encores, our whole college came to support us which was incredible.  

Chris: Were you ever involved much in theatre before going to the MTA? 

Meesha: Yes when I realised what I wanted to do I joined amateur dramatic company's, and did a BTEC in Musical Theatre at Stockton Riverside College, which is college close to where I lived back in the north. The college has such a good reputation at home, and there are so many people from the college in leads in west end shows and training at various different schools. 

Chris: What were the biggest challenges and obstacles you had to overcome when you first moved to London and started your studies? 

Meesha: Being from a small town, I've always been incredibly close with my family and I had never been away from them for more than a few weeks before. So when I moved to London, I found it really difficult not having them near, I was homesick for quite a long time and it was difficult to just pop home for the weekend with living so far away. MTA really helped though, if I was having a hard time my friends would be straight round and there was always someone to have a chat with. So eventually I got better, and now although I occasionally do miss home, I've grown up a lot and can handle being on my own. 

Chris: What would you tell an 18yr old you that was about to start her first year? 

Meesha: To make the most of your first year before you have to enter the real world, enjoy every minute of it. Prepare to the best of your ability and have fun.  

Chris: Regarding the MTA, how have you found the course structure of 2yrs as opposed to the standard 3yrs offered elsewhere? 

Meesha: Honestly I was sceptical at the start, but everything is so accelerated, our terms consist of 10 weeks with a 3 week break and so it's very full on but you find yourself ready much faster, also where most colleges last year is dedicated to shows, we put on a production after every term and so I find that we don't actually need more time.  

Chris: Which are you most important lessons you've picked up during your studies there? 

Meesha: I think the most important lesson I've learned is to just be a nice human being, there are so many people in the industry that forget their manners and take people for granted. We are taught at the MTA to always be nice and willing to help anyone, this is why we do our own get ins and get outs! And it makes such a difference on a production!  

Chris: With you graduating this year, the big bad world awaits.. What will be your plans when your course finishes? Have you been snapped up by an agency? 

Meesha: I'm not sure what my plans are yet, I'm currently auditioning and so I hope that a job will follow! I've been fortunate to have been signed by Julie Fox Associates which I'm very happy about and so I look forward to working with her and too see what the future holds!  

Chris: To end, for now, as I'd love to have you back at some point.. What advice would you give to anyone aspiring theatre performers reading this article? 

Meesha: Just to find the school that's right for you and where you feel like you fit in and make the most of it! The time flies by so try and use it to the best of your ability! 

Chris: Thank you so much for your time answering my questions and if you ever want to come back on here or write any articles about your experiences, I'd happily say yes!