Frank’s Closet at Wilton’s Music Hall, London reviewed by Paul Vates ‘…it is an example of crowd-pleasing theatre’

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It’s always a pleasure to visit Wilton’s Music Hall. Both decaying and salubrious in equal measure, the place reeks of history.

And none more so, when, early on in Frank’s Closet, Marie Lloyd springs out and sings The Boys of London Town – appearing on the same stage she actually performed on many years ago. This time it was Luke Farrugia as the Diva, in his first incarnation portraying Lloyd.

Luke Farrugia – the Diva – as Marie Lloyd

The eponymous Frank, played by Andy Moss, is about to get married to the man of his dreams, but he’s getting cold feet. First, he must rid himself of some iconic costumes from his life. These costumes represent the gay icons of his youth: Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, Agnetha Fältskog and more. Each character pops up, all played by the fantastic Farrugia. Frank mentally battles them all, more than ably assisted by his very own Greek Chorus of brilliant burlesque dancers – Patrick Cook, Taylor Watson-Braithwaite, Olivia McBride and Daniel Walford are the Gaiety Girls and they not only dance and sing, they look superb, too!

As the story unfolds, the songs – all by Stuart Wood – create vibes of other musicals. I bounced from Little Shop of Horrors, to Betty Blue Eyes, to Copacabana, to Avenue Q. The live band creates a genuine Music Hall feel and keeps the whole thing rolling along. The costumes are stunning, the set compact and neat.

Andy Moss – as Frank – with his Gaiety Girls

Director Sasha Regan has created a tightly-knit company who perform to exceptional standards. Andy Moss almost gets lost in the crowd as the colours and vibrancy of the show threaten to overwhelm him. My one question, though, is The Sailor… why is the character there? Has he got anything to do with Frank’s story?

Frank’s Closet has been around for quite a few years. It doesn’t appear to have found a natural home where it can settle down and become the cult it so promises to be. After all, it is an example of crowd-pleasing quality theatre.

Paul Vates.

Presented by Labdon MacLeod Barnes Union Theatre

Director Sasha Regan Choreographer Jo McShane Writer / Composer Stuart Wood

Images Mark Senior.

Musical Director Anto Buckley Designer Catherine Phelps Head of Wardrobe David Furnell

Running Time 2 hours – with an interval Dates until Saturday 14th September 2024 Ages 13+

Check with the theatre for show times Venue Wilton’s Music Hall, Graces Alley, London E1 8JB

Instagram @franksclosetshow X @frankscloset24

Box Office Tickets are available from: https://www.wiltons.org.uk

A Pharmacist’s Insights : Just how ‘clean’ are your daily supplements?

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According to Mintel, “Over two thirds of UK consumers take vitamins and supplements”. In 2023, the global market in vitamin and mineral supplements was valued at almost 135 billion, and is predicted to grow by just shy of 10% each year between now and 2030.

With the awareness of ultra processed foods now coming to the forefront, there is a growing awareness that not all ‘healthy supplements’ are as beneficial as they appear. Many supplements contain various additives such as fillers, glues, binders, preservatives, and colourants, which can impact their overall health benefits. It’s important to read between the lines of ‘ultra-processed’ supplements like liquid collagen and tablet formulations, to ensure you’re receiving what you pay for.

We’ve become pretty good at spotting unnecessary additives in our food and beauty products, but when it comes to checking how ‘clean’ our supplements are, do we really know what’s good for us? Pharmacist and Co-Founder of INGENIOUS collagen & wellness supplements, Pupinder S. Ghatora, lists the top 5 ingredients to avoid below.

Just how clean are your supplements?

1. Magnesium stearate

“Magnesium stearate is simply a ‘flow agent’ that is used to facilitate smooth processing in factory machinery and within the body. It serves no health benefits and will simply cause the supplement to pass through you without being absorbed. Brands often use it to bulk out supplements so that they can reduce the amount of the more expensive active compound. In large amounts it can even negatively affect the gut microbes in your digestive system.”

