So, To Sum It All Up - April Summary.

Hi!!!


Can you believe that it is May already? May is a lovely month, though - Bank Holiday Monday, anyone? So, I have a load of April bits and bobs to share with you today, and so I think I should probs just get on with this.

Going Out With Friends/Family.

I've been out and about with my friends and family a few times this month, and I have really enjoyed it. Not only have I had things to look forward to, but I've got to spend time with people and enjoy myself.

I went to see the Miranda Hart "My, What I Call, Live Show" tour with Elf Girl (I got her a ticket as a Christmas present last year) and my Auntie S and I know I had a really great time, and the others did too I think. It was sooooo funny and just a great experience on the whole, especially for ultimate Miranda fans like us lot!

I went to go and see Another Country at the Trafalgar Studios with my Mom as part of a day in London together. The show was great and the rest of the day was too. We went to the National Portrait Gallery and ate cupcakes in a tiny store in Covent Garden we found recently. I had a very nice, calm day.

I also went to see "Dance Til Dawn", a dance show starring Vincent and Flavia off of Strictly Come Dancing. I went with my Mom, Nan and Auntie S - love a family night out! - as we'd been to see their "Midnight Tango" show before and thought this one would be worth watching. It was amazing! Seriously, a jazz-age-themed dance fest with amazing ensemble, stars and staging = yeah!

Right, lot of links here.

To find Elf Girl and her blogs, I have linked her Blogger profile, (HERE).

 

To see mentions of my Auntie S and my Mom, see (HERE) and (HERE).

For my review of Another Country, see (HERE).

For links to Miranda's work and Vincent and Flavia's work, see (HERE) and (HERE).

For links to the National Portrait Gallery, see (HERE).

Getting More Work Done On The New House.

Yes, I know this has featured in a lot of monthly summaries lately, but it is a big part of my life right now.

We have made progress which I, personally, am happy with, and we are set to make more progress in the next few weeks.

Go us!

To find out about some recent progress with the house, head on over (HERE).

Easter and Easter Celebrations.

Obviously, Easter happened last month.

I like Easter a lot and always have fun during the celebrations. The more "interesting" parts of the day included the way I dressed myself up, making mini egg Rocky Road and having lunch with my family. It was a good day, which was rounded off by eating an Easter egg and watching TV.

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To see a post about Easter that I wrote, go (HERE).

Enjoying Little Things/Occasions.

This month, I shared what my "wild" lifestyle/night life is like - basically it ideally involves movies, a bit of a pamper and sleep. But, I don't mind that. I think everyone, even if secretly, enjoys staying in and doing nothings which make them happy and relaxed.

I also shared my thoughts on the annual Oxford V Cambridge boat race. It's a little bit of my life that swings round every year and that I think is a great tradition. All very good stuff... especially since Oxford won!!!

To see my post on my Sunday night plans, see (HERE).

To see my post on the Boat Race, go (HERE). 

Getting Blog Admin Done!

Yes, April was the month I finally set up BlogLovin' (feel free to click the follow button on the top right!) which is something I had wanted to do since the end of Google Friend Connect when I first set up my blog in June last year! So, go me for organisation!

I also got lots of reading/writing done in April, which can never be a bad thing!

To see my necessary BlogLovin' code post, see (HERE). 

My Favourite Blog Posts Of April.

In no particular order...

"A Day In Harrogate" on Made Up Of Little Things, (HERE).

I love a good lifestyle post, and this was fun, interesting and a great insight into Rachael and her little family. It was a very sweet, well photographed post which made me smile. I also liked the personal details added.

"Living With A Blogger" on Little Winter, (HERE).

When reading this post, I found myself sitting there and saying loudly - to myself - "Oh my gosh, I do that!" and "Oh my gosh, that's me!".

If you are any kind of blogger or just have those kinds of traits, you will find this very funny (at least in parts) and almost a reality check - but it's all part of the job, right?

"Details" on Charlotte's Web, (HERE).

I liked this post, as it was like an insight into a bit of Charlotte's mind, and posts like this can spur on new interests, for example it gave me ideas for my trip to London as well as drawing my attention to Kate Spade - as long as my bank account doesn't also get drawn to it all, we'll be OK!

Sending happy thought your way for the future Charlotte, needed because (THIS). It can only get better.

"Review: Teens Titans Go!" on Chronicles Of The Red Herring, (HERE).

If you are a bit of a nerd like me, and want an honest opinion on the remake of the classic Teen Titans, then head on over to this post. It was actually a good review, even though it was on the more negative side, because I always prefer an honest opinion.

"Happy Days 03" on A Rosie Outlook, (HERE).

I like to see what makes people happy, and to get some positive energy going through the blogging community. It is always good to see what little things make other people smile, and spread the happiness.

Ta Dah! I think that's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed this post, and that April was good to you!

Did you like this post? What did you get up to in April? Anything similar to me? What do you think of what I did? Any questions, thoughts or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Let's see what blogging brings in May! I hope you all enjoy this month of posts.

Have an awesome day!

GingerSnaps xxx

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