It's Showtime!!! - Theatre Review - The Seagull.

Hi!!!

As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday on Sunday. I've spent a load of time at the National Theatre since Sunday, as I received tickets to various things there. Today I'll be reviewing a show I saw on Monday night - 'The Seagull' - which is currently in its previews.

 

The 'Young Chekhov' series that has just begun at the National Theatre consists of three plays - Platonov, Ivanov and The Seagull. They have been adapted and translated from Russian by David Hare for the series. I saw The Seagull - they are all stand alone plays and so you don't need to know about the others to enjoy any of them.

'The Seagull' follows Konstantin, an aspiring writer, and the people in his life - his overbearing mother and her successful husband, the girl he loves and so on. It charts the successes, failures and tragedies that they all experience as time goes on. It is both comic and tragic and totally captivating.

 

The play is powerful, detailed and observes human life in an intelligent and yet accessible way. The characters are emotional and highly developed which allows the audience to connect with them and so in turn, the play's action.

The production at the National is, in my opinion, outstanding. Having been to see a few less than amazing productions recently, which I haven't reviewed, I hoped that this would be great. It was - it reminded me why I fell in love with the theatre in the first place.

The set design is completely stunning, innovative and detailed - I am in awe of the talent of everyone involved in its construction and design. The lake on stage, the trees, the house, the little details like reeds, are all so beautifully crafted and look as though they have just been found and put on stage. It creates the perfect backdrop for the action.

The cast work very well together and truly succeed in bringing the characters to life. My stand out performers were Joshua James (Konstantin), Anna Chancellor (Irina Nikolaevna Arkadina), Peter Egan (Sorin), Olivia Vinall (Nina) and Adrian Lukis (Evgeny Dorn) - it was really difficult to choose favourite performers for this, actually, which is definitely a good sign.

I'm very happy to give five stars to 'The Seagull' - it is an excellent production in every way and I would highly recommend going to see it.

You can find more information about the show, the theatre and tickets here.

Thanks for reading this, I hope you enjoyed it.

Have you seen a play from the Young Chekhov series? Do you have any theatre recommendations for me? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments below.

I'll speak to you all soon.

Have a show-stopping and spectacular day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Why Summer Is Great!

Hi!!!

As I'm sure we all know, it's now summer time (cue confetti cannons and crowds cheering). I love the seasons we get to experience and so I wanted to write a few words down in honour of it all.

Summer is a great time. I love so many things about it.

The ease of shorts, vests, sandals and dresses without thick tights. The way fairy lights sparkle in the garden after barbeques and parties. The fact that cream soda floats and pink lemonade are now staples in the diet. The fact that you can blast music in the garden and dance around like you're in some indie music video without judgement. The way that all these opportunities to do cool stuff open up like outdoor theatre, evenings with friends, trips to the beach and trips abroad. The fact that you spend less time in front of computer screens and TV, because there are so many other things to do. The way you feel when you look outside and see a clear blue sky and bright sunshine in the morning.

 

 

Spend this time well, guys, and make some amazing memories - it's as good a time as ever.

 

Thank you for reading, you lovely person.

What are your favourite things about summer? What things do you love doing? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Talk to me in the comments below.

I hope you are having an awesome day.

 

I hope your day is full of sunshine.

 

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - My Thoughts On The New Ghostbusters Film and The Public Response.

Hi!!!

If you've a movie fan, you've probably heard about the new 'Ghostbusters' film, a reboot of the classic from the 80s. The trailer for this film is one of the most disliked videos in all of YouTube's history. Its cast is lead by four women. Here are my views.



I am a huge fan of the original 'Ghostbusters' film, just for your information. I enjoy it, it's staple viewing at Halloween and it always makes me laugh.

 

I love the new 'Ghostbusters' movie.
It's funny, it's spooky, it features some great characters and it has a very strong plot. My favourite characters are Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). They're interesting, unique, funny and smart. I mean, the other lead characters are, too, but Patty and Holtzmann are far more up my street.
 All the actresses are great with comedy and work as a group really well. The film kept me engaged throughout - sometimes at the cinema, I do have a sneaky look at my watch... - and it made me jump at times, too.
It shows the strength of female friendships like the original showed the strength of male friendships, which is so good to see.
I loved that the costumes for the film are like clothes that actual women wear - not everything is on show, not everything is ridiculously glamorous and they don't fight ghosts while wearing high heeled shoes.
 I think the character Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) could be improved, especially given the all-female group of Ghostbusters. I think its a shame that, in a film that makes a lot of progress in terms of casting and characterisation of female characters, Kevin is 'the stupid cute guy' who is 'hired because he's cute'.
Other than that, I personally think the film is great and would recommend it to you.