2. Carrageenan

“At first glance, you’d think carrageenan, AKA Sea Moss, is beneficial for health as it’s derived from seaweed. It’s often found in gummies and liquid supplements as a gelling agent, stabiliser and thickener. However, research indicates it can have adverse effects on digestion, triggering inflammation, ulceration, and elevating blood sugar levels while exacerbating glucose intolerance. Similarly, vegetable gums like Guar and Xanthan exhibit similar properties and can also lead to digestive disturbances.”

 3. Titanium dioxide

“You’ll often see titanium dioxide listed on ingredient lists, also identified as E171 on labels. Worryingly, research has suggested that the ingredient may have a carcinogenic effect. Although the European Commission has banned its use as a food additive, this does not extend to the UK or US, so it’s still widely used as a white pigment and colour enhancer in supplements.”

4. Talc

“Talc has garnered attention recently due to concerns about contamination in industrial-grade talc, which can include impurities and even asbestos. Surprisingly, it’s used as both an anti-caking agent and a tablet brightener, mostly present in tablet supplements.”

 5. Sweeteners and sugars

“Sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, and sucralose are all artificial sweeteners known to cause gut issues when overconsumed. They’re not limited to fizzy drinks and ‘diet’ snacks but are also present in gummies, drinks, and powders. Sucrose, dextrose, and glucose syrup add sweetness to gummy or liquid supplements and, as we know, increased sugar intake has been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Aspartame is another artificial sweetener found in many supplements and so called ‘diet’ food and drinks. Although some studies confirm it is safe, there are new emerging studies showing that it can have a negative impact on our body’s oxidant/antioxidant balance, which has a knock effect on many of the body’s functions.”

Pupinder S. Ghatora, Co-Founder of INGENIOUS

Pupinder S Ghatora, pharmacist and co-founder of INGENIOUS has paved the way forward in the collagen industry since 2014. Unlike its counterparts laden with bulking agents, artificial flavourings, and preservatives to mask the bitter taste, INGENIOUS patented capsules stand tall with their commitment to purity. Formulated by a team boasting over 25 years of combined scientific expertise, these capsules contain only pure active ingredients, no fillers, flow agents, preservatives, or flavourings. This means that when taking INGENIOUS supplements, you’re not wasting your money or endangering your health with chemicals and ultra-processed.

Mental health crisis faced by family carers 

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The growing mental health crisis faced by UK family carers revealed

  • The daily struggle faced by family carers looking after elderly relatives is fast producing a mental health crisis, according to new research from Home Instead 
  • A worrying 61% say their mental health is impacted by the burden of care they face
  • Stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia are now commonplace for millions as they juggle caring for ageing parents alongside their own families and careers
  • Nearly half of all family carers (42%) take prescribed medication to deal with mental health issues 
  • Home Instead has launched a campaign, What About You?, to spark debate on the health crisis faced by family carers 
  • A  hard-hitting film accompanying the campaign brings to life the health crisis facing this exhausted and stressed segment of society

The daily struggle faced by family carers looking after elderly relatives is fast producing a mental health crisis impacting millions of people across the country, new research reveals.

Almost two thirds (61%) of multigenerational carers say their mental health has been impacted by the issues they face supporting ageing parents and other family members. 65% of carers admit they struggle with their mental health generally. 

And nearly half (42%) of all family carers are now reliant on prescribed medication to cope with mental health issues. 

These are some of the worrying findings from new research conducted into the lives and lifestyles of the nation’s multi-generational carers and the basis for a new campaign from Home Instead, the UK’s largest provider of private home care, to highlight the intolerable burden they are under. 

This snapshot study of the state of the voluntary care sector – typically middle aged people attempting to look after their ageing parents while also working and looking after their own families – exposes a group dealing with unmanageable pressures. 

A lack of sleep contributes to mental health issues for carers, according to the research. 

Almost two thirds of carers (65%) say a lack of sleep has left them suffering with depression, stress, or anxiety. 49% using sleeping medication (occasionally or regularly). 

The mental health struggles faced by family carers impact every aspect of their lives including work and friendships. A staggering 75% says they are neglecting their careers and 58% feel they are letting employers down. 71% say they are not putting enough into work.

