It's Showtime!!! - Theatre Review - Another Country.

Hi!!!

How's it going? I feel like I have been very distant from my blogging recently, but I haven't really. The thing is, the charger on my laptop broke last week, and the laptop doesn't work without it. I have tried using other devices but with complications and so haven't even looked at the account really, though not much has changed! 

It's a theatre review today, obvs. Up until last week, I hadn't been to the theatre for absolutely ages - since December! What?! However have I coped?! (side note: why is there not an interrobang on my keyboard? It would be really helpful when I want to question in a surprised manner...). Any how, as I do every day week month so often (what is normal?), I made a list of shows that I really want to go and see.

And top of that list... Another Country.
So tickets were booked for Thursday as we were staying at my Aunt's house which is only a train ride from the big city o London.

Before I begin, I just want to say that it might seem like I think every show is brilliant and worth a viewing. However, this isn't the case. I would never tell you to go and see something that I didn't think was worth your time or hard earned cash. There will be times when I tell you not to go and see something, as well as times when I say you *have* to go and see something (like today). These reviews contain my 100% honest opinion and just because something isn't my thing, doesn't mean it won't be yours, these reviews are for advice only.

What's it about?

Its the early 1930's, and a group of public schoolboys are in the summer term of their school year.

Bennett and Judd are both "outsiders"; one is coming to terms with his homosexuality (Bennett) and the other is already a very committed Marxist (Judd).

But the Establishment has traditional methods of dealing with rebels and when a scandal shakes the school, all of the young men must face up to their beliefs and make choices which will have a huge impact, not only on their lives but on the future of their country.

What did I think?

I was really looking forward to seeing Another Country, as I found the subject matter interesting and really liked the look of it. It was as good as I expected, but not only that, it was better.

This, I can honestly say, is one of the best productions I have seen. Not just recently, not just on the West End. I mean it is one of the best productions I have ever seen. And one of my favourite things I have been to see.

It was thought-provoking, fascinating, involving for the audience and just wonderful whilst also being humorous in parts.

It has a real and true substance to it, and I think this is an excellent quality for any play.

The sets were unique, very well designed and made, and were really well suited to the play/time period in which it's set.

Similarly, the costumes were era-conscious, and quite simply great.

Another feature of the production which I found very interesting was the use of sound/chanting which were particularly key to the beginning and ending. I just found it an exciting touch.

The staging was really good, as was the sound and lighting.

The cast were completely and utterly amazing.

Will Attenborough, who played Judd, did an excellent job. He played a convincing role, and made a connection with the audience and the other actors/characters which caused me to question and venture much deeper into the performance. He seemed committed to the role and as though he had a care for his character and what he had to say. Attenborough was very confident in the role, and rightly so. I really enjoyed his performance. Very well done.

Bennett was played by Rob Callender, and he was brilliant. He put so much into his role and he is a great actor. Callender brought something extra to the performance and made me very involved in his character and performance, to a very high level. I was actually reading the programme and noticed he graduated his training last year and only had his training credits, but from his performance, you wouldn't be able to tell. He has a lot of potential and a great career ahead of him. Great job.

Mark Donald, James Parris and Rowan Polonski were very good in their roles as Devenish, Menzies and Fowler. They gave strong performances and portrayed their characters to a high standard.

Delahay, Barclay, Sanderson and Wharton were played by Cai Brigden, Mark Quarterly, Dario Coates and Bill Milner. They were all interesting, involved and unique in their roles.

Finally, Julian Wadham played Vaughan Cunningham with conviction and provided a real influence on the performance and audience. Very good stuff.

What did other people think?

The person that I went with really enjoyed it, and shared a lot of the above thoughts and opinions with me. She said she would highly recommend it.

From what I gathered from my "eaves-dropping", everyone in the theatre enjoyed it. I heard people discussing the ideas and issues in the performance, as well as how good it was and how much they liked it.

Basically, it went down a storm with everyone, from what I could tell.

Would I recommend it?

The answer to that question is obviously a massive, 100% YES.

If you can go and see this, then please do. I really do believe that you will enjoy it. Seriously.

 I think that it is very well worth your time and money.

When can you go and see it?

Another Country is on at the Trafalgar Studios, Whitehall, London. In English, its off Trafalgar Square. As far as I am aware, it is running until the 21st of June 2014.

The final notes...

• As I always say, make an effort with your clothes, smart casual please.
• The Trafalgar Studios is/are my favourite theatre(s). The studios are more intimate and they show amazing things.
• There were some lovely people sat next to us, and they chatted to us about why we had come to the show/what had brought us to see it e.g reviews, a friends recommendation etc. They were very good eggs and their chat with us made me smile. I think people should talk more in the theatre, don't you?
• If you go, enjoy it!!! And get interval ice-cream cos its fun!

That's it for now then everyone. I hope that you enjoyed this post! I love writing theatre reviews!

Have you seen Another Country? Do you want to? What do you think about this review? If you have been, do you agree with me? Any questions or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

See you all tomorrow for my April summary - can't believe it is already time to write that!

Have a great day/night!!!

