Carmarthen Journal - Guys and Dolls Review

My review of Guys and Dolls performed by C.A.O.S

I was very excited to attend the performance by C.A.O.S theatre company to watch their interpretation of the infamous Guys and Dolls. With an impressive cast, boasting a wide variety of ages and talents, with local lad Marc Skone as the artistic director and local lady Helen Wyn as the musical director I knew the show was not going to disappoint its fairly large audience on its opening night.
This vibrant revival of the classic Broadway musical ran for just a bit off three hours and was strenuous for the cast from the get go. With so many scenes to get through each with their own identity the use of the in house band made up of pupils from Queen Elizabeth High School was an excellent choice.
For those of you who do not know the story of Guys and Dolls it is based on the short stories by Damon Runyon. It is a musical with both music, dancing and lyrics all surrounding the plot following the lives of a group of gamblers and the women who are trying to change them for the better all set in the city that fails to sleep New York.
The coolest of the cities scoundrels is Sky Masterson played by Osian Rhys, Osian's ability to take on such a role and perform it so brilliantly was impressive and the ability to hold such a strong New Yorker accent throughout was commendable and this is a praise that can be given to every member of the cast as perfecting an accent is in itself a hard task! His on stage partner Sarah Brown the woman determined to change the misfits ways played by Lynsey Armstrong was too played to perfection belting out the shows infamous songs. One of the perhaps most well known songs 'Sit down your rocking the boat' was taken on by popular performer Gareth Morgan who took on the part of Nicely Nicely Johnson, as with every role Gareth excels himself showing everyone just why he belongs on the stage. I couldn't fault the cast or their performance however if I was to deliver any criticism it would be that the dancers seemed to be a bit lack lustre and at times slightly out of time with the rest of the group this however could simply be put down to opening night nerves. Claire Richards who delivered so beautifully the part of Miss Adelaide is one to watch on the theatre circuit, she managed to keep the audience laughing throughout with her comments towards her fiance of fourteen years Nathan Detroit played by the wonderful Adam Quil the couple made a great duo with their on/off relationship and amusing, well-timed repartee.
I thouroughly enjoyed this performance and as my first encounter with C.A.O.S was so impressed with such an amazing cast. The Guys and Dolls cast also included two members of Only Boys Aloud Aled Owen (Harry the Horse) and Thomas Miles (Benny Southwest) Who despite doing Wales proud in the Britain's Got Talent final still managed to come home and put on this incredible performance. Well done to all of the cast, crew and orchestra and the artistic vision of Marc Skone who for a few nights has turned the Lyric Theatre into New York City. I for one could not help but sing Luck be a Lady all the way home!

Big Beautiful Confidence or Craziness?

In sickness and in health

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Beautiful_Woman

I just watched Channel 4's documentary 'My Big Fat Fetish' with my mum, and I am still lost for words. At first I thought it was a positive programme displaying a positive message of feeling confident of your body regardless of its size. This I thought was a much welcomed change instead of the usual flicking the pages of a glossy magazine and being made to feel ugly if our jeans are anything over the average size twelve.
         Throughout the documentary, I witnessed women who relied on men to make them their money, to feed them, and to pay them the compliments they felt they needed. This simply showed me that no matter how many times they said,
"I love my fat, my fat is sexually exciting" that this couldn't actually be the case.
I could no longer believe in this self confidence they gave off  as I don't think this is something that they do honestly feel when they look at themselves. The men or "feeders" in their lives make them eat high calorie foods all day everyday encouraging them to gain more and more weight and by doing so this will eventually give them two choices suffering from immobility, living a life tucked up in bed having a carer to tend to their bedsores or death due to their ever growing size, which they view as a competition over the other women in this field of fat fetishism.
          I personally believe that no matter how you look on the outside if you feel good inside then that's all you can ever ask for, yet these women can't be happy on their journey to an extra large coffin!

How deep is your love?