85% say they are neglecting friendships and 68% say they rarely see friends socially. 

Over half (57%) say trying to organise care for elderly relatives is one of the most stressful situations they’ve ever faced. 

Significant numbers of family carers self medicate with alcohol (23%) and illegal drugs (17%) to cope with the stress of their daily lives. Of those who struggle with mental health 32% receive therapy or counselling to cope.

There are an estimated 5 million plus people [1] providing unpaid care in the UK but they are given minimal support from the government or local authorities and so find themselves increasingly struggling, without understanding the other support available to them in the market. The problem is set to get worse as our ageing population grows – there are now more people aged 65 and over in England and Wales than children aged under 15. The number of people aged over 64 has surged by 20% over the past decade in England and Wales, to 11.1 million people. Nearly one in five people are aged over 65.[2] 

Key mental health stats at a glance: 

  • 65% struggle with their mental health
  • 31% feel they are at breaking point
  • 42% are on prescribed medication to cope
  • 65% say a lack of sleep has caused mental health issues

And for many, there is no end in sight – with some 39% saying they expect to be in this situation for more than five years.

Martin Jones, Home Instead CEO, said: “It’s heartbreaking, and indeed shocking, to see the level of stress many family carers are under. As a society we’re reliant on family carers to look after our increasingly ageing population – but this situation is unsustainable because many of the people we’re relying on are themselves struggling to cope.

“More must be done at a Government and policy level to ease the burden this segment of society is under or what is a bad situation will only get worse. Younger families get subsidised childcare and that is never questioned. 

“We need to think seriously about the introduction of an elder care allowance and to make sure more is done generally to help this group navigate the complex social care system.

“It’s impossible to think of a group that does more for less in this country than family carers – yet their wellbeing is almost entirely neglected.”

Concerned about the scale of the mental health problems facing this under-acknowledged group, Home Instead, which commissioned the study, launched the What About You? campaign to spark a much needed debate about the pressures this segment of society is under and what can be done to support them. 

Home care can provide much-needed respite to these under-pressure carers, restoring important family relationships that can suffer when somebody takes on a caring responsibility.

To accompany the campaign, the home care provider has commissioned a short, hard-hitting film, based on interviews with representative real life family carers. The film is an unapologetically raw exploration of what day to day life is like for millions of multi-generational carers across the UK.

The research was carried out by Savanta interviewing a sample group of 2,000 people from across the UK.  

The film and stills What About You? can be viewed and downloaded here. 

Elevate Your Skincare Routine with Elizabeth Grant Skincare’s Bestsellers

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Elizabeth Grant Skincare is a renowned luxury skincare brand known for its innovative and effective products. Founded by Elizabeth Grant herself, the brand’s origins date back to her personal quest for skincare solutions after suffering severe skin damage during World War II. Central to the brand’s success is its proprietary ingredient, Torricelumn™, a blend of natural sea vitamins, minerals, and proteins designed to rejuvenate and repair the skin. I have tried their Vitamin C Hydra-Moist Gold C High Performance Dark Spot Corrector Serum. It’s fantastic and makes a real difference to your skin. I also thought it was reasonably priced. Grab some now and look at the other products in the range.

Vitamin C Hydra-Moist Gold C High Performance Dark Spot Corrector Serum, £35.00

A highly concentrated, vitamin C Serum supercharged with Gold, Ferulic Acid and boosted with Torricelumn™ and time released to infuse fresh vitamin C into the skin all day and night. This high performance concentrated serum with Ferulic acid targets the appearance of fine lines, deep wrinkles, age spots, dull, tired looking skin and helps to revitalize, repair and rejuvenate the look of the skin.

Wonder Effect Night Wonder Concentrate, £44.00

A potent overnight treatment designed to transform the skin while you sleep. This concentrate combines the power of retinol, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid to deliver a comprehensive anti-aging and skin-renewing experience. Retinol helps to accelerate cell turnover, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Glycolic acid gently exfoliates the skin, removing dead skin cells and revealing a smoother, more radiant complexion. Hyaluronic acid provides intense hydration, ensuring the skin remains plump and moisturised.

