The Lord Chamberlain's Men's Birthday Party!

Just a short one today - I wanted to share a few photos from a special 10th birthday party I attended on Monday.

Not a child's 10th birthday...but for a group of fully grown men!

Shakespeare wrote for The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group of players founded in 1594, for most of his life. 410 years later, producer Mark Puddle founded an eponymous troupe based on the same principles as the original Men - open-air performances, all-male casts and full Elizabethan costume. Ten years has seen them progress in leaps and bounds, playing at over 80 venues in the UK and internationally over the summer months. I was introduced to them by Alex, who directed the music for this summer's touring performance of Romeo and Juliet.

The company's birthday party was held at the Oriental Club just off Oxford Street, which is a rather astonishing relic from the days of Britain's empire. Some of the antique books on display in the library are quite amazing, with titles like Ten Weeks With Chinese Bandits. Definitely one for the TBR pile.

The champagne flowed freely...and since it was a party, there was cake!

When I live in a stately home I'll make sure to have a gilded library built specially to house my colonial books too.

I was excited to see a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet later that evening in the Club's courtyard, on an incredibly versatile small set. The players really are multi-talented, playing multiple roles, singing and even cross-dressing with aplomb. They delivered some of the best-known lines in theatre ('But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?') as the sun set on the West End, and made me resolve to go and see more plays as soon as possible.

Happy birthday, TLCM! Here's to another ten - or 410 - years of happy playing to come!

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There's Light at the End of the Tunnel.

I'm writing this in advance of exam week, so by the time you read this I will be in the process of wading through a mire of timed essays and visuals, finishing up on Friday. This post is a little reminder to myself to keep my chin up and think about what lies on the other side of Finals. Here's a list of the summery things that are keeping me going this week.

The big chill (out).

I'm really looking forward to feeling like I'm not wasting time when I enjoy a lie in, watch TV or films, spend time with family/friends/A, or sit down with a book. I always love the feeling, post-exams, of not having any work to do at all. This time will be extra special. No exams ever again! Heaven. 

Reading!

This is a big one for me. There's a couple of Amazon brown boxes sitting beguilingly in the corner of my room, waiting to be ripped open this weekend, which I have renamed 'Bookmas'. (Yep.) These tempting packages contain such literary gems as Donna Tartt's The Secret History, Hugh Howey's Dust and Sarah Lotz's The Three. I'm dying to read them. I was also lucky enough to win a Kindle through a competition hosted by the lovely Lucy at Fashion Me Now a couple of weeks ago and I can't wait to get it set up and get downloading. 

Re-acquainting myself with the kitchen.

It might sound a bit silly, but I really can't wait to start experimenting with recipes again. My cooking of late has been of 'the faster the better' school of thought, and I've lined up some fun recipes from other blogs to try. In particular I want to try and find some that my family will enjoy, as I don't cook dinner for them very often!

May Week. 

I've probably gone on about this before, but this is the biggest event in the Cambridge student's social calendar. The first thing to note is that paradoxically it's actually in June. Traditional names die hard, and May Week is completely built on tradition. The week entails a proliferation of extravagant black-tie balls, lots of dress envy, an endless supply of Pimms and strawberries at garden parties, and seeing the sun come up over college spires (the photo at the top was sunrise at Clare College May Ball in 2012). Yes, the Daily Mail absolutely lap it up when they manage to snap pictures of inebriated 'privileged' students stumbling home in the early hours of the morning, but it really is a lovely way to celebrate finishing a hard year's of work. As the old adage goes: Keep Calm And Think Of May Week. 

Getting my theatre fix. 

June is going to be theatre-centric for me. I'm going to see In The Heights at Southwark Playhouse next week. It's had incredible reviews from The Stage, Time Out and more, and looks set for a West End transfer. A knows a couple of the guys in the production team, so we're pretty sure it's going to be our cup of tea! Then I'm hoping to go and see the Footlights here in Cam before graduation. And on that note...

A's Birthday. 

A's been fantastically supportive all through the pre-exam period, cooking me lots of tasty meals and most importantly helping me to stay sane. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for his birthday in June. 

Leaving the Bubble for pastures new. 

I've called Cambridge home for four long years, and at the end of next month I'll finally be graduating. I will probably cry, though whether my tears will be ones of sorrow or relief is currently undetermined. Then I'll be moving back to London to start The Great Job Internship Hunt. I feel like I'm ready for this next stage of my life, however hard it may be. 