GingerSnaps xxx

Have A Hoppy Time! - Happy Easter 2014.

Hi!!!

Happy Easter! Yes, that's right folks, if you hadn't already caught on it is Easter Sunday today. I like Easter a lot. 

Easter is a time for celebration. People celebrate religiously, people celebrate with family and friends, people celebrate with meals, cards and chocolate eggs/bunnies, and of course people celebrate with Easter Egg Hunts - love those! 

It's a great time to appreciate what you have in your life, and a great time to try and make other lives brighter.

So, however you are celebrating....

Happy Easter! I hope you have 

an absolutely wonderful time and that       your day is joyful, relaxing and that you get to celebrate in the ways you want to. 

That is all I have to say for today, because I have Rocky Road to eat, a cake to ice, some pretty clothes to put on and some celebrating in all the above ways to do.

What are you doing today? Do you celebrate Easter? What are you most looking forward to? Do you have any suggestions for upcoming posts? Let me know in the comments!

See you all soon everyone!

         Have a totally wonderful time!

                   GingerSnaps xxx

Oh My Life! - Tales Of My Life and Times - My New House, Update Two; Baths, Beds, Falling Off Ladders and Being Half Way There

Hi!!!

Long time, no house update. Sorry! But, here we are, and for those of you who are interested, house update number two is ready.


If you haven't yet read my first update, or it has been so long you can't remember the details, then (HERE) it is.

Since we last spoke about this topic, we have made a nice load of progress. All the wallpaper we wanted gone is just that, we've taken bathroom tiles to the rubbish tip/landfill/recycling place, carpets have been given to a nearby cat sanctuary and not so nice wardrobe units dealt with. The kitchen units have now been cleaned about three times and floors have been mopped. We've also painted the ceilings with emulsion. That's were falling off a ladder comes into things.

I am incredibly clumsy so.... I honestly don't know what made me fall, I just realised I was falling half way to the floor. I've been told it was a rather fabulous fall, and I had supreme bruises on my leg to prove it. I did finish that ceiling though, I had too much to do to feel sorry for myself!

We have bought laminate floors and underlay for the rooms they are needed in, and are happy with them. All we need now is for them to be fitted!

We have ordered a bath and shower enclosure with appropriate add on's (and had it delivered), and I ordered a bed yesterday which I couldn't be happier with. On the topic of bedrooms, I've gone against the original feature wall ideas - it just seemed like the right thing to do - and am looking at other wallpapers currently. I may not have a feature wall at all, I may just use a delicate/not-so-in-your-face wallpaper on all the walls in the bedroom. I am also revisiting an idea I had for a quote/lyric above the bed, as mentioned (HERE), let me know if you have ideas or suggestions. Wardrobes are in the process of being sorted (my fussiness means it is going to take a bit more time to sort out than planned, but more on that when they are sorted).

We still have some things that need to be done, as you can tell, but I feel so happy. After every purchase, every finished job and so on, I have found myself saying "We're half way there," and I am so filled with joy to say so. I feel a refreshed sense of positivity and optimism for this whole thing - it can get dampened slightly if you feel you are getting nowhere, which is why feeling "half way there," is such a big deal to me. Big smiles.

That is all that I have to tell you at this current moment in time. I hope that this post has been interesting and that you've been enjoying all my updates.
Are you moving house or refreshing any part of your house at the moment? Or are you maybe just playing with the idea? Do you like hearing my updates? Any suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.
OK then, that leaves me with only one other thing to mention. I have recently gotten BlogLovin', and there is a button on the top right, so if you want to follow then please do, it would make my day!

I hope you have a great day!

GingerSnaps xxx

All In A Days Work! - Bloglovin Codes

Hi!!!


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12119719/?claim=vk2eg4subt9">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>


What a strange beginning, I hear you cry!

Well, I'm setting up BlogLovin and so I've had to enter a code into a blog post, and here it is.

Sorry for the uninteresting post, but it is all part of being a blogger!



Thanks for bearing with me, and be sure to click the follow button when this is all set up!
Any questions or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments!
See you soon!

Have a great day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking.... - I Have Big Plans Tonight...

Hi!!!


This is 100% not as exciting as the title suggests. I just wanted to do a quick post today and thought, what better than a peek into the kind of way I want to spend tonight? I have to say, I live a pretty wild life...

My Big "Plans" Are To...

1. Wash my hair, gently apply a light dose of salt spray and/or styling mousse, and plait my hair so that it is all wavy and curly in the morning.
2. Paint my nails in a fan-cay nail art way that will make me smile. I've had many an idea, so we'll see, and I might just share with you. Do you want a dedicated post?
3. Watch a movie. Don't know what movie, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.
4. Drink some Vanilla Coke - I have some massive life supply going on right now - I am literally finding cans of the stuff everywhere around the house! - and so I need to make some progress on that front!
5. Go to bed a little bit earlier than normal. I want to get up bright and (not too) early tomorrow morning, so I'm gunning for a good nights sleep tonight.

So, that's all for today, I hope that you have enjoyed. I know it has been a while since I have posted, but I hope that you don't mind too much!

