Tag Archives: West End

Last Minute Ideas to Celebrate Romance

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we thought you might appreciate our romantically themed idea’s list without the added Teddy Bears, chocolates or Champagne.

Novel Beauty-Clever Skincare and Cosmetics

This week, we had the pleasure of meeting the talented founder behind Novel Beauty. The idea behind Novel Beauty was to create skincare products for Men & Women which ‘reads you’. Nneka, the brains behind Novel Beauty explains she wanted to create a product which responded to each person individually and the way Novel Beauty have achieved this is by using active natural ingredients that respond to your body as an individual. In keeping with their brand message of letting their products read you, the luxurious, all-natural range are encased in a luxurious refillable book which are designed to fit in to anyones home proudly and elegantly.

With both gifts for Men and Women, Nneka herself recommends the romantically themed Poor Man’s Rose bath and body set;

Poor Man's Rose Bath & Body Set

This collection includes Stream of Consciousness, a raw sugar scrub which polishes and conditions the skin and Platonic Dialogue, a daylight cream with the vitamins of Aloe Vera, seaweed, sesame, apricot and the romantic geranium rose oil.

Novel Beauty is available through www.novelskincare.co.uk and through notonthehighstreet.com

The Bellavita Valentine’s Day Hamper

Because we all know the way to a loved one’s stomach is through food. Italian food heroes Bellavita are encouraging us to spend Valentine’s day the Italian way with a Valentine’s selection which is designed to bring a touch of Italian romance to your evening. Bellavita have designed their hamper with the idea of taking the stress out of creating a romantic meal for two. The ingredients, which are sourced from independent Italian producers are enough to prepare a three-course meal for two with a recipe card included. Ok so it wouldn’t really be a Valentine’s meal without the addition of bubble and chocolates but at £39 for the entire hamper, we think that we’ll skip the reservations and rustle up our own Italian feast courtesy of Bellavita.

Valentine's Hamper

The hampers can be purchased both online and in store:
Bellavita Shop, 11C Dock Street, London E1 8JN
www.bellavitashop.co.uk

Pamper yourself at Duck and Dry

If you’re planning on a night of romance, a night with your best friends or simply a night of beloved ‘me time’, Duck and Dry are here to make sure that whatever you do, you will leave feeling damn good. After successfully opening their first salon in Chelsea, Duck and Dry have opened their new flagship in London’s Oxford Circus and will be on hand to offer you a choice of 8 signature blow dries and 8 up-dos in their stylish and energetic salons. This unique and buzzy space is designed with YOU in mind and will not only leave you with luscious locks but also pampered and party prepped. Get your hair-styled in a styling pod, enjoy a drink at their Prosecco bar and for groups, you can even enjoy getting ready together at a group styling table. There is a fitted DJ station and the eclectic and vibrant decor all designed to make you feel good. So, whether you’re celebrating the day of romance or simply just celebrating being so fabulous, Duck and Dry are on hand with their superstar stylists…

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…for one day only, February 14th, make up brand Lin & Lo will be offering complimentary express make-up services with all blow dries at the new West End branch.

To learn more visit; Duck and Dry

And to book an appointment visit; https://www.duckanddry.com/booking

West End of Glasgow by Mary Cooper

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I have lived in a village overlooking Glasgow most of my life but somehow I have managed to bypass the West End a part of Glasgow which once attracted rich merchants who built magnificent mansions and, later, the characteristic terraced houses which are the pride of Glasgow.

I had arranged to meet Anne, a friend of many years, outside Saint Enoch’s underground station in the heart of Glasgow, and a noisy ride later we emerged into the West End,

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On a warmer day we might have stopped to admire the architecture but we were drawn like moths towards the brightly lit shop windows – all just a stone’s throw from the grand glass structures of the botanical gardens.

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We managed to resist till we reached ‘Time & Tide’: this shop window we found irresistible . There was so much to see and everything beautifully presented. At one point we decided that we should just move in or at least the owner could adopt us. The owner laughed; she thought we were joking.

In the end we had to be satisfied with buying some candles and Anne promised to come back another day to look again at some blue velvet dining chairs.

Outside in the darkening streets we were halted by the sight of a beautiful church lit up like a Christmas tree. It was the ‘Oran Mor’, which means ‘Great Melody of Life’.

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Oran Mor was once Kelvinside’s parish church but is now a cultural centre; a place which demonstrates the best of the City, where you can wine, dine and be entertained by music and theatre. The order of the day is: ‘a pie, a pint and a play’.

Glasgow artist and writer Alasdair Gray was commissioned to paint the ceiling in the bar.

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and everywhere you look in the plethora of nooks and crannies, there are glimpses of works by local artists, past and present.

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http://oran-mor.co.uk

Across the street, in tranquil gardens, above the terraced houses of Kelvinside, are the great glass structures of the Botanical Gardens.

