Theatre Review: Wendy & Peter Pan

(Image: Manuel Harlan from the RSC website)

I know, another theatre review! I guess I've just seen quite a lot recently that's been worth talking about. Wendy & Peter Pan, so called as it's supposed to be Wendy's side of the children's classic story, was the RSC's big Christmas show this year but the run doesn't finish until March. I was really interested to see it as loads of people from my youth theatre had seen it and returned with very mixed opinions - some said it was fantastic, others hated it and described it as throwing round feminist terms for the sake of it. With that response, I had to see it for myself.

I have to say, I really liked it. To be honest, I was struggling to see what people could hate about it as there was nothing that stood out to me as being awful! First off, the set used throughout was incredible - complete with skull-encrusted pirate ships and slides into underground grottos, it was very visually impressive. I loved all of the flying and the use of physical theatre as well as I think it made it really magical. I actually thought that although it was aimed at kids 11+, I definitely wouldn't want to take anyone much younger than that as parts of it were quite dark and there was some more adult humour included for the parents. I thought parts of it were quite funny and that the script was well-written. Although it pretty much stuck to the original story of Peter Pan, they included some backstories such as why the Darlings' parents were unhappy as they were which were really interesting and added to the story, I thought. Now, for the feminist thing: yes, Wendy was arguing that she shouldn't have to be the damsel but as for bandying around feminist terms unnecessarily, I didn't think that was true at all. It touched on society's constructed male and female roles but other than that it really wasn't mentioned explicitly. I thought that Sam Swann and Fiona Button who played Peter and Wendy respectively were brilliant and really threw themselves into their roles.

In summary, I really enjoyed it and would say that it is well worth watching. I thought it was really magical and an interesting retelling of a well-known classic. It's on in Stratford until the 2nd March if you're interested in seeing it.

Theatre Review: Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

(Image: On Fife)

Last Saturday I went to see a company called The Showstoppers improvise a musical at the Warwick Arts Centre. How is that possible?! I hear you ask. I thought the same thing before I saw it which is exactly why we booked tickets in the first place. But, I can assure you, it works. The company has been performing together since 2008 and the goal is to create a musical each night purely based on the suggestions of the audience. This means, of course, that no two performances of the company's are the same, which has sparked conspiracy theories amongst sceptical audience members suggesting that they have fifty rehearsed musicals on rotation and such. However, the night I saw it a lady behind me said at the end, "That was so different from last time!" so they obviously don't keep repeating the shows!

So, we sat down not really knowing what to expect. A man came out in the role of a director and asked us different things about that night's musical such as where we thought it should be set and what kind of music should be in it. The audience voted that the show would be called That Sinking Feeling and it would be set in Atlantis with music in the style of Danny Elfman, Puccini, Avenue Q and the Spice Girls. A very eclectic mix that would surely be impossible to base a musical on! He wrote all of these up on a board and then the show began.

At the end of the opening song, I was sitting there absolutely gobsmacked. How on earth had the actors just performed an entire song about Atlantis, complete with harmonies and dancing and no rehearsal? The rest of the show continued in the same way, i.e. with me being completely astounded at how they were pulling it off. It was really funny as well, we could see the musicians sitting at the side laughing as it was obviously their first time seeing this particular performance as well. Speaking of the musicians, they were equally impressive with how they were able to keep up and fit in with the actors' improvised songs; I think you'd have to be a really good musician to be able to do that. It was a little blue in places to perhaps not ideal for small children or easily offended grandparents but great for everyone else! They did a great job at incorporating all of the musical styles we had suggested into the show; I noticed at the end that the director had been ticking them off on the board throughout to make sure they had covered everything.

I was just so impressed with the performance and its very high standard considering that the cast had had absolutely no rehearsal. It was a shame because it was a really small audience the night I went, probably because it's a fringe show and not many people have heard of it. However, if you do get the chance to see it I would definitely recommend it as it makes for a really fun night out.

Beauty Reads

I like reading beauty blogs as much as the next girl, but I'm a true bookworm at heart. And when I sometimes fancy neither staring at a screen for any longer nor reading a modern classic, one of the glossy-paged books on my beauty shelf (visible in my bedroom tour post) will fit the bill. After reading both Meg's post and Anna's post about their top beauty reads, I thought about my personal picks and compiled them here for you. From super-clean skincare to how to perfect the smokey eye, there's something for everyone.

The 5 Minute Face by American makeup maven Carmindy shows you that it is possible to achieve a flawless face in five minutes without the need for expensive eyeshadows; it's about using the right products in the right places. (Admittedly, it does take me a little longer because my skin isn't great but it's still shorter than my usual routine!) With tips on how to extend your daily makeup into a glamorous party look and wearing the most flattering shades for your skintone and age, this book is perfect for the everyday woman as Carmindy advises you on what makeup it is actually practical to wear - we all know that six shades of perfectly blended eyeshadow is just not going to happen on a weekday morning. It's actually really nice to rock a more pared-back look from time to time as you see that you don't really need to wear that much to look put-together. She also includes a shopping list at the back with high-end and budget product recommendations for every look in the book which is really handy, especially for Americans who can buy all of the products!

For really in-depth information about choosing and applying makeup, the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual is the one to read. Bobbi takes it back to the beginning with this one as she really goes into detail about how to choose the makeup that's perfect for you. This would actually be great to buy for an aspiring makeup artist as not only does Bobbi give advice on choosing the perfect foundation for your skin type and colouring, she also includes her tricks of the trade of how to break into the industry and the essential tools of a makeup artist's kit. All of the instructions are accompanied by really clear photos showing you the step-by-step process of each look so you can't really go wrong. This one is a bit beefier in terms of information than the one by Carmindy but it really worth reading in my opinion, especially as Bobbi Brown is one of the most illustrious makeup artists in the industry.

Finally onto skincare; I bought skin-savvy Liz Earle's Skin Secrets this year, a book in which she dispenses her knowledge on how to have naturally beautiful skin for your whole life. A bold statement, no? Before I read this book I had very little knowledge of the nitty-gritty details on skincare, from icky ingredients to the effect that eating certain foods has upon your skin - no, a Neutrogena face wash from Boots will not suffice. Liz singles out the chemicals you don't want on your skin and advises what you should be doing to take care of your skin in each stage of your life without it being too complicated. She also explains the importance of having a healthy lifestyle if you want good skin: you can't just rely on a good skincare regime if you want good skin, because you are what you eat and beauty comes from the inside (cringe). This book would be ideal for anyone who is a skincare novice as I was a few months ago who wants to overhaul their skincare routine.

What are your favourite beauty reads?