Advent Calendars Have Just Become Much More Fun, Thank You Insight Editions – by Award-Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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I’m old enough to remember when Advent Calendars were two small sheets of cardboard stuck together. Every day my brother and I would open a numbered window in the glitter-covered top cardboard to reveal a small picture on the cardboard below – a star, an angel, and, on 24th December, the nativity scene and the promise of Christmas presents just one sleep away.

Now my grandkids enjoy chocolate versions of the stars and angels – a yummy treat each day before going off to school. However Insight Editions have taken advent calendars to a fabulous new level.

Whatever your child’s passion, Insight Editions probably have a themed advent calendar to suit, including Harry Potter and Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Books Are Magic is perfect for junior bookworms and adults haven’t been forgotten either – I was rather drawn to the Gilmore Girls calendar.

Each calendar looks like a beautifully illustrated A3-sized book, but when you open it, instead of pages, you discover 25 different-sized pockets inside, each displaying an attractive themed picture and a number. You know the rules – you open the correctly-numbered pocket each day from 1st December onwards. Some of the prizes are really great. I road-tested Christmas Town, based on The Nightmare Before Christmas, and in the interests of the review I broke all the rules and opened every single pocket at once (which was a lot of fun by the way). I’m now the proud owner of skeleton key rings, pencils, miniature themed cards, coasters, Christmas decorations and more. Some of the gifts were quite substantial, others were smaller, but that all adds to the excitement of the surprise.

At £26.72 from the Insight Editions website, these are very entertaining, and the gifts will last significantly longer than a small chocolate – and won’t damage your waistline either. Check out the large selection of different themes. Available from 3rd September 2024. Great for your kids, your friends (and you – treat yourself).

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

Mr Punch At The Opera at Arcola Theatre, London – review by Paul Vates Frost Magazine’s Drama Critic

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“I think we were all as exhausted as the performers!”

Based on the 1733 La Serva Padrona (The Maid Turned Mistress) by Giovanni Pergolesi, Mr Punch at the Opera is a mash-up of opera, Punch & Judy, audience participation and pantomime.

Aimed at children as an introduction to live opera, it hits its mark from the off. The children are involved straight away – the adults are given party blowers, too – all of us are encouraged to join in with the action. 45-minutes later, I think we were all as exhausted as the performers!

(rehearsal photo)

In the Arcola’s intimate Studio space, the live music (piano and cello) and superb opera singing create an exciting atmosphere. The fun and jollity that Matthew Kellett (as Hubert) and Grace Nyandoro (as his maid Serena) bring is infectious. The icing on the cake are the Punch and Judy characters brought to life by Professor James.

The production is from The Opera Makers and they have quite a task but make it look easy. The performers are obviously enjoying themselves as well and that helps as we all as one agree the whole thing is absurd – but it’s escapism of high quality.

[rehearsal photo]

The show is a part of the venue’s Grimeborn Opera Festival. Live opera still to come has productions of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Burke & Gonzalez’s 555: Verlaine En Prison, Jessen’s Plantation A and Verdi’s La Traviata. Stunning stuff. Contact the Arcola for details.

Paul Vates.

Photography Becca Marriott Adaptation Becca Marriott and the company

Director /Libretto Becca Marriott Musical Director/Piano Panaretos Kyriatzidis

Cello Alison Holford Puppetry Director Professor James

Running Time 45 minutes – no interval Dates until Saturday 24th August 2024

Check with the theatre for show time Venue Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL

Ages 4+Box Office Tickets are available from: https:///www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on

Website https://www.theoperamakers.com Socials @mrpunchattheopera #mrpunchattheopera

Michael Rowan embraces his inner Zen with New Earth Incense Sticks from Temple of Incense, a harmonious blend of amber woods, earthy musk, tonka bean and mitti (Hindi for soil). More information at :-templeofincense.com @templeofincense | #templeofincense

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I had always associated Incense sticks with a particular time in my student youth. So, imagine my delight when I rediscovered that there was no reason not to have them in my home today.