We're all going on a summer holiday.

Well, A and I are, anyway! It'll be our second holiday after going to Oslo in January. This time we'll be going to Paris, just before Bastille Day! It's one of my favourite cities, and I can't wait to introduce A to it. I'll obviously take him to some of the touristy spots, like the Tuileries, Eiffel Tower, Louvre and possibly Versailles. If you can think of any lesser-known or hidden gems in Paris, such as a brilliant little café, museum or green space you've happened across there, please comment below - I'd love to hear your tips!

See you all on the other side!

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Producing Student Theatre

I'm really close to the university finish line now, and am feeling reluctantly nostalgic about my time here. So I thought I'd write a post about my main student activity at Cambridge, which was producing theatre. I'm hoping it might convince a few other uni students and future freshers to get involved in student theatre - and encourage the rest of us to go to the theatre when we can!

Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the first show I produced.

How did I get into producing?

In second year, on a complete whim, I signed up to help assistant stage manage the Cambridge University Opera Society's Mainshow, Die Fledermaus (where I met A, actually!) As an 'ASM' I was essentially a company skivvy, hauling bits of set on and off stage, sourcing props, queuing them for the actors backstage. In one of my duties I ended up helping the producer a little with tasks such as exit flyering shows and coming up with publicity ideas. In the first term of third year I assistant stage managed another show (a fantastic musical called The Last Five Years). This convinced me that producing, not stage managing, was the route I wanted to go down. I just wanted to be the one bossing other people around - and be in charge of the money! The next term I worked on the Opera Mainshow again as assistant producer and publicist and then produced three other shows! It was a lot of work, but it meant I was able to learn really quickly. I went on to produce one show in exam term, and then two incredibly successful operas in the two terms that followed in fourth year - the most successful that the university had seen in a good two years. Here's a Tumblr post I wrote just before the opening night of my last show, Mozart's Don Giovanni.

A scene from Act One of The Magic Flute.

Erm...what does producing entail again?

Does the idea of producing immediately conjure up the musical The Producers, and Leo Bloom's (Matthew Broderick) song 'I Wanna Be A Producer'? It's not quite as glamorous as Leo imagined - unless you get to Cameron Mackintosh level of course! I did a short interview for The Cambridge Student about producing opera back in February, but in a nutshell, a producer does anything and everything that needs doing! For Don Giovanni, my most ambitious project, I controlled the show's finances (with a budget of roughly £12k), managed a company of 80 people, organised production team applications and interviews as well as casting, planned publicity and marketing to get tickets sold, liaised with professional production companies to sort our lighting and set, helped to paint and build said set, commissioned and oversaw the poster and programme designs, proofread and edited the programme content, organised a launch party for free and then ran the box office for five performances during show week. *catches breath* So...a fair amount. I felt during Don G that the role was actually more like a job than an extra-curricular, possibly tantamount to a part-time job in a theatre company. Of course, as a student, you can take on as much as you feel you are able to. Some producers are much more relaxed or spread the workload among several different producers. It's worth bearing in mind that my experience was a bit different (and stressful!) too, because the Oxbridge terms are very short and packed.

What types of shows did you most enjoy working on?

My favourites were always musicals and opera. I grew up playing classical instruments, and so it feels really familiar and natural to work with musical forms of theatre. I particularly loved opera because it feels like a really elevated art form, made for the Royal Opera House - and yet you can equally find it in the back of a pub, like the work A does with OperaUpClose at the King's Head. I also found that the singers we worked with were just stupendous - all with incredible performing histories, and I imagine I'll be seeing some of them on the West End or in Covent Garden one day. And then musicals are just undeniably fun. It takes so much talent to be able to act, sing and dance. I'm much more inclined to sit quietly behind the scenes, pulling the strings!

With the main production team of Don Giovanni at our launch party.

What are the benefits of producing or working in student theatre?

You get to make a lot of friends! Theatre is filled with a real range of people - directors, musicians in the pit band, stage managers who sort out everything during the performances, actors, technical wizards who make the lighting and sound happen. Then in terms of producing specifically, I'd say it helped to hone my admin skills hugely. I wasn't particularly organised before I got into producing. That is, I scraped by, but producing a giant show requires a slightly Draconian approach to self-administration. I've talked about just how many jobs I had to do during Don Giovanni, and it was a challenge to balance those with a full-time degree, especially in the term before finals! But when the project that you've essentially been running part-time comes to fruition, and the set and lights go up and the show opens, it feels fantastic. Even better if you get good reviews - Don Giovanni got five stars from The Tab! We also got lots of people coming up to us at the box office saying how much they'd enjoyed it after the show, Facebook posts and tweets. And that's really the best reward for all the work.