How deep is your love?

A song can change everything from the second you hear it.

I was sat in work, when How deep is your love started playing in the background. I ran to turn it up as that song holds so much meaning to me.
      On a long drive to see my Auntie who lived in Plymouth at the time my grandmother and I had the Love Album on during the whole journey there and back home. By the time we arrived back we did anything but love this album! How deep is your love was one of the tracks that I always remember singing along too, along with a bit of Phil Collins and Spandeau Ballet! Even writing this I can still hear my grandmother and I belting out the chorus and taking it in turns to repeat the backing title, in God only knows what tune!
       A song can change your mood in an instant and before now there was a time where in the last five years since my grandmother's death I would have done anything possible to drown out certain memories, however now I rush to turn them up! I rush to the DKNY section in Debenhams some days to spray myself in the perfume she used to wear, and I purposefully pick up old postcards she had written to me and compare our handwriting. Who knew that a song which made me smile all of the years ago would still provoke the same emotion today, as I hum along still painfully out of tune, intentionally missing out certain parts as if she were with me happily filling those bits in.
      Isn't it funny how time can make you forget certain things, yet always allow you to remember the bits that really count!
     

Front Page News - South Wales Evening Post written by Jessica Jane Pridmore

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/CCTV-cameras-stop-stealing/story-15306684-detail/story.html

This had to be on here, this is my first front page and inner story, from my time with The South Wales Evening Post earlier this year. Check it out guys.

Carmarthen Journal - All in the Timing Review

All in the timing review.

All in the timing is a collection of short plays written in the late 1980's early 1990's by David Iles. There was a lot of anticipation as I walked into the Merlin Centre of Trinity University, as this was the first production by The Coracle Theatre Project and by the impressive audience it was set to be a success. Created from the artistic mind set of Bryony Evett Hackford and from seeing a selection of her pieces before I was intrigued on her choice of one act plays combining into a short thirty minute performance. As the lights dimmed and the audience sat elbow to elbow I instantly felt at ease, the set was minimalist which didn't distract from the contemporay stylised movement that was to open the evenings enteratainment. At first I wasn't sure how the use of the chereography would work as the collection of plays are all comedic and draw the audience in because of this, however the use of dance made a really beautiful and well thought out opening scence.

The evening did not cease to surpsrise me never had I seen a play that focused on language and the effect in which language has on the world that we live in, yet instead of making this a subject that had the audience yawning after two minutes of watching, this had a completly different effect. The
use of a musical parody in one scence was so overpowering especially as cast members were hidden amongst the audience gave you the sense that you had come along to a show that you too could be a part of. Once again Bryony Evett Hackford has firmly cemented herself within the world of theatre and this is a place she definately deserves. All I have to say is show me the place that I can learn Unamunda!

Carmarthen Journal - Business Article

Let's raise a toast to Roast!
After the first few conversations I had with Martin Bowman and his partner Natasha Issac, I was already convinced that their new cafe Roast was going to be something truly special.
Opening last Wednesday at 5 Albion Arcade, Mill Street, Carmarthen 7:30am - 3:00pm Roast combines the pairs love and knowledge of exceptionally good food, with a very impressive credit crunch style value.
With their business Cowpots already successfully under their belt Martin and Natasha set their sights on something completely different and with one specific aim "For Roast to be the number one lunch place for the workers of Carmarthen."
As ambassadors of using locally produced foods this had to be carried on to the new cafe. The beef used is home grown Jersey beef originally from Whitland, and is proving very popular already.
Their motto is "Have it any way today" as Roast really is up to you. The customers decide how they would like to fill their choice of freshly prepared breads, or if they would rather something lighter they can make their own tasty alternative from the deli that is also available.
Roast isn't only for the hearty meat eaters either but also for those who love their greens as freshly made salad shakers are prepared to your own tastes and available throughout the day and future plans for vegetarian alternatives to be introduced,
As well as offering exceptionally high quality hot meats which change daily between Jersey Beef, Gammon, Pork and Turkey all accompanied with gravy, sauces and stuffing there are also cold meats available to be added to any salads of your choice or to be combined with the freshest bread choice in the town.
"Really good quality is paramount to us, in everything that we do" this is definitely shown in the work being put into Roast.
In case any more reasons were needed to encourage you to try out Roast's delicious menu, they also do an All Day Breakfast starting from as little as £2. With mouth-watering thick bacon, fried eggs and some of the best sausages around it really is hard to resist, so thank goodness its on all day.
The pair obviously had a vision for the takeaway cafe, and together they have managed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere providing fantastic service and enthusiasm for their craft, teamed with increredible food. The creative re-vamp just goes to show that good planning and experience can transform any space, however small into something worth being proud of.
Roast has been a hot choice for the workers of Carmarthen so far and Natasha and Martin would like to thank all of the local shop workers for their support as it is greatly appreciated.
The couple are always supporting locally run small businesses and now it's time to support them in their exciting new and very tasty adventure.