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The Gardens started life in humbler surroundings on the edge of the city. Thomas Hopkirk, a renowned Glasgow botanist, supplied a nucleus of 3000 plants in 1817 but by 1839 it had expanded so much that it had to be relocated to its present position.

After the cold dampness of a Scottish winter, the warmth of the steamy glass houses was very welcome.

West End of Glasgow9
 West End of Glasgow11At last, as the street lights began to twinkle, we made our way to Jinty McGinty’s pub and restaurant for a glass of wine and a late lunch before heading home, with a promise to meet soon and continue our exploration of this bohemian paradise.

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https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/discover/districts/districts-west-end

 

 

The Book of Mormon Review | Theatre

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The Book of Mormon is much hyped. Every paper and magazine is full of glowing reviews and the word of mouth is strong. But does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and then some. This controversial musical from the makers of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez, who is a co-composer/co-lyricist of Avenue Q, is actually one of, if not the, best thing I have ever seen in my life. While it could just comes across as mean and bullying, it is an incredibly smart musical religious satire. It will make you think, it will make you laugh and it will make you happy.

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The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a remote village in northern Uganda, where a brutal warlord is threatening the local population. Naïve and optimistic, the two missionaries try to share the Book of Mormon, one of their scriptures, but have trouble connecting with the locals, who are more worried about war, famine, poverty, and AIDS than about religion.

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The Book of Mormon was in development for seven years and has now gone on to great critical acclaim, winning nine Tony Awards,

 

I laughed all the way through and I cannot wait to see it again. It had funny line after funny line and not one weak scene during the whole musical. The production values were extremely high. Everything was done without compromise. The sets and costumes were fantastic. The script was ingenious, the acting, choreography, music and singing was incredible. What more can I say? This musical will go down as an all time great, it probably already has, you won’t want to miss it. A must see.

Tickets available from Stubhub.co.uk

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Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde | Theatre Review

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Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, theatre, theatre review, west endAs I entered the Leicester Square Theatre to review the West End Premiere of Brother Wolf’s new award-winning one-man show, ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, ahead of its nationwide tour I remembered that the story was a horror. I then noticed their were children in the audience so I thought it would not be scary, how wrong was I. Impressively adapted, produced and performed by James Hyland, Hyland is a one man tour de force. He is great as Dr Jekyll and his evil side, Mr Hyde. This play is worth seeing for his performance alone.

Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is not easy viewing. In fact, people even screamed in the audience. It is gruesome, scary and at some points downright uncomfortable, but it is a great piece of theatre. It shows what can be done with a one man show.The tale is an old, classic one and most people know of it and how it ends. This does not ruin the show though, Hyland playing the many characters does so with believability, talent and truthfulness. It is just Hyland and a podium on the stage but he manages to carry the entire show with ease.

As I mentioned before, there were children in the audience. I would not recommend this show for a child. I was quite uneasy at points and my companion thought it was scary.

Scary it may be but it is also brilliant and James Hyland is a superb actor. Go and see.

Based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
Presented in association with Harrogate Theatre
Adapted, Produced and Performed by James Hyland
Directed by Phil Lowe

Leicester Square Theatre

6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BX

08448 733 433 www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

 

Please visit the following website for more information on the production company: www.jameshyland.co.uk/brotherwolf

 

The Tailor-Made Man | Theatre Review

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The Tailor-Made Man, set in Hollywood during the 1930s, is a musical theatre show, which
still strongly maintains the quality of a play.

Exceptionally staged – at the Arts Theatre in London, West End – its creative team,
includes super talented choreographer Nathan M. Wright who, in between his many credits,
also counts the mass movement choreography of the London Olympic & Paralympics
2012.

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The stars studded musical production has brilliant actors in the leading roles: Faye Tozer, Mike
McShane and Dylan Turner. Faye Tozer (from the band pop band Steps) delivers
an outstanding and energetic performance certainly not inhibited by the vocal tone
variations the part requires and the upper class mannerism of the early 20th century. Also,
starring undying talent Mike McShane and classically, impeccably beautiful, as much as
skilled, Dylan Turner that has already landed roles in Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales)
and Grease (Victoria Palace) just to mention a few. Full of character Bradley Clarkson
also gives a captivating and dynamic performance. Worth a mention is Kay Murphy
who gives a funny and outstandingly performance in the role of Pola Negri, the famous Polish actress.

Claudio Macor co-wrote ‘The Tailor-Made Man’ book with Amy Rosenthal, adapted
the play and directed it. ‘The Tailor-Made Man’, was nominated for Best New Play in 1995 and
for writer of the year and then some years later was made into a musical. The music is by Duncan
Walsh Atkins and Adam Meggido.