Have you enjoyed this post? Do you ever make "plans" like mine? Do you have any suggestions for upcoming posts? Let me know in the comments.

I will speak to you all very soon.

I hope you have a wonderful days/nights everyone!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking.... - Gotta Love The Boat Race!

Hi!!!

So, today is the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race; the 160th in fact. I love the boat race and decided I would share some thoughts.

The Boat Race is so exciting and I love watching the competition, the pride and the spirit throughout.

I think it is a great way of bringing people connected to either place or university, and even just the people who like the colour blue, together.

My family have connections with Oxford, and so obviously I am gunning for them, and am already very into it! 

So, I hope you have enjoyed this post post. 

Are you watching The Boat Race this year? Do you have connections to Oxford or Cambridge? Suggestions for future posts? 

Speak to you all soon. 

Have a most marvellous day! 

GingerSnaps xxx

So, To Sum It All Up - March Summary.

Hi!!!

Another month over, another Summary to write. And so, without further ado, here is my March Summary. I hope you enjoy.

Getting Work Done At The New House.

Back in February, we found out that we had a new house and so the last month has been dedicated to getting as much done as possible so we can move in ASAP. Getting things done is so rewarding as you can see results straight away. Plus, the more work we get done, the sooner we can decorate (!) and move in. YAY!

I would also like to mention the friends and family members who have been giving us a helping hand, as well as those who have even just offered to help. We are very grateful and it means lot.

We have conquered lots of tasks, but I am planning on doing an update post soon, so that you know what is going on.

To hear more about the kinds of things that we have done at the new house, click (HERE).

Doing Some Really Cool Stuff.

Throughout March, I spent my time doing some really cool stuff (or at least I think so). I spent my time doing a variety of things and it felt really nice to have things to look forward to. I know most of the stand-outs were big things, but the little things count towards my monthly stand-outs too.

To see a post about my busiest weekend in March, click (HERE).

Celebrating Mother's Day, Saint Patrick's Day and People's Birthdays.

During March, we had Saint Patrick's Day (which is always a nice day - this year filled with texts in Gaelic to and from my Uncle). We also had Mother's Day, which is such a great day, because Mom's are amazing and they deserve a day to relax and enjoy. I also celebrated H's birthday, amongst others. I didn't realise quite how behind I was on my blogging this month, because I missed writing posts for two family members birthdays - you know who you are, I'm sorry, and love you!

To see a post on Saint Patrick's Day and H's Birthday, click (HERE).

To see a post about Mother's Day, click (HERE).

Supporting Charities.

 During March, Sport Relief was broadcast, and I donated to them. It is such a good cause, and I was really touched by some of the stories shown (I only saw an hour or so of the show, as I was busy). One story in particular which touched me, was the story of an old man called Bob, who had reached out to a program called The Silver Line after his wife died.

I hope that you guys support, or will support charities like this in future, as they really are worth it.

To find a post I did about Sport Relief, click (HERE).

To find the Sport Relief website, click (HERE).

To find The Silver Line website, click (HERE).

Taking Time For The Little Things.

Some of the little things this month have really stood out to me. For example, getting as much out of my weekends as possible, watching movies on my laptop in bed on a rainy evening, and singing/humming songs everywhere under my breath.

For a post on my favourite things about weekends, click (HERE).

For a post on the kind of songs I have been humming and singing, click (HERE).

My Favourite Blog Posts Of March.


Might I suggest that you check out more posts from the blogs here that were produced this month, this selection was tough.


"Doing The Lennon" on Charlotte's Web, (HERE).


First of all, I love the amount of Beatles-ness going on here - the sunglasses and Charlotte's top. I also kinda want some of those glasses. I also love the simplicity of this post. It made me smile.


"Friday Round Up" on Made Up Of Little Things, (HERE).


I have always loved the Friday Round Up's on this blog since I first started reading it. I love how images are used in the Friday Round Up posts to make them more personal. I found this one sweet and loved all the Elbow references - I do love Elbow...

"Mama's Recipe" on Little Winter, (HERE).

I found this post quite interesting, and it also made me smile. It is quite rare to get a kind of foodie post, so this was a welcome change, and there is a real sense of fun to this post - I think it is the mother-daughter relationship shining through. Oh, and some of the pictures are quite amusing i.e apple for a nose...
Good stuff.


"Happy" on Chronicles Of The Red Herring, (HERE).


Short, sweet and very wise, just like most of the posts on this blog. I liked this post very much, and the message from it is something I believe in very strongly much. This was almost motivational to me, which can never be a bad thing, right?


"Five Favourites: March" on A Rosie Outlook, (HERE).


I thought this post was interesting, personal and I love the Five Favourites concept as it is very individual as well as making things stand out more. Rosie's favourite links from March were ones I hadn't read until she suggested them, but I did enjoy a few.

So, March, consider yourself wrapped up. I hope you enjoyed this post, everyone, I can't wait to post more this month.

What did you get up to last month? What were your favourite blog posts of March? Any suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I will see you all very soon, and hopefully you will enjoy my April content.

Have a brilliant day/night!

GingerSnaps xxx