Popular culture
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Billed as Sting’s personal, political and passionate musical, this was a ship that I wasn’t prepare to let sail by without an inquisitive look. On a tour of UK and Ireland, The Last Ship sailed into the Quays last night, making its debut at The Lowry theatre. I have already used two puns both based
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A (by no means exhaustive) list of popular films and programmes that traumatised me as a child: Dumbo E.T.* Born Free Dot and the Kangaroo Watership Down They all have one thing in common – creatures and animals in challenging and sad situations. *Ok, technically E.T. was an alien but he’s pretty much in that category. The
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My late father was a musician and, at 16, the youngest at that time to be accepted into the Royal College of Music in London. We were blessed with many stories and anecdotes from my Dad’s life as a professional musician, over the years, but I remember two life tips he gave me in particular:
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And people say she’s just a big pair of tits. (David Brent). Yes, I’ve said tits in a blog post. But there’s no point being polite as the Theatre Company I had the good grace to see perform this evening are called Shit Theatre. Although for polite publications it’s written Sh!t Theatre. I’ve already written
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This is a tale of mother/daughter relationships. Of course it is set against a backdrop of one of the most important and harrowing world events in history. However, Diane Samuels’s play is, I believe, a story of human relationships, specifically between mothers and daughters; both biological and nurtured. 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport,
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I like to think of myself as a touch bohemian. I’ve been to Matt and Phred’s more than 10 times, I’ll have you know. And not only when the free pizza offer is on. To be fair, I’ve also gone international with my fondness for jazz and its clubs, for example paying a visit to New
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Walking into HOME theatre on Thursday night, my plus 1 and I discussed the subject matter of the production we were about to see; that of the Falklands War. Both of a similar age (he 15 months older – devil is in the detail), we both agreed that the Falklands was one of the first
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Coming home from The Lowry theatre last night, my designated plus 1 in theatre and basically life, told me the story of the snail and the ginger beer. It’s a little like the owl and the pussycat. Well actually nothing like it. The snail and the ginger beer was the court case Donoghue v Stevenson, which
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I last wrote about this topic (in more detail)in my dissertation in the year cough cough etc. You understand my entire dissertation wasn’t based on Michael Douglas but a small portion of it. I don’t have a degree in Michael Douglas. I focussed on the femme fatale on film and how feminist theory has been
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I’ve been commuting since I was 12 years old, getting the bus to school, 2.9miles away (that 0.1 is very important given that it disqualified me from the free bus pass that the elusive and illustrious 3 mile commute brought you). Buses gave way to trains once starting uni and then work, and I seriously
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Brought up by cricket-loving parents. I can boast that I was there at the infamous Headingley Test in 1981. I was barely stringing a sentence together given my young years what’s new? (Good one, me. Who just wrote that too. About me) … but I was there. And so with that grounding, I had no
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The Manchester Metrolink. It has its knockers but I’m a fan and think, in general, it’s pretty good. Pretty good doesn’t include when it terminates early at Timperley or Navigation Road (Alty commuters, right?). But as a service, it mostly works. Whilst crowding and cancellations can drive you to the brink at times (or not, if
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When I was young, I had two major concerns about getting older: I wouldn’t be allowed to wear my hair in a ponytail anymore; and What would I do about coffee mornings – I hated coffee and indeed tea. What world I was living in where the latter was a real worry, I don’t know.
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Against an apt backdrop of much controversy and mirth, Eric Cantona brought his Evening with… show to The Lowry Theatre this week. Prior to taking my red husband (in football supporting terms, you understand, his blood pressure is normal) last night (Thurs 23 February) for his Valentine’s treat, we were treated to a cacophony (about
honorary manc 