I'm sure at least some of you know about the criticism this movie faced before it was even released. The trailer is one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
I appreciate that some people are not keen on the idea of the new film because they love the old one so much and don't want to see a film of less quality become part of its legacy. That, to me, is fine - I understand your worry (but I don't think you don't need to feel that way because it isn't a scene by scene remake and it is good).
However, there are some people who are totally against the film because of the all female cast, although these people often try to suggest that it is more to do with their love for the original. I think it's disgraceful.
  Let's get a few things straight, shall we? Women can be amazing actresses. Women can be hilarious. Women can inspire other women. Women deserve the opportunity to showcase their abilities and encourage others to do the same. Women have worth. Women deserve respect.

Another awfully shocking response to the film has been the racism Leslie Jones has had to face. Black actresses can be amazing and hilarious. They deserve the chance to show off their abilities and inspire people. Black people have worth. Black people deserve respect.

One thing I can say, is that the four women in this film have handled all of this so well, even though they should never have had to. I respect them all so much.
I don't mind at all if you don't like the film because you think it has a weak plot or poor characterisation or lacks development of key themes. I don't share those views but that's alright because you are entitled to an informed opinion. But for people to dislike a film, simply because the cast are mostly female and feature more than one ethnicity is absurd to me. That's just unfair to everyone involved.
Everyone has rights and talents, and I look forward to the day that everyone recognises this.

Thank you so much for reading.

Have you seen the new Ghostbusters film? What did you think? What are your thoughts on the public response? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to tell me in the comments.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my birthday on Sunday, so I'll speak to you after that.

Have a totally marvellous day!

GingerSnaps xxx



All Things Bright and Beauty-Ful - Beauty Reviews - Summer Nail Polish Shades featuring MoYou and Rimmel.

Hi!!!

How's it going? I decided that I'd write something today in between PBS documentaries and cartoons (a strange sounding combination, but a very interesting/entertaining one). Today I have a beauty post for you. I've not really reviewed or talked about nail polish or art here before, but I thought you might want some recommendations for some quality summer shades. Let's get into it.

 

The first nail polishes I have to talk to you about are MoYou London Nail Lacquers.

MoYou London first came to my attention when one of my cousins bought me a set of their polishes as a Christmas present. I admit that I hadn't heard of the brand before but I am very impressed with their products.

 

'Cool Pool' is a fresh blue-toned green, 'White Knight' is a clean white, and 'Sweet Lips' is a fun pink. I think that they have altered the shade range, however, since I first got mine, because 'Cool Pool' seems much more of a true blue colour on the website at the moment - 'Turquoise Mint' seems closer to my 'Cool Pool'. Sorry if this is confusing, I just don't want to give you misinformation.

 

 I've found them all to be long lasting - I recently wore 'Cool Pool' without a top coat and it still lasted three days before chipping. The packaging is simple and pretty - metallic lids with clear bottles.
 The brush is wide, but not so wide that it leads to clumsy application, which is good.

 The polish is great quality at an affordable price ('Sweet Lips' and 'Cool Pool' cost £4.99, 'White Knight' is more pricey at £6.99). I'd recommend treating yourself to a bottle or two.

 

I also have a Rimmel product to mention.

 

I decided last year that I wanted to get a pink nail polish to wear on my birthday. I wanted a sugary pink colour, but not an overbearing neon shade.

The answer was a Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine By Rita Ora nail polish in the shade 'Sweet Retreat'.
It's a different shade of pink than the MoYou one - it's lighter and more 'pink' (if that makes sense), whereas the MoYou one is more of a muted tone.

 

It's a gorgeous colour, very true to the shade you see in the bottle. It lasts well, especially if you use it with a top coat and, although it doesn't dry in 60 seconds, it is a great summer all rounder.

It is really cheap, too, at just £2.99 per bottle. Big love for this one.

And those are my picks. Shout out to Hand Food and Heel Genius, Soap and Glory's brilliant hand and food creams. I really want to try the Sugar Crush Hand Food, too.

 

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the post and maybe found some new products to try.

What are you favourite nail polish shades? What brands would you recommend? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Have a good weekend, everyone and enjoy the rest of today.

 

Have a totally fantastic day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do! - Music - On My One by Jake Bugg Review.

Hi!!!

¡Hola! How've you been? Good, I hope. I have an album review for you today - I've only written one before, but this one will be very different from that one in terms of format and the like. I've been awaiting the release of this album since its release date was announced so I'm going to tell you my views on it.

'On My One', Jake Bugg's third studio album, was released on 17th June 2016 and is entirely written by Jake. The title comes from the first song on the album which in turn comes from a Midlands phrase (represent!) which essentially means "on my own", as I'm sure many of you know, and there is certainly a sense of loneliness running through a lot of the songs in the collection.

Jake is known for his unique vocals - I can't really think of an artist that sounds anything like him that is making music now - which really sets all of his work apart from the crowd. He is also known for his use of guitars in his songs, so definitely one for my fellow guitar fans.

 

My top five standout tracks are 'All That', which is full of beautiful raw emotion,  'Love, Hope and Misery', which is musically (and lyrically) outstanding, 'Gimme The Love', a unique rap track, 'The Love We're Hoping For', a stunning and meaningful piece, and 'Never Wanna Dance', a delicate, simple song. It's hard to choose favourites actually, but I suppose that means there is something to suit all tastes.

 

 

I know some people have mixed feelings about the rap elements of the album like 'Gimme The Love' and 'Ain't No Rhyme', but I am personally a fan. It is certainly different but it's really good to see artistic development, especially when it comes in the form of sometimes Beastie Boys esque rap.

 

The country-rock tracks are very true to their genre, which I love. 'Livin Up Country', 'Hold On You' and 'Put Out The Fire' are lively, old school tracks which are really awesome. 'On My One' is a really great old school rock ballad which I love, too.

Everyone had put a lot of pressure on this album because it's the first entirely self-written and mostly self-produced album that Jake has done, although I thought that was a bit unfair given his involvement in all of his other albums, but it's certainly an impressive start to going it alone in any case.

 

Before I give you my final words and star rating, I thought I'd let you know that an acoustic EP is available exclusively at HMV.

 

 

It costs £2.99 when bought alone and is free when purchased with the album, which is always a plus as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

The EP features three tracks - 'Gimme The Love' and 'The Love We're Hoping For' from the album, and a cover of 'Be The One' (by Dua Lipa). They are all great and are an excellent accompaniment to the album.

 

Overall, I give it five stars. I'm really impressed with all the songs and the cohesion between the collection, I like the experimental side of the album and I have found some new favourites. I think 'On My One' speaks volumes for Jake's talent and his growth as an artist and I'd recommend it to you.

Ta Dah! First album review in two years done! I hope you enjoyed it.

Did you enjoy this new style of album review? Have you listened to 'On My One'? What did you think? Do you have any album recommendations? Any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading. See you soon.

Have an epic day!

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking - Why We Should All Be Kinder To Each Other

Hi!!!

Today's post is a serious one but one I make no apologies for because I believe its essential. I've been hearing so many things recently that make me worried for others and I want to do what I can to fix it. Let's talk about Brexit, hate crimes, the international community and everything else in between.

 

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other" - Audrey Hepburn.



 In the aftermath of Brexit, there has been a fair amount of animosity to immigrant communities - I've read articles about Polish families and Asian families, amongst others, who have experienced this. Families in this country right now who are establishing themselves, living with a unique identity, a mix of where they come from and where they live. I can't imagine that it is easy for anyone to make such a big decision and leave the country they know to start a new life in another. Surely we cannot treat people so terribly, just because they are from somewhere different than us.

It's not just Brexit, either. We live in a world where people have been shot because of their sexuality, where people aren't treated with the respect they deserve because of their gender, where they experience police brutality or hate crimes because of the colour of their skin, where people attack each other just because they don't share the same religious beliefs.

I want to put my arms around the world and fix it all but I can't reach everyone. What I can do, and what you can do, too, is be kind. Smile at people, hold the door for them, say thank you to the bus driver. Text friends to see how their week has been, let that pedestrian cross the road, say bless you when people sneeze. Call family in spare moments. Let people in the community know that it is OK for them to be themselves, no matter what that means. Speak kindly to people from all around the world - let neighbours know they have your support. Little things really do go such a long way. And, of course, if you are witness to hateful situations, then report it (some helpful tips on that here).

 

We may not all agree on everything, be it Brexit or religion or other people's life choices, but that shouldn't mean the doors are open for hate. It doesn't matter to me how you voted (I am more than aware that the large majority of Leave voters are kind, good people), or how you choose to live your life so long as you try your best to be kind and accepting to others. We can and we should all try and live together as a tolerant global society. You are not defined by your gender, your race, your age, your immigrant status, your religion or your sexuality or a disability or anything else like that. You are more than that. Everyone is worth something and everyone has the potential to give something really great back to the world. We all want to be able to be our true selves, and we'd all be worried about people trying to threaten our right to do that. If we strive to let everyone live a life that is true to them, we'll be one step closer to living the dream. The actual dream that people have had for generations. We've come a long way but that doesn't mean the journey is over.

Thanks you for reading. I hope that you've all had a great week so far.
What are your thoughts on today's post? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to let me know in the comments.
I'll speak to you all soon.

I hope your day is full of love!

GingerSnaps xxx