‘The Tailor-Made Man’ is a true old Hollywood story that brings back memories of when
the homosexuality was far from being socially accepted. It is the true story of William ‘Billy’ Haines who was a movie star at MGM, and then became a famous interior designer in Hollywood. It highlights the emotional difficulties, openly declared gay men had to go through including work discrimination
and episodes of verbal and physical violence, all of this surrounded by the Hollywood
creative melting pots of sophisticated artists and a bit of sentimental twist.

The musical will run for a limited eight weeks season until the 6th of April.

http://www.thetailormademanlondon.com/

Written by Paola Berta

Michael Grandage unveils New Project: Affordable Theatre.

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Michael Grandage has revealed that his first project after leaving the Donmar Warehouse will be a 15-month season of theatre with high caliber actors that include Judi Dench, Daniel Radcliffe, Simon Russell Beale and Jude Law. The season will have 100,000 tickets priced at only £10.

Grandage will direct all of the five productions: Privates on Parade starring Simon Russell Beale; Peter and Alice, a new play by John Logan, starring Judi Dench and Ben Wishaw; the first revival of The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh starring Daniel Radcliffe; A Midsummer Night’s Dream with David Walliams as Bottom and Sheridan Smith as Titania; and Henry V starring Jude Law.

The productions will all play at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Grandage said that the discounted tickets would not be “200 stuffed up in the gods, its 200 all over the theatre so that we can be as democratic as possible in the distribution of those seats.”

Other tickets will be priced – £27.50 and £57.50.

Kate Adjike launches scheme to help young London gang members out of crime

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Kidulthood actress, model and singer Kate Adjike launches UK’s first scheme to help young London gang members out of crime through performing arts.

Gang members from across the Capital are being offered the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to escape a life of crime…and appear on the Big Screen.

From today, troubled teens will be offered free lessons in singing and performance arts as part of a new charitable initiative.

They will receive 10 hour-long sessions with trained professionals where they can hone their dancing, singing and acting skills.

The most promising students will be promoted to the UK’s TV and film industry, and to theatre producers in the West End.

No qualifications are needed, but students must show a “willingness to learn and a passion for acting”.

The pioneering scheme – the first of its kind in the world – launches at Battersea-based performance arts centre, The Kate Academy, next month.

Its owner Kate Ajike hopes to help youngsters escape a life of “violence, crime and despair” by introducing them to the “beautiful arts”.

Speaking yesterday Ajike, the star of 2006 British film Kidulthood, said: “This scheme is about helping some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

“I am not for a moment condoning their behaviour, but I do understand how incredibly desperate many of these young people are.

“The vast majority do not have a way out of a life of crime, despite a genuine desire to do something with their lives.”

Ajike, a philanthropist who launched Kate Academy in 2007, added: “It is my hope that we can help a small proportion of these people – the diamonds in the rough, so to speak – and catapult them into a good, honest life in the arts.”

The scheme is open to all youngsters in London aged between 16 and 25 – including those responsible for the August riots – but only five places will be available each year.

Ajike said she hopes to help up to 500 gang members in the next few years, adding: “This is a last-chance saloon – the once-in-a-lifetime chance for gang members to escape a life of violence, drugs and street crime.”

To apply to The Kate Academy visit www.kateacademy.org.uk/apply, email hello@kateacademy.org.uk, or call 0203 4896574/ 07983 734668.

Beatlemania Heads To The West End

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The Fab 5 live on as Backbeat, the stage version of the award winning 1994 film about the early years of The Beatles, will have its West End premiere in the autumn. The play was written by Iain Softley, the film’s creator, and is directed by David Leveaux. It will open on 10 October 2011 (Previews will be in September) at London’s Duke of York Theatre, it will run until 24 March 2012. Tickets are already on sale.

The film starred Stephen Dorff as Stuart Sutcliffe, Ian Hart and Sheryl Lee. The film was co-written and directed by Softley. The stage play has its world premiere at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre in February 2010. It is set during the ‘Hamburg Tears’ in the early 1960s before the band become, as Lennon put it, ‘more famous than God’. It focuses on the relationship between Stuart Sutcliffe, who left the Beatles just before the became famous, after falling in love with Astrid Kirchherr, a German photographer, Sutcliffe handed his guitar over to Paul McCartney and died of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg aged just 22. His portrait features on the album cover for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Casting got the West End show has yet to be announced.

Backbeat will includ some Beatle songs including ‘Twist & Shout’, ‘Rock & Roll Music’, ‘Long Tall Sally’ ‘Please Mr Postman’ and ‘Money’.

Producer Karl Sydow commented today: “Backbeat at the Duke of York’s Theatre will allow people the experience of being at the birth of the Beatles. It tells a story that many music fans may not know, set to a musical backdrop that absolutely defined the early Sixties. Next year will mark 50 years since the Beatles released their first single, and I am proud to be bringing their early days to life in the West End.”