Carmarthen Journal - My Reviews

A Midsummer Nights Dream

Those of you who have been to see a performance by The Coracle Theatre Project know that they take theatre and interpret it in their own individual style. This was very much the case when they tackled the classic A Midsummer Night's Dream. With such a perfect setting as Kidwelly Castle I was expecting a performance that wouldn't disappoint however sadly this time around I wasn't as impressed as I normally am. The cast worked as hard as always and despite the freezing and wet weather conditions they carried through with the performance, to an interested however slightly distracted audience due to the simple fact that it was so incredibly cold and people were constantly moving about throughout it which took away from the show. There was a use of contemporary stylised movements throughout which added something a bit different to the otherwise same and well known play by Shakespeare. From where I was stood it was difficult to hear what was being said most of the time, however the use of audience interaction from the cast made you feel as if you were a part of what was going on and this was a good use of a modern inclusion by director Bryony Evett-Hackford whose creativity in theatre never goes a miss. The cast are a close group and this is paramount in all of their performances as they rely so much so on each other to carry off such performances and the vision that both the director and cast had was clear from the opening scene. Even though the weather was anything but bright the cast managed to put a smile on most of the audience's faces as they added their own bit of comedic value to the old script. I applaud everyone involved for once again proving that The course of true love never did run smooth, and that no matter what happens on the day 'The show must go on'.

Such is Life.

Listen, we might all learn something.

 

My brother came and spoke to me, he looked as if he carried troubles beyond his years on his shoulders. He sat down on one of our ever dusty wooden chairs and began to tell me his worries for the future. As he spoke it allowed me to take some time out of the ever busy hustle and bustle of life and think how quickly the time has gone since I was having the same thoughts as him as a troubled sixteen year old about to face the next stage of life.

         I feel as humans we are constantly changing, and through this searching for some form of acceptance and satisfaction. When I was sixteen I was excited about heading off to college and tackling new challenges of course there were the everyday problems then too but somehow now they seem more prominent. For instance how many people look down upon the younger generation? Assuming that we are all hoody wearing, no good, thugs or thieves. Is this why there are hardly any jobs for young people? Is this the reason for such high unemployment?
         As he expressed his feelings on not going to college and sitting his A-Levels I couldn't help but feel sad. These days it is all about money the pressures to earn and have it and then the plans of what to do with it as we all know it doesn't get you very far these days. As he sat and discussed the type of car he wanted to own and the house he wanted to live in, the holidays he wanted to jet off to and the expensive wardrobe filled with designer names I could hardly pronounce in, I sat and listened and with all of these thoughts zooming around my head, I just sat, opposite him on a matching wooden dusty chair and I listened, maybe if the rest of the world did the same despite having their own opinions screaming away at them, assumptions and consequences like the ones I mentioned perhaps wouldn't be so plentiful!