I love the way these incense sticks fill the room with a headily sensuous and sweet-smelling aroma that almost instantly relaxes one.

Capturing the raw, earthy elements that keep you connected and grounded, Earth will bring the outside in. Whether you’re meditating, practicing yoga, looking to sync your body to the natural rhythms of the earth, or just want to create a chilled atmosphere, Earth Incense Sticks are the gateway to peace and tranquillity.

Even a brief burn of 10 minutes will renew your energy and enhance your vibe with the natural world. Temple of Incense masterfully creates fresh and diverse vegan and cruelty-free, temple-grade incense sticks, resins, Oudh, and oils for every occasion and every room.

Each box contains 20 luxury incense sticks, ethically hand-crafted with love and consciousness, masterfully created from the best quality oils and resins, sourced locally, and from around the world.

The Temple of Incense story began in 2012 on a little market stall on Portobello Road, when two sisters from London – Simi and Sam Aydee – brought their expertise and passion for incense stick artistry to life, creating and marketing world-class natural incense, along with traditional and contemporary sculptural stick holders and bowls to complement every home décor. They are dedicated to bringing magic into every home. The ritual of burning incense is engrained in their lives

View and buy the full range at :-templeofincense.com @templeofincense | #templeofincense

Vincent: a graphic biography by Simon Elliott stuns our editor, Margaret Graham

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Vincent, A Graphic Biography by Simon Elliott is published by Frances Lincoln, an imprint of The Quarto Group, to coincide with the National Gallery’s Van Gogh exhibition in September 2024. This Graphic Biography is a portrayal of Van Gogh’s life as you’ve never seen it before, so we are told. But is it really?

Oh, yes, indeed it is. I confess I am a newby where graphic works are concerned and initially the small bites of text amongst relevant illustrations made me wonder just who this was aimed at? I tend to nip into the Golden Fleece in Thirsk to slurp coffee while reviewing a book, and once there cornered Kirsten, young enough to be familiar with the graphic concept I thought, as she rushed about with coffees and heaven knows what. Indeed she was, and is clearly an authority! She felt that graphic books are for any age, and work successfully to bring situations to life. Though Vincent by Simon Elliott would, I feel, start with the older teenager and on into adults. I say this in view of the moving, sometimes troubling, often heart-rending, but always fascinating study.

So, on with the content: this graphic novel – for that’s what it is when all is said and done, is ‘told’ by Vincent’s sister-in-law Jo van Gogh-Bonger – and covers the entirety of Vincent’s short but agitated life. Jo was the wife – soon to be widow – of Vincent’s loyal younger brother, Theo. By page 2 and the first Malteser consumed – of three that the Golden Fleece provides in a small spirit glass with every coffee – I was captivated, because I ‘got it’.

Digitally illustrated on an iPad by author Simon Elliot, the format of this novel ably tells the story of Vincent, his agitated personna, his route to perfecting his style, with the illustrations reflecting the stages of his progress. For instance, at the start the illustrations have a flat tonal colouring, changing until they finally reflect the raw primary colours and style of Vincent’s later works. So… so… clever of Elliot. It was not only effective but also affective in that it stirred my emotions. Heavens I had almost forgotten my Maltesers, something that never happens. So another was popped into mouth.

Poor Vincent, so unhappy, so tormented, a genius. Poor Theo, so supportive, so drained by Vincent’s torment and who understood his brother’s work when others couldn’t or wouldn’t. Wonderful Jo … who was determined to promote Vincent’s art on the death of them both and who continued to do so until the stuffy critics, having read Vincent’s letters she had kept, began to understood at last the import, sheer genius and originality of his work, and even then she continued.

At the Golden Fleece I turned the pages, ruminated, had another coffee, (another three Maltesers) read and read. I learned a great deal about the family Van Gogh, about painting, about the torments of genius, about the graphic novel. I think I’m in love…Final Maltesers eaten, and now I beg you to read Vincent, A Graphic Biography: £14.99 HB and eBook/9780711294967. I really I do.