An incredibly blurred photo of me on stage for the final bows of Don Giovanni. (Thank you, proud father, for getting this snap on your iPhone!)

How should I go about starting out in student theatre?

There are usually tons of drama-related societies at university - get involved by checking out what yours has to offer at the freshers' fair or by asking around. I always regret not starting in first year! Once you're on the mailing lists you can start applying for roles. It doesn't matter what route you take as an in. Like I said, I started out as an assistant stage manager, and went into producing from there. Most people who are experienced will be happy to answer any questions you've got, so if you're interested, go for it! You'll never know if theatre is for you unless you try it :)

The company of The Magic Flute (November 2013).

I hope you found this post interesting! It's probably what I devoted the most time to while at Cambridge, and something I couldn't do this term (being on the brink of finals and all that). Once you know what goes on behind the scenes you can never go to the theatre and see shows in the same way again...!

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Once We Lived Here

On Friday night, I headed down to Islington to see A's latest project, Once We Lived Here, at the King's Head Theatre. It's a new Australian musical that's been highly successful Down Under, and I couldn't wait to see it come to life in north London.

It was the press night, so the theatre was packed out with notebook-toting critics buzzing about the play, and was getting pretty warm. What's more, I was pleased to discover sand underfoot as I walked towards my seat. All perfect for conjuring up the arid atmosphere of the Outback.

A has been in rehearsals for weeks for the show, but had been keeping the narrative and musical content of the show largely secret from me so I could judge it for myself when I came to see it. 

The musical is set in the dusty scrubland of Victoria, on an unyielding farm by the name of Emoh Ruo (yep, 'Our Home' spelled backwards!) It's a very different setting to what the average theatregoer might expect, and one which I particularly liked. The rough premise is that three siblings, close during childhood but estranged now that they're in their twenties and early thirties, reunite somewhat awkwardly on the farm after several years. Multiple relationship dramas play out through the course of the musical, which is brilliantly unified with a memorable score and some truly catchy songs. I especially liked the opening number, All Roads Lead To Home.

I also thought that the set was genius. I won't spoil the show for potential theatregoers by revealing what the designers did with it, but I just want to say that I loved the way they handled the roof scenes! It's also extremely impressive given the limited space the designers had to work with. For those unfamiliar with the King's Head Theatre, it's a tiny fringe venue at the back of a pub on Upper Street. It's probably got fewer than 100 seats (so even at capacity that's hardly enough for each show to break even) and therefore needs all the patronage it can get to stay afloat. Friday was full, but I've heard that the shows since have been patchy in terms of attendance, which is pretty saddening. If you've got a spare evening between now and the 26th, definitely go and see the show! 

After the show I was lucky enough to be allowed to stay for the opening night party, filled with glasses of champagne and lots of thank yous to the company. I was able to meet the cast, all of whom were ridiculously lovely, the composer and director, and the show designers. I've done lots of work producing my own shows on the theatre scene in Cambridge, but it's quite different - and exciting - to be able to chat to professionals who actually do it for a living. (Except A, of course. He doesn't count. :P)

Well done to the entire company for a stunning show. I thought it was great, and wish you all the best of luck with the rest of the run!

And here's a couple of shots of A in full Musical Director mode looking cute. Just because. *Proud girlfriend face*

Credits for all rehearsal photographs go to Andreas Grieger and Christopher Tribble.

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Mini Adventures #4

Life is a bit frantic at the moment. The weeks are rolling by far too quickly and the dreaded April 22nd and May 26th, 28th and 30th (all the deadlines and exam dates I categorically do not want to arrive) are approaching! Even so, I've been enjoying myself as much as I can with the little wiggle room I have. Here's what I've been up to in the last fortnight.

1) Reading The Fault In Our Stars. It's a weepy one. You can read my review on my book blog, Lignin and Petrichor, here. I can't wait to get into reading again - the minute my exams are over (May 30th, I'm looking at you), I'm going to bury myself in books.

2) Making a beef and potato bake. The weather's taken a turn for the cold, again. Welcome to England. This bake was the perfect comfort food. I'm planning to cook a chilli con carne tonight, 'cos it's pretty chilly out there!

3) Strolling around the back garden and enjoying the flowers while they last! We have lots of blossoms and daffodils, but they're all on the wane now.

4) Chowing down on some super tasty pizzas from Kerb for lunch on a library day with Jess! We headed down to Granary Square to sit next to the river behind King's Cross. It's a perfect lunch spot when it's sunny!

With Jess in Forbidden Planet on a separate visit. I could spend hours in that place...

5)  Exploring Forbidden Planet in Covent Garden with A. Forbidden Planet is a mecca for every fan girl and fan boy out there (it just has everything fantasy and sci-fi related - Doctor Who Oyster card holders, Legend of Zelda belt buckles, Harry Potter wands, and the most well-stocked manga section I've seen in the UK!) and in the depths of its literature-heavy basement, I discovered The Walking Dead graphic novels. I've since read my way up to chapter 100. I'm pretty sure this wasn't a good move... Then again, I've just found out I have a dissertation deadline, mock exam and revision day all in the space of three consecutive days at the start of term, so maybe tons of post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak comics are exactly what I need right now? Maybe? 

6) Eating the Byronosaurus Burger at Byron on Wardour St, accompanied by a projection of the original Godzilla film. I've always loved Byron, and I know that the burgers are the things to go there for, but at the moment I'm pretty obsessed with their salads too. Their Cobb Classic is so delicious!

Image source

7) Taking a trip to the cinema to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Oh my, the muscles on that man. Plot's actually pretty good too - some great twists which kept me gripped past the body! Also, Falcon's wing suit. Want very badly.

Photographer: Andreas Grieger

8) Seeing the press night of A's new show, Once We Lived Here, at the King's Head Theatre. More on that tomorrow!

9) Showing my Light Blue pride with my nails on Sunday for the 160th Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race. We all headed down to Putney Bridge to watch the start of the race! Sadly we lost to the Dark Blues, but it was an enjoyable evening anyway :)

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Mini Adventures #3

I write this huddled by the stove in my living room. Spring has sprung, but unfortunately London has once again been seized by an arctic grip. Yep - after last week's joyous declaration of shedding my outer layers, I'm back in the oversized jumpers and cable-knit leggings again.

When it's nippy outside, I tend to do two things. One: anything that allows me to wrap up and not have to move very much, like watching films/TV/theatre. Two: Eat until I've created a whole new layer of blubber to keep me warm.

You shouldn't be too surprised by the things I've enjoyed doing this week then!

1) A few trips to the theatre that - gasp - weren't opera-related! I saw Sondheim's wonderful Into the Woods at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge, then 1984 at the Almeida on Tuesday. I thought 1984 was just jawdroppingly good - I loved the use of set and effects, and can't quite get Winston's Room 101 treatment out of my head five days later. 1984 is sold out at the Almeida (though you can get tickets by queuing up in the morning), and will be transferring to the Playhouse Theatre on the West End from April til July. I highly recommend seeing it!

2) Making Lottie's Little Kitchen's Malteser Tiffins. Ironically, I'm not sure I actually put enough Maltesers in them, but A still gobbled them all up :)

3) Returning home to London to see all the daffodils poking their heads out at me!

4) An early Easter present from Jess - a chocolate dinosaur, which I've nicknamed Pod, 'cause he's a super cute sauropod! (I geek out over palaeontology, sorry not sorry.)

5) My post-term book-fest. I had a good old peruse of some chick-lit, reading Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook and Sophie Kinsella's Wedding Night. The former caused me to cry a lot, while the Kinsella was a lovely way to turn off my brain for a bit. Then I absolutely demolished the first of Hugh Howey's Silo trilogy, Wool - and wrote my thoughts about it in my book blog.

6) Eating my way across London. The picture above is a memorial to a delectable chunk of truffle pecorino I picked up from Selfridges last night that unfortunately did not survive breakfast. It's now in my belly, but I will think of it fondly forever. I also polished off a saddle of lamb with celeriac mash at Le Mercury on Upper St, Bone Daddies' Sweet 3 Miso Ramen, a double cake and tea at Peyton and Byrne in the British Library, and the veggie burger at Byron. *Rubs stomach happily*

So I'll be topping this food and culture heavy week off with a trip to the cinema tonight! I'm going to see The Grand Budapest Hotel - I can't wait, I've heard such great things!

What have you been up